Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Twilight series.

This story begins after Edward left Bella in New Moon.

She'd finally moved on. After being left in the forest by Edward, Bella immediately went to the Cullen's house. All she found out was that venom is thicker than water. That her supposed "family" was anything but. It was as if they were never there. What followed was months and months of crushing solitude. School ceased its importance, and Jacob's phone calls often went ignored. When she did pick up, she'd put the phone down beside her and let Jacob talk to the empty space. The only reassurance Jacob got was her breathing. Charlie never gave up. He constantly would encourage her to hang out with Angela and Jessica or at least eat. She was practically skin and bones. He did the best he could. She just…wasn't ready. Heck, if Edward called, Charlie would have even felt a bit of relief. Anything that brought Bella back was worth it.

After her cliff dive, Bella practically changed overnight. Edward's voice no longer plagued her mind. The desperation for him to return drifted away with the water that had flushed through her lungs. She couldn't explain this change. No one could. But Charlie viewed it as a blessing. Bella recovered in her coursework. She barely graduated, but she did it. After graduation, she didn't know what to do, so her days were spent assisting Charlie at the station. Days turned into two years. She can now say that her administrative skills are top notch. Charlie liked it because he could keep an eye on her. She didn't blame him. A drastic change like hers would make one suspect that she would relapse and return to a zombie-like state. Edward barely crossed her mind, and when he did, the pain barely hit her. She was able to push him away quickly. Not a tear in sight. It was like permanent numbing cream.

She began spending time with Jacob again, ultimately discovering that he was a shifter. She couldn't believe he didn't tell her when he first found out. Just when Bella thought supernaturals were out of her life, another bomb drops. She avoided him for a while. To her, spending time with anyone in La Push meant she wasn't moving on. She got over it though. Jacob is hard to resist. Sam, Leah, Seth, and the others became like a second family.

Now Bella is 22 yrs. old and has been living in Denali, Alaska for almost two years. She is currently in college and majoring in creative writing. With school and working part-time in a small café, Bella can say that she is finally living a reasonably normal life. Her time with the Cullens and discovering Jacob's shifter side could make for so many stories. She should benefit somehow from the pain she went through.

Sitting at the desk in her small two-bedroom apartment, she chews on a pencil thoughtfully. Bella glares at the computer screen. If she stands her ground, the words will write themselves.

"What are you doing?", a light voice asks behind her.

Small fingers push up on the desk. Henry's dark blonde hair peaks up, desperately trying to be in her business. She smiles down at him, his blue eyes sending her brown ones a glint of curiosity.

"School work. Something you should be doing", Bella quips.

Henry is her 7 yr. old roommate. Well, her roommate Leona's kid. Bella met them when she first arrived in Denali at a local coffee shop. Henry attempted to switch her mocha whip blended with his kid sized hot chocolate. It felt like the perfect match: Bella wanted a roommate and Leona needed a babysitter. However for the past year or so, she's been more than a babysitter. She was practically an aunt, maybe even a mother. Leona had picked up some bad habits over the years and absence was becoming second nature. Bella would take Henry to school, feed him, and take him to the doctor when he got sick. She is his caretaker, but didn't really mind. When Leona was around, it was like Bella had a true friend. Someone she could trust and share her problems with. Both had experienced pain. She told Leona about Edward. Not the vampire part of course. Just how she thought he was the love of her life and they would be together forever. Her recovery story. Leona listened with open ears and never judged her. Little did Bella know that Leona needed someone to not judge her and the choices she keeps making. Bella barely has money to get by. When Leona would leave, on her bed would be a note and an envelope of cash. Henry asks about her sometimes. Depending on the day, Bella either brushes him off or tells him that she is out of town on business. Both Bella and Leona agreed that he wouldn't understand the truth.

"It's too hard. Can we go to the arcade instead?"

Bella sighs. This kid. Maybe they both need a break. Bella has been trying to type for the past two hours with barely a page completed. She closes her laptop, glancing at the clock on the corner of the desk. 1:30 p.m..

"Who says we should do extra work on Saturdays anyway?", Bella says.

Henry grins and runs to put his shoes on. Bella grabs her purse and phone, pausing as Henry struggles to tie his right shoe.

"And that's one ear…that's two…", Henry states calmly. While his voice is level, his face is scrunched up in pure frustration. He knows how to do it, but the strings on the new shoes were shorter than he is used to.

Henry sighs heavily, dropping the strings on his fifth attempt. Bella walks over to him, kneeling down at his blue sneakers.

"These things can be tough sometimes", she says, tying the shoe laces.

Henry mumbles a small "thanks" and runs to the front door.

"We're not going anywhere until you put your coat on."

He grabs his coat from the hook by the door. Bella pick up his beanie and puts it on his head. It is cold outside and the last thing she needs is a kid with a cold. Bella puts on her coat and opens the door. Henry pushes past her and darts down the empty hallway. Lucky their neighbors don't care about the noise. Even though they don't have a lot of money, they can afford an adequate, safe apartment. There are barely any kids, but Henry always finds a way to occupy his time.

"Come on Bella. Skee-ball is waiting for us!"

Bella chuckles, catching up to Henry as he presses the elevator button. They hop into her truck, Henry's breath fogging in front of him. Bella turns the key. It struggles to start. Screeching fills their ears as the car heats up.

"This truck makes some scary noises", Henry says. He watches his breath fog as it fills the air.

She ignores him. Every time he's in her car, he says something about the noises it makes or how it won't start. This truck is her baby. She's not giving it up. The drive is quiet. Henry fidgets in the seat while soft rock music plays on the radio. Pulling into the arcade parking lot, the place is bustling. Mickey's Place shines in big bright letters on the building front. Henry gets out of the car and holds the building door open for her.

"Thanks for waiting", Bella teases.

Inside, Henry stands in line with her for game cards. There's so much to do: trampoline pit, rock climbing, laser tag, and of course a variety of arcade games.

"Filler up Bella!"

She rolls her eyes. This kid.

"$25 on both please."

The cashier rings them out, distributing two cards. Handing one to Henry, he stares in awe. He's been to Mickey's Place many times, but acts like he's never seen a game card before. Like it's pure gold.

"What do you want to do first?" Bella asks, looking around.

The place is packed, but it's so large, the lines are reasonable. Henry looks around eagerly, eyes finally landing on the Jump Pit.

"That's where we're going", Henry says, pointing at a group of kids doing flips on trampolines.

After about thirty minutes of non-stop jumping, Bella is exhausted. Plus, Henry found a group of kids to do jump challenges with so she's been jumping solo. Catching Henry's eye, she signals and exits the Jump Pit. She does not know how the kid does it. Her stomach grumbles. Time to get something to eat.

30 minutes until dodgeball. 30 minutes until dodgeball.- A worker sounds on the speaker.

Bella signs them up and looks around the play area. Finally spotting the snack bar, she heads over to the thankfully short line. Nachos are calling her name. The line moves quickly and she buys two blue raspberry slushies and a plate of nachos. Now she just needs somewhere to sit. She spots a table by the rock climbing area. A few feet from the table, a kid rushes past, bumping into her leg. Bella stumbles, barely catching her balance. One of the slushies falls from the holder. Great, now she has to clean it up. She looks down to see how big the stain is on the floor, but instead gasps in horror at a slushie covered brown boot.

"I'm so sorry!"

Bella quickly places the other slushie and nachos on the table. Grabbing some napkins, she turns around, holding them out to her slushie victim. Looking at the stain again, icy blue raspberry marks its territory. Hopefully they're not too mad.

"Accidents happen", the victim says.

The voice hits Bella like the ocean waves from the cliff dive. It's strong and like a breath of fresh air. A light vanilla smell hits her nose. It's heavenly. Her heart skips a beat and she feels a strange pulling within her. Looking up from the boot, her heart drops fast as her eyes meet a pair of golden irises.

Reviews always appreciated :). I'm trying to decide if this will be Bella/Kate or Bella/Tanya.