*A/N: As promised, I am posting on time again. Short author's note because I have to leave for work shortly, then I hit Eclipse after my shift.

TY betas. TY friends/readers/reviewers who took the time to read my story and leave comments. Review as many times as you want, readers. I never tire of reading them, ever.

Please do my three R's. Thanks so much!

Chapter Summary: Bella's run-in with an old acquaintance had her suddenly clinging to the life she was once so ready to leave. Another supernatural intervention stops her from her doomed circumstances and thrusts her back into the world of the living, but is she ready for the next phase of her life?

*Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, life is sweet watching TL & Jacob do all those amazing stunts together. With their shirts off. :-) YES!

Chapter VI Title: 'Semi-Charmed Life,' by Third Eye Blind

The color of Laurent's skin reminded me of a weathered gray tombstone in a cemetery. The curiosity and amusement in his face was almost enough to calm me. Almost. Laurent existed in a world that I had tried to forget since Jacob. Of course, I had wanted to hold on to the dream that Edw-he would come back, but somehow I knew that he would not. But Laurent was here. Laurent was here, staring at me, with his deep crimson irises.

It was little comfort to me when I realized that Laurent wasn't even hungry, but I knew that that didn't matter. I knew he would kill me for the fun.

"Bella," Laurent called. "I hadn't expected to find you here. What are you doing all alone?"

My eyes blinked, not sure if he was real, but I quickly shook the thought from my head. He was real. And he was still waiting for my answer. "Laurent, how nice. Who said I was alone?" I managed to squeak out.

His teeth curled back into an easy smile. He would enjoy this act. I just knew he would.

"Come, come now, Bella. I've been watching you for the past twenty minutes. I just loved the way your cheeks flushed when a particular thought crossed your mind. And your sudden smell of arousal has made you quite irresistible," Laurent sneered. "Would you mind me asking just what you were thinking about? I'm curious."

I felt annoyed at the invasion of privacy, though that probably should not have been the first thing on my mind. "That's none of your business, and I'll have you know that I am not alone. Edward was just leaving me a little time alone for privacy reasons," I lied. I was bad at it. I even managed to say Edward's name without the whole in my chest deepening. Much.

Laurent seemed to have noticed, but he played along. "Really? Leaving a fragile human girl like you alone in such a dangerous place? High on a cliff? That seems unlikely. I thought you were like a pet. Surely Edward wouldn't allow his little pet to wander around for just anyone to pick up. Wouldn't you agree with that, Bella?"

I swallowed, "What is it you want? Edward will be back any moment to fetch me." My voice continued to squeak, but I knew he heard me.

"Well then, I'd better talk quickly. But if he's not back by the time I finish, we'll just have to find a way to pass the time before he returns to claim you." Laurent took a step toward me, and I hesitated before leaning back. My heel felt the cliff edge. Maybe jumping would not be so bad after all. It might hurt less than a vampire's venom.

Hadn't you wanted to be turned? my thoughts maliciously cried.

Shut up, shut up, and shut up! The voices in my head were getting louder. I kept hoping by some miracle Edward would hear me or that my sight would go suddenly, rendering me blind so that I wouldn't have to see Laurent attack me. I didn't want to see myself die in Laurent's hands. Yes, I had wanted Edward to kill me; I had wanted to die as human so Edward and I could be together forever, but I didn't want to die like this. It wasn't so long ago that Edward loved me. It was not so long ago that Edward was my true love.

Was. Was he really my true love? What was that? Was that even real?

Focus, Bella. Focus.

"I bring you news from Victoria."

Victoria? My face paled at the mention of her name.

"She's very anxious to see you again," Laurent continued. "You see, she wants to kill you. Your mate killed her mate, and now she wishes to kill you. An eye for an eye."

"So why isn't she here?"

"She sent me ahead to see if you were still under the protection of the Cullens. And she is getting things ready. She'll be here soon enough." Laurent's red eyes dropped in a mocking sadness, but his smile stayed the same. "She won't find you though."

My interest piqued. "She won't?"

Laurent smiled wider. "No, she won't. I have actually always sort of liked you, Bella. I wondered why a clan of our own would do so much to protect you. You left me with quite an impression, and as I said, you do smell rather mouthwatering."

"But you're not even hungry!" I protested.

"Sadly, I am not. But I think it would be in your best interest if I were the one to kill you. Victoria wanted to torture you slowly—for hours, maybe. She may rip the skin from your very bones bit by bit, or make you watch as she butchered your family, and then kill you to end your agony. You never can tell with her. She is very angry with you." He trailed off. "But I would make it quick. Won't you," he said, moving to my side and grabbed my wrist surprisingly gently, "give me the honor of tasting your blood?"

I shook my head, ready to cry, to beg for my life, if necessary. "Please. Edward will be back. He will. Don't do this."

Laurent released his grip and looked at me. His hands clasped together. "I do like you, Bella, but I am trying to save you from the death that Victoria has planned for you. I admit that I was hoping that you would allow me to do what was needed, but I guess I will just have to go for plan B."

He took a step back and stood aside, leaving a clear path into the forest for me to escape. My hopes started to lift as I thought of making a mad dash for the forest. He encouraged it once he saw my look.

"Run, Bella. I am not a tracker like James was, but I do all right for myself. I think this would be better. I can get better at tracking and you may have a few more minutes of life. Now run!" He hissed his last sentence and my legs felt commanded by his order.

My feet struggled not to stumble on the tree roots and the large rocks on the path. I hated that I couldn't use the excuse that I didn't have on the proper attire or shoes to race through the forest. I almost found it comical that I currently feared for my life, now, as a sadistic vampire chased me through the very woods I had first professed my love for Edward.

Edward. Where was he? Why hadn't Alice foreseen this?

It may or may not have been my beloved's fault, but I still loved Edward too much to blame him. It was me. Edward couldn't help that bad things were always happening to me and that he was powerless to stop it. Even as a supernatural vampire, he couldn't stop life from happening to me. That had been one of the reasons I wanted to enjoy immortality, to never be hurt or killed by most things. Everyone wanted to hurt me. Everyone wanted my blood. When did I suddenly become so special?

I tripped and fell hard against a tree. Blood smeared the cuffs of my light sweater as I heard a manly guffaw echo in the trees. "You'll have to do better than that, my sweet Bella!" Laurent bellowed. His laugh echoed as my heartbeats increased, thinking and savoring the one memory that I could bear to pull up so quickly in my final moments, before my death.

Jake.

Oh God. I hadn't even gotten to see him. I hadn't even gotten to tell him that I hated him — loved him — whatever and whichever. I needed to tell him that he was my best friend. Tell him that I didn't deserve him. Tell him how sorry I was that I had sent him away though we had been moments away from kissing.

I had almost kissed my best friend. I had been willing to kiss my best friend.

The burning in my chest was undermined by my elevated pulse as I realized I had no answer to Laurent's question back on the beach's cliff edge: Who had I been thinking about that moment I had become aroused?

Had it been Edward? I couldn't remember. I didn't think so. It hurt less to think about him, but I certainly didn't dream about having those moments with him when he was always so quick to stop me from making my fantasies my reality. Was it Jacob then?

No, no, no.

My head shook and it took effort for me to fight through the dizziness. I didn't want my last thoughts of my Jacob to be images of him naked in positions that would put the Kumasutra to shame. I couldn't be that friend—that friend who secretly wondered what it would have been like to have a normal, healthy relationship with a normal boy who adored her and for a normal girl to want to be adored. That wasn't my life, but it could still be for Jake. Without me to occupy his time, he could have normal friends. Friends who weren't always getting in trouble with mystical beings or stay stuck inside a paranormal epic novel that its fans never wanted to have ended.

Tears fell down my face as I felt my body slow down from exertion. It wouldn't be long now. I could hear Laurent's breath not more than a few paces behind me. He was dragging it out. He must have thought I wanted to keep living.

No, I was ready now.

I stopped at the end of the tree line, on the outskirts of a clearing. I briefly recognized the meadow that had once been Edward and mine. The flowers were now dead and brown grass grew in numerous patches on the floor. The lush green that I had ran through to get away from Laurent did not reach this place. The meadow was void and lifeless, just like my life without Edward had been, and just as my week without Jacob was like now. And once Laurent was finished draining me dry, I would be a corpse.

My legs felt like jelly as I half crawled and felt the sweat chill on my skin.

"I'm impressed, Bella. You put in quite an effort to get away, though it was futile," Laurent gloated.

Foolish. I hadn't wanted to get away, really, and I was already trying to run away from my problems long before Laurent had smelled me. I couldn't stand his tone anymore. I couldn't stand me anymore. I wanted it done. I needed it done and over.

My last words were simple. "I'm sorry," I uttered. I closed my eyes as I stopped in the middle of the clearing. I hated for my last real image to be of Laurent, but I immediately focused on visualizing Edward and Jacob, the two halves of me that I would be leaving behind.

I could hear the triumphant smile on my killer's face. "Don't be."

My neck felt the tiny pricks of his fingertips beginning to trail my skin when he suddenly stopped. I thought time was against me by slowing down before my death, but then I heard a low menacing growl off to my right. My eyes flew open.

Laurent had been by me, side by side, but he was no longer interested in my blood. His face contorted in fear as a giant animal stalked slowly out of the forest. The giant animal's almost pure onyx eyes glared at us, and its mouth was pulled up into a snarling grin. The creature's teeth shivered in anger as he deliberately placed one leg in front of the other, his shoulders moving together with each step, and his massive russet red colored head ducking lower and lower the closer he approached. He was closing the distance quickly.

Terror froze my limbs as I felt myself fall to the ground. My head was next to Laurent's knee. I wasn't sure which beast was worse. I almost screamed when the wolf focused on me, but the air left my lungs as my eyes quickly assessed his face.

The wolf was beautiful. He was simply beautiful.

I could feel his fur under my fingers and against my toes for warmth as if the two of us were not in this meadow with a stone-hard killer, a vampire. I could see his wolfy grin match my wide smile as I lay beside him in the sun. I could feel wonder seep into me as I ran through all the different scenarios of just how this wolf—this particular beautiful, and majestic marvel could have meant so much to me. I was suddenly afraid for this new creature. Surely he couldn't beat a vampire. They were indestructible. They were vampires! Laurent may have been stunned now, but it wouldn't last for long. Laurent would tear this stunning massive wolf in two and then drain me dry, leaving us both in the field.

A hushed, indescribable noise left my lips.

A few more twigs cracked as I saw more giant wolves leave the outskirts of the forest to advance on us. Their noses sniffled and scrunched as if smelling a foul odor in the air. I quickly counted four more wolves. The black wolf stood the tallest and appeared next to my claimed wolf to steal the lead, while the others slowed their pace. It looked as though they were hunting us, circling us.

"I don't believe it." Laurent spoke first and the wolves arched their backs with their teeth exposed. Laurent stepped back further from me and seemed able to clear half the field in the few seconds after his sentence.

The biggest one, a majestic black wolf, faced me, but kept its distance. His focus was on the vampire and the other wolves followed his lead, except the russet wolf. My throat felt dry as I sat fixated on him and him on me. Tears escaped my eyes and the wolf cocked his head as if it didn't understand why I was crying. A slow realization seemed to spread across his face when I heard more snarls leave the lips of his pack.

A silver wolf turned its head toward us, almost as if he was telling my wolf to pay attention. The russet wolf turned to me and suddenly looked sad.

The next three seconds were the longest in my life: My hands fell back in surprise as the wolves suddenly howled, scaring what nearby birds were left in the trees into an abrupt flight, and Laurent ran toward the forest in haste. My short cry filled the air as my wolf took one calculated step toward me, licked my face swiftly without hesitation, and then roared. My dreamy state wore off. The heat from the wolf's mouth hit my face like a slap, and I scrambled back toward where I thought I'd come from when Laurent had been chasing me. My legs found strength again as I pulled myself up quickly and ran, hoping that the wolves wouldn't suddenly change their minds and abandon their current chase.

My breathing was the only sound I heard as I raced back toward the beach. I strained to hear the waves or any people that may have been nearby, but I heard nothing. I almost lost hope when it seemed that the forest was getting denser until I heard a girl squeal in delight and then a very loud splash follow. I had found the beach.

My Chevy was exactly where I had parked it, and I hugged the steering wheel. Dirt covered my face and dried blood made my wrists appear scabby and brownish in color. My labored breathing slowed as I threw my car in gear to drive back home. I didn't start to shake again until my knees crashed to the hard floors of Charlie's house.

I wanted to call Charlie and tell him about what I had seen, minus the vampire who had chased me for fun, but I was afraid for my "heroes." I was afraid for my wolf. My wolf had saved me, and then growled at me. Why? Why had he done that? I hated being so feeble, but those giant wolves left me feeling as if there was little else I could do. Sobbing was my next action as my next new batch of thoughts plagued my lucidity. What if Laurent hurt that poor wolf? What if my wolf or one of his pack died because they had decided to intervene in my destiny to become a vampire's next meal? I had a habit of causing calamity. It was apparent that my bad luck now extended to freakishly large animals in the forest too. More tears escaped my eyes.

I should have been grateful that the other wolves hadn't tried to make an appetizer out of me before they went after the vampire as the main course, but I was still in shock. And I felt a dire need to understand what had happened. I twisted my bloodstained cuffs and rocked myself.

"I wish I knew Jacob was okay," I said softly.

If those wolves were there and Victoria was coming back to town for me, it would have been in Jacob's best interest to stay away from me. Clearly our paths were not meant to cross.

*A/N: And again - Read, Review, Recommend.