Author's Note: Well I said this chapter would be up within a week but I'm afraid real life happened which left me with very little time and no internet connection so this is a bit delayed - sorry!

Thanks to those who have favourited/alerted/reviewed this story so far – I do try to respond to everyone!

This chapter is dedicated to Dr Be Damned – thanks for the lovely message you sent me!

I would also like to thank Project Team Beta for helping me with this chapter.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of CrazyLittleWriter. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

I hope you enjoy this chapter and remember to review to get the chance to receive a dedication in the next chapter!

"You can't have a better tomorrow if you are thinking about yesterday all the time."

Charles F. Kettering

As Twilight fell in the murky forest, delicate feet could be heard running through it. Barely touching the ground, they flew over roots and branches. Pain branched through her very being as she was still no closer to what she craved. With every stride, s he seemed to get further and further away, until a figure abruptly appeared right in front of her.

He was so close that she could see his muscles rippling under the black cotton shirt that clothed his lean back. Glancing up, she knew exactly who it was as a shock of bronze hair met her curious eyes, raindrops glistening on the silky, tousled locks. The body that she had been endlessly chasing slowly turned, andaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa the innocent girl was suddenly met with piercing red eyes – not the golden ones she was expecting.

A sinister smile broke out on the vampire's chiselled face, lips curling back to reveal razor-sharp teeth that were inching closer to the pulse point at her neck. Cool breath fanned her overheated skin, warning her senses – run! She was trapped under his deadly spell though, frozen to the spot.

She braced herself for the snap of jaws that would undoubtedly end her life. She wasn't frightened, though – instead she welcomed the peace that death would bring.

Images of car parking lots, alleyways and ballet studios ran through her mind as she prepared herself for the snap of jaws that would undoubtedly end her life. She fought with the flight instinct within her whilst adrenaline pumped through her veins, heightening the hunter's senses. A final image was burnt on her memory of her saviour in all his glory. The same creature that had saved her life so many times would finally make her meet her fate. Instead though, four words were hissed that caused her more pain than if the incisors had torn through her skin..."I don't love you..."

As she was finally released from the nightmare, her body sprang forward. It was the same one; it always was. She may have been able to keep a hold of her thoughts during the day, but it didn't stop her mind tormenting her while she slept.

Cold sweat drenched her body so that her tattered pajamas glued to her pale skin. The same thing had happened every time she had awoken in the early hours of the morning for the past two weeks.

Bella had done nothing but think within the confines of her room during the two weeks she was out of school. Charlie was concerned; it didn't seem normal for a teen to be mourning over the departure of her boyfriend. It was a 'fling' in his mind, a high school crush. There was no way he could ever comprehend the depths of her feelings for this seventeen-year-old boy.

It would all be okay once she returned to school. Bella would mope around for a couple more days, but she would be laughing with her friends again, and there would be other boys – after all, it wasn't as though she was going to end up marrying this Edward. At least, that's what he comforted himself with – deep down, he knew that Bella wasn't the sort to move on easily when those she loved left.

It had crossed Charlie's mind more than once that he should send Bella to her mother. Renee would know the kinds of things that were supposed to be said to soothe a girl overcoming a breakup – as a middle-aged chief of police, he wasn't equipped to give girly pep talks.

He didn't want to admit it, but he knew he was keeping Bella in Forks out of selfishness. He had become accustomed to having company during the long evenings. It was nice having family around, and he wanted to keep the feeling for longer. Was he not worthy of happiness?

Bella's mind was her worst enemy. For two weeks she had allowed it to control her with 'what ifs', What if I'd done this? Or What if I hadn't done that? Would she be in the arms of who she loved most if one single decision had been different?

Fate was a funny concept. Was it simply a coincidence that had made her move to Forks after Renee had met Phil? Luck that had made her sit next to one boy in particular during Biology?

Bella had finally come to the conclusion that perhaps fate had intervened...but fate didn't decide everything. After all, she was a free person, free to make independent decisions. She didn't believe that her entire life had been planned out by someone – what kind of person would want to inflict such heartbreak? She couldn't help but wonder, though, what would have happened if she had allowed fate to take its course; was her relationship always destined to end?

There was only one thing that Bella Swan was certain of in the midst of all these endless questions; she was glad something had brought her and Edward together. Been given those few months of bliss. Bella believed that she had taken more happiness than she deserved. That is was now time to pay-off her debts.

It was time to start afresh. Bella knew she had to at least pretend to return to normal, even if it would never happen in reality. She would do her best, though...for Charlie – she owed him that much.

Bella rolled off her bed, feet padding across the carpet to the bathroom. Inhaling deeply, she lifted her head to stare at the reflection in the mirror. Uneasiness settled in the bottom of her stomach as she realized the extent of damage she had caused in two mere weeks.

Glaring unflinchingly back at her was a small and sad girl. Her hair was thin and lank, lacking the lustrous glow it once had. Sharp cheekbones were beginning to jut out from pale, tear-stained skin. Once plump, ruby-red lips were now cracked and blending into her unhealthy complexion.

The most frightening thing about Bella Swan's dramatic change, though, was her eyes. Edward had loved the chocolate orbs that were his looking glass into her otherwise guarded-mind. Her eyes could tell a story and instantly give away whatever she was feeling.

Today Bella Swan's eyes were flat, empty and lifeless. They no longer lit-up when she smiled, or gave away her thoughts. Her tear-ducts were dry now; there were no more tears left in her to cry.

She knew that she couldn't go into school like this. At home, she could curl up into a ball and let the anguish take hold. That wasn't possible at school and she didn't want people feeling sorry for her – the self-loathing made her think his leaving was all her fault.

So she forced her muscles to make the edges of her mouth curl up in an attempt at a smile, but it looked all wrong and out of place. With a sharp intake of breath, she realized that it looked similar to the smile on the character from her dream.

After a few more tries, she managed to make it look almost normal, but the smile never reached her eyes. From now on, everything was an act. Bella had to act human like the Cullens did. How ironic.

Next in her 'human transformation', Bella removed the lid from her concealer stick and dabbed it onto the purple rings that were pulling her eyes down. She conceded that her hair was a lost cause, so flung it into a ponytail before tying it with an elastic band.

Jeans, sneakers and a hoodie seemed like a good outfit that would help her blend in at school – she was hoping that the hoodie would conceal her from the probing looks that would inevitably be aimed at her throughout the day.

Carefully making her way down the stairs, she couldn't help but wonder how many times she would end up in the emergency room now that there was no one to catch her. After all, the floor and Bella had a very intimate relationship. She grabbed a banana from the fruit bowl and nibbled it whilst reading the note Charlie had left on the table in his clumsy scrawl that resembled her own:

Bells,

I'm at the station today but if you need anything or want

to talk then just give me a call and I'll come right home. Take it

easy - I love you,

Dad.

There was some space at the bottom of his note, so she quickly scribbled that she was going to school today and would make dinner for them tonight.

She slung her bag over her shoulder from where it had laid for the past two weeks, before taking the first few steps into her new life.

Pulling into the parking lot, she could already feel the stares on her before the offending students turned to whisper remarks to their friends.

Mike was opening Bella's door the second she'd turned the ignition off, a wide grin stretched across his face.

"Hi Bella!" he exclaimed. "It's good to see you back!"

"Hi," she replied robotically, before pushing past him to get to class. She wasn't in the mood for a conversation, especially not with the over-enthusiastic Mike Newton – if it weren't for the fact that she needed the job at his parents' store, she wouldn't have responded at all.

"Hey, I was wondering," he continued, dodging the crowds to keep up with her, "if you wanted to hang out sometime, you know..."

But his voice mixed with the babbling voices in the corridor as they entered the doors. Outrage clouded Bella's mind– did he have no consideration for how she might be feeling? The day she returns to school and he's already acting like a lost puppy again. Just as she was about to interrupt Mike with a string of profanities and reflection of her thoughts, an image of her and Edward laughing while walking to class flashed through her mind.

Bella struggled to maintain control as she felt the memories about to crush her once more. Not at school – get a grip, Bella. She chided herself internally. Everything was like a living memorial – places they'd fleetingly visited, songs that had been playing when she'd been with him, the list went on. She'd just have to deal with it like everything else in her life.

Mike turned to her. "So what do you think?"

"No," she said simply, feeling empty and devoid of emotion. Turning on her heel, she headed to Trigonometry – she didn't have the heart to let him down gently anymore. There was no painful guilt that followed, even as she pictured Mike's shocked, boyish face.

Bella definitely wasn't looking forward to the Spanish Inquisition with Jessica. The thought of skipping class had crossed her mind, but she had reminded herself that she was doing this for Charlie, and school was the start to rebuilding some false sense of normalcy.

The questions were fired as soon as Bella sat in the stiff, cheap plastic chair – subtlety never had been one of Jessica's strong points.

"Have the Cullens really gone?"

"Did Edward dump you?"

"Are you still in contact with them?"

"Where have they gone?"

"Are they coming back?"

It hurt more than she expected it to as Jessica said his name so casually, wincing as she felt the hole in her chest burn. She could simply have ignored her , as the questions came shooting, one after another, but responding to people was something that most considered 'normal', so one word answers were given, keeping any emotion out of her face and tone.

"Have the Cullens really gone?" Yes.

"Did Edward dump you?" Yes.

"Are you still in contact with them?" No.

"Where have they gone?" I don't know.

"Are they coming back?" No.

She took Bella's final no as a warning. Jessica turned her attention back to the front of the classroom to avoid anymore questions bursting out. She really did find it difficult to avoid prying.

Bella's grades had always been quite good, but she decided to throw herself into her studies from now on – there was nothing to distract her, and it would please Charlie. No matter how fast she scribbled down her notes or how hard she listened to the teacher, she still couldn't stop a part of her mind from lingering on the memories that kept the burning in her chest alight.

The bell finally sounded and Bella packed up her things quickly before making her way down to the cafeteria. As she stepped inside, she was struck by how reliant she had become on the Cullens. Every hour of her day had been spent in their company, neglecting the people who had first welcomed her into Forks High School. Nervously glancing at the empty table she had once sat at, she realized that she had no one to sit with.

A gentle touch on Bella's forearm broke her from her thoughts, and she turned to see Angela Weber smiling down at her. "Hey, why don't you come sit with us," she asked softly, gesturing with her free hand to the table Bella had sat at during her first day at Forks High.

"Thanks," she replied quietly and then remembered to smile, but by then Angela was already walking towards the table.

As she made her way over, Bella was met with stares from Jessica, Tyler, Ben and Mike. They quickly rearranged their faces into polite smiles. Lauren didn't hide her disgust, and stage-whispered whilst looking right at her, "I thought we'd gotten rid of Bella when she joined the Cullens."

That comment hurt Bella more deeply than she wanted to admit, but it didn't show on her face as she lowered herself into a chair next to Angela. She picked at her lunch, not tasting anything as it slid uncomfortably down her throat.

"Are you guys ready for the trip to La Push this weekend?" Jessica asked the group, despite her attention being focused entirely on Mike Newton.

"Sure, I reckon they'll be some good waves," supplied Tyler, chewing on a slice of pizza.

The rest of the table continued discussing the trip, but Bella's mind was elsewhere. Feigning interest in the conversation, she couldn't help but remember the beach and legends attached to it.

"You could come with us, you know," Angela told her after lunch.

"Thanks, but I have a ton of laundry to do this weekend, and some schoolwork, to catch up on." Bella lied, unaware of how easily it slipped from her lips.

"Okay, well let me know if you change your mind," she replied kindly, before giving her a small smile. Just as Bella began walking away, however, she caught her arm and whispered, "I'll always be here for you, Bella."

Her promise was more than Bella thought she deserved, but she was thankful that Angela had rescued her and welcomed her back so easily today. So Bella forced herself to make eye contact with Angela, trying to communicate this – she seemed to understand her and gave a sympathetic smile in acknowledgement.

The next lesson would be the most difficult of the day for Bella: Biology. Just walking into that classroom made the ache in her chest flare up and her eyes cloud over as she spotted the empty desk that had once been theirs.

Dumping her bag down, she glanced around. There was the television that had caused many tense lessons, the blood testing kits which had forced her to be carried to the medical room and the microscopes sat in the corner that they had used that first and life-changing time they had met.

Taking in all these sights made her feel light-headed; barely eating in the past two weeks probably didn't help either. She placed her forehead on the desk; the coolness of it was soothing but achingly familiar. Come on , Bella, focus. Focus on Charlie and pull yourself together. She somehow managed to pull herself out of the black hole threatening to take over as Mr. Banner made his way into the room.

Bella concentrated solely on his monotone voice for the entire lesson, not allowing her mind to wander into any memories, and for the first time in a fortnight, she felt nothing. After the rollercoaster of emotions, she was finally numb.

Those happy months of her life were now locked away in a box at the back of her mind. Although she would never forget them, they no longer held the power to control her – she was the only one with they key to release them.

A/N: Well there you go! I would love to hear your thoughts and I always reply to reviews.

Remember that the best reviewer will also receive a dedication in the next chapter.

Until next time,

CrazyLittleWriter