A/N: Well... here we are again. I hadn´t anticipated I would abandon writing for over a year, but here we are. It has been a long year, with some ups and downs, but I´m back. And I can assure you: I´ll stay. I have a few more chapters planned, and a few other stories to write on, so I´m happy to be back. Thank you for choosing to read this story. Or choosing to read my other stories. Your support means the world to me. Thank you!

An Interesting Morning

I turned around and stretched my legs. For the first time in a long time, I felt truly rested. Edward put the blanket higher and I smiled.

I didn´t want to wake up yet.

Edward kissed the sensitive spot underneath my ear. ¨Sleepyhead,¨ he whispered and I heard the genuine smile in his voice.

I groaned, opened my eyes and stared into Edward´s beautiful golden ones. He smiled apologetically at me. ¨I didn't want to wake you up, I´m sorry.¨

¨You know I was already awake, I just didn´t want to open my eyes,¨ I mumbled, while I yawning.

Edward came even closer to me, so that I could partly lay on top of him. It felt amazing, like finally laying on the cold side of the pillow during a hot summer night. I sighed with pleasure.

He kissed the top of my head and I nestled myself onto his body. I closed my eyes and felt how all my muscles became even more relaxed.

¨It´s Monday, Bella. We have to wake up,¨ Edward nagged while he caressed my cheeks.

Urgh, he was right. I tried to look annoyed and he pressed his lips into my hair. With great strength, I unwrapped myself from his arms.

¨Can´t we skip class?¨ I tried, finding an excuse that I could tell my parents. Renee would understand, but Charlie might have my head.

¨And ruin your perfect record? I wouldn´t want that one me,¨ Edward said. ¨Besides, you´ll have me for a bit longer than just today.¨

Edward stood up and I immediately felt a tiny bit colder. He winked at me and left the room.

I stood a bit perplexed in his room, thinking about the previous night. My cheeks reddened as I thought about his hands over my body. We weren´t ready for anything that required less clothing, but touching while fully clothed was something we already nailed.

Someone knocked on the door, stopping my thoughts from going a dirtier route. I opened the door, to find Alice beaming with joy. Reluctantly, I smiled back at her, hoping she couldn´t read my face as I didn´t want to discuss what had happened between Edward and me.

¨I´m here to dress you,¨ she sang. ¨We don´t want you to be doing the walk of shame, now do we?¨ She winked.

Oh, damn it. I flushed even more.

Alice ignored it and pressed a new dress in my hands. I looked down and saw the turquoise cotton. To give my hands something to do, I put it on and it suited me perfectly, like everything Alice had ever bought or made me.

She gestured for me to sit down, and she brushed my hair. Because I had my own thoughts that kept me occupied, I didn´t notice that Alice was way quieter than she normally was.

Afraid of asking her what was on her mind, because I had a pretty accurate guess, I reached out for the mascara that I kept at the Cullens. Meanwhile, Alice braided my hair while she softly hummed an unfamiliar song.

¨So… about Jacob.¨

I shivered. Yes, there it was. We couldn´t ignore the elephant in the room.

¨Yes, about Jacob.¨ I responded.

Alice rested her head on top of mine and she signed. I got up from the chair and faced her.

¨I have no idea who he is,¨ I told her. Alice squeezed my hand.

¨Don´t worry, Bella. I know that.¨

I looked down at my shoes, and I felt really small in that moment. I guess I was still partly disappointed that they left a few days ago, but for some reason, I was also scared.

Scared that I would never know who Jacob is.

Scared that I might never get my memories back.

Scared that I have to feel this way, for a very very long time.

I squeezed her hand. ¨Can you still see that I will get my memories back on Christmas Eve?¨

Alice didn´t need to hear the questions underneath my question, because she hugged me tightly against her tiny frame.

¨Of course you will,¨ she told me. ¨Besides, I´m never wrong.¨

I bit my lip and nodded. Alice beamed again and together, we went downstairs.

We heard Edward in the kitchen, and I saw him search for flout, milk and eggs. Even though he could mask it rather well, I knew he felt utterly at loss. It was endearing to watch, actually.

¨You should´ve seen him and Emmett practice,¨ Alice giggled. My heart swelled with love as I envisioned those two, struggling to make pancakes.

¨Hey, he´s actually very critical,¨ Edward pointed out, holding a mixer in one hand and an egg in the other.

¨I´m sure, love.¨ I giggled.

He turned around again, after side-eying Alice. ¨No flirting with the chef, Bella. I need to concentrate.¨

Alice quietly mouthed ´see?´ at me and I swear, I tried to hold back my chuckle but I couldn´t fool anyone. And certainly not a couple of vampires.

Edward took a plate and put the first pancake on it. I smiled encouragingly at him and my stomach started growling at the exact same moment.

Yes, I was hungry, so I grabbed a fork and dug in.

Hold that thought.

Edward had accidentally switched sugar and salt. The pancakes were shit. I tried to swallow that first bite, hoping my face wouldn´t give too much away. Edward´s brows furrowed as he tried to make sense of what was wrong with them.

Alice gave me a glass of water, the most delicious water I had ever tasted.

¨Delicious, if you put sugar in them. Sorry, Edward. They would have been absolutely perfect otherwise.¨

He silently took the plate and returned to the stove. ¨Attempt one: failed.¨

Attempt two and three were great successes, and I dreaded going to school even more than usual. I didn´t hate going to school per se, but the day started as such a lovely day and learning about the great depression or running around a field would be a bummer.

Edward and I walked toward his stupid, shiny, silver Volvo and hopped in. The radio played some forgettable songs, and I watched in awe at how strongly Forks changed during the day. Now, it was quite early and the morning fog would normally bring you down instantly, but because Christmas was just around the corner, it felt kind of cosy.

Just as we drove by and I saw the trees surrounding my house, I felt something I could not quite place. I strongly felt I needed to drive my own car today. And I needed to go into those woods. They were calling for me. Something would happen, I was sure of it.

Call it illogical, call it crazy, but I felt the need to drive myself, so I placed my hand on Edward´s.

¨Please, drop me off right there.¨

He looked surprised, obviously. ¨Are you alright?¨

I nodded. ¨I don´t know why, but I feel that I need to drive myself. I´m sorry. I can´t really explain why,¨ I brabbled on.

I couldn´t explain, as I didn´t know myself.

Edward took one look at me, and nodded. Something was up, he might have felt it as well.

Before I had the chance to get out of his car, he warned me, while cupping my face in his palm. ¨Please be careful, Bella.¨

¨I will,¨ I assured him.

Edward drove off and I waited until I couldn´t see his car anymore. Then, I turned and jogged to those woods. Was it something I saw? Something I heard? But if I saw or heard it, then Edward did as well, right? Or maybe he just pretended to not hear anything? Or see anything?

I jogged further down the path, making sure to remember my steps. It would be rather stupid if I got lost in the woods, I would never hear the end of it.

¨Damn it, what´s in here?¨ I mumbled.

The question got answered when I saw Jacob, standing against a tree. I jolted to a halt.

¨You!¨ I hissed. ¨Who even are you? Why do you show up all the time? Why do you know me?¨

Then my eyes travelled down his body. I noticed the marks. He had a bloody wound on his head, his arms were bruised and when he walked over to me, he had a slight limp. Even though I could only put a name to his face, not a person, I felt a tinge of sadness seeing him so bruised and hurt.

¨Bella, I need your help.¨