Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight and LJ Smith owns Vampire Diaries, and JezebelWhitlock owns the first Nine chapters. ^_^

Chapter 5

Stefan

I walked into the house and found Bella standing in the living room, staring at the fire burning in the fireplace. She had changed again and her hair was wet. She must have just gotten out of another shower.

"Bella?" I said gently.

She turned around. "Sorry," She said. "I was distracted."

I walked to stand beside her. "You have nothing to be sorry for." I said. She looked back at the fire. "What's wrong, Bella?"

"I was just thinking about Bonnie." She said. "She's really nice."

"She is." I agreed. "What did you two talk about?"

She stiffened. "Not much." Her heart beat a little faster.

"You can talk to me, Bella." I said. "You can trust me."

"Bonnie told me your girlfriend broke up with you recently." She said evasively.

I didn't really want to talk to Bella about Elena but if it would help her open up to me, I was willing to. I wanted to help her in any way I could.

"Yeah," I said. "She chose to be with my brother."

"That's so sad." She mumbled. "Who in their right mind would pick anyone else over you? You're perfect."

I blinked at her. I've never heard that before. How can someone who's only known me for only a couple of hours think that? Especially someone who doesn't know who-or what-I really am.

"I'm not perfect, Bella. Nobody's perfect."

"That's not true." She argued. "My ex-boyfriend was perfect."

"I doubt that."

"You didn't know him."

"How long have you known him?"

"I met him when I first moved to live with my dad. Almost a year, I guess." She said. I led her over to the couch and sat down. "We had a bit of a rocky start. I was convinced he didn't like me."

"What exactly happened?" I asked. "Why did he leave you in the first place?"

"He said he doesn't love me. He said we were two completely different people and I didn't belong in his world. Or his life," Bella's eyes were vacant as she spoke. "They all left, without saying goodbye. My best friend, my second parents, my makeshift brother." She shook her head. "One stupid little accident and he believed the best thing to do is to leave me in a world he brought me into."

I didn't understand. What world was she talking about?

"I knew I wanted to spend forever with him. I thought he wanted that too. But I was wrong."

I took Bella's hand in mine. I was pleasantly surprised to find the warmth radiating through her and into me. She always looked so cold.

"It'll be okay, Bella."

"How can you be sure?"

"Because I've gone through this. Twice."

"Will you tell me?"

I nodded and she leaned against me, biting her lip. "The first time it happened, her name was Katherine. She was... beautiful and smart and delicate. She was also using both me and my brother." Bella looked up at me in surprise. "She wanted us both. She told us that too. But it couldn't work."

"What happened to her?" Bella asked.

"She died." I answered. "The old Church burned down and she was stuck inside along with fifteen other people." People, vampires, what difference does it make?

"I'm sorry."

"I'm not." I said. "Katherine brought out a lot of bad things out of us. My brother and I used to have a really good relationship. Once we both started fighting over her, she split us up. Now he resents me for what happened."

"What about the second time?" Bella asked. I relished the warmth. She felt strangely good against me.

"The second time happened when I fell in love with a girl from this town." I said. "She was Bonnie's friend. Damon came to town and something in her changed. Somewhere along the line, she fell in love with him."

"Damon is your brother?" she asked.

"Yes." I said. "It's hard to imagine. Both the girls that I loved both seemed to find their way to him."

"Clearly they're both idiots." Bella said. "You are too good to be true. You're nothing like my Edward. You are so much better in the way he never was."

I stroked her hair gently, appreciation flowing through me.

Bella yawned.

"Would you like to sleep?" I asked, looking down at her. She nodded. "Come on, I'll show you where you can sleep."

XxX

I couldn't sleep myself. I stood by the French doors, staring out. The night was cool and the stars were hidden behind a cloud of fog.

The conversation with Bella seemed to be keeping me awake. So many of the things she said made no sense.

She didn't seem crazy...

All I could really do was wait until she was ready to talk. Let her know that she is safe to tell me whatever she wanted.

Bonnie said that what Bella was hiding was a secret. She wasn't allowed to tell anyone. Could that have been the source of her breakdown? All these secrets she's keeping? They must be eating her up inside. How bad could these secrets be? Bella seemed too innocent to have run-ins with vampires. But for a girl like her, it's hard to tell. I was drawn to her in a manner that even I can't understand. Was it just me or all vampires in general? Bonnie did say I was meant to find her. She also said she was the key to my happiness.

How can this one human girl accomplish something that I no longer believe in? I lost so much, in terms of Elena, and Katherine. Was I even ready to open my heart again?

Granted, Bella didn't look anything like Katherine or Elena. Bella had a beauty that I doubt she even saw in herself. Underneath all that pain and desolation, Bella must be timeless.

Cries of agony came from the other bedroom. I turned around and went to Bella. She was moving all over the bed, her back arched as she cried out. "No... Charlie..." she was crying tears in her sleep. I moved closer to her. No wonder she had circles under her eyes.

I very gently probed her mind. I didn't try to see what she was dreaming. I just wanted to help her sleep.

Sleep Bella, I sent to her. Nothing you see is real. It is all just your imagination.

With my assistance, Bella was able to calm and fell into a dreamless sleep. Her face relaxed, along with her body. She curled up on her side, her little hand resting on her cheek.

Once I know she will sleep through the rest of the night, I go to my own room, desperate for sleep and to forget this day.

Jasper

I don't know what possessed me to come back here. This is the place where all the bad things went down.

I needed to see for myself. I couldn't trust Alice's visions. The Swan house came into view. There really was nothing left but a pile of ashes. Yellow police tape wrapped around the perimeter of it. Bella's truck was the only car in the driveway. The police must have taken the Chief's cruiser back to the station.

Something inside broke. Bella really was dead.

I headed back to the Cullen house, my thoughts unable to think about anything other than Bella. Because I was starting over, needed to get a few things I left a few there. Things that Alice didn't want me to take. Now that I was no longer a Cullen, I could go back to my original roots.

Alice always hated my cowboy boots and hat. I changed for her and look how that turned out. But no more. I was not going to let another women make me change to fit in.

Coming up the stairs, something unusual caught my attention. Bella's scent hung in the house, faint but still there enough for me to know she was here. I followed her scent up the stairs and into Carlisle's study.

The family safe had been left open. I don't remember Carlisle leaving it open when we left. How strange.

My phone rang.

"Hello?"

"You on your way here, Major?"

"I had to make a quick stop." I said, looking around the study.

"Something wrong there, Jasper?"

"No." I went back to my room and grabbed my things from the back of my closet. "Look, Peter. I'll be there in a couple of weeks. Tell Charlotte not to worry, either." I knew Charlotte would get worried.

"I'll try. Just don't stay away too long."

"I'll talk to you later, Peter."

I shut the phone before Peter had a chance to answer. I sighed and looked around the room Alice and I once shared, before all the pain and accusations flew.

On my way out the door, a picture of Bella and the family caught my eye. It was in a frame, sitting on Edward's piano.

I walked to it, picking it up. We were all there, a time when we were all happy. This was taken during the summer on a particularly sunny day. Carlisle and Esme suggested we go to the baseball field. We had our annual vamp games. Bella had come with us to watch. It was one of the best days we had as a family. Even Rosalie was nice, and Rose is never nice.

I pulled the picture out of the frame and stuffed it in my pocket. Bella was already out of our life long before the fire. They left behind any memories of her.

I left the house; unable to look back at the last place I was ever happy.

Bella

I woke up from the nightmare, gasping for breath and unable to stop the shaking. My body shook with sobs.

I dreamt about Charlie and Victoria. Since I wasn't actually there to see what happened, I've been subconsciously filling in the details while I sleep. They are always so different.

I lay back again, wanting to sleep but unable to.

The clock said it was two thirty. That's just great. I haven't even slept three hours.

Crawling out of the bed, I make my way to Stefan's room. I don't know what possessed me to go there but I seemed to feel safe when I was around him.

Stefan was sleeping in is bed, his body relaxed. He was so beautiful. Not in the way Edward was but I didn't think I could handle it.

Was it wrong of me to want to go and curl around him? I didn't think so but then again, I was used to having Edward with me when I sleep.

Stefan woke out of his slumber and his dark eyes met mine. "Bella?" he said, sitting up. "What's wrong?"

"I can't sleep." I admitted sheepishly. "I had a bad dream."

I felt like a child who needed the comfort of another in order to wash away the bad dreams.

He sat up and ran a hand through his hair. "Would you like me to help you?"

"How?"

He motioned to the bed. "Come here." I walked hesitantly towards the bed and sat down. "Lie down and make yourself comfortable." He said in a gentle, soothing voice.

I did as he said, waiting for him to continue.

"Close your eyes and think of a moment in your life when you were the happiest."

I closed my eyes and tried to think of a moment, any moment in my life when I was happy. Being with Edward always made me happy but there were moments of pain in there as well. Instead I thought about my childhood with Charlie when he tried teaching me how to fish. I was only five and Charlie had brought me my own fishing pole.

"Have you got one?"

I nodded, keeping my eyes closed.

"Good. Now remember what it felt like. What did you feel at that moment?"

I remembered feeling relaxed. The sun was shining down on us and Charlie was grinning because he was finally teaching me something that he loved so much. I remembered sitting there, listening to Charlie tell me what to do and what would happen when I finally caught my own fish.

Stefan's voice seemed to drown out as I remembered.

"That's right, Bella. You're doing great." Charlie said, chuckling.

"Are you sure?" I asked, staring down into the water. "It doesn't feel like there's anything down there."

He smiled. "It takes a lot of patience Bells. The fish aren't always going to come to you right away."

I leaned back against him, holding the rod. It seemed like hours had passed before the pole moved. "D-Daddy?" I cried out nervously. "What's going on?"

Charlie wrapped his arms around me, his hands holding onto mine and he began helping me wind it in. "You must have caught a fish, Bells."

"Really?"

Charlie grunted and continued to bring it in. Finally, a huge fish appeared, flopping, trying to escape. Charlie whistled. "That's a mighty big fish you got there, Bells."

I reached out one finger to touch it and nearly squealed when it moved again. I looked over at my dad. He was smiling and holding a camera. "Smile, Bella."

I smiled a huge smile, holding the fish up.

I woke with a start. Blinking, I looked at the window. The sun was out. I finally slept through the whole night without waking up.

Relief washed through me.

I was still in Stefan's room but he was no longer here. I yawned once and rubbed the crust away from my eyes before making my way downstairs.

The only excuse I have for not posting today is that my sister and her friends confiscated the computer, so I've been busying myself with chores. So yeah, sorry guys.

Review please! ^_^

~Cori