A/N My goodness! What a violent bunch you are! :) To all my vigilantes out there, I'm sorry, but Bella will not be taking the law into her own hands. Never the less, Dan will be brought to justice. Thanks for all your reviews! I can't believe how many I got, it was awesome! Oh and just a note regarding the story I asked for help in finding: It has been discovered that the author who wrote it sadly deleted all of his/her works. Bummer. Anyway, enjoy the next LONGER chapter, sorry it took so long.

Chapter 13

"Bella, honey, wake up."

A gentle prodding accompanied the soothing voice, but I refused to be brought out of my dreams so easily. As it was, my body was cocooned perfectly in the warm bed, and a soft body cuddled into my arms comfortably.

"Bella." The voice insisted more sternly. I finally cracked an eye open to see Esme standing over me. "You need to get up, dear. The Alice's mother is here."

Well that woke me up! I nearly fell off the bed in my hurry to get out of it. My movement caused Alice to stir and she blinked her tired eyes up at me.

"Bella? Where you goin'?" She mumbled sleepily. Esme must have noticed my dumb expression as I stood in awe of the beauty in the bed before me, so she answered in my place.

"Your mother has just arrived, Alice. She's speaking with the doctor right now."

"Oh, nice of her to show up." Alice said, her eyes shining with resentment, but if you looked hard enough you could see the slight hope in them. Hope that perhaps this time her mother would care. I had never met either of her parents, but that didn't stop me from despising them. How they could neglect their beautiful daughter was beyond my comprehension, and I could feel my face screw up in disgust as I thought of them.

Before I could voice any of these thoughts, the door to the room opened and I turned to see a middle aged woman with dark hair, cut in a bob, looking at me in surprise.

"Hello. Might I ask who you are?" The new arrival asked. I took in her appearance, noting that her nose and facial structure was similar to Alice's, and deduced that this must be her mother.

"Darla, this is my daughter in law, Bella. She came with me to the hospital last night." Esme said, stepping in, as I glared at the woman who had hurt my Alice. A sharp jab to my ribs broke my gaze and I turned to see Esme giving me a stern glance.

The woman raised an eyebrow at Esme and I before glancing around us to her daughter.

"I'm still unclear about why you were called about my daughter's condition." She said, before dismissing our presence altogether as she moved around to Alice's bedside. "As for you, what on earth are you doing in the city, Mary? I thought your father and I made it clear that you were not to pursue that frivolous school, and now look at you." Alice hung her head solemnly. "I had to move my salon appointment so that I could come and pick you up. You know how difficult it is to find time with Jean-Luc. When will you grow up and stop acting like a selfish child?" Her mother scolded and I about tackled her. I had never wanted to hit someone as badly as I wanted to hit this woman! Unfortunately, Esme was holding onto my arm, her free hand moving to cover my mouth when I attempted to intervene. I turned to her and she shook her head sadly.

"You never think about how your actions affect other people!" The horrible woman continued to rant. "Now, your father has to worry about this story causing bad publicity for his company. We're tired of cleaning up your messes, Mary!"

"Sorry, mom." Alice mumbled, not bothering to look up at her mother.

"I don't know what I'm going to do with you." She muttered to herself, before glancing around the room. "Well, get up. Get your stuff together. As it is, I'm going to be late for bridge."

I was seeing red as Esme forcefully pulled me out of the room.

"Bella, I know this is hard to understand, but don't get involved. It will only make things worse." Esme said, and I could see in her own face that she was suppressing the urge to knock that woman on her ass, though I doubt her rage even came close to equaling mine.

I was struggling to rein in my anger when I felt the phone in my pocket vibrate. The name on the caller I.D. was enough of a surprise to shock me out of my dangerous state.

"Dad?" I asked in disbelief, holding the phone to my ear as I moved just slightly away from Esme for privacy. My reaction was certainly warranted since I can't remember my father ever calling me, especially not on my cell phone.

"Hey sweetie."

"Why are you whispering?" I asked, slightly amused.

"I don't want your mother to hear me. Listen, honey, she told me about your visit…"

"Dad." I interrupted, not in the mood to be lectured.

"No, wait. I'm not calling to tell you what you should or shouldn't do. However, I am calling to remind you that your trust fund is untouched and you're free to use it should you feel the need to start a new life." I gasped. I had completely forgotten about the account my parents opened for me as a child. There was probably a couple million in it by now, maybe more. That would certainly be useful until I found a job.

"Oh my God! Thank you daddy!" I said excitedly and I heard his deep chuckle on the other end.

"I love you sweetheart. I just want you to be happy." He said, and I felt like crying. Those weren't words I would normally hear from my father. Growing up, he was never the most sentimental guy, but I knew he loved me, even if he didn't say it.

"I wish mom felt that way." I said sadly, and I he exhaled loudly in response.

"She does, Isabella. Just give her some time. You kind of threw a curveball at her, kid." He said, laughing again. "Speaking of which, I'm going to need to meet this Alice your mother's been ranting about." I laughed at his protective daddy act.

"Sure, dad. Anytime."

"I'll let you know when I'm going to be in the city next, but I got to go honey."

"Ok Dad, bye." I said, hearing his side click before I hung up on my own.

"Everything okay, Dear?" Esme asked when I turned around. She was leaning on the wall, her attention torn between me and the door to Alice's room. I just nodded and moved to stand beside her.

A few minutes later, Alice's mother emerged, already well into a conversation on her blackberry, her daughter and my love trailing behind her sadly.

"Alice…" I said, taking a step towards her, and she looked up at me with a small smile.

"Sorry, Bella. I gotta go. I'll call you later okay?" She said anxiously looking down the hall where her mother had continued walking, oblivious to her daughter's delay. Before she could hurry away, I grabbed her hand, making her look up at me.

'I love you.' I mouthed seriously, and squeezing her hand before taking a step back. A genuine smile spread across her face and she bounced into my arms, wrapping me in a tight hug.

"I love you, too." She whispered into my ear.

"MARY!" Her mother called loudly down the hall, interrupting our moment together and wiping the silly grin off my face. The nurses were glaring at her for making so much noise, but her head was too far up her ass to care.

"Coming." Alice grumbled, flashing me one more small smile before walking quickly down the hall to join her mother. I watched them go until they were out of my sight, and then I turned to Esme.

"Unfortunately, I need to get going as well. It seems I have a rather upset son at my house and Carlisle's asked me to come home." I turned to my mother in law guiltily, ready to apologize, but she held her hand up. "I'm glad you didn't put it off." She said simply, adjusting the purse on her shoulder before giving me a brief hug and following Alice and her mother out.

And so I was left alone.

It was then I realized I didn't really have anywhere to go. I couldn't go back to the house I shared with Edward. I wasn't ready to see him again, and I knew he'd need some time to cool off as well. Obviously, Esme's was out for the same reason. I guess I could go to Rose's, but I hated to impose on her without warning, plus Emmett was Edward's brother, so who knew how he'd take to my being there.

Well, crap. I'm homeless.

I sighed and found a chair to collapse in, allowing myself a few minutes of self-pity.

However, upon reflection I realized that I actually had a wonderful opportunity to make something out of my life now. Alice would be graduating school in a little over a month and attending college in the city. I was finally free to get a job doing something I loved, and actually had money to start something myself if I wanted. A grin split my face as I thought of all the things I had to look forward to, especially being in the city with Alice! In my excitement, I saw no reason to put these plans off. Whipping out my cell phone I quickly dialed a friend.

"Hello, Ruby? This is Bella Cu…Swan." Ruby Montgomery grew up in my neighborhood, though we rarely spoke as children. Now, she occasionally came to the club and was a welcome relief from the regulars, but this wasn't a personal call. She also happened to be a very talented real estate agent. "Well, I'm actually calling to see if you could help me with something. I'm looking to buy a home and some business space in the city."

Four days later, I found myself alone in a hotel room, somewhat close to Rose's house, with nothing but television for entertainment. Though she had called and offered for me to stay with her, I decided to take some time to gather myself alone. Alice, of course, called several times a day, but hadn't had a chance to visit me yet with her parents and their lawyer buzzing around the house, trying to smother any publicity. Several witnesses made it unnecessary for Alice to actually take the stand in court, but Daniel had decided that if he was going down, she was going with him. He had been taking every public opportunity to rave about Alice's illicit affairs with women in the neighborhood and claiming that she forced some into it, including his wife. Needless to say, several women in the club were unhappy with Margot and Alice for bringing them under suspicion. Alice's parents refused to believe any of the claims and thought Dan was delusional, but it didn't mean they weren't upset with Alice for staining their reputations.

A knock on my door broke me out of my thoughts and I practically bolted over to it, eager for any visitor, but hoping it might be Alice.

My grin fell, but just a touch when I opened the door to see Rose standing there. Of course she noticed.

"Not who you were hoping for?" She asked, an amused smirk on her face. I didn't bother responding, just turned and left the door open for her. I plunked down on the bed and felt her do the same.

"So, what's going on?" I asked, fairly certain by the now serious look on my friend's face that this wasn't merely a social call. She forced a reassuring smile onto her face and placed her hand on my knee. Now I was concerned, as anyone would be when they're being preemptively comforted.

"Emmett got a call from Edward today." She started and I immediately perked up, curiosity taking hold. As far as I knew, this was the first time Edward had talked to them. "He asked him to pass on the message that he would be out of the house today until eight, and asked if we could possibly help you pack and move your things." I frowned, but nodded my head. "It'll be okay, sweetie. For what it's worth, I'm proud of you for making a difficult decision and not taking the easy way out. It's hard right now, but it was the right thing to do in the long run for both you and Edward." She said, rubbing my knee a little. I gave her a watery smile before looking back down at my hands.

"How is he? Edward? Did he…Did he say anything to Emmett?"

"He's not ready to see you yet, obviously…" I flinched, my heart aching a little. I still cared about Edward. Someone you loved…love doesn't just fade out of your life. And though I knew it to be unlikely, I still hoped that we might still be friends, one day. Rose continued on as though she hadn't noticed my reaction. "He's actually doing much better now than he was, according to Esme. She said that he was severely in denial, but then he moved into a phase where he blamed Alice. That one didn't last long because, apparently, when he mentioned wanting to pay for Daniel's lawyer, out of spite, Esme slapped him. He came back to his senses pretty quickly. She thinks he's beginning to accept it now, but is still very hurt. I guess you can see his wanting to move you out as progress in a way. Do you know what you're going to do yet?"

I had to take a minute before I could answer Rose. The new information was both startling and upsetting. I would never have thought Edward to be angry enough to support a bastard like Daniel, even if it was only a momentary lapse in judgment. If I was perfectly honest, though, I was even more surprised that it only took a few days for him to come around to the idea of our divorcing. He never took change well, and I thought something as massive as this would unhinge him for a while. Maybe deep inside him somewhere, he knew as well as I, that we weren't meant for each other, at least not as lovers.

Rose's persistent stare reminded me that she had indeed asked a question and I quickly tried to remember what it was. Oh! Right!

"You know Ruby, right? Montgomery?" I added at Rose's confused face. I took her expression of enlightenment as answer enough. "I've asked her to find a place for me in the city." Rose looked wary. I knew she wasn't fond of living in the city because she thought it was dirty and dangerous, but I didn't share that view. I'd spent the last few days really exploring and came to feel like I was walking around in a living entity. It was exciting and vibrant, a breath of fresh air from the stuffy, posh atmospheres I was used to. I was quickly coming to love the village, especially. Its eclectic mix of residents and visible artistic roots just felt like home, comfortable and welcoming. "Ruby found me a few places so far, but there's one place I really love. It's not much to look at from the outside, but it's got a lot of potential, and best of all, there's a place for a gallery downstairs from the loft, in the same building!" My excitement carried me away into the art fairs I'd attended and artists I wanted to support, plus all the plans I had for sprucing up the place. Rose listened to me babble patiently, her eyes alight with happiness and a small smile on her face. At some points it didn't seem like she was listening at all, but just observing my enthusiasm.

"Anyway…" I finally reined myself in, "I'm hoping to take Alice to see it soon and put in an offer." Another knock at the door made both of us jump, but Rose quickly got up to answer it. Though I couldn't see him, I heard Emmett's deep voice from the hallway and tensed.

"…been sitting outside for twenty minutes!" He complained, pushing passed Rose and into the room. He took one look at my stiff posture and frowned.

"You think I'm mad at you, Bells? Honestly, I'm surprised Edward lasted as long as he did once you met Alice. She's a hot little number, for sure. Poor guy didn't stand a chance really!" Emmett chuckled.

"It wasn't like that…" I started defensively, but was silenced when Emmett pulled me into a tight bear hug.

"I know, I'm just joking with you Bella. Seriously though, I'm not upset. I want you and Edward both to be happy and in love, and now you two have a real chance at it. I mean, I thought you were, but growing up around the families I did, I learned pretty quickly that appearances are often deceiving." He said shrugging, his eyes serious, but a warm smile offering comfort. Rose came and sat on my other side and pulled me into a hug as well. I hadn't even realized that silent tears had been falling down my face until Emmett reached over and handed me a tissue.

Fifteen minutes later, I stared out the window at the house that had been my home for so long. It now looked larger and more intimidating than before, the dark stone seeming almost foreboding. In truth, I never truly liked this house. It was gorgeous and decorated perfectly, but despite my attempts to make it more homey, always felt a little cold to me. I suppose traditional just wasn't my style. As we walked into the foyer, I took in the formal furniture placed strategically around the room. It was a natural accent to the house's design and feeling, but only proved to make the old style house even more unwelcoming.

With several folded up boxes under our arms, Rose and I headed to the bedroom while Emmett went to gather some things in the kitchen and living room. I decided to leave most of our things for Edward. The house had really been tailored to his tastes through my accommodation and general indifference. Perhaps that was the real reason I never felt at home here. I made a mental note to make sure my new place had equal amounts of both mine and Alice's styles so that we would both be comfortable there. As far as I was concerned, Alice was a permanent fixture in my life now, so I might as well start out on this new adventure with her the right way.

"Bella, what about this?" Rose was digging through my pajama drawer and when I stuck my head out of the closet, she was holding up a faded old concert tee. It was from a Pink Floyd show Edward went to as a teenager, but I had come to love it and used it as a night shirt since college. I studied the article of clothing quizzically for a moment. I suppose it was Edward's, but he never wore it. Besides, it would be a nice reminder of him and times when we were happy. But then again, if Alice saw it, what would she think? Would it hurt her if I wore my soon to be ex-husband's old shirt? But would it hurt Edward if he noticed I didn't take it? I doubt he'd notice if I did take it, but he'd definitely notice if I didn't.

"Bella!" Rose yelled, with raised eyebrows. "Do you want the shirt or not?"

"Yes." I decided. Putting aside all the drama that may come with it, I just loved the shirt. I wanted to keep it and if issues arose in the future, then too bad. I smiled at my thoughts as I returned to pulling dresses off their hangers. I couldn't have bought more than five of these myself. Between Esme and Rosalie, I barely had to go shopping, which suited me just fine.

"You know…" I called out, and I heard Rose pause in her work. "Maybe I should just give this stuff to charity. Start over fresh." I stated. I could practically hear Rose's horrified thoughts through her lack of response. Imagine thousands of dollars worth of barely worn designer clothing on a salvation army rack selling for ten bucks. Some things I would keep, like the Pink Floyd shirt, and the faded and ripped pair of jeans I managed to hide from Rosalie. However, a large part of moving into the city was to get away from high society, except for occasional visits perhaps. But I saw no reason to own over a dozen formal ball gowns. I nodded silently to myself, making my decision. First order of business would be to sort through these piles of clothes and get rid most of it.

About an hour later Rose and I had finally finished packing up the boxes and suitcases of clothing and she'd joined me in the closet to help get down a few things from a high shelf I couldn't reach. After pulling down the last little box of knick knacks, she had to stretch to reach one last item in the back and I heard wood scraping against wood as she pulled it forward. I knew what it was before I even saw it, and I'd actually completely forgotten I still had it.

"Hey! I remember this thing!" Rose exclaimed as she held up my old easel, paint splotches and stickers still littering its body. "You going to start painting again?" She asked, handing its dusty wooden frame down to me carefully. I shrugged. It was really just a hobby. Painting used to relieve stress for me in high school and college, but I never took it very seriously. If I had, it probably would have lost its relaxing quality. Edward had actually offered to make a room in the house into a studio, but I guess I just lost interest in it. I threw out my paints and brushes, but for some reason, just stuffed the easel into the back of my closet. Rose didn't comment on my dismissal of the subject thankfully and just hopped off the step ladder, pulling it back out of the closet.

All in all, it took about four hours to pack everything and move it into our two cars. I was just loading in the last small box of pictures and trinkets when my phone buzzed in my pocket. Struggling to stuff the square box into slightly more rounded space, I didn't have a chance to check the I.D. before answering, holding the phone up with my shoulder.

"Hello?" I asked, as Rose came around the side of the car to help me.

"Bella!" A sweet voice answered, and I would have dropped the box without concern for its contents if Rose hadn't been there.

"Alice!" I shrieked back loudly in excitement. It was nearly five now and I hadn't heard from her all day. Rose rolled her eyes at my grin, but a soft smile adorned her face as she took up my position trying to fit the box into the car.

"Guess what?" Alice said.

"What?" I asked, equaling her enthusiasm. I turned away from Rose who was shaking her head at me in amusement.

"My parents are out tonight. I have the whole house to myself." Her voice had gotten lower and hinted at wonderful things to come. I could already feel my body heating up at her sexy tone, and quickly moved away from the others.

"Oh yeah?" I asked, playing along and feeling like a teenager again. My voice had instinctively lowered and become, dare I say, sultry in response.

"Mhmm." Alice purred. "I'm awfully lonesome. You want to come over and keep me company?" She asked, sending shivers through my body and tempting pictures through my mind. I nodded dumbly at my phone, before shaking myself out of the lust filled fog surrounding me.

"Well I wouldn't want you to be scared, all alone in that big house." I purred right back and was satisfied to hear a small giggle on the other side. "When do you want me to come over?"

"Now!" Alice said, slightly breathless, catching me off guard. I heard another muffled moan and stared at my phone for a moment is surprise.

"Alice, honey, what are you doing?" I asked, when her little sounds of pleasure met my ear again.

"I may or may not be lying naked on my bed touching myself while I listen to your voice." She moaned again, this time louder. "I'm already so wet, just thinking about you." There was a slurping sound, before she said, "Mmm, I taste soooo good." Oh God.

"I'll be there in ten minutes." I breathed, hanging up the phone before I came in my panties and nearly bowling over Rose in an attempt to get in my car.

"Whoa, Bella! Where's the fire!" Emmett asked, saving his wife from my blind rampage.

"Sorry, I…uh gotta go. Thanks for the help!" I yelled out behind me as I slammed the car door and tore down the driveway. I knew it was rude, but I'd apologize later. Right now there was a very beautiful, very naked girl waiting to be ravaged on her bed and I intended to pleasure her body thoroughly.

A/N Look out for a lemon at the beginning of the next chapter. It's been a while and the ladies need some lovin'

The phone convo might be an epic fail, but I tried. My boyfriend usually just laughs when I try to be sultry, so my writing might be similar (*Virtual Shrug*)