A/N: Sorry it has taken me so long to write this chapter. The plot bunnies have been on hiatus, it was not until I got back to college did they decide to visit me again.

So on with the story…

Chapter 2

The day was cloudy and the rain was threatening to pour over the family gathered on the grassy spot on the hill. The wind in the trees seemed to moan, as it swept the hair of the people gathered there. A group of eight stood at this spot, dressed in black, looking at three coffins lined up side by side.

A priest spoke in the background, but went unheard as the wind roared louder. Once the priest was done, he walked away, and seven of the group followed behind. One stayed staring at the ground, wishing it would swallow her up and take her away. She felt her arm being touched lightly, and looked behind her, to see Alice standing there. Her bright green eyes, dull with tears, hidden behind a veil, covering them, and a black Vera Wang button dress sitting on her person. Her hair was covered by a large hat, with a black silk ribbon wrapped around the top. Bella smiled slightly, knowing only her friend would wear designer clothing to a funeral, but the thought made her eyes tear up. Her daughters loved their aunt Alice and her love of all things pretty.

"In a minute," Bella spoke, her voice barely above a whisper.

She felt the presence of Alice slip away, as she stood in front of the three marked graves.

Her hair was pulled back into a tight bun. No make-up on her porcelain skin left, though she vaguely remembered wearing some. Her black button up and pencil skirt, looked dreary on her thinning and fragile form. Her feet were covered by ballet flats. The ones she was given by her husband for Christmas, as a stocking filler. She smiled faintly at the memory, but soon covered her mouth and started to sob.

It seemed the sky could read her mood, and so it started to pour, the rain coming down in sheets as she cried harder. Shaking so violently with her sobs, she collapsed onto Jacob's grave. Screaming, she held herself together with her arms tightly wrapped around herself. Her head fell forward into the freshly spread dirt, now covering her loved ones below. She clutched Jacob's ring, hanging from the chain on her neck, she had collected from the hospital as she sobbed. Her heartfelt screams could be heard as Emmett, under the order from Alice, ran up the hill to get the crying woman.

She kicked and screamed, as he tried to lead her away.

All she did was scream, "No, no, no! Leave me here to die. I can't leave them, I can't!"

Alice and Rosalie, ran to the top of hill, and watched as Bella fought against Emmett's arms. They knew she needed them at that moment, and ran forward, helping Emmett to pick her up off the ground, and carry her crying form down to the limo, all the while trying not to break down at the scene as well.

The scene at that very spot was eerily familiar. The young woman, with the brown hair, was sitting in front of the three grave stones. Her hair was blowing in her face, from the east blowing wind. She was sitting at the foot of the largest tombstone, her legs bent up to her chin, where she rested her head. Her eyes were red and puffy, as the salty tears dripped down her cheek. She shook visibly as she sobbed, her breaths coming in heaves as the memory flooded her mind.

"Why did you leave me Jacob? Why?" She cried, only shaking harder.

Staring at the stone in front of her, it gave no answer, to which aggravated her to no end. She was not stupid enough to believe that it ever would reply, but the mere fact that she couldn't talk to the love of her life much less her children, broke her already shattered heart. The pictures of the three were each on the stone, a way for the world to see that they were once people, not just the bodies ten feet underground. It had been Alice's idea, but seeing the pictures there only served as a cold memory to the mother, whom had been left behind.

Bella read the names to herself out loud, "Brooke Elizabeth Lil Moon Black" read the tombstone on the left of her father. "Gwyneth Catherine Bright Sun Black," read the one of the right. Big brown eyes, and dark brown hair, their mother's pale complexion but their father's smile radiated back in the pictures placed on the stone.

Though it seemed impossible for tears to still be in Bella's eyes, she wept as she read the inscription on her daughter's tombstones.

"Silently one by one, in the infinite meadows of heaven
Blossomed the lovely stars, the forget-me-nots, of angels"

"My beautiful babies," she wept.

The tears were just beginning as she read the words on her husband's tombstone. She knew the line well, for it was recited on the day of his funeral.

"If the people we love are stolen from us, the way to have them live on is to never stop loving them. Buildings burn, people die, but real love is forever."

It was from The Crow, Jacob's favorite movie, Bella remembered. The countless times she would find it in the DVD player, as he fell asleep in the large couch by the television, Brooke sound asleep in his arms.

"I can't do this without you," she cried once more. The wind whipping harder around her, chilling her clear to the bone, she stood, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. Then she wrapped her arms around herself and walked back to her car.

The engine roared to life in her midnight blue Toyota Camry. The car her father insisted on her getting shortly after the truck Jacob had restored for her had died. She had been through hell and back in that car, mostly it held the last living memory she had of her children. She smiled faintly at the memory, but pushed it away as she felt the tears prickle in the back of her eyes.

The road was familiar to her as she had traveled it hundreds of times. Bella pulled up in front of the large building which held her "home." The house she had lived in with Jacob and her family, held too many reminders for her, so she sold it about a year after the passing, and bought the large apartment closer to her work. It was within walking distance of the studio and was up towards the top floor. She parked her car in the designated spot, and grabbed her stuff from the backseat, her dance bag and purse. She then pushed the car door open and got out, walking to the elevator and pressing the button to her floor. The doors closed in front of her, daily activity being so routine to her, that she quickly went numb, closing out the world.

The ring from the elevator reaching her floor shook her from her stupor, and she walked out the large double doors, to the bright hallway. A mirror faced her, which she quickly turned away from. She hated them with a passion, but dealt in the studio as they were part of her job. One, two, three doors down and she arrived in front of her door, and put the keys inside the lock turning the key, and stepping inside, finding the clock facing her.

"Midnight," Bella saw the time, shrugging as she dropped her purse by the counter.

Then she became startled as someone sat up from the couch.

"Jesus Alice, are you trying to give me a heart attack?" Bella spoke, visibly startled.

Alice looked weathered, her pixie cut hair sat limp by her face, the normal flip gone. Her clothes were disheveled and her eyes were just as red as Bella's. Rosalie had left to go home to Emmett, and to take the baby to Jasper, while Alice waited for Bella to get home.

"Do you have any idea how long I have been waiting here?" Alice growled.

Her hands were on her hips as she stared at the broken woman in front of her, Bella only shaking her head no, as she sighed deeply.

"Where have you been?" Alice questioned, causing Bella's head to snap up, and her anger to rise.

"Having a party Alice, where the hell do you think I have been?" Bella spoke icily, causing Alice's eyes to open wider, as she took in the tone.

"Bella," Alice began, but was cut off.

"That's enough Alice, if you don't mind I need you to leave now. I have an early class tomorrow, and I need my rest." Bella's voice wavered slightly, but she held her ground.

In amazement, Alice grabbed her things and headed for the door, stopping for only a minute, when she realized she was holding something in her hand.

"This came today," Alice spoke, handing off the package, knowing what was inside.

Exasperated, Bella grabbed the package and tore it open, finding a photo frame on the inside. She looked at the glass, and stood shocked. The faces of herself, her husband and daughters stared back at her. It was right after the girls' first recital, they were wearing their tutu's and black leotards, their hair up in buns and light make up on their faces. Bella and Jacob holding each one side by side, Bella in her dark maroon button up and black skirt, pearls on her ear and neck, and Jacob in his black suit, and navy blue shirt. They were laughing in the picture as the girls were giving them kisses on their cheek. A photographer had taken the photo, and after Jacob paying the man 30 dollars, promised to send the picture, soon after.

That had been four years ago, so after a fair bit of arguing, they determined the photo would never come. But here it was, four years after the death of her family two weeks after the recital, did the photograph get to the right hands.

Attached was a note that read:

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Black,

I'm terribly sorry this has taken so long to get to you. The man who had taken your photos died soon after the picture was taken. It took us this long to get the mess cleaned up in his shop, and locate all the photographs that needed to be distributed. You have a beautiful family, and I wish the best for you and yours.

Sincerely,

William Farnsworth.

Bella smiled, and turned to look at Alice, when she then started speaking, "The crazy thing is, as of two weeks ago, the girls would have turned thirteen. And I had planned on giving this photo to each of them, on their thirteenth birthday. That way they could remember their first recital, before they jumped past mom and moved on to the advanced classes."

With that she dropped the photo to one side and covered her eyes with the other, as she shook in tears. Alice ran to her, taking the photo out of her hand putting it on the counter, before she wrapped her arms around Bella. Bella was clinging to her for dear life, as Alice stroked her head, whispering soothing words to her. Tears dripping slowly down her face as well.

An eternity it seemed to take before Bella calmed, and was able to stop crying. She pulled away from the pixie like woman in front of her, and walked over to the sink, turning on the water and splashed her face, willing the pain to go away. It worked and she went numb.

"Bella," Alice began.

"I know Alice, just for now can you put it with the other pictures on the mantle please. It's one of the last good memories I have. I want that one up." Bella spoke, the light gone from her eyes again.

Alice nodded and placed the picture with the others in the family room. She went back to find Bella doing dishes. She was about to say something to her about eating, but was not able to as her phone went off, and it was Alice's ring tone for Jasper.

"Go home Alice, I'll be fine." Bella spoke, not looking at her friend.

Bella heard Alice gather her things, and whisper a goodbye as she went out the door. After the dishes were done, Bella dried her hands on a towel, and walked back to her bedroom. Where she went in for a shower, to wash off the dirt and grime the water from her tears had collected. She came out and walked into her bedroom. She blew her deep brown hair straight and put it up into a pony tail. She then grabbed a large t-shirt and shorts, slipping them on over her underwear and sports bra.

Hearing her stomach growl, she wandered into the kitchen and made herself some soup. She picked at it for awhile but eventually finished it, just wanting to make her body happy, so it would not growl at her. Once full Bella walked back to her bedroom and brushed her teeth, before she then climbed into her bed, and fell asleep, a single tear dripping from her eye, just as the forced numbness wore off.

A/N: I would have to say this chapter made me cry more than the last one. I hope you enjoyed it, and a shout out to my beautiful beta An End Has A Start. She is an amazing writer. Please check her out.

Also the quote about angels is by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. It took quite a search to find the perfect quote for the girls.

Please review! It would make my day and help me to update much more often. Edward is coming, but the story can't be rushed lol!

Thank you!

Ballerina