A/N: Very excited to have been rec'd over at A Different Forest in October out of the blue! This story is built around a few mysteries that are building.

Please check my profile for the link to my story's new banner (thanks to one of my readers!)

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.

A Guiding Heart:

Different Strokes

A soft tap against the door met my clouded ears as I fought to keep the room from spinning. All of my senses felt dulled but I could still smell him.

¨Hey champ, how was the visit with the extended family?¨ Emmett stuck his head into my room and yelled hoarsely.

I moaned into the new pillow Esme bought for me as I held myself on my comfy burgundy chair, covering my temples with my hands. ¨Emmett, why do you have to talk so damn loud?¨

¨Well what do we have here? You're in the fetal position, covering your eyes, feeling sluggish. I haven't seen you like this since the morning after your graduation party. A little hungover are we? We warned you to go easy on the cocktails.¨

I groaned at the thought of the party and at the feeling in my head. ¨I thought I was...ugh, I didn't have any more than Alice did.¨ I was whiny.

¨But Alice has gotten used to them. You're still a newborn. And that means, their concoctions were bound to mix in with your blood a little differently. Were they good?¨

My head perked up. ¨So good that I'll never, ever drink them again."

"Yeah, that's what they all say." Emmett laughed heartily.

"How was game weekend with Charlie?"

¨Oh, right. About that, uhh, you should probably call him. I didn't end up having the time to go hang out with him.¨

¨What? Why the hell not, Em?¨

¨Okay look, I wasn't sure if I was ready to tell anyone yet, but I figure I owe you a good reason here. I got distracted because, well, I met someone.¨

So much for our plan to introduce him to Rosie.

¨That's great," I mustered.

¨But you have to be open minded about her.¨

¨Why?¨

¨You're the only one I'm telling this too, and only because I truly am sorry that I didn't hang with your Dad this weekend, but she's just so intoxicating. She's not one of us.¨

¨You mean she's human?¨ My face lit up, thinking Emmett and I would have the same struggles, could share strategies.

¨Human? Hell no. I mean she partakes in traditional hunting.¨

¨Oh,¨ I lamented.

¨And I don't know how the rest of the family is going to feel about that.¨

¨Have you dated other ones?¨

¨Yeah, but more casually, not like this. This one is special. It's been a whirlwind the past few days, and I might want to leave Forks with her. I was going to discuss it with Carlisle, but he's away right now.¨

¨Leave Forks?" I sat up straight. "And Carlisle is away? Where is he?¨

¨I think he went to Chicago on business. He left a note saying your 2 am rounds are cancelled. He doesn't want you in the hospital without him.¨

¨Just great." I flopped back into my chair. ¨So tell me more about this woman that you are willing to up and leave for. I can't believe you'd do that. You're supposed to be helping me. And what about Alice's wedding?"

¨I'd be back for that. I'm telling you Bluebells, she's incredibly persuasive. Strong, fast, beautiful. That's all you get for now. So tell me more about your trip.¨

¨The Denali clan is ..." I paused for a vampire beat. They were so many things but the bottom line, was that they were enjoyable to hang out with. "In a word? Cool.¨

¨In a word?¨ Emmett laughed. ¨Which one of the vamp tramps did you pick that annoying line up from? I've never heard you say that in my life!¨

¨Oh,¨ I think I blushed internally. ¨It's something this guy I know says. Emmett, I met someone too, and since we are sharing secrets, I guess I'll tell you that he's human. And I'm all torn up about what to do. Carlisle wants me to stay away from him. The Denali clan literally coached me on how to jump his bones.¨

¨Whoa, whoa whoa! Whatchu talkin' bout Willis? That's two very different extremes you're debating.¨

"Have you ever been with a human?"

"Sure I have." He smiled sinfully like it was, in some way, a foregone conclusion.

I explained meeting Edward Masen in the hospital and then him calling me. ¨I know it's probably just the camouflage he is attracted to Emmett, but . . . I want to believe it's more than that. Even if that's all it is, I don't care. And Carlisle, ugh! He's treating me like a child.¨

¨Because he's the parent of this operation. Carlisle is just concerned about you being a newborn still. He's always felt so responsible for me in this life, as I'm sure he feels for you now. Like any parent, he wants you to make good choices for you and ones that will protect our family. But that said and done, sometimes, we have to prove to him that the choices we make, or want to make, are good for us. Want my advice? Find some middle ground. Let Carlisle and Esme get a chance to see him and you interact so they can judge for themselves. Maybe it's more than the camouflage.¨

¨Is that what you plan to do with your new mystery woman?¨

¨Probably not," he smirked.

"Do I at least get to hear her name?"

"When you meet her."

"Does this mean . . . are you going to give up Carlisle's vision?"

Emmett didn't answer me but instead said he'd be back later with an elixir that should help ease the hangover for me. I called Charlie and told him that I'd be over one evening this week to cook him dinner and needed some time to chat with him.

"Should I be concerned?" Charlie asked.

"Uh, no, Dad. I just. . . sometimes a girl just needs her daddy."

"I'm always here, honey. You know that. And I always love your cooking, so I'll be looking forward to our visit."

~x~

Carlisle returned the next day, apologizing that I missed out on rounds. I was still feeling so sluggish despite Emmett's concoction of blood that he wouldn't divulge what was in it. Carlisle offered no information about his trip, only that it was in regard to patient dealings. I didn't push things, though I was skeptical that he went to Chicago, the same town Edward Masen was from. When I mentioned the coincidence, Carlisle again reminded me that I should keep my distance from Edward.

On Tuesday evening, the phone call from Edward came saying that he's aware I had a busy weekend, but he was hoping to hear from me. "I'll be working at the park the next few days," he mentioned, throwing in how easily I could find my way there to visit him. I wanted to, but I felt I should keep my distance from him right now.

Still, somehow I just couldn't resist. I just need to see him and make sure he's okay, I told myself.

It was my second day of dropping by the park to check on Edward - without him realizing it naturally, because I was hiding out in the trees. Bella Swan, Double-O Loser. He wore charcoal grey dress pants with a navy button-down shirt today and a coordinating sports coat today. Productive in his dealings on the phone and continuously making notes on his clipboard as he strolled through a particular area of the park, Edward seemed to be getting a lot done. Did he have to look so good while getting it done? I knew I could just drop in, like he asked. I didn't want to interfere with his work, I told myself.

As I jumped from tree to tree, something caught my eye, hanging from one of the branches that I hadn't spotted yesterday. It was a small box hanging from a little chain. What is that? Oh! I know what this is! One of those photo key chains! The park stopped making those when I was still working here. I snatched it up and held it up to the barest amount of light streaming through the fog. It was a picture of a family going down the log flume, panic in the eyes of the young girl in the picture and the small boy's mouth wide open, screaming. I wondered how this got here before deciding it was the casualty of the ski lift overhead.

As I held it up again, it hit me. I had one of these, too! From one night long, long ago.

As a sudden memory flash hit me, I found myself leaving the site Edward was at and making my way through more thick branches, jumping from tree to tree, along the perimeter of the park until I came upon the fountain area, located not far from the swings, sparking my irrational fear of flying off the swing and landing in the water. The structure was drained now that the season was over and covered with a thick black tarp.

"Bella! There you are, we've been waiting for you," Mark said.

"We ran into each other." Justin coated the conversation by gesturing between us. "Went on a couple of rides. She's here now. See you Saturday, just-Bella," Justin said.

"Bye," I said as I watched him walk away knowing he had just asked me out on an official date, right at the base of the Ferris wheel.

My feet barely touched the stone pavement as I ran to the Employee Dining area. The same tall tree I used to lean against while smoking was still there. I marveled that I could now climb it if I wanted to. It was still the best seat in the house, allowing for a good view of so many of the rides and fireworks. My fingers dug down into the bark, easily securing my grip as another memory flash hit me.

"It's easy, just-Bella. All you do is find a little knot hole in the tree to stash your half-smoked butt in for later. Lighter, too."

Huh! Lighter? My grip on the tree eased, and I reached around the tree, hoping to find...Found it! Inside a small divot in the tree, hidden by an overgrown layer of bark, I found the red lighter from the pack of Ski and Skies lighters. This lighter was still half full of fluid. I turned the metal roller three times before it lit. It still works! "Ha!" I celebrated to myself. "It still works!"

"What still works?"

"Ahhh!" my head screamed, but my body instantly contorted into a protective crouch.

"Bella, it's okay! It's just me!"

"Mary Alice Troll Brandon! What the hell are you doing here, sneaking up on me? You scared the plasma out of me!"

"I know," she beamed in a sneaky way.

"How'd you know I was here?"

Alice squinted her eyes, one eyebrow raised. And I knew. It wasn't even a vision that led her here. It was just me.

"We'll chalk this one up to pattern behavior of the swan."

"Pattern behavior? Jesus, it's only been two days of . . ."

"Of what, Bella! Say it."

"I mean . . . he invited me to come say hi to him here. And I was going to today . . . maybe . . . but until then . . . I was just spying on him instead." My head dropped down, my stance relaxed. "I don't know why I'm so afraid to face him Alice. I just keep thinking its just going to take me a few days to get past the hangover then I'll be ready."

"So you are using the Denali cocktails as your excuse? This is more pitiful than I thought. I'm here because I had a vision of him leaving. So, you might want to consider making your move sooner rather than later."

"When? When is he leaving?"

"I'm not sure, but it felt like maybe in a week or two. I could see the back of his car, leaving Seattle and heading east."

"That's too soon! How does . . . What do I . . ." I slid the lighter down into my pocket inconspicuously.

"Is he doing okay? I mean, his heart and all."

"Yeah, Alice, from what I've heard, his heart is steady. Strong even."

"What have you got there?"

Holding the key ring out to her, "Oh this? It's just one of those old photo key rings. I found it in the trees."

Alice looked through. "Oh I remember these. In fact, I have a couple of these of you and I. Do you remember?"

I shook my head. "No, actually, I don't. I keep getting flashes of some memories, but other things I can't grasp."

"Well I'll find mine and then maybe it will jog your memory. But, it's like we've told you from the beginning, some memories will just be gone. Is that what you are doing here? Trying to fill in the memory gaps?"

"Yeah, I think so. Alice, you know how we talked about Mark, the guy I hooked up with at my graduation party?"

"Yeah, sweetie."

"Did I sleep with him?" I whispered. "I can't remember. Was he my first?"

"No Bella."

"Then who was?"

Alice looked at me with sad, puppy dog eyes. She didn't want to tell me, and her look was making me not want to know.

"You're not going to tell me, are you?"

"Maybe its best if you keep working on remembering. I don't want any transference of anger onto me if I can help it."

"Ugh troll, you are impossible!"

"Just, try to recall it on your own. If you aren't going to approach Edward today, then let's go take one more glance at him, your here and now, and then go hunt."

A/N: Who is Emmett dating?