A/N: Thanks to all you kind readers who leave reviews that encourages me to keep going with this story. A special thank you goes to 71prowler for creating an amazing video for this fic (video link is in my profile) - check it out!

Chapter Twenty

Faux Pas and Déjà vu

Charlie drove east on U.S. Route 101, which ran along the northeastern part of the Olympic National Forest and was the most direct way to reach the Jefferson County Sheriff's office. Under normal circumstances the drive could be a pleasant and unusually beautiful one during the fall season. It was like entering into a different world, the trees reaching higher towards the sky and the forest increasingly lush and dense. But he couldn't enjoy the breathtaking scenery when this trip was due to a police matter, and one that involved the unnatural deaths of at least two people. His thoughts remained at the business at hand and getting there as quickly as possible within all speed and safety limits.

It doesn't take him long to find the Sheriff's office and when he steps inside the stone grey building he is soon greeted by Henry Bellamy, the county's chief officer and someone he's known since his days as a rookie cop, nearly twenty years ago. Even though its only been a few years since he's seen him it takes Charlie a few moments to recognize him. The gravely serious expression on his face gives him the appearance of someone much older, although only a few years separate them. Charlie also notices that the other man now has a beer gut, which wasn't there the last time he saw him. He suddenly feels the weight of his own age bearing down on him as he recalls looking at a much younger and fit looking man. He makes a mental note to cut back on his own beer drinking and to heed Bella's subtle suggestions to change his less than healthy diet. It also wouldn't hurt to start spending less time on the sofa watching the sports channel.

"Sorry to call you in on your day off Charlie" Henry forces a smile which does little to alleviates the grim expression behind his blue-grey eyes, and returns the professional firmness of Charlie's handshake.

"Well I'm sure you wouldn't do so unless it was something important. It's not every day I get called this far out."

"Yeah, I know. But the unusual circumstances make for this unusual request. And you're one of the most level-headed guys I know, so I trust you not to let any of this get out in any way that could jeopardize our ongoing investigation."

The creases on Charlie's forehead deepen as he takes in the foreboding tone of the other officer, and his curiosity is piqued. "So care to fill me in?"

"I think its better to show you. We've both been around long enough to know that pictures on a computer screen can only show you so much. Some things must be seen with your own eyes. I'll take you to the section of the forest where we found the bodies, as well as show you some other interesting findings. Its currently restricted from public access during our investigation, though the forensics team have already scoured the area for any evidence. I'll fill you in on what we know so far along the way. The cruiser will take us most of the way, but its a bit of a hike once we get there."

"Okay, lead the way."

Charlie rides with Henry as he listens and takes in the surroundings as they head deeper into the forest. He feels the chill of the damp weather soak through to his bones although he is still dry and warm air blows through the dusty vents of the police cruiser. Henry tell him that despite all his years in the police force and seeing many strange things during that time, he's never been as mystified as he is by the oddities surrounding the deaths of two people found by their camping site. The couple found dead - a man and woman, were both in their early twenties and were the rugged nature lover types that can only be found this far out during this time of year. What he found most chilling about these two deaths were the strange bite marks on their bodies - as well as the unusual lack of blood found. The corpses appeared to be completely drained of blood and despite a thorough search, no traces of blood could be found around the crime scene. But there were other strange clues found in the surrounding area, which he would soon show Charlie.

As they get closer to their destination moist winds blow across the uppermost canopy of the forest around them, causing the trees to ripple under waves of cold air. Charlie's keen eyesight notices a few trees that look like something ripped right through them. Henry remarks that no animals in the area are known to leave such a destructive trail behind. After he parks the car along the road that's closest to the hiking trail they walk towards the area taped off and marked as a temporarily restricted area. During the mile long hike Henry occasionally looks up and points out a few large evergreens, the kind of big sturdy trees that for many years stood erect now appear to tilt at an unnatural angle, and branches from thirty feet high lay broken along the ground. Finally they reach the area that's encircled by more brightly colored police tape wrapped around the surrounding trees, marking the exact spot where the bodies were found. The modest campsite is now eerily peaceful and seemingly undisturbed. Things become more perplexing when Henry guides him several hundred yards away towards another spot of the forest that's been claimed by neon colors and a miniature tent seems to be protecting several square feet of ground. They crouch down as Henry points out a single pair of embedded shoe prints on moist ground that lay directly in front a vertical cliff. The prints face away from the rocky crag and towards the trail, as if someone had made the one hundred foot drop from the precipice without injury and was directly facing the trail where the unfortunate couple was found. According to Henry these are the only prints of its kind found so far, thus adding to their peculiarity.

"I'm no footwear expert, but these don't look like prints left from hiking boots to me", Charlie mutters.

Henry lets out a small grunt as he rises and stands back up straight. The exertion from the hike has left him feeling more than a little winded. "I got a call from forensics not long before you arrived. They said that they've determined from the mold of these prints that the soles are of a distinctive pattern found on men's leather loafers. The expensive kind - made in Italy for around eighteen hundred dollars."

Charlie isn't able to offer much insight to this case, and the more he learns what Henry is able to share, the growing chill in the air sinks deeper in his bones. Whoever or whatever was behind this anomaly was far too close to Forks to his liking.

There were times when Edward feared he was losing his hold on sanity. Living with the Cullens gave him the stability he needed when he first felt his foothold slipping away in the early days of his vampire existence. He used to feed exclusively on human blood and to justify his killings he focused his targets on the most wicked and depraved humans he came across. As a rule he would prey only on those who lived by doing harm to others - usually robbers, rapists, and murderers. For years he roamed from quiet dusty towns to the din and smoky smog of congested cities. He never had to go far to find humans who filled this criteria and he never went hungry. Any place he went that was heavily populated with people always had its share of criminals. He reasoned that if he was going to sustain himself from the blood of humans, he was at least removing some of the worst stains of society.

It was however, a lonely existence and with each killing he felt more like a monster than an avenging angel. So it didn't take much persuasion from Carlisle to convince him to live with them under the condition that he would also adopt the same code they lived by and do no harm to humans. Although it's never been easy to abstain from human blood, it also freed him in some ways by limiting the amount of contact he had with them. There was only so much contact with the lowest forms of humanity he could handle, even if the interaction was mostly limited to stalking them before ripping into their necks and draining them dry. Constantly hearing their thoughts was bad enough. For a time they served to fill a physical requirement, but their blood carried the bitter taint of their sins and left him feeling contaminated by it.

Carlisle and Esme had welcomed him home with open arms before, and he's fairly certain that ultimately they would do so again. They have always treated him like their own son, even more so than they do with Emmett. Since it was Carlisle who had turned him, they had a bond that could never be easily broken. Alice, on the other hand…would not be so glad to see him return. It would be difficult at best after he had taken advantage by slipping into her private thoughts and tapped into whatever that was that involved Bella. After what happened with Bella, he was certain that he would not be soon welcomed by his supposed siblings, especially not Alice. At the moment Alice's feelings towards him is the least of his concerns. It was her abilities as a seer that he had to take into consideration whatever he decided to do next. Though she wasn't infallible, as that night had shown - he could get passed her defenses, but he knew she was smart enough not to make the same mistake twice.

As Edward continues to sit motionless and stare at the cold fireplace before him, filled with nothing but ash, his thoughts return to Bella. She never strayed far from his thoughts, more mystified by the elusive human than ever before. He is glad of one thing – that something stopped him from fully giving into his blood lust for her. What a waste killing the beautiful brunette would have been when he wanted so much more than even her blood could satisfy, as powerfully enticing as it was. He wanted all of her, body and soul. Perhaps the powers of fate were behind the mysterious force that compelled him to stop, since Bella was meant to be so much more. Any short term satisfaction her blood would have provided would have been grossly outweighed by the negative consequences had he followed through on his vampire's instincts.

It was an impulsive desire born from overwhelming feelings of possessiveness and jealousy. Emotions which had been building for weeks reached a crescendo when he encroached upon a private moment that was mysteriously and painfully intimate. As much as he wanted Bella for himself, it was torture for him to be stuck with the role of the intruder. Although his intrusions upon Bella's privacy had already existed for some time, he was content with the feeling that Bella was already his in a way, even before making any formal declarations and letting his desires be known. However, he had bided his time for too long, allowing Alice to intervene. The idea that Alice now had some kind of hold on Bella that would be near impossible to break on his own began to consume him.

Realistically he knew that it now seemed impossible to have all his desires fulfilled. But one thing he learned from his long existence is that over time anything can change. And if there was one thing a vampire had in abundance, it was time.

He was so immersed in his thoughts he had momentarily forgotten about his new companion until he felt the cold hand on his shoulder making him tense instantly. Apparently she had returned from her hunting trip although it seemed mere minutes had passed since she left.

He tried to shrug off the offending hand which left a chill that shouldn't be felt by another cold bodied vampire, but the deceptively gentle touch turned instantly icy and firm.

"Brooding over the human girl again I see."

He shoots up from his sitting position on the timeworn chair in front of the fireplace and brushes off her hand as he turns to face her.

"Don't ever do that again!" he snarls, baring sharp fangs for emphasis.

"Why Edward my boy, there's no need to get your panties in a twist just because I took you by surprise…again" The female vampire spoke with light airiness, as if she was an aristocrat addressing one of her subjects. Edward detects a hint of cruel amusement that always seems present in her sing-song voice.

Her crimson eyes sparkles with amusement as she looks at him. "It's only fair whenever you try to traipse through my personal thoughts that I get a chance to share in yours. And you didn't seem to mind my touch as long as it satisfied your needs."

"I think we both need to move on from that poor lapse of judgment. A case of temporary insanity brought on by a very long dry spell."

"Yes, funny how it was only after you realized that it allows me access to your own thoughts and memories that you want nothing more to do with that kind of intimacy, at least with me", the other vampire sighs out dramatically.

The female vampire is tall, blonde and strikingly beautiful. She could easily pass for Rosalie's sister, except for the crimson red eyes. Physically she appears about ten years older, with sharp features – well defined cheekbones and an angular jawline. Edward has yet to determine her true age, but he has picked up a few stray thoughts here and there, enough to convince him that she is considerably older, possibly by hundreds of years. The pouty expression on her face reminds Edward of an overly dramatic actress from a silent film he once saw many years ago.

He feels an overwhelming need to get away. As much as he hates to admit it, the other vampire makes him feel uneasy and he doesn't like how she knows so much about him. With any physical contact she is able to see the things he had done and what he wants to do. He also suspects that she has the power to influence others, and a part of him desperately wants someone else to blame for falling even further into his descent towards hell. She seems more amused than anything by with his recent degeneration. The few times she's allowed him access to her thoughts, he hears words of encouragement to fully embrace the ways of a vampire.

Edward has come close to parting ways with her several times, but he's delayed that decision for the moment. She has powers that could be used to make it possible to obtain what he does want, to get past some of the obstacles standing in his way. She possesses the key which would enable him to break the enigmatic bond Bella had with Alice, he was sure of it. He would drag himself back out of this hell and use whatever means he had at his disposal to acquire the one person who was much more suited to his taste. He still needs to work out the details of his plan, but for that he needs more time alone. His body moves an auto pilot as he blurs towards the door, eager to be outside and soak in the cold night air. Gazing at the starry skies usually gives him some kind of inspiration. Mostly he needs a reprieve from the scrutiny of crimson colored eyes that look at him as though he was a misbehaving pet.

"Where are you going?" inquires the blonde vampire with mild curiosity.

"I need to feed."

"So what's on the menu tonight? Are you still under the delusion that going back to sucking on the furry neck of a tick covered deer will make you a good vampire?"

Edward refuses to let himself be baited again by her. "What I eat is none of your business, Miriam." He doesn't spare her another glance before shutting the door behind him before immersing himself back into the depths of the forest.

"So how about I take you to lunch?" Alice asks after their giggles prompted by the growling of Bella's stomach subside. Turns out a few sips of bitter coffee and a small bowl of cornflakes wasn't enough to last her long passed noon, and she was feeling hungrier than she felt in a long time.

"You don't have to do that, I can just make something here" Bella smiles at another reminder of Alice's thoughtfulness. Though there probably wasn't much more than cold cereal in the kitchen, she doesn't see much sense in going out to eat if she's the only one at the table eating.

"Or we can take a drive over to that deli down on Main and get some takeout to have a picnic in the woods. I know a nice place not far from where I live" Alice suggests.

Bella hums as she considers the idea, which admittedly does sound nice. But it wasn't exactly picnic weather in Forks at the moment. "Isn't it a little chilly for picnicking right now? Well, at least for me it is."

"Oh, you can just eat it in the car then. I just thought it might be nice to get out for a little while. But whichever you prefer, honey" Alice answers with ease, pleased just to be able to share again in Bella's company.

Bella's smile broadens at Alice's term of endearment. Though its only been a few times, every time it does happen the sweet melodious sound of Alice's voice feels like an aural kiss to her ears, and fills her with the warmest feeling. Bella wants to hear it every day if she could, if she was affected so effortlessly by Alice like this.

She has an urge to pull Alice in for another kiss, but her belly grumbles in protest, pulling rank over any further desire for physical affection. "Well a deli lunch does sound better than cold cereal or a peanut butter sandwich."

As soon as Bella puts on shoes and a jacket appropriate for the chilling weather they leave the house and Alice opens the door of her Porsche. She drives them to the single delicatessen in Forks. Alice pays for a deluxe lunch box which includes Bella's choice of sandwich, pasta salad with some fruit, a few chocolate chip cookies for dessert and bottled water. Though Bella's mouth begins to water in anticipation of the food, she opts to wait until they were safely parked rather than attempt to eat as Alice swiftly veers her sporty vehicle towards the destination she has in mind.

It doesn't take long for them to reach the place and Alice deftly parks the car near a spot of the forest that was practically her own back yard. The woodsy area there were at was only a quarter of a mile away from the Cullen home. It was one step closer to eventually bringing Bella to her home, Alice thought to herself. It was also keeping in mind Carlisle's previous warning regarding the possibility of rogue vampires travelling through the area. They were within safe distance of her family, while far enough to have some privacy.

So while Bella unpacks her lunch, her anticipation growing as the delicious smell of food fills the car, Alice turns on her satellite radio, scans through her favorite stations and settles on one that specializes in playing jazz instrumental music. She keeps the volume down low while the sultry sounds of saxophone play through the speakers.

Bella lets out a satisfied moan as she bites into her turkey with avocado and tomato sandwich. Alice glances sideways and smirks in pleasure when she sees and hears how much Bella is enjoying her food. "That good huh?"

"Mmhmm…" Bella nods, keeping in mind not to try to talk with a mouthful of food. After a swallow she adds, "its the most delicious sandwich I've ever had…but I think it's mostly the company that makes it taste so good."

"I'm glad to hear you say so. I also think being close to nature does something to boost one's appetite." Alice turns to look out the window, soaking in the lush scenery that surrounds them. Bella's eyes follow the motion and she hums in agreement.

For a fleeting moment Bella almost forgets and starts to offer some of her lunch to Alice, before quickly remembering that it was a pleasure that couldn't be shared with the vampire. Her knowledge about Alice still needing more time to fully sink in. This seems like the perfect time to broach the subject again.

"Alice…is this where you go hunting when you need to eat?"

Alice turns to look at Bella and sees the cautiously inquisitive expression behind brown eyes. Alice expected there to be a lot more questions she wants to ask her, but was patiently allowing her to eat her food before they went any further with this. Though this line of questioning made sense since Bella was herself now eating, Alice was sure she didn't want her to go into exquisite detail about her own feeding habits at this moment.

"It's a little too close to home but we're not too far off. Usually we go at least ten or so miles further north as it's easier to find prey."

"Is it something you enjoy doing, hunting I mean?"

"Hmm…the tracking can be fun sometimes, but I don't enjoy taking the life of an animal, and it's only out of necessity for survival. Fortunately we can usually get by for a whole week after each feeding."

Bella offers her a small nod of understanding. "Well I'm not exactly a vegetarian, so I think I know what you mean." Bella is suddenly more conscientious about the source of the main ingredient as she takes another bite of her sandwich. She picks up a bottle of water and unscrews the top while she asks one of the questions that's come to mind since Alice told her who she was, "How old are you?"

Alice smiles at the quiet bluntness of the question. "Nineteen. At least that's the age when I was turned. I was born in 1901." Alice answers with casual ease, but is secretly curious as how Bella will react to this information. Its not every day that she reveals the truth about herself to a human. Actually, Alice can't recall ever doing so before.

While Bella did suspect that Alice was considerably older than she looked, it still comes as a surprise to hear Alice say this. She tries to appear nonchalant about this as she tips the water bottle to her lips and takes a sip. She swallows too quickly and the water doesn't go down as smoothly as it should, causing her to sputter and cough a few times as she slaps her hand against her chest.

Alice finds a paper napkin and quietly laughs as she dabs lightly at the drops of water that escape down Bella's chin.

"Do we need to get a bib for you darling?" Alice teases, and Bella feels a small spark go off inside when she detects the hint of a southern accent.

Feeling lightly embarrassed by the water mishap she pushes down her body's inherent reaction and throws a playful glare at the vampire as she takes the napkin from her hands. She makes a few quick swipes at her damp neck and along the collar of her top.

"I'm not a baby" and Bella blushes at how infantile that just sounded as she tries to recover her composure.

"No of course you aren't. I was just kidding, sweetie." Alice bites her lips and looks like she's trying to keep any more laughter from escaping.

"Well if you're nineteen then aren't you too old to be in high school? Why do you even go to high school?" Bella blurts out the questions in quick succession.

"Well when you live among humans like we do, you have to try to blend in somehow. And if we can pass for being high school age, we can stay in one place longer. I've actually attended and graduated from many colleges and universities as well. And there have been quite a few periods when I didn't attend school at all. It does get a bit tedious taking the same high school level courses after a while, but its part of the roles we sometimes must play in order not to attract too much attention."

"I don't know how you do it. I mean high school is bad enough to go through for several years, but to keep going back?"

"Yeah well, we go through different cycles. It's not like I plan on going back into another one right after graduation."

"So…what are your plans then? I mean as soon as you graduate from this one?"

"Actually, I haven't decided yet. We were planning on moving to Alaska for a while right after graduation. But there's been some discussion about pushing the move sooner, after what happened with Edward…" Alice notices the somber expression on Bella's face and understands the worry she might be feeling upon hearing this. She continues, "But nothing's been decided yet and I really don't want to move before graduation", when she sees Bella visibly relax at this she smiles and adds, "for obvious reasons."

A conflicted look crosses Bella's face and Alice could sense she was struggling to give voice to her thoughts. She sees the hint of sadness in chocolate brown eyes that gaze back at her for a long moment before Bella quietly says, "I don't want you to move Alice."

Alice won't allow herself to make promises until she is certain she can keep them, and answers in all honesty, "As long as there's no threat to my family being exposed as vampire's there shouldn't be a problem with us staying in Forks until graduation. It's one of the reasons why we're all so concerned about recent events. But my main concern is keeping you safe."

"I feel safe with you Alice."

"I'm glad to hear that."

"Enjoy the rest of your lunch and we can go for a little walk, if you'd like?" Alice softly suggests, wanting to lighten the mood.

As they walk through the forest Alice tells Bella more about herself, mostly about her time as a vampire. She only falters a moment when she feels the heat from Bella's body brush lightly against her as they walk across the narrow part of the trail they were on. When Bella asks about her life before she became a vampire Alice tells her how little she knows about her human life, that what little she did know only came to light when she conducted her own personal investigation into her past. She explains finding out that her parents had sent her into a mental asylum because of her visions. Alice keeps her tone light but when Bella hears about her discovery of her tombstone and the marked date of her death corresponding with the date on admission records she filched from the old asylum archives, she takes hold of Alice's hand and intertwines their fingers as they continue their leisurely walk. Eventually Alice tells more about her life since becoming vampire, and some of the things she's seen over the passage of time, mentioning some of the faraway places she's been to. Places that Bella has only read about in books or seen in movies.

As the temperature drops Alice feels Bella shiver, she turns towards her and suggests they return back to the car. But Bella hesitates, wanting to prolong their time together. Alice reaches up and rubs her hands against the forearms of Bella's coat, before remembering that it's a comforting gesture at best.

"I'm afraid I don't have much to offer in the way of body heat."

Bella tilts her ever so slightly as she maintains eye contact with Alice and her lips curl up into a smile. "You obviously don't know the effect you have on me."

Alice flashes a dimpled grin, "Do tell…"

"I'd rather show you."

"Sounds even better."

Bella pulls Alice close enough to press her lips against Alice. It's a slow and sensual kiss, and they take their time and savor the moment as their lips easily meld together. When Alice's arms slide around her shoulders, pulling her closer, Bella is suddenly struck with the strange sensation of familiarity, a feeling of déjà vu rising from amidst her consciousness into full awareness. She pulls back and she looks in wonderment into the beautiful color of golden amber. Something about kissing Alice within this setting feels not only right…but oddly familiar. Though Bella has entertained the idea at certain moments, this was the first time she consciously remembers kissing Alice in the forest.

When Alice sees the concentrated look within Bella's eyes she asks, "What are you thinking?"

"Why does this feel somehow familiar?"

"Maybe you dreamed about it?" Alice tries to keep her expression neutral and her tone light, but inside she is excited to know if Bella now remembers their experience in another, far more ethereal place.

Bella's eyes blink in rapid succession a few times and she turns her head to the side as she tries to recall having such dreams. There are flashes of images, vague mental impressions ghost passed her mind's eye. Its there, just beyond the reach of mental clarity. She hasn't had a clear recollection of her dreams for quite some time she realizes.

She gives a slight jump at the sound of Alice's phone ringing from her coat pocket. Alice groans internally at the untimely disruption but recognizes the ringtone which tells her that its Esme calling her. "Its alright, just mother calling", Alice eyes twinkle softly in amusement of Bella's startled reaction.

Bella takes a few steps back to give her some small measure of space for her to answer the call.

The conversation is brief and Bella is curious about what her "mother" as she affectionately refers her as, is like. The corners of her lips lift when she hears Alice tell her that she's having a delightful and private time alone with Bella in the forest nearby.

She sees a look of concern briefly flash across Alice's fine features, but Alice seems to quickly recover and hums in affirmation at whatever was being said on the other side. "Since we're so close by maybe I can bring her over for a while before I take her back home?" Alice asks sounding hopeful for the answer. She beams in satisfaction when she hears Esme's quick reply and ends the conversation telling them they'll be there soon.

Alice pockets the phone and smiles up at Bella.

"Would you like to see where I live?"