Hello readers, I am alive! I'm really sorry for the prolonged delay in my updates. My parents disconnected our home phone to use one of the cells instead and none of us was aware that it included the internet. So I've been without internet for too long, I'm using my dad's laptop now and we should have internet by tomorrow. I'll try to get more updates to you guys as soon as I can and again I'm super sorry for taking so long but I also had a serious case of writer's block. I've been putting all my creative juices into a new novel that I hope to have actually published before I graduate in three years. Wish me luck and please review on the chapter. I appreciate all the support I can get and I can already tell that this chapter is going to be hard to write since I only had a very basic idea for this chapter. Who knows, while writing it may get better…

Chapter eighteen: Rejected

B Pov

I didn't want to go. I had a bad feeling about going to Mike's tonight- not that Mike himself was bad; it was just that it felt like I shouldn't go. When I mentioned it to Edward he gave a typical Edward answer, but that was good news to me.

"Do you want Alice to check it out?"

"No, it's probably nothing. I'm sure it'll be fine." But Edward wasn't convinced, it still amazed me how well he seemed to know me.

"No, let's just stay home tonight. I'd rather have you all to myself," he grinned the ever familiar crooked grin that I'd come to know and love. I couldn't help but smile back, relieved.

"That new movie is on stars tonight, do you want to watch it with everyone?"

"Which one is that?"

"You know, the one with the girl who played in North-West and how she travels to Rome and-

"No, can't say I have," he laughed.

This was the way it was supposed to be, I thought to myself. I was supposed to be with Edward, thriving in this warm happiness that was unfamiliar but gladly welcomed. Don't get me wrong, I've been happy before. It's just that they were short bursts, ended when I had daunting work ahead. Well, it wasn't daunting at the time- but it did leave me feeling oddly empty.

Still, this was the way things were supposed to be. Edward was safe and I was alive, however I had managed to stay that way, and no one seemed to be after us. Vivian was probably safe with Morgan and it seemed to me that only good things lay ahead. It was enough to make me giggle aloud at this elated feeling.

About nine o'clock Alice, Jasper, Emmet and Rosalie joined us in the living room to watch the movie. Popcorn sat in a small bowl on the coffee table, though I was the only one who ate some, Edward had insisted that popcorn still smelled nice. Just not in an edible way. The lights were off and I could already feel myself becoming sleepy. Maybe it was this relaxed atmosphere that was so different to me since I usually felt tension that kept me alert and ready for anything like a shot of adrenaline. Or maybe it was Jasper, sitting on the love seat opposite the couch Edward and I were sitting on, his arm wrapped around Alice's shoulders and his focus seemingly on the movie. Whatever it was, it was funny how I could so easily let me guard down when I had lived with walls around myself for longer that I cared to remember.

Before I knew it, the living room faded away into a quiet and peaceful place full of shades of gray. Dreams would come soon, they always did. I waited patiently in the calm space, waiting for a dancing picture to spring up from my subconscious mind and send me into my dream world.

I didn't have to wait long until I was pulled into a dream, but it was an odd one. In the dream I saw someone put the rose that I had thought was from Edward into my locker. Someone who looked suspiciously like an older Mike Newton. But I couldn't be mad, it was a dream after all and everything is hazy in a dream. But I watched anyway as he strode away with a triumphant smirk on his face, talking to himself about Project Rose.

Dimly my mind registered the name; I knew that-Project Rose, a top secret project of the highest ranking Council members. Not even my mom knew about it, or at least she was good at acting if she did know. But what did Project Rose have to do with the rose in my locker?

Time seemed to shift and I saw myself open the locker door, the rose practically falling into my hands. I saw my own pleasure, thinking it was from Edward. It was just the sort of thing he'd do for me, so I guess it wasn't so off to think it was from him. I watched closely as the other me almost dropped one of her books and caught it just in time but the swift movement making her finger slide across one of the thorns.

"Damn!"

The blood made a small ruby bead on my pale finger. My heart sunk at the sight, this was a very important fact I realized. The rose was a key part of what was going on- or at least in the dream, but then again, I might as well make the most of my dream logic.

The dream me strode away down the hall and suddenly I was in a dull room with a long wooden table and pale walls. Several chairs were placed all around the table, occupied by the biggest and most influential hunters of all time- hence why they were on the Council in the first place. A tall man about his mid thirties stood at the end of the table wearing an expensive looking suit. He smiled pleasantly at the Council members, and some extra guests who weren't members at all.

All of them seemed to be absorbed into what the man was saying. I didn't hear much from what the Council was saying but I did catch key points that got me caught up in the conversation and made me furious despite the hazy fog that seemed to cloud my thoughts.

"…our choice of test subject, one Isabella Swan, age seventeen who is currently ranked as our best agent."

"Why Miss Swan?"

"…However she didn't 'foresee' the coming of the extra vampires."

"How does this fit with Project Rose?"

"Because she pricked her finger."

"And the DNA from the rose was transferred!" A gray haired man said with sudden clarity.

I read over the shoulder of one of the ladies that had attended the meeting, the letter was from the president of the company but only one phrase seemed to jump off the page at me.

We have on our hands something to make all hunters much, much stronger and will have no choice but to eliminate all vampires when we give the order.

Horror crept up on me like an unseen ghost. This was terrible. Somehow I had become part of Project Rose; no…I was Project Rose.

I closed my eyes to get away from the words that echoed through my mind like thunder. But it wasn't fast enough to escape the glance at an open file that was lying open on the desk of the Council president. I saw my face slashed across the front page, an unsmiling picture that was on my ID badge to get into headquarters. Underneath it was information as basic as my name and age but it also went into more detail such as my family history, health, rank and even some things as personal as my favorite food. But I was also furious to the point of almost getting in a blind rage when I saw the second page laying to the left of the page with my picture.

It had the address and names of all the Cullens including where they worked, frequently shopped, and went to school. There was a detailed report about my day to day activities for the past six months. It practically had every word I ever said and every thought that ever crossed my mind in that file. But the truly terrible thing was not my lack of privacy or even the fact that I'd suddenly been thrown into a living nightmare/science experiment, the worst thing was that they knew about the Cullens. They knew where they lived and where they could possible go, who they'd associate with, and I'm positive that they probably have a GPS on me.

I've been with the hunters since I was seven years old; I knew this place and the people that worked for them. A GPS is the least they could do, not even a microchip would be as bad as they could be. Even worse that all of that, thought it didn't seem to get much worse, was that I wasn't sure that the Cullens wouldn't be tracked if they left- even if I wasn't with them. But this was Edward for crying out loud! The love of my life that saved me then and saved me now, it was time I returned the favor. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if anything happened to the Cullens.

As I floated in this odd dream, but also not a dream, I couldn't help but to picture little, bubbly Alice hissing and snarling, like I'd seen so many other vampires do, with hunters- maybe even the Council themselves- cornering her. I imagined the glint of silver as moonlight reflected on the hunters' smooth daggers. I saw the blurring colors as many people moved at dizzying speeds; Alice moving as swiftly as a vampire and the hunters not even fighting to keep up. Because we were born for this. Yes, it had been branded into me since day one of being a hunter.

But I also realized that, though we may be born for it, it may not be right- it might just be murder one way or another. Maybe two wrongs don't make a right. Whichever it was, it was a choice. Everyone has a choice; like the Cullens who chose not to kill humans and me, who decided that I wouldn't hunt vampires unless it came down to protecting the Cullens.

I couldn't stop the flooding images that became a scenario. I saw Edward and the others, moving this way and that-only a blur of color. Esme, sweet motherly Esme, I couldn't think of her fighting but I'm sure she would if her family was in danger. In my mind I heard animal like growls and the arrogant laughter of the pompous Council president. After all, there was no one better to fit this sinister scenario than him. He had the appearance of someone barely concealing malicious and deep loathing that didn't seem to be directed at only one person.

Well I wouldn't allow it to happen! The Cullens were my family now too and I wouldn't let anything happen to them, I'd rather die. I'd do whatever I had to save them and give up whatever was needed.

"That won't be necessary."

I spun around and was amazed to find that I was facing myself.

"What's going on?"

"Really Isabella, must we go through the same routine every time we meet?" Regardless of her words, she was smirking and her tone was light and almost joking.

"Who are you really?" I needed to know because her answer seemed less and less true.

"I already told you, I'm you."

"You couldn't possibly be me. I'm not like you! I'm not a killer!" The other me frowned, looking as if she was barely managing not to scream back at me.

"I'm not a killer either, so if you let me explain maybe then you'll get what's going on!"

"Fine then, I'm all ears," I said bitterly. She was silent for a moment, keeping her eyes on the ground and seemingly thinking about her answer.

"I'm not part of Rose," she answered simply. "I know that's what you were thinking when you asked me who I was."

"I don't deny it." Hurt flashed in the other me's eyes for a moment, but as quickly as it had come, it was extinguished again.

"Well I'm not. I'm you but more than the hunter you, I only said that because you hadn't decided yet whether to be Isabella the hunter or the Isabella who was madly in love. I reflect you; you could say I am your reflection."

"That doesn't make sense!"

"I know it doesn't make sense! But you have to trust me!"

"How? What do I need to do, what do I need to know?" She shook her head, staying quiet for another few moments before sighing, as if exhausted.

"You need to stay with him; otherwise they'll go after him and…and…"

"And they'll kill him," I finished in horror. She nodded sadly before looking up at me with a broken expression.

"You can't let that happen."

"But how am I supposed to-

"Project Rose didn't work," she said suddenly.

"Excuse me?"

"It didn't work, at least…not how they expected it to."

"What do you mean?"

She smiled again but it was a weak attempt really. "Because you were already reaching the decision to stop hunting, and Project Rose is something designed with a hunter in mind- strong enough to influence a hunter's mind. But it became deluded and couldn't do much damage since you'd almost made up your mind. It will make you stronger, yes, but it won't affect your will."

"But when I first saw you, you said that I had to give you control-

"I told you already that Project Rose did affect our meeting. It made you think you were hearing something completely different from what I was actually saying."

"And what were you saying exactly?" I asked skeptically. I was starting to feel doubtful again. She smiled again, a warm and genuine smile. Almost as if listening to small child try to impress an adult with big important talk but only succeeded in sounding silly and cute at the same time.

"To live, to get back to Edward since he is your reason for this new life now." She let that soak in for a while. All I could do was think about what she was saying and how bad I felt for accusing her of being Project Rose but most importantly I was thinking about what to do next.

"But what should I do? We can't run, they could easily track and kill us before we even made it out of the state. And we can't fight, too many people are at risk and they're likely to send large numbers of highly skilled hunters." She laughed.

"Isabella Marie Swan, whether you want to believe it or not, you are the best agent the Council has and with you turning the tables on the Council, it's them who should be worried. They'll regret ever crossing blades with you."

"I hope you're right, after all, it's not only my life on the line. If it was it wouldn't be so hard."

"Well all I can say is that you should leave with them but be prepared for a fight. And whatever you do, don't tell them about it. Suggest a vacation to relax and if hunters just so happen to arrive you can call it coincidence."

"Thank you." It seemed as if what I had said surprised her as much as it did myself.

"Whatever for?"

"For helping me save Edward."

"It's purely selfish, I assure you. After all, Edward means the world to me too."

"Of course he does." I smiled and she smiled at the exact same time. A mirror reflection. I suppose that's a good thing.

I sat up and saw that the movie had hardly even advanced. It was still in the same scene where the two star-crossed lovers attempted to board a train to Paradise Island and get away from all the people who told them they were wrong for each other. No one even seemed to suspect anything strange at all, which made a lot of sense. I wasn't sleepy anymore, though I couldn't have been asleep for even ten minutes. I guess it was like getting lost in your thoughts and losing track of time but in this case it was shorter than I thought.

I looked up at Edward who had been watching the screen with a glazed look like he too had been thinking, but he looked down at me a moment later when he caught me watching him. He smiled at me through the dark but it could have been pitch black in the living room and I would have been able to tell when he was looking at me. My answering smile managed to surprise myself still. I was so happy, even if the Council was after me and technically I would be a fugitive, I felt confident that they would never even touch one hair on Edward's head.

"You know what? I think we should get out of Forks for a while. How does Rome sound?"

Just like a shadow

I'll be right beside you

I'll be your comfort

And let it guide you home

I'll provide you a place of shelter

I wanna be your zone

Tell me what to do

Tell me what you wanted me to do

If I could be your angel

Your angel, your angel

Protect you from the pain

I'll keep you safe from danger

You'll never hurt again

I'll be your A N G E L

I'm gonna be your A N G E L

I'll be your angel

Just like the moon

I'll step beside

And let your sun shine

While I follow behind

'Cause baby what you got

It is with all the props

With everything I'm not

Tell me what to do

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Good news everyone, the next plot has fallen into place! I will try and start on the next chapter as soon as I'm done with this but I won't make any promises to post it tonight because when I do it ends up being longer than I expected and I don't have time to finish it. More good news! My algebra grade went back up, if only if it was because of the extra credit points I earned for just showing up at tutoring, my online class is almost finished (one more unit, yay!) I've already started on all my EFG projects so I won't have to worry about those; my chorus performance is on Friday and we'll have at least one more dress rehearsal before Showtime (but we sounded amazing today!). I also got flirted with, talked to, and complimented by people I didn't even know all day due to the Alice-worthy outfit of mine for the performance. So I'm in a good mood, which means a more likely chance for frequent and length updates, so keep the comments flowing and put me in an even better mood! Thank you, thank you! +bows+ just kidding!

-V