The Death Of Love ('Death & Rebirth' Series Pt 1)

Time Stands Still For No Man

When Bella and Jake arrived back at Charlie's house and saw Carlisle's car across the road, he was absolutely livid and tried to stop her from going into the house. Bella was adamant and eventually, he relented but told her if she starts to hang about with them again, she would be crossing the line.

"Oh Jake don't start that old crap again, I'm getting sick of hearing it. This, them and us rubbish does my head in" she tells him, "If we're going to stay friends you have to accept mine. Shit! I have to put up with Paul for you" she laughs getting out of the Rabbit.

Alice is very surprised to see Bella alive and tells her so; Bella says she is extremely insulted that they would even consider the fact that she would kill herself.

"I've got a little more respect for my life than you apparently think" she huffs and goes on to tell Alice about the cliff jumping and how unfortunately Victoria was in the water and nearly got her but thankfully three of the pack were on the cliff and they finally caught and destroyed her.

She tells Alice all about Laurent and Victoria's obsession with trying to kill her since they all just upped and left, leaving her totally unprotected. Alice is horrified and says that she hardly gets any clear visions of her anymore, so seeing this one she rushed back to Forks immediately. She apologises for misreading it, saying she better let the family know right away. As she leaves to phone home Bella went up to get changed out of the damp clothes she was still wearing. Hearing Alice cry out makes her rush back down the stairs.

"Oh no, the fool! He's going to try to get himself killed" she screams,

"Who is Alice?" Bella demands to know.

"Edward, he's gone to the Volturi to get them to end his life" she sobs to Bella.

"Why? Why on earth would he do that?" Bella asks her confused.

"He thinks you're dead, Rose said you were dead and he blames himself" Alice yells.

"What the hell, I've nearly died several times at the hands of the psycho duo and the one time it's not real, that's the time he goes to try and top himself! What an irresponsible idiot" Bella shouts.

Alice looks at her strangely, cocking her head.

"You're different Bella, stronger, more confident and you don't seem worried for Edward!" she says quietly.

"Why would I be? He dumped me, abandoned me in the forest, after telling me how I wasn't good enough or special enough for him to stay for, not the other way round. I'm not responsible for the stupid things he does to himself. I had to rebuild my life after he left me with a broken heart; I was alone with no one to talk to. Not anyone who understood the supernatural, until Jake phased anyway" she replied.

Alice begged Bella to go with her to Volterra, saying he would be able to read her mind and think she was lying, so Bella needed to be the one to stop him. Bella agreed reluctantly but said she was only doing this for the family. Even though they obviously didn't care about her, she said she still had some respect and feelings for them. Alice tried to explain but Bella wouldn't listen, saying if they couldn't make up their own minds and followed blindly the ravings of a seventeen-year-old boy, then they didn't really care that much for her after all. Alice couldn't answer because she knew Bella was right. They had treated her badly and she didn't know if the damage could ever be repaired.

While Alice sorted out flights etc, Bella phoned her father at the station, told him she was going on a shopping trip with Alice, who had turned up out of the blue to see her. They'd be gone three days and she would get some new clothes for college that she couldn't get locally. Charlie wasn't too pleased but knew he couldn't stop her as she was a grown woman. He hoped to himself, the Cullen's being back in her life wouldn't set her back to how she was after they left her before.