Two weeks after Bella had dropped in unannounced to the Cullen's house was when her everyday life finally started to settle down. It had been touch and go for a while, with Bella being able to feel Edward's presence in her life. Walking down the street, going grocery shopping, hanging out with her friends; he could be in any shadow, hiding amongst the crowd, listening into the mind of those around her.

Eventually she had had enough and willingly walked out of her house in the middle of the night when Jessica and Angela were sleeping. She knew he was there, even if he never approached her directly. Within seconds of being out in the cool night air, Edward had appeared beside her, obviously aware that she would be out there for no other reason than to catch his attention.

Bella decided that it would just be for the best if Edward made himself known to everyone, that he was back in town, back in her life again. Even if it was only so he could keep her safe. He had agreed and they came up with a cover story together.

That was what led her to tonight, standing behind the bar at work with dread and anxiety coiled into a night little ball in her stomach. Bella knew she had to tell her friends. They'd made up a convincing back story and she hoped her friends would be understanding. After all, they were all mature adults now.

Angela and Jessica were sitting along the end of the bar, both having decided to have a few drinks on their night off. Taking a deep breath, Bella set down the bottle of vodka she'd just used to pour someone's drink and walked over to her friends.

"I have to tell you two something," she started as casually as possible.

"Uh oh," Jessica giggled as she set her drink down. "You're not pregnant, are you?"

"What? No, I -."

Daren entered behind the bar from the small doorway that led to the back hallway, catching the tail end of what Jessica had been saying. "Bella, you're pregnant?"

"No!"

Angela felt the need to join in by adding, "I bet it was when she sneaked off at the clubs."

"That was a few weeks ago as well, so the timing would make sense." Jessica's voice was serious, but she couldn't hide the smile on her face.

"I'm glad I can provide you with entertainment tonight," said Bella with a roll of her eyes, moving to turn away from them.

"No, okay! Bella, we'll listen."

Bella wasn't surprised when Daren lent against the bar in front of Angela, considering himself part of their little group. Ever since their night out, he and Angela have been drawing closer and closer together. It was only a matter of time before they gave up and just started dating. Everyone within a 10 mile radius could see how much they were crushing on each other.

"Remember a few weeks ago, before we went clubbing, when I mentioned that Edward was back…"

Angela crossed her arms on the bar top and lent forward. "I mean, apart from that, you never actually told us anything."

"Yeah. You just completely shut yourself away until we dragged you out," added Jessica.

"Edward and I have been in contact since then," pausing so that the two of them could let that sink in, Bella then went on to add, "and he's coming here… tonight."

"Bella, what -."

"Hear me out," she said hastily, needing them to understand before they began to draw their own facts. "Nothing is going on between us. We aren't back together and there is no way we're getting back together."

A little annoyed at being cut off, Jessica slumped in her stool, narrowing her eyes at Bella. "What's he even doing back here? I thought the whole family packed up and moved to Europe?"

"I heard it was Asia," said Angela.

"Who's Edward?" Daren asked after listening to the entire conversation with creased eyebrows.

The very topic of their discussion chose that moment to push through the bar door, shrugging off his coat to hang it on one of the wall hooks. It was drawing closer to December and getting increasingly colder. Of course the jacket was just for show, though.

Edward looked out of place in the dive bar, with his black trousers, white button down business shirt and model worthy bone structure. He rolled the sleeves of his skirt up his forearms as he approached and Bella had to glance away at the sight. She willed her heart to slow back down to its normal rate. This was the same Edward who'd abandoned her, shattered her entire reality, only returning because he didn't want her blood on his hands.

When he took the stool beside Jessica, the discomfort was easy to see in her blue eyes and she shimmied her own seat a little further away from him. Edward pretended to ignore that and gave them a warm smile.

"It's been a while, but I'm glad to see you're all doing well," he said.

"Uh, y-you too," stammered Jessica, clearly a little uneasy about the situation.

"Hey!" Daren spun and slammed one hand down flat on the bar top, while pointing at Edward's chest with the other. "You're that guy! You helped break up that fight when Hannah got injured."

Edward nodded once. "Good to see you again."

"I knew something was up that night," he continued as he whirled back around to face Bella. "You were definitely acting strange, and it was because of him."

"Great detective skills," she said with a roll of her eyes.

"So, Edward, what brings you to Portland?" asked Angela, ever the calming voice in a storm.

"Carlisle was offered a chair on the board at the Port Angeles Hospital, something that he couldn't refuse. I was studying at the University of Cambridge in England, but when that finished I didn't really have a reason to stay there." His eyes slowly drifted to Bella as he continued on with their carefully constructed plan. "We arrived back some months ago and I eventually landed a job here in Portland."

"Doing what?" asked Jessica.

"Executive assistant to a Director of a legal firm," he replied absently, as if the specifics didn't matter. He did a good job of sounding like he wasn't bragging. "Taking the job here helped me to get away from my parents."

Lifting her drink up, Jessica murmured, "That's the most normal thing I've ever heard you say."

Edward chuckled at her words. "We never did speak much in school."

"I guess."

"So you're all high school friends?" Daren asked innocently.

"Yeah, but Bella and Edward dated," explained Angela in a gentle tone.

"A reunion," exclaimed Daren in joy, clearly unable to read the room or just choosing to ignore it for everyone's benefit.

He raced along the bar to locate five shot glasses, a bottle of tequila, lime and salt. When a patron tried to grab his attention Daren shooed them off before making his way back down to where everyone was sitting. Bella sighed and left to pour the customer another draft, apologizing for her rude co-worker.

The glasses were laid out in a haphazard row and Daren spilt more of the alcohol on the bartop then he managed to get into the small glasses. He served everyone their shot with a wedge of lime. He then licked the back of his hand to sprinkle some salt onto, waiting for everyone else to follow suit. They all did so without complaint, not wanting to ruin the energy he was extruding.

"To friends!" He up-ended his shot and squinted his eyes shut against the sourness of the lime.

Jessica and Angela did theirs together, both making a choking sound as the harsh liquor hit the back of their throats. Unfortunately Bella was just as ungraceful, trying not to cough it back up as she sucked on the sour fruit. Every pair of eyes turned to watch Edward take the shot without a single twitch at the taste, as if he were simply drinking water. He opted to place the lime wedge into the cup instead of using it.

Bella glanced between her friends, hoping that they would forgive her for dropping this on them. It was only a few short years ago that they'd witnessed her spiral into depression. Angela had been with her through all of it, holding her hand in the school toilets when she'd had a panic attack, distracting the teachers with a question of her own when they pressured Bella a little too much for not studying or completing an assignment. Bella had barely been able to eat back then let alone focus on a school essay.

And while Jessica backed off at first, not able to understand why Bella was the way that she was, it didn't take long for the blonde haired diva to realise it wasn't an act. On a random Friday night when they'd all attended a beach bonfire for the seniors in school, Bella was standing too close to the fire, eyes locked on the dancing flames. She hadn't been aware she'd taken a few steps closer until Jessica had pulled her back, eyes widened with worry that soon gave way to understanding the moment she took in Bella's expression.

"I didn't want to lie to you - either of you," started Bella in a small voice. Even though she felt Edward's eyes on her, she refused to look away from her friends. "Not after everything… But I need you both to trust me."

"You I trust," said Jessica, jabbing a thumb in Edward's general direction, "but him? Not so much."

Daren frowned. "Wait, so you're not all friends?"

"Not exactly," said Angela.

Edward spun on the stool until he was facing Bella's friends, an earnest gleam to his eyes. "Bella and I have yet to talk in length regarding what happened after my absence, but I understand that you two were there for her when I wasn't. For that, you have my gratitude. But I am not here to disrupt her life."

"We'll see," snorted Jessica. Upending the last of her drink, she jumped from her stool, slapped some cash on the table and turned to leave, calling out to Bella over her shoulder. "I hope you know what you're doing, girl!"

Sighing, Angela rushed to place her money on the bar top as well. "See you at home?"

Bella gave her a weak smile. "Yeah."

After they were gone, it was Daren's turn next, saying something about being needed in the kitchen. It was an obvious lie since the kitchen was closed past 9pm, but Bella didn't stop him. The sour taste in her mouth matched the tension in the air after their conversation.

"Something tells me I'm going to get an earful when I get home," murmured Bella.

"Hey! Can I get another drink over here?" called out a patron from the other end of the bar.

Since it was a week night, Bella was the only bartender working. She excused herself and worked on pouring a whiskey sour. The older male was a regular at their bar and always tipped well, so she didn't mind being shouted at. Edward's eyes were on her the entire time, something that made her skin tingle under the surface. She wandered back to the end of the bar where Edward was sitting when she was done.

"Did they buy our story?" asked Bella. He raised a single eyebrow and she decided that there was no need to beat around the bush. "I know you were listening to their thoughts."

"Angela trusts you to make the right choice." Bella made a 'come on' motion with her hand and he reluctantly continued. "Jessica had some… colourful words for me that she barely held back. But both of them were thinking back to when I left you, and I saw -."

"Stop. I don't want to hear it. So long as they believe our story, that's all that matters."

"Bella, I can never forgive myself for leaving you. And I don't expect you to, either."

Her hardened eyes bore into his own. "Good."

"So that's it? You don't want to talk about it?"

"No, Edward, I don't."

"But I want -."

"To hear about how you shattered my entire world? How my brain could barely grasp the weight of what had happened so it completely shut down? I sat in my room for weeks and when I was finally able to go back to school I was a husk of my former self." Salty tears stung her eyes and a nearby patron had turned towards her, probably thinking it was Edward who was making her cry. In a way, that was the truth. "You broke me; tore my heart to shreds and showed no remorse when you left. After I stopped being upset, I became angry. At you and the entire world. It's something I can never forgive you for - or myself for being so stupid."

"I had no idea," he said softly.

"Do you want to know the worst thing?" She wiped the back of her hand under each eye, hoping that the mascara she wore hadn't leaked. Edward reluctantly nodded after a second of silence. "I still can't bring myself to hate you."

He lent forward until his face was a foot from her own, those buttery golden eyes that had haunted her dreams for years catching her own. There was true sorrow in their depths. "I will spend the rest of my life hating myself for what I put you through, Bella. You deserve so much more from this world."

Taking in a shaky breath, she took a step back to free herself from his gaze. "Can we agree to leave it all in the past? What's done is done and I've spent too much energy moving forward to take a single step back."

"You'd like to start fresh?"

"Something like that," she said slowly.

"Then we can."

"Perfect." The clock above the bar told Bella it was time to start the closing prep if she wanted to leave on time. "I get off at midnight. Walk me home?"

A soft smile curved his lips. "Of course."

Thankfully the final patron stumbled out of the bar thirty minutes before closing, meaning Bella didn't need to bother with ushering them out. Usually the security guards handle them with a little too much force, so the bartenders have started doing it. Sarah was always vocal about having to do the incident reports whenever there was an altercation. It wasn't worth the drama of having her raging.

Bella finished her tasks, making sure the bar was stocked and clean for the next evening, then made her way to the staff room. It wasn't surprising that the manager's room was empty; Sarah always left early, which is why each bartender had a copy of the keys. The only other person in the staff room when she entered was Daren, who was too busy staring at his phone to pay her any mind.

She pulled on her hoodie, slung her bag across her chest and slammed her locker shut, all the while waiting for Daren to notice her presence. The corners of her mouth pulled down in a frown when his eyes remained glued to his phone. "Earth to Daren!"

"What?" he said absently, brows furrowing as he looked at her. "Oh, hey, Bella. Has Angela come back in at all?"

"No. Why?"

"Jessica sent me a message asking if I've seen her. Maybe she sent you a message, too?"

Fishing her phone from her bag, a banner displaying eight missed calls flashed up on the screen. All were from Jessica, not to mention a thread of messages.

"Give me a second," she told Daren as she unlocked the phone to call Jessica.

The line picked up on the second ring, a frantic Jessica answering. "Bella! Not a good time to not have your phone on you. Did Angela go back to the bar after we left? Did you see her there?"

"She didn't come back as far as I'm aware." Holding the phone away from her ear, she hit the speaker button for Daren. "Jess, what's going on?"

"Halfway home she said she left her phone at the bar and turned back to get it. That was two hours ago!"

"We only live twenty minutes down the road," muttered Bella.

"Exactly!"

"I'll rush home now and we'll start searching. But don't go out on your own!"

"Hurry up! I'm about two minutes away from calling the police and filing a missing persons case."

The line went dead and Bella placed the phone back in her bag, glancing over at Daren, "Meet me at my house."

"What about -."

"I don't want to waste any time. Just… listen to me. Please?"

He held her stare for a few heartbeats, eventually nodding slowly. "Jessica and I will start searching."

She didn't waste any time after he exited the room, no doubt using the delivery elevator that gets used when the trucks bring in their pallets from street level. It was the main exit most staff use, except the bartenders since they have to lock the front door when they leave. Bella pulled the pistol from her bag, checked the clip to ensure all the rounds were accounted for and the safety still on, then slipped it into the waistband of her jeans. The cool metal was comforting against her skin.

Edward was waiting in the dimly lit bar when she returned, the small smile on his lips turning into a frown when he saw her expression. She rushed past him to scan the space her two friends had been sitting in. The bright yellow case of Angela's phone caught her attention almost immediately from where it lay on the floor beneath the bar. It must have fallen out of her bag at some point.

"Is something the matter?" asked Edward.

Bella stooped to grab the phone, turning it towards him so he could see it light up with a photo of all three of them. It was the same screensaver they all had. "Angela is missing."

"How?."

"Apparently she headed back here when she realized she left her phone behind. Jessica said that was two hours ago and that she's still not home."

"That doesn't mean she's missing."

Her eyes narrowed and her voice dropped an octave. "I know my friend. She isn't one to make others worry."

He regarded her for a moment, eyes moving slightly as he searched her expression for something. Edward stood from his seat to shrug on his jacket. "Then let's go find her."

"How -."

"Her scent."

"Right," Bella said, a little annoyed that she hadn't thought of that first.

They walked out into the cool night air together, pausing briefly so Bella could lock up the bar. No cars drove past and there was no-one lingering on the side walks. More than one street lamp had blown. It was the perfect night to kidnap a helpless girl who was all alone and…

She shook her head to clear her mind of those thoughts. There had to be a reasonable explanation that just hadn't crossed her mind yet. Bella tried to focus on putting one foot in front of the other and not overthinking as she walked alongside Edward. His head moved slightly this way and that, as if he were using his nose to sift through all the different smells on the soft breeze.

"Have you got her yet?" she asked after five minutes of walking in silence.

"She walked this way earlier this evening with Jessica, so I can smell them both." His eyes flickered down to Bella before he looked straight ahead once more. "Though it is a little hard to concentrate with you right next to me, I have to admit."

"Me? Why would - oh." Realisation dawned on her and Bella subconsciously put some distance between them, utilising the entire footpath. "Sorry."

A light chuckle escaped him. "It's not your fault."

"Do you think it'll ever go away?"

"I don't understand the question."

"The, you know…" Her pause wasn't subtle in the slightest and Edward stopped walking, turning to face her directly. "The pain."

Something in his expression shifted; Edward's eyes melted under the street light, his posture softened, the dark shadows covering half of his face somehow not as menacing. Ever so slowly, he reached forward to grasp Bella's hand in his own, only tightening his hold once their fingers were intertwined. She was sure he'd be able to hear the slight acceleration of her heart.

"Bella, to not be in pain would mean I'd have to live in a world without you in it," he told her in a deeper voice than usual. It conveyed a million emotions at once and it made her heart squeeze. "Even when I left you, my mind always remembered your scent, your warmth. I'd suffer either way, so I'd rather go through the pain with you beside me."

They stayed locked in each other's gaze before a chilly breeze lifted up the edge of her coat, blasting her with cold air. Bella quickly withdrew her hand and shoved them both in her pockets to keep them warm. Her fingers tingled, a reminder of the icy feel of Edward's strong hand.

She turned to continue walking, saying, "We should really keep looking."

"You're -."

When his words dropped off, she glanced over her shoulder to see him standing as still as a statue, eyes locked on the alley across the road. A single car sped down the street, momentarily blocking their view of the shadowy space between two buildings. Bella's breath caught in her throat when a figure stood to the alley's entrance, having materialised seemingly out of thin air.

As they both watched in silence, the figure raised both arms and started clapping slowly, the sound echoing off of the sleeping businesses and quiet streets. Edward growled low in his throat and placed himself in front of Bella, pushing her back slightly with one arm. She could feel the strength and tension he was holding back just from that single contact.

"Well, well, well," singsonged the figure as he stepped onto the road, closing the distance between them. The owner of the silky voice was a man who looked to be around Charlie's age. Brown slicked back hair, a simple three piece suit, a bright white smile - and clearly a vampire. "I do not believe we've had the pleasure of meeting. You're the brother of that cute little spiky haired girl, aren't you?"

"Edgar," snarled Edward.

Bella's eyes widened as they stayed glued to the other vampire. "You're Edgar?"

He kept that sickly sweet smile on his face and placed his hands in his pockets as he rocked back on the balls of his feet. "It seems my fame is wider than I first believed. You must be Bella. I've heard a great deal about you, Ma'am. A lot of powerful vampires are extremely intrigued with you."

"So I've heard."

"He has Angela," said Edward a second later.

"What?"

"Ah, straight to the point. A good man!" Withdrawing his hands from his pockets, it was surprising to see a cigar in the vampire's hand. Edgar raised the unlit cigar to his lips before pulling it away again, holding it between his pointer and middle finger. Old habits never truly die, then. "I am willing to negotiate something of a trade. This other girl - Angela, as you said - for your brunette beauty."

Edward inched forward slightly, his entire body coiled like a snake right before it strikes. "No."

"Wait a second, Edward, this is Angela's life on the line! We can't just -."

"I am not handing you over!" he snarled, never taking his eyes off of Edgar.

The sound of Bella's own heartbeats crashed inside her ears like waves against a cliff. Everything in her peripheral vision faded until only Edgar remained, his smile mocking her under the orange glow of light. It was all too much. She'd been safe for so long, living her life and not having to worry about the creatures that stirred in the dark or played when humans weren't watching. In the span of a few weeks her entire world had come crashing down around her.

However, unlike the Bella of the past, she'd been through a lot worse. This wouldn't be the first time - or even the second - where a vampire had threatened her life. But this wasn't about her anymore, because now her friend had been caught up in the mess and she needed to keep her head on her shoulders.

"Where," she started softly, drawing the pistol from where it was tucked under her coat, pointing it at Edgar and flicking off the safety, "is my friend?"

There was a split second of silence before the vampire doubled over with laughter. It ended with him straightening up and wiping a fake tear away from under one eye. "You best put that down, little miss, before you get hurt."

"Bella -."

"Shut up, Edward." The pistol didn't shake in her hands, for that she was grateful. Bella wasn't stupid enough to think that her gun would do any damage to a vampire, but holding it made her feel strong. "We're not leaving without her."

"No, look," growled Edward, daring to glance to his right before turning his attention back to Edgar.

Bella followed with her eyes and almost laughed at how comical it all was. At the end of the street, no less than ten meters away, stood Jessica and Daren. She could only imagine what the scene in front of them looked like. Her pistol was still trained on Edgar, arms slightly bent and finger on the trigger. Edward crouched in front of her, form stiff and a low growl emanating from his chest.

Both seemed to have different emotional responses to the sight in front of them. Daren's eyes darted between all three of them at once, though they did linger on Edward the longest. His protective stance in front of Bella was not natural at all. Jessica, however, kept her eyes trained on Bella, their blue completely unreadable. They must have been retracing their steps in their search for Angela.

"More friends of yours?" Edgar asked with a raised eyebrow.

"That's none of your business."

Hearing Bella speak made Jessica unfreeze from whatever daze she was in, and she stormed forward with Daren hot on her heels. Edward shifted ever so slightly, moving towards the edge of the footpath and widening his stand, somehow making himself seem bigger. It was most likely to keep all three of them out of Edgar's line of sight, but now it meant Bella's gun was pointed right at the back of his head.

"Whatever explanation you have isn't going to be enough," hissed Jessica with more malice than Bella had ever heard before. "But give it your best shot."

"He took Angela," was all she could think to say.

It was Daren who spoke next with barely concealed anger. "Have you contacted the police? Or was your plan to have a showdown at noon?"

Bella glared at him and shifted slightly so the barrel of her gun could be aimed at its target over Edward's shoulder. "Sarcasm won't help."

"No, but he is right, Bella. Have you called the police?"

"No."

A frustrated grunt left Jessica's mouth. "Why not?"

"Because they'd do no good and…" Turning to face them, she searched each of their faces before ultimately deciding that hiding the severity of what was happening would only hinder their chances of getting Angela back safely. "I don't want blood on my hands. Edgar would just end up killing everyone to get to me."

"She is absolutely correct," called Edgar, breaking through their little meeting. Once everyone had turned their attention to him, he tipped his imaginary hat. "Good evening, newcomers. Now, forgive me if I sound a little impatient, but this has drawn on far too long. You know the terms and now you need to decide. How about we meet back here at midnight tomorrow?"

Edward took a step forward and his voice was filled with rage when he spoke. "There is no version of this deal where you leave with your life intact."

"I assume you are referring to your coven?"

"My family," he growled.

Edgar threw his cigar on the road and crushed it under his boot. "Bring them. It would be lovely to see little Alice once more. Now, I really must run." His eyes met Bella's as they took on a predatory glint, sending a chill up her spine that had nothing to do with the cold air. "We will meet again, beautiful Bella."

He was gone in the blink of an eye. A second later Edward relaxed his stand, though he did not turn away from the alley across the street, which told Bella that Edgar had disappeared down there. He'd no doubt continue listening until the other vampire's thoughts were too far away to hear.

While he focused on that, it took all of Bella's willpower to turn to her friends. She stalled by making sure the safety on her pistol was on and placing it back in the waistband of her jeans. Jessica's fury was almost tangible and she stood with her arms crossed, tapping her foot lightly on the concrete. It was Daren who was hard to read, his solemn expression something Bella had never witnessed before from the usually happy-go-lucky guy.

"Care to explain any of what just happened?" asked Jessica impatiently.

"Well -."

"That guy just disappeared!"

Bella held up her hands in a placating manner in the face of her friend's fury. "I know, a-and I can explain."

"He took Angela?" asked Daren in a dangerously low voice.

"It's because he's after me. I never thought this would happen. Everything is… complicated."

"Start from the beginning," he replied.

A movement in the corner of her eye brought Bella's attention to Edward, who was no longer staring across the street, but instead close beside her. Though his shoulders were still tense and his eyes were hardened, it was clear that Edgar was long gone. They weren't in immediate danger. As their eyes met, Edward gave a barely there nod.

There was no denying what it meant, but she found herself asking, "Are you sure?"

"My opinion doesn't matter, Bella. The secret - my secret - is yours to give."

Jessica's eyes swiveled between the both of them, the frustration evident on her face. "What secret?"

Bella squared her shoulders and took a deep breath before turning back to her friends. She pulled the dive bar keys from her pocket as she said, "We're going to need some drinks."