A/N: Chapter Ten is coming to you in two parts because it's absolutely massive (13,000 words/ 23 pages on Word) and even I have to admit that's slightly too long. I'll post part two in the next couple of days (in a separate entry titled: 10ii), so if you want to read it all in one go wait until Tuesday ish.

I know it's been a long time since I updated, so let's just do a 'last time on Seducing Ms Swan' recap to remind everyone where we are. (If you remember then just skip this, k?)

Bella had her very public argument with Edward at the parent/teacher meeting on Friday evening, then made up with him in the courtyard only to get angry at him again when he tried to stop her riding her motorbike. She speeds away in an uncharacteristic display of supreme awesomeness and leaves the astounded Cullens gaping in the parking lot. The next morning she wakes up and goes shopping with Rose and Alice who, shock of shocks, hint that Edward might feel someone more towards Bella than pure, unadulterated hatred. That, in fact, he loves her. Bella is surprised and slightly flattered but because she's a self-esteemless ball of insecurities, she doesn't really believe them. Alice persuades her to come to the Cullen household for the evening and she agrees, as long as she can ride her bike there. Once there she walks in on a half-naked Edward and stunningly beautiful Tanya who coerced (read:forced) Edward to remove his shirt. Doing what she does best, Bella jumps to conclusions and it is all VERY AWKWARD. Then, Bella realises that she has missed calls from Jacob. She rings him and finds out that Brady, who was already in hospital, has had a heart attack. Bella blames herself because... well, that'll all come out in Chapter 10... PART TWO. (Though, if you're amazingly observant, you might have already worked it out from the hints at the end of chapter 9...)

So are we good to go now? Awesome, carry on. :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its associated characters, places or events.

Chapter Song: 'Foolish Games' by Jewel. This song stole my soul when I first heard it; you can listen to it on youtube.

Well in case you failed to notice,
In case you failed to see,
This is my heart bleeding before you,
This is me down on my knees, and...
These foolish games are tearing me apart,
And your thoughtless words are breaking my heart.

Time passed. It shifted and twisted back on to itself, contorting into increasingly confusing shapes and coils as seconds seemed to distort into hours and minutes to years. I stayed frozen in my position on the snow, completely oblivious to my surroundings as one name blazed through my mind like a poisoned mantra. Brady.

It must have only been moments later, but it could have just as easily been a century, when I sensed someone kneel beside me. Strong arms pried my hands away from the reddened snow and gently leant me back into a sitting position. I complied sluggishly as though drugged, but made no real attempt to move of my own accord. Through the screaming in my mind I could hear voices, but the words made no sense to me; it was as if the sentences had been cut up and rearranged, losing all their meaning. I sensed people moving around me, thought I heard somebody arguing, then a door slam shut…

"It's all right Bella, you're going to be fine," the person beside me spoke in a calm, soothing voice and they were the first words that actually got through to me. I felt my companion carefully take my hands in his own, turning them over and examining the damage.

"I've brought your bag, Carlisle," a softer, more feminine voice called from behind me and I supposed that another person must have joined us. I kept my eyes closed tight. Perhaps if I pretended to disappear then the world would follow suit.

"Thank you. It's just a shallow cut," I heard the first voice say; "I'll dress and bandage it to be safe though."

"Will you do it out here?"

"Yes, there's no point in spilling blood inside the house unnecessarily. On that note, has Jasper gone?"

"Yes, he and Alice went almost straight away. I don't think… I don't think he would have actually done anything to hurt Bella. He still feels awful about what happened on her eighteenth…"

"I know, Esme, I know. I'm very proud of him; his control has improved so much over the last six years, but you know we can't take any chances when it comes to Bella's safety. I'll be sure to let Jasper know that my request for him to leave was merely a precaution." The owner of the male voice- it was Carlisle, I decided through the fog of my mind- then cradled me in his arms, picking me up in one fluid motion and carrying me effortlessly away from where I had been crouched. I watched numbly as the snow covered wooden boards slipped away below me, to be replaced by dryer ones in a more sheltered area of the veranda. I felt Carlisle let go of me as he gently lowered me down onto a bench, before turning his back on me again. Even though I was still staring blindly into space, I could sense another figure by the door, surveying us both. Esme."Speaking of precautions," Carlisle said to her, "please remind Edward that he is not to come out here under any circumstances. He can stay in the house with the others, unless I call him." At these words I thought I heard a loud, frustrated growl from inside the house, but before I could be sure the sound sparked off another round of vivid memories within my mind.

Nursing my injured leg where I had fallen at the edge of the trees, I watched horrified as Brady's huge wolf form quivered in front of me, almost blocking my attacker from view… but still allowing me a glimpse of her white skin and blood-red eyes; the sound of my choking screams as the two creatures twisted and launched towards each other, vampire and wolf meeting in mid air in a blood curdling cacophony of snarls, growls and, most chillingly, maniacal laughter…

"Bella?" Carlisle's voice acted like a magnet, dragging me immediately from my recollections. I opened my eyes, slightly disorientated, taking full stock of my surroundings for the first time since Jacob's voicemail message had ended. It was now dark outside and the sun had fully set, the only light source being the electric lamps that were situated on the corners of the decking. From this artificial yellow light I could just make out the white flakes that were falling gently onto the drive way; it had begun to snow again. I looked away from the snow and turned my attention to Carlisle. He had sat down next to me on the bench, his black doctor's bag resting on the floor by his feet. As I saw it I remembered my hand and looked down to find that he had relinquished it. I stared at the now bandaged cut in surprise; I hadn't even noticed him working on it, I had been so preoccupied by my visions.

"Th-thank you," I said, still surveying my hand as I turned it over. "I-I did it a-again, huh? I'm sorry Carlisle, I swear I c-can come to visit you without getting blood all over the place…" I trailed off, aware that Carlisle had not laughed at my lame comment or even spoken at all. I looked up, to see his ochre eyes boring into me with almost frightening intensity. There was no shadow of laughter there, only serious concern and worry. It unnerved me and I tried to fill the silence. "Um, so thanks for cleaning me up, I'm sorry about, uh, the snow…now it's pink and all…" what was I saying? Was I really talking to Carlisle about the snow? He must be wondering whether my brain had also sustained serious damage. I hoped he wouldn't insist on sending me to hospital; I had a long list of things I needed to do, and spending a night in emergency room was not one of them. In fact, it was ridiculous for me to be still sitting here at all- every second I squandered here on this porch another moment of Brady's life might be slipping away… I needed to get to Forks, fast. I would have to call the airport and try to get onto the next flight to Washington, preferably tonight. No doubt it would be horribly expensive and use up almost all of my meagre savings, but there was no other way. Oh well, I thought bleakly, who needs food anyways? After I had booked a flight I would need to contact the school concerning my absence… that was a phone call I was dreading. I didn't know what excuse I would come up with, only that there was no way I could tell the truth. I also had a feeling that my disappearance the day after I had had a public argument with my least favourite student would not go uncommented on… maybe I would get fired. If I did, then it was no more than I deserved. After what I had done six years ago, after the consequences my actions had had on Brady, I almost craved to be punished. As far as I was concerned, my constant pain and self-hatred weren't nearly sufficient justice for my actions. I was about to tell Carlisle that I had to leave, when I realized that he was still staring at me. I was now beginning to feel really self-conscious. "What?" I asked, confused.

For a moment, Carlisle looked as though he was deciding whether or not to speak. After a few seconds though, he had clearly made up his mind because a determined expression crossed his face. "Bella," he began very seriously, not once breaking his gaze, "none of this is your fault." I gaped at him, thunderstruck. How does he know about Brady? Was he a mind-reader now too? I felt the heat of shame and embarrassment cross my cheeks and blushed deeply.

"You're wrong; it's all my fault, if I hadn't-"

"No it's not," he said consolingly, his tone soothing and slow, as though he was coaxing a suicidal person down from a tall building. "I can see that you blame yourself for the deterioration of your relationship with Edward, but you have to know that you are in no way responsible for the problems you are both experiencing." I just stared at him, not quite comprehending his words. He was talking about me and Edward? How was that even relevant? Of course, I did blame myself for my break-up with Edward; if I hadn't been so plain and boring perhaps he never would have left, but that still didn't explain why Carlisle was bringing it up now. Either I was missing something here, or he had severely misunderstood the situation.

"Um, I don't think you-" I began, but Carlisle had already continued speaking.

"And no matter what you're feeling Bella, you must realize that to actually hurt yourself is both extremely reckless and uncalled for. What would your parents think? You have to take care of yourself; you mean so much to so many people, none more so than our family. We all love you Bella, you're a strong, intelligent, beautiful woman and it's time you started to acknowledge that fact, instead of running yourself down all the time. If you're having problems you should speak to somebody, but self-harm is never the answer."

What?! Self-harm? What on earth was Carlisle talking about? Had he lost his mind? I stared at him in utter bewilderment, his words running through my head. Then, in one fell swoop, understanding came to me, making my eyes widen in shock. Now it all made sense: Carlisle's hushed tones and cautious glances; the way he treated me like he would somebody who was extremely disturbed; the way he had ordered Edward to stay inside. He thought I had cut my hand deliberately because I was so upset about Edward and Tanya. It was so absurdly off the mark- in fact, considering what had happened to Brady, it was almost ironic- that I laughed, despite of myself, then stopped once I saw Carlisle tense. Oh great, I thought to myself, now he thinks I'm hysterical too. "No," I said hastily, trying to exude positive 'I am not crazy' vibes, "you don't understand; I didn't do this myself. Well I did, but not on purpose," Excellent work Bella, now you're arguing with yourself. Way to prove you don't have problems. "It was a complete accident," I continued earnestly, "I was listening to a message on the phone and… and I heard some bad news," I faltered when I remembered the horror I had felt at Jacob's words. Then I shook my head sharply, snapping myself out of it. I had plenty of time to dwell on Brady's situation on the plane; right now I had to focus on persuading Carlisle that there was nothing wrong with my mental health. "S-so while I was on the phone I was holding on to the railing too hard," I continued, "and then, klutz that I am, I tripped and it splintered and I was cut. Purely accidental, I swear." Silence followed my words, as Carlisle watched me sceptically. Even I had to admit that my speech had been wholly unconvincing. "Really, I'm telling the truth," I said imploringly, "believe me Carlisle, I wouldn't do it on purpose- I didn't do it on purpose. I promise."

I waited with baited breath for Carlisle's response. He looked at me searchingly for a few moments, clearly trying to find a lie in my eyes. Then after a few seconds he sighed, seemingly accepting that I was telling the truth. "Well that's certainly a relief. I'm sorry, I didn't want to insult you, but Esme and I were both worried, especially after what Edward said-"

"Wait, Edward toldyou that's what happened?" I exclaimed in disbelief.

"Well he only assumed. After the way you fled the room earlier, and when he heard you crying, then came out of the door to see you bleeding on the ground… he just thought that after what you saw with Tanya earlier…" he trailed off, slightly alarmed at my expression, which I was sure must have suddenly become murderous. I was actually speechless with rage. Just who the fuck did Edward think he was? How DARE he tell his family that I was so depressed by his leaving that I was cutting myself? Of all the egocentric, arrogant, self-obsessed bastards- "and when Edward added that on top of your feelings of self-hatred, it seemed to make sense," Carlisle continued, his face again troubled.

"Huh?" I asked distractedly, still preoccupied by the way my mind was snarling insults at Edward.

Carlisle looked at me cautiously. "Jasper told Edward that you're perpetually in a state of self-loathing and that you're feeling extremely guilty about something," he explained, his features fraught with fatherly worry, "which, regardless of how you hurt your hand, is a very unhealthy way to live. Whatever it is that is troubling you, I'm sure that you're blowing it all out of proportion. You know you can always talk to Esme or me about your worries, and if you don't feel comfortable enough for that, considering our proximity to, uh-" he paused and we both knew he had just stopped himself from saying Edward's name, "then there are plenty of other places for you to find help." I didn't answer; I was too startled by what he had said. I hadn't once given thought to the fact that Jasper knew exactly how I was feeling, let alone that he would be able to detect my emotions about Brady. This realization also led me to a much more worrying one- if Jasper knew how I felt about Brady, then surely he had detected my feelings towards Edward? In which case, my attempts to persuade Esme and Alice that I no longer loved him had been completely futile. Edward must have known all along that I was lying. My cheeks flushed with humiliation as I thought of all the times Edward must have been laughing with his brothers behind my back, making fun of the way the pathetic little human hung to her foolish dreams of her love being requited. I forced myself to blink back tears as I looked back to Carlisle, who was still speaking. "If you want, I could arrange an appointment for you with one of the psychiatrists at work; they're truly excellent." Even through my shame and hurt, I wasn't insensible to the fact that I was being told to see a shrink by a five hundred year old vegetarian vampire patriarch married to a woman four hundred years his junior with four incestuous adopted children. What did that say about me?

I answered politely as I could, trying my best not to be offended by his suggestion. "No thank you, that really won't be necessary." I already had my own personal support system; his name was Jacob Black. And anyway, I might not have been an expert in psychoanalysis, but I was pretty sure that the patient had to be at least fairly honest with their doctor, which, in my case, would be completely impossible. Even if I wasn't perceived as crazy from the outset, I definitely would be once the words 'werewolf' and 'vampire' passed my lips. I didn't have time for this; Brady was in Forks, dying, possibly already dead and I was wasting time on this cold veranda. It was time to bring this conversation to an end. "I'm sorry Carlisle, but I really need to get going. The message on my phone- the one I was listening to before I fell- it was from a friend back in Forks. He…" I paused, unwilling to divulge the full details of what had happened, but knowing that I owed Carlisle an explanation, I started again, careful not to go into specifics. "He told me that one of our friends had… had a heart attack. He's been in the hospital for years with…problems, but he was generally stable. Until tonight…" I cast my eyes downwards, not wanting Carlisle to see me cry. "I need to get to Washington as soon as possible. I have to be there, you see… well it's sort of my fault that he was in hospital in the first place…" There was no 'sort of' about it, of course, but I didn't want to come on too strong for fear of worrying Carlisle again. I knew I had been exceedingly vague and I braced myself for a barrage of questions, but they did not come. Instead, Carlisle took my hand comfortingly and looked me directly in the eyes.

"You need to get a flight back to Forks?"

"Yes, as soon as possible."

"Then a flight is what you'll have. Leave everything to me, Bella. I'll ring the airport immediately."

"Wait, no!" I protested hurriedly. I didn't want to be more of a burden to him; I had already been troublesome enough tonight. "You don't need to do that, I can ring them. I've already caused you enough problems." Carlisle just waved a silencing hand at me.

"Don't be ridiculous Bella, you're like my daughter. It's only right that I should help you." His voice was full of so much earnest affection that I again had difficulty blinking back my tears. Carlisle seemed to realize this and stood up, gently helping me do the same. "Let's go inside," he said kindly, "it's far too cold to stay out here. I'll make arrangements for your flight and you can sit in the lounge and warm up." He stopped suddenly and I guessed that he was thinking about how I would react to seeing the others. "Unless you would prefer waiting somewhere else?" He looked at me expectantly.

I wanted to accept his offer; I didn't like the idea of being subjected to more humiliation by seeing Edward again, especially when I was still so angry with him. On the other hand, I knew that if I did avoid him then everyone would immediately assume that I was too overcome to even be in the same room as him and Tanya. As much as it hurt me, I would have to put on a brave face and confront them. At least my emotions were private from Edward now that Jasper had left the house. "No, it's fine," I said with as much conviction as I could muster, "I'll go and join the others." Carlisle nodded silently and I followed him towards the front door, stepping aside to let Esme out. She was carrying a shovel and smiled apologetically at me as she went to the patch of bloody snow and shovelled it into a bag, then turned; presumably to go and dump it in the lake. I sighed. Of all the places for me to spill blood, I had to choose the one where it was a practically banned substance.

Carlisle and I walked to the huge living room. Rosalie and Emmett were talking quietly to each other by the fireplace, while Tanya and Edward were standing at opposite ends of the room, both glaring into different directions with their arms folded. I wondered whether they had rowed because of me, then decided that I didn't care. As soon as the door opened, everyone looked up. I looked at each of them. Emmett looked concerned and upset; Rosalie was, predictably, annoyed, but as I concentrated on her expression I realized that she didn't seem to be angry at me- her eyes kept flickering accusingly at Edward. Tanya was watching me in a different way than she had before; it was as though she was weighing me up, trying to find answers in my eyes. I saved Edward to last, and as I looked at him I felt myself falter. There were so many emotions in his eyes: worry, frustration, fear, anger and sorrow. I wanted to believe that there was something stronger than just guilt behind his emotions, but the realistic side of me stopped me from fantasizing. Don't get your hopes up Bella, he's just guilty because he thinks he was the reason you hurt yourself. I noticed that Carlisle was staring at Edward, and I immediately recognized the signs of a silent conversation between them. Edward's eyes widened, and I knew that Carlisle must have relayed my explanation to him. Good. I thought viciously, It's about time he realized he wasn't centre of the universe. Deep down, I knew I was lying to myself. Edward was the centre of my universe, but I didn't want to acknowledge that fact; it was too pathetic. Carlisle turned to face me, "I'll go make that call," he said, before sweeping out of the room. Everybody watched me quizzically, wondering what Carlisle had meant.

"A friend of mine is ill; I need to go back to Forks to visit him," I said weakly, trying to produce an acceptable explanation, "Carlisle's booking me a flight." I wondered whether they would believe me, or whether they would chalk it up to trying to get away from Edward. Nobody said anything, just watched me. There was a long, awkward silence as I stared at my feet. Then, Emmett spoke.

"So Bella," he said hesitantly, walking very slowly and carefully towards me, "how are you, uh, feeling?" He was looking at me like I was a bomb that was about to go off. "Can I get you anything? Are you hungry? Thirsty? Do you want to watch T.V.? Or are you okay just sitting here? Because that's totally okay too, just say the word-"

"It was an accident." I said quickly, cutting him off. I didn't want them to be treading on eggshells around me for the rest of the night.

Emmett looked at me taken aback. "What was?"

"My hand. It was an accident, wasn't it Edward?" I turned on him, my eyes narrowed in a coolly challenging glare. He looked back at me for a few seconds, his expression unreadable, before he slowly inclined his head.

"Yes," he said very quietly, "it was an accident." The room seemed to relax at his confirmation. Rosalie shook her head exasperatedly and flopped onto the couch, switching on the television. Tanya's calculating expression was immediately replaced by one of amused satisfaction and Emmett let out a long whistle of relief. He beamed at me and punched me- very lightly- on the shoulder.

"You had me really worried for a moment there, lil' sis!" he said good-naturedly. I tried to smile, but it was hard considering everything I had already been through that night. "So what do you want to do now? I've got a really awesome new games console if you're interested…" he grinned wickedly, "we could see if you're still as awful at video games as ever."

"I wasn't awful," I protested half-heartedly. Emmett laughed and started listing the many times I had lost to him, but I wasn't really listening. I was too busy ignoring Edward. I could tell that he was trying to make me look at him, but I wouldn't; I didn't want to. I was getting so tiredof all these games between us. Every time I believed that we were close to making up, something would happen to make things worse than ever. It was like some perverse board game; every time we took a step forward we immediately took four backwards again. Well, I had had enough. I wasn't going to let myself be hurt anymore; I was finally going to accept that we couldn't be friends and certainly couldn't be lovers. I had to stop even trying to talk to him; it was just making everything worse. There was no point in even pretending that he had feelings for me, now that I knew he knew that I was still in love with him. Therefore, I continued to stare determinedly into space, even when he said my name quietly. I could sense everyone in the room waiting for me to reply, but I did not. Finally, I heard Edward growl in frustration and storm past me, through the wide archway that lead to the next room, causing my hair to ruffle slightly in the breeze. I turned, curious to know where he had gone. I saw him sitting far away at the other end of the adjoining room, having taken his place on the bench at what I instantly recognized as his grand piano. As I watched, he glanced up and caught my eyes in a long, piercing gaze full of emotions I was unable to read. Then, he slowly began to play. A dark, haunting melody began to flood the room. It was both captivating and agonizing; it was as though Edward had poured all the sorrows in the world into his music. Then, just when I thought that I would scream from the pain of it all, the music changed, bursting into a furious exchange of spiky notes and a pounding undercurrent of angry chords. I felt the music affect my own emotions and I turned away slowly, my fists clenched. I won't let him break me apart,I told myself firmly, I can stand this. I looked at the others. Rosalie's only response to the music had been to turn up the television, whereas Emmett was staring at Edward dissatisfiedly. Then he turned to look at me, clearly trying to act as though nothing had just happened.

"So what do you want to play? I've got 'Mega Mutant Zombies IV' or-"

"Oh don't be silly Emmett," an unfamiliar voice interrupted him, "I'm sure Bella doesn't want to play your childish games." We all looked around, shocked, to see Tanya standing at my elbow, her lips stretched in a dazzling smile. "She'd much rather have a chat with me, wouldn't you Bella?" I just gaped at her disbelievingly. She pouted with hurt innocence. "Well I hardly even got introduced to you! I've been just dying to know more about the famous Bella Swan. How about we sit down here and you tell me a bit about yourself?"

"Um, sure," I said, dazed. What else could I say? I could hardly respond the way I wanted to; I knew from experience with Jacob that punching immortals was never a good idea and usually resulted in several broken bones.

"Excellent!" Tanya cooed, her eyes lighting up as she grabbed hold of my wrist and sat down, pulling me with her, on a couch. I could tell from the way they were exchanging glances that Emmett and Rosalie were just as staggered as I was. I could even hear Edward quiet his playing somewhat next door as he watched Tanya with narrowed eyes. "So, where do I begin?" Tanya asked brightly, swinging her silky hair carelessly behind her shoulder. It fell in ripples, shimmering like a rainbow on the mist, each faultless strand falling perfectly into place. Judging on looks alone, she and Edward were the perfect couple; they were both unfairly beautiful. "I know all about how you met Edward of course, I've heard that story many a time." She winked winningly at me and I had to clench my fists again, this time to stop me clawing those pretty eyes right out of her pretty head. That's it, rub in the fact that Edward still talks to you. "What I don't know though," she continued innocently, "is anything about your life after the Cullens. What have you been doing with yourself these past years?" I couldn't believe this. I had barely gone into depth with my post-Edward years with any of them, and yet she seemed to expect me to bare all for a complete stranger- the same stranger who I had just found draped all over my ex-boyfriend. Bitch.

"There's nothing to tell," I said passively. There was no way I was going to give her details. "I lived in Forks until I graduated High School, then I went to college in Arizona and I finally got a job here in Rochester. I've been teaching here ever since. That's it." She raised her eyebrow and it was obvious that she didn't believe me.

"That's all? Not one little story about graduating? Not one eensy anecdote about those crazy college parties?" I shook my head, my teeth gritted. "Well how about teaching, then?" Tanya asked, "Surely you must have had naughty students over the years…" she glanced through the archway at Edward and flashed him and wicked grin, which he ignored by again increasing the volume and complexity of his playing. I could sense that Tanya was trying to engage him in the memory of some sort of personal joke, but I decided that I really didn't want to know.

"Nope," I said, "they're generally pretty well behaved." I resisted the urge to also glance at Edward on these words; just because she was being childish didn't mean I had to stoop to her level. She looked disappointed, both at Edward's reaction and my refusal to comply with her game. She was quiet for a few moments, seemingly racking her brains for another way to involve Edward in our conversation, when suddenly her eyes lit up in triumph.

"And what about your love life?"

"W-what?!" I choked, thunderstruck. Oh no she didn't! I couldn't believe she had actually asked me that; surely she must realize that all her question would do was remind everyone of the way I had been unceremoniously dumped by Edward? And I had thought Lauren Mallory was evil. Edward's piano playing suddenly increased tenfold, becoming even louder and angrier, as though he was trying to block our conversation out. He's probably just embarrassed, I thought bitterly. I could feel Emmett and Rosalie staring at me apprehensively. "Um," I stalled, not sure how I was going to get out of answering this question.

"Oh come now," Tanya said, patting me patronisingly on the arm, "there's no need to be embarrassed Bell- may I call you Bell?- we're all truly desperate to know." I stared at her, utterly at a loss for what to say. Why was she playing this game with me? She had already won; she had Edward, so why this intricate charade? What was her motive? If it was to remind Edward that he had chosen her then there was no need- we all knew that he didn't love me. If, on the other hand, she was trying to humiliate me to death then she was definitely succeeding; my cheeks were absolutely flaming with embarrassment. Tanya was still waiting for a response. Oh well, I suddenly thought to myself, it's not like there's much to tell anyway. Perhaps it's better this way- maybe Edward will think that Jasper was wrong and that I really am over him.

"Well, there was one guy," I said slowly, trying to sound as offhand as possible. Rosalie and Emmett both tensed and as I looked at them I noticed Esme standing in the doorway. She was blinking at me in shock as though I had just slapped her. I stared at her in confusion. What was going on? Had she seriously expected me to disassociate myself from society for the rest of my life, simply because Edward hadn't wanted me? Wow, I seriously need to stop acting like such a pushover, I thought. I was even more surprised by Edward's reaction; his piano playing had now become almost deafeningly loud, the grim, heart-wrenching notes spilling from his instrument in a stampede of emotion and echoing off the wooden floorboards in the room next door. I wondered what was going through his mind, but I was distracted by Tanya's sultry laugh.

"I knew you were holding out on us!" She cried delightedly. "So who was this mystery man? Or should I be speaking in the present tense? Does he still feature in your life?" She wasn't even bothering to hide her rampant curiosity now.

"No, we… well, we're still friends, but we aren't…" I was intending to explain that it was a relationship that had never really got off the ground, but a sudden impulse stopped me. Why should I tell the truth? It was clear that Edward, his whole family and even Tanya were convinced that I had been an emotional wreck for the past six years and that I was still hopelessly infatuated with him. To be fair to myself, this impression was only partly true, because, while I hadn't had much of a life since Edward left me, it had been a life. I had made lifelong friends in the wolf pack, I had excelled at school and I was good at my job. I had moved across the country to an entirely new city and I was living on my own independently. True, I had been mainly unhappy, but there had been bright moments. I had survived and I had been healing, albeit erratically. The rebellious part of me wanted to show Tanya and the Cullens that I wasn't just Edward's shadow. I could think for myself, talk for myself and fend myself. I was tired of constantly being seen as the fragile damsel in distress, waiting for the prince to wake her from her slumber. For once, I wanted to prove people that I was perfectly capable of waking up on my own. As I looked into the Cullens' faces and took note of their pitying glances, I made up my mind. "Well," I said in a stronger, more certain voice, "Jacob and I had our differences, so we aren't technically 'together' any more, but we're still very good friends." I put emphasis on the 'very' in the hope that they wouldn't see through the lie in the first half of our sentence. I had absolutely no romantic feelings towards Jake anymore; I wasn't even sure if I had ever really had them to begin with, but they didn't need to know that.

Tanya was clearly thrilled with the direction the conversation was going in. "Is he good-looking?" she prompted me. She had to raise her voice to be heard above Edward's playing, which was getting louder and angrier by the second.

"Yes," I said, secretly enjoying the fact that I was making Edward so angry. In my mind I could pretend that it was jealousy which caused him to slam the piano keys with such anger, not irritation at the way I had snubbed him earlier. Or perhaps he was just angry because he was dating Tanya. I know I would've been- the woman was impossible. "Yes Jacob is extremely… hot." I giggled despite of myself at her reaction. If only she knew what I really meant, she probably wouldn't be grinning like that. Tanya looked set to ask me more questions, but Carlisle walked in, ending our little party. I felt my smile vanish as I remembered where he had been, and what his return meant.

"Bella, I've got you onto a flight to Seattle first thing tomorrow morning. I've booked a car to pick you up from the airport and take you to the hospital. It would have been sooner, but the snowstorms have grounded all aircraft out of Rochester for the night." Snowstorms? I thought to myself, perplexed. Sure enough, when I glanced out of the window I saw what had been a few gentle flakes earlier had now escalated into a full blown blizzard. Great, I thought, I'm riding home in that.

"Thank you so much for your help Carlisle." I got to my feet, grateful for a reason to get away from Tanya's questions. It had been fun to play with her, but the sensible side of me knew it was time to stop; I doubted Edward's piano would last much longer. If I had thought he would stop playing, however, I was wrong; music continued to spill from the piano, acting as a background to my words. "I'll pay for the ticket, of course," I assured Carlisle, but he immediately shook his head, telling me that there was no need and that he was happy to help. I thanked him profusely; I hadn't been looking forward to going without food for two months in order to pay the rent. "I better try and get through to Jacob again," I sighed, checking the clock.

"Jacob?" Carlisle asked, furrowing his brow.

"Oooh, you're still in touch?" Tanya interjected, her voice a sickly sweet coo.

"Yes, he was the one who told me that Brady was sick," I said distractedly, as I patted my pockets in the search for my cell phone. "He and his brothers are supposed to be at the hospital now, but maybe he'll have turned his phone back on..." Maybe I had left the damn thing outside on the veranda… yes, that must be it.

"He has brothers?" Tanya clucked, at the same time as Carlisle asked:

"Jacob as in Jacob Black?"

I paused in my search for the elusive phone, looking at Carlisle in surprise. "Yes, do you know him?"

He shook his head, frowning. "I've never met him- I knew his great-grandfather though." I was shocked; Carlisle knew Jacob's great-grandfather? Then, as I was going to question him further, something stirred in the back of my mind- strains of a memory of a conversation I had had with Jacob long, long ago...

"Did you say Jacob was with his 'brothers'?" Carlisle asked, his voice sharpening, distracting me.

"Well they aren't really his… his…" I broke off; out of the corner of my eye I had noticed the flickering flames of the hearth. Like someone had flicked a switch in my mind, everything came rushing back to me. The bonfire. It had been the first time I had spoken to Jacob, when I had tried to flirt with him in order to gain information about the Cullens.

"There are stories of the cold ones as old as the wolf legends, and some much more recent. According to legend, my own great grandfather knew some of them. He was the one who made the treaty that kept them off our land… In my great-grandfather's time they already knew of the leader, Carlisle."

I gasped as comprehension flooded through me. Of course Carlisle knew Jacob's ancestors; it had been he who had signed the treaty with Jacob's great-grandfather Ephriam Black in the first place- the very same treaty which had allowed the Cullens and the tribe to coexist peacefully for all those years. Carlisle must know all about the workings of the pack and the tribe's werewolf bloodlines. I realized with a thrill of anxiety that by my mentioning Jacob's 'brothers', Carlisle must have just worked out what they were. And if Carlisle knew, then it wouldn't be long before-

"WEREWOLVES?!"

I heart you all for reviewing. Seriously, your comments make my week. :D