"Leah!" Jacob turned away from Bella, leaving her in Rose and Emmett's capable hands. His face had drained of all color, as had Luned's.

"I thought…" She didn't give him a chance to finish.

"You are dead." The Welshwoman choked out, her eyes filling with tears. "I know you are, and it was my fault. You cannot possibly be here."

Alice stared between them, a small smile on her face.

"Leah…" Jacob sobbed, reaching out one hand and cupping Luned's face in his palm.

"What the hell is up with you two?" Emmett frowned, completely flummoxed by the behavior of these two people.

"Jake, her name is Luned," Alice said quietly.

Jacob dropped his hand from Luned's face as though he'd been scolded. He shook his head slightly, trying to clear the mist of moisture that blurred his vision. "Luned?" He repeated.

The woman herself leaned unconsciously forward, searching for the touch that had dropped away from her.

"She…she looks so like my Leah…"

Alice nodded. "She does."

"But…" Jacobs expression was stricken. "But that's too cruel."

"Not just for you, Jake." Alice said softly.

Jacob shot to his feet, to the surprise of everyone but Alice. "What do you mean, not just for me? What kind of game is this, Alice? I thought you were a friend. When you asked me to come here…"

"I am your friend Jacob."

Bella sat up, still coughing a little, frowning at Alice. "What does he mean, you asked him here?"

Alice had the decency to look slightly abashed. "I thought…"

Rose pushed gently on Bella's shoulder. "You can't move--lie down. Emmett will carry you. You need to go to the hospital."

"No way." Bella frowned, trying to fight Rose and sit back up again. "No I don't I need to go to hospital, I need to kick Alice's rear end. Why?" She demanded of her closest friend.

"You all…"

"No, let me guess." Bella fell back on the damp sand. "You knew what it would thought that the coincidence was too great to ignore. A wonderful chance to play matchmaker."

Alice flushed.

"But you can't, Alice. It's not the same. He's not the same. Besides," she said crossly. "Why did you never tell me you were still in touch?"

"I thought it might be…cruel…" Alice said slowly.

"And it was less so to leave me miserable?" Bella sighed. "Not that it matters any more."

"He was happy, Bella. He had a fiancé…" Alice stared at the ground, ignoring all the eyes that were suddenly boring into her.

"Yeah. One that you know full well looked just like…" Jacob gestured at Luned. "This girl here. I never knew you could be so malicious, Alice."

"I didn't mean…I hoped…it's been a long time, Jake."

Jacob's face contorted with grief. "You think the passing of minutes, hours, could kill my love for her? Who decides that? You?"

"Jake…"

"Ok." Bella interjected, annoyed and confused. "Start from the beginning. I understand what you were aiming for when it comes to Luned, Alice, but what's this about a fiancé?"

Rose huffed. "Forget this. You need the hospital, Bella. That fall could have done some serious damage. What if you have concussion? Emmett, take her to the car, please."

Emmett's large hands slid under Bella's body. She swatted at them as though they were irritating flies. "Rose--could you and Emmett take a little walk for me? I promise when you get back that I'll go to the hospital if you still want me to." She coughed slightly.

Rose glowered. "No. You're going now."

Emmett grinned. "Rosie, she seems ok. And," he glanced sideways at Jacob, who was bristling at Alice like a cat who had had its territory invaded. "I think a few moments alone might be good. It's been a long time for these two." He indicated Bella and Jacob. "I'm sure there's a lot to say…"

Rose glared at Emmett, then at Alice. "Then the other two girls can come with us."

Emmett rolled his eyes. "But then I can't test out that cave I found…" He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Rose couldn't hold back the giggle as she leapt to her feet. "Fine." She huffed, feigning annoyance. "If you insist…"

Emmett swung her up into his arms and strolled away, her giggles drifting back to them on the breeze.

Bella sat up, looking from Alice, who seemed suddenly unsure, to Luned, who looked as though she'd seen a ghost (which admittedly, she had), and finally to Jacob who looked shattered and angry.

"C'mon then, Alice. This seems like it must be all your doing. Start talking."

Alice sighed, flicking a quick glance at Bella, before staring at her hands in her lap. She sat cross legged on the sand, her back straight, emanating …

"When you broke it off with Jacob," Luned turned her gaze to Bella, staring openmouthed. Alice didn't give the Welshwoman a chance to say anything, though, continuing on quickly. "And he decided to leave for Seattle, I went down to say goodbye. I told him to call me, and I would let him know how things were going with you…"

Bella shook her head. Unsurprising that Alice would see fit to interfere.

"We spoke every week. At first, all he wanted to know about was you…" At this she peeked up at Jacob, who nodded briskly, his expression tight. "But gradually, our conversations changed. He told me that one of the girls who went to school with his sisters had come to visit him; she'd decided she needed a change of scenery, and Rachael gave her his number…her name was Leah Clearwater."

Jacob sighed gustily, fell onto his knees on the sand.

"You never met her, Bella, but—when I saw Luned, I couldn't believe it. The two women are completely identical. Except, of course, that Leah was a couple of years older."

"I'll take over from here, Alice." Jacob interrupted. "Leah was—" Jacob smiled, "everything I could ever have hoped for. She was my everything. She talked tough, seemed perpetually as though she had a chip on her shoulder, but with me—she was nothing but light and positive and perfect." He tipped his head up to the weak sunlight, breathing slowly. "We were so happy. She never left my place. She'd only come to stay for a few weeks until she found somewhere permanent, but when she said she was leaving—I couldn't let her go. I was in love." He dropped his head to look unflinchingly at Bella. "I thought I loved you, but I was wrong."

Bella nodded. She knew what he meant; she held no grudge, no jealousy.

"I asked her to marry me after a couple of years. She was thrilled, though she tried to hide it. She swore she wasn't that kind of girl, hated dresses and make up--but I knew better. I found the wedding magazines she stuffed in her gym bag, hoping no one would ever know."

'I came down to visit then and met her." Alice added. "She was really nice."

Jacob nodded. Luned continued to say nothing, just stared at Bella with an unfathomable expression on her face.

"The week before we were due to be married, she went off on her hens night with some girlfriends. She was so happy when she kissed me goodbye, so excited for everything—" Jacob's voice broke. "Only that day we'd decided to have children as soon as we married. But she never came home."

Alice shook her head, reached out her hand to touch Jacobs arm.

"The police searched, I searched, every one of my friends searched but no one found anything. Not even Alice." He spared Alice a quick glance. "Despite all her considerable talents."

He tilted his face up again, and in the light Bella saw the tracks where the tears had fallen silently down his cheeks.

"The detective in charge concluded that she'd run. He refused to listen to me or her friends telling him she'd never do that, that she was happy. Her friends swore to me that the last they'd seen of her, she was ducking into the ladies to fix her make up before she came home to me. She'd told them she'd had enough of the party scene, her scene was at home." He sighed heavily, and Alice shook her head.

"That was four years ago. Not one day has gone by when I haven't thought of her, when I haven't looked at every face on the street hoping it was her, listened out for every creak in our apartment, half expecting it to be her sneaking in and yelling 'surprise.' Twelve months ago, I had to come home. I couldn't bear it. Although," he smiled wryly, "In some ways this is harder. Her brother Seth looks so much like her, and I see him all the time."

Bella tipped her head to the side, watching Jacob. "I completely understand."

"I do not," Luned finally spoke, her face a mask. "People do not disappear."

Bella smirked. "You're one to talk, Luned."

The Welshwoman's dark eyes turned to Bella, her expression blank. "As are you, my lady." There was stiff formality in her voice, the same kind of tone she used when speaking to Edward in her own time. She turned back to Jacob. "However, I still do not comprehend. Surely she must be somewhere."

"I think the same thing. I just wish I knew where." Jacob stared at Luned. "You really do bear a remarkable resemblance. Where are you from?"

"Cymru."

"Cymru?" He continued to stare, and Luned's cheeks were stained pink.

"Wales," she said simply.

Alice cleared her throat. "Luned's kind of in the same position, Jake."

"What do you mean?"

"I lost my love, too. And his face--you have his face."

Jacob reeled back in shock. "Surely that's more than mere coincidence."

"I believe so," Alice confided. "Otherwise…believe me, I would not bring you here just to hurt you, Jacob."

"Do you think she could be my Leah?"

"No." Alice said, determinedly shaking her head. "But I think--maybe you two need one another?"

A feminine giggle rang across the beach. Bella looked up to see Rose running along the sand, closely followed by a fierce looking Emmett. He caught up with her at the same time she reached the group.

"Right, are you lot done now?" Rose asked.

"Cause we are," Emmett guffawed, causing a rush of red to infuse Rose's cheeks.

"Hospital," Rose said sternly, grabbing one of Bella's arms.

"I'm fine," Bella said. "Really. You worry too much."

"A check up can't hurt," Rose stated imperiously. "Neither can more along time with the gorgeous Edward Cullen."

Emmett growled. "Gorgeous, huh?"

Rose snickered. "Not as wonderful as you, love."

The two of them shared a look teeming with love and desire.

"Knock it off," Alice smirked. "It's sickening. However, you're right. Hospital. Now. Coming, Jake?"

Jacob nodded, his eyes still lingering on Luned.

He offered her his hand, which she accepted, watching him carefully, a tiny, disbelieving smile pulling at the edges of her mouth.

The six of them made their way to Alice's rented car, Rose perching daintily on Emmett's lap due to lack of seats.

Yet again no one noticed the dark car that followed quietly, that had now become their shadow, seemed to follow wherever they went.