AUTHOR'S NOTE

Hey guys.

I just really wanted to let you all know that I am still intending to upload the next story. I just have very limited time now to work on it. Little KNeu is 13 months old. He's a toddler now, so he requires a lot more of my attention and focus, but just like when he was a newborn, all it takes is a little bit of adjustment.

I just need a little bit of patience from you guys, which you've given me so much of. I deeply appreciate your patience, and for that, I'm going to give you a little snippet of an upcoming chapter in the next story.

Here it is.

I watched Jack closely, tense as he circled me. Every fiber of my being was telling me to run, and it was almost impossible to deny that instinct, but I had to.

"Look at you." He chuckled. I sensed the difference in him just as much as I was sure he sensed the difference in me. He had learned control. He was no longer unsure. He was smug again, exactly like I remembered him so much.

"I guess I sort of owe you." He went on, "Do you know how fucking cool this is?" He was in a good mood.

"I didn't mean to.. Do what I did." I murmured, keeping my eyes on him. Turning on the spot to do so as he refused to stop circling me, "We were just trying to make you believe that I was gone, and you could have gone on with your life, but you kept pushing."

"Hey," He snapped lightly, "I don't let anyone steal my property without asking questions."

"It wasn't their fault." I replied, trying to ease his slightly flaring temper, "Carlisle had to turn me, or let me die."

"Then he should have let you die." He countered simply, "That's the way the world works. Although, I'm not fucking complaining. I have you now, but I'll be honest. I wouldn't know the first place to start when it comes to getting even for what you did to me."

"I thought you weren't complaining?"

"I'm not." He replied, "But do you have any idea how much I lost because of this?"

"I lost Heather and the others too. It wasn't just you."

"You barely knew Heather." He gave me a flat look.

"Well.." I mumbled, "It felt like I knew her for years." I wasn't too sure about opening up to him about my own little gift. Speaking of gifts, though.. "But.. I need you to fix everything."

"Fix what?" He frowned a little, clearly confused.

"Your gift." I replied, "You used it on my family."

"I did?" He asked, but he didn't seem disappointed, "Well, isn't that interesting?"

"Please.." I said, "Please fix it."

"I'll fix it." He replied, "When you figure out a way to make it up to me. Way I fucking see it, is you owe me a whole family worth of making up. It's really kind of poetic, isn't it? I lose my family, you lose yours."

"Stop." I mumbled, "Please, Jack. Fix it." He finally stopped circling me at the sound my tone. I was actually begging him. He studied me a bit, crossing his arms with a small smirk.

"I'm still not convinced I should." He replied simply, "Convince me."

"Well.." I said, thinking, "Well, what fun is it if they hate me?"

"Plenty of fun." He answered, "It's not them I'm after, you stupid little bitch. Why should you get a family when you don't deserve one shred of happiness? Fuck that. You deserve to be hated. I'm just fucking sorry it didn't work on all of them."

"Stop being an asshole." I couldn't help snapping, "It's not just my life you're messing with."

"They'll deal with the consequences." He countered firmly, "That's what happens when anyone knows you. That's what they get for trying to help you."

"I'm not leaving until you agree to fix them." I replied, "Whatever the heck you did."

"Then get comfortable." I scoffed a little, walking passed me with a small shake of his head. I immediately turned around and started after him.

The dark city of Seattle continued on around us while I followed him up the abandoned street. The streetlights barely worked, a few of them having given up a long time ago. It would have been very creepy if I couldn't see perfectly.

This really wasn't going well, so I thought hard. Trying to think of a way around this. It wasn't hard to come up with a plan, as it was a direction I'd gone before. Bargaining.

"You don't know what you're doing." I said, still right behind him.

He scoffed again, glancing back at me, "I don't?"

"No." I replied, jogging to his side easily, "I know why you're here. You can't do this."

"You don't know shit."

"No, you don't get it." I sighed, taking his arm and stopping him. He jerked free, glaring at me. I immediately pulled my hand back, "Sorry. But just listen for a second.. I.. I can tell you some things that you won't believe, but it's the truth."

"Fucking enlighten me, then." He replied, but I could see the patience thinning in his eyes.

"You're here with Victoria, right?" I asked, "You know what she's doing here?"

"Yeah, I do." I hesitated at his tone, taking a nervous half-step back.

"Well.." I muttered, "I know how it ends. You won't win."

"Right." He chuckled, rolling his eyes as he moved to keep walking. I stopped him again.

"Really." I insisted, "Trust me. Just this once, trust me."

"And just how the fuck do you know?"

"Because I've seen it."

I hope you enjoyed that little peek, and I really hope my amazing readers have patience with me just a little while longer while I learn how to transition from being a mommy of a baby, to being a mommy of a toddler who simply refuses to leave the TV alone and/or refuses to not eat the tufts of dog hair I might have missed while vacuuming the floor.

It's exhausting, but I'm learning. I'm learning, but I promise I'll do my best to get this next story rolling for you guys. I also promise that you won't be disappointed!

Until then, my amazing readers!

-KNeu21