Disclaimer: I do not own anything except the plot, and perhaps the map. : )

Author's Note: This is quite a confusing format. The dialogue in italics is in the past, and the text in between is also. Where the '----' is is where the recount begins. Enjoy and review on your opinions on the format, plot, ending (which, frankly, I think isn't quite up to standard) and so on.

The Storm

"Bella!" A voice shouted over the wind and the rain. "Bella, where are you?" I tried to shout back, but my cries were snatched up by the wind.

The rainstorm had begun when Edward, Alice and I were out hiking into the mountains for a picnic. It was completely out of the blue; the rainstorm was forecast to hit twenty miles away, and all we were supposed to have were some minor showers and tail wind, but it cracked open too late, when no one was suspecting it. Even Alice didn't foresee it.

----

Early that morning, we stepped outside and were greeted by angry grey skies and fierce wind.

"It looks a bit overcast," I had said doubtfully. "Are you sure we should go out?"

"That'll just be the tail of the rainstorm that hit a few towns away. Besides, Forks is always like this."

"Are you sure, Edward? It looks pretty horrendous. Alice?"

"I haven't seen anything. Stop worrying so much, Bella. We've been out in weather like this before."

And so we set off, heading up to the mountains. About two hours later, the first rains began.

"Edward, it's raining."

"Liar. It's only sprinkling."

"But it's getting worse. Look, my shirt's getting wet!"

"You're just being melodramatic. Now come on, Bella."

"Edward, she's right," Alice finally spoke. "it's going to get much worse."

"What do you mean?"

"Edward, this is the rainstorm. It passed wherever it was meant to hit, and it's going to hit these mountains."

"What?"

"We have to find shelter. Is there anything around here?"

"Can't we go into the mountains? Aren't there caves or something?" I thought I had seen little indents into the rock face on the beach side, perhaps they continued right round.

"There is..."

"No. I don't want to go there."

"But it might be the only place, Edward."

"Alice, I'm not taking Bella there."

"Where?"

"But Edward, where else are we going to find shelter?"

"But they might still be there."

"Who? Where?"

"Edward, Bella's a big girl. She can look after herself."

"You two, will you tell me where you're talking about and what you're talking about?"

"Just a cave, Bella."

"Not just a cave Bella, don't listen to Alice. We're not going."

"Scaredy-cat."

"Be quiet."

"You do realise that in the time we've spent arguing, we could be on our way to a nice, comfortable, dry cave."

"Oh Edward, please, it's getting very cold."

"Humans."

"I wouldn't be if you'd just change me."

"Don't start this argument now, please. The rain's getting worse and we should be on our way now."

"Can't we run?"

"No Bella, it's very dangerous to run in conditions like this."

We altered our course slightly, so we headed in a more westerly direction, towards the edge of the mountain, pushing our way through heavy rains and sporadic gusts of gale force wind. It had started to become difficult to see, and we had to hold onto each others packs while looking at the ground, so as not to trip over anything. God knows how Edward knew his way, but with him and Alice in front of me, we were certainly getting somewhere.

"Edward, can we stop so I can get out my parka? I feel a bit ill."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just cold."

"Edward we need to continue."

"Alice, just wait."

"But Edward, it's going to reach its peak in about half an hour, at which time Bella can be safely inside the cave."

"Safely?"

"Will you two quit arguing about whatever's in or not in the cave and whether it poses any threat to me? It's making me feel even worse."

I found my parka, and following an anxious Alice, who had taken the lead, continued to fight my way along the track.

A crack thundered in my eardrums, leaving a ringing sound echoing. I looked up, squinting to protect my eyes from the pelting rain. The sky was a fierce black, and the clouds were hovering, seemingly just above my head. A fallen branch caught on my foot and I tripped, letting go of Edward's pack. I scrambled to my feet, anxious not to lose sight of Alice and Edward, but the contents of my pack were scattered on the ground. I hesitated. If I lost sight of them, I mightn't have found them again. But then again, I just needed to follow the path and catch up. I knelt down, gathering up my belongings. My chest ached and my stomach lurched. I stopped for a moment, holding my head. Why was I feeling so ill?

"Edward, I think we're nearly there."

"We are. There's a fork in the track soon. Take the left path."

"That's right. That's where I always get confused."

I stumbled to my feet once more, and hurried ahead, still clutching at my forehead. I hoped that Edward and Alice hadn't gone too far; I couldn't perceive how long I was on the ground for.

"Bella, make sure you hold tight, because this is very tricky terrain."

"Yeah, and you're so clumsy that you'd probably fall over a piece of bark!"

"Bella?"

I'd been walking for quite some time, and faster than the pace we were going at before, yet there was still no sign of the others. Maybe they had sped up, hoping to get to the cave before the storm reached its peak. I glared at the sky. No chance of me getting there before; the clouds had begun rolling together, accumulating in a great mass of black, fading out to a dark grey, which continued as far as I could see through the rain.

There was a split in the track. The side to the left veered off to one side, from what I could see, but the right side continued in a straight line. I thought desperately about which direction to take. Would they have continued straight or swerved left? I squinted down each of the tracks, hoping for some glimpse of the mountain, or Edward and Alice, but the rain was too heavy. I held my hand in front of my face. I could just see it, a white-ish blob with the edges blurring into the rain. Shivering, I reach into my pack to retrieve a soaked map. Where was I?

"Bella?"

"Alice, I can't see her. Can you?"

"No. She wasn't going to disappear."

"Alice, what if we don't find her?"

"Relax, Edward, maybe she's just a little way back. Maybe she just tripped on a branch. You know how she is."

I had tried to find my position on the map, but the rain was bouncing off the map into my eyes and I couldn't read it, and the wind was trying to steal the map out of my grasp. Around the base of all the mountains there was a fork and I couldn't decipher which trail we'd come down. The storm was at its peak- the rain felt like rocks, ricocheting off my back and head, and the wind was violent and ferocious; tearing at anything it could get its hands on. I crouched down low, trying to get underneath the wind, which was pulling my parka away from me. The ground was muddy and slippery and I almost fell as I pulled out of my pack the picnic rug we were supposed to have used in our non-existent picnic. Sitting on the material part, I pulled my knees up to my chest and tugged the rug around me.

"Bella! Bella, where are you?"

The wind whipped at my face, hurling loose debris at me. I closed my eyes. What if they never find me? What if, after the storm is over, they find my body? I shook these ideas out of my head. I wouldn't let that happen. I lay down, resting my head on my pack. It was so cold, and I felt like I was going to be sick. My whole body was shaking, and my breath rattled in my chest. My head was still pounding. I huddled into a foetal position, making the smallest ball I could and pulled the rug tighter around me. I let my mind drift, over other times and other places.

"Bella?"

"Edward, I think she's over there."

"Bella? Oh, Bella."

"Edward, her pulse is racing. I think she has a fever."

"Take her pack."

"What?"

"I said, take her pack. The storms lightening, but we can't sit it out with Bella like this."

"You're going to run?"

"We're going to run, yes."

"Are you sure? You might-"

"I won't run into anything. Trust me."

"Alright. I'll follow you."

"That's right."

I felt my body be lifted upwards. I was floating! Suddenly, I started hurtling off. Flying was fine, but this was a bit much. I turned my head to the side and vomited.

"Ew, Bella was sick."

"I know, Alice."

Eventually, the bouncing and the rushing stopped. Ah. Back to floating. Hold on, my body was being lowered. No, actually, I quite liked it up there, take me back!

"Carlisle, she was in the rainstorm."

"I can see that, Edward. Alice, get the fire going. Edward, leave the room."

"Why?"

"We need to undress her."

"I'm not leaving. I'm not leaving Bella. I'm not."

I had started to regain sensible consciousness. Why was Edward crying?

"Edward, she'll be fine, we just need to get her out of these wet clothes."

I felt a wave of calm wash over me and I sighed. Though I still felt incredibly ill, the aches and pains melted into the background.

"Jasper, don't."

"Don't what? I don't know what you're talking about."

"Very funny. Stop laughing, Alice."

"Edward, just leave. We'll call you back as soon as we're done."

"Get Esme to do it."

"Fine. I'll get Esme to undress her, then I'll go back and do the rest."

"Fine."

"And Edward?"

"What?"

"Stop sulking."

I heard a door close. Someone, a man, was talking softly.

"I need you to undress Bella, then to put her into some dry clothes. Not too warm, though. We need to let her body adjust and warm itself."

The door opened and closed again, and someone began to peel off the layers of clothing. I struggled to get out of their grasp.

"Bella, calm down. There's only Alice and me in the room."

Eventually I was out of the wet clothes, and into some dry ones. I was feeling ill again. I curled up, groaning.

"Bella, what's wrong?"

I tried to answer, to tell them that my stomach felt like someone had just punched it, and my head was on fire, and my chest felt like someone was sitting on it, but I couldn't. I just shook my head, shivering.

"Carlisle?"

Someone entered the room.

"Bella?"

"Edward, stop worrying. Carlisle will fix her."

"Fix her? Fix her? What's wrong with her?"

"Oh, shut up."

I eased my eyes open. I was lying on the floor, with Carlisle bending over me, Esme standing behind him, Alice in the corner and a very worried-looking Edward crouched next to me. I did my best to smile at him. He grabbed my hand.

"Are you alright?"

"Fine."

I could whisper. That's a start.

"Bella, I think you need some antibiotics and some rest. Edward, take her up to your room."

"Hello Bella. I'm going to pick you up now."

My body was lifted, and it was as if gravity no longer had an effect on me. Floating.

We ascended the stairs, and entered his room. He placed me down on his unused bed, placing the covers over me.

"Bella, I love you."

"I love you too, Edward."

A/N: Thank you for reading 'The Storm'. If you enjoyed it, tell me so by clicking the little bluey-purple button in the bottom left-hand corner. If you didn't enjoy it, please tell me so by clicking the little bluey-purple button in the bottom left hand corner. Thank you.