Title: Forever Days

Author: Nadia Mack

Disclaimer: I own nothing, which is a tragedy.

Rated: K+ (So far at least)

Summary: One night, Bella's life changes.

Author's Notes: This is more or less a departure to how Bella dealt with the repercussions after Edward left in "New Moon." I took the liberty of taking some ideas from the short-lived show "New Amsterdam." The Cullen's and of course Edward, will play a large part. The first couple of chapters is just me laying the groundwork.

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Prologue: Renewed Life

(Bella's POV)

Gasp!

When I woke up, I felt disoriented. The erratic beating of my heart could almost be heard against my rushed breaths. I reached for my chest, where my heart lay, and I was relieved that the knife I felt stab into me was no longer there.

It must've been a dream.

A very long and very painful vivid dream.

But then I suddenly noticed my surroundings. With my eyes finally adjusting to the light, I found myself in the forest surrounded by trees. At first I thought I was at the meadow, but upon further observation, the area looked decisively unfamiliar.

Not wanting to be caught by some random passing animal or an excited hunter, I grudgingly lifted myself off the slab of rock that doubled as my bed.

Odd, I didn't even recognize ever seeing it before.

Then I heard it, a quick rustling of leaves.

I spun around, facing my hidden guest. "Who are you?" My voice came off calm, almost confident. I almost laughed out loud at the lie. I was totally terrified. I was lost in a forest with a stranger that was either dangerous or friendly. With my luck, it'd be the former.

The man didn't respond to my question. To be frank, he had no reaction at all. Upon closer scrutiny, he was tall, almost as tall as Jacob, with long jet-black hair wearing clothes centuries out of fashion. Alice had a healthy respect for historical fashion, but the wear and tear this particular man had worn his clothes would give her a heart attack if she could achieve one.

"Are you a Quileute?" They were the only known Native American tribe I knew, and assuming I was still somewhere in Washington, it was a good a start as any.

Yet his reaction remained indifferent.

Did he even speak English?

Before I could get another question in, the man finally moved. It was slow but sure and just as my body's 'Fight and Flight' response kicked in, he held something out from within his long wide weathered sleeves.

My mouth hung open.

It was a knife.

The knife I last remembered was settled in my chest, taking my life.

I gulped.

"How… how did you…" except my words trailed off into bewildered silence.

First he looked into my eyes, and then it fell to my chest. I had the distinct urge to tell him to look elsewhere when I realized that maybe he was trying to tell me something. Besides, he didn't look like he was there to harass me at all. At least I hoped.

So I followed his gaze, and what I saw shocked me.

There was a scar. It was small and thin, about an inch and a half long and from that moment on I realized…

"I should be dead."

The man shook his head and held out the knife, its handle facing me.

"Who are you?"

The man smiled after I reluctantly took the knife, bowing his head towards me as if in reverence. The action stupefied me.

"He's thanking you," a soft voice spoke from behind.

I jerked around and the sight of the girl I disastrously tried to help appeared just a few feet from me. I swallowed hard, believing maybe I was still dreaming. After Edward left, I felt my life stand still and any interest I had before then seemed meaningless without him. I knew it was melodramatic, and as young as I am, it shouldn't have hurt that much.

But my feelings were immovable. It made me walk and talk but not care. Charlie and Jacob had worried, but even their caring patience did little to take me away from my sadness. Irrational. That is what it was. Especially in the face of my of mortality, it took me taking my truck and driving for hours into the night and smack dab in the middle of danger that it made me realize too late how precious life was.

I had sworn, even in my dying breath, that if I lived through this, I would not be so naïve.

"What happened to me?" I finally found the words to say.

"You saved my life," she replied simply and with a grateful smile. "And in return, my elder saved yours."

I turned to face the man once again but he was no longer there. How did he disappear without me noticing? Am I that completely out of it?

"It's all right," the girl said. "He won't harm you. He wanted to make sure that you survived."

"But…" I grasped to find the appropriate words. "Am… am I dead?"

"For a while."

I inhaled deeply. That didn't sound good. "But I'm alive now."

"The practice has never been done before you, at least not in recent centuries."

I blinked, wondering what the hell she was talking about.

"Centuries?"

"My Native American ancestor has given you immortal life, a gift for saving mine."

I blinked again, unable to process her words as clearly as I thought I could. After everything that I've experienced… after everything that I've seen, I had thought nothing would surprise me anymore but this?

"Are you saying what I think your saying?"

"I believe so." Then the girl lifted her head to the skies and spotted an eagle flying by. "I have to go."

My eyes widen. An honest to goodness American Bold Eagle. Holy cow!

"Goodbye, friend. And thank you."

I tried to run after her but she was quick. Not vampire quick but she was fast. "Wait!" I called out. "I don't know how any of this works."

She smiled. "You'll learn. You've got time."

I ignored the subtle meaning her words implied, not wanting to think about it too much. I tried following her but by the time she turned to a set of deep tree lines, she was gone and I was alone with nothing but my torn clothes and a knife for company.

I sighed.

Later that same day, my heart beat wildly, nervously, hoping I can find my way home and after endless hours of wandering, I finally hit the jackpot.

A road.

The image of being one part closer to home had me taking off running, and I stumbled, falling to the earth with a loud thud and a scratch. Apparently, immortality doesn't cure ones own little quirks.

"Ow!" I groaned, expecting the smell of blood on my hands to bring about a fainting spell or worse, nausea. When it didn't come, I turned my palm towards me and was shocked to find the wound healing right before my eyes.

"Oh God"

By the time I found a payphone, my father was frantic with worry. Not wanting to cause an early heart attack, I explained to him how I drove past Washington state lines and ended up with a flat tire in one of the more secluded areas nearby the Pacific Coast highway.

It was a good thing I had the knife with me, when I found my truck, thankfully untouched, it'd be awfully hard explaining to Charlie how I had a flat tire without it.

So after a good verbal thrashing and a very well-deserved grounding, my life (with the exception of the absent Cullens), I finished the final year in Forks High School without anymore incidents.

Well, except one but I could hardly help that.

Laurent came back but I actually had assistance with that one. Jacob, it turns out was a werewolf, and without the abilities that I always assumed came with immortality for myself, I was thankful they finished him off.

I died once already, and I wasn't looking forward to experiencing it again anytime soon.

For everything that's happened to me, I had wished to tell Jacob about what happened, yet I couldn't. It was too personal, and it was a cross to bear that only I can deal with. Even now, in the middle of my economics class of UCLA, I was still hard pressed to admit that I'll never age along with my peers.

Sometimes, I forced myself to not think about it at all.

So in an attempt to forget my silent problems, I threw myself into my studies rarely socializing in the process.

This must be what being a vampire felt like.

After freshmen year ended, I re-evaluated my life. For all intents and purposes, I still had one.

There was this ROTC program in school, and I thought maybe it'll be something to help me be less helpless. Charlie may like that, it's no police academy (thank goodness!) but at least it'll keep him distracted. So imagine my surprise, after I completed the program three years later that I found myself actually enjoying it.

The best thing, of course, is that I'm rarely clumsy as I used to be. It had to be all those hours marching and jogging. My equilibrium has never been better! It was one less thing to worry about.

Take that, flat surfaces!

By the time I graduated, as an Officer no less, which surprised me because if there was anything about immortality that had its goods points besides being unable to die, it was the added perk of photographic memory, my specialties ended up in Foreign Affairs.

It was a good deal.

I got to travel. Meet new people. Remembered the ones I needed to and forgot almost immediately the ones I didn't.

Even with all the knowledge I've acquired in surprisingly ten short years, I knew what I was preparing for. In my next life, whenever that may be; the contacts, locations and experience in the field are just some of many assets I would need to move on to my next life.

At the ripe old human age of 28, planning early had annoyingly become a necessity.

I pulled up into the curb, arriving just in time when I quickly spotted the familiar face exiting the double doors of LAX arrival passengers.

Taking a deep breath, I waved, flashing a smile for added measure.

"Bells!"

"Hey dad." I rushed toward him in a heartfelt hug.

"Let me look at you." Charlie held me out with a big old smile on his face, assessing his only child with pride that only a father can give. "It's so good to see you. Dinner's never been the same since you moved out."

I laughed despite my situation. Charlie always knew how to make me smile when I least wanted to.

"I'm sure Sue's treating you well."

Charlie shook his head to the contrary. "She's been feeding me healthy foods," he explained, and then cringed.

"It can't be that bad."

"Easy for you to say. You're still young. You could eat anything."

I almost flinched when he said that.

At least there are upsides to being an immortal. Like werewolves, I could eat whatever I want (except I really don't have an appetite for humans so that's a plus), and I could sleep when I needed sleep. I don't even have to avoid sunlight.

That brings me to the point of living in sunny California. Less chances of running into a vampire I knew.

That would be bad, not to mention very awkward.

And no one questioned the way I look. After a few years quietly adjusting to my new life, I knew I couldn't keep my tastes the same. Loosing the rather tomboyish clothing, I started playing around with different looks. I had to fit in where nobody would notice. Often times, the changes were pretty subtle. A little make up here and there. My hair up instead of down. At one point, I was blonde. I didn't look half-bad. Alice would be proud.

"Is everything all right, Bells?" Charlie asked taking me out of my private thoughts.

"Hmm?"

"You seemed miles away right now. Did I visit at a bad time?" He looked worried. Poor dad, always putting my feelings ahead of his own. I never loved him more than I did right now, which was already pretty big to begin with.

"No," I said sincerely. "I'm glad you're here."

"Good, because I have some good news for you."

"Oh, yeah."

"Sue and I are taking a long overdue vacation. With retirement closing in on me, it'd be nice to get out there and see something new."

I rolled my eyes. "You're not that old, dad."

"But still…"

"So where are you two going?"

"We're thinking Anchorage."

My eyes widened with surprise and I shook my head to make sure I heard him right. "Did you just say Anchorage?" Charlie nodded. "As in Alaska?" He nodded again and I laughed. "Of all the places to… you pick Alaska?"

"What's wrong with Alaska? It's a beautiful state."

I extended my hand to feel his forehead. "Nope, no fever."

Charlie dutifully ignored me. "You know how Sue feels about nature; she's always wanted to see the North."

"Then buy a picture book."

But he continued on… "And she was hoping, since you've been so busy theses past few years that you'd come with us. At least for a few days."

"Couldn't you pick somewhere less, I don't know, North American. How about Switzerland or even New Zealand? Now those are the countries you two should Googling."

"Too far, and I don't like long flights."

I groaned. "Aw, dad."

"Please, Bells. It'll mean a lot to the both of us. And you could use the vacation."

"You can't pull that pleading puppy-dog look on me, I'm an adult now," I warned but it was late. I couldn't deny him anything knowing that the older I get, the more ways I have to plan to leave this part of my life. It hurt to even think about it, but if this is what my father wanted, I could only gift him with a yes.

"Fine."

His smile became wide that it could've split his face. "Thanks, Bells."

It could be worse.

It is worse.

This hadn't been in the plans three months ago when Charlie practically emotionally blackmailed me into joining him and Sue to Anchorage, but there she was, looking every bit as beautiful and radiant as I last saw her.

Alice Cullen.

She looked at me, and I knew things were going to get complicated really soon.

Darn.

To be continued…