I know that updates are terrible and to-to longgg and I'm so very sorry from the bottom of my heart!

But school's got me in a hunch and I promise to update during march-break no matter what.

I wouldn't have got this chapter out with you AMELIA CULLEN LUVS VISHOUS, thank you so much buddy!

And lastly I put a link on my site that provides pictures from this story! I think photobucket's pretty fun, hehe. I would love to get fan-made pictures from you guys. I'm thinking of having a contest soon, the winner would get....you tell meee!

Keep in my mind for this chapter that Bella doesn't carry around a purse or a cell phone. Te he.

Chapter 6

Mysterious

…They turned the body over and it was…

The unmoving colorless delineate of the much unexpected Tyler Crowley.

Before anyone around the body had time to react a horrendous screech hit the roof from behind the Cullen's and the Swan's. A crowd of people came to a stop a few feet away from where the panorama took place. Bella turned away from the pale lifeless face of Tyler feeling an awful complaint in the hollow of her abdomen.

Had it only been a week ago he had requested a date from her? A minority of hours ago he had wished her a happy birthday? The thoughts

Carlisle proceeded to give him CPR and Charlie no longer himself, he was Chief Swan. Esme was talking frantically into a mobile phone, explaining the unpleasant incident if it was that at all.

She then watched as Emmett and Jasper ran further away from view to retrieve supplies.

Bella shook off the stinging tears and hastened to Edward's pending side. Her voice was masked with an unmistakably odd melancholy, "Jesus Edward," Bella breathed; she helped him up with the assistance of Alice and walked him into the interior the yacht.

They carried him to one of the counters—ignoring his futile protests sounding from his depressed quivering lips.

"I'm going to go and get blankets." Alice said with a quiet voice compared to her usually high pitched squealing.

Bella nodded and stayed with Edward, "You're freezing."

Edward lay in the sandy area, shivering beyond words. His arms were crossed over his chest as he tried to warm himself. Bella lay next to him and hugged him to give him some warmth. He clung to her with shaky limbs as if his life depended on it, which it did. Bella shook her head softly as she thought about what was going through his head. He thought it was Tanya. The thought made Bella want to suppurate but she controlled herself for Edward's sake.

Alice came scrambling back with five blankets and a fresh pair of clothes. She threw the sheets over Bella and Edward and handed Bella the clothes. "I can't just take off his clothes and put them on him." Bella said with wide eyes.

"Bella please, you need to get over your insecurities and think of Edward. I need to help Carlisle with Tyler," Alice ran off back to the lifeless body and Bella looked at Edward.

"P-p-p-p-please. J-just p-put them on me," Edward stammered as he grasped the blankets. Bella nodded as she bit back the tears, she hated seeing Edward so vulnerable. Bella kept the blankets over him slightly as she slipped off his soaking clothes. She couldn't help but stare at his chest for a bit as she slipped his shirt off and put a nice warm one over him. She helped him slip out of his pants and he took off his boxers as she handed the dry pair to him. "I need you t-t-to help me with my pants."

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me," she mumbled as she pulled down the blankets a little bit. Bella didn't even glance at his boxers as she helped him yank on his pants. Edward zipped them up and buttoned it. She scooted to him under the blankets to keep him warm but then she realized that her clothes were wet.

"I'll be back, okay?" she asked.

Edward nodded and pulled the blankets closer to him. Bella ran as fast as she could to the yacht and inside, she went into a room and found some clothes in a drawer. She slipped out of her clothes and into a new outfit in record time. When she turned around, someone was standing behind her.

"Tanya?"

Her blue eyes were misty, the edges rimmed with red. "I'm sorry," she sobbed, "I - -he's dead." Her lips shivered, her entire frame shaking uncontrollably, "...He....Tyler...is dead..."

Bella apathetically read the honesty in Tanya's eyes and then felt guilty about it subsequently. Bella couldn't vigor herself to be miserable about Tyler's passing away but she felt responsible in a way and accountable for not feeling more remorse. Bella swallowed hard, and exhaled a shallow breath, "c'mon." She guided Tanya towards the door but she shakes herself away from Bella.

She shook her head in ire and then spoke through the thick moisture that was her tears, "He didn't just fall over board Bella. The bruises on his body prove it was an attempt – a reliable venture at death."

. . .

The next week was particularly chaotic and for Bella rather painful. The rumors of Tyler's bereavement were extreme and flying in different wild directions until eventually they headed for a fate spiral towards the ground. It was a case even Charlie felt obligated to carry out. It was murder, so numerous people say. Bella was even on the list on perpetrators. Which came as a relatively shock, but were anyone else who had noticed the body they would have been high on her list of suspicions, perhaps.

Bella hated to admit the truth to herself but she couldn't quite ignore the wedge between her and Edward. And candidly she wasn't positive if she could broach the subject that was her birthday. Please don't be Tanya.

After all it was more than just a horrifying ruin.

Bella would often dream about that night. Sometimes they were nightmares other times…She would wonder what would happen if she and Edward had still been on the dock and if she had not seen the floating corpses.

She was more astounded then not but she and Tanya seemed to be on a one floor's length. They talked occasionally but Bella still adamant kept her reserve out of harm's way.

Friday afternoon Alice declared a shopping date.

Bella exhaled noisily in response. "Alice, less then a week ago someone we both know died. How can shopping be on your mind right now?"

Alice's lips turned into a broken-hearted pout. "Please Bella, please…with a cherry on top…"

Rosalie smiled eagerly.

Bella garbled an incoherent, "sure, sure…" and then watched the guys across from them while they laughed and joked.

And right then she pledged to be a boy in her next life.

"We've been walking around for hours."

"Oh stop whining!" Alice chirped as she skipped around with five bags on each arm.

"See this is why she has crappy wardrobe," Rosalie rolled her eyes and Bella gasped.

Bella stopped and it took them a while to realize that she had stopped walking. "What now?"

Alice stomped her foot like a little kid.

"Will you guys stop talking about me like I'm not here?" Bella pleaded. "This week has been torture. So, please, enough. Can we just go home?"

Alice and Rosalie looked at each other and back at Bella, "Three more stores and then we will go home, okay?"

Bella sighed as she thought about it, "Fine."

Alice squealed and Rose rolled her eyes, they turned around and began to walk away. Bella had to jog to keep up as they went to one store, she stopped and stared inside. "Oh. . . . you have got to be kidding me?" Alice and Rose grabbed one of each of Bella's arms and dragged her into the Hollister store.

"Oh stop it! They have cute clothes and . . . .it wouldn't be to terrible to update your wardrobe" Rose burst out laughing as Alice smiled sheepishly. "It's true." They threw a few shirts at Bella and shoved her into one of the fitting rooms, all she could do was try the shirts on or die. A horrible, miserable death.

When she tried on about three shirts she liked them and that was a huge shock. She had sworn to herself that she would never step one foot in the cologne smelling store and she didn't realize how nice the clothes were.

Alice and Rose ended up dragging her to Victoria Secret and a nice shoe store before they were out of the mall completely. "See it wasn't that bad." Alice smiled through the rear-view mirror.

Bella mumbled under her breath, "that bad."

Bella informed Alice and Rosalie that she would meet up with them at the diner in an hour. They offered to come but Bella knew them too well to discern they would die of boredom in a library.

So now ten minutes later she was walking down a desolate street. It wasn't to dark, but the twilight landscape made Bella feel anxious. All she could hear were her own footsteps and then not too soon another set. All of a sudden she began to feel paranoid and turned her cranium around to see four men at least four yards away. They were looking in Bella's direction and as soon as she turned her head back around one of them shrieked, "Hey Sugar!"

Bella felt her face heat up. What was she thinking, traveling on foot to a book store, on a deserted road with nothing other than strangers who were fearless to approach her…she just prayed it wouldn't dare come to that.

She rounded the corner and with great utter relief and entered the petite sized book store. A beautiful surge of relief ran through her chilled spine. It was very warm compared to outside and as soon as Bella eyed the rows of shelved she felt less apprehensive. She asked the woman at the counter about a group of men outside and she glared at the door, "Oh yes, I know those hooligans! I'll call the cops immediately sweetie."

Bella's heart-rate stuttered, "thank you."

She spent half an hour in the shop. Bella's own interests perking, whenever she came across any Shakespeare literature, or old classic novels. I suppose the time had gone faster than I had intended. Bella ended up buying five novels. Two by Shakespeare, one by an anonymous poet, along with two Linda Shaiwl.

The temperature had decreased and she had happened to leave behind her coat with Alice. Bella sighed and then as if things couldn't possibly get any worse it began downpour light drops of moisture.

Bella groaned out loud, it wasn't supposed to rain today! "Great," she muttered.

Down the same lane Bella's eyes scanned around for the four men not only four yards away. She swiftly turned her back away and continued walking. Through the light mist she could hear their laughter bounding up and down the narrow road, "Hey Sugar! Why don't you come over here and play with us?!"

Bella swallowed the lump in her throat and began to walk quickly. Realization came upon me a second late; they were under the influence.

All of a sudden Bella's anxiety flared and each of her steps increased pace one at a time. She scurried down the next turn hoping that she had lost them. She didn't hear them behind her so it felt safe to start sprinting without worry. If she could just reach the next corner point they would be too intoxicated to try anything perilous.

Bella knew she still had a couple of blocks to walk. And that put a chunk in her armor. It was vacant all around. The street lamps were the only source of light and Bella felt so silly for taking so long at the book store. Then as if things weren't as bad as they were, the rain began to get more hazardous and Bella's lips trembled.

And the feeling, the trembling, the painful anxiety, it reminded Bella of the night Tyler past.

Bella watched the waves with an entirely different way; she didn't want Edward to look at her knowing there was something more on her mind. Her eyes studied the waves intently and not so long after they saw a strange figure…floating… "There's something out there?"

"Hey Sugar."

They came out of nowhere.

And suddenly Bella was surrounded. Two walked out of a narrow alley between two soaring buildings while the others approached from the side she was bearing towards.

Bella's throat clogged up with fear and her arms ached with adrenaline. She wouldn't go down without a fight.

"Stay away from me," with each step she moved back they moved closer.

"C'mon sugar, don't be like that."

Bella couldn't run. she would fall; she knew that without a doubt. Bella could scream for help, if anyone could hear her. Bella opened her mouth but painfully nothing came out. Her throat was sore and cracked with anxiety.

The men were advancing on her and her hands ached with adrenaline. Thank you Renee Karate.

Then out of nowhere at all two headlights were coming towards Bella and them. The car screeched before it stopped not feet away from her.

"Get in," the voice was rough and demanding and there was an open door waiting for Bella.

The sick men startled and confused continued their advance after a moment of clear hesitation.

Die or die in a car?

Bella jumped into the open passenger seat.

"Put your seat belt on."

She did as told and a heart beat later the car raced off through the darkness.

Tears ran down her pale face and her hands shook violently. "Here," The anonymous man turned on the heater and then pointed at Bella's hands.

Bella couldn't see his face, just the smooth black silhouette. She predicted he wasn't very young by the way he spoke, his voice was a deep and soothing sound.

"Who are you?" Bella whisper.

He shook his head, "Not significant."

"You saved my life."

He shrugged in the darkness. Bella thought she made out the words "Give and take."

"Are those your friends?"

Her eyes look away from his dark shadow for the first time, "Who?" I asked.

His arm reached out slightly and he seemed faintly wary, "Them."

Bella removed her hands from the heater and could vaguely see Rose and Alice through the thick down pour and nodded. "Thank you, for…I don't know what would have happened…."her voice quavered near the end.

"All in a day's escapade," there was a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

The stranger pulled up to Alice and Rose, but before Bella made her way out of the car, "Can I at least know your name?" The man took a while to answer and she still couldn't see his face even though they were by the light of a store.

He leaned closely towards her, "I go by Troy." His skin was a light tan and his hair was black. His body was built and Bella was a bit shocked. A smirk played at Troy's lips as he looked at her.

Bella shook out of her daze and opened her door. "Thank you . . . .Troy."

"Have a nice night Bella." He sped off before she could say anything else.

Bella had a slight smile as she stared after his speeding car. "My knight in shining armor." she mumbled before she was bombarded with questions by Rose and Alice.

"I'm fine, okay, I'm just-I need a minute." Rosalie and Alice exchanged worried glances.

Alice took Bella's hand, "Let's go home." Bella felt like there was something that she missed but she was so lost in her own head to care. Had that all just happened to her? Alice and Rosalie threw anxious glances at her every few minutes. They had never seen Bella looking more fragile.

They all got in their car and left for home. Rose was busy texting on her phone while Alice was trying to drive through the thick rain. Bella stared out her window as she thought about Troy and how he saved her life. She owed him big time.

When they reached the Cullen household, all hell broke loose. "Where have you guys been?" Emmett demanded as he walked up to the girls with his arms crossed over his chest.

Jasper walked out the front door with a delightful smile on his face as he embraced Alice. Edward walked towards Bella his eyes ready to budge out.

"You're shivering," he put an arm around her shoulder.

"Stop pestering." Rosalie told Emmett. "If Bella hadn't ditched us to meet up with some other chap we would have been home sooner."

Bella's eyes bugged out of her head as she looked at Rose.

All of the heads turned to her for an answer and all she could do was think, Dear Lord! Help me!

I hope nobody is too confused. Thanks Amy.