"Right and wrong have ceased to mean much to me. I was coming back anyway. Before Rosalie told me the news, I was already past trying to live through one week at a time, or even one day. I was fighting to make it through one single hour. It was only a matter of time—and not much of it—before I showed up at your window and begged you to take me back. I'd be happy to beg now, if you'd like that." — Edward, from New Moon, page 514.

Chapter 22: Return

"Hon, I really don't like this."

"Sorry, Mom, but this is how it has to be."

"You're forcing me to lose another daughter."

I rolled my eyes. "Mom, I'm moving out and I already promised you I would call," I reminded as gently as I could (although I was in a rush because I had planned to leave at four in the morning and it was now six fifty-three). "It's not like we won't see each other again."

I almost choked on the last sentence; I still wasn't good at lying. It was strange, and so difficult, knowing that I would never see my parents again. I looked from Renee, grave faced and worrying, to Phil, standing with his hand on her shoulder, lending her his strength, and wished more than anything I could tell them the truth. I couldn't though. I had to lie a little longer for them, to protect them, and then I would be on the road, never to see their faces again.

"Please, Stephie, tell me where you're going," Renee begged. "To Forks?"

"No, Mom," I lied. "I haven't been there for five years; I'm not going back now."

"But you'll be stopping by there," Phil said simply, easily seeing passed the lie. "So, send our love to Isabella."

"For Isabella," Renee agreed.

"I already have an idea where to get a lovely ruffled tulip from," I smirked. How could they read me so well? Ah, parents. I guess they had me figured out after living with them for...well, all my life. (Except of course for that short stretch of time in which I had dated a vampire, heard my late sister's voice, accidentally made a werewolf imprint on me, brought my half-sister back to life and became a vampire myself.)

"Drive safe," Phil said.

"And, I think you'll need this." She revealed what she had been holding behind her back. I laughed; it was an umbrella. "Chances are it will rain."

"It always rains in Forks," I laughed. "Thanks, Mom."

I took the black umbrella and threw it in the passenger seat of my black Porche. My parents, thankfully, hadn't noticed that I was travelling extremely lightly. (I didn't need things like toothbrushes and hairbrushes anymore, but I brought those things along out of habit. But I brought two changes of clothes. That was it.)

"Oh, and that nice director called again," Renee suddenly recalled. "He really liked your score...or something like that."

"Good, I was hoping he would say that." After all, when one writes musical scores for movies, one does appreciate a good compliment now and then.

"And I can't get over how wonderful your voice sounded in that horror movie! I hardly recognized you! You, my own daughter! You were beautiful," Renee raved.

"Mom," I mumbled. "I wasn't even in the movie. Just a small bit of singing alongside my score."

"But only you could make that Dakota Fanning look good swinging that clever around," Phil said sweetly. "It wouldn't have been the same without your genius. The film industry is going to miss you."

"And I'll miss it, but I rather do some travelling than sit around composing all day long," I argued. "I went to school, I did the job thing, so now I want to stop wasting my youth!"

Not that that was possible; I had an eternity of youth ahead of me. The only problem was, I was one year late for a very important engagement.

"Is Catlin still in Forks? Will you see her when you stop by?" Phil questioned.

"No, after the wedding, Cat and her husband moved to Kansas, to the windy city," I informed them. "There's no one there."

"God, that reminds me, if you really are going to Forks, please visit Charlie's grave," Renee requested. Her eyes started getting teary, and Phil began rubbing comforting circles into her shoulders. "It would mean a lot to me. I know you didn't know him, but, you weren't there for the funeral because you were out of town when we found out. You need to go someday though. Sooner rather than later, okay, honey?"

"I'll go," I promised.

Charlie had died of a heart attack, just like Harry Clearwater, one week ago. I could only imagine how Bella was taking it.

"Goodbye, Stephanie," Phil said softly, reaching in for a hug. I didn't even have to remind myself to watch my strength, living with such fragile humans allowed me to gain control of my new self easily.

"Bye, sweetie," Renee whispered, as she stole me in her arms, hugging me as if she could sense that this was our last goodbye.

"I love you both, so much. I'll miss you." Every day for the rest of forever.

"Call once you have a permanent place," Phil ordered. "Don't worry your mother."

"I won't. I promise." I walked around to the driver's side, turned the key into the ignition, and then waved and blew kisses as I drove away.

Some people might think I was crazy to drive from Jacksonville to Forks, but I liked the idea of the speed increasing by the shift of my foot, the wind in my hair with the windows wide open, and the sound of music blaring as I drove home.

I listened to old music. I was into the latest beats and tunes, but the oldies were always better. Tango Shoes, Touchdown Turnaround, Escape, and Fer Shure were played frequently. Britney Spears' songs from the many years she had some hits, some of Jewel's hits, some of Eiffel 65, some Aqua, some Within Temptation, Breaking Benjamin, and whatever I could dig up of Enrique Iglesias. Finally, after a round of Michael Jackson songs, I drove into Forks singing along to Savage Garden's Cherry Cola.

I drove incredibly slowly into Forks, throwing my head in all directions, not really sure what I was looking for. I drove by the old house once, but that wasn't the prize of my search. I gave up looking though, and, with great frustration, went to the Forks Cemetery.

I smelled the brisk morning air. It was very early in Forks, and the sun was just rising. I heard something move behind me, and smiled to myself, waiting for my pot of gold to appear. The rainbow came first though, and I turned around to see Jared staring back at me.

"Long time no see," I greeted pleasantly, showing off my pearly whites with an especially large grin.

Jared didn't answer me. I saw something like relief in his eyes, but that quickly turned to anger, confusion and frustration. My smile didn't waver; I had plenty of training in the false-smile department, I wasn't going to let it slide now; I wasn't about to frown when I was facing a rainbow. That would be far too pessimistic for my taste.

"Are you going to ignore me?" I asked sweetly. "After the way you said goodbye to me, I was expecting a nicer welcome wagon."

Again, no answer. Was he deaf? I thought werewolves were supposed to have good hearing? Or was that only in their wolfish form?

"You didn't come back," he accused, startling me with his sudden speech.

My smile faltered only slightly. He had hit a nerve. I had felt guilty about that, but I hadn't found an opportunity to come back. I barely got away from Renee, Phil, and my guilt as it was.

"You're right. I'm sorry. I was a jerk for doing that." I paused and looked him over once. How was it possible that he had gotten bigger and taller? Hopefully, that had all stopped, because I wasn't a giant myself, and I didn't like people talking down to me—especially literally talking down to me.

"Why didn't you come?"

I didn't answer. I didn't break my stare, and he didn't look away. I had no answer to his question.

It was eerie, seeing him so still. I could tell that, even beneath the calmness he so perfectly radiated, there was rage. He was still because he was trying to keep himself under control.

"Do you regret waiting for me now?" I questioned with a tight voice, barely able to keep the bite out of it. I knew I had no right to be angry, but I couldn't help but feel hurt that the one I loved was staring at me so coldly.

"I told you before you left, the only thing I was going to regret was not keeping you here longer," he reminded me harshly. "Why did you break your promise? Did you meet someone else? Or do you not care at all? Did it matter to you that I was waiting?"

Each question penetrated my protective shield. I felt every blow, and I wondered again why I had chosen to come back here. I hadn't even faced Edward yet and I was in pain. I knew I deserved the load of guilt Jared was placing on me, but I wished I didn't deserve it. I wanted to be load-free. Now, I had a lot more baggage than I had bargained for. (Good thing I had packed light.)

"Do you hate me or do you love me, Jared?" I laughed, feeling my heart-strings snap from strain. "I wouldn't have come back at all if I had thought you hated me, but I've been wrong before. If you've changed your mind, I would like to leave with as little pain inflicted on either of us as possible."

His expression loosened, and I heard him sigh heavily. "I love you, Stephanie," he assured me. "But that doesn't mean I'm any less angry with you."

"Oh, good. I was hoping to hear that." I was a little heavy on the sarcasm, but I got my message across.

His long stride quickly closed the distance between us, and he came close enough that I had to take a step back to see his face. He was at least a head and a half taller than me. How had that growth spurt happen?

"God, you're tall," I muttered under my breath. (I like to pretend he hadn't heard.)

"Stephanie, I love you," he repeated, softer this time. "I'm a little tired of waiting though. Would it have been so hard to come see me?"

I sighed heavily, just as he had done. "Believe it or not, yes," I grumbled. "I needed money, to be honest, and I made most of what I have in this past year."

"I could have helped you out," Jared offered. "I'm a certified mechanic. I have a bit of money saved up."

"You took after your father," I said absent-mindedly.

"It was either that or cook like my mother," he grinned. "And since I like blackened food as much as the average person, I picked mechanics."

"Wise choice."

It was weird, seeing the bits of Jacob in Jared's face. Even weirder was the fact that I was the vampire-girl admiring the looks of a werewolf. The world was a messed up place, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

"Well, I think now that I've found you I'll leave flowers and love to the graves later," I announced, doing my best to sound cheery, considering I was in a cemetery. "Are you free today?"

"I'm free," he said. "I was just about to..." He cut short and shook his head. "Never mind. It's not important anymore."

"What were you about to do?" I asked.

"It's not important anymore," he repeated.

"No, please, tell me," I insisted. "What were you about to do? Can I help at all?"

He smirked, and his eyes shot down. I thought maybe it was something embarrasing—until he looked up at me, and I could see the strain and frustration return to his dark eyes.

"I was coming after you," he said sternly. "I warned you I would."

"Oh."

"I thought about coming after you for a long time, and today—"

"I'm sorry, Jared. I wanted to come back to you in the time I promised," I interrupted. "But why would you come after me? Are you crazy? What would your parents think? Your friends? And, if you weren't thinking about yourself, what about me? Was I supposed to explain to my neighbours that the giant bear-dog that ran up the street that day was my pet scruffy who had a horrible mutation that made him grow that big? I don't think so."

His eyes widened. His lips twitched, he tried to hold back a smile and he failed miserably. And then he laughed. He laughed loudly, and the frustration and worry left his eyes.

"I missed you," Jared said. He touched my shoulder, and I took his hand so fast that I probably startled him.

"I missed you too."

"Are you going to stay this time?" he asked, with a glint of hope in his eyes.

I paused; how was I to break this to him? The hope left his eyes as my pause made its mark. He got what I was afraid to tell him.

"Why not?" he demanded.

"I'm going to find the Cullens," I told him. "And I am going to go wherever they go."

"Right." He inhaled and glanced away, looking embarrassed and (again) frustrated. "You know that Edward is in love with your look-a-like. If you're trying to chase after him again—"

"No, it isn't for him," I swore. "This is for me. I made them my family. I don't know if you can understand this, but, I was connected to them since I was born, all because of Isabella Swan. And I have to be with them; they're part of me. I want it to be this way too. So, wherever they go, I go. From now on."

"All of them? Not just Edward?"

"Not just Edward. All of them," I confirmed.

He squeezed my hand and leaned down to me, still not smiling.

"Do you have to keep torturing me?" he asked.

"I'm not torturing you on purpose. I happen to really hate hurting you. I love you, Jared. I realized that when you kissed me and that's never going to change. Not now, not ever. So never doubt that I want to come back to you."

"Then why not stay with me?" H insisted, drawing me closer to him, with his hand on my waist. "You can spend forever with the Cullens. I have a lifespan to worry about."

"I think it's better if you don't waste your life on me," I explained, trying to ignore the feeling of warmth radiating of him, as if I was standing next to a thousand suns. "I wanted to come back to let you know that I do love you, and that I will always think of you. But you need to get a life, kid."

"You are my life," he argued. His hand slipped from mine and he began tracing soft patterns over my cheek and lips. "Why can't you understand that?"

"You have family and friends and your pack, right? There's more than just me." It was hard to get out a complete thought when I felt a sudden urge to stop all talking and just look at him.

"I do," he agreed. "And you have your own pack, don't you? But I want to work around that. The Cullens gave you an open invitation right? You can come whenever. Why not after I'm gone?"

"Don't talk about that." I glowered at him and almost lost control of my strength—nearly crushing his hand in the process. He noticed my increased grip though, and that gave me enough of a hint to let go of him.

I stepped back and struggled between running off and staying right where I was. Neither of the options was perfect.

"Five years gave me enough time to plan it all out," he said, not making a move to approach me. "You can stay here, with me, until I die. Then you can join the Cullens. You'll be happy with them. This way we're both happy, right?"

"No." I shook my head furiously. "I'm not going to stick around to watch you die, Jared!"

"I didn't mean that. I meant just stick around for longer," he corrected. "If it bothers you so much, you can leave once I'm too old to attract you anymore. Is that good enough for you?"

"No, Jared." I closed my eyes and tried to escape the image of Is in her casket; I tried to shake the image of Jared in her place. "You should get married, have a life, and...do whatever you want to do with your life."

"I want to be with you. That's it."

I opened my eyes and glared at him. Could he be so stupid? I wasn't going to watch him get old and die. I wasn't going to stick around and ruin his life. Maybe I could stay if I was human, but I couldn't now. I wanted to stay just long enough to explain how I felt. But, other than that, I could only dream of being with him. (And by dream, I meant daydreams, because sleep-dreams were impossible for me now.)

I had thought over it constantly during the past five years. It was impossible for us. I didn't want to see him die, and I wanted to see him have a life. Jared deserved so much more than what I could give him. If I truly loved him, I had to leave.

Shock ran through my system. I couldn't believe my own thoughts. Leave him? What good would that do? I had seen second hand what that could do to two people. Edward had left Bella for her own good, and I had experienced the pain through her memories. And I knew the guilt that Edward felt everyday for leaving her. Did I want to go through that pain? That guilt.

Yes, yes I did. I would go through any pain to make Jared happy.

It wasn't normal to be so in love with someone after being away from them for so long, but a) I was hardly normal, b) absence makes the heart grow fonder. But, despite how much I longed to tell him that I wanted to stay again, I knew that Edward had the right idea. Bella had fallen for Jacob after all, right? I could get lucky. Was there someone else for Jared that I was keeping him from? I had a feeling there wasn't, and that was making my options more unclear.

"Jared, I don't know if you've noticed yet, but I'm a vampire," I reminded him. "I am going to live forever. You, on the other hand, don't have forever. I can't make you happy. You should start a life."

"No," he growled. Again, he closed the distance between us. He pulled my close with one hand on my shoulder and another on the back of my neck. "Do I have to repeat everything? Your the only life I want. Your all I need out of this world, Stephanie. If you leave...do you really think I have a chance at a life?"

"Yes," I lied. My defences were weakening. I was going to give in, wasn't I? God, I was selfish.

"Liar," he accused, sensing his easy victory.

"You've changed," I noted.

"Five years, Steph," he reminded me. "I let you go last time. I'm not about to let that happen again."

"Crap," I sighed. "I really want to kiss you. Thanks a lot, Jared."

He grinned. "You're welcome."

And, with little resistance from him, I gently pulled his lips to my level and pressed myself into a passionate kiss. I didn't think much about the fact we were in a graveyard; I mostly thought about how good it felt to have his fingers gently twined into my hair. And Jared was a good kisser. (He was no Edward, but Jared still had time to learn., and I would be glad to be his practice dummy.)

I released him and he panted heavily. I was just slightly breathless, but not enough for him to notice. "Are you staying?" he asked again in his breathless, husky voice.

"Yes, but I'm still going to look for the Cullens," I warned.

"They're here," he said. "They haven't left since Charlie Swan's funeral."

"Oh." Well, that made the search easier for me.

"But you're not leaving with them," he insisted.

"...No," I grumbled. This was unfair to me. Jared had totally ruined my plan! Now how was I going to explain to Rosalie that I appreciated her invite but I had to make-out with my werewolf sweetheart until he died?

And that was a whole other issue. How was I going to deal with Jared being gone one day?

"Jared. I'm warning you now that I can't see you die."

"I'll find you a blindfold then." He was joking, but there was no humor in his voice.

"I swear, the first time I see you with a cold I am going to bite you," I growled.

"I'm not into the whole love-bite thing," he admitted.

"Think about kinky later, Jared. I was talking about figuring out a way to keep you alive."

"It's just a cold, Steph. I'm not going to die from a cold."

"Oh, really? What if its pnemonia?" I questioned with narrowed eyes.

"I'm going to leave you in good hands, Stephanie. I promise. You want to go off with the Cullens anyway."

I grabbed his face (gently) and gawked at him, finding no words to express how angry I was that he was so willing to die!

"How can you be so calm?" I finally spat out. "I was gone for five years, try to imagine forever."

He winced slightly. "You'll get over me by then."

I laughed. He was an idiot! Didn't he understand yet that my heart had made its decision already? It was nevergoing to let him go. Even forever wouldn't be enough time. Forever I was going to love him. I knew that because I had known true love. I had seen it, and now I was truly experiencing it. I couldn't get over true love. Not even death would remove him from my unbeating heart. He was a complete dumb ass to think otherwise.

"What I feel for you now is stronger than any old imprint," I told him. "I am not going to watch you die."

"Relax, Stephanie. I'm not planning on dying tomorrow." He smiled at me, although it didn't quite touch his eyes. Maybe my words were finally sinking in.

"Fine, but I intend to think on this," I warned. "I might just bring it up the day after tomorrow, just in case you're secretly planning on dying then."

"Bring it up in ten years, okay? Maybe I'll listen then," he suggested with a shrug. "No promises though."

I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms over my chest. Things were way too complicated when one was a vampire.

"Doesn't that girl with Jared look familiar?"

"Yeah, yeah. I've seen her before."

"Tyler, honey, doesn't she look a lot like...?"

"Bella. Yes, she does. And like that other one, the half-sister."

"Huh. I thought so."

The words alerted me to exactly what I had hoped for. Finally, some good news. I had been waiting to hear some good news. I was sick of thinking about Charlie. I hated that my heart could still ache so much when it wasn't beating.

But, if what they were saying was right, Stephanie was going to show up soon. Obviously she had gone to see Jared first. Maybe the graveyard too. (Had she gone to see Charlie too?) I was excited to see her after so long apart. Plus, I couldn't wait to have her join us.

I had been reluctant at first, since she had stolen Edward's heart while I was gone, but now I couldn't wait. Rosalie would be excited too. After she had confessed that it had been her brilliant idea, and how she wanted to trust Stephanie, and how she was sorry she hadn't trusted me as quickly as she should have, Rosalie had been pestering Alice about when Stephanie was planning on coming. Alice kept the same date for four years, and then she changed it so suddenly. There was no clear vision as to what Stephanie was planning after that. Alice had very recently seen that Stephanie was coming, but she couldn't tell when.

"Excuse me, Miss? Are you sure you want only the—"

"I'm sure I only want the one picture frame, Tyler," I replied. "Have a good day."

I smiled. It was strange to believe that all it took was shades and a hat to fool Tyler. I suppose being considered dead did help with the disguise.

I left, still smiling, enjoying how stumped he looked. He was probably wondering how I knew his name when I was 'new' to Forks. A whole forty-one years new to Forks. (God, was I really forty-one? That made Edward one hundred twenty-one years old...And I couldn't even begin to add up Carlisle's age.)

I went quickly to the silver Volvo waiting outside the store. I saw Tyler's jaw drop from the window, and joined in with Edward's chuckling as I got into the passanger side.

"I have to say that I like stunning Tyler," I admitted. "I say we find Mike and Jessica next. Or maybe Lauren. I would love to freak her out."

Edward grinned crookedly at me, momentarily stunning me. "I don't think that's such a wise idea, Bella."

I shrugged. I saw no harm in bothering people from my past life as Bella Swan.

"Stephanie is back," I announced. Edward rev-ed the engine and then took off down the road. "You can drive a little faster, Edward. There's no one outside at this hour. No small children running around in the street."

"And the traffic laws?" he asked.

I deliberated. "You're right. In Charlie's memory we should obey the Forks traffic safety laws."

He raised one eyebrow and looked at me, trying to decipher what I was thinking. (When was he going to stop hoping that he would suddenly start reading my mind?) "Only in Forks, Bella?" he asked.

"Only in Forks," I confirmed. I took the picture of Charlie off the dash, unpacked the picture frame, and then slipped the picture inside. "There."

"So Stephanie is back," Edward said calmly. "I wonder when she plans on stopping by."

"Who knows. Soon, I think."

Edward reached over to brush my cheek. "You're not bothered by this?"

I turned to him, smiling softly. I placed my hand over his, still of my cheek. "Not at all," I assured him. "Why would it?"

He shrugged. Was this going to bother him?

"I think this was fate." I ignored Edward's surprised expression and focused on how his fingers twined perfectly with mine. "I was supposed to die. Stephanie was supposed to meet you. You were supposed to love her, so I could understand how much my being with Jacob had hurt you."

"Bella—"

"I think Stephanie was supposed to become part of our family too," I finished, ignoring his protests. "And I like how this all turned out. I wish I hadn't seen Renee so teary at Charlie's funeral, and I wish he hadn't died...so early...but death is part of life, right?"

Edward parked the Volvo, and then he reached and gently kissed my lips. "Can you forgive me for being so selfish? For putting you through this?"

"Edward, I wanted to be a vampire, remember? I chose this long before he were forced to do it to bring me back to life." I paused, taking his face in my hands and smiling again. (I was all smiles these days, wasn't I? Strange. Shouldn't I be mopey and expressing how sad I was for losing my father? But grief effects people in different ways.)

"I know," he said grudgingly. He seemed to prefer blaming himself than letting the blame go to me.

"So, let's get ready to greet Stephanie, okay? No more guilt trips. Ever. Promise?" I waited, but he didn't answer. "Fine. Promise that there will be none today then?"

"I swear not to guilt myself today," he promised.

"That's enough. For now."

He chuckled lightly, and then opened the car door and climbed out, and I did the same. He was still faster than me, so he closed the door for me, and was on my side by the times I was out. (I think he liked showing off that he was still faster than me.)

He looked off, behind me, suddenly. "You were right. And that didn't take long at all."

I became aware of someone approaching behind me. I turned around and there was Stephanie, smiling nervously at us.

"Hello," I greeted.

"Hi, Bella," he responded. Her eyes flickered to Edward. "Hi, Edward."

"Its nice to see you again, Stephanie," Edward said pleasantly. "Are you going to stay long this time?"

Her lips twitched into a genuine smile. "Jared guilted me into staying in Forks," she answered. "I have to be where he is."

"Did he?" I laughed. "Good for him."

"Would you like to come inside?" Edward offered. "Everyone is inside, and I'm sure Alice has already anticipated your arrival."

"No doubt," she agreed. "Sure. I'll come in."

FINALLY. The door opened and I sprang forward. "I knew you were coming today!" I cheered, throwing my arms around Stephanie. "It was hard keeping it a secret. I wanted to surprise everyone."

"Oh," Stephanie said laughingly, staggered by my quick hug and release. "Your surpise seems to have worked. Good for you, Alice."

"And now you're here to stay!" I announced. "I'm so happy!" And I was. I had felt so much guilt for taking Stephanie's normal life away from her. But she was happy now, and she would continue to be for as long as I could see (so far).

"Actually, I promised Jared I would stay with him," Stephanie corrected. "And I'm sure you'll be leaving at some point. I can't break another promise to him."

"You won't," I assured her. "And we'll be staying here for a bit anyways, until then and even after then, you'll be part of our family."

"But when you leave, I'll have to stay," she explained, not understanding me yet.

"Jared will be coming with us then," I said. I could still remember my vision of two new additions to our family. One was Stephanie, of course. I could barely hold it all in. Already Edward was raising on eyebrow and looking at me with such confusion.

Yep, that's my vision, I told him. And it isn't changing.

The future was set in stone as far as I was concerned. Stephanie was about to join us; Bella was close to recovering from mourning Charlie, as we all were, slowly; and Jared would join us too. Our family was getting very big. We'd have to start out own Volturi if it continued to grow.

"Have you decided?" Rosalie asked. Stephanie and Rosalie grinned at each other for a while, as if they could read each other's minds. When had they gotten to close? I was stumped. It was possible that the missing part of my vision that day when Bella had said goobye to Jacob that Rosalie and Stephanie had done more than just planned out how Stephanie would say goodbye to Edward. But I was glad knowing that Rosalie and Stephanie were going to get along swimmingly.

"Definitely, Stephanie Hale," Stephanie announced. "If that's alright...?"

"Absolutely," Esme grinned. "We're happy to have you as a part of our family. And Hale works perfectly for you."

"Thank you," Stephanie said, looking extremely thankful.

I couldn't wait. This was going to be a very interesting forever. With all the adventures we'd had so far...I wondered, what comes next?

THE END. That's it! The last chapter! Short? Sorry, if you think so. If there's any loose ends, let me know. I would be happy to explain! Thanks so much for coming this far with me! And for your wonderful reviews! Review if you want to. (I would like you to, but, really, it is your choice.) Again, THANK YOU!!