Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns all things Twilight.

Chapter 6: Curiosity

Jasper and Rosalie convinced me to come back to the Cullen mansion. They wanted to hear more of my story. Talking with Rosalie and knowing that she would be near me helped me decide to give it another try. The ride back to the Cullens was silent but relaxed. Whenever I looked at Rosalie, she would give me a small smile, and I couldn't help but return it. I looked in the rear view mirror to see Jasper, but he would not meet my eyes. I shrugged it off and spent the rest of the drive thinking about how the Cullens were really a part of my life again.

When we pulled in front of the house, Rosalie hopped from the car and made her way to the front door. I could hear laughter and the sound of a video game coming from the family room. Jasper and I took our time getting out of the car. I closed my door gently and smiled at Jasper. In response to my smile, Jasper slammed his door and turned toward the house.

"Jasper? Have I offended you? I know what I said to Rosalie was out of line, but I was just so angry and I couldn't help it. "

"It's not that," he said softly.

"Then what?"

"I was hoping the two of us could talk. You and Rose are close now, and it was because of that talk."

"I don't know if I would call us close, but I see what you're saying." I didn't know what else to say to Jasper. The argument with Rosalie was necessary, but my emotions were a little raw and I wanted to stay in my non-emotional place for a little longer.

"I always wanted to be friends with you. I saw how happy you made our family and I wanted to know you better. Now that I don't have to worry about bloodlust, it would honor me if you would accept my friendship."

I looked at Jasper and watched his golden locks sway in the wind. His eyes were almost pleading. "Jasper, I would like to be friends with you, too. Just give me time, please. As for our 'talk', could this count? I really don't think I can handle another argument today."

He gave me a bright smile and headed to the front door. He opened it and bowed. "After you, ma'am," he said with his accent sounding thicker than normal.

I winked at him as I passed the threshold. "Thank you, kind sir."

Rosalie was still standing close to the door watching Emmett and Alice playing a video game.

Emmett was in the middle of complaining. "I quit, Alice. I'm tired of your cheating."

Alice rolled her eyes. "It's not cheating. I can't help that I know every move you're about to make!"

Emmett didn't say anything as he glowered down at her. It was actually a comical sight. Emmett easily cleared six foot five inches, while Alice didn't even reach five feet. After a moment, he stuck out his tongue.

Alice threw back her head and laughed, "I knew you would do that." Emmett growled at her and Alice squeaked with laughter and came barreling towards Jasper. She jumped into his arms and he smiled down at her.

Alice looked over at me with a hesitant smile, and I tried to smile back but it felt forced. Rosalie walked towards Emmett and placed her hand in his and looked up into his eyes.

"Hi," she whispered.

Emmett bent down and placed a tender kiss on her cheek. "Hey, beautiful."

Rosalie glanced at me before looking back to Emmett. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Emmett searched her face and I saw the concern he tried to hide. "Of course. Let's go for a walk."

They walked to the front door and Rosalie stopped. "Don't start the story until I get back."

I nodded at her and watched as they went through the door hand in hand. I turned to Alice and Jasper and felt an awkward silence descend upon us. Alice unnecessarily cleared her throat. "Bella, would you like to sit with me for a while?"

I didn't want to hurt Alice, but I was still not ready to be so friendly with her again. "I'll just wait over here until Rosalie gets back."

Alice's tiny face fell, and I turned my head before my resolve weakened. I walked back to the chair I sat in to tell my story, and perched on the arm of the chair. Alice and Jasper walked up the stairs as Esme came into the room. She sat down on the couch and smiled at me. "I'm so glad you decided to come back."

I frowned. "I left without telling you good-bye. How rude of me. I apologize."

Esme shook her head. "It's okay, dear. I'm just glad you came back."

"So…has Edward returned? From his walk I mean?"

A shadow passed over Esme's face before she smiled again. "He came back a while ago. He's in his room now."

To know that Edward was in the same house made me want to go to him immediately, but I stayed still. Even if I went to Edward, I wouldn't know what to say. Would I be bothering him if I went to see him?

"You're welcome to go visit with him. Or he could come down here to you."

I stared at Esme for a moment and wondered if she could read my thoughts. "I'll go to him; perhaps he could play a song for me."

I must have been excited because I was at Edward's door a half a second later. Before I could knock, the door swung open and Edward stood on the other side of it. He stepped aside and ushered me into his room.

"Bella," he breathed. My name sounded like a prayer on his lips and I had to close my eyes. "I must apologize for my behavior earlier. "

He was standing close enough for me to smell his delicious scent. I stopped breathing so I could think straight. I opened my eyes and saw how close his face was to mine and took a step back. I shook my head and tried to shake off my mental daze.

Edward took another step towards me and his velvet voice filled my ears. "It must be so hard for you to share your story with us. For me to do anything but listen with open ears is undeniably selfish. Forgive me," he murmured.

I took another step back and held up my hands when I saw Edward stepping with me. "Can we not talk about that right now?"

He stood completely still and regarded me closely. "What would you like to talk about then?"

"Nothing."

His full lips formed the perfect smirk. "Nothing?"

"I was actually hoping you would play for me." I looked towards his piano wistfully. He was seated at the piano bench before the words left my mouth. He patted the piano and indicated a spot for me to stand near him.

"What would you like to hear?" he asked as I stood next to the piano and faced him.

"It doesn't matter, I just want to hear you," I told him honestly.

He was quiet for a moment before he poised his fingers over the keys. Then he started to play a sad sounding melody. It was beautifully melancholy. After a few minutes of playing, his eyes closed as he let the music consume him. While his eyes were closed, I greedily looked at his face.

His thick brows were furrowed in concentration. His eyelashes swept the tops of his cheeks. I followed his straight nose down to his mouth. His lips captured my attention and held it. They looked so soft, no longer the perfect, cool marble I remembered. Everything about his lips was perfect, not too full, and not too thin. They were shaped perfectly. I wondered what they would feel like pressed against mine. He would no longer have to hold back anymore.

"Bella?" Edward's voice sounded deeper. My eyes snapped to his and I knew I had been caught staring at him. Edward's eyes were darker than normal and his voice became husky. "Could you please tell me what you are thinking?"

The way he was looking at me and his deep voice swirling around me, I could deny him nothing. I opened my mouth to reply but his bedroom door suddenly slammed open, cracking the wall behind it. Edward must have not been paying attention because someone sneaking up on him was unprecedented.

Emmett's huge form came into Edward's room, and he immediately locked eyes with me. "May I have a word with you?" His voice was deceptively calm. From the way his muscles were bunching and straining, I knew he was upset about something.

Edward stood between the two of us with a confused expression. "What is this about, Emmett?"

Emmett could barely contain his growl. "This doesn't concern you, Edward."

Edward's back rounded and his knees bent as he started to crouch slightly. "The hell it doesn't! I don't know what you want with her and you're blocking your thoughts."

"I'm blocking my thoughts because it isn't your business."

"She's my business!" Edward exploded. I looked at the back of his head in shock before I placed a calming hand between his shoulder blades.

"Edward, be calm. I'll talk to Emmett. Everything's going to be fine." Edward stood up straight and faced me with a worried expression. "Really, I can take care of myself. Emmett won't hurt me." I looked at Emmett for reassurance but his expression was flat.

Edward nodded and looked towards Emmett. "You harm her in anyway and I'll-"

"Save it for someone who actually fears you, Edward," Emmett snapped. "I just need to talk to her for a second, it won't take long."

I followed him into the hallway and down the steps. We passed his and Rosalie's room when she opened the door. She didn't look happy.

"Emmett, you can talk to Bella later."

His eyes narrowed. "No, I'm talking with her now."

Rosalie didn't say anything else. She grabbed my arms and dragged me down the stairs into the family room. "Come on, everyone, Bella's about to continue with the story."

I looked between her and Emmett. "I am?"

"Yes, because what Emmett needs to say can wait until later." She crossed her arms and glared at Emmett.

"Fine," he said. He went and plopped down in a seat. Rosalie followed him and sat on his lap. He rolled his eyes but gave her a quick kiss anyway. Everyone else filled the room sat down quickly. I looked up into everyone's awaiting eyes, except for Emmett's, and continued my story.

XXXXXXXXXXX

"Bella?"

I looked over my shoulder to see Mike leaning on the other side of the counter. His arms were folded and he had an amused expression on his face. He'd probably been trying to get my attention for a few minutes.

"Yeah, Mike?"

"I'm heading out back for a few minutes. Do you think you can handle everything up here?" He gestured to the empty store. I started working at the Newton's store a few weeks ago, and Mike had been very eager with showing me everything.

"I think I can manage." My reply sounded sarcastic, even to my own ears.

Mike raised an eyebrow as his blue eyes twinkled. "So if someone comes in here and asks which rod is best for ice fishing, you'll know what to say?"

I pursed my lips, trying to fight the smile on my face. "Fine, hurry back."

Mike chuckled as he left through the door leading to the back of the store. I picked up my book and attempted to read. As soon as my eyes found the page, my mind began to wander. I thought back to the bookstore in Port Angeles. I couldn't stop thinking about the male that worked there. He seemed so angry at me, while the woman seemed indifferent. How did they know each other?

The front door of the store opened and I forced a smile on my face when I saw Jessica saunter up to the counter.

"Hey Jessica, Mike's around back. He shouldn't be too much longer though."

"Okay." She toyed with the zipper on her jacket and let out an impatient huff of air. She obviously wanted to talk about something, but I just stared down at my book and kept quiet. After a few minutes of silence, Jessica realized I wasn't going to talk.

"It's good to see you, like, hanging around again." She said as she traced a pattern on the counter.

I looked at her expression and her face was perfectly neutral. I still didn't trust it, so I just murmured something like "thanks" and went back to staring at my book.

She decided to keep going, even though it was obvious that I didn't want to talk. "I know Edward Cullen was hot, but it's not the end of the world. I'm glad you finally realized that."

I sighed and closed my book. "Jessica, I already told you that it wasn't about his looks."

Jessica rolled her eyes. "Right."

For the first time in months I felt something akin to anger. "What does that mean?"

"It means that you lusted after him just like the rest of us," Jessica snapped. I couldn't understand why she was suddenly sounding angry. What did my relationship with Edward have to do with her? "You forget that I was with you the first time you saw the Cullens, Bella."

"I didn't forget that," I murmured.

"I saw your reaction to them. It was exactly like the rest of us. You openly ogled them. You even said something about them being attractive."

I still didn't understand why Jessica was bringing this up, but my heart could only take so much. I didn't know how long I could talk about the Cullens without breaking down. "So what if I thought they were attractive? It's the truth. Where are you going with this?"

"I could never figure out what made you different."

I crossed my arms and leaned against the counter. "What do you mean?"

Jessica didn't even seem to be talking to me anymore; she stared past me as if she were concentrating on something. "At first, I thought it was your looks. You have the whole 'girl next door' thing going for you. But that couldn't be it, because there are plenty of other girls at the school that look similar to you. Then I thought it was because you're smart. But that's not really unique." She stopped talking and looked appraisingly at me.

I didn't know what to say. I had no idea that Jessica had ever put so much thought into my relationship with Edward. It was a very awkward feeling, and I felt my cheeks burn as she basically said that I was no different than any other girl at Forks High School.

"I watched the two of you together you know. All he had to do was look your way and you would basically start drooling everywhere," she said with disgust coloring her tone. "Tell me, Bella, did you lose all coherency because he such a 'good person'? He smiled at you one day and you dropped your books. Why? Did his 'great personality' make you drop your books?"

My heart threatened to rip from my chest with pain. For her to carelessly bring up moments of my relationship with Edward was a form of cruel punishment. My eyes flashed with pain as I looked into her unapologetic face. "Why are you saying this? What do you want?"

"I want to know what made you so special. There's something different about you. Something that got his attention, and I don't know what that is! I could have loved him too. If he would have given me the chance."

A ball of ice filled my stomach as I stared at Jessica. "What?"

Suddenly, Jessica didn't look like self-involved, shallow girl I'd come to know. She looked like an insecure girl who had been rejected. "I know I can be kind of shallow at times. But I could have loved him. He never let me! He never even entertained the possibility. I would have changed for him."

I continued to look at Jessica in shock and was horrified to see her eyes glisten before she turned her head. "Jessica, I don't know what to say. I'm not going to apologize for being attracted to him. As for why he didn't choose you, I don't know. But I'm glad he chose me, because my life changed forever the day he decided to give me a chance. I wouldn't change a moment with him for anything."

Jessica stayed silent and picked up a camping brochure, effectively ending our odd conversation. A few moments later, Mike finally came back into the store. I had never been so happy to see him in my life. Jessica glanced up at him with a smile that was supposed to look seductive and started walking toward him.

"Hey, Babe, I was hoping I could catch you on your break."

Mike winked at her. "I can do you one better than that." He glanced over at me, then at the clock. "We're closing up for the day."

I checked the clock: 2:45. "Why? We still have a good five hours before the store closes." I wasn't in any rush to get home. I knew Charlie wasn't there yet, and I didn't want to sit around by myself.

Mike shrugged. "I don't know. My mom wants to close the store for a meeting or something. Anyway, I've already swept, all you have to do is close out your register and take it back to my mom. She's in the back office. See you, Bella."

Mike practically bounced out of the store like a normal teenager should when they find out they don't have to work all day. I was not a normal teenager. I watched as he picked Jessica up and spun her around once they reached the parking lot.

I sighed as I started to close out my register. I felt a little irritated at Mike's mom for wanting to have a meeting here. What was it about? I went through a door and was soon standing in front of the back office. I knocked on it lightly.

"Come on in," Mrs. Newton called out.

I stumbled into her office. "I brought my drawer; is there anything else I can help you with before I leave?"

"Heavens no, dear. Get on out of here and enjoy the rest of your afternoon. My Mikey actually gave me a hug when I told him he could leave early. That's the first time he's hugged me in ages!" Her deep chuckles filled the small office.

I smiled with her. "He said you were having some kind of meeting here?"

The laughter faded from her eyes. "Yeah, you know about the missing hikers?" There had been numerous disappearances lately. It was all over the news. Nobody knew what was happening to these hikers, and I knew Charlie had been stressed out about it as well.

"Yeah, I know about the missing hikers. Does that have something to do with your meeting? Maybe someone has a lead?" I asked hopefully.

Mrs. Newton frowned slightly. "Something like that. Some people say that they have been seeing things out in the woods."

"What kind of things?"

"Huge animals, maybe bears? I don't know, but there have been sightings of these animals by more than one person. Nobody can seem to agree on what exactly they've seen."

Alarm flooded through me. I had never seen what Jacob looked like when he was a werewolf, but he explained it to me. It sounded exactly like what Mrs. Newton was telling me. "But we don't know if it was the animals. It could have been something else hurting the hikers."

Mrs. Newton's eyes narrowed slightly. "What else could be responsible for this, Bella? These hikers, sometimes, went out in groups. What could overpower a group of people like that?"

I felt the blood drain from my face. I knew creatures that could wreak this type of havoc and walk away unscathed. Is that why there had been sightings of the wolves. Where the wolves looking for those responsible also? Jacob hadn't mentioned anything to me. The thought of him battling vampires made all the air leave my body.

"Are you okay, Bella? You're as pale as a ghost!"

I wiped my clammy palms against my jeans and took a deep breath. "I'm fine; I guess I'd better get going."

"You sure you're okay to drive?"

I was already feeling better and knew that my cheeks must have regained some color because Mrs. Newton looked slightly relieved. I told her good-bye and made my way out to my truck. Once I got into my truck, I reached into the glove compartment and pulled out my cell phone, immediately dialing Jake's number.

This is Jacob. You know what to do. BEEP "Jacob? Could you call me back? I'm worried about you and…I don't know just…call me when you get this. This is Bella, by the way."

I ended the call and closed my eyes. I swallowed the huge lump of fear in my throat and tried to think about what I could do to occupy my afternoon. Maybe I could go back to that bookstore. No! Definitely not. Wait. Could those vampires be responsible for the missing hikers? I thought back to the male. His eyes were dark and angry but they weren't red. The female, however, her eyes were covered by dark glasses, so could that mean…

I was knocked, sharply, out of my ponderings by a tap at my window. I glanced over and actually screamed because looking back at me was the woman from the book store. Her eyes were still covered by the glasses and she quickly took a step away from my door as if she wanted me to open it. I shook my head and locked my door. As if that could keep her out.

Her generous lips formed a smirk and she finally opened her mouth to speak. "I'm not going to hurt you." Her voice was a melodic alto. I could tell that English was not her first language. It sounded reassuring and firm at the same time. I did not trust it for a second.

"What do you want?" My windows were raised, but I knew she could still hear me.

Her smirk became more pronounced. "I want to talk to you. Perhaps this is not the best place to do so."

I shrank into my seat further and clutched the seatbelt. "What do you want from me?"

She sighed. "I already told you that you won't be harmed. If I wanted, you would be dead already." I knew she was right but that didn't stop the fear from swirling in my stomach.

"Why do you want to talk to me?"

She was silent for a moment and seemed to be choosing her words. "This is not the best place to be discussing such matters."

"Well, I can't help you. If we can't talk here then I guess we can't talk at all."

Her mouth twitched, as if she were holding back a smile. "That's a shame. Maybe we can talk another time."

I waited for the strange pull, but I didn't feel anything. She just stood there and watched me.

"What's your name?" I mumbled, surprised at my own curiosity.

She looked annoyed for a fleeting second before her face smoothed into a calm expression. "You shall address me as Ava."

Ava started walking away from the car and before I could stop myself, I opened the door and called out to her.

"Yes?" She was clearly amused again.

"Are you responsible for the missing hikers?"

"No," she said coldly.

"Do you know who is? Is it the guy? I know his eyes-"

She interrupted me with a loud hiss. "I told you before, this is not the place to discuss such matters. If you want to talk to me more, it's not going to be here, in the middle of an empty parking lot."

If I feared her before, it was nothing compared to how I felt now. She was gloriously angry and lethal. I nodded my head fiercely, letting her know that I wouldn't ask any more questions about the hikers right now.

I calmed myself and tried a different approach to getting answers. "If I agree to talk with you, will you tell me why I felt that pull at the book store?"

Ava was silent for a moment before she responded. "Curiosity is a savage fiend, Isabella. You will do well to be wary of it."

I blinked at her cryptic message and opened my mouth to speak but she stopped me. "I'm going back to the book store. You can come meet me if you wish to talk. I don't want to influence your decision any longer."

I nodded my head and she blurred out of my sight before I could say another word. I walked back to my truck and started the engine. Every instinct in my body told me to stay away from Ava. But my mind was bursting with questions that had to be answered. With my mouth set in a thin line of determination, I backed out of my parking space and headed toward the interstate. I tried to find a good radio station to keep me entertained on my drive to Port Angeles. As I found a station a thought popped into my head: How did she know my name?

XXXXXXXXXXX

"She's done for now," Emmett said as he lifted Rosalie from his lap.

"Don't be rude Emmett," Esme said.

I shook my head. "It's fine, Esme. Emmett's been waiting patiently." Emmett walked out of the room and I followed him. We ended up in a large garage. It was no surprise that the largest car belonged to him. We got in the car and pulled out of the long drive way at an alarming speed. After fifteen minutes of breaking the speed limit, Emmett finally pulled over on a dirt road. He took the keys out of the ignition and turned towards me with a grim expression.

"I just have one question for you, Bella. Who the hell do you think you are?"

End Notes:

Thanks for reading! The next chapter is not written yet. I'm thinking it will involve more of Bella's past than the present.

As always, I'd love to know what you think.