Authors Notes: This is a bit of a treat for you guys. I don't really write long chapters. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns all.

Chapter 3 - Rosalie

I don't know who was more shocked to see the other – her or me – but I know I was the most shocked at what she did next.

She threw her arms around me in a tight hug.

Rosalie. Hugging me.

After a few seconds of shock I hugged her back.

"Bella. Oh God, Bella. It's such a mess. We should never have left you. The family's been a mess since we left. And Edward. Oh Edward has been terrible, "she sobbed into my shoulder. I had no idea what to do. Rosalie had always hated me. So I acted on instinct and comforted her.

"Shh, Rosalie, it'll be okay. Don't worry. I'm here now. We'll figure this all out" and with that she began to calm down.

"I've got no other lessons for the day, so why don't we go back to my house and you can tell me what's happened?" Rosalie nodded and I turned her in the direction of the cottage.

As we walked I couldn't believe what she had told me. Why would the family be a mess over me? I mean I was just a human. But looking at Rosalie I realised they loved me more than I thought. Loved me enough to be upset.

"You smell strange. Different." Confused, Rosalie looked at me, her eyebrows raised.

Flashback

"Damn!" I slammed my hand against the side of my truck. Of all the places to get a flat tyre, it had to be on a cold, wet night in Forks. I would have to walk home now. As I grabbed the keys out of the cab and locked it, the bushes rustled. Spinning around, I found myself staring deep into two glowing eyes, before being knocked to the ground. And then pain started as I felt its teeth rip into my chest...

With that comment and memory all my calm disappeared. I swallowed. Things may be different between me and Rosalie but I wasn't ready to reveal that secret. So I did what I've gotten good at over the years: I lied.

"New perfume" was all I said. Rosalie didn't look convinced but she let it go. I knew I would have to eventually tell them – if things keep going the way they are, that is – but maybe they could help. They were vampires after all.

When we reached the cottage I took her in and told her to grab a seat. She looked mildly surprised at me having a house on campus. I quickly fixed myself a sandwich with leftovers from last night to hold the monster within at bay, as well as keep me calm, and sat down next to her.

"It all started with us leaving. None of us wanted to leave you, but Edward convinced us it was for your good. We kept putting you in danger. He was barely keeping it together." I inhaled sharply at that. Why was Edward so upset at leaving me? He didn't love me. And then it all ... clicked.

"Maybe he was just trying to protect you. I would leave you to protect you if I was in the same situation. To protect you." That was what Sasha had told me when she heard my story. She believed strongly in true love. A love that I had for Edward had to be mutual, she had once argued with me. I hadn't believed her. I couldn't. But I did now. I had just had my epitaph, when I realised she was still speaking.

"The first six months were terrible. Edward went away and we couldn't find him. Then Jasper and Alice left on another honeymoon to get over everything. Emmett and I went on one too. When we went back, Esme wasn't coping with her family all gone. Alice and Jasper were next to come back and we decided to get Edward. When we found him..." she shook her head. "We don't think he hunted at all, just sat in his little hidey-hole all the time. It was horrible" she paused letting it sink in.

I closed my eyes. It took everything not to just lose it just then. I felt like it had been my fault. If only I hadn't got that stupid paper cut. Slowly my trembling figure calmed. It wouldn't do to lose all the progress I had made over the last two years.

"Ever since then we've just been home. Edward at least has started hunting again, but he's..." she searched for words, "empty. About two months ago, Esme and Carlisle suggested we go to college again. We've got a house not far from here. Edward just sits in his room all day, but Alice, Jasper, Emmett and I are all going to college here. Our family's falling apart, Bella and only you can bring it back together again." She looked me in the eyes. "Will you?"

I let out a shuddering breath. "Yes. But we have to do this slowly. I can't just go up to him and ask him back. I have to take precautions." Capturing her gaze, I stared hard at her. "I died when he left me in the woods. If he left me again, I don't think I'll survive."

"But he won't leave y-"

"You don't know what's happened to me over the last two years. If I know him well, he just might blame what happened to me on himself and leave again." I closed my eyes to hide the pain. "Or worse, he won't want me anymore." I looked away, not wanting to believe what I had just said.

"Bella". Her face was full of grief and compassion. "Bella, what happened to you?"

"I can't tell you yet" I whispered.

Flashback

When I came to, all I registered was the absence of pain.

"How do you feel?" I looked up into the deep hazel eyes of an unfamiliar face.

"Uh, hungry, I guess." I became aware of a gnawing in the pit of stomach. I was so famished it was painful. Unbearably painful. The unknown girl was quick to shove a plate full of barely cooked meat in my hands.

I lost control. Shovelled the food down the meat into my mouth like I hadn't eaten in years. But it wasn't enough, and I had a feeling nothing would satiate my hunger.

As I quickly licked the plate down of the small morsels of meat left, I stared at my reflection in the metal in disgust.

Looking up, I whispered in horror, "what am I?"

"We're monsters, Bella. We're the stuff of nightmares."

Her strong arms wrapped around me to break my flashback for the second hug today. I sobbed into her shoulder, wishing desperately to be anything other than what I was.

"I promise-"Her voice broke. "I promise to never leave you, no matter what" she said fiercely.

We stayed in the position for a moment, just soaking up the moment, before drawing apart. I drew in a ragged breath.

"Thanks." Rosalie's smile was brilliant.

"No, thank you."

"So...You wanna go catch up with Jasper, Emmett and Alice?"

I was about to answer when my phone rang. Sasha.

"Oh crap Sasha. Sorry, I've been with Rosalie, an old friend" I apologised to her.

"Oh. Really? It's okay. Just wondered if things were alright, that's all."

I bit my lip. I couldn't believe what I was about to do.

"Actually I'm just about to meet some of her family. You wanna tag along?" I asked casually. Rosalie raised an eyebrow in question.

There was a pause. I could almost see the cogs turning.

"Okay." She said finally. "Why don't you invite them to our house? I'll be there in a minute." She hung up.

"What was that about?"

"She knows. She's pretty cluey. She has had experience with vampires too. I guess that's why we got on so well." I shrugged. Sasha actually had had experience with vampires, except instead of her vampires being a nice, happy family; they were terrible monsters that ripped her family apart in front of her - literally. It's time for her to meet some nice ones.

Rosalie quickly spoke to her family. Between all of us we could work things out.

After Notes: R & R Please!