Halfway to Repentance

I own nothing. Twilight belongs to SM.

~X~

PART TWO

~X~

The journey across the sandy plain was harsh—traumatized by the memory of watching Harry killed in cold blood, worried about her father, and panicking about her own wellbeing, Bella's heart raced. Behind her, the blond bandit's smelly mass was pressed uncomfortably close, so Bella held herself as stiff as possible.

It was growing dark before the bandits finally stopped and decided to set up camp for the night. The Mexican seemed nervous.

"No fires. We don't want anyone to see us until we're off Volturi land. You remember what they did to Joham and Nahuel…"

"There's no one in these parts faster than me. I'm scared of no one." The redhead was much more confident. After seeing her shoot earlier, Bella could see why she was so sure of her abilities.

"Relax, Lorenzo. First light we'll be on our way. They're never going to find us in the dark all the way out here." The blond man unrolled a blanket and made himself comfortable. "By midday we'll be off Volt territory and halfway to Repentance. Then, all we need to do is speak to Riley, keep the girl hidden, and wait for payday."

The redhead smiled. "I can't wait. What are you going to spend your money on, James, darling?"

James, the blond bandit, laughed. "Cards, whisky, a fancy new hat...and you, of course, sweetheart."

The female, who it seemed was called Victoria, tossed Bella a piece of stale bread and a strip of meat so tough that it was almost solid."Bon appétit, Princess."

After "supper," the Mexican gave her a couple of blankets and a bundle to rest her head on, much to the amusement of his companions.

"If you think we're giving up one of our blankets for you, Lorenzo, you're greatly mistaken." James exchanged a smirk with Victoria. The Mexican jeered in response, and Bella said "thank you" quietly.

Lying on the hard earth, feeling the cold, and trying to ignore the small stones that she could feel beneath the scratchy blanket, she couldn't sleep, but Bella closed her eyes and did a good impression for the sake of appearances.

~X~

The slightest hint of light blue began to appear around the edges of the purple sky when Bella was shaken awake. She couldn't remember at what point she'd finally drifted off, but she didn't feel much better for it—her dreams had been dark and strange.

Without speaking, Bella rolled up the blankets she'd been given and handed them back, and in return she was given another small hunk of dry bread, which she ate hungrily.

This time, she was hauled up behind the Mexican, who at least seemed to show her some kindness. Bella gripped his waist before the group galloped off towards a rocky outcrop in the distance.

As the sun rose in the sky, Bella was glad when they finally reached the rocks—at least they offered some shade as they picked their way through stony corridors and followed the winding route up and over. They began to descend when a noise which Bella now recognized as a gunshot echoed around her.

"Shit."

"Take cover."

"Where? There is no cover."

Cliffs loomed up on either side, and they found themselves in a rare area with no random boulders, just sloping rock forcing them into a narrow path.

The Mexican spurred his horse and it bolted forward; Bella gripped onto him tighter than ever and squeezed her eyes shut, praying while she listened to the sound of three sets of galloping hooves and sound of bullets hitting stone.

There was a panicked whinny, and Bella opened her eyes, only to find the horse on a stony ledge at the edge of a steep drop. Pulling the horse around just in time, Lorenzo shook the reins and encouraged the beast onto a narrow path that clung to the edge of the rock. Not wanting to see the distance she would have to fall if the horse put a foot wrong, Bella turned her face away.

The stones were loose and the going was slow—too slow considering the shots that still whistled by them. Bella's head whipped around as one seemed to make contact with something other than stone, only to see James' horse lose its footing and disappear over the edge.

Victoria let out a bloodcurdling roar, then turned in her saddle to fire a few shots in the direction of the top of the cliff that overhung them. Bella could have sworn that she saw the shape of a hat before it quickly ducked back down.

They were almost at the bottom, where the path grew wider and fanned out into a bed of loose rubble, when another shot rang out and Lorenzo slumped forward in his saddle. Bella felt something wet and warm on her hands, and pulled them away—to her horror, they were covered in red.

"Fuck!" Her remaining captor swore, and pushed the Mexican from his seat. "If you know what's good for you, you'll ride and keep up with me."

Bella nodded her head and shuffled forward in the saddle, taking the bloody reins and firing the horse into action. Keeping her eyes ahead on the red curls peeping from beneath Victoria's hat, Bella willed the horse to move a little faster over the unsteady ground.

Another shot rang out and Bella's horse buckled. Screaming, Bella felt herself fly through the air, agony shocking her body as she hit ground.

Her eyes barely open, Bella was aware of Victoria's horse turning around and coming back for her. Then, as another shot cracked, Victoria's horse backed away and with a curse, the final surviving bandit left her captive lying in the dust.

Panting as best as she could wearing her corset, Bella tried to sit up, wondering about the extent of her injuries. Other than a general soreness, the only cause for alarm was a throbbing at the back of her head where she had hit ground, luckily hitting sandy dirt rather than a rock.

As she went to touch the area experimentally, she was reminded of the Mexican's vital fluids on her hands, staining them crimson. Her eyes rolled back into her head as she passed out.

~X~

Bella felt a rough hand beneath her head and a bottle was pressed to her lips. Suddenly aware of her thirst, Bella gulped—and then choked as she realized it wasn't water that she was drinking. Her throat burned.

"Easy, Miss."

Bella looked up, and then turned her head away as the light was too bright. Squinting, she saw the silhouette of a man—he was dressed in a rugged manner, with a dirty brown blanket across his shoulders that looked a lot like a cape.

"You don't look like a local girl, that's for sure." His voice sounded young and pleasant.

Swallowing and blinking, Bella croaked, "My name is Miss. Isabella Swan. Those people, they kidnapped me and were holding me for ransom. My father will be looking for me—Sheriff Swan, from New Volterra."

"New Volterra, hmm. That's Volturi territory, and I don't go that way." The stranger got to his feet and Bella scrambled to a sitting position.

"Please, don't leave me here. I—" She looked around at the rocks, dirt, and ragged undergrowth. "You can't just abandon me here."

The stranger stood and regarded her. Bella now realized that he was tall and slim, and didn't look like a man that washed often. Though there was something about him that suggested he wasn't a great deal older than Bella herself, though she got the impression the years had weighed much heavier on him as they had on her.

When her eyes found the rifle slung over his shoulder and the gun belt around his waist, she also recognized that he looked just as much an outlaw as the three bandits that had taken her.

"Kidnap, you say? Did they tell you where they were headed?"

"Um...a town called Repentance. They said my father had to ask for a man called Riley Biers. If you won't take me to New Volterra, please will you take me there? I'm begging you."

The stranger chuckled. "Sure, I know Repentance. Such a holy sounding name for an unholy place. I'll take you there. If I'm lucky, maybe I can claim that ransom myself?"

"What?" Bella abruptly got to her feet and looked at him. His mouth lifted at one side and twisted into a half-humored grin.

"Don't go thinking I'm your knight in shining armor, Milady, because I'm far from it. The question you need to ask yourself is what a guy like me was doing out here on his own. The answer would be that my horse got lame, I needed a new one to get where I'm going, and if I hadn't drank so much last night, my aim would have been straighter. Instead of you, I would have me a horse."

Bella took a sharp intake of breath. "You...tried to shoot me."

"That's what I said."

Reeling, Bella took a step backwards and stumbled to the ground. "But...but..."

"It's a cruel, harsh world, Milady." His face grew serious. "Look, seeing as you might be worth something, I'll take you where you need to go. It's your best offer—you either come with me or you stay out here with the buzzards. Your choice."

Warily, Bella got back to her feet. "Okay."

"There's a house about a day's walk north of here. Maybe day and a half in those shoes." His gaze dropped to Bella's feet. "I should be able to get us a horse or two and a bite to eat, stay over for the night, and then Repentance will be another day's ride from there. We'll find this Riley, if your little redheaded friend didn't beat us to it. Deal?"

"Like you said, it's my best offer."

"Sure is." The stranger winked a smiling green eye in her direction, and then dropped to pick up a saddle and a bundle wrapped in worn old fabric from the ground. "I hope you brought yourself a pretty parasol to keep the sun off your head, Milady."

Bella scowled at his back as he began to pick his way down the last of the scree, then followed behind gingerly, wishing that she did have that parasol.

~X~

Struggling to keep putting one foot in the other, Bella tried to keep pace with her new travelling companion.

"How much further?"

He looked over with raised eyebrows. "We keep these hills to our left side until we reach a small creek. We camp overnight, and then follow the creek east to the Denali ranch. Should be there by midday tomorrow."

"How long until we make camp?"

The lopsided grin made another appearance. "Why, those pretty shoes hurting your feet? Do you need a break?"

Red-faced and tired, Bella felt embarrassed that she had to say, "Yes."

As she sat down on the earth, the man handed her a canteen, which Bella declined.

"It's water this time. Drink it—you're going to need plenty of it before we get to the creek."

Bella complied, and then wiped the overrun from her face as tidily as she could. "What's your name?"

"Huh?" the stranger asked and then took a gulp himself.

"You know my name. I want to know yours."

He chuckled. "Why? You want to know what the bounty is on me? Maybe this is all just an elaborate ploy to get me in jail. You did say that you were a sheriff's daughter."

Bella just raised her eyebrows.

"Edward Masen Junior. I'm surprised you haven't seen my poster—it's probably hanging in your dad's office."

Bella shrugged her shoulders.

"You haven't heard of me? Now that's not good for a man's ego. I'm a wanted man."

"Really?"

"Yes, really." He began to advance on Bella, so she got to her feet and backed away. Once he was dangerously close, his hands rose to her bodice. Instead of the fear that Bella knew she should feel, she felt a tingling from the tips of her fingers right down to the painful toes throbbing inside her boots.

"Please don't."

"What?" Edward took a step back. "You think a guy that looks like me has to resort to attacking young women in the wilderness to take care of his manly needs?" He stepped forward and reached for her bodice once more. Bella's breath caught in her throat.

Then he yanked—hard. Something inside snapped and suddenly, Bella's corset was loose.

"You might be able to walk better if you can breathe." He turned away, gathered up his belongings once more and set off walking again.

Bella was still speechless. After a few moments, she was able to move and caught up.

"Where did you learn to do that?"

Edward didn't look in her direction. "Funnily enough, I learned to do that at the Denali ranch—amongst many other things." He then turned his head and winked over his shoulder.

~X~

The Swan house was in chaos. Sue was wailing and Charlie wanted to go to her, but instead, he needed to organize the posse that had congregated outside. It would be dark soon enough, and he wanted to have covered as much ground as possible.

Stepping out onto the porch, he saw a group of horses heading down the track in his direction—more people to help search for his missing daughter.

Jacob came rushing up from behind, turning Charlie's attention away from the new arrivals. "The Mallorys have loaned us some more horses, so at least we have enough to go around now. We're still a few short on guns, but that'll have to do."

Charlie's mouth twitched, but his eyes didn't join in on the smile. "Thanks, Jake. You're doing a good job. You'll make a good deputy someday."

Jacob took a deep breath. "We'll find her, Charlie."

Charlie patted him on the shoulder.

Finally the new additions to the posse grew near, and it didn't take long for Charlie to see from their attire that these weren't just local townspeople. Though they weren't officially an army, Aro Volturi's men always wore the same black suits, almost like a uniform.

Leaving the group and steering his horse in Charlie's direction was Aro Volturi himself.

"Mr. Volturi, I wasn't expecting—"

Aro Volturi held up his hand. "You're a good sheriff, Charles. When I heard about the trouble I wanted to help as much as I could. You already have the money for the ransom that I sent earlier?"

Charlie nodded and stumbled over expressing his gratitude, which Aro accepted with his usual nonchalance.

"My men and I are at your disposal. Now where are we headed?"

Charlie ran his fingers across his moustache. "Repentance. They have a good head start on us, but we're going to separate into smaller groups and see if we can head them off before they get off Volturi lands."

"Excellent plan. Do you know who is behind the kidnapping?"

"By the descriptions I've been given it sounds like a gang from Repentance that Sheriff Whitlock told me about the last time I saw him. Three people in total. One of them, Vicky the Vixen, apparently she's a mean shot."

"I hear you. I'll take my men south and then back up towards Repentance. If we find them first, we'll leave word there." Aro turned his horse around and dug in his heels. "Yah."

As soon as Aro Volturi made a move to go, the rest of his men followed.

Charlie Swan watched them go, feeling that things were much more under control now. "Come on, Jacob. Let's go saddle up."

Mounting his horse, Charlie Swan patted the bag that contained the ransom his daughter's kidnappers had demanded, grateful for his employer's unquestioning generosity. Charlie had no idea how he was going to repay Mr. Volturi this time.

~X~

As soon as they reached the creek, Bella found the energy to sprint to the edge, removed her shoes and lifted her skirts, and then stepped into the water.

"Oh, that's heaven."

"It would do you more good if you drank it rather than stand in it."

Bella gave Edward a disgusted look. "It would do you more good if you bathed in it once in a while."

"Touché, Milady. We can't all afford to soak ourselves in milk and honey."

Edward turned away and began unpacking. As Bella soothed her feet, she watched him setting up camp, amazed at how he managed to set up a basic looking tent, and lay out the components of a meal , and build a camp fire from such a small bundle.

Once he was done, he got to his feet and dusted off his hands. "Well, seeing as you're the woman, I'm going to take that bath and you can do the cooking."

"Wait, I've never cooked before."

"Well, Milady, it seems to me like it's a good time to learn. Consider this your first lesson in surviving in the wild." Edward was already pulling off his poncho and hat as he walked away along the pebbled shore of the creek.

Bella paused and looked around at the various utensils on the ground, unsure of where to start, but determined to give it a try. It seemed that she was a natural culinary talent, and a while later, Bella had managed to rustle together a pan of beans and some scrambled eggs. She had no idea where Edward had found the latter, but their size and unusual color said that they hadn't come from a chicken.

Keen to show off her handiwork, Bella went to find her first willing volunteer to try out her cooking.

"Mr. Masen?" she yelled.

"Yeah?" There was a sound of splashing only a few yards from where she stood.

Bella pushed through the undergrowth as it snagged on her dress. "Mr. Masen, your dinner is…served."

Bella's eyes grew wide. Edward Masen Junior was naked and thigh deep in the creek.

"Oh, I'm so sorry." She quickly turned away.

"Didn't they teach you not to walk in on bathing men in finishing school?"

Her response was a string of stammered nonsense. There was a splashing behind her, and a curse as Edward scraped his toe on a sharp rock. He grabbed his pants and quickly pulled them on over his still wet thighs.

"Show's over—I'm decent."

Miss Swan turned to look at him, and it didn't escape him that her eyes briefly dropped beneath waist level.

"Your dinner will be getting cold. Hurry up." With that she strutted away with the slightest toss of her head, but despite her prickliness, her red face betrayed her embarrassment.

Edward chuckled to himself, and then ran his fingers through the hair that still stuck to his forehead. It was a good thing she hadn't arrived a few minutes earlier, or she would have seen a lot more.

From the moment he'd gotten close, he could tell Miss Swan wasn't the typical kind of woman you found riding with a bunch of outlaws in the wild. After looting the two male corpses first, he'd discovered that she was still breathing and surprisingly uninjured.

Forgetting about the horse that he'd inadvertently killed, he'd pulled Bella over into the shade.

Her clothes were expensive—not the type that a whore who earned her money well might choose to wear. She looked prim and proper, and her face was a work of art, framed by deep brown curls, and her perfume filled his nostrils—she didn't just dress expensive, she smelled it, too.

No, she definitely wasn't local. She almost looked like a porcelain doll with her pretty hair, clear pale skin, and fancy outfit. Or a lady…waiting to be rescued by her knight in shining armor—like the ones in stories that his mother used to read to him all those years ago.

For a while, he'd sat and just looked. The girl was lucky that he wasn't the type of man that would climb on top of an unconscious woman in the middle of nowhere, but he'd have been lying if he said that some tiny part of his brain hadn't suggested the idea.

Then he'd remembered that he wasn't the dashing rescuer this lady was hoping for, but the bad guy that had shot the horse from under her. Edward reminded himself that he'd grown out of fairytales a long time ago, and gave her a sip of whisky to try and revive her.

Once she woke up, she turned out to be a royal pain in the ass. Still, at least the detour might turn out to be profitable, and he had something pretty to look at along the way.

Liberating her from her corset affected him more than he cared to admit, and after watching her holding up her skirts soaking her feet, Edward had needed to take himself away for a little alone time. Her ankles on show, the flush in her cheeks from the walk in the burning Arizona sun, and the way her eyes watched what he was doing with interest had spawned all kinds of bad thoughts that needed addressing.

Now, after she'd burst through the bushes and caught him with all he had on show, he might as well not had bothered with the self relief. He was as wound up now as he was beforehand.

Miss. Isabella Swan wasn't the type of lady who got with outlaws—she was the type of woman who got men like him killed. Heck, he'd played his part in killing two of her previous kidnappers himself.

Edward pulled on his shirt and counted how many hours it would be until they got to the ranch. At least there he could do something about his predicament; Tanya had stopped charging him years ago in the hope he'd stop his wandering and settle down with her.

Tanya was hoping in vain. Edward just wasn't the settling type.