Author's Note: I can't speak for my co-author, ( I really love saying that since she's been a blessing to work with) but I would love to hear what you guys think of this. If you have any ideas, again, they'll be talked about between the two of us, though I do have to say we're doing pretty ok as far as keeping things from getting rather bland . Love it, hate it... lets us know. Thanks again.

-Lady Kathryne

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Izzy groaned and awoke with her head throbbing lightly. She didn't even remember falling asleep. She looked at the clock beside the bed.. 5am? No.. it wasn't dark enough for that. 5pm it was then.. She'd been asleep that long? Maybe she was getting sick? She frowned at the thought- she hated being sick.

Her stomach was growling at her and starting to protest not being fed all day long. She brushed off the hunger pains, as well as the headache she knew now was caused by caffeine deprivation and concentrated on figuring out just where she was.

She didn't recognize her surroundings at all.

A soft knock on the door had her eyebrow raised when it opened to reveal a woman she thought she'd never see again before she passed away.

"Grandma Marie?"

The woman smiled. "I brought you something to eat. I've called your mother… she's none too pleased you're here Bella." She gave a small huff before setting a tray laden with cheese cubes, fruits, bread slices and a bowl of what appeared to be homemade chicken noodle soup down on the bedside table.

"… Bella?" Izzy was confused.

Marie arched an eyebrow. "You don't know your name?"

"My name is Izzy…" Was she dreaming? How did her grandmother not know her name?

Marie sat gingerly on the edge of the bed, a tender smile on her lips. She brushed the hair from her granddaughter's face before commanding her gently to start eating. It took no time at all for the smell of the food to convince Izzy she wasn't dreaming. After not eating practically all day long, she was ravenous in her quest to clear the tray of its food contents.

"This is my room…"

Marie smiled. "It was. It still is, yes."

"I remember that rocking chair.. You used to tell me the most amazing stories."

"As I recall, you always liked 'The Nightingale' the most."

Izzy smiled. "It was a good story."

"It couldn't be that your mother didn't like it too much though, could it?"

Izzy shrugged. "How long have I been here?"

Marie smiled. "You came to visit me earlier this morning. But you were tired, so I let you rest."

Izzy smiled. "I'm sorry all I did was sleep."

"Nonsense child. I remember what it was like to be young. Besides, no doubt your nights are filled with plenty of excitement if the mark on your neck is anything to go by… not to mention the young man who has called your phone several times since early this afternoon."

Izzy almost blushed. "I um… yeah…" She didn't know how to answer so she opted for not saying anything.

"Why did you call me Bella?" She asked almost hesitantly.

Marie smiled though it didn't reach her eyes. She was about to answer when Bella's phone rang. "I'll leave you to answer that. We'll talk more later." She said with a smile and a nod before leaving the room.

"Hello?" she should have checked the caller ID first.

"Izzy?"

"Hi Paul."

"Hey, you're awake." His grin was evident in his voice.

"Yeah. I needed some sleep I guess. What's up?" Her own grin was hard to get off of her face.

"Jared's mom is doing this poetry thing in her coffee house tonight around 9 or so. You wanna come with us?"

"I guess… I need to go home and change first."

She noticed that Marie had left with her now empty tray. She'd need to thank her for that.

"Wear something sexy." He teased.

Izzy rolled her eyes. "Don't I always?"

"yeah, but I'm gonna show you off afterwards. We're only staying for an hour or so. Embry and Sam are throwing a party tonight."

She stifled her giggle. "Paul?"

"Hm?"

She grinned even though he couldn't see it. "You're rambling. All you had to do was ask if I want to go to a party afterwards."

"Funny." He huffed. She could hear the smile in his voice though. "So you'll come?"

"Pick me up at 8?"

"That I can do." He agreed.

"Hey, I gotta go. My grandmother needs help with something."

"See you later."

A muffled shout from down the stairs took her attention away from Paul after she had hung up the phone with him. She didn't remember many things about her grandma Marie very clearly, but she did remember the woman to always be kindly and that she rarely yelled.

"- NOT my fault. YOU wanted Bella to be perfect. Renee, so help me, if that girl loses herself because of YOUR actions-"

Izzy made her way down the stairs quietly and watched as her grandmother frowned while she listened to whoever was on the other end of the phone.

"Yes, I understand she's an adult. Do YOU understand that she's a human being who doesn't need your controlling nature to make her into a perfect little robot? Bella is her own person- so she needs to be at least."

Izzy frowned. There was the name Bella again. Why in the world would they be talking about some woman from her mind? Unless she talked in her sleep… but that wasn't it at all. She wished she understood what was going on!

"Fine. I'll be in touch. But don't you DARE think that just because you have money and you're the mayor that you can brush this under the rug. I've played the game for too long to not know that EVERYONE has skeletons in their closet. Some of them have more to lose than others."

Izzy's eyes widened. Her grandmother- sweet and unassuming- had just threatened the mayor.. Oh wow.. She was talking to her mom.. A woman Izzy hadn't spoken to in MONTHS! No wonder the woman's feathers were ruffled.

Izzy sighed and shook her head before walking into the room once the phone was hung up. She smiled at the woman she wished she could remember more of. "I'm gonna go…I'm going out with a friend for a little while.." She bit her lip, hoping she hadn't offended her in some way.

Marie smiled. "You'll be back." It was a statement, not a question.

Izzy only nodded. "Of course. Thank you for letting me sleep."

"You're welcome here any time dear girl.. I hope you know that.. Whenever life becomes.. Too much."

Izzy smiled. "Thank you.. I'll have to remember that." She made her way out the front door and barely realized when she was walking through her front door. She had zoned out while driving- something she wasn't entirely happy with herself about.

She made quick work of her shower, taking time only to pin her hair on top of her head, scrub her body and shave her legs. She dried off and was dressed in a pair of dark wash, low rise bell bottom jeans and a cream colored crochet knit halter top. She paired that with a pair of black strappy heels and made sure her ID was in her back pocket and her key around her neck on its chain. In no time at all, Paul was outside and waiting for her.

Seeing him pushed all the worries from her mind. A smile danced across her lips as she greeted him and a sigh escaped her when his own lips danced across her skin. A stray thought hit her before she climbed on the back of his bike. His shoulder was playfully hit as she glared half heartedly at him.

"What was that for?" His confusion was written over his face.

"I said no marks, Paul. My grandmother found one on my neck." She huffed.

Paul's lips twitched. "Oops."

"Come on. I know you're not really sorry." She said with a shake of her head.

"I am. Honest." He told her helping her climb on his bike.

"No…" She nipped his neck. "You're sorry you got caught."

He shrugged and then revved the engine. Jared was waiting for them. While things between he and Paul weren't completely better, they were less tense in the light of a new day- or night as the case was now.

The ride there was filled with Izzy's usual teasing touches each time they were stopped at a light. By the time Paul's engine was cut off, he was sporting an all too noticeable tent in his jeans that even a blind fool would have no problem seeing. Izzy merely smirked.

"Consider it payback." She shrugged.

"We'll see." He grinned and held the door open for her, playfully swatting her bottom as she passed by him.

"Finally. It's about time you two showed up. Hey Izzy." Jared said with a grin when they walked through the doors of Downtown Underhill Coffee House.

Izzy was a little caught off guard that Jared was smiling and talking to her, especially after the way he'd been so standoffish the past few times she'd seen him. If she had to guess, she'd say it was highly likely that it was Jared that Paul was fighting with when she had first called him.

Now she watched as they teased and playfully shoved at one another as though nothing had happened. She had to roll her eyes at that. Men were simple creatures when it came to fights. Women.. Women held grudges- sometimes for years- and it took a lot of cajoling and sweet talking to make things better.

"Paul, I need to go to the bathroom for a minute. I'll be back."

Paul nodded and openly and unashamedly watched her walk towards the restroom. She couldn't help but smirk some and put a little more of a swish into her hips.

Little girl indeed.. They both knew that Izzy was anything but.

She nearly cried out when the door opened suddenly and a body collided with her own.

"Oh! I'm sorry I wasn't- Bella?"

Izzy blinked. "No… I'm sorry. I think you have the wrong girl."

"Come on, don't play Bella! I told you I'd blow your secret! You can drop the whole innocent act- especially dressed like that!"

Izzy shook her head and furrowed her brow in confusion. "Look… obviously you think you know me.. But I really don't know who you are.. And my name's Izzy, not Bella."

"You're really going to pretend you don't know me? We've only been friends for ages now… hello… Angela… preachers daughter… same church… Same SCHOOL… does none of this ring a bell to you?"

Izzy stared at the other woman for a few minutes like she had grown a second head. "I'm sorry. I honestly don't know you. I don't know who you think I am.. But I promise, we've not met before."

Angela tilted her head and regarded her as one would a curious piece of art in a museum. "Forgive me. You really look like a good friend of mine. Are you sure we haven't met?"

"I think I'd remember you." Izzy huffed a little.

A nod of her head was all she got in answer as Angela turned and walked away. Izzy watched her and groaned when she saw the girl sitting beside Embry.. The same table Paul was sitting at with Sam and Jared.. Now she'd have to deal with odd stares. She sighed and made her way into the bathroom. As she was washing her hands, she stared at her face in the mirror.

That had been the second person in the same day to call her Bella.. One had been her own grandmother. Why in the WORLD were people suddenly calling her Bella- a woman she had been dreaming of for little over a few weeks?

She sighed and pushed the questions from her mind. She was here to have a good time with friends, and maybe steal a kiss or ten from the amazing Grecian god she came out with. She'd have time to think about the strange things happening in her life when she was safely tucked away in her apartment.

A firm nod, a determined set to her jaw, and she was back in Paul's lap. She never noticed two sets of eyes regarding her ever so curiously. She would have become that much more determined to ignore it if she had. For now, with Paul's arms around her and his lips on her neck, things were a little better.