A/N: As always, for BittenBee.

The guest room was what I'd imagine the inside of a mausoleum would look like. In other words, I could see myself dying here with all the animal heads staring at me.

The walls were yellow to match the outside of the house; the blankets were scratchy and gave my skin a rash. The bed had springs designed to kill your spine and paralyze you by morning. My pillowcase smelled like mothballs, but that covered up the stench of decayed wood in the closet. My clothes sat in a pile by the window since everything inside the room seemed soggy.

I flipped over for the millionth time and sighed heavily. I'd sat awake for five hours and my only company was the digital clock that flipped numbers every rotation. Charlie's snoring finally came through my wall and I felt some kind of relief. He had gotten up periodically to go to the bathroom and—no doubt—to check that his daughter was still in bed.

I was in the middle of a staring contest with a deer head when my door clicked and slowly creaked forward. I sat up in bed and came face-to-face with Bella. I slid a finger across my throat and pointed her ass back to the hallway. She rolled her eyes and continued to open the door.

"Out," I whispered on a hiss of air.

She shook her head and mouthed, "Can't sleep."

Once the door was closed with a sock between the frame and the lock she sprinted to my bed. I fought to keep her back, pushing her away from me. Bella grabbed my arms and opened her mouth as if she were about to scream. I relented and she dove under the covers.

"What the hell?" I snapped quietly.

"My dad finally fell asleep." She pulled the wool blankets over our heads and pressed a finger to her lips. "I'm really tired and I wanna sleep. Just for a couple hours?"

"No."

She sat up and glared at me. "You let me sleep in your bed before."

"Keep your voice down!" I stared at the wall and listened for a stutter in her father's snoring. "That was different. We were in a hotel where your father wasn't down the hall waiting for an excuse to kill me."

She sat back down and threw her limbs over my body to keep me in place. "It's not like we're doing anything inappropriate. We'll just be sleeping. You think too much, Edward. Good night."

"No. There's no good night. Get your ass up and go back to your room."

She threw the blanket over her body and burrowed her head into my armpit. I wrestled with her in silence for a few minutes, locking my muscles so I wouldn't accidentally throw her to the floor. Little good that did, she wormed her way nearly underneath me before I realized how close to the edge of the bed I was.

"Go to sleep, Edward," she mumbled through the sheet.

I stood from the bed. "Fine. You sleep here and I'll go to your room. If I lock you out I can't get shot."

As I reached the door, Bella jolted from the bed and latched herself to my side, pulling me almost violently away from the door. The movement jerked my shoulder and I rammed into the door. Bella hissed my name as the animal heads rattled in anger, trying to attack us with each bang on my large body made in the confined space.

The sock in the door slid out and fell to the floor, unnoticed until the lock clicked.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck," I hissed. "Please tell me you have a key."

Bella shook her head, staring at the door. "Now you have to sleep with me."

My lower lid twitched endlessly as I glared at the door. Breaking it down wouldn't help, my wallet was in my jeans in the bathroom so I couldn't pick it. I was essentially trapped in this room with Bella until her father woke up and found her room empty.

I pulled myself away from Bella as she crawled into bed and watched me from her seat. I grabbed a pocket knife from my suitcase and stuffed it into the pocket of my sleep pants. Bella's eyes questioned my intentions.

"I won't stab him unless he pulls out a gun. Though he has every right to," I explained.

She sighed. "You're being ridiculous."

"Shut up, Bella. Go to sleep."

She kissed my cheek and ducked away under the covers. I wiped off her kiss, making a disgusted noise while she laughed and laughed until she fell asleep.

--

I woke with a start when Bella's fist drove into my side. I coughed when the drool from my sleep caught in my throat but was quickly cut short by a masculine throat clear. My hand reached into my pocket to procure the knife I'd put in there, but it was gone. Bella slid the cool metal along my side and I jumped.

"What the hell's going on?" Charlie snapped.

When I spluttered to speak, my knife cut into my flesh. "Nothing, dad," Bella answered.

I managed to gather my wits about me and noticed my surroundings. In the daylight the animal heads were still not comforting. It could have been just after sunrise with the dim light coming in, or maybe mid afternoon.

Bella was sitting up next to me. Her hair was in wild tangles down her back and she rubbed at her eyes. Charlie stood authoritatively above the bed. I felt like a teenager getting caught by parents. Except I wasn't a teenager fooling around with some girl.

"Dad, I'm tired," Bella grumbled, rubbing her eyes.

"Bella!" Charlie snapped and crooked a finger for her to follow him.

I fingered my side and came up with traces of blood. What the fuck? I flipped onto my stomach and pulled the pillow over my head, trying to drown out the murmuring in the hallway.

"Why would you do something like that under my roof?"

"I couldn't sleep."

"That' no excuse!"

There were several moments of silence and I sighed. If Charlie forced her back into her room I would have been able to salvage a couple more hours of sleep. As quickly as the thought popped into my head, the sound of Bella's voice rang loud and clear.

"I was afraid it would happen again."

I was surprised to hear Charlie relent so easily. Even more so when the door to my room opened and his heavy footsteps clomped down the stairs. I jumped from the mattress when I felt a hand touch my shoulder blade.

"You're not really… worried that something will happen, right?" I mumbled into the mattress.

Bella tugged on the pillow over my head and set it down for us to share. I turned my head to find her staring at me, eyes wary and tired. She hadn't looked like a victim until that moment. She'd always been strong, unworried and uncaring about what happened in the past. I hadn't seen her without the poker face and I did my best not to stare.

"Well… yeah," she mumbled. "I stared at my window for hours last night expecting something to come through."

"Aw, Christ," I grumbled. "You could'a told me that before we wrestled and you trapped me in here." I picked at the dried blood on my side. "And the knife? What's wrong with you?"

She had the decency to look sheepish. "I didn't want you to start yelling and get me in trouble."

I shook my head and pressed my face back in the pillow. Bella curled up at my side and I drifted off.

--

Something about the house Charlie and Bella lived in made me feel uneasy at all times. My years of training and expertise in bounty hunting and law made me aware of my surrounding at all times, but as hard as I tried, I could find nothing out of the ordinary.

I searched every crack of the house for digital recorders, cameras and other things James could have left here—or his partners for that matter. I had set up cameras around the perimeter of the property and on the roof to scope out the neighborhood. Before Charlie feel asleep and Bella came into my room I would look through the tapes and fast forward through them until I caught any signs of movement. There were certain cars that passed by periodically but I quickly identified them as neighbors.

Even when I found no physical evidence of trespassing I couldn't help but think that James's associates were just waiting for Bella to turn up and make her public appearance. Or worse, wait to find her location and kill her before she became publically announced. With the information she'd gathered during her time with James I had no doubt she had an arsenal of weapons against the other two.

It was an early evening on Thursday when Carlisle called me. His name didn't register at first. I hadn't expected him to contact me on my sort-of-vacation. I picked up eagerly, needing a dose of reality to offset this family oriented week.

"Edward, no time for pleasantries," he said quickly. "Victoria. Her name's Victoria."

"No, her name's Isabella," I answered.

"Not her, you idiot," he snapped testily, "The woman she had mentioned to you. His associate is Laurent. Victoria and Laurent, I can tell you right now they're on your trail."

"How? I used a fake name everywhere I went and made sure to take main roads—they couldn't—"

"They had a bomb sent here," he murmured shakily.

I stopped speaking and tried to let what he'd just said really sink in. A bomb was sent to the hotel. With the intention of finding both Bella and myself there. My palms began to sweat and my mouth went dry.

"It was intercepted?"

"Yes. Thanks to men in the mailroom. This isn't the first time one's been sent, but the package was addressed to Bella."

I swallowed the lump in my throat and glanced back to the house. I leaned my elbows against the wood railing of the porch and dropped my head. Both Charlie and Bella were inside, they were safe. I could hear her laughing, feel Charlie's chuckle rumble against the old wood outside.

"When do you think they'll get here?" I croaked. He didn't answer. "Carlisle."

"They probably already are," he answered quietly.

I didn't have time to panic or reason with the irrational thoughts. I put together a plan inside my head and let the cop side of my brain work out all the details. I could see everything in my mind and straightened from the railing, walking to the car and throwing the trunk open.

"I've got cameras set up around the perimeter. The roof, car, street and block are secured."

"Inside the house, especially Bella's room."

"I should keep the windows sealed."

"What do you have with you that could be accessed at a moment's notice?"

"Knives. Pocket knives and hunting knives. They're not ideal for sealing away with the bulk." I walked around to the front of the car, driver's side, and slid the seat all the way back. Underneath I pulled out a flat briefcase. "I've got two pistols and some ammunition."

"Keep them on you at all times," he ordered. "I want her loaded down with at least pepper spray and some kind of acidic wash that can maim the skin. We need to keep them marked if at all possible."

"What are their previous offences?"

"None to speak of."

"So quick and fast then. No need to drag it out for the sake of a bounty."

"Wait for them to come to you. They can't be very patient if they committed crimes with James at fault only hours after he was spotted in a different location. I'd give it a few days before they make a move. They'll probably—"

"Camp close by," I breathed.

"Maybe hold a neighbor hostage to use their home. Be careful wherever you are. Don't for one second think to leave your guard down. You're my best man, Edward. I can't have you dying."

"So sweet," I joked. "I've got it under control, Carlisle. Her father's on the police force. If he hears of either one they'll be run out so fast they won't have the opportunity to strike."

Once I had hung up I broke through the pocket in my jeans and wrapped a holster around my thigh before sliding the gun into it. The tension I'd felt from before began to multiply as I glanced around the quiet area. They could have been inside a house—watching me right now. One of them could have been taking aim and had my head in their scope.

I turned and ran for the house, slamming the door shut in a hurry, locking it with the deadbolt. They were definitely onto us. They knew where I'd taken Bella and they were on our trail. They were probably more prepared than I was. Probably had a plan to find and kill.

"Edward?"

I didn't turn away from the door or open my eyes. I was beyond irritated. I wanted to bring her back, thought she'd be safe here for some reason when clearly she was in the same—if not more—danger than she was at the hotel.

I ran a hand over my face and took in a deep breath. She was kneeling on the couch, elbows perched on the back of it and eyebrows quirked up.

I swallowed thickly. "Yeah?"

"Everything okay? You look a little shook up." She straddled the arm of the couch and hopped off.

Charlie was no longer in the room, leaving the two of us in an unsafe place. I clenched my jaw. How do you tell someone that their childhood home is in danger of being destroyed and everything they know and love is at risk of being mutilated? I decided there was no easy way to put it, but that didn't have to be the case right this instant.

"Just… it's just Carlisle. Grates my nerves sometimes," I explained weakly.

She nodded affirmatively. "Remember when you told me he was just doing his job the first time I met him? Well, he's just worried about you." I raised an eyebrow. "You two seem pretty close. Like father and son."

I snorted. "Yeah."

"I'm serious!" She grabbed my arm and pulled me to take a seat beside her. I looked around the room for Charlie. He wasn't exactly happy about our near constant proximity."He either has some romantic affection for you or it's fatherly love."

I pressed the heels of my palms into my eyes until I felt pressure. "That's gross. He's married, you know."

That didn't seem to deter her. "What did he say? Did he tell you to be cautious? I know how much you hate being told what to do. But you know he's right, don't you?"

"I'm never careless," I answered indignantly.

She rolled her eyes and managed her way onto my lap. She straddled my thighs and sat on my knees. After the chill from outside it was nice. Big brown eyes peered up at me imploringly, asking me to give out more information than I was comfortable with. Her innocent disposition made me feel like an ass for keeping anything from her. I was irritated and guilty all at once.

One of her hands reached up to comb her fingers through my hair. "What did he really say? I can take it. I'm not a little girl, Edward."

"You gotta promise me something," I bargained. She nodded quickly. "You can't tell your dad. You need to remain at my side at all times. You need to carry pepper spray and hydrochloric acid."

"Cool," she breathed.

"No, not cool. James's friends, they're on our trail." Her face fell and she went pale. "Victoria and Laurent. They sent a bomb to the hotel—but it was intercepted. I have to be aware at all times, but that means you do as well. If you see cars around here that you haven't noticed before or notice odd behavior from a neighbor, you tell me right away."

"I'm gonna be sick," she mumbled and pressed her forehead to my chest.

I rubbed her back awkwardly. Please don't throw up on me.

"What do we do?" she whispered, sounding bleak.

"We sit and wait. They come to us and I'll handle it all. As soon as the two of them are taken care of you'll be okay. Everything will be safe again and you can go back to school."

The relief I expected to see on her face didn't pop up. If anything, she looked more distraught