It was raining when we got to the entrance of the hospital. I ran in the rain to get the car while Faith waited under the shelter.

We drove back to Charlie’s house in silence. I tried to make small talk on the way, but failed miserably. Faith stared blankly at the passing scenery as we slowly drove through the quiet town of Forks. Her vacant expression reminded me of the time when I just exiled myself here.

The rain slowed to a light drizzle when we pulled up into the driveway of my old house. I picked up the keys hidden under the eaves and let ourselves in. I went upstairs to get towels to dry us off while Faith waited at the family room. I did some quick cleaning in my room before heading back down.

Faith was standing by the fireplace when I got back down. I deliberately made some noise when I walked into the room. She hastily put the picture frame she was holding back to its original place. I stole a quick glance at the mantel piece. It was a photo that we had taken back in the fourth grade. The two of us were involved in a school play then, the Wizard of Oz. We were in our play costumes, I had my right arm draped over her shoulders and we were smiling brightly.

There were hints of tears at the corners of Faith’s eyes. I pretend not to notice as I handed her the towel. I left the room with another excuse of turning on the heater; she needed some time to pull herself together.

I took the opportunity to make her a cup of hot cocoa in the kitchen. I wanted to make something for her to eat as well; she had not finished her sandwich just now. Upon checking the fridge and the cabinets; I realised they were running low on supplies. Charlie must have gone back to his dinner routine at the diner’s. I made a mental note to stock them up later during the night.

I paused and snuck a peek before going into the family room. Faith seemed to be alright now. I passed her the hot cocoa. She threw me a small smile as she accepted the mug gratefully. I gave her a tour around the tiny two storey house when she was done. The first floor was covered in a mere minute or two, so we proceeded upstairs.

We passed by Charlie’s room at the top of the stairs. His room door was slowly creaking open as the wind blew through the house. I went into the room and shut the window while Faith waited outside. I spotted my wedding photo sitting on Charlie’s nightstand as I went out of the room. I hoped Faith had not spotted it; I had no idea how much Charlie had told her.

I took her to my old bedroom, where she would be staying. I left Faith to unpack in the room and went downstairs. Plodding myself into the nearest armchair, I fidgeted with the wedding ring on my hand as I thought about today’s unexpected turn of events. I had answers to most of my questions, but some are still left unanswered. Alice should have warn me about this unexpected visitor, so why didn’t she?

I was still deep in thought when I heard a soft cough behind me. I stopped fiddling and hid my hand under the pillow.

“Bella, I’m done unpacking.” Faith took a seat at the couch. She hugged the cushion and stared blankly into space. Few minutes of uncomfortable silence passed. I decided to break the awkward stillness.

“Faith, what’s your plan right now?” I asked softly. She’s eighteen this year, so she should be in her senior year right now. But seeing her in Forks right now, it meant that she had no intention in going back to her school back in California.

“Honestly I’m not too sure myself. I’m all alone now that granny’s gone. I didn’t want to go back to California. Being alone is too much for me to handle. I can’t take it anymore.” Faith said in a small voice, hugging the cushion tighter as she stared intently at the carpet.

Another minute of silence passed. Faith took a deep breath before continuing.

“I guess I’ll stay here till Uncle Charlie’s better. He needs someone to take care of him now that you’re married.” My stomach did a double flip. So Charlie did tell her about it. “I’ll decide where to go after Uncle Charlie is fully recovered.”

I took a long unnecessary breath before I spoke.

“Why don’t you stay here, Faith? I’ll be more assured if someone’s looking after Charlie. You know he’s not much of a cook.” She looked up, surprised at my sudden offer.

“Besides, we could take care of you here. You can even finish your senior year here at Forks High.” I held my breath as I waited for her response. Faith had looked down again, back to the routine of staring at the carpet. She seemed to be debating with herself.

I got up and took the seat next to her. I carefully placed my hand on her shoulder, reassuring her. That was what I truly wanted. I’m sure Charlie wouldn’t mind either.

Faith finally looked up after a minute or two. She gave the slightest nod. I smiled as I took her hands in mine. She did not flinch at the coldness of my touch.

“Remember my promise when we’re kids? I’ll always be your side whenever you needed me.” Faith smiled as she gave me a tight hug, tears brimming from her eyes. But this time, they were tears of happiness.

***

"Faith!” I finally found my voice. “What are you doing here?”

Faith took a step backwards and looked at Charlie with pleading eyes.

“Bells, I think you should accompany her to the cafeteria. She had not eaten a single thing since she arrived this morning.” Charlie interrupted before I could ask any more questions.

“Um, okay.” I set down the soup on the table by Charlie’s bed and reminded him to drink it while the soup’s still hot. I spotted a brown chequered suitcase next to Charlie’s bed. It must be Faith’s. I exchanged a meaningful glance with Charlie before I stepped out of the room.

I held the door open for Faith. She threw another unsure glance at Charlie before she came out. I led the way to the cafeteria while Faith followed quietly beside me. She kept her eyes glued to the ground the whole way.

I pushed opened the pale pink doors to the cafeteria. It was a small place; there were only ten tables at most. Most of the tables were occupied, since it was lunchtime. Faith went to get herself something to eat while I went to find seats. People stopped their conversations as I walked past them.

Lucky I had chose to wear a baseball cap today. It helped to hide my face as I made my way to the back. I pulled the cap lower while I walked past familiar faces that now held suspicion and scepticism. How I wished to have Edward’s gift right now, then I could know what these people were thinking about. I could bail if people got too close to discovering my identity.

I found one empty table at the back of the cafeteria. I sat down and rubbed my temples. I was confused. There were so many things I wanted to ask Faith. Why was she here? Isn’t she supposed to be in California with her grandma? Why didn’t Alice warn me about this unexpected visitor?

I was still pondering over the millions of questions in my head when Faith came and set down a tray, taking the seat opposite me. She took a sip of the hot cocoa, while gripping the mug tightly in her hand. Silence filled the space between us. She was waiting for me to speak first. I scrambled my mind for the correct things to say.

“Hey Faith.” I spoke softly in my musical voice, not wanting to startle her.

“Hey.” She replied; eyes still glued to the table. She fell silent again. I took a deep breath before continuing.

“I know I looked really different from last time...”

“I know. Uncle Charlie told me. You had a serious illness two years back, you had to move to Alaska for treatment and stuff. When you finally recovered you looked different.” She finally peeled her eyes off the table and looked straight at me. Her hair was untidy with odd strands sticking out at weird places; her usual warm brown eyes were puffy, dull and lifeless. She had deep dark circles and the eye bags below her eyes were huge. She looked so... different from what the little that I could remember.

***

Faith was the only daughter of Uncle Joseph, Charlie’s younger brother. She was just two years younger than me, and a total opposite of who I was. She was athletic and outgoing, and very popular in school. Despite our differences, we were as close as real sisters. We used to live on the same street back in Phoenix, until that particular summer when I was fifteen.

It was the last day of school before summer break; I had met her outside her school. Our schools were next to each other, so we always met up to go home together. We were happily planning our summer getaway when we turned into our street and saw a police car parked right outside her house. Renee was speaking to a policeman, and she was crying. We broke into a run towards Renee. That was when we found out the tragedy. Faith’s parents were killed in a car crash.

Faith was shocked by the sudden news. She simply slumped down on the ground and began sobbing uncontrollably. I took her back to my place while Renee informed Charlie. He came the next day and began to make preparations for the funeral. I stayed with Faith the whole time. We spent every night huddled together, crying our hearts out. She finally pulled herself together and stopped crying the night before the funeral. She did not drop a single tear during the entire ceremony.

Faith was a changed person after that fateful day. She was no longer her bubbly self, and she rarely spoke anymore. Her maternal grandmother arrived on the day of the funeral. Granny offered Faith to stay with her in California, and she agreed. Staying in her old house was too unbearable for her. Every inch of the place held memories of her parents, a painful reminder that they will never be back again.

Faith flew to California two days later. We kept in touch via letters and emails, and occasionally Renee would let me visit her during the summer vacations. But ever since I moved to Forks, I slowly lost contact with her. I thought Faith had forgotten me, and I kept it that way when I found about the Cullens.

***

I tried to start up the conversation again.

“How did you know Charlie was in hospital?” Faith could not have found out about Charlie’s hospitalisation thru Renee. I had kept the most of the bad news from her; I just told her Charlie had some accident during work and had to take a few days off. It was true, in some sense. I did not want a worried, overreacted Renee to show up expectedly the next day. Knowing her, that was exactly what she would do.

“Did you come alone? Or did Granny come with you? Where is she?” I asked. Questions just came one after another. I could see tears slowly gathered at the corner of her eyes.

“Oh Bella. I feel so horrible. I’m all alone now. Granny... granny... she’s gone.” Faith broke down and began to sob uncontrollably. People started to turn their heads in our direction to see the sudden commotion. I moved to the seat next to her and patted her back, trying to comfort her. After a round of crying, she managed to compose herself. She spoke again.

“I called your Phoenix house’s number after Granny’s funeral, but nobody picked up. So I thought I could come and visit you guys here at Forks. I just got here today. I got directions along the way to Uncle Charlie’s house, only to find the house empty. I asked around with the neighbours, and found out about Uncle Charlie’s accident. So I came straight here to visit him.”

She looked at me with tear streaked face and puffy red eyes. I broke the glance after a minute, and began to concentrate on the mini cracks on the table that had suddenly caught my attention. I felt so guilty, not able to be with Faith when all the awful stuff happened. When we were little, she used to stand up for me whenever kids jeered about my parents being separated. I had sworn to be by her side whenever she needed me. I had broken our promise.

Faith seemed to know the turmoil that was going through me. She nibbled her sandwich while keeping her eyes on anything but me. I did the same. She finished the rest of her lunch in silence. I followed her back to Charlie’s ward. He was finishing up the soup when we entered.

“Hey, you guys are back. How’s lunch?” Charlie asked with an over-the-top enthusiasm in his voice. I closed the door behind me while Faith went to stand by Charlie’s bed. We did not reply. Awkward silence filled the room.

“Um, Bells? Why don’t you take her back to my place? She must be exhausted with all the travelling.” Faith gave a tiny nod and went to pick up her suitcase. I bid Charlie goodbye and led the way to the car park.

***

I laid my head on Edward’s chest as I watched the rays of sunshine slowly brightened the dark sky. Sunrise was my favourite part of the day; every sunrise meant a new beginning and another beautiful day with my Edward and Nessie.

Soon, the sun was up, and our skins glistered like diamonds under the sunshine. I smiled as I sat up and looked at Edward. I ran my fingers over his arm as I took in his beauty. He was beautiful, and he was mine. He had no longer referred his skin as the skin of a killer; I had helped to change that mindset of his. Edward looked at his wristwatch. It was 7am in the morning.

“Are we leaving already?” I asked as Edward sighed and got up.

“I got to head back now. They are catching the 10am flight.”

“Oh.” My face fell. I wanted to spend more time with him.

Edward must have heard the disappointment in my voice.

“Don’t worry, love.” Edward tipped my face up. “There will be lots of chances in the future. I’m sure Jacob doesn’t mind babysitting again.” He chuckled. Edward must be imagining Jacob in my apron. I smiled, my spirits lifting a little. I was already looking forward to the next visit.

“Oh, Edward? Can I borrow your car today? I’m going to visit Charlie later on.”

“Sure. See you later then, love.” Edward dropped his keys in my palm and gave me a light peck on my lips. He was going to send the couple off to the airport with Carlisle. I watched till his figure faded in the distant before dashing back to the cottage.

Jacob was sleeping on the couch, snoring with his mouth wide open. I picked up the quilt that had dropped on the floor and draped it over him. I went to check on Nessie. She was still asleep in her room. Closing the door quietly, I went into the kitchen and began to prepare breakfast.

“Morning Momma. What are you cooking? It smells so good.” Nessie stood at the doorway, rubbing her sleepy eyes.

“Morning, honey. I’m making chicken soup for Grandpa Charlie. Breakfast will be ready soon. Why don’t you go wake up Jacob? He’s asleep in the living room.” I told her as I stirred the soup. Nessie’s eyes lit up at the mention of Jacob. She took off immediately to find him.

Charlie had transferred to the Forks Community Hospital just yesterday. Carlisle had just given him the all-clear this morning, under strict orders that he had to stay home for another week before he could go back to work. Charlie could discharge in a couple more days.

He was ecstatic at the news; like me, he hated the fuss that everyone had over him and preferred the comfort of our home. He was upset by the home confinement orders; but he did not have many choices, as I stood by Carlisle’s decision.

I put their breakfast on the table. I heard Jacob grunted in protest as Nessie attempted to wake him up. She must have done something to him; he was up and chasing a shrieking Nessie around the dining table moments later.

***

Jacob left straight after breakfast. I offered him a ride, but he declined. I left Nessie under the care of Rosalie at the main house. I backed Edward’s Volvo out of the garage and soon I was on my way to the hospital. I had chosen to take Edward’s car today; my Ferrari would have gotten me too much unwanted attention.

Minutes later, I pulled into the lot next to the familiar white building. This place was smaller than the one in Port Angeles; which meant a lower occupancy rate. That was a relief for me; it would not be as tormenting as the past visits to the Port Angeles’s hospital.

I did something that I usually don’t do today - examining my looks in the mirror before I got out of the car. I was wearing a tan woollen sweater with black skinny jeans and my usual converse sneakers. The weather was rather chilly since it was still early spring. Not that I could feel much of a difference though. I pulled the baseball cap that I had prepared this morning out of the glove compartment and put it on. I checked my reflection again and decided I looked ordinary enough to blend in with the crowd, and different enough to avoid being recognised by any familiar faces.

Pulling the cap lower to hide my face, I walked briskly towards my destination. I had checked with Carlisle before coming this morning. I knew exactly where I was heading to. I don’t lack experience from visiting this hospital; my clumsiness had ensured regular visits when I was human. Turning left at the next corner, I heard two beating hearts when I stopped outside Charlie’s ward. Thinking that it was just a nurse doing routine checkups, I plastered a smile on my face and pushed open the door.

“Hey, Dad. I made you some soup...” My words were suddenly choked at my throat when I saw the other person in the room. Only she wasn’t a nurse as I had assumed. The girl had shoulder length hair, the same wavy brown one like mine, and even the same chocolate eyes I used to have. She rose when she saw me froze at the door.

“Bella? Is that really you?” The girl asked in a timid voice as she took a step forward. I was still in the state of shock; for I had not prepared myself to meet anyone from Phoenix.

***

We headed back to the main house for Xavier and Liz’s farewell party. They were leaving the next morning; off for another honeymoon trip.

It was amazing to how fast Alice could get a party going. She took off straight away after the game, giving strict orders that we were to take our time to make our way back. By the time we reached the river behind the house, I could hear music blasting from the house, and not to mention the decorations that she had all over the place. The back yard was decorated with tiny lights that hanged over our heads and the nearby trees, like those prom night scenes you would see in the movies. It was pretty impressive. And I swear it had only been a minute or two since she left us.

Though I was impressed by her amazing speed to decorate the place in such short time, I still flinched when we entered the house. It seems like she transformed the living room into my living hell. It was not as bad as the graduation party few years back, but still, it was bad enough.

Honestly I don’t understand why vampires have parties. We don’t eat, and we don’t drink; so basically, they just danced the night away. But dancing was still not an option for me, I thought as I watched Alice spanned happily around the room. Even Jasper looked happy and relaxed.

Edward knew party was not my thing, so he kept me accompanied by the couch while we watched the rest danced. I did not want to take any risk of breaking any furniture (or worse, the glass windows) by joining them on the dance floor. I often took people down with me when I fell.

Nessie came to join us a while later. She yawned as she settled cosily into Edward’s lap. It had been an eventful day for Nessie, and she was exhausted. Soon, Edward was cradling a sleeping Nessie in his arms. I got up went to bid farewell to our new friends. I found them by the grand piano.

“Hey, Liz. Nessie’s tired, so we are heading home soon. I came to say goodbye.” I paused and took a deep breath. I was never good with goodbyes. “Have a safe trip tomorrow. And keep in touch okay?” My voice shivered slightly as I gave her a tight hug. I’m going to miss her.

“Sure, Bella. It’s been so great knowing you guys.” Liz returned my hug.

“And thanks again Xavier,” I said, turning to face him. “I couldn’t thank you enough.” He smiled. He looked like he was about to say something when a voice cut him off.

“Liz! Xavier! There you are! I’ve bought something for you guys. Farewell gifts. I think they’ll come in handy for your trip...” Alice appeared out of nowhere and dragged them up the stairs. I laughed to myself as I walked over to Edward, who was waiting by the front door.

“What’s so funny?” He asked as we raced into the dark night. I removed my shield to show him my thoughts. I was thinking about what Alice had gotten for them. I wondered how they would react when they saw their gifts. Knowing Alice, her gifts to them must be similar to my birthday gifts.

Poor Liz, I thought as Edward chuckled.

“Her gifts are not that bad, you know. I loved the black lacy one she got for your birthday. It looked nice on you.” Edward grinned mischievously. I looked ahead into the dark forest instead of replying him. I was embarrassed.

***

I tucked Nessie in after dinner. She could barely keep her eyes open while eating. She fell asleep as soon as her little head had touched the pillow. I smiled as I watched her sleep peacefully. Edward was taking a bath in our room.

She needed a new bed, I realised. We switched her baby cot for this bed when she was four months old. It’s been a while since then and she had grown so much taller. In fact, she looked like a year older than she was on my birthday. And it had only been a few months.

I would have to tell Edward when he finished his bath. Maybe we could go and get her new bed this weekend. Closing Nessie’s room door, I went into the kitchen and put on my apron. The dishes are not going to wash themselves.

Knock. Knock. Knock. Someone was tapping impatiently on the door.

“Coming!” I yelled out of habit. Who is it? I thought as I dropped the dishes that I was washing into the sink. I was by the door in a second. My eyes widened with surprise when I saw the visitor.

“Jacob? What are you doing here?” Jacob had chosen to stay away for these few days because of our visitors. I had to send Nessie to La Push yesterday so he could bring her to visit Charlie. I was certainly not expecting him to show up at our cottage.

“Hey, you’re here.” Edward greeted him when he walked out of our room with a towel draped over his neck. He looked so gorgeous with his wet hair.

“Hey.” Jacob greeted back, ignoring my question.

“Nessie’s asleep. There’s nothing much to do, oh except the dishes in the sink. Thanks.” Edward took off the apron that I was wearing and threw it to Jacob. He then dragged me out of the door. Behind me, I could hear Jacob murmured something under his breath as he closed the door; something about car parts and dishes.

“Why is Jacob at our house? And doing the dishes for me?” I asked warily as we sprinted through the dark night. People had been ignoring my questions a lot these few days.

“I’ve hired him for babysitting. I was thinking of having some alone time for us at the meadow. It’s been a while since we’ve visited it. You won’t object, would you?” Edward winked and flashed me a smile that left me speechless.

***

The weather turned out to be nice the next day. The sky was a rare baby blue, without a single cloud in sight. But the problem was easily solved with a little help from Liz, and our game was back on track.

The others raced off to the clearing while I ran upstairs to get a thicker jacket for Nessie. I didn’t want her to catch a cold while watching the game; not that the chances of a half vampire getting ill was high. But nevertheless, it made me feel slightly more assured.

Nessie hopped onto Edward’s back and we were off to the familiar clearing. Nessie squealed in delight as we ran through the thick underbrush. I smiled as I remembered the first time Edward showed me how he travelled in forest. It nearly scared the living hell out of me, not to mention the dizziness I felt afterward. Edward had to persuade me (I had no objection to his method of persuasion) before I could allow him to sling me over his back for the second time. I vaguely remembered fearing about hitting trees, dying and motion sickness.

My fears were absolutely unnecessary, I laughed to myself as I raced through the forest with Edward and Nessie by my side. I could see the leaves on each branch as we ran past them. Come to think of it, we could probably tell you the number of veins each leaf had. It was clear to that extent.

The forest slowly thinned out; the glow of light started to get brighter as we approached the clearing. I had a mixture of feelings when we finally reached our destination. So many things had happened here at this one spot; my first encounter with the deadly tracker James, the fight with Victoria’s newborn army; and the most recent, the showdown with the Volturi. The first two threats were now permanently eliminated, but Volturi will always remain as a danger element in our lives.

Edward set Nessie down by the rock and went to join the rest in the open field. I passed her the jacket and briefly explained to her the rules of the game. It was her first time watching baseball, the vampire style.

They had already split into two teams when by the time I finished explaining; Alice, Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett on one team, with the rest of the other. Liz and I were to play the role of umpire. It was my first baseball match after the change. But since the transformation had not eradicated my clumsiness, it was safer for me and the rest if I played the role of a referee or spectator. I watched as the rest took their places. Alice was to pitch first.

“Batter up.” I called out in a clear voice. A peal of thunder sounded in the distance, marking the start of the game. It was much more exciting to watch when you have vampire’s vision. You could catch every movement that human eyes would miss, like the speed at which the ball was flying. The players were no longer a blur as they ran around the bases.

“Out!” Liz called as Rosalie slid into the base a millisecond after Edward emerged from the edge of the forest, ball in his upraised hand. Nessie cheered and Rosalie stalked off sulkily, as the team changed its batter.

The inning continued as the thunderstorm rolled on. Occasionally, the thunder would rumble, threatening to come closer. Rain did come in at some point during the game, but it was not enough to bother the players. Besides, we had Liz on our side.

Xavier was a good batter, sometimes hitting harder than Emmett. There was once where he hit the ball so hard and far that he had managed homerun before Jasper could get the ball back in play. Of course, the other team had advantage, having Alice on their team. They never missed a ball with her catching. With her help, Emmett’s team was leading.

The score constantly changed as the game went on. Edward played intelligently as usual, closing the gap between the two teams’ scores. Surprisingly, they did not razz each other as often today. The game ended when the thunderstorm subsided. The sky was a brilliant orange as the sun slowly set.

“Spare me please.” Edward groaned when Liz announced the result. Emmett’s team had won by just one run.

“Yes!” Emmett then pulled his shirt over his head and began to run around the field like crazy. You’ll think that he had just won the Major League. Rosalie rolled her eyes while the rest laughed.

“Daddy! Daddy!” Nessie ran over to Edward and he scooped her up and whirled her around.

“Daddy was so great!” She exclaimed excitedly as she recounted her favourite moments. Nessie’s eyes were brimming with excitement and admiration. I smiled adoringly at her as I followed them back to the house.

***

Alice and the rest had gone for the rest of the afternoon. Seizing the rare chance of Alice’s absence, I had gone back to the cottage to get some of my books, intending to spend the quiet afternoon reading in Edward’s room. I was so absorbed in my reading that I did not even notice when Nessie was back. I glanced at the clock in Edward’s room. It was already five in the evening. Closing the book, I went downstairs. I found Edward watching the TV in the living room.

“Where’s Nessie?” I asked as I planted a kiss on his cheek. Edward smiled my favourite crooked smile and glanced to his right.

Following his glance, I found Nessie on a chair, propped up against the window. Her mouth was in a pout as she watched the rain fell, washing away the last of snow in our front yard. She loved the snow so much; she was having fun building a snowmen family yesterday. But Forks being Forks, snow would not last that long.

Joining Nessie by the window, I brushed her hair absentmindedly as I watched the little raindrops fell and splattered on the ground. My attention was diverted by the Yellow Porsche pulling into the driveway.

Alice appeared moments later, carrying so many designer carriers that you would think she had bought everything off the shelves. I stared at the bags, calculating. It must be enough to get a house in Beverly Hills, I finally concluded.

“Alice, why don’t you buy the whole mall the next time you’re at it?” I remarked, rolling my eyes as I caught the few bags she threw to me.

“Oh, I wanted to, but Esme wouldn’t hear of it.” She simply answered. I just stared after Alice in disbelief, who was now happily skipping up the stairs. Rosalie followed behind her, leaving Lizabeth alone with us.

“We have not gotten the chance to thank you the other time.” Edward stood up and came to my side. He gave her a grateful smile.

“Please, just call me Liz.” She smiled, showing a dimple in her left cheek.

“This must be Renesmee. Rosalie told me all about her while we were shopping just now.” Liz smiled at her, who was now hiding behind Edward. Renesmee smiled shyly as she peeked out from under her hair. Edward bent down and carried Nessie. She placed her little palm on Edward’s cheek as she threw another shy look in Liz’s way.

“Yes Nessie. She was the nice lady I’ve told you about just now.” Edward answered. Nessie smiled, her eyes sparkling with excitement as she reached out for Liz.

“Hello, little angel.” She smiled fondly at Nessie. I watched as Nessie placed her palm on Liz’s cheek. I wanted to warn her but she did not seem to be surprised by Nessie’s gift.

“Of course, my dear. That would not be a problem for me.” Liz replied after a moment, and she turned and walked out of the front door. I threw a curious look at Edward as we followed behind them. He was simply smiling at whatever Nessie had just told Liz.

Liz set Nessie down in the front yard and glanced at the sky for a minute for two. I watched in surprise as the rain suddenly stopped and the clouds in the vicinity started to change. The rain from before started to freeze, coating the needles on the trees in incredible, stunning patterns. A snowflake landed on my open palm moments later.

“Look Momma! It’s snowing!” Nessie squealed in delight, as more snowflakes started to fall from the sky. Soon, the whole yard was covered in snow.

Liz smiled as she turned and walked towards us. Nessie was she dancing about happily, catching snowflakes in her little hands. We sat on the porch and chatted, while watching Nessie played.

After a long chat, we found out that she had meet Xavier at a medical school in London back at the late 1600’s. She was still human then; she had run away from home because she refused to agree to the arranged marriage. Most marriages were arranged back in those days; the girls had no right to choose their future husband.

Liz had resorted to working during the day to fund her school fees for the night courses she and Xavier attended. They had fall in love at first sight. Xavier was hesitant at first, because of their natural predator and prey status. He avoided her at all costs, wanting to keep Liz safe.

“He even changed class and disappeared for days to avoid me! But I was persistent, so he gave up in the end.” Liz laughed as I threw a meaningful look at Edward.

She continued, telling us interesting stories that she and Xavier had encountered in London. Her story took a drastic turn as she recounted the fateful night she was turned.

“I ended work early that day so Xavier wasn’t there yet. I was on my way to the cafe where I was supposed to meet him when I felt that someone was following me. I kept glancing back, but I couldn’t spot anyone.” Liz shuddered slightly as she recalled that tragic night. I wanted to ask her to stop if she was uncomfortable, but she continued on before I could interrupt.

“When I turned at the next alley, I saw this man, so beautiful that he looked like an angel; like my Xavier. Only, he did not have the same diet Xavier did.” She smiled bitterly at that memory before she continued.

“He was about to drain my blood when Xavier showed up. He tore my attacker apart in an instant, but he was still a step too late. His venom had gotten into my bloodstream. Three days later, I was just like him. Forever twenty-three.” Liz took a deep breath before continuing.

“Because I was bitten by a normal vampire, I couldn’t resist the scent of humans. Xavier had to take me out of town to avoid human contact. We lived roamed around for about few years before I could control my thirst. It took me a few more decades of practice before I could get used to this vegetarian diet.” She said, giving us a small smile.

“The newborn year was the worst.” Liz reflected in a small voice, looking down at her feet as she spoke. I could see her eyes were glistering from the venom. “I would go into rages whenever my thirst was not satisfied. Poor Xavier had it worst. He had to endure my tantrums; and my newborn strength was definitely not helping. It was the main cause of his injuries.” Her voice broke off.

I rubbed her back, trying to comfort her.

“Don’t worry. I’m alright.” She reassured me. She looked up to the sky for another minute and the snow gradually stopped falling. Rain took its place, drizzling lightly. Nessie glanced up in disappointment as she watched the sky slowly darkened with more rain clouds. She walked over to us with a glum face.

“Now there, Nessie.” Edward chided her gently as he scooped her up. “You had your fun. It’s time to go back in.” Liz and I followed behind as Edward headed back into the house.

Everyone was gathered at the living room when we came back. Liz glided over to Xavier, who was standing by the staircase. They exchanged a meaningful glance before facing us again.

“So, who’s up for some baseball? I heard you guys were pretty good.” Xavier smiled.

“Yes!” Emmett pumped his fist in the air, excited for some action. “Come on, let’s go! I’ll race you guys to the clearing!” He shouted and in a blink of an eye, he was gone. Everyone stared after him, astonished.

“I have not gotten the chance to finish my sentence.” Xavier blinked in surprise as he stared after the open door. “I was about to suggest the game for tomorrow.”

I tried to stifle my laugh but it was not working. Unable to hold it in any longer, I burst out in laughter and the rest joined in.

“Someone.... better... go... get him... back.” I managed to gasp in between laughter. I was breathless from all the laughing.

“Oh, don’t worry. He’ll be back in half an hour. He’s doing stretching exercises now.” Alice snickered, causing me to laugh even harder.

***

BCC news channel broke the news first. I sat cross-legged on the couch, hugging a pillow as I watched the news.

“Jackson Hills, 35, suspected mastermind behind several armed robberies and wanted in the state of California, was apprehended late last night in Portland, Oregon. A fire had broken out in the middle of the night at a stretch of deserted shop houses, leading the fire fighters to find two unconscious men in the back of the building. After contacting the police, it was confirmed of their identities; they were involved in the recent armed robbery in Port Angeles. He had managed to escape whilst the confusion of shooting, bringing with him the bag of loot and his accomplice, Ernie James Carter, 33.”

“A police officer was shot in the line of duty; but sources had confirmed a full recovery for the injured officer. Authorities confirmed that the criminals will be extradited to California to stand trial, along with the rest of the accomplices. But they are unable to tell us at this time, the exact date of the trial.”

A mug shot of the mastermind flashed on screen. I could hardly recognise the face in the unclear picture. He had a moustache at the time of the photograph, not to mention the different hair colour. But I caught sight of the tiny scar at the end of right eye, erasing all my doubts.

Switching off the TV when the news moved on to a report on a landslide happening somewhere in North America, I heaved out a relieved sigh. I leaned back and stared blankly at the ceiling. I had been doing this a lot lately I realised; as I let last night’s memories flooded my mind.

***

I had lunged forward at the leader, Jackson, wanting to give him hell for shooting Charlie. Picking him up singlehandedly, I threw him across the room, while the other one watched in horror. I would deal with him when I was done with the leader. He had fainted from the impact. I was about to snap off his head when Edward stopped me. Not worth it, he had told me, dirtying my hand with killing this lowlife.

I hesitated; knowing that he was right. I couldn’t risk any bloodshed in here, not that I would want his filthy blood flooding in me. It was disgusting. Besides, death was too easy for him. He must pay for his crime. Releasing him, I dropped his lifeless body on ground and went outside to wait for Edward as he dealt with the other one; crushing the glass shards into dust as I walked out.

Edward was fast with the other one. He came out seconds later, holding a bottle of alcohol that he had took from the food supply bag. He poured the contents on the pavement outside the shop house and in seconds, the whole place was on fire. I watched as the flames licked the shop front, turning them into dark charred wood. Edward picked up his phone and made a call to the local fire department. Then we were off, once again to the dark highway. Behind us, we could hear the sirens of the fire engine breaking the silence of the night as we drove away.

***

Snapping back to reality, I frowned at the memories. It was not exactly what I had in mind, but it was better this way.

The main house was empty except for me, Edward and Esme. She was upstairs working on her blueprints; her latest project being Alice’s wardrobe revamp. I rolled my eyes at that thought. Edward was working on his Volvo in the garage; and Jacob and Nessie had brought the wolf pack to visit Charlie.

The front door flung open suddenly; Alice skipped happily into the room, followed by the rest, who were all obviously upset at Alice.

“Alice, why did you pull us back here?” Emmett grumbled. “I was about to get hold of a grizzly!” He hated it when people interrupted his hunt. When it comes to hunting, grizzly was all that he could think of. War World III would have broken out and he would remain oblivious to the fact.

“Oh quit whining Emmett. Alice must have her reason for dragging us back. Right?” Rosalie threw Alice her famous death stare.

“Oh, of course! You’ll find out in a minute.” She was clearly excited; bouncing up and down as she tried to hold in her excitement.

“What’s going on?” Esme came down the stairs. Even Edward appeared at my side when he heard the racket. I shrugged in response.

We heard Carlisle’s Mercedes pulled up in the driveway moments later. Two distinct scents floated in our direction as the car doors opened. Clearly they were of our kind. What caught me off guard was one of their scent was unexpectedly familiar. I looked at Edward in surprise.

My eyes opened even wider when the visitors stepped into the room. They looked so out of this world, something you would imagine while reading Greek myths. I took in a sharp breath as I surveyed these two visitors.

He was pale like the rest of us; his chestnut coloured hair was cropped short but fitted his face perfectly. His golden eyes were full of amusement and excitement, and his lips looked as though they were crafted. His features alone were breath-taking. But together with his outfit, he looked like he just flew in from Milan’s fashion show.

Despite his inhuman beauty and perfection, it was his companion that caught my eye. She was petite like Alice, sporting jet black hair in a short bob cut. Her eyes were covered with sunglasses, and she had designers all over her. By Alice’s approving looks, I knew she had found her new shopping buddy.

But it was not her apparel that had my attention. Seeing her in such close proximity, something in my mind clicked. Oh! I gasped as realisation hit me. But this stranger was faster.

“Hello. We meet again.” The newcomer chimed in her lovely singsong voice, showing her golden eyes as she removed her sunglasses.

“I see you had met Lizabeth.” Carlisle smiled as Edward and I walked over to greet our guests.

“This is Xavier, her husband. I met him when I was I met him when I was travelling in Europe He was still alone then.” Carlisle smiled at his old friend.

“It was great back then; we have the same ideals and share the same beliefs. But I never thought that you could start such a big family.” Xavier said in a slight British accent as he glanced around the room to look at all of us. “I’m so envious.”

“Not so bad yourself. You’ve got Lizabeth.” Carlisle reminded him. Xavier just smiled proudly.

“Why don’t you guys stay for a few days?” Esme suggested.

“Great idea, Esme! We’ve got lots of shopping to do then! Shall we go now? Please?” I wanted to laugh out loud when I saw Alice’s expression. She looked just like a child begging her mum to bring her to a candy store. Alice jumped at every opportunity to go on shopping trip. She was looking at Lizabeth expectedly, who just smiled and nodded.

“Yes! Let’s go!” She shrieked happily as she pulled Lizabeth and Rosalie out of the door.

“We’ve got lots of catching up to do. Let’s go up to my study.” Carlisle suggested. He turned and led his guest upstairs; as Esme hurried off to prepare the guest room for them.

“Alice will always be Alice.” I remarked as I watched as the yellow Porsche drove off. I was glad that Alice had not insisted on me following.

“And Emmett will always be Emmett.” Edward smiled and glanced in his direction. Emmett was standing there, scratching his head; no idea what to do next. That was until he spotted Jasper going up the stairs.

“Hey Bro! How about a rematch?” He called after Jasper. Emmett had just lost to him yesterday. He had learnt the hard way to stop challenging me to arm wrestling match, at least not until after a year or two. So now he’s bugging Jasper instead.

“Buzz off Emmett.”

“Oh, come on...” Emmett’s voice trailed off as he followed Jasper up the stairs. Poor Jasper’s going to have a bad afternoon, I thought as Edward joined in the laughter.

***

I forced myself to think of other trivial things for the rest of the evening. I had nothing to do after making dinner; the house was spotless, and no house chores were needed to be done. I picked up a fashion magazine that Alice had left lying around and began to read.

But it was not working; I gave up trying after five minutes. Sighing, I went up to Carlisle’s study and grabbed a book randomly from the shelves. I did not even notice what book I had chosen till I came downstairs and plodded down on the nearest armchair and flipped open Chapter One. It was filled with a lot of medical terminology; far more advanced than what I had studied back in Phoenix.

I looked at the gold fancy script on the black leather cover of the book. The pages were yellow from age, but it was still in good condition. It was a book on the history of western medicine.

Oh great. I groaned internally. I did not want to go upstairs to get another book. Edward might get suspicious again. Rubbing my nose bridge for the nth time today, I struggled to understand the contents of the book. I never made it past the first chapter.

You had no idea how glad I was when Edward came over, cradling a sleeping Nessie in his arms. Dashing upstairs to return the book, I was back within seconds and bidding the rest goodbye. We sprinted our way back to the cottage, hand in hand, through the warm night.

I took a fond look at her after we tucked Nessie in bed. Our little angel was sleeping so peacefully; there was even a smile on her beautiful face. Wondering about what dreams could make her smile; I tiptoed out of the room and closed the door gently. Edward took my hand and we raced out once more into the dark forest.

“Where are we going, Edward? What about Nessie?” I asked as we slowed to a stop outside the main house’s garage. Edward opened the passenger door and I climbed in. He reversed the Volvo out and in minutes, we were speeding along the dark highway.

“Where are we going?” I repeated my question.

“Off to do some justice. I know what had been going on your mind the entire day; even though you have been trying very hard to keep that out of your mind.” He replied; his eyes still kept on the road. So he did know.

“But...”

“Nessie will be fine. I’ve asked Alice to keep an eye on her.” Edward interrupted before I could finish my question. Silence fell again as we sped in the dark night.

“Bella,” Edward broke the silence minutes later, “I wished you wouldn’t keep everything to yourself. You know I wouldn’t judge you.“ Edward said softly as he reached for my hand. I kept my head down as I felt the guilt and shame overwhelming me again.

“Love, there’s nothing wrong with feeling the way you did.” Edward tipped my head up, so I was glancing directly into his golden eyes. I wanted to look away; but I was glued helplessly to them.

“I felt the same too; which is why I’ve asked Alice for some tips on their whereabouts.” A small smile was playing at the corner of his lips. I stared in disbelief. Not only did he know what was going on in my head the entire day, he was actually one step ahead of me, planning exactly what I was afraid to do.

I turned and stared at the dark road ahead. I knew Edward was my soul mate; we were a perfect match in heaven. But this was so much more. Being able to read my every movement and decode my complex mind was not a simple feat that anyone could achieve. I removed my shield and show him my thoughts. He chuckled and gave my hand a squeeze.

“I love you too, Bella. I’m getting better at understanding you as the days passed. Sure, the shield made me go crazy at times, but I loved finding out things about you the normal way. Every new discovery only made me more in love with you.” He gave me a wink which would make me blush like crazy if I was still my human self. Now, I could only turn paler than my usual ice white skin.

We pulled up at the curb half an hour later. Getting out of the car, I surveyed my surroundings. We were at a stretch of what seemed like deserted shop houses. The lampposts nearby were flickering; it seemed like a ghost town here. Glancing at the nearest street sign, I realised that we were at Port Angeles.

So the police was wrong. Luckily Edward has thought of asking Alice, I thought, slipping my hand into Edward’s as I followed quietly beside him. Turning around at the next corner, we stopped outside the second shop house.

From the looks of the faded signboard that was now half hanging by the rusty hinges, this place used to be a bar. I wiped the thick layer of dust off a tiny corner of the window and peeped in. I could see the empty interior, with the few exceptions of broken chairs and an overturned table lying around in the deserted bar.

It looked empty to the normal human eye; but we knew better. I could see faint traces of light seeping under a door at the back of the room; something the naked human eyes would miss. Such details could not escape our vampire eyesight. Besides, the place reeked of alcohol and human, evident that someone had been here recently.

Edward pushed open the door quietly and we stepped into the abandoned bar. It was darker than the street outside, but the dim lighting was sufficient enough for us to see the broken glass lying around the floor. One wrong move and our presence would be given away. It must be their idea of intruder alarm.

I made my way to the back of the room with Edward following behind me. Once again, I was grateful to Alice as I made it across without making a single sound. The lessons that I dreaded so much had actually come in useful.

“Great thinking, Boss. Leaving a false trail to Seattle, but actually doubling back here to this ghost town for our hideout. Genius! They’ll never find us here!” Out came a rough voice, boasting gleefully.

Peeping through the cracks of the door, I saw two men in the room. One was short and stocky with black wavy hair covered by a baseball cap; the other was tall and muscular, with his shaggy hair pulled back into a messy ponytail.

The tall one was watching BCC news on a small portable TV in the middle of the room; he was no doubt the one who had boasted just now. The other man just leaned against the wall and drank his heart out. The faint light of TV reflected off his face and I spotted a faint scar at the end of his right eye. He then tossed the empty can across the room, where the bag of loot and bags of food supplies could be seen.

“Ern, when you use some brains, anything could be done.” The leader smirked as he opened another can of beer.

Automatically, I clenched my fists into tight balls and they shook with anger. These despicable cads were here enjoying while Charlie laid in the hospital in pain. Unable to suppress my anger any longer, I kicked opened the door. The door broke off from its hinges and fell flat on the ground.

“What the..?” both men jumped out of the way and turned to face Edward and me.

“Who the hell are you guys?” The leader demanded, once he saw that it was only two teenagers standing at the doorway. I saw a hint of relief in his eyes; he was glad that it was not the cops who had busted through the door. I laughed internally. He had no idea.

With a twitch of my lips, I gave them my evil grin. My perfect white teeth gleamed in the dark; reflecting light from the small TV.

“Your worst nightmare.” And I lunged forward.

***

We stayed like this – in silence, for the entire ride home. Edward knew something was bothering me, but he did not question me. He knew I would let him know when I was ready. It was one of the things that made me loved him so much. He never pries; he would give me time and space to myself while I sort things out.

I sat and stoned at the couch when we reached home. The sky was getting darker as the sun slowly set. Nessie was sleeping upstairs in Edward’s room; and Esme was in the kitchen preparing dinner. Jacob just went for patrol now that Nessie was asleep. The rest was out hunting. Edward gave a small sigh in defeat and went to his piano.

Music filled the whole house as I watched the BCC news channel in silence. They were updating on yesterday’s armed robbery at Port Angeles. The leader and one of his accomplices had managed to give the police the slip whilst the confusion of the shooting. They had taken the loot along with them; and were believed to be hiding somewhere in Seattle, according to a lead given by an eyewitness. The rest of the gang – three of them was arrested. One suffered serious injury (Charlie’s credit) while the other two just had some minor bruises and cuts.

I switched the channel when the news was over. Settling on a channel with a mindless sitcom, I laid back on the couch and rubbed my temples.

“Love, what’s wrong?” In a flash, Edward was by my side. I rested my head on his shoulder while I stared blankly at the ceiling, trying to find words to explain the emotions I was feeling right now.

“Edward, I’m feeling... angry and guilty at the same time. Angry at those crooks who landed Charlie in this state. Look at him! Lying there, looking lifeless. You have any idea how felt just now? I felt so helpless; I can’t do anything to help him!” I almost shouted, as I turned to face a surprisingly calm Edward.

I could hear Esme stop cooking in the kitchen, stunned by my sudden outburst. Now that I was letting everything out of my system, I could really feel the fury in me. It was like a forest fire, spreading throughout me, wild and beyond control. Taking deep breaths, I tried to calm myself as Edward pulled me into his embrace, humming my lullaby.

“I was so mad at them; I hated them so much. I wanted to kill them.” I continued in a small voice, ashamed of having such thoughts.

“Bella, no one could blame you,” Edward said soothingly, “it’s natural to feel this way. Remember the little incident at Port Angeles? Remember how furious I was? I wanted to run those monsters over; for having those foul thoughts in their minds. If you had not been there, they would not live to see the sun the next day.”

He gave me a small smile. I could see the hatred in his golden eyes as he recalled the night at Port Angeles. A second too late I might have been another Rosalie, I thought as I shuddered. That human memory remained livid even after the change.

“But he got what he deserved in the end. Although it was not the ideal one that I had in mind, I was satisfied. And you were safe again. It was all that it matters.” Edward pulled me in and gave me a kiss.

Immediately, I felt better. Edward always had his way with his words. He always knew what to do too. We broke apart a minute later, when a sleepy Nessie came down the stairs, rubbing her eyes.

“Momma, what’s wrong? Is Grandpa okay?” asked Nessie, as she climbed onto the couch next to us. I could hear Esme continued with her cooking in the kitchen; Nessie was up and Esme knew my little outburst was over.

“Grandpa is going to be alright. We will be bringing you to visit him soon. He’s been asking for you.” I answered as I tucked a lock of her curly brown hair behind her ear.

Just then, Jacob appeared at the front door. He looked totally drained out from all the patrolling; his eyes were red with tiredness and his eye bags were huge. It was as if he had not been sleeping for days. Jacob murmured a “hi” under his breath and plodded down on the nearest armchair. He was out cold in a minute. I got up and went upstairs to get a quilt for him. I lingered in the room or a minute or so; trying to clear my head.

When I got back down, the whole family was back. Emmett was watching a football game on TV with Jasper; Rosalie was studying her nails intently at the couch, uninterested in the game. Edward was playing the piano with Nessie at his side, watching fascinatingly; and Alice was changing the flowers in the vases as she hummed along to Edward’s song.

I draped the quilt over Jacob, who was now slumped in the chair. His head was now drooping over the armrest; snoring with his mouth wide open.

I let out a tiny sigh that I knew only I could hear. I was ashamed of myself. How could I even entertain the thoughts of killing those crooks? That would have risk the existence of our kind; and not to mention the chance it gave to Volturi to come destroy us again.

Jasper tilted his head in my direction. He must be feeling the torment I was going through right now. Edward stopped playing and looked at me in concern. I gave him a small smile to reassure him before looking away. Nessie must have nudged him then; Edward had continued playing the slow melody.

Glad for the distraction, I went to the kitchen to help Esme. I needed to do things to occupy my thoughts. It’s going to be a long night.

***

The hospital was as bad as I had imagined it to be. As if the overwhelming scent of fresh human blood was not enough to tempt me; I must constantly fight my deadly instincts as I passed by bleeding patients.

Holding back my breath since I was in the five mile radius of the hospital, I leaned back against the wall to allow the nurses to push the latest patient into the operating theatre. He was a poor thing, a victim in a hit-and-run car accident. He had injuries all over his face and on every visible part of his body. The deep cut on the right side of his face was still gushing blood.

How delicious, the scent of warm blood. I can see the blood pumping through the veins under his thin translucent skin. Mmmm, I wonder... I immediately snapped out of my thoughts when I saw the direction they were heading to.

Focus, Bella. You can do it. We’re almost there. I rubbed my nose bridge absentmindedly as I walked, trying to relief some stress. My throat had been burning with thirst ever since we left the car. And the patients are definitely not helping.

Why must there be so many accidents today? I grumbled to myself as I jumped out of the way to let another emergency patient through. Another victim of road accident. Edward wrapped his right arm around my waist as he gave me an encouraging smile. We had come alone today, leaving Nessie in the care of Esme at home. I didn’t want her to see her beloved grandpa in such a state.

Ward 40B. I paused at outside Charlie’s ward, taking a deep unnecessary breath before pushing the door open. I stunned at the doorway, when I saw Charlie lying on the bed.

He had bandages over his chest and head; his lips had suffered multiple cuts and his usually full coloured cheeks were now drained of blood. I took a hesitant step back; Charlie’s eyes were closed and I did not want to wake him up.

“Bella? Is that you?” Charlie asked in a weak voice. He had heard the door opened.

“Yes, Dad. I’m here, with Edward. How are you feeling?” I asked gently as I moved to his side.

“I have a strong will; I won’t die easily. Those guys there are just peanuts; I’ve seen worse during my fishing trips! They can’t take me out.” Charlie joked, forcing out a weak laugh, which ended up as a cough.

“I’ll go get Carlisle here.” Edward said, giving me a gentle squeeze on my shoulder before he left the room. Carlisle was on leave this week; he had volunteered his help at this hospital when he saw the shortage of manpower, which they had accepted gladly.

We spent the alone time talking about Nessie and her latest antics. Well, I did most of the talking while Charlie listened attentively. Colour was slowly returning to his cheeks. Listening to the stories of his adored granddaughter had seemed to help him take some of the pain away.

Carlisle entered the room just when I was done describing what happened before we left house this morning. Charlie was chuckling at Nessie and Jacob’s attempt to build a snow-wolf, which ended up badly, I might add. They had given up just after five minutes of trying; they could not get the legs of the snow-wolf to stand upright.

“Looks like you’re recovering rather well.” remarked Carlisle as he picked up the clipboard at the end of Charlie’s bed and began to flip the papers. Edward sat down at the couch at the corner of the room. Charlie threw me an “I told you so” look.

“By the looks of it, we can transfer you to Forks hospital in a few days time.” Carlisle looked up from the file and gave a reassuring smile to Charlie and me.

“Thanks, Dr. Cullen. By the way, where’s your friend? I would like to thank him for saving my life. If it wasn’t for him, I don’t think I can make it back there.”

“Oh, he’s away at Seattle now. But he’ll be coming to visit my family in a few days or so. I’ll remember to pass your message along to him.” Charlie reassured him. I looked at Carlisle in interest. I heard the same hint of amusement in his tone again. His eyes seemed to sparkle at the mention of his friend. I wonder who was this mysterious friend that had saved Charlie’s life.

“You two better head home. Esme just called; Nessie has been asking for you.” Charlie turned to look at the both of us. Edward rose and so did I.

“We will bring Nessie to visit you soon.” I promised as I bid Charlie goodbye and we followed Carlisle out of the room. I took a last look at Charlie before finally closing the door. I stood like a statue for a few seconds before Edward nudged me.

“Is there something wrong, Bella?” asked Edward, concern filling his eyes. I stared back blankly, as I tried to decipher the feeling that was overtaking me in waves. A whole new emotion was overwhelming me, now that I’ve seen Charlie in person.

“It’s nothing. Don’t worry.” I gave a small smile and a peck on his cheek before starting towards the direction of our car. Edward just followed without another word.

***

I sprinted towards the main house without a word. Behind me, I could hear Edward explaining the situation to Jacob in low urgent hushes, not wanting Nessie to overhear the bad news. I kept on running without waiting for Edward; my father was in danger and he needed me.

Bursting through the front door seconds later, I found Alice pacing up and down the room; and Jasper sitting on the couch, waiting for me.

“Where’s Charlie?” I demanded.

“Carlisle had rushed over to him immediately after I saw the vision. They are probably on their way to the hospital now. Don’t worry. He’s going to be fine.” Alice replied while shooting quick darts at Jasper.

He’s going to be fine. Immediately, I relaxed and let out a relieved sigh. Maybe it’s because of Jasper’s special calming ability working on me; or just because I know Charlie was okay. I didn’t care; as long as Charlie stayed alive and kicking.

I heard the front door opened silently, and felt Edward’s arm wrapped around my waist a moment later.

“Jacob will be taking care of Nessie at our cottage. I’ve asked Jacob to keep the news to himself. We don’t want to worry her too much.” Edward whispered in my ear as I laid back into his chest.

We spent the rest of the morning waiting for Carlisle’s calls for update; but they never came. I wanted to rush down to the hospital to check it out myself; if not for the arms Edward kept firmly wrapped around me. Just as I was about to test my newborn’s strength against his grip, Edward’s phone rang. I snatched it before he could answer it.

“Carlisle! How’s Charlie? What happened? Who did this to him?” I shot all questions that I could have thought of in one breath.

“Bella, calm down. Charlie’s going to be fine. We’re now at the hospital of Port Angeles.” Carlisle reassured.

“He was patrolling the outskirts of Forks when he heard the nearby police radioed for help. There was an armed robbery taking place at Port Angeles. He took off immediately. When he arrived, the shooting between the police and robbers was in full swing. He managed to shot down one robber before his accomplice fired a few shots at him.”

“Most missed,” Carlisle continued hurriedly, before I could have the chance to react; “but one bullet was right on target. It barely missed his heart.” I gasped when I heard how close Charlie came brushing with death.

“His condition had stabled for the moment. Luckily for us, an old friend of mine was around when Charlie got injured. He administered enough medical help to him before the ambulance arrived. That helped to save his life.” I heard a hint of gratitude and amusement in his voice.

I raised my eyebrow in interest but did not question it. Instead, I asked a different question.

“When can I visit Charlie?” I was anxious to see him.

“Not today. He just went through a major operation and he needs his rest. You can come tomorrow afternoon if you want.” Carlisle replied.

I heaved a sigh of relief and passed the phone back to Edward, who began to converse animatedly with Carlisle. He was speaking at an incredible speed, too fast for me to catch anything. When he finally hung up, I dragged him off the couch and out of the door.

“Where are we going, love?” asked Edward as we sprinted through the forest.

“Off to hunt. I’m going to the hospital tomorrow and I don’t want to take any risk.” I wasn’t due for a hunt for another week, but I can’t take the risk of going to the hospital that was full of the scent of fresh blood; it was simply just too dangerous. Catching the scent of a herd of deer twenty yards away, I steered myself in the Northeast direction and let my instincts ruled my senses as I hunted.

I threw off the carcass of the deer when I was done draining its blood. I felt very full; I think I overfed this time. But that can’t be help. I must take precaution if I want to go visit Charlie tomorrow; hospital is just another place full of temptations. I smoothed out the creases in my shirt as I waited for Edward to finish his hunt.

My hunting skills had definitely improved, I thought to myself as I scanned my outfit for any microscopic tears. I spotted two; one at the end of my left sleeve, and the other at the hem of my shirt. But it was definitely an improvement from the first hunt, where Edward had to take off his shirt for me to wear when we were done hunting.

“Bella? I’m done.” He held out his hand to me and I took it. Without a word, we sprinted back to our cottage. We both knew what to do. It was time to let Nessie know the news.

***

“Eeek!” shrieked Nessie as a snowball hit her little head, right on target.

Nessie aimed the snowball in her little hand at her attacker. Jacob tried to duck behind the snowman they had just finished building earlier. But he was few seconds too late; it hit him squarely on his chest.

“Yay!” shouted Nessie gleefully, as Jacob clutched his chest exaggeratedly, and pretended to drop dead on the ground. What Nessie could not see was what Jacob was secretly doing with his right hand hidden behind the snowman. There was a pile of snowballs, all waiting to be thrown.

Another round of shrieking and shouting began.

I smiled while I watched them from the comfort of my warm little cottage. I still hated the rain and snow; I remembered the cold, uneasy feeling they always made me felt when I was still human. They do not feel as cold as they did to my fragile human body; they felt like normal room temperate now, slightly warm in fact. But one thing still remained the same; it’s still wet.

I returned my focus to the task on hand; cooking an entire tray of scrambled eggs and toasting another loaf of bread. I held my breath while I did the cooking. They used to be my favourite; I remembered polishing off a lot of eggs when I was still pregnant with my little nudger.

Maybe that’s the reason why that had become her favourite human food now, I mused at the newly discovered connection I’ve found. However, if you asked me, I only had one word to describe the smell of human food that I used to love so much – revolting.

I set the two plates down on the table. The difference between them was simply astonishing. One small pink plate held Nessie’s breakfast, just two slices of toast with a hash brown and an omelette; while the other blue plate, twice the size of its neighbour’s, held a couple slides of bread hidden under a heap of scrambled eggs.

Before I could call out for them, Jacob burst through the door with a shrieking Nessie hot on his trail. They circled the dining table twice before Nessie pounced on him, tackling him to the ground.

“I got you!” exclaimed Nessie excitedly.

“Alright, you two. Come have some breakfast before it gets cold.”

They got up obediently and got started on their breakfast. Nessie ate like a fine young lady, I observed proudly, but I can’t say the same for the one sitting next to her. Jacob was wolfing down his food like someone who had not eaten for two days. He was asking for seconds before Nessie could even finish hers.

Reaching for his plate, I piled another mountain of hash browns and hot dogs on it before passing it back to him. He wolfed down that plate in record time. I watched in fascination; I wondered if he would emerge as champion if he went for those hot dogs eating contest that they often held on Independence Day in New York.

Just as I was debating with myself his chances of winning against the six-time champion Takeru Kobayashi, I heard light footsteps dashed across the snow covered forest. Edward appeared at the doorway seconds later. I skipped happily towards him.

He was wearing the light blue sweater that I have knitted for him last year. I had been taking knitting lessons from Esme in the past year, in attempt to fit better into the role of a dutiful wife and mother. After nine sweaters with mismatched sleeve lengths and plentiful of holes appearing at the wrong places, I finally presented a decent looking one to him as a handmade birthday gift.

I loved his reaction; his golden eyes were wide with surprise when he opened his present. When he looked into my eyes, I felt my body go limb as he gave me a tight hug. We did not exchange a single word; but yet we knew what each other was thinking. He wore the sweater immediately, despite the fact that it was in the middle of summer.

One-sixth of a second passed as I registered this person standing before me. Something was wrong with this image. My perfect angel did not have his signature crooked smile on his face; instead, he was frowning and worries tinted his now amber eyes.

“Bella, love. We have some bad news. It’s about Charlie.” Edward whispered gravely.

Realisation slowly hit me as I registered his words. My world had seemed to crash in that instant.

***

“On the count of three. One, two...”

“Three!” Emmett grunted before Esme could finish, and shoved hard against my hand. I felt my hand lost an inch or so. A wide grin spread across Emmett’s face.

“Losing your touch already, little sister?” He smirked. “I told you so! You can’t beat me once the newborn’s effect wore off. I’m still the strongest Cullen!”

I glared at Emmett, who was shooting a mischievous grin at Rosalie. I was letting him have his moment before; but I couldn’t stand it whenever he started to boast. I flexed; the boulder beneath us gave a loud deafening groan and split neatly into two. In a blink of an eye, the match was over. I had emerged victorious.

“Yay! Momma won!” cheered Nessie as she applauded loudly. She was fascinated with our regular Sunday afternoon arm wrestling match; it always made her eyes wonder with awe whenever her fragile looking mother won against her big, muscular uncle.

“You were saying...? Big Brother?” I teased and Emmett snarled through his clenched teeth.

“Just you wait. In a few months or so, it will be my turn to laugh...” Emmett murmured under his breath. He turned, and stalked off in the direction of the house. Rosalie gave an uninterested yawn and followed soon after.

I snickered and whirled around in Edward’s direction. He was carrying our little angel; his face beaming with pride. It lasted for a few seconds before it changed into amusement; I had just tripped over a piece of jagged rock while walking over to them.

Nessie giggled, sounding like a high-pitched peal of bells; and Edward was still smiling in amusement. But Alice was frowning.

“Okay, that’s it. No more delays!” Alice grabbed my hand and dragged me towards the house. I threw a confused look to Edward, who just shrugged and followed behind us. Alice dragged me up to her room while Edward stayed downstairs with the rest.

I sat on her bed while she went to retrieve something from her huge walk-in closet. Feeling astonished, I shook my head as I waited. I could never understand why anyone would need such a big room just for clothes; it was even bigger than my old bedroom at Charlie’s house!

She came out several seconds later, holding a pale mint coloured evening dress. It was a strapless satin dress with a chiffon bow at the waist; the bottom was elegantly crafted with layer of chiffon material from the knees till the anklets.

“Are we going anywhere?” I asked when Alice was done helping me into the dress.

“Put these on.” Alice ordered as she threw me a pair of stiletto heels. I stared in disbelief as I looked at the three inch heels I just caught in my hands.

“Must I...”

“Yes of course. Don’t argue with me.”

I sighed in defeat and slipped on the heels. I tried to stand up; and after a few tries, I finally succeeded.

“Where are we going?” I asked again as I wobbled slightly on my feet.

“Nowhere.” Alice simply answered. She took a step back and analysed her work.

“This is better.” She nodded and gave a satisfied smile.

“Nowhere?” I repeated, confused. Then why did I have to dress up like this?

“Oh, I’m just going to give you lessons on walking gracefully.” Alice answered to the confused look on my face.

“If you seen yourself just now, you would agree with me.” Thinking back to the little incident just now, I frowned. I wasn’t that bad, was I?

“Okay, I’ll demonstrate first. Then you’ll follow.” With that, Alice started to glide gracefully across the room. She could give the best dancer in the world a run for her money. I tried to mimic her exact movements, but failed terribly. I could hear Emmett’s muffled laughs every time I landed on the floor. Edward must have told the rest of Alice’s plans.

“Just you wait till I get down there Emmett!” I hissed as I got up, hearing more laughter from Emmett, who did not even bother to conceal it anymore.

After what seems like eternity, I finally got the grasp of it and could move gracefully across the floor without landing on my face. I looked up at Alice hopefully, who gave an approving nod. Finally, I thought, as I plodded down on her bed to remove the killer heels.

“No, no!” Alice stopped me.

“You must show it to the rest. They’re dying to see how it all turned out.”Alice had a huge grin plastered on her face. Dragging me out of the room before I could protest, she came to a sudden halt at the top of the stairs.

“Now make me proud okay?” She winked and skipped happily down the stairs, where the audience was waiting.

Taking a deep unneccssary breath, I focused on Edward and Nessie’s beautiful faces and glided gracefully down the stairs to their side.

“You looked gorgeous, love.” Edward gave me a peck on the lips. Nessie reached out for me and placed her hand on my cheek. She replayed the scene where I tripped this morning and when I walked down the stairs moments ago. Okay, I was that bad.

“Bella! I never thought that you can actually walk like that!” Emmett whistled. I smiled proudly. Alice stepped out front and took an exaggerated bow.

“Lesson one completed. Now, what should I plan for lesson two?” Alice murmured to herself as she walked over to the couch and sat next to Jasper.

What? There are more lessons? Groaning, I sat down at the nearest chair and took off my shoes. I began to rub my ankles absentmindedly, even though my feet do not ache from all the walking in the three inch high heels for hours. Another advantage for being an immortal.

“Now there Alice, don’t change her too much will you? I loved her the way she is. Clumsy and all.” Edward chided her playfully.

I shot Edward a grateful look as he looked into my eyes. I melted on the spot, and continued staring into his liquid topaz eyes. It was too mesmerising. I could stare at them all day long. Just then, Nessie gave a loud yawn. I looked out of the window for the first time since I came downstairs. Night had already fallen. Wow, I thought. I did not realise that I had actually spent hours perfecting my walk.

“Alright, we’re going back. Nessie is tired. Alice, I’ll return you the dress tomorrow.” Everyone else waved goodbye and murmured good nights. Alice just waved dismissively in response; she was still busy planning my future lessons.

Slinging the heels over my shoulder, I slid my free hand into Edward’s and stepped into the cool darkness. We sprinted our way back home, where the comfort of our cosy cottage was waiting.

***