It's time, it's time! Halloween for Bella and Jasper! So, as usual, everything Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I just like to play with the characters. Beta-ing done by the wonderful EdwardsMate4Ever.

(Mysterious Jasper)

Diner

Chapter 1 – The Meeting

Bella sat at the formica-topped counter of Forks' diner, The Forks Coffee Shop. She had been drawn to the town diner a lot lately, overcome with a strange feeling of needing to be here. She tried to reason with herself that this wasn't like sitting at a regular bar, not at all. She was at the counter of a coffee shop, in one of those attached swivel chairs.

She felt a bit like she was sitting at a bar, though. Exposed. Anyone could sit next to her, after all.

Bella looked back at the empty booths just a few feet from her perch. That's where she and Charlie usually sat, where he would dig into his usual order, sirloin steak with berry cobbler.

She huffeded, blowing air up at her bangs. She had felt weird for several days, a little dizzy and restless, and had briefly considered running down to the Forks Community Hospital for an exam. But what would she tell them?

They all knew her down there. Even though she had been gone for years, the Chief of Police's daughter's clumsiness was the stuff of legend in the local medical community. Then again, there was that new doctor, and according to the rumor mill, he was hot. She had spent so much time lately at the coffee shop that she was better informed than she wanted to be.

In addition to the hot doctor, there was the mysterious new guy who had come to the coffee shop a week ago. The waitresses still talked about him, as did all the ladies who came in to "catch up" over coffee.

He had come in shaking off the rain. Marge, the longest-serving waitress, said that when he walked in, all conversation had stopped, aside from some fisherman too busy talking about lures and whatever.

Bella shook her head. Didn't take much to get people's attention in a town this size. Tourist season was over, and most of the hunters and fishermen were regulars.

Suddenly all conversation stopped. She turned, and there he was, looking like a refugee from the past, someone an old movie. Tall. Wearing a black hat and long gray coat.

Who wore hats these days? It looked good on him, though.

Bella wasn't surprised when he seemed to hone in on her and walked straight up to the counter, taking a seat next to her.

"Been waiting long?" he asked.

"Just got here, haven't even ordered," she replied. Wait, she hadn't been waiting for him, had she? "I'm sorry, but I think you've confused me with someone else."

He shook his head, so slight a gesture she wouldn't have noticed if she hadn't been looking.

Marge came over with her order pad at the ready. "Usual?" she asked Bella.

"Yes, please," Bella replied. "Veggie burger and fries."

"For you, sir?" Marge asked, her voice shaking a little with excitement.

"Coffee for now, please" he said, sliding the menu back onto the slot. He stared ahead, catching the eye of the cook on the other side of the order window. The cook turned away.

Bella noticed that no one in the coffee shop was talking. Aside from the sounds in the kitchen and the rain outside, it was silent. The occasional fork clinking on a porcelain plate. You could almost hear that the plate was one of those white oval things.

"So, are you here for the fishing?" she asked.

"You might say the hunting," he replied.

"This rain never lasts long," she said. "It'll end soon."

He turned to her. "Does the rain bother you?"

"It's wet and cold, that's all." God, but I sound stupid.

"Actually, we just moved here. Have a house not far from here, just up the 101 a piece, right around Sappho. We're having a small get-together tomorrow, hosted by my stepmother. Maybe you would like to come?"

Stepmother. That sounded nice and safe. "Sure," she said.

He picked up his phone and played with it for a moment. Finally he put it away. "I just contacted my sister for the details. It's a costume party. Pretty much just the family so far, as we're so new here we haven't met many people. Around 8:00 then?"

"Yes," she replied.

"I'll pick you up," he said and slid off his stool.

"Wait," she said. He was already out the door. "You don't know where I live."

"You're the sheriff's daughter, honey," Lauren said. "Everybody knows where you live."

But he's new to town, didn't ask where I lived, and doesn't know my name. Bella race to the door to stop him. But when she looked into the parking lot, the stranger was gone. She didn't see any cars pulling out either. It was as if he had never been there. Would he come? The strange aching in her chest she had been feeling over the past few days intensified.

The next night was Halloween. There was a steady stream of trick-or-treaters after 6:15, but she turned off the light and brought the pumpkins inside the house at 7:30.

Charlie watched her from his vantage point at the kitchen table. "Run out of candy?"

"No, Dad," she replied. "Plenty of candy left, including your favorite, Mars bars. Take it with you to the station when you go. You'll probably get a call tonight, right?"

As if it had been waiting for its cue, the phone rang. Charlie picked it up, still staring at Bella. He listened for a few minutes, giving a few grunts, then finally said, "'l'll check it out," before hanging up the phone.

"Gotta go. Pranks are starting up," Charlie said as he put on his hat and gun belt. "But really, why did you turn out the light?"

"Got a party to go to. Costume party," she replied.

"You hate costume parties," Charlie said flatly. "You hate the rain, you hate attention, and you hate costume parties. Always have."

"Gotta grow up some time," Bella replied.

Charlie sighed. "I hope you're not going to be at one I'm going to have to bust," he said.

"Hope not."

He shot her a look.

"I don't think so," she said. "His mother is giving it."

He rolled his eyes. "Don't count on adults to act like grown-ups," he stated.

As Charlie walked down the steps, Bella watched him until he got into the car. Even though it was a small town, she always felt a pang as he left, wondering if she would see him again or if this would be the day she would get the dreaded call that something had happened.

After he pulled away, she ran upstairs. She felt a sense of excitement, anticipation. And quite frankly, a touch of lust. The stranger had been good-looking, after all.

Bella had borrowed one of Angela's old costumes for the party. Thank heavens Angela got into the spirit of the season, but also her mother made her costumes, so she had one for Bella to borrow. It was an outfit for one of the elves from Lord of the Rings. The costume consisted of a necklace, tiara, and long cloak, and directions for prosthetic ears. Who was she supposed to be again? Arwen, Aaragon's elf girlfriend. Yeah, I look just like Liv Tyler.

Bella looked in the mirror, considering her makeup. She just couldn't deal with pointy ears so she put on the cloak, tiara and jewelry, then went down to the living room, and turned on the porch light.

Xxx

Hope everybody is having a nice October. Please leave me a review, and let me know what you think. I'll send a preview of the next chapter to all reviewers.