A/N: Okay so my main idea of this was just for fun to add even more drama and suspense to Edward and Bella's relationship. I hope you all enjoy. Stephenie Meyer owns this all.

What would have happened if Bella had stayed at the airport and Edward were to have let her, help her, save Renee?

The minutes passed and Edward's arrival grew closer. It was amazing how every cell in my body seemed to know he was coming, to long for his coming. That made it very hard. I found myself trying to think of excuses to stay, to see him first and then make my escape. But I knew that was impossible if I was going to have any chance to get away.

Several times Alice offered to go get breakfast with me. Later, I told her, not yet.

I stared at the arrival board, watching as flight after flight arrived on time. The flight from Seattle crept closer to the top of the board. In my head I warred with myself to find reasons for me leaving and reasons for me to stay.

And then, when I had only thirty minutes to make my escape, the numbers changed. His plane was ten minutes early. I had no more time left. A/N: this is where the twilight part ends and my own work begins. Yet this pleased me, my stomach ached for him. The conflict in my head was yet to finish and then a resolve. I made up my mind; I was going to stay.

I had found my reason; he could help. Edward would be able to stop James from hurting my mother. He was faster than any of the vampires I had met so far. So instead of hurting myself by leaving, I stayed. For Edward.

I glanced at the board. He was here. I looked eagerly toward the doors and watched for him. Passengers started to emerge so I stood up and stretched on my toes to look for his perfect face. Edward then walked quickly, gracefully towards me threw the throng of people separating us. I couldn't stand it anymore, as soon as he broke through the last of the people, I ran to him. His stone arms grasped me and I felt safe.

I knew that the longer we stayed here the sooner my mother's death approached.

"Edward, we've got to go," I whispered urgently.

He smiled. "I know, and I was thinking that we could go to —"

I shook my head. "No Edward, its Renée."

"What do you mean?" he asked, suddenly intense.

"James has got her held hostage."

Edward didn't wait for me to say more. His arm wound around my waist and he pulled me to the elevators. When the doors opened, Edward paced us to the door that led to the parking garage. He must have gotten the message to Alice and Jasper, for they were waiting in the car. Edward helped me into the back seat where Alice was sitting patiently. After closing the door quietly, Edward slid into the driver's seat and sped off through the garage.

"Did you speak to him?" Edward asked serenely.

"Yes," I admitted warily.

"What did he say?" Edward said, still calm.

"Well, he told me I had to go to my house. There I would find a phone number and then I was to call him." I spoke quickly, not wanting to miss a detail. "He also said I was to go alone, and if he found that I deceived him he would kill her."

Edward was silent.

"Don't worry Bella," Alice said softly. "We'll stop James and save your mom."

"She'll have to call him alone," Jasper whispered.

Edward looked over at his brother. "Excuse me?"

"Let her go into the house alone. We'll stay a block away, so as he doesn't see us." Jasper looked at me, then away again. "We can pick her up after she has called James."

Edward shook his head. "No, I've already left her alone once, I won't do it again."

"Edward, this is my mother." I sighed as he shook his head again. I looked at Alice.

"Edward, please just do this our way. Just one more time," Alice pleaded.

Edward groaned. "Fine, but we have to stake out the place so that we don't lose her."

Alice and Jasper nodded. I leaned forward and kissed Edward on the side of the neck. I leaned back against the seat, sighing. This was going to hurt so bad if something went wrong. But at least I had Edward. Alice, I was scared for, and Jasper could probably handle himself fairly well. The car slowed to a stop and Alice slid out of the car. The door next to me opened quietly and Edward pulled me out.

"Be good," he whispered. "And don't do anything stupid."

I nodded, and felt Edward's arms leave me. I looked around and welcomed the familiar setting. I walked out of the shadows and into the bright Arizona sun. I shivered when I reached the door to my mother's house. I felt intuition pulling me back, but I had to do it for my mom. I unlocked the door and walked into the cool room. It all looked the same. I walked quickly to the phone, and on the white board was a phone number. I carefully dialed the dreaded number and held the phone to my ear. It rang quietly one time.

"Hello, Bella," that easy voice answered. "That was quick. I'm impressed."

"Is my mom all right?"

"She's perfectly fine. Don't worry, Bella, I have no quarrel with her. Unless you didn't come alone, of course." Light, amused.

"I'm alone," I lied easily, knowing I was going to some how have to go to him alone.

"Very good. Now, do you know the ballet studio just around the corner from your home?"

"Yes. I know how to get there."

"Well, then, I'll see you very soon."

I hung up.

I ran from the room, through the door, out into the baking heat. Just as I suspected, Edward was waiting for me.

"What does he want you to do?" he asked deftly.

I shivered. "He wants me to meet him at the ballet studio around the corner…alone."

Edward growled. "I don't like this."

"Neither do I," I agreed. "But we must. For the sake of my mom, I should go in alone."

"I don't think so, Bella."

I looked up at his dark gold eyes. "Edward, if we are to save her you must let me go alone."

"Bella, I won't let you." His voice held no sense of doubt.

I stepped away from Edward, into the sunlight. "Don't go after him, Edward, for me. I'm sorry, and I love you."

I turned and ran around the corner. As I got closer, I could see the sign inside the door. It was handwritten on hot pink paper; it said the dance studio was closed for spring break. I touched the handle, tugged on it cautiously. It was unlocked. I fought to catch my breath, and opened the door.

The lobby was dark and empty, cool, the air conditioner thrumming. The plastic molded chairs were stacked along the walls, and the carpet smelled like shampoo. The west dance floor was dark, I could see through the open viewing window. The east dance floor, the bigger room, was lit. But the blinds were closed on the window.

Terror seized me so strongly that I was literally trapped by it. I couldn't make my feet move forward.

And then my mother's voice called.

"Bella? Bella?" That same tone of hysterical panic. I sprinted to the door, to the sound of her voice.

"Bella, you scared me! Don't you ever do that to me again!" Her voice continued as I ran into the long, high-ceilinged room.

I stared around me, trying to find where her voice was coming from. I heard her laugh, and I whirled to the sound.

There she was, on the TV screen, tousling my hair in relief. It was thanksgiving, and I was twelve. We'd gone to see my grandmother in California, the last year before she died. We went to the beach one day, and I'd leaned too far over the edge of the pier. She'd seen my feet flailing, trying to reclaim my balance. "Bella? Bella?" she'd called to me in fear.

And then the TV screen was blue.

I turned slowly. He was standing very still by the back exit, so still I hadn't noticed him at first. In his hand was a remote control. We stared at each other for a long moment, and then he smiled.

He walked toward me, quite close, and then passed me to put the remote control down next to the VCR. I turned carefully to watch him.

"Sorry about that, Bella, but isn't it better that your mother didn't really have to be involved in this?" His voice courteous, kind.

And suddenly it hit me. My mother was safe. She was still in Florida. She'd never gotten my message. She'd never been terrified by the dark red eyes in the abnormally pale face before me. She was safe.

"Yes," I answered, my voice saturated with relief.

"You don't sound angry that I tricked you."

"I'm not." My sudden high made me brave.

"How odd. You really mean it." His dark eyes assessed me with interest. The irises were nearly black, just a hint of ruby around the edges. Thirsty. "I will give your strange coven this much, you humans can be quite interesting. I guess I can see the draw of observing you. It's amazing — some of you seem to have no sense of your own self-interest at all."

He was standing a few feet from me, arms folding, looking at me curiously. There was no menace in his face or stance. He was so very average-looking, nothing remarkable about his face or his body at all. Just the white skin, the circled eyes I'd grown used to. He wore a pale blue long-sleeved shirt and faded blue jeans.

"I suppose you're going to tell me that your boyfriend will avenge you?" he asked, hopefully it seemed to me.

"No, I don't think so. At least, I asked him not to."

"And what was his reply to that?"

Uh oh. "I don't know." It was strangely easy to converse with this genteel hunter. "I left him a letter," I lied.

He was fooled. "How romantic, a last letter. And do you think he will honor it?" His voice was a little harder now, a hint of sarcasm marring his polite tone.

"I hope so."

"Hmmm. Well, our hopes are differ then. You see, this was just a little too easy, too quick. To be quite honest, I'm disappointed. I expected a much greater challenge. And, after all, I only needed a little luck."

I waited in silence. Knowing all too soon that I would either die or Edward would come for me. I was glad that I got to see Edward one last time if I were to die.

"Very easy, you know, not really up to my standards. So, you see, I'm hoping you're wrong about your boyfriend. Edward isn't it?"

I didn't answer. The bravado was wearing off. I sensed that he was coming to the end of his gloat. It wasn't meant for me anyway. There was no glory in beating me, a weak human.

"Would you mind, very much, if I left a little letter of my own for your Edward?"

He took a step back and touched a palm-sized digital video camera balanced carefully on top of the stereo. A small red light indicated that it was already running. He adjusted it a few times, widening the frame. I stared at him in horror.

"I'm sorry, but I just don't think he'll be able to resist hunting me after he watches this. And I wouldn't want him to miss anything. It was all for him, of course. You're simply a human, who unfortunately was in the wrong place, at the wrong time, and indisputably running with the wrong crowd, I might add."
He stepped toward me, smiling. "Before we begin…."