Sunrise sunset

Last time, Bella discovered that if she put herself in dangerous situations, she could see Edward telling her to stop. Which escalated into doing more dangerous things.

Chapter 22

~Beginning of February

The morning dawned quietly; the sun stuck behind a thick layer of clouds. The air was heavy with mist, the scenery hidden within. Eyes watched the swan residence from a distance; hidden in the background. Hermione and her cousin exited the house, and they both groaned. It would be difficult getting to school in the fog. They turned to look at each other, Bella signaled to her cousin that she would drive them today. Hermione sighed in relief, she did not mind driving, just not in the fog.

Driving through the dense fog, Bella could not hold in her thoughts, "They should cancel school when it's bad like this," she said in a sour voice.

"If they did that, we might as well be homeschooled," Hermione replied with a laugh.

They were gaining a little more speed now, both keeping an eye out for the school, when someone jumped out in front of them running across the street. That something was followed by a few bigger somethings chasing it. Both Hermione and Bella held their breath, trying not to make any necessary noise. Once they were sure that no one else was coming across the street they continued moving.

When they arrived at school, they had just enough time to go to their lockers and get to Homeroom. The day dragged by slowly until lunch, where the girls sat and contemplated quietly about what they saw. Both wishing that the Cullen's were nearby.

The day ended with less flair than the morning. The sun was finally showing through the clouds, and you could almost see some blue poking through. Hermione asked Bella to drop her off at home before going to Jacobs's house. Bella was helping with helping him finish another project since they finished the motorcycles. Hermione would see them later in the evening when she closes the bookstore for the evening.

After Hermione got home, she took her time changing and getting a snack before heading to the bookstore. As she was headed to her car, she felt a presence watching her. She looked around, but nothing. Shrugging her shoulders, she got into her car and left. Feeling ill at ease when she got to the bookstore she went in as quickly as she could. She was about to pick up the phone to call Jacob and ask him to come over when she heard the front doorbell right. Holding the phone tightly in her hand, she turned slowly. When she turned around, she was relieved to see Bella and Jacob.

"Are you okay?" Bella asked confused.

"I'm fine," Hermione said trying to catch her breath, "I thought there was someone following me. I was just going to call you."

"Are you sure?" Jacob said caressing her cheek gently.

She nodded as she allowed Jacob to hold her. "Maybe it would be better if we stayed."

"Okay," Hermione said brightly to the two of them.

"Have you had much business lately?" Bella asked curiously.

"Not really," Hermione said with a shrug, "I thought since my busiest nights were Tuesdays and Thursdays that I would select those hours during the week."

"That would be great," Bella said happily, "Then we can go do stuff together. We could go to the beach."

"Or hiking," Jacob said cutting in.

Hermione smiled at the two of them. They walked around looking for what could have spooked Hermione. Hermione altered the sign on the window for operating hours. The sign now reads OPEN: Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 2 p.m.

After a while, it was time for the store to close. The return ride home was uneventful. Jacob followed them to be sure that they made it home safely. Then he went home to see his father.

…

It was several days before Bella did some dangerous again. The three of them had gone hiking in the woods as she had suggested. It was not long before Bella got separated from the two of them. Hermione and Jacob were talking happily about something when Bella wondered off.

Bella thought about Hermione and Jacob becoming a couple. She thought they were good together. Then she thought about Edward, her pace slowed. Her heart started to hurt; her eyes welled up with tears. She wanted to wail, but she was not far enough away from them yet.

As she rounded a tree, she ran into something hard and cold. Her back went rigid; she gulped air to keep herself from screaming. As she took a step back, the thing she ran into turned around. His deep red eyes captured her own and it scared her.

"The swan doth trot towards danger eagerly," the vampire before her spoke. She tried to speak but words would not find her. the vampire continued speaking, "where is your warden fair Bella?"

"My friends are close by," Bella said trying to stay calm.

"Do not fret." the vampire said waving his hand through the air, "come walk with me, I must speak to you."

As she moved to walk with the vampire in front of her, she sees another vision of Edward. She keeps going, the visions became more intense the more she ventured into danger.

"You are playing a risky game, Bella," the vampire said to her, "I'm Laurent, you may know me as the rogue vampire from last season."

Bella was startled by Laurent's laugh; it was rich and deep like his eyes. "Are you going to hurt me?" she asked quietly. She was worrying her lip with her teeth when he laughed again.

"No," Laurent said, "just to warn you. Victoria will return for your life, a mate for a mate."

"Because Edward killed James, she is going to kill me," Bella said to finish. She hung her head, tears dripped from her eyes.

"Edward may not know," Laurent said in a tender voice, "he thinks your just his singer, I believe that you are his mate, as does Victoria."

"Then how could he leave me?" she asked between sobs.

"I imagine that the more you put yourself in danger the more he appears to you. while you may be tempted to do such things, you should stop before you get hurt. You will eventually get too deep and you will be in true danger." Laurent said looking into the distance, "He feels you every time to get into trouble, every time you try to scare up a vision of him. If you die it will drive him insane, and he won't be long behind you."

He sat and looked at Bella as she broke down. He looked back into the distance; he could hear her companions coming closer to where they were. As she settled, he stood preparing to leave, "I must go, don't forget the warning," and that was the last she saw of him.

A few minutes later, Hermione and Jacob came down the path towards where she was. When they came upon her, she was sitting on a log holding her head in her hands. "Oh Bella," she heard herd Hermione say before she felt arms around her.

Bella thought about the warning Laurent gave her, and she agreed it was a good idea. Jacob took them home, before heading back home. He was worried about Bella; she was not getting any better. She was still pining for Edward.

…

Two days after Bella got separated in the woods, Jacob became sick, he wasn't taking visitors. Billy said it was Mono, but that did not explain anything. Bella tried to say that Hermione should be sick since it is a kissing disease, but Billy insisted.

Hermione called and talked to Billy about Jacob, he would let her speak to him for a moment or two. He was in a lot of pain and was only away for a few hours at a time. Bella had finally had enough around the end of February and had gone to see him. Hermione told her to be careful not to get sick, and to give him her love.

Bella was not expecting Jacob to run from her, then to suddenly turn into a giant wolf. "Bella!" Sam shouted pulling her back from Jacob. "Just think for a moment," he said calmly, taking a shallow breath, "the legends."

"Oh. Oh my, the legends," she said finally understanding, "it's because of the vampires."

"Yes," Sam said nodding his head, "anger is what triggers the change in us. The cold ones have returned, we are sworn, enemies."

"Have you seen a red-headed vampire around?" Bella asked cautiously.

"We have," Sam said with a growl, "she evades us, we aren't sure what she wants. She had a companion, but we have not seen him. Dark skinned, dreadlocks, you know him?"

"Laurent," Bella said shakily, "he came to warn me, the redhead is after me. Edward killed her mate when they tried to eat me in the fall."

Sam growled before gruffly telling her to go into the house, that Billy would introduce her, and he would try to calm Jacob. "it would be best if you left soon."

"What do I tell Hermione?" Bella asked quietly, "I can't keep this from her, but Jacob should be the one to tell her."

"I agree," Sam nodded, "just keep the secret for a few days please."

"Okay," she said nodding. She stood and walked to the house. Billy was motioning wildly for her to come onto the porch.

"I'll introduce you, then you must go," Billy said, "I will call Hermione, and I will have Jacob tell her everything."

She looked at him, he had that look in his eyes, he was hiding something. She decided to let it go, she was sure that all would be revealed before long.

...

To say that Hermione was angry would be a lie. Bella had waited almost a week before she told her about Laurent. Bella then told Hermione everything that Laurent had said. Hermione was furious with her cousin, "I'm never letting you out of my sight again." It was all that Hermione had uttered after Bella had told her about Laurent. Hermione did not know about Jacob yet.

"Let's go do something," Bella said suddenly changing the subject.

"Quit trying to distract me," Hermione said tersely, the tone of her voice flat. Bella could have sworn that her hair sparked with electricity with how angry.

"You seemed a little stressed," Bella said lightly.

Hermione knew what she was doing, she was trying to make me laugh so I would not be as angry. "I wouldn't be so stressed," Hermione said in a lighter tone of voice, "if you weren't constantly getting yourself into a dangerous situation."

Bella sighed as Hermione's anger level dropped almost completely, "I told you what Laurent said about it," Bella said trying to explain, "If I'm his mate then he can feel when I'm getting myself into trouble. If I get into much trouble, he will not just let me die, he'd come."

"Bella," Hermione exclaimed shocked, "you're just trying to get him to come back. You're not thinking about Edward at all, you're only thinking about you."

"How am I only thinking about me?" Bella asked confused and shocked that her cousin did not seem to understand her. "I need him, I can't live without him. My heart, it's broken, I felt it break in my chest, so do not tell me what to do. Getting into danger is the only way I get to see him. Though my visions of him are just to scold me. I still can see him, he's real, he's ok, he's thinking about me."

"I'm sorry Bella," Hermione said pulling her in for a hug, "I think I understand why you are doing what you are doing. You need to be cautious, for if he thinks you have died, his life is forfeit. Remember what Laurent told you if he thinks you have died he could die too.

Bella stayed silent, not knowing what to say. Hermione got the last word this time.

"Hermione let's go cliff diving," Bella said standing to pull Hermione through the front door.

"You mean like the Gang that Jacob told us about?" Hermione asked confused trying to pull her hand from Bella's.

"Yes," Bella said pushing Hermione into the truck from the passenger side.

"Ok, ok, we're doing this it seems," Hermione said mostly to herself.

Bella drove them to the cliffs, there was a path, and a few spots to park. The climb to the top had made them both warm. When they arrived at one of the lower rock formations, the water was a glassy blue. It was clean and clear, while the tide was out. "How deep is this?" Hermione asked curiously.

"I'm not sure," Bella said shrugging her shoulders, "I'm sure it's deep enough since others jump off it."

"That's true," Hermione said in agreement.

Once they arrived at the last rock formation, Bella went to the edge. Hermione joined her, looking down, it made her a little dizzy. "Are you sure this is a good idea, Bella?"

"Yes," Bella said as she backed up from the edge taking a running stance. She took off like a bolt of lightning. Hermione put her hands over her mouth running after her.

"Bella!" Hermione yelled as she watched as her cousin landed in the water, having a bad feeling she took her sweater off, and ran and dove headfirst off the cliff. She landed in the water, with barely a splash. The water was freezing, but with the adrenaline rush she had going, she did not feel it. She found Bella and pulled her to shore, administering CPR, which Charlie had told her would be a good skill to have.

When Bella woke up, she was instantly engulfed by her cousin. After that Hermione had returned to scolding her, "we'll I'm sorry but, Hermione said sternly, "I won't lose you too."

"You weren't in any danger of losing me," Bella whispered, "but I was in danger of losing myself."

…

It did not take long for Hermione and Bella to be spotted by the boys from the reservation.

"Hermione, Bella, are you alright," Jacob said sitting next to them on the ground.

Hermione glanced at him and smiled before nodding her head yes, "yes, we're fine, thank you."

"That was stupid," Sam chided harshly. Hermione gave him a sharp look, "don't argue," he continued, "I was speaking to Bella."

"She knows," Hermione said in a flat tone.

"You dove, headfirst," Jacob said astounded, "what if you hit your head?"

"It's a risk I was willing to take," Hermione said turning to look him in the eye, "someone has to keep her from killing herself."

"But who is going to keep you from killing yourself," Jacob asked standing and stretching his hand out to her to help her stand. "Would you like the job?" she asked him as she took his hand.

Their eyes met, and Jacob could not see anything but this beautiful girl holding his hand. She was the one, she was his gravity, nay his world. She was his sun; she was his gravity.

"Let us get you two home," Sam said shaking his head silently, "Charlie will kill me if anything happens to you two."

"Thank you," Hermione said, breaking her eyes away from Jacob to look at Sam, "I appreciate it."

"No, problem," he said.

A/N: Well that's another chapter. when I finished writing it there were exactly 2666 words