As usual, plot belongs to gaara king of the sand and Twilight belongs to SM. I am very very sorry for the long wait. Enjoy. :) (please read the A/N at the bottom).

Today I am wearing a t-shirt.

Well, not just any t-shirt, a hardly-any-sleeves-whatsoever sort of t-shirt. With slight lace detailing near those almost non-existent sleeves. And it's freezing. I do have a jacket, but that would just defeat the purpose of today. Today: I am going to test my power. I'm not sure who yet, and I definitely have no idea how, but I need to know how far it's travelled up my arms.

I walk to school again, as today especially I don't want to draw attention to myself, as I'll probably be trying to draw attention to myself all day, and I don't want any certain vampires finding out my secret on today of all days.

"Bella!" Jessica squeals, rushing to give me a hug, as she always does. Unfortunately, however, she is wearing a jacket, and so I don't see her future. Which I never thought would be a bad thing.

"Hi, Jess," I smile back, and Angela smiles at me in greeting. "How are you?"

"I'm great!" She almost shrieks. I notice Angela take a small step back. "I think Mike might ask me out!"

A grin spreads across Angela's face. "That's great Jess! Now, come one, we need to get to class." As she says this the bell begins to ring, slightly muffled as we're on the other side of the parking lot in relation to the school. Of course, as soon as I begin to move, however, I trip over the smallest rock in existence. I manage to right myself, but just before I do I feel two cold hands on either side of my elbow.

It's Edward's future, and it's the same as before. Except for one thing. The scene of the forest, which before was of it going so fast it was almost hard to keep up, but now, it slows, and suddenly a deer is dead at his feet, a small amount of blood dripping from his mouth as he straightens up. The last image still gives me chills, the fire... The cloaks...

"Bella?" His voice brings me out of my haze as he pulls me up so my back is straight. "Are you alright?"

"Uuuh," Is my fantastic reply, and I shake my head slightly to clear it. "Yeah... I'm fine."

He turns me to face him, placing both hands on my shoulders. His fingers blush the exposed skin just underneath my sleeves. For a moment my breath catches as his future flashes before my eyes again, and I cringe. Edward searches my face, concern etched over his. "Are you sure you're alright, Bella? You don't seem quite well."

I almost feel like I want to cry. Here is a man, who is a vampire, who I have just seen being a vampire, and my power is all the way up my arms - to my shoulders at least. For a very short moment, I want to just blurt out everything, just mutter it to him in the hopes he, of all people, might understand. But no. I came here for a normal life. I came here to escape all the death and stuff that was going on in the city. The last thing I need is to become involved with a vampire. Well, another vampire. So I just nod my head, mumbling a quick "I'm fine," Before stepping out of his grasp and walking to class.

I'm late. He simply waves me to my seat.

Or at least, I think he does. My ears are ringing slightly and it's hard to hear... and breathe...

For the rest of the day I try to completely avoid the entire human/supernatural population of the school. I didn't think it would be so easy to test my power; I thought I'd have to be tripping and stumbling all day in the hopes someone might catch me, or I'd spend most of the day trying to come up with a plan that has less of a chance of making me bleed and starting a vampire frenzy. So, to make sure I wouldn't chicken out or talk myself out of it, I didn't bring gloves or a jacket. Great.

At lunch, in an attempt to avoid everyone else I pretend to revise at one of the picnic benches outside. There are only two other people out here and they are both wearing thermals and coats. I shiver and grit my teeth in jealousy.

The next morning, I wake up with a high temperature and a stuffy nose. My head is pounding worse than yesterday morning, and my eyes feel scratchy. "Bella!" My dad bangs on my door. "If you don't get up now you'll be late!"

"Kay, dad," I whisper it, but my voice still comes out scratchy and hoarse. I wince as a sting of pain goes through my throat. My door opens.

"Bella?" Charlie comes to crouch next to my bed, placing a warm hand on my forehead. "Woah, Bell, you're burning up."

I think he says something else, but it's muffled as his future plays out before my eyes. His life continues as normal. He gets through each trial calmly and confidently. He leads me down the aisle to a faceless man. I'm not in his future after that. His life continues. One day, there is a shooting in Port Angeles. He is shot. He dies before they get him to the hospital.

As my vision clears, I find him staring at me anxiously, and tears well in my eyes. I have just seen my father die. My father. I saw Renee die too, but it always differed, and I trusted Phil to keep her safe. Also, my dad has always been a constant in my life. We may be quite uncommunicative, but I have always known that if I wanted to go to Forks he would welcome me with open arms - as he has - and that if I ever needed him in Phoenix he would be there within the day, or would be packing his things and on the way to the airport before he'd even hung up the phone. Renee would probably forget I needed her by the time I hung up.

Turning my head, I bury my face into my pillow and sob into it. I didn't want him to die like that. I never want him to die at all, even though I know it's inevitable. "Bella!" He exclaims worriedly, moving slightly closer to me. "You're not going to school today," He says quietly after a moment. "I'll be back in just a moment, Bells. Stay right here."

He leaves the room quietly, and even through the door and my sobbing I hear him talking to someone - on the phone, I assume - until I hear the creak that indicates he's making his way down the stairs. I almost panic (he's not leaving me, is he? Can't he see I need him?) but then my door is opening quietly once again and he's back, holding two paracetamol and a glass of water. He sets all of it onto my bedside table. I take the pills gladly, only slightly wincing as they scratch my throat, lying back down and waiting for my headache to dull. My crying has stopped by now.

"I called the school," He explains quietly. "And I'm going to work from home today. Help you get better."

"Thank you," I murmur, and he smiles kindly.

"I'll let you rest," He says, standing. "But I'll be back if you need me. I'll only be downstairs. Don't try to shout; just text if you need me."

I manage a small smile (followed by a sneeze), and then he's gone. I relax completely into my pillows. Sighing softly, I surrender to sleep. I have small recollections of waking up in the night due to my blocked nose not allowing me to breathe, so no wonder I'm so tired. I just hope I'm better by the morning.

I'm not better for a week.

A week.

However, at the end of the week I manage to get out of bed, which is a first. "You look a lot better, Bella," Charlie comments as I come downstairs. I smile in agreement. He runs a hand over my hair as I sit at the table. "That's good."

What's good? I don't know. His future is flashing before my eyes. It hasn't changed since Tuesday. But that's no the point.

The point is that I saw it.

I saw it.

How?!

He didn't touch my skin. He didn't touch my neck or my arms or my forehead. He touched the hair on my shoulder which is being covered by a jumper. He touched my hair.

I can see the future through my hair.

Oh. My. God.

Suddenly I feel more sick than I have in a very long time, including my recent illness. This shouldn't be possible. I was right. I'm going to have to wear a full body suit just to go outside. Just to give people privacy. No. This isn't fair!

Blindly, I rise from my seat at the table. I barely hear Charlie ask where I'm going. I think I reply something about going for a walk. I can't be sure.

As soon as I'm sure I'm deep enough into the forest, I being to run. It's Edward's future all over again. Clearly I need to find a new way to proccess things. Well, hopefully this time I won't end up in the hospital.

I continue to run blindly, my breathing getting faster with each step and my limbs burning as oxygen is unable to get to them. But I continue to run. I think some part of me, deep down in the complicated messed-up depths of my brain, is making me run from my problems. But that's impossible; I am my problem. I am the cause of all of them.

At some point during my flight, I notice a strange sound. A sort of... crackling. Like a fire. Internally, I begin to panic, but even as I register this I don't stop running. A forest fire is defintely something to run from.

I may be alert enough to register the sound, but I fail to register when it gets louder. And it does, louder and louder until suddenly I am in front of the first itself. It's not that big. I could easily smother it with my jacket. But then it moves; at first I think it's spreading, but then I realise what the fire is. It's a bird, and great wings are stretching from it's body. As it turns towards me, it's vast wings flapping once, sending a gust of warm air toward me, I see that it is a beautiful creature. It seems to be made of fire, glowing softly in the subtle light. It's coal black eyes stare at me. a small twinkle in them. For more than a moment, I am mesmerized. But then I realise I must be hallucinating. I am seeing a bird made of fire. I could handle vampires... But this...

Clenching my hands into fists, I turn to walk away, still not taking my eyes off of the creature. But as I watch the creature moves again, this time opening it's mouth, and it begins to sing, still not taking it's unblinking eyes off of me. I feel as though I should be afraid, but the song is so calming. It's gentle and yet sharp, piercing my mind and making my every sense more alert than ever before. And yet I can feel myself relaxing, barely even quesitoning it as the bird is submerged in a white light and the singing cuts off. The light completely covers the space surrounding the bird, and I have to shield my eyes. But as the light fades, it is not the bird standing there, but a girl. She is no more than twelve years old, and her red hair glows brightly, like the bird's feathers. Her dress is also bright red, almost glowing. Her eyes are a quizzical black. "Who are you?" Is all I can ask, once I regained my voice.

The girl barely hesitates. "I'm a Phoenix. I do not remember my name." She pauses for a moment, pursing her lips in thought. "However, if I did I probably wouldn't use it anyway. Names have no meaning for my kind after a few centuries."

"A Phoenix," I repeat blandly, my hands relaxing slightly. My nails had been digging into my palms.

"Yes," She confirms, and gives me such a look of open trust and understanding that I can't help but believe her. I relax further. She cocks her head to the side, her expression morphing into one of concern. "What troubles you?"

"Nothing," I answer automatically. "I'm fine."

She sinks to the ground, crossing her legs in front of her. For what seems like a long while she says nothing, simply stares at the ground runs her fingers through the grass. "Sit with me," She finally whispers. I comply, having no idea where this might go. "Tell me what troubles you." When I say nothing, she sighs loudly, looking back at the ground, her dress reflecting in her expressive eyes. "I'm not the first supernatural you've met," The girl states confidently; then she looks up. She studies my eyes for a few minutes. I don't know what she might find there, and I'm afraid of the answer. "You have met a monster," She finally murmurs, sympathy saturating every syllable.

"They're not monsters," I say defensively, for some reason defending them automatically. "They don't hurt people... Or they try, at least." She stares at me confusedly for a few moments, and it occurs to me she doesn't know what monster I have met. "I've met vampires."

Realisation touches her features. "I've never met a vampire," Is all she states, and we lapse into silence once again. It's not uncomfortable, although I feel as though it should be. Instead, I feel completely safe and relaxed, as if nothing can happen to me with this girl here. After a while, she speaks again. "Your heart is pure." She says it as if I'm meant to know what it means. "Please tell me what haunts you."

I purse my lips, as I want to tell the girl everything. But I decide on half of the truth. "I see things I shouldn't. Things I shouldn't see."

"Ah," She says softly, her eyes closing slowly. I expect that to be the end of it, and as she doesn't move I almost get up to leave, but then she suprises me. "You see the future."

My lips tremble. I elaborate for her. "I see death."

Her eyes flash open. "Of course," She says it in such a way that I feel as though she must understand, that she knows exactly what I'm going through. "That must be very hard for you. To see the trails your loved ones go through. The see the ways in which they might die."

"They way they will die," I correct, looking away from her for the first time. I hear her sigh heavily, and as I turn back to her she is much closer than before, leaning towards me with a serious expression reminiscent of Paddington Bear. I jump, and instead of apologising she takes one of my hands in both of hers.

"Dearest Bella," She chides softly, "Surely, you of all people, understand that the future is not set in stone. No one has one set path."

"But... when... when my curse makes me see things, sometimes they're the same," I try to explain, but I stumble over my explanation. My voice breaks twice.

She shakes her head softly. "Their futures are the same because that is the path they are on. The future is not set in stone. It's never fixed. And what you have, the power you hve been born with, is a gift, not a curse. You get to see someone's path before anyone else. You see the wonderful things they do. You see their happy memories."

"I see their deaths."

"Yes," She agrees, her grip on my hand tightening comfortingly. "That is unfortunate. But, sometimes, you must see someone who finds peace? Who lives a long, comfortable and happy life and dies just as they lived."

My mind goes back to Phil, and I nod minutely. She grins a brilliant smile, her dress and hair glowing brighter; her black eyes sparkling. I can't help but give a small smile back. "There you go," She says triumphantly, squeezing my hand. "Your power is a gift, Bella." I don't ask how she knows my name.

A part of me wants to contradict her, to tell her her logic is flawed and a matter of opinion. But I don't. The song from before is still playing somwhere in the ressesses of my mind, and somehow it still has that calming effect, even if I am not actually hearing it from the source. Another part of me wants to cry at the absurdity of this. Maybe I should never have moved to Forks. I left Phoenix to escape the death and destruction of the city, but instead of the quiet(er) life I was hoping for, I have been presented with vampires and a phoenix. Maybe I am going insane.

As she lets go of my hand it occurs to me I didn't see her future. I don't question this, either. It just seems to be one of those things to leave for another time. As I think this, I realise there is a part of me that knows I will probably be seeing the Phoenix again after this meeting, and even if I don't, my journey into the supernatural world has only just begun.

No one got the Bastille lyric. It was 'But I'm gonna be an optimist about this'. Now, I have a new poll that is asking whether or not you want Bella to become a Werewolf, a mermaid, a phoenix, a vampire, or a dragon. Please vote.