Disclosure:  Twilight and Vampire Diaries are owned by their respective brainiacs that thought of it.  I just write what the voices tell me to.

Pre Edit Count –   1,223 Words

Song I listened to for this chapter: Anybody Out There by Civil Twilight.

Previous:

I ignored him.  I moved around him, and was inside the house.  I threw the lock and slid down the inside of the door.

Everything was a lie.  I couldn’t trust anything they had told me.  None of it makes sense.  I couldn’t understand why they played the I-care-for-the-human-game?  I sighed and leaned my head against the cool door.

After a few minutes, I got up and moved to the kitchen, my body running on remote as my mind turned the facts over in my head.

When I reached the kitchen, my temper flared as I saw the note that I supposedly left.  How dare he!

My temper stewing, I made the resolution that I would not be that Bella any more.  No, Pushover Bella is now gone.  The new Bella is not going to fall for men as easily.

With that resolution, Bella made dinner for her father and herself while she planned her future.

Now:

In the years gone by, Bella had made good with her resolution.  She also decided to be smart, not prideful, since she had told herself that pride cometh before the fall.  So when she received the money from the Cullens as well as the full ride scholarships, she took them.  And didn’t look back once in regret.

When the Cullens had first left, Jacob had tried to get close to her, and she, after much internal debate and external from her father, gave in.  And then after their first date, he didn’t return her calls.  She had gone out to confront him, and instead gained another secret to keep.

Angry with Jacob and the rest of the reservation on their treatment of her that because of her foolish past association with the vampires, they scorned her, she refused to deal with them and never stepped foot on the reservation afterwards.  Only Leah had watched the brunette when Jacob blasted her about her dating Edward. Curious about the anger that was like hers, she went to Bella’s house to find out what had happened. When she learned of everything Bella had gone through, she had tried to get the rest of the Pack’s attention.  She did, but it was too late for Bella and the pack.  Bella Swan had decided never to give someone a second chance after they treated her like that.  It hurt too much and she was tired of being hurt by inconsiderate fools.

She did what she felt she had to do to finish school and left them all behind as she concentrated on her plan for her future.  Once graduation came, Bella left without a second glance.  The only person she had kept up with afterwards was her father.  But when he started to date Sue and found out all the secrets, he told her he understood.  For while she did lie and kept secrets from him, he has also kept secrets from her, for the same reason.  And with those thoughts, and what he had learned from his daughter, he knew what would need to happen for her to live.  He began the subtle pulling away from his daughter he loved, knowing that if nothing else, one person would find her and hopefully give her the gift that she had wanted at one point.

So when Bella was getting ready to graduate with a degree in English and Archeology, and not wanting to go back to Forks or even the state, Charlie offered her an alternative.  He told her that her Grandmother Helen Swan had come from a town in Virginia called Mystic Falls and that they were the last descendants of the line.  He told her that the house was still there and she was more than welcome to live there, since it was just sitting there empty.  He had also known that if she was there, she could be found quicker.

Unknown to Charlie, Bella had taken her story and while in college, she had written it down as an exercise in one of her classes.  It was to be a fantasy life, but Bella got a few chuckles as she wrote true life, figuring that it would be taken as fantasy.  Her teacher had praised her abilities to bring the world to life with such richness and encouraged her to write a story.  Bella removed some features and added others.  Enough to make them different and not to get her in trouble with the Volturi, the three leaders that she remembered Edward showing and telling her about.

It became a hit under a pseudo name she had taken.  She refused any publicity and according to her agent, it seemed to add to the mystery.  There had been many fans who had requested that she do more books, but right now, she didn’t feel like doing them.  They wanted a happy ending, and as the first book stands, there is a chance for that.  Her story however ended on a bad note.

So the offer of a home in Mystic Falls, away from the madness of the supernatural, was a godsend.  She made a trip out there one weekend to look at the house and see what needs to be done to make it possible for her to live in.

She comes on a Wednesday.  Liz Forbes, the Sherriff, had decided to meet her as a courtesy to Charlie.  She is smiling as she greets the young woman standing in front of her, “Welcome to Virginia, Ms. Swan!”

Bella smiles at the woman, saying, “I look forward to living in the town.  I have much research to do and look forward to being here where it is quiet.”

Liz’s smile didn’t waiver, but her mind is going furiously, ‘I wonder how she will deal with the supernatural world.  Her grandmother left, but her family name is still revered and honored on the council.  When I told them that there will be a Moutin here, they were happy.’

Bella is quiet as they make their way to the house, she watches out the windows of the car. When they pull up a driveway and the house appears, Bella is shocked to see that it didn’t look as run down as she was expecting from the way her
father described it.

Liz stops the car and looks over at the new resident of Moutin Plantation.  She comments, “I guess you were expecting a really run down house?”

Bella nods as she exits the vehicle.

Liz smiles and gets out, telling her, “All Council Members homes are taken care of.  Even if the current owners are deceased or not here.  It all comes from the Council funds.  You have no idea how much the Council is happy you are here.”

Turning, Bella questions, “The Council?”

Liz sighs, and tells her, “We will get more on that when you are here to stay.  It’s part of your birthright as a descendant of the Moutins.  From what we can gather you and your father are the last ones.”

Bella sighs and puts it aside.  She doesn’t need to worry on something she wasn’t going to be able to do anything about at this time.  She follows Liz into the house. She notices a raven sitting in a tree watching her avidly.

Liz turns to her and asks, “Will you be taking over the up keeping of the home?”

Bella arches an eyebrow at her.

Looking around the entrance of the home, Liz explains, “I was just asking, if you are then I can give you the keys now, if not, I will need to make a set for the Council.”

Bella is making notes on the entry way of the changes she is wanting to make.  She tells her, “Since I will be updating the house, I will be needing the keys.”  And that is it.

Liz frowns as her eyes follow the young woman in front of her.  She is slight, but her face and hair make an impression.  Her face is heart shaped, with her lips slightly too big.  But her hair, which is streaked with a blondish brown highlights, when hit with the sun, the natural red came out making for a unique look.

Her t-shirt and jeans with boots and leather jacket are common enough.  But her movement and bearing are another odd thing.  She holds herself with an unknown elegance that you see is old movies with the glamorous actresses.  A grace that is of a bygone era that is not known in a time that slouching is the norm.  All in all, Bella wouldn’t look odd if she somehow got placed back in the 1800’s.

Bella is moving through the house, making notes in her mind of what she will need.  The kitchen will need to be replaced completely.  But most of the bottom floor would only be updated.  She decides she loves the old world charm, but she wants her own mark on her house.  She walks into the library and nods, noting that the room will work for her office.

She turns and makes her way upstairs.  As she walks around, she notes that she will redo the master bedroom since it is completely masculine.  And that while she is at it, she is going to combine it with another room to make it a full suite.  Why not?  She is the only one that is living here.

As Bella makes her way back down, she watches as Liz fidgets in the foyer.

Liz looks up and has a moment, completely able to see Bella coming down in a full dress as though she is receiving her as the grand ladies did during the Civil War.  She blinks and sees the current Bella.  She smiles, and asks, “Do you need to come back tomorrow to make notes of the changes?”

Shaking her head, Bella tells her with a slight smile, “No, I know what I need done.  If you wouldn’t mind returning me to the airport, I will contact the contractors and get it handled.”

Shocked, Liz raises an eyebrow.  “You want to head back to the airport tonight?”

Looking around, Bella nods.  “The sooner I can get back, the sooner I can get started.”

Liz just shakes her head and heads back to her car.  When Bella is inside, Liz hands her the keys.  Bella smiles, and then looks out the window.  She can still see the raven that was there before.  He is still watching her.

Liz stares at her then starts the car heading back to the airport as requested.  She smirks as she thinks, ‘Wait until Damon meets her.  I think he will actually meet his match.’

Once Bella is home, she quickly calls the contractor she had found along with the interior designer and made appointments for the both of them next week.  Before she had left, she had given one of the extra keys she had made to Liz when the sheriff offered to let anyone in for her.

The interior decorator listens to what she wants and promises to go over and take pictures of the interiors.  The Contractor will go ahead and rip apart the kitchen and the two rooms she had designated for the master suite.  She has told him she is looking for a full suite including the closet so if he thinks another room will be used, to go ahead and do it.

Bella gets off the phone and turns to her computer.  She is done with her schoolwork and for all intents and purposes can graduate now.  But she knows her father would appreciate her walking to get her diploma. Well, she hopes he will.  Lately it seems he is getting distant, but she has told herself it is due to having a new family.

Her mother and Phil had died a year after her books had gone on the best seller list.  She had tried to make sure it was nothing supernatural, but the coroners had cremated the bodies without an autopsy.

The only family she has left is her father, and she will do all she can to make sure the man who completely supported her and her decisions is happy.  He has done much to help her, and been there whenever she had been frustrated with school.  No matter what the issue is now, she just can’t give up the hope that one person loves her in this world.

She went on to check her balances, her fail safes, programs and to make sure everything is as she wishes.

Bella’s head snaps up when she has a knock on her apartment door.  Frowning, she goes and checks the peephole.  Seeing the man in brown, she opens the door.

The man smiles and asks her, “Bella Swan?”

When she nods, he hands her a package and his pad to sign for it.  She frowns and signs her name negligently.  She tells him, “Thank you,” as she tucks a strand of hair behind her ear.  She fails, as normal, to see the glance of lust the man sends her way as he leaves.

She shuts the door, reaching for a letter opener.  She has no idea who Isobel Fleming is and why she would be sending her such a heavy box.

She sits the box on the living room table and opens it.  It is full of research papers and books.  She finds a letter addressed to her.

Isabella,

I hope this finds you still at Dartmouth.  I had heard you are going to be moving to the Moutin Plantation and wanted to send you this information.  I think it would be greatly helpful to you in your new home.  But then you are not a stranger to the oddities of our world are you?

Respectfully Yours,

Isobel Fleming

Bella frowns as she looks through the information.  It seems to be about vampires, but not any that she is familiar with.  She sighs, then puts the box over with a stack of research material she has already packed to clear up space.  She will look at it when she is settled into her new home.  She has tons of stuff from her agent from people sending her information from her book.

With that Bella gets up and goes back to what she was working on before.  She has a lot of things to go over with the interior designer and contractor.

Final count, 2,440 words.

Fairfarren~Wendy