Disclaimer- All recognizable copyrighted and trademarked items mentioned herein belong to their respective owner, specifically Stephenie Meyer. Everything else belongs to the respective author.

Songs- Falls on Me by Fuel and Best of You by Foo Fighters (Bethie's song is Your Love Is My Drug by Ke$ha)

Beta- The incomparable Meddz, but I always tinker after the fact so all mistakes are mine.

Tissue Index- I don't think you'll cry but you might want to hold onto something…

OooOooOooOooOooOoo

I stayed at the water's edge for a long time after everyone else had moved further down the beach to the bonfire. I watched each lit foil boat as they moved through the inlet and were eventually taken up by the ocean current. As each light was extinguished I could feel the numbness increasing, yet I couldn't look away. With every wave that rolled over and consumed each little boat, only one thought kept echoing through my mind.

What do I do now?

I focused on the place where the water bled into the sky and I realized that I felt just as lost and fleeting as the aluminum foil boats. I was set adrift in an ocean I couldn't navigate and I had no idea what to do next.

I need a sign, Jake. I need a sign. Send me something so that I will know what to do now.

I continued to stand there and watch as the sky and sea carried on their slow merge into dusk.

"The tide's coming in."

I didn't jump, didn't even startle as his cool whispered breath caressed my cheek. I don't know if it's because I always knew that he wasn't far behind me or if it's just because I had gotten so numb that nothing could shock me.

"That's okay." My voice was a hoarse whisper, if he'd been anyone else, I would have wondered if he could hear me.

"You should come and get something to eat. Apparently, it's all very good. Everyone seems to really be enjoying themselves."

"Sounds good." I didn't move, had no intention to, actually. Of course – he knew that too.

"Your feet are getting wet." And they were. Even in Mike's Super Boots, I could feel the moisture begin to seep in.

I knew that I was pushing it and I was about to be physically removed from the one spot that actually made sense. I was going to be ripped away from here and forced to face a reality that had literally been making me vomit on a very regular basis over the past few days. I would have to defend my wet feet, blue lips and numb heart when what I really wanted was to stay here and wait for my sign.

Where the hell is my sign?

The surprise came in the lack of response. For approximately three minutes, absolutely nothing happened.

Then, I was enveloped, lifted and chastised all in one swift movement. The warmth was the most unexpected thing of all. I had thought that it would be marble cool arms that would extricate me from my haven. Instead, I felt warmth surround me and hot breath against the back of my neck while an even hotter temper washed over me.

"You're a real dummy if you think we're just going to stand around and let the dumb ocean just wash your dumb butt away. Is that what you want? Are you that dumb? You have responsibilities you know? What the hell is the matter with you? He said you were resolved, what the hell does that mean? Resolved about what? You're not going anywhere so stop being so dumb. You're going to sit your butt down and eat a dumb sandwich and drink a dumb Sprite and stop being so dumb, got it?"

We were still far enough away that I don't think that anyone could hear him, well, anyone that wasn't a vampire or phased wolf that is…

"Seth?"

"Yeah?"

"Stop saying dumb."

"Stop being dumb and I'll think about it." He huffed in my ear as he continued to haul me toward the bonfire. I couldn't help but remember a different place and time when someone else carried me just like this away from the edge of a cliff in the pouring rain.

"I wasn't being dumb. I was waiting for a sign."

He stopped then and turned me so that we were eye-to-eye.

"For real?" His eyes searched mine and I could see the real fear there, and that he truly thought I was suicidal.

"For real, Seth." I put my hands on either side of his face and nodded emphatically.

"But, Jasper said that you were resolved." His brow furrowed in contemplation.

"Yeah, resolved that I wasn't leaving without seeing some kind of sign that, I dunno – he's still here. That he sees us, that it's going to be alright, that I'll know what to do now, you know?"

"Yeah, I know, Bells, but it doesn't work like that. You can't demand a sign and then stand in the ocean until you either get the sign or drown."

"Well, that would be a sign in and of itself now wouldn't it?"

"Okay, you had me until there, now I just think that you're dumb again."

He grabbed my hand and led me toward the bonfire. Just as he promised, I had a sandwich in one hand and a Sprite in the other. I ate and drank and listened to the swirl of noise without hearing a thing. Every once in a while someone would comment and I would nod. As people began to leave, they would seek me out for a hug, a platitude and a false promise of getting together soon. The edges of my mouth hurt from the phony smile that had taken up residence there.

"Becauthe yo wuv, yo wuv, yo wuv ith ma dwug, yo wuv, yo wuv, yo wuv. I thaid yo wuv, yo wuv, yo wuv ith ma dwug, yo wuv, yo wuv, yo wuv…"

Before the funeral, I had contemplated leaving my children in La Push with Charlie and Sue for one or maybe two more nights. They always seemed really happy there and I knew that they were always safe and well cared for. There was just the issue of their exposure to some of the less than child friendly habits of the rest of the pack, but I knew that my dad and Sue tried really hard to keep the contact limited.

Hearing my daughter belting out the lyrics to a Kesha song, however, suggested that I needed to take Bethie and Masen home with me instead. It was time to pull up my big girl panties and accept that I was now a single mother, whether I was ready to handle it or not. When Bethie started going up to all of the men who were seated around the fire and saying very saucily, "I yike yo beard," I found myself marching toward her, taking her by the hand and encouraging her that it was definitely time to say her 'goodbyes.'

Seth and I belted my kids into the car amidst calls of "Are you sure?" and "But it's still early." and "You're always welcome to stay with us." I just smiled, nodded, made the obligatory promises to call, text or facebook, got into the passenger side of Jake's Rabbit and watched La Push fade into the distance.

Carlisle, Esme, Jasper and Alice would be following behind us in Carlisle's Escalade. Apparently, another part of the stipulation to them being allowed to attend Jake's memorial was an agreement that they would travel separately from the kids and me. They were also going to be followed out of La Push by every member of the pack. Some would be in cars and some would be phased and patrolling the forest on either side of the highway. I thought that the whole thing was excessive and ridiculous but Carlisle had said that he understood Sam's reasoning and that it really wasn't a big deal.

We hadn't driven very far past the place that Seth had pointed out as the boundary line for the treaty, when he suddenly cursed loudly. Shocked that he would swear with the kids in the car, even if they were already sleeping, I turned from my place at the window to see him fighting with the steering wheel.

"What's wrong?" It wasn't yet completely dark outside but it suddenly seemed very dark inside the car. It took a moment for me to realize that it was because the console lights were no longer lit.

"We're dead sticking! Nothing's responding, lights are out and everything's locked right up, I don't understand it. I've got nothing and yet we're still moving. This shouldn't be happening!" His hands were frantically moving around trying to figure out what was wrong with the car.

"The brakes aren't working either?"

"I'm freaking standing on it, Bella, it won't respond!" He slammed both fists against the steering wheel, blew out a breath and ran his fingers through his short spiky hair before undoing his seat belt and then mine. "Okay, here's the plan, we only have a couple miles or so left of straight highway and then it gets real curvy real fast, we gotta get stopped right now." He glanced into the back seat at my sleeping children and then back at me.

"I'm gonna get out now and phase and I want you to hit me. I'm built like a brick house when I'm phased, I should be able to stop you. It's gonna suck, but I think it's the only way. Try to keep it straight. Bells, and aim for my flank. Put your seat belt on as soon as you get into my seat and make sure that it's tight across your hip bones, not your tummy. You can do this, Bella, I know that you can."

My objection died on my lips as he simultaneously pulled me into the driver's seat and flung himself out the door. I screamed in protest even as I reflexively pulled his door closed. Pieces of clothing hit the door and I realized that he must have phased as he was jumping out of the car. It would have been really cool if the whole situation wasn't so terrifying.

I clung to the unresponsive steering wheel and sobbed, "No, Seth, no, please, no, I can't hit you, don't make me hit you, you big dummy." I kept my eyes on the road and continued to plead with my dumb, brave, stupid, heroic brother.

This was a terrible plan and I had no idea how it could possibly work. Even phased, Seth was no match for a moving vehicle. In his attempt to save us, he was going to die. The realization struck me hard.

In trying to save my kids and me, I was going to kill my brother!

I could feel my chest tightening and it was beginning to become increasingly hard to breathe. I tried to concentrate on keeping the car steady on the road but my panic only grew as I realized that nothing that I was doing was making any difference to our trajectory.

"Jake," I heard myself wheeze, "Jake, please, this can't be what's supposed to happen. Help us, please, Jake, help us."

I could see a shape moving into our path up ahead and I knew that it was Seth.

"NO, SETH, NO!" I shouted, knowing that he could hear me. "WE ARE NOT DOING THIS! I CAN'T KILL YOU, SETH, GET OFF THE ROAD!"

Suddenly, the passenger side door flew open and I saw a flash of black and then blond in my peripheral vision. I turned my head to see Alice climbing into the back seat while Jasper perched himself on the passenger seat. He appeared to be taking in everything that was happening inside and outside of the car yet he spoke to me as if we were discussing what to watch on TV.

"Okay, Bella, Plan A – we grab you and the kids, jump out of the car and let the car hit the ditch when it reaches the curves up ahead." I was already shaking my head. "Or Plan B – we stay in the car and do what it takes to get it stopped. A or B?"

"B! I'm not leaving this car and neither are my kids! Oh my God, my kids, please help my kids!"

I was truly hyperventilating now and I don't even know how I found the air to speak. I also can't even say that it was a conscious decision as I found myself speaking before I had even fully comprehended Jasper's ultimatum. I just knew in the deepest depths of my soul that, regardless of the situation, there was no place that could be safer for us than Jake's car. It was always an important part of him and I couldn't abandon it no matter what.

"Okay then, get off the road, Seth, we are initiating Plan B." Jasper quickly maneuvered us so that he was sitting in the driver's seat behind me. I had no idea how the two of us were able to fit there but we did. I guess it was because that seat was always pulled back as far as it could go to accommodate Jake's extraordinarily long legs and neither Seth nor I had adjusted it back yet.

"I've got the kids, Bella, I promise that nothing will happen to them." Alice vowed as she moved and positioned herself so that she was kneeling on the back seat in between their car seats.

"You can let go of the wheel, Bébé, I got it." Jasper took the wheel as I slowly relinquished the death grip I had on it. His right foot slid underneath mine on the brake pedal and he adjusted me so that I was leaning back against him. My head was resting against his right shoulder so that he could watch the road from my left. He kept speaking to me softly even as he continued to assess the responsiveness of the vehicle. The instant our bodies had come into contact, I had begun to feel calmer and less panicked, however it was still very hard to breathe despite my best effort at relaxing.

"It's going to be okay, Bébé, you're not going to hit Seth. He got off of the road. It's going to be alright. You have to breathe for me now." I saw him twitch the steering wheel ever so slightly and it was followed by a loud crack. The wheel began to move more freely and I could feel that the car was actually responding. However, we were still going very fast with no way to stop.

"I have steering but the brakes are still out, we are accelerating and Bella's hyperventilating. All passengers are secured." Jasper stated calmly. At first, I thought that he was talking to Alice, but then I saw a vehicle passing us in the opposite lane and realized that he was talking to the driver. The car overtook us and moved into our lane. As close to hysterics as I was, that vehicle didn't escape my attention.

It was a silver Volvo.

Edward's silver Volvo.

"Edward's going to slow us down, but it's going to be a little bumpy," Jasper whispered in my ear. "He's going to match our speed and slow down gradually, allowing us to hit him until he can get us slow enough to bring us to a stop. It's probably best if you try to relax as much as you can and don't watch." He took one hand off of the steering wheel and turned my head so that I was no longer looking at the road but up at him instead. I tried to draw in a breath to respond, to tell Jasper my fears that Plan B was even worse than Seth's plan and that we were all going to die. But, I couldn't speak.

I could not breathe.

"Blue is not your color, Bella," he murmured softly. His lips gently covered mine and air slowly filled my mouth, travelling down my throat and in to my lungs. His hand cupped the back of my head and held me tightly to him as he continued to breathe for me. Slowly, everything began to melt away until there was no terror, no fear, no panic, nothing – only Jasper and I existed. He had taken me to my breathing space once again. As it had on other occasions, his sweet, cool breath triggered my own reaction to breathe. I could feel myself gradually responding and breathing back into him.

He continued to hold me firmly to him. His grip on me actually tightened further just a second before I felt the Rabbit hit the back of the Volvo. I tensed and whimpered but Jasper held me so securely that I didn't even feel the car jolt backward from the impact.

He pulled back slightly and I opened my eyes to look up at him but wasn't able to voice all the concerns that were cycling rapidly in my mind. Jasper, as always, knew exactly what I needed to hear.

"The kids are okay, Alice is holding them securely in their seats. They never even felt the impact and are still sleeping. You are doing great, Bella, this was the safest plan to choose, you did a great job."

I heard everything that he said, yet I felt very disconnected from it. I found myself suddenly lost again in his swirling amber eyes. Everything else ceased to be and I have never felt so safe or at peace in my whole life.

We collided with the Volvo three more times before Edward was able to maintain contact with us and bring both vehicles to a stop at the side of the road. There was a moment where nothing happened and then there was a flurry of activity as doors were whisked open and Carlisle was suddenly there.

I felt his cool fingers palpating my neck and spine as he asked me questions about pain, bleeding and range of motion. When I answered everything to his satisfaction, he told Jasper to take me to the Escalade while he checked over my kids.

As I was climbing out of the driver's side, I noticed that the hood had already been popped and Rose, Emmett, and Edward were all intently looking inside. On shaky legs, I took a step closer to them. I had a desperate need to know what the hell had just happened to my car. I could feel Jasper following close behind me. I'm sure that he was expecting me to fall over at any minute, and with the way that I was feeling, I wasn't entirely sure that I wouldn't.

Emmett was closest to me; he turned as I approached and made a space beside him. He wrapped one giant, muscled arm around my shoulders in a side hug, which I gladly reciprocated.

"Good to see you're not dead, Bella. Thought for a minute there that 'ol Jazz was gonna have to give you the bite of life."

All that I could manage was something that resembled a nervous chuckle crossed with a stunned snort. Any other reply I may have made was immediately cut off by Edward's enraged,

"Emmett! That's enough!"

I glanced toward the other side of the car where Edward was standing with his arms crossed and an angry expression marred his usually beatific features.

"Oh Edward, pull the stick already," Rose snapped from her place at the very front of the vehicle. She was leaned in and bent so far forward that only the top of her head was visible. "He was just making a joke. You know that's his coping mechanism, so get off his hump." She stood upright and flipped her hair back from her face with a flourish. "Because that's my job, you know." She winked at Emmett. His guffaw was long and loud,

"Yeah, it is baby! That's my girl." His body shook with his mirth and I could feel myself starting to feel better. The shock of the accident was definitely wearing off and I was frankly surprised at how alright I felt.

"Rose," my voice was still raspy but she heard and turned to look at me, "what happened? Why did the Rabbit die like that?"

She sighed and shook her head. "I really wish that I could tell you, Bella. Right now, I can't see a thing wrong aside from the fact that she's low on a few fluids and needs her spark plugs changed. Otherwise, she's in great condition. I need to get under her and start pulling things apart to get a clearer picture of what might be going on. Em and I will tow her to the house later and take a good look, okay?" I nodded and was about to thank her when the sight of the front bumper distracted me. It had definitely seen better days and was quite bent and contorted.

I guess Emmett must have sensed my distress because he leaned in and whispered with a chuckle, "That's okay, Bella, you should see the Volvo, your little Rabbit definitely came out the winner in that fight."

Oh no!

I moved the few steps to where Edward's Volvo was parked and saw that what Emmett had said was indeed true. The back of Edward's car looked like someone had hit it with a sledgehammer.

"Oh my God, Edward." My hand flew to my mouth and my body began to shake anew. "I am so sorry, I will pay to have it fixed, I'm just – oh my God, I'm so sorry, Edward."

"Bella, how many Volvo dealerships do you think there are in Washington?"

"What? I… what?" What kind of question was that? Did he want me to buy him a brand new Volvo instead of just getting this one fixed? I stared at him in shock.

"There are at least twenty-seven," he stated, as if this was remotely important.

"I, uh, okay?" I really had no idea where he was going with this and it was leaving me feeling a little piqued.

"Now, how many Bella dealerships are there in Washington?" My eyes met his and I was overwhelmed by the sadness in them. Despite everything that had happened between us, Edward was still so protective of me. That thought helped to erase my earlier aggravation and replace it with understanding. My moment of reflection was disturbed by Emmett's musings,

"You know, they really should think about building one of those, 'cause at the rate you're going, it wouldn't be such a bad idea to have some spare parts kicking around." He laughed as I tried to unsuccessfully punch him,

"Yup, definitely would be a good idea to keep extra fingers and hands around."

Everyone was smiling and I watched as Alice approached us. She had Bethie's legs wrapped around her waist and her head was resting on Alice's shoulder. She was starting to ask me about spare clothes for Seth but didn't get very far when she was interrupted by a fierce growl.

Instantly, everything changed and I found myself standing behind Jasper. He was crouched low in front of me and it took me a moment to realize who he was protecting me from.

Rose was fighting wildly against both Edward and Emmett. I have never seen her look so feral or vicious. I had no idea what had caused her to become so incensed. Just a moment earlier we had been laughing and talking quite pleasantly. I had almost thought for a moment that all of our past issues had been forgotten.

Now, I couldn't understand what had changed her demeanor so violently. As I followed her line of sight, I realized that she was staring at Bethie. Not just staring, no, this was so much more, she radiated dissonance. It looked like she was torn between anger, need and something else I couldn't place.

I had seen a similar look on Edward's face the very first time we met.

"It's her blood isn't it?"

Jasper didn't have to confirm it. I knew all that I needed to know. My baby girl, my sweet little Bethie, one of my only two reasons for living, was in serious danger. All the calm that I thought I had regained evaporated in that instant. I could feel the adrenaline coursing through my body. The urge to fight or flee was prickling my muscles, demanding I make a choice. I knew what I was going to do.

Fight.

The blood rushing in my ears was almost deafening. My breathing was once again erratic and I could hear myself gasping. But none of that mattered. My vision narrowed and all I saw was the blonde-haired threat to my child's very existence.

Jacob, help me save our baby!

I don't even consciously recall choosing to move between Rose and my daughter, but suddenly, I was there. I have no idea if Jasper tried to stop me or not. While I was very aware that he was still crouched low in front of me, my focus was wholly and completely on the snarling woman with the wild onyx eyes.

Jake, please protect our angel!

"Bethie is Rose's singer." Jasper unnecessarily confirmed. "Alice is going to slowly retreat; it's going to be alright, Bébé." I have no idea what Alice was doing as I kept my gaze fully on Rose, tracking her every move. I was standing at my full height behind Jasper, my hands on my hips, just daring her to try to get past me. I was raw energy and instinct, if humans could growl, I would have.

Give me the strength I need to do this, Jake!

I watched both Edward and Emmett as they murmured rapidly to her. Very gradually, I could see Rose's struggle losing momentum until, eventually, she had calmed enough to allow Emmett to lead her away into the surrounding forest. Edward stood watching them, an unreadable expression on his face.

Jasper straightened and turned to face me. I can only assume that he was intending to inquire after my well being, but that was the exact moment that I had officially hit the end of my weirdness tolerance for the day. My limbs jellified, my knees buckled and the whole universe condensed down into one tiny truth,

I can't handle this.

There were words said and discussions had, I honestly didn't give a damn about any of it.

Somehow, I ended up on Jasper's lap in the backseat of Carlisle's car. He took me to my breathing space, whispering words of support and encouragement while I struggled fruitlessly to regain any semblance of equilibrium. He assured me that my children were seated behind us with Seth. I could hear that my brother was speaking quietly with Masen and trying to explain why we were in a different vehicle with so many new people. Amazingly, Bethie was still asleep. I could hear the smile in Jasper's voice as he described what she looked like curled up in her car seat with her fingers in her mouth and her blanket covering half of her face.

I heard all of it, and yet, I didn't. I was beyond numb, beyond empty, beyond shocked.

Once we arrived home, Jasper settled us into our place on the couch. He just rocked us back and forth for a long time while he hummed a tune that was very familiar but I couldn't name.

We rocked for a long time before I slowly began to come back in to myself enough to recognize that while I wasn't hungry or thirsty, I really, really, really wanted a cigarette.

"Jasper," I whispered, "can we go out back for a smoke? I am really need one right now."

I could feel him nodding and begin to raise us off of the couch, but then – he just stopped.

"No, Bella." Seth said calmly from his place on the living room floor where he had made a bed for him and the kids. I actually thought that he had fallen asleep there.

"What do you mean, no, Seth? I haven't had one since… since… well, you know when. I haven't had one since that night, but I really need one right now. Today was a crap day followed by an even crappier night, if anyone deserves a smoke right now, it's me." I was growing increasingly irritated. After the day I had, it didn't take much.

"I'm not saying that you don't deserve to have one, I'm just saying that you can't have one. I can't tell you why, but if you knew my reasons, you would agree with me."

"But I don't know your reasons because you want to play I know something you don't know instead of telling me anything that makes sense. Therefore, I don't agree with you, therefore, let's go, Jasper." I gestured in the direction of my bedroom but Jasper remained unmoving.

Seth sighed and sat up. "How 'bout a hot chocolate and some popcorn? I could go make you some of that, that's better than a smoke isn't it?" He sounded so hopeful. I didn't want to be a jerk to him but I didn't understand why he was acting this way. He knew what today had been like for me – he was there.

"Put some Baileys in the hot chocolate and you might be on to something." I folded my arms across my chest and waited for his response. Jasper was eerily still and silent and it made me wonder if it was because of the emotions that he was picking up from Seth or if it was something else.

"I can't do that, either, Bella."

Any other day, I probably would have dropped it. It was obvious that, once again, an Alpha order had been placed over me. This wasn't the first time I had come across an, 'I'd like to tell you but I can't' situation and I usually did a better job of handling it – usually. It was just part and parcel of living amongst the wolf pack and I understood that Sam always had good reasons for making such decrees – most of the time.

But not today.

Today, I was done. There was nothing left in me. Nothing left for me to give, nothing left for anyone to take away. My husband was already gone. His car was ruined, diminished, changed. My son was traumatized and my daughter – oh my God, what would happen to Bethie if Rose couldn't control herself?

Everything good was tainted and I didn't know how to fix it. I was still adrift and without a sign because if those were my signs, then the world has officially gone to hell. I just wanted a smoke, one puff, one single inhalation to help me make sense of the chaos. That's it, that's all I wanted. I could have asked for my husband back, I could have asked for Masen and Bethie to be restored to exactly how they were before he got sick, before he died, before their whole world flipped over on its ass. I could have asked for Rose to have never come back to Forks. I could have asked for the freaking moon but all I was asking for was one single drag from one single cigarette, and I was being denied?

Not. Today.

"Let me go, please, Jasper," I whispered. He did as I asked and I casually stepped around Seth and the kids. I made my way through my bedroom without looking at anything in the room. I focused on reaching my goal, which was just to get to the sliding doors. Once through them, I grabbed my cigarettes down from their hiding spot, pulled one out, set it to my lips and lit it.

It disappeared before I could even inhale.

Startled, I stepped back to see Sam standing in front of me with my cigarette in his hand. I had no idea that he had come back to my house, let alone that he was hanging out in my backyard. The last I had heard, he had turned around at the boundary line with everyone else. I suppose he would have heard about the accident from Seth and maybe came by to check on us. It didn't really explain why he hadn't come in through the front door like a normal person, though. It almost made me feel like he had been out there waiting for me to try to break his edict.

"I'm still using that." I tried for nonchalant even though I was absolutely seething inside. What the hell gave him the right to just walk on to my property anytime he felt like it and enact his will on me?

"No, Bella, you're not. I know that this has been a difficult day for you, but this isn't the answer."

"I don't think that you get to decide that. I am a grown woman and perfectly capable of making my own choices. I wasn't going to smoke the whole pack; I was only going to have one. But that isn't even your business or remotely your choice. If I wanted to smoke the whole stinking pack and then go out and buy another one and smoke that one too, that's no one's business but my own. As long as I don't do it in front of my kids or your kids or Emily or anyone else on the res, then what the hell business is it of yours?"

He looked at me for a long time. I could tell that he was angry with me. He really wasn't used to being told off as no one really did it very often, except for me, it seemed. There was something else going on as well. I could tell that he was genuinely concerned for me but I still couldn't understand why he was making such a big deal over one stupid little cigarette.

His dark eyes were solemn as he threw the cigarette onto the porch and stamped it out with his shoe. He took both my hands into his and, after what seemed like a lifetime, he finally spoke,

"Bella, you're pregnant."

A/N- Dun, Dun, Dun! LOL ! This chapter is dedicated to everyone who has already guessed that this is the case but especially to Kammy68. She was the very first one to ask, "What's Bella's big secret?" Thank you for being so patient and for letting the 'story tell you', hon. I hope that it was worth the wait!

Speaking of wait… I'm sorry, guys, I really am. I know that this was the longest wait yet and I am just so grateful for everyone who is still sticking around. I love you all more than I can possibly say. I will finish this story and I am trying harder to make writing a priority, I promise you!

P.S. Please don't call bullsquirt on me! I know that a lot happens in this chapter but in my defense:

1. Bella did ask for a sign and anyone who's ever done that knows that it isn't always (read – never) what you think it will be.

2. MistRchelle said that the story needed more action in it, so this chapter is also dedicated to him. Was that enough adrenaline for you honey? Also, are there other guys reading this story? I'm just curious…

3. Bella really wanted to smash up the Volvo and who could blame her? I just went with it… : )

4. Bethie was always going to be Rose's singer. In case you thought that I just pulled the idea outta my ear. If you think back, yes, she was in the house before but that was when Bethie was a baby AND they weren't in the same room AND there were a lot of smelly wolves around to mask any singer-type smells. That holds true for right up until now as this is the first time that Rose is around her without a smelly wolf in direct proximity. I figure if Edward could be in the cafeteria with Bella and not know until he met up with her again in Bio that she was his singer, then this concept should work too, so please don't kill me over this one, please, please, please!

5. They can't all be home runs, right?

6. What song was Jasper humming to Bella? Not really a defense point, but I don't really have one in mind and would love to hear your suggestions.

7. If I wrote a Harry Potter fan fic, would you read it? Again, not a defense point but I'm really curious. I'm really into Draco/Hermione stories right now so that would probably be the pairing and it would most likely just be a oneshot. I am open to suggestions so please send me some prompts and I will definitely credit you if I use yours.

Ok, that's it. If you're gonna hit the button, please be gentle…

Until next time,

Krista