A/N: This is just a story I found on my computer, with two chapters complete! I wrote it a long time ago, but I hope you like it! If it's confusing, don't worry! Everything will be explained later!

Chapter 1

Keeping his eyes on mine, Jacob began to bend his face toward me. And I was still absolutely undecided.

The shrill ring of the phone made us both jump, but it did not break his focus. He took his hand from under my chin and reached over me to grab the receiver, but still held my face securely with the hand against my cheek. His dark eyes did not free mine. I was too muddled to react, even to take advantage of the distraction.

"Swan residence," Jacob said; his husky voice low and intense.

Someone answered, and Jacob altered in an instant. He straightened up, and his hand dropped from my face. His eyes went flat, his face blank, and I would have bet the measly remainder of my college fund that it was Alice.

I recovered myself and held my hand out for the phone. Jacob ignored me.

"He's not here," Jacob said, and the words were menacing.

There was some very short reply, a request for more information it seemed, because he added unwillingly, "He's at the funeral."

Then Jacob hung up the phone. "Filthy bloodsucker," he muttered under his breath. The face he turned back to me was the bitter mask again.

"Who did you just hang up on?" I gasped, infuriated. "In my house and on my phone?"

"Easy! He hung up on me!"

"He? Who was it?"

He sneered the title. "Dr. Carlisle Cullen."

"Why didn't you let me talk to him?"

"He didn't ask for you," Jacob said coldly. His face was smooth, expressionless, but his hands shook. "He asked where Charlie was and I told him. I don't think I broke any rules of etiquette."

"You listen to me, Jacob Black–"

But he obviously wasn't listening. He looked quickly over his shoulder, as if someone had called his name from the other room. His eyes went wide and his body stiff, then he started trembling. I listened too, automatically, but heard nothing.

"Bye, Bells," he spit out, and wheeled toward the front door.

I ran after him. "What is it?"

And then I ran into him, as he rocked back on his heels, cussing under his breath. He spun around, knocking me sideways. I bobbled and fell to the floor, my legs tangled with him.

"Shoot, ow!" I protested as he hurriedly jerked his legs fee one at a time.

I struggled to pull myself up as he darted for the back door; he suddenly froze again.

Alice stood motionless at the foot of the stairs.

"Bella," she choked.

I scrambled to my feet and lurched to her side. Her eyes were dazed and far away, her face drawn and whiter than bone. Her slim body trembled to an inner turmoil.

"Alice, what's wrong?" I cried. I put my hands on her face, trying to calm her down.

Her eyes focused on mine abruptly, wide with pain.

"Edward," was all she whispered.

My body reacted faster than my mind was able to catch up with the implications of her reply. I didn't at first understand why the room was spinning or where the low roar in my ears was coming from. My mind labored, unable to make sense of Alice's bleak face and how it could possibly relate to Edward, while my body was already swaying, seeking the relief of unconsciousness before the reality could hit me.

The stairway tilted at the oddest angle.

Jacob's furious voice was suddenly in my ear, hissing out a stream of profanities. I felt vague disapproval. His new friends were clearly a bad influence.

I was on the couch without understanding how I got there, and Jacob was still swearing. It felt like there was an earthquake – the couch was shaking under me.

"What did you do to her?" he demanded.

Alice ignored him. "Bella? Bella, snap out of it. We have to hurry."

"Stay back," Jacob warned.

"Calm down, Jacob Black," Alice ordered. "You don't want to do that so close to her."

"I don't think I'll have any problem keeping my focus," he retorted, but his voice sounded a little cooler.

"Alice?" My voice was weak. "What happened?" I asked, even though I didn't want to hear.

"I don't know," she suddenly wailed. "What is he thinking?"

I labored to pull myself up despite the dizziness. I realized it was Jacob's arm I was gripping for balance. He was the one shaking, not the couch.

Alice was pulling a small silver phone from her bag when my eyes relocated her. Her fingers dialed the numbers so fast they were a blur.

"Rose, I need to talk to Carlisle now." Her voice whipped through the words. "Fine, I'll call him at the hospital. Look, have you heard anything from Edward?"

Alice paused now, listening with an expression that grew more appalled every second. Her mouth opened into a little O of horror, and the phone shook in her hand.

"Why?" she gasped. "Why would you do that, Rosalie?"

Whatever the answer was, it made her jaw tighten in anger. Her eyes flashed and narrowed.

"Well, you're wrong on both counts, though, Rosalie, so that would be a problem, don't you think?" she asked acidly. "Yes, that's right. She's absolutely fine – I was wrong… It's a long story… But you're wrong about that part; too, that's why I'm calling… Yes, that's exactly what I saw."

Alice's voice was very hard and her lips were pulled back from her teeth. "It's a bit late for that, Rose. Save your remorse for someone who believes it." Alice snapped the phone shut with a sharp twist of her fingers.

Her eyes were tortured as she turned to face me.

"Alice," I blurted out quickly. I couldn't let her speak yet. I needed a few more seconds before she spoke and her words destroyed what was left of my life. "Alice, Carlisle is back, though. He called just before…"

She stared at me blankly. "How long ago?" she asked in a hollow voice.

"Half a minute before you showed up."

"What did he say?" She was really focused now, waiting for my answer.

"He asked for Charlie, Jacob said, 'He's not here,' and when Carlisle asked where Charlie was, he said, 'At the funeral.'"

Alice moaned and sank to her knees.

"That wasn't Carlisle," she said hopelessly in a choked whisper, "It was Edward. He thinks you're dead."

My mind started to work again. These words weren't the ones I'd been afraid of, and the relief cleared my head.

"Rosalie told him I killed myself, didn't she?" I asked, sighing as I relaxed.

"Yes," Alice admitted, her eyes flashing had again. "In her defense, she did believe it. They rely on my sight far too much for something that works so imperfectly. But for her to track him down to tell him this! Didn't she realize… or care…?" Her voice faded away in horror.

"And when Edward called here, he thought Jacob meant my funeral," I realized. It stung to know how close I'd been, just inches away from his voice. My nails dug into Jacob's arm, but he didn't flinch.

Alice loosed at me strangely. "You're not upset," she whispered.

Why was she so panicked? Why was her face twisting now with pity and horror? What was it she had said to Rosalie on the phone just now? Something about what she'd seen… and Rosalie's remorse; Rosalie would never feel remorse for anything that happened to me. But if she hurt her family, hurt her brother…

"Bella," Alice whispered. "Edward won't call again. He believed her."

"I. Don't. Understand."

"He's going to Italy."

It took the length of one heartbeat for me to comprehend. And when I did, I was beyond mad, I was furious.

"NO!" The half-shrieked denial was so loud after the whispered words, it made us all jump. I felt the blood rushing to my face as I realized what she'd seen. "No! No, no, no! He can't! He can't do that!"

"He made up his mind as soon as your friend confirmed that it was too late to save you."

"But he… he left! He didn't want me anymore! What difference does it make now? He thought I would die sometime!" I prayed she didn't notice my slip.

She didn't seem to.

"I don't think he ever planned to outlive you by long," Alice said quietly.

"How dare he!" I screamed. I was on my feet now, and Jacob rose uncertainly to put himself between Alice and me again.

"Oh, get out of the way, Jacob!" I elbowed my way around his trembling body with desperate impatience, my mind racing a mile-a-minute.

"Call Carlisle!" I ordered Alice, and she was too upset to question me. She dialed the number and handed me the phone.

"Alice?" he answered after a moment.

"Carlisle!" I said, relieved.

"Bella?" he asked, confused.

"Hi. We've got a problem. Edward's in Italy." I said quickly, faster than a human should have been able to. There was a pause on the other side before Carlisle sighed and responded.

"I should have just told him," he said.

"No," I disagreed, "I should've told him, told everyone, right in the beginning. I just… I didn't want to drag you into my problems." He sighed again.

"You know what you have to do. I'm sorry Bells, but you're our only hope. Only you can save him, you know that."

"Yeah, I know. I was just hoping… there was some kind of alternative. But there isn't. Thanks, Carly. I'll have Eddie call you from Italy." I hung up, handing the phone back to Alice. Her mouth was open in shock, and her eyes were full of questions.

"Later." I promised, and she nodded. I ran upstairs at my almost-vampire speed, and punched the code into the keypad hidden on my wall. The secret panel slid open, and I rushed into the small closet, grabbing my special black duffel off the hook inside. I quickly went over to the small shelves. My two falchions went in the bag first, then my small handgun and several magazines of ammo. Everything was coated in venom, making it indestructible. I shoved handfuls of money in, and then zipped it shut. I grabbed the old, grey cloak off its hanger and took the shiny, blood red purse from its shelf. Then I turned around and dashed back downstairs.

Jacob and Alice were locked in some kind of confrontation in front of the open door, standing so far apart you wouldn't assume at first that they were having a conversation. Neither one seemed to notice my reappearance.

"You might control yourself on occasion, but these leeches you're taking her to –" Jacob was furiously accusing her.

"Yes. You're right, dog." Alice was snarling, too. "The Volturi are the very essence of our kind – they're the reason your hair stands on end when you smell me. They are the substance of your nightmares, the dread behind your instincts. I'm not unaware of that."

"And you take her to them like a bottle of wine for a party!" he shouted.

"You think she'll be better off if I left her here alone, with Victoria stalking her?"

"We can handle the redhead."

"Then why is she still hunting?"

Jacob growled, and a shudder rippled through his torso.

"Stop that!" I shouted at both of them, wild with impatience and anxiety. "Argue when we get back, let's go!"

Alice turned for the car, disappearing in her haste. I hurried after her, but Jacob caught my arm with a shivering hand. "Please, Bella. I'm begging."

His dark eyes were glistening with tears. A lump filled my throat.

"Jake, I have to –"

"You don't, though. You really don't. You could stay here with me. You could stay alive. For Charlie. For me."

The engine of Carlisle's Mercedes purred; the rhythm of the thrumming spiked when Alice revved it impatiently.

"I'll be fine, Jake. I promise." I gave him a quick hug, and then pulled away. "I'm sorry. Please, please, please take care of Charlie. I'll be back as soon as I can." Even though he wasn't my biological father, I still cared about Charlie.

I spun around and raced for the car. The door on the passenger side was open and waiting. I threw my duffel over the headrest carefully, and slid in, slamming the door behind me.

I turned back, but Jacob was nowhere in sight. As Alice stomped on the gas and – with the tires screeching like human screams – spun us around to face the road, I caught sight of a shred of white near the edge of the trees. A piece of a shoe.

A/N: So, how'd you like it? R & R, please!