Author's Note: Thank you to all the wonderful women from around the world I now correspond with. Honestly, it thrills me beyond my ability to articulate that you want to read my insanity. Thank you to Jkane180 (Jess) my wonderful beta. In addition to regular disclaimers, I'd like to make it clear that Small Gods is the property of Terry Pratchett and I've "borrowed" some theories in this chapter from Lewis Carroll (Alice and Wonderland) and Descarte's "Dream Argument."

Isabella Flanagan's Notes: I had a thought. The thought became an idea...sort of. A Science Fiction satirist by the name of Terry Pratchett wrote a bunch of books called the Discworld series, including the novel, Small Gods. What does this have to do with Twilight? Um, very little. The important thing to note is that according to the rules of this universe, the power and presence of a god is directly affected by the number of people that believe in him or her.

That got me googling...

Wikipedia: A small god therefore is a god without enough believers to manifest in any significant form. There are two very different kinds: those who have yet to accumulate enough believers and those who were once powerful but have been forgotten. Of the former there is an almost infinite number on the Disc; Pratchett compares their hidden ubiquity to that of bacteria in our world. The other may still have memory of its former days, but its identity will be almost completely lost, even to itself.

Isabella Flanagan's Notes: Can belief augment reality? And if so, how do I bottle this shit?

"Isabella?"

My social worker was "hard at work" trying to find a psychiatrist willing to work with me. Meanwhile, A&E called, offering to profile me for some weird ass medical mystery show. As tempted as I was, I'd rather own the rights to my own story. If the Twilight phenomenon taught me anything, there was a real merchandising opportunity here.

Charlie had brought me a sweet little laptop, and I was busy writing my nonsense theories along with a business plan. If only I could figure out and map the coordinates of whatever rabbit hole I slipped through to get into this universe. Surely the female population would be lining up to become Bella Swan and take Jacob and Edward rides. Not that this was fucking Disney Land...or was it?

"Isabella?"

Carlisle? "Hey, Doc. I thought you'd have gotten the fuck out of Dodge, already."

"I'm taking over your case," he explained and sat at the edge of my bed.

"I'm pretty sure I can't afford you." I was only half looking at him. He removed his black leather doctor's bag and I idly wondered if Esme and him ever role played. I certainly would have. Dr. Cullen may have been ancient but he was also still hot as all fuck. "Does Charlie know that you're here?" I asked, shutting down my pretty pink computer and trying not to think about mounting my new doctor.

"Yes."

"Do you think that belief can augment reality?"

"Of course," he said, taking my pulse. "Your heart rate is too fast."

"Yeah, well, yours is much too slow."

"How are you feeling, Bella?"

I opened my mouth to speak but couldn't seem to find a response to his question. "No fucking clue." At least it was the truth.

"I need you to remember what happened." Carlisle took my hand in his and squeezed lightly.

"Edward left me in the woods, yadda yadda yadda. Laurent tried to kill me and if we're still following canon, Victoria should be assembling an army of newborns right about now."

"How did you know about that?"

"I read the fucking book! How many times do I have to say that before someone believes me?"

Carlisle let go of my hand and sighed. "Alright, I'm prepared to entertain your theories as possibilities."

I cocked my head back and forth like a dim-witted dog, trying to understand a command. "Really?"

"Yes, but only if you allow me to ask you a series of questions under a light hypnosis."

"Are you going to perform a vampire glamour on me?" That was more of a True Blood thing but Carlisle had all kinds of talent.

"No, Bella. I'm going to use a combination of breathing exercises and hypnotic suggestions to relax you, thereby connecting with your subconscious mind."

"The glamour thingy sounded like more fun."

"Do you agree to undergoing hypnosis?"

"Yes, but first you're going to fucking humour me. No one takes me seriously. For all of Edward and Jake's undying love and shit, they don't really listen to a goddamn thing I say. Did they actually listen to Bella Swan?"

"You tell me. What happened in the books?"

"Well, Edward asked her a shitload of questions about her favourite colours, flowers and gemstones, and Jake taught her how to ride a bike and shared a bunch of Quileute legends."

"It sounds like they shared a dialogue with her."

"Well, where the fuck are they now? Jake's all imprinted and shit with Cum Bucket...long story...and Edward is- Where is Edward?"

"Edward is off sulking in Alaska."

"That's not very creative, is it?"

"No, Bella. I'm afraid it isn't."

"I have a metaphysical question for you. Can both Bella Swan and I exist independently of each other?"

"Well, you already do. Before the personalities started to merge, each Bella seemed to exist without knowledge of the other."

"No, not in the same body. I'm talking about multiple universes. I'm starting to think that we co-exist."

"Isabella...you're expecting me to entertain the possibility of multiple universes?"

"Why not? I believe in vampires. How's it a stretch?"

"I see. So, how is this a metaphysical question?" I couldn't read Carlisle's expression. He had an excellent Poker face.

"Well, because I'm questioning standard beliefs about existence. How do we know something exists, what's real and what's fantasy? And, by that same token, can fantasy become reality if enough people believe in it?"

Carlisle was thoughtful for a moment. "The human mind does not differentiate dreams from reality. Perception does that. The sleeping mind does not know it's dreaming. There are many theories about this by both Scientists and Philosphers. Decartes-"

"Hey, this is my rant." I placed my finger on his mouth to shut him up because I fucking hated philosophy. "Maybe I'm dreaming. If I wake up, you'll cease to exist."

"An interesting idea...But, how am I sentient, then?"

"Because I dreamed it so." I was pleased with the power of my mind. "Or maybe not. Maybe the universal female psyche is acting like the Borg-Did you watch Star Trek?-Not important." I stopped talking and walked over to my little plastic mirror. Bella Swan's face looked back at me. "What if belief and desire, made a book come to life?"

If enough people hero worshiped Edward and Jacob, could we wish them into reality?

"Well...I suppose if enough people believe something to be true, it becomes true. It does not become sentient, however."

"Why the fuck not?" I snapped.

"It's not plausible. Only god creates life."

"See, I think you've got it backwards. I think humanity created god. Edward and Jacob are little gods. I just need to figure where the fuck I fit into this mess."

I was so fucking tired. "I think I need to lie down for a while, Doc." He helped me into my bed and pulled the covers over me in a rather fatherly gesture. A soft sigh escaped my lips, and I cuddled into his hand a little bit as he brushed my hair away from my eyes.

"Count back from ten to one, Isabella."

-({})-

Somewhere above myself, I floated. I couldn't tell you which Bella I was at the moment. Only that I was trapped in a nightmare, forced to watch. My mind was reeling, no longer strong enough to repress the violent scene before me.

Isabella Flanagan was being brutally attacked, but the details were unclear. The man, her attacker, left her bleeding out from her stomach. Oh, god, there was so much blood. It poured down her pale skin and pooled into the marshy ground. She would have died, if not for the GPS enabled phone, she clutched in her hand.

-({})-

"Izzy? Izzy?"

"That shit doesn't happen to me!"

"Baby, are you remembering?" Oh, god.

"Greggy," I choked and buried my face into his shoulder, sobbing violently.

"I know, baby girl. It's going to be okay."

"It won't. I can't...I'm sorry."

"Stay with me, Izzy." He grabbed my arms roughly, as if he was trying to keep me grounded in his world, but I shook my head.

"I'm sorry," I repeated and disappeared again.

-({})-

Carlisle was looking at me sadly.

"Maybe there are no small gods," I said, my voice hoarse from screaming. "Only small people."

Author's Note: Yes, I've gone around the bend a couple of times. If you still enjoy this and haven't voted, BBS is a finalist in the Indie Twific Awards for Best AU or Canon. Voting closes after tomorrow so this is the last time I'll bug all of y'all about it. I do apologize for going on and on, this is the first time I've been nominated for an award for fiction so I kind of lost my mind a little bit in the excitement. I usually send previews but finished the chapter and decided to post tonight. Reviewers still receive my inappropriate love.