✧

Many say that when facing death, your entire life flashes before your eyes. How your most treasured memories consume you and make you relish in the life that was ending. Mia's experienced in the death department and she can honestly say that it's all a complete lie. When she first drowned, she didn't see her life flash before her eyes. She thought of him and how her death had been worth it if it meant he would live.

Once again, he was her last thought.

Edward Cullen haunted her until her last breath. She proclaimed her love and her hatred, cursing at the heavens for handing her a life full of affliction. There was nothing more she wanted than to forget him, but as she took her last breath, she found his hand and held it as if it were her life vest. She followed him into the afterlife and that was enough for her.

And yet, she couldn't prevent thinking about how cruel the universe had been.

Wasn't losing her magic enough? Wasn't having the man she once trusted turn against her enough pain? The universe had a vendetta against her. That, she was sure of, but what she didn't understand was why she had to die in the same way as before.

Couldn't the universe be creative? Maybe dying at the hands of Victoria or maybe due to the killing curse. There were so many things the universe could choose from and it chose water. How cruel, really, to drown for the second time and once again, because of her father.

At least Dimitri was original this time. He tortured her by making her believe it was her mother who pushed her. She'll give him a point for that, but he was a fool in transforming before she reached the end. In her death, she's aware it had all been a trick and she didn't lose the love of her mother. She was loved until the very end and that was enough to bring her peace.

But her peace was short-lived.

A familiar voice and the water escaping her lungs brings her back to the world. She coughs strenuously, her head pounding intensely and body aching like never before. Her hands feel the sand granules and instant shivers make her way down her spine. It seems winter is winning against spring, an inconvenience for someone completely drenched.

"Come on, Mia. Breathe!" Jacob begs, his loud and frantic voice causing her to internally wince.

"Mia, wake up, please," Bella holds her hand in a tight hold in an attempt to warm her up.

"Can you hear me?" Jackson is also here and it surprises her having three of her friends present. The last she remembers, Jackson was away in New York, Jacob was hunting Victoria, and Bella was in Jacksonville.

Mia slowly opens her eyes, finding three faces looking down at her with concern. "Why are you all staring at me like that?"

Bella takes a breath of relief, "Oh, thank God."

Jacob laughs lightly and helps her up, "Figures it's the first thing you say after drowning."

Mia frowns at the fact that she drowned for a second time. Seems fate really enjoys playing cruel jokes on her. "Yeah, well, it's not my first rodeo."

"What the hell were you thinking?" Jackson's seriousness makes her stoicism vanish, reminding her how terrible this could have ended if it weren't for their save. "Jumping from a cliff? Especially when there was a storm? Are you crazy?"

"I didn't jump," she flinches when accidentally touching the cut on her forehead and curses under her breath when seeing her fingertips stained with blood. "I was pushed by my father."

The three of them turn silent and exchange concerned looks. She then realizes only two of them know what happened last year and how she's kept his visits a secret. To be fair, they were hallucinations or dreams. It's still uncertain, but it doesn't change the fact that she didn't tell the full story.

"Mia, your father was just in New York," Jackson speaks in a lower voice, eyes narrowing and forehead creasing with worry. "Your mother and I encountered him while we were doing research. We tried capturing him, but he escaped before the rest of the Aurors could arrive."

"How long ago was that?" Bella beats her to the question, already knowing it's the thought circulating through her sister's mind.

"Just minutes before apparating here and taking her out of the water," Jackson is just as confused about this. If Dimitri had been in New York when Mia was pushed, then who was the person with her?

Mia forces herself to look down at her arm, fearing seeing the mark still printed against her skin. She takes a deep breath and raises the sleeve of her jumper, her heart dropping when finding there's absolutely nothing. She's relieved, but also confused as she's certain her father had tricked her into getting the mark.

Was it all a dream?

Did she turn crazy?

There has to be something more. An explanation that answers all of her uncertainties and doesn't make her seem like a crazy person. It's then when she realizes that she can't keep this a secret anymore. She needs to tell her mother and be honest for once. Maybe it could help her obtain the answers she seeks.

"Get her home!" Sam's loud voice is heard from afar. "I'm gonna go help out at Harry's place!"

"What happened at Harry's?" Bella and Mia ask at the same time.

"Harry Clearwater had a heart attack," Jacob tells them, his voice dropping a few octaves and solemnity filling his eyes. "Charlie, Isobel, and my dad are over at his place with his family."

"Is he okay?"

Based on his sullen look, it doesn't take a genius to know Harry didn't make it. Mia can't help from wondering what could have caused his heart attack. If he had seen something or discovered anything new. She's aware he was on Charlie's hunting trip and it brings her comfort knowing Charlie's alright, but it only worries her more as it sinks in that an innocent person lost his life.

"He's gone," Jacob clenches his jaw and takes a deep breath. He blinks sharply for composure before helping Mia stand up, "Come on. Let's get you something dry and I'll drive you guys home."

"I'll take Mia and you can take Bella," Jackson holds her carefully, making sure she doesn't stumble or pass out.

"Are you sure?" Jacob looks toward her for reassurance that it's fine, and she nods, giving him the green light to head off with Bella. "Okay, we'll go check on you later, M."

Bella wraps her arms around her, her warmth making Mia feel better and her shivering diminish. "Please stay away from the water. I beg you."

She teasingly rolls her eyes, "I won't be making any promises."

Bella stares at her with a deadpan look, "Mia."

"I promise," Mia places her hand against her heart to pledge her honor. "You don't have to worry, Bells."

With one last embrace, Bella and Jacob walk away toward the truck, prompting Mia and Jackson to head to his car. She's never seen his vehicle before, so she's surprised to find that it's a 1967 Chevrolet Impala.

Pausing in disbelief, her eyes go wide and her mouth hangs open, "This is your car?"

Jackson laughs at her astonishment and extends his arms proudly, "It's my pride and joy. It used to be my uncle's and if there was one thing he was good at, it was having great taste."

If it weren't for how much her head and body was hurting, she would have leapt excitedly. She hasn't seen a vehicle this well taken care of in a long time. More points are added at knowing no one else in this town will ever be driving a beauty like this. One of the perks of owning a classic car.

When she enters, the leather seats feel remarkable on the skin. There's a collection of cassettes on his glove compartment and the first picture they took together on his sun visor. She softly smiles and glances at him knowingly, causing him to sheepishly look away and start driving.

As they drive through the dimly lit roads, Mia blows air into her hands and nuzzles deeper into the jacket Jacob lent her. The silence is comforting, but her necessity to know what happened in New York keeps gnawing at her. "Any findings?"

His grip on the steering wheels tightens, "Besides the fact that your father is demented, not much, but your mom was able to get inside his mind and..." he trails off, making her grow much more curious and worried about what she discovered.

"And what?"

"Mia, she knows that you've been seeing him."

Her heart drops and her entire body runs cold. She wanted to tell her before the truth came from anywhere else, and now it seems that her father's open mind will give her problems. God, she really screwed everything up by not confiding in her sooner.

Mia fiddles with her hands nervously, now dreading arriving home and having to explain her secrecy. "Well, that's just great. I won't be hearing the end of it for a long time."

Jackson shakes his head, "She's not angry. If anything, she's more upset that you didn't trust her enough to tell her."

If he's trying to make her feel better, he's doing a very poor job. To hear that her lack of communication hurt her mother, it makes her feel like the worst type of person to exist.

"It's not because I didn't trust her," she admits. "It's just... I didn't want her to think of me as crazy. I know how afraid she is that I'll go dark one day, so if I told her that I've been seeing my father, she'll be scared of me, and I don't think I'd be able to handle that."

He parks in front of her house and turns the engine off, "I might not know the full story between you both, but I know your mom loves you. You should have seen how hard she was working to find a solution to the curse. Not to mention how overprotective she got when confronting your dad. It was... frightening."

She smiles, relieved at hearing how much her mother cares for her. It seems drowning again made her open her eyes and realize she's not alone like she believed. Her friends were there to save her and her mother was doing everything to prevent this curse from destroying her. What more could she ask for?

"You're really lucky, Mia," Jackson softly says and she recognizes the saddened look in his eyes, making her scoot herself closer to him.

"What's wrong?"

He's hesitant in answering, but decides on doing so nonetheless, "My parents don't have any magic, so learning that their son was a wizard, it scared them. It took a long time for them to even look me in the eye, so when I transformed, it became too much for them." He takes a shaky breath and holds onto her hand tighter, "They couldn't handle having a wizard and a werewolf for a son, so they threw me out on the streets. It wasn't enough not being accepted at school, but now it was also at home, which is when I decided to come here. I thought I could live with this, but I just- I just can't help but wish I had parents like your mom."

"I'm so sorry you went through that," she squeezes his hand and rests her head on his shoulder. "You were just a kid and they should have accepted you like parents should. You didn't do anything wrong." She looks up at him, sensing he doesn't believe her, "I want you to believe that, Jackson. You didn't do anything wrong."

Mia notices a change in his demeanor. There's a mixture of mischief and adoration in his eyes, making her wonder what brought this difference.

"What?"

Jackson leans closer to her, his voice barely a whisper, "You've never said my name before."

It's nothing nerve wracking. It's something she's heard before, but being close to him makes her face turn red and her mind unable to form a coherent sentence. She tries uttering out a word, but she stutters through every attempt until it becomes incredibly absurd.

He notices her blushing cheeks and wastes no time in teasing her. Jokingly, he places his palm against her forehead, but his joking demeanor disappears when learning she's running a fever. "You're burning up. I need to take you to the doctor-"

"No, I'm alright," Mia refuses to have any more attention on her. She just wants to forget about today and just focus on what she's going to tell her mother. Now that Isobel is aware of everything, she needs to mentally prepare herself for the longest scolding and to come up with reasons on why she chose to stay silent.

"I guess you'll have to drink my special tea then," Jackson smiles at her complaints and pretends to wince when she slaps his shoulder. "I swear by it that it works. That fever will be long gone before you attempt hitting me again."

Frowning, Mia's now regretting her decision as she hopes this tea won't taste as awful as home remedies usually do. "I really hate you, Winchester."

He laughs, "The feeling's mutual, Grey."

Mia turns quiet, allowing the silence to come in between them. She appreciates his care and understanding, and even more that he was willing to confide in her about his personal life.

"I don't know what happened to you out there, but know that I will make sure to make your father pay for everything," Jackson assures her in a low and firm voice. "And I know it's not my business, but what that Cullen guy did to you, I promise to never do that."

He makes her feel so safe and like nothing can occur as long as he's around, but the broken part of her reminds her to remain alert. Trusting again means opening your heart and letting them see into your darkest parts. She once trusted someone and it led to betrayal and heartbreak. Her vulnerability was used against her and she's now afraid that it will happen again.

Nothing good ever lasts.

Ever.

Jackson's gaze softens as he looks at her. His eyes lock into her hazel ones, admiring their vibrancy in spite of the dim lighting. Sometimes he believes they're green, other times blue, and other times brown. It's a strange sighting that only leaves him mesmerized and unable to look away from. Slowly, he starts leaning closer, his heart beginning to race and face turning a bright red.

Mia closes her eyes and dives into his warmth, choosing to take a leap of faith and allow herself to heal. He's seen her at her worst and chose to stay. He's been doing everything to find a way for her to survive this curse, which is more than anyone has ever done. It's this reason that helps her decide on trusting him. Maybe she will regret it tomorrow or in a couple of hours, but right now, she's only focused on moving forward.

But it's easier said than done.

Just when his lips are about to meet hers, she inexplicably thinks of Edward. The way his kiss made her feel like the most blessed and fortunate person. It's foolish to think of him after everything he put her through, but her heart has and always will insist on calling his name.

Damned heart.

Mia leans away, regretting having toyed with his feelings and making him believe she's on the same boat as him. "I'm sorry. I just- I can't."

Jackson's breath hitches as he averts his gaze to anything but her, "No, it's okay. I'm the one who's sorry. I shouldn't have gone there."

She worries this could cost their friendship, but he gives her hand two squeezes, revealing everything is fine between them. When she looks up, she's relieved at finding his warm smile and kind eyes. "Are we okay? I mean, is this going to affect-"

"You're not getting rid of me that easily," he assures her and tucks a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"Thank you for everything," Mia places a kiss on his cheek, his warmth being the warmest she's ever felt. She gives him one last look before walking out, but is taken off guard by Jacob appearing out of nowhere and pushing her back inside. "Jake, what the hell? What are you doing?"

"There's a vampire," Jacob remains wary of their surroundings, making sure to speak lower to prevent them from overhearing. "I sensed something was wrong after dropping Bella off, so I came to check on you. I was able to smell it right away."

Jackson wastes no time in starting the engine, but also maintains a firm grip of his wand just in case of an attack. He checks through the rearview mirror for any sign of their presence, feeling like such a fool for not having noticed anything. "I'm getting you out of here now."

The thought of Victoria being around makes her scurry deeper inside. While she's grown tired of the vampire already, she's aware it wouldn't be prudent to attempt fighting her in a place where there's lots of innocents. If it's her, she can only hope Victoria follows her and decides on launching an attack once they're far from town.

Mia glances behind her past the window and her heart drops when noticing a familiar black car parked across the street. Her gaze hardens at the sight and her fists automatically clench, her anger and resentment starting to resurface.

"That's Carlisle's car," she grits her teeth and despite knowing avoiding him would be right, she wants to give him a piece of her mind. "Can't believe they have the nerve to come back."

"Mia, it's a trick!" Jacob calls out to her once she manages to shove past him toward her driveway. "Stop!"

"Mia, let's just go!" Jackson turns the engine off and trails after her, his head continuously whipping back and forth in precaution.

Hastily walking toward her front door, Mia ignores their attempts at getting her to stop. While she knows magic will only weaken her, she's willing to face the pain all in means to give them what they deserve. Coming back to town and entering her home uninvited? It's absurd and insulting.

"You have to come with us!" Jacob insists and grabs her by the arm.

"I got it handled, Jake," Mia shoves his grip off, quickly adjusting her jacket and glancing back. "They won't hurt me, but I surely will."

"If a Cullen is back here, this is their territory," Jacob speaks in a lower voice in hopes of getting through to her, but something is telling him it won't be of much use. "Treaty says we can only defend on our lands. I can't protect you here."

"You won't have to," Mia glances toward the door, dread and anger emerging as millions of thoughts course through her head. "I can take care of myself, and if I need anything, Jackson is here, so you don't have to worry about breaking the treaty."

"I got her, Jake," Jackson assures him.

Still unconvinced, Jacob remains in his spot in refusal to leave, "It's too dangerous, M. Please don't do this."

"I need you to trust me, Jake," Mia tries arguing her way through, hoping she's able to convince him. "They won't hurt me."

Jackson scoffs, "Not physically, at least."

She glares at him so heavily, "You're not helping."

"Don't cross a line," Jacob warns her and that's enough to make her less willing to attempt reasoning with him. Regardless of what he wants, she already made her decision and nothing will change her mind.

"I don't have time for this," Mia doesn't give him a chance to argue back. She turns on her heels and barges in, but slams the door in Jackson's face. If she needs help, she knows he'll be right outside, but facing the Cullens is something she needs to do alone.

She can't hide from them and let them know how much their departure hurt her. If they were willing to leave without saying goodbye, then that tells her everything she needs to know. They didn't have any consideration toward her, so might as well give them a taste of their own medicine.

The lights are completely off when she enters, causing her to narrow her eyes and rely on her muscle memory to reach the nearest lamp. She finds the light switch and once the light turns on, she's faced with the person she least expected.

Alice Cullen.

Mia takes a step back from her, refusing to be near her after everything. The fact that she's here after months of silence infuriates her, because how dare she? What makes her believe it's right to barge into her home after all the pain her family caused?

"Mia?!" Alice gasps in relief and pulls her for an embrace, but Mia harshly shoves her away. "Would you like to explain to me how you're alive?"

She narrows her eyes in confusion, "What?"

"I saw a vision of you jumping off a cliff," Alice clarifies, her golden eyes widening and staring at her in disbelief. "Why in the hell would you do that? Why would you willingly put yourself in danger? Were you not thinking of Isobel and how she would feel?"

"Oh, so you were keeping an eye on me? Wow, that's just great," Mia runs her hand through her hair in frustration and maneuvers her way around her to the kitchen. Hearing Alice reprimand her for her recklessness is exhausting and irritating, especially when they left her to fend for herself for months. "And not that it's any of your concern, but I didn't jump. I was pushed."

Alice pauses in thought for a moment, "You were pushed? I- I didn't see anyone."

She rubs her temples in an attempt to soothe her headache, but just dealing with this unwanted visit is making her feel worse. "It seems your visions aren't as accurate as you believed then. How truly disappointing."

Alice is able to hold her hand, noticing how warm she is, "Mia, you have a fever. Come on, let's get you-"

"Don't touch me," she flinches at her coldness as she's reminded of Edward's. In the months of his absence, it's only now when she realizes how much she missed it yet also despises it.

"Who was it that pushed you?" Alice trails after her and replays her vision in hopes of finding the person, but it's strange since she explicitly remembers seeing her willingly jump without anyone around.

Mia refuses to tell her anything. She doesn't trust her or any of the Cullens anymore. If they were so willing to abandon her without remorse, then she's not willing to give them any consideration. Alice once made her believe that she was a part of their family. Always and forever. A phrase that stuck with her for months and she had so foolishly believed in.

Now, always and forever means nothing to her. They're empty words full of empty promises.

Scoffing, Mia shakes her head in disbelief, "I think the better question is why the hell are you here and what gave you the right to enter uninvited?"

It's only then when Alice notices her anger. The last time she saw Mia, she radiated joy and brought light to a room. Her eyes were filled with warmth, but now as she's staring into them, there's an emptiness and a mixture of resentment and disdain.

"What happened to you?" Alice tries reaching for her hand, but Mia staggers back as if she were poison.

"You should go," she avoids making eye contact and heads back into the living room, but Alice doesn't get the hint and follows her. "You're not wanted here."

"Mia, please. I just want to know how you're doing," Alice stares at her with concern and unease, taken aback by her harshness and the emptiness in her eyes.

"I'm alright," Mia slams her glass of water onto the end table and gestures toward the door. "There. You have your answer, so you can leave just like you did before."

Alice prevents her from walking away by holding her arm. She noticed the cut on her forehead and the bruises on her arm and cheekbone when she entered, filling her with concern over what happened over the past couple of months and who was responsible for them. "How did you get those bruises and that cut?"

Mia lowers her sleeves and adjusts her collar to cover her neck. The bruises are a product of her father's visits, but she can't tell Alice without sounding crazy. It's not like she would trust her with this anyway. "You saw it in your vision. I got them when I hit the water."

Alice remains unconvinced, "Who did that to you?"

That's enough to fully infuriate her. Mia's appalled by how many questions she's being bombarded with, especially after how abruptly she left without a care. She's pretending to worry about her, but Mia knows it's all a mask. She once trusted them, so she's not about to make the same mistake twice.

"You truly have some nerve to come here and ask me all these questions. You lost your right when you left, so now I am demanding you to leave," Mia raises her voice and takes a step closer, which makes Alice stagger back. "I don't even know why you came here. So many things happened these past few months, so I find it hard to believe this vision was the only reason."

"I thought you were dead," Alice insists. "I had to make sure that it wasn't true."

"Why? It's not like you actually care-"

"I do care," Alice tries to convince her, but her cold exterior is alarming. She's never seen Mia this harsh before. She's always been full of humor, sarcasm, and joy, but now it's like she's staring at a completely different person. "Just because we left, it doesn't mean we stopped caring."

Fumes are practically coming out of her ears the more Mia listens to her lies. The fact that Alice is trying to make her believe they care for her after abandoning her without remorse only angers her even more. If her supposed lies were the truth, the least they could have done was say goodbye or keep in touch, but they didn't, so how can she believe anything being said?

"Stop lying!" Mia slams her hands against the wall, her jaw clenching and eyes darkening. "If you truly cared for me, you wouldn't have left the way you did. You wouldn't have decided to abandon me just because Edward hated me. Always and forever?" She approaches her slowly, but Alice doesn't move and just listens attentively, "Remember how you told me that? You made me believe I was a part of your family and then you left! Now you have the nerve to come here and ask me all these questions?!"

"Mia, I'm so sorry," she apologizes, but Mia refuses to accept them. "Can we please just talk and sort this out?"

"No, we can't," Mia moves away from her, but her head suddenly starts spinning out of control that she has to resort to holding on to the nearest table for stability. Alice notices and holds her upright, but she swats her hands away in an instant. "Just leave. I don't want you here."

Alice understands where she's coming from. The way they left was so sudden and in spite of knowing how wrong it was, they still did it. If she could turn back time, she would do so in a heartbeat and fix their mistake, but right now, she's worried there's something wrong with her health. Her fever and struggle to remain standing is certainly not making her concerns any better.

"I'll leave once I'm certain you're alright," Alice basically has to force her to sit down, but she's become too weak to continue arguing that she eventually gives in.

Mia rests her head against her arm, attempting to drown out the sound of cabinets being opened and mugs clinking together. She wants nothing more than for Alice to leave, but this damned pain is becoming worse and taking her ability to pretend to be strong. However, it doesn't mean she won't continue giving her a piece of her mind. Magic may be out of the question, but her words certainly aren't.

"Drink this," Alice hands her a cup of tea, but the mug is quickly placed aside in refusal to be drunk. "Mia, come on. You have a fever and this will help."

"I've been taking care of myself all these months without you, so I don't need your help," Mia avoids making eye contact, but can still see her from her peripheral vision.

"Edward didn't tell us the reason why he ended things. He only said we needed to leave because it was getting too dangerous for-"

"All of you," Mia finishes her sentence and glares at her so intensely. "Yeah, he made it explicitly clear that I was bound to become a monster, so it was better for all of you to leave to prevent me from destroying you."

Her eyes widen in disbelief and a gasp escapes her lips, "He what? How could he have done that?"

She rolls her eyes, "Don't pretend you don't know. Aren't your visions supposed to give you insight?"

"God, he is such an idiot," Alice mutters to herself, shocked that Edward would say something as atrocious as this without automatically begging for forgiveness. "Mia, we didn't know anything. He claimed moving away was to keep you protected and how it was getting too dangerous for you to be around us."

"And you so foolishly believed him," Mia laughs, more out of astonishment than anything. "In the past few months, so many people have tried to kill me that I lost count. I have been hunted, attacked both mentally and physically, I have been cursed, I lost my magic and barely acquired a hint of it, but it hurts to use it, so I've become weak, so excuse me for laughing at your stupidity in believing that your absence would keep me safer."

Alice is stunned into silence.

"But I guess you're all safe now," she continues. "You can tell him I'm no longer a danger, so he doesn't have to be afraid of the monster I am."

"I can't believe he would do that," Alice shakes her head in disbelief, still trying to process everything revealed.

Mia can't prevent from wondering if Edward knows about this visit. She hopes he doesn't as she's not certain how she'd react if he were to show his face again all in the name of keeping his sister safe. "Does he know about this?"

"No," Alice softly says. "He only calls in once every few months. He said he wants to be alone."

"Of course he did," Mia can't deny wanting him to feel the same pain he left her in, but the love she continues having for him prevents her from feeling satisfaction. In spite of everything he put her through, it destroys her knowing he's in pain. Damn her heart for continuing to love him.

Alice's nose suddenly scrunches up in disgust, "Mia, what is that god awful wet dog smell?"

Mia narrows her eyes into slits, slightly confused for a second before realizing who she's referring to. She looks down at her jacket and realizes Jacob's clothing must be the cause, but she keeps it on just to spite her. "That would be me. I'm wearing Jacob's jacket."

"Who's Jacob?"

"Jacob Black. He's Bella's boyfriend," she says the words quickly with a nonchalant tone. "Oh, and he's a werewolf."

Alice groans in frustration, "Mia, werewolves are not good company to keep."

"Neither are vampires," Mia argues back, refusing to let her attempt to insult her friend. "Or did you forget how James tried to kill me or how you and your family ruined everything?"

The door suddenly bursts open and Jacob and Jackson come barging in with Bella now trailing after them. Both Mia and Alice spring from their seats, but their startlement is coming for different reasons.

"Hey! You left a hole in my wall!" Mia points toward the hole where the door knob hit, her irritation resurfacing and redirecting itself to the new situation at hand.

"And you slammed the door in my face," Jackson walks in her direction and stands in front of her protectively, gently moving her away from the vampire. "Are you okay?"

"I'm still alive, so..." she trails off and looks over at Bella and Jacob.

"We had to make sure you were safe," Bella says, but her out of breath voice reveals she had rushed to get here.

Alice is slightly offended, "Well, I'm not going to hurt her."

"No, you're just a harmless Cullen who abandoned her without remorse," Jacob clenches his fists, sarcasm dripping from his tongue. "I'm talking about the other bloodsucker who tried to kill Mia because of you."

Alice turns to her with confusion, "Victoria?"

"Yeah, she's been around for a while now," Mia rolls her eyes at her supposed confusion, refusing to believe her visions didn't reveal anything. "I'm surprised you didn't know, or maybe you did and still decided to leave."

"Of course not! It's just- I didn't see her. I didn't see you get pulled out of the water, either," Alice's eyebrows furrow as she turns to Jacob with vexation. "I can't see past you and your pack of mutts."

"Don't get me upset," Jacob walks toward her with clenched fists, causing Bella to hold his arm in an attempt to prevent the situation from escalating. "Or things are going to get very ugly."

"Those people that you are calling mutts are my friends," Mia defends, her loud voice turning the room silent. "They were there for me when your family abandoned me, so don't you dare insult them."

Alice tries speaking, but the words die on her lips. She knows Mia is right and her anger is completely justifiable, but hearing the hostility in her voice still shocks her. She settles on staying silent, knowing nothing she says will make everything better.

"Take this," Jackson hands her pills to lower her fever, but it's her anger that clouds her judgment and prevents her from doing what's reasonable.

She shoves his hand away and starts walking upstairs, but the floor and the walls start shaking uncontrollably, making her headache much worse and causing her nose to start bleeding. With a vampire present, the smallest drop can unleash a rampage. Out of reflex, she wipes her nose with her sleeve, hoping Alice wasn't able to smell it.

"Mia, can we please talk?" Alice pleads, taking a step toward her.

"What is there to talk about?" Mia leans against the wall, a discreet way to cover her deteriorating state. "You came here to make sure I wasn't dead and now you know that I'm not. There's no reason for you to stay any longer, so you can go back with the rest of them."

"Mia, please-"

"I think she made herself very clear," Jackson blocks her path, both he and Alice staring each other down as if preparing themselves for a duel. "You need to leave right now."

Alice shoves past him toward the front door, "I'll give you a moment to cool down, Mia, but I won't leave until I know you're one-hundred percent alright and we have a talk."

And with that, Alice leaves the house and the latter behind.

Jacob takes a loud breath as if he had been holding it in, "Is she the only Cullen here?"

She nods, "It's just her."

Bella hands her a glass of water and the pills, "Take them, please. It will help."

Hesitantly, Mia follows her orders and downs them in a giant gulp. Not that she's certain if they will help considering she feels this fever is running deeper than just a cold. With her entire body aching and her previous nosebleed, she knows it's linked to the curse. It's meant to be fatal, so it's probably starting to take full effect now. She just didn't expect it to happen this soon.

"You guys didn't have to come," she sits down on the sofa, her friends following behind. "I had it handled."

"Still, we needed to make sure you were safe," Bella squeezes her hand softly and offers a tight lipped smile.

"Jake, I thought you said you dropped her off."

"He did, but I knew something was wrong," Bella beats him before he can answer, glancing at him past her shoulder. "I saw it in his eyes and how eager he was to leave when it's never the case."

Jackson stifles a laugh at Jacob's flustered look, earning an elbow from him that causes him to wince.

"Seems you two are linked," Mia points to her head and moves her finger in between them. She figures the imprint bond has connected them to the point they can sense when the other is distressed. It reminds her of how she used to feel with Edward and how she felt like she truly knew him, but she was wrong all this time.

"Yeah, sadly," Jacob jokes and Bella stares at him with widened eyes and mouth agape. "I'm just kidding, Bells."

"You better be," she playfully rolls her eyes and turns back to Mia, her gaze softening in an instant. "Are you okay with her return? I know it must be hard seeing her after a long time."

Mia fiddles with her hands nervously. She's not used to being open in expressing her emotions, but she's just so hurt that it's challenging keeping this inside any longer. "She came because she saw in her vision that I jumped off the cliff, so she needed to make sure I wasn't dead. I'm just so angry that she only came for that. Not because she missed me or wanted to know how I was doing, but just because of a goddamn vision."

"Are you going to talk to her?"

"I don't know," she admits, but knows it won't matter since Alice made it clear she won't leave until they have a conversation. Maybe having one last talk would give her closure and she can finally move on, but deep inside, Mia knows this conversation should be with Edward instead.

"We can drive somewhere far," Jackson suggests, nudging her shoulder playfully. "She won't even see it coming."

Jacob whacks the back of his head and narrows his eyes in disbelief, "She can see the future, you idiot."

"Well, I'm faster," he argues back, making Mia and Bella roll their eyes at their antics.

It's tempting to leave and have a little vacation, but it would be cowardly of her to do so. As much as she doesn't want to be involved with any of the Cullens, one last conversation won't do her any harm. After everything she's gone through these past few months, this should be a breeze and the simplest of things.

"I appreciate it, but I need to do this," she assures them. "I can't run away even if it's incredibly tempting."

The phone suddenly rings and Jacob goes to answer it, "Grey residence."

"Can I speak to Isobel Grey? It's extremely important."

Jacob clenches his jaw at the familiarity of the voice. He looks toward Mia and already knowing how much it would affect her if she were to speak to him, he decides on taking matters into his own hands. "She's not here right now. She's arranging a funeral."

The line instantly goes dead. He slams the phone down rather too aggresively, but is able to maintain a neutral expression once he heads back to the living room. However, Bella notices something is off right away and gives him a knowing look. He only shakes his head and sits back down, hoping she doesn't question him right then and there.

Mia suddenly feels an intense pressure in her chest. Her headache becomes a million times worse and her nose starts bleeding like before. She struggles to breathe and everything around her starts caving in, causing an intense hysteria to consume her from the inside out. It's unlike anything she's ever felt, almost like she's starting to deteriorate.

She considers this is the curse coming to end her. Her time has come and it didn't matter having drowned earlier since this curse doesn't respect. It will insist until she takes her last breath and quite frankly, she would have preferred not to have been brought back if it meant returning back to square one.

"Mia, your nose-" Bella rushes to the kitchen to grab napkins, she, Jacob, and Jackson starting to panic and nearly falling to the ground as they hurry to her.

"Something's wrong," Mia breathes in and out and begins counting to one-hundred. She closes her eyes and focuses on steadying her breathing, her mind still believing she's about to fall dead any instant now. "I- I can't breathe and my head hurts... a lot."

Her face is a bright red and Jackson checks her temperature, his heart dropping when realizing her fever got worse instead of getting better. "Oh, God. You're burning up a lot more."

"Mia! Mia, it's Edward!" Alice barges in to the living room, gasping when seeing her in a weakened state.

The mention of him allows her to move past the pain. She looks up at Alice and her heart practically drops at seeing an unfamiliar sense of worry in her expression. "What's happening with him?"

"He thinks you're dead," Alice explains. "Rosalie told him why I came here."

Mia notices the guilty look on Jacob's face. He's avoiding looking at her and keeps glancing at the phone. It's only then when she puts the puzzle pieces together and realizes the phone call had been Edward. He must have called to check if what Rosalie said was true, but what did Jacob say that confirmed his suspicions?

"He called, didn't he?"

Jacob swallows hard, now regretting not letting her speak to him. "He did, but I didn't think this would happen-"

"What did you tell him?!" Mia springs up, her blood boiling in rage and eyes darkening.

"He asked for your mom, so I told him she's arranging a funeral," Jacob rushes through his words and her body runs cold at his confirmation. "I didn't lie, Mia. It's the truth. Your mom is helping the Clearwaters with the funeral."

"But you didn't specify! He believes she's arranging my funeral instead!" Mia starts hyperventilating and it doesn't help having her nose continuing to bleed and her fever making her feel as if she's burning inside.

"Mia," Alice approaches her, her hands gently turning her to face her. "He believes you're dead, so he wants to die, too."

And suddenly, all the months of pain and the betrayal, she forgets about them for the meantime. She's terrified on what he's planning, especially when remembering their conversation in Mr. Berty's class. He mentioned having thought of a plan on how to join her in the afterlife if she were to have died that night at the lake.

No.

He can't be that stupid to jump into conclusions this quickly.

Alice looks into her visions for how he's planning on killing himself. Various options are being thought of as he's still deciding on how to, but then it stops. His final decision has been made and she becomes consumed with horror. "He's going to the Volturi."

She clenches her fists, her nails digging deep into her palm as she hopes the pain awakens her from this nightmare. She's terrified at the thought of Edward killing himself because of her. As much as she's angry with him and is still resentful over what he did, she still loves him and can't allow him to go through with this.

"Alice, how long until he does it?" Mia chokes on the words as saying them is much more lethal than any venom.

"A day or two. He's still trying to decide on how to provoke them," Alice runs through her words, a sense of urgency in them.

Mia gives her a nod that indicates she's going with her. Soon, she's alone with her friends, all of them staring at her with worry and confusion on what's happening next. "I'm going with her to Italy. I can't let him kill himself out of guilt."

Bella's eyes widen as she shakes her head, "Mia, no-"

"I have to do this," she cuts her off and hurries to the closet where all her documents are stored. Quickly, she searches for her passport and grabs her jacket, "I know how you're all feeling about this, but please try to understand."

"He left you, Mia," Jackson states the obvious and earns an agreeing nod from Jacob. "Why don't you let his sister handle it?"

"Look, I know Edward. He's going to think it's a trick to stop him," Mia grabs her bag and opens the door, but has to hold on to the doorframe once everything starts spinning again. She really cannot be dealing with this right now. Edward needs her and she needs him alive. She takes a deep breath and pushes through, quickly walking down her porch steps toward Alice's car.

"Mia, come on," Jacob attempts reasoning with her, but Bella cuts him off with just one look.

"Are you sure about this?" Bella asks her.

She nods, "I have to do this, Bells. I just- I can't let him make this mistake. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if he dies because of me."

"You don't need to explain yourself to me," Bella pulls her in for an embrace, but her concern intensifies when feeling her burning fever. "I trust you, but please be careful. Take care of yourself first." She looks toward Alice and leans down to her level, "She's not doing so well, so I trust that you will keep her safe. Don't risk her for anything."

"I'll do everything to protect her," Alice promises and as much as Bella doesn't trust her, she chooses to take a leap of faith just this one time on her.

Jackson quickly embraces and places a kiss to her temple, "You're too good for him, Grey, but if you feel like you need to do this, we have your back."

Mia heads to the passenger side and takes one last look at her friends, "Thank you. I'll be seeing you guys in a minute."