Just a quick note to clear a point up that's been raised. In canon there is an encounter with Victoria, Laurent, and James leading to the ballet studio scenario. While that happened in this story Laurent doesn't come back and get killed. Bella finds out about the wolves as I describe in this story. So Victoria and James but no Laurent. Sorry to anyone who was confused. Jules x

Chapter Four

Bella

I had to wait another week before Charlie was on duty, Jake and the pack busy, and the tide right for me to try cliff diving. I drove my truck as close as I could to the cliffs and then started off on foot. It was good to be on my own because this week had been particularly hard for me. I couldn't get Edward out of my mind, everything reminded me of him, biology classes, the trip to the cinema in Port Angeles, Tyler's truck on the icy car park when I first saw what Edward could do when he saved my life. I knew Charlie was worried again but I couldn't even make an effort not to look depressed. I'd heard him talking to Renee on the phone and I knew he was serious about sending me back to Florida, something I couldn't bear. I thought the cliff diving might give me a chance to see Edward again and I hoped that might give me enough of a lift to fool dad again. The moon was bright although clouds scudded across it fast as the wind picked up and I could see white foam on the waves but I couldn't go back now, I needed this. The path wound through the trees and when I broke out onto the cliffs I didn't recognise my surroundings, this was a different ledge but when I looked over the edge I didn't think it was much higher than the one Jake had taken me to. I stripped off my jacket and shoes and I heard a voice telling me to stop. Looking round I saw I was alone but it wasn't Edward's voice I heard and I didn't understand why I would hear Jaspers voice instead. I had wanted to hear Edwards, to see the vision danger always conjured up for me but he didn't appear. Just Jaspers voice talking to me very softly, telling me I was making a mistake, that I was worth more than this, if only he were right!

"It's OK Jasper, I'm not worth your concern. Tell Edward I love him please"

Then taking a deep breath I jumped, not daring to dive head first like the pack had, and the icy water took my breath away making me gasp and take in a mouthful of water which in turn me choke. The sea covered me and I sank into the depths then struggled back to the surface, It wasn't fair, I hadn't seen Edward or even heard his voice after all this. As my head broke the surface I saw a huge wave crash down pushing me back down and filling my lungs with freezing water. As the oxygen was forced out by the salt water I heard Jasper's voice again, crying my name in horror. What had happened to Edward? Did he not care any longer even in my own imagination? No air was left in my body and as I saw a black mist descending over my eyes I knew it no longer mattered, nothing mattered any longer, I was dying, finally I would be out of pain. The black rolled over with flashes of red and gold and I knew nothing more.

Charlie

Bella was out when I got back from work and I looked for a note but there was nothing so I decided she must be with one of her friends and not realized the time. An hour later I was getting concerned so I rang Angela's place but she hadn't seen Bella all weekend and she didn't know of any plans Bella had made with any of the others but I tried Jessica Stanley who had the same reply. I wondered if perhaps she had disobeyed me and gone to the Res. Rather than ring I drove over there but Billy hadn't seen her and Jake and the others were at a barbecue on a neighbouring Res but he rang just to make sure Bella hadn't joined them figuring my ban didn't apply to any other Reservations! I was fuming by the time Billy came back with the news that Jake hadn't seen Bella but he and the others were on their way back to search for her. By now panic was setting in, Bella had been very down this week and all kinds of things ran through my mind. When the guys got back they split into pairs and went searching the woods in case she'd gone out and got lost and I drove out to the Cullen house just in case she'd gone there but there was no sign of her there and then I got the call from Harry. He'd found Bella's truck near the top of the trail leading to the cliff top.

"What the hell would she be doing there?"

"No idea Charlie but Sam and I will scout around, see if she went for a walk or something."

He sounded evasive so I decide to drive up there myself. As I pulled up beside Bella's truck Sam came out of the trees carrying her jacket and shoes.

"Where did you find those?"

"At the edge of the cliff. Jake and Quil have gone down to the beach to see of they can find her"

"The beach?"

The full horror of his words hit me so hard I had to grab the wing of my truck to stop myself falling to my knees.

"You think she jumped?"

"I think she might have Charlie."

"You mean she killed herself? Is there a note?"

"No just these. She could have been cliff diving, she'd seen us do it but I told her it was too dangerous for her."

"She saw you?"

"Yes Charlie, Jake brought her to the Res a week ago while we were cliff diving. I made him take her home but I wonder if she thought about trying it out."

"From this height? Are you crazy?"

"No, but I think she might be. She's been very depressed"

I turned hearing Jakes voice to see him running up the track shaking his head,

"No sign of her on the beach but the water is really rough. If she jumped she didn't stand a chance"

"I blame you for this Jake. Sam told me you showed her cliff diving"

"I just wanted to cheer her up and I knew you wouldn't let me see her if you knew"

"No I wouldn't and now you know why. How irresponsible can you be, you idiot""

I called the Coastguard out and they sent a cutter but there was no sign of anyone in the water. Eventually the Captain spoke to me, a guy I knew slightly,

"If she did go in the sea like this there's no chance of survival, the water's too cold, the current is too strong and there's an undertow that drags everything down into some underwater caverns. We find bodies in there sometimes but often they're never found, they get trapped in the caves under the cliffs. I'm really sorry Charlie. We'll keep looking for a few more hours but I'm not hopeful."

I sat in my truck and I cried, bitter tears for not keeping my baby girl safe. I should have known how depressed she was and watched her more carefully and much as I wanted to blame Jake I knew he was the only one who had reached her at all. He may have given her the idea of cliff diving but he never thought for one second she would use it as a way of committing suicide.