Disclaimer: Twilight and all its associated characters are owned by Stephenie Meyer.

Authors Notes: So, here's the next chapter for anyone who's paying attention. I've nothing much to say today, except I'm having a really bad week and a review or two would cheer me right up. Pathetic I know, but it's the truth. Anyway, enjoy.

Edward's POV

Chapter 3: A House in the Woods

Chief Swan put down the phone and strode back over to where I stood. He had a long, lazy gait naturally, but the tension that was evident in his face and body made his walk jerky and rushed. He shrugged on his jacket and looked over at me.

"I've just been called out but my daughter knows where Alistair lived. She'll be out to you in about ten minutes. You understand."

The last part was a statement as opposed to a question. I nodded and held out my hand again.

"Thanks for all your help Chief Swan."

He shook my proffered hand quickly and turned to the door. "Not a problem. You need any more help, just call."

And then he was gone. I glanced around the now empty station. A phone rang in another room but no one answered it. I shrugged to myself and turned to head back out to Jasper. I wondered about the girl I had seen earlier. She had referred to the chief of police as Charlie, not dad so I doubted I would see her again. When I left the station I was relieved to see that the rain had stopped. However, an impossibly thick mist had descended around us. I could only vaguely make out the shape of my car as I headed towards it. I jumped in and cranked up the heater in an attempt to rid myself of the cold damp that seemed to sink to the bone. Jasper glanced over at me, an expectant look on his face.

"We have to wait." I said simply.

He groaned and gripped some of his blond hair in a fist. "Why?"

I laughed. His tone made him sound like a child who had been told he couldn't have his favourite toy. "Apparently the house is really out of the way and the Chief had to go out on a call, so he's sending his daughter to show us the way. She should be here soon."

Jasper let his head fall back against the headrest. "Crap. Now we have to deal with some hick chick. She'll probably talk our ears off about how great Forks is. Fantastic."

I grinned at him. "Gee Jasper. Aren't we tolerant and understanding? Besides, I saw some girl in the station earlier and she seemed fine. The daughter is probably going to be just as nice."

My best friend smirked at me evilly. "Checking out some small town tail, huh? I thought you had higher standards Edward."

I punched him in the shoulder. "Don't be a dick Jasper."

We both laughed and sat back to wait, turning up the music some more. We were both so lost in our own thoughts that we jumped when someone rapped on the window. I rolled down the window and was met by a pair of deep brown eyes that hadn't left my mind since I'd first seen them not an hour earlier. She was dressed differently now. A white, v-neck sweater, instead of the black one and her hair had been swept up into a knot at the back of her head, though some strands had come loose and were now framing her face. I didn't realise she had spoken until Jasper leaned over me and answered her.

"Yeah. I'm Jasper and the mute here is Edward Masen, Alistair's… nephew. Are you going to give us directions?"

She shook her head, looking at me with laughing eyes. "Kinda. You can follow me. I'm in the red truck." She gestured over her shoulder into the gloom. "You better stick close. This fog is pretty thick."

Jasper nodded. "Ok, thanks. We're right behind you."

She nodded and jogged off into the mist. I watched her fade into the fog before rolling the window back up. Jasper snorted beside me.

"Smooth man. Real smooth."

I just punched him again, which made him laugh harder. I saw headlights illuminate the gloom and followed them out of the car park.

Jasper glared at me expectantly. "Well?"

I avoided his gaze, keeping my eyes trained on the truck a head of us. "Well, what?"

He made an exasperated sound. "Please. One look at that girl and you were practically drooling. The last time you reacted like that to a girl we were fifteen and the girl in question had really big… Well, you remember. What's the deal?"

I shrugged. "I dunno. She just... She confuses me."

"That's the understatement of the decade. So, was she the one you saw in the station? I've got to admit, she is hot."

I just rolled my eyes and declined to answer him. I was to busy trying to figure out for myself why I reacted the way I did. There was just something about her…

For fifteen minutes we tailgated the beat up old truck as it wove through misty back roads. After a while she turned off the road and headed down a long, wooded driveway. I raised my eyebrows as we crept down the unpaved drive, stones crunching loudly under the tires.

"Wow. This isn't spooky at all."

Jasper chuckled. "Scared of the misty woods Edward?"

He was about to say something else but he trailed off, his jaw dropping as the truck in front of us stopped. We pulled up beside it and stared in shock. The house was huge. A big black shape looming out of the mist surrounded by towering spruce trees. In the distance you could hear the sound of a small river rushing by. On closer inspection, the house was red brick which had darkened over time. Much of the front was covered with thick ivy which, in some places, threatened to creep through windows and into the house itself. A large wooden porch stretched along the front of the house. It looked like it had been white at some point, but the paint was faded and chipped, some mouldy looking wicker chairs and a rusty porch swing the only furnishings there. The large windows were black, giving away no clue as to what might be inside. It was not what I had been expecting.

"Holy crap." Jasper put his jaw back in place just long enough to speak. "This place looks like it came straight out of a Hammer Horror movie."

I smirked at him. "What's the matter Jazz? Afraid Vincent Price might jump out at you?"

I got out of the car and glanced over to watch the girl jump from the cab of her truck and slam the door behind her. She walked around to me and stuck her hand out, blushing slightly.

"I… um… I'm Bella Swan. We didn't really get a proper introduction earlier."

I stared down at her. She seemed much more nervous than before as she spoke. The blush was really quite attractive on her. Determined to actually speak to her now that I had the chance, I flashed her a wide smile and took her hand.

"Edward Masen. It's nice to meet you Bella."

She smiled back and relaxed a little. "Nice to meet you too. So, I didn't think Alistair had a brother. He never mentioned any."

I was surprised that this gorgeous young woman knew my dead relative on a personal level at all. "Well, he doesn't actually. My father, Carlisle, is his cousin, and his last living relative. He was asked by Alistair's lawyer to come up but he's out of the country at the moment."

Bella nodded, more of her hair escaping from her clip. "I see. Well, do you guys have a key?"

Jasper stuck his head out of the car. "You do have a key, right?"

I looked over at him sheepishly. "Actually, the lawyer is supposed to meet us here and give us the key. Mr. Yorkie."

Bella sighed beside me. "We're in for a wait then boys. Mr. Yorkie is not known for his stellar time keeping."

I heard Jasper growl as he withdrew back into the car. I turned back to Bella and frowned. "'We'? You don't have to stay with us you know."

She shrugged. "I know this house pretty well. I figured I'd give you the tour, show you a few of it's… um… quirks. But I can go if you like." She looked at the ground and turned to leave.

"No!" My hand shot out, grabbing her shoulder. She looked up at me, her eyes wide and a small smile gracing her lips. "I mean, I'd like it if you gave us a tour. Much appreciated."

I could hear Jasper laughing hard from the car. I glared at him through the windscreen before focusing on Bella again. She was giving me a bright smile that made my heart thump a little faster.

"So…" I stammered slightly, looking for an appropriate topic of conversation. "This place is kinda creepy, huh?" Oh yeah, that's cool I thought to myself scathingly.

Bella however laughed, and nodded her head quickly. She looked at me with mischievous grin.

"Wait until you're here during a thunder storm."