Author's Note
GAH!
this took me forever...
i was impatient with Impatience!!
it is longer.
much longer.
and unedited.
much unedited.
haha, so you get to read it before my editor and best friend!!
-yay-
Thank you for staying with me (and Jasper) we really do appreciate it...
once again,
Twilight belongs to
† Stephenie Meyer †
and no mere mortal, such as myself, could ever live up to her all-mightyness!
:D
so, enjoy chapter 20,
it's going to be awhile before i can get 21 up...
-theenvylover

20. Impatience

We headed south on US-101. It was supposed to be a twenty five hour drive, but I figured we'd make it there by the end of the day. I checked the speedometer which presently rested on one hundred ten. I eyed the empty space on the right and pushed the gas a little harder. There were very few people on the road which made maneuvering between cars almost effortless.

Alice sat in the backseat and tried to comfort Bella who had rested her head on her shoulder. Tears ran down her face and dripped onto Alice's shirt. She didn't even wipe them off her cheeks; she just stayed there motionless. Her swollen red eyes developed bags from lack of sleep. She fought hard to stay awake but I couldn't understand why. We had a long ways to go, but she was determined to stay conscience. She was unresponsive, but still, conscience. I gathered a cloud of calm inside of me before I spoke.

"Which way to the airport, Bella?" I asked smoothly. It must have come out sharper then I thought because Bella flinched before answering.

"Stay on the I-ten," she said. "We'll pass right by it."

In the mirror I saw Alice staring at me confusedly. Her head whipped from me to Bella as we talked. I realized that this was the second time that she had heard me speak directly to Bella, aside from our first meeting.

"Are we flying somewhere?" Bella asked Alice.

"No, but it's better to be close, just in case."

We started the loop around Sky Harbor International before Bella finally gave out. Alice quickly checked to see if she was really asleep before looking at me. I knew what she wanted.

"I was just asking her a question, nothing to get excited about."

"It was still a shock," Alice admitted.

"When's the last time I had ever shocked you?" I laughed. I tend to be quite predictable, especially to Alice.

"Still…" she started cautiously, "how are you holding up?"

Not good. I was the worst in the family. But if my love for Alice was the same as Edward's love for Bella then I knew it wouldn't be worth it. Killing Bella would quench my thirst until I felt thirsty again, but killing Bella would also leave Edward devastated forever; would ruin his whole reason for existence. I wasn't willing to make that sacrifice.

"I'm fine," I lied as we pulled up to the nearest suite.

"I'll be back soon," Alice said as she slowly lifted Bella off her shoulder and placed her on the seat. I went to dig out my debit card but hers was already in between her fingers.

"Hurry back," I told her, but she just giggled as she walked toward the front of the hotel.

Then I was alone with Bella. I kept my gaze forward and held my breath. It somewhat helped. It took my mind off the defenseless creature lying only feet from me. Well, maybe not.

"Edward," Bella spoke. At first I wasn't even sure that she said it, but the second time was much clearer.

"No, Edward!" She screamed. I turned to look at her. She was curled up in a little ball, fast asleep. Sweat shined on her forehead.

"Don't eat –" She was cut short by Alice opening her door.

"What's wrong with her?" she exclaimed. I wondered if it was my fault that she was having nightmares about being mauled.

"I think she's having a nightmare, she was just screaming," I told her as I got out of the car. I really did feel sorry for the images brought into her head because of my lack of self control.

"Lasagna…" Bella continued.

I couldn't help myself then. My slight chuckle turned into a roar of laughter. All I could think about was Bella's fear of Edward eating her lasagna. Alice glared at me before reaching in to pick up Bella. I tried my best to regain my composure but settled with a slight grin. Bella stumbled out awkwardly. She blinked twice and looked up at us. Alice moved Bella's arm to drape around her shoulder and held her by the waist. I touched her shoulder and she fell fast asleep.

"Sorry for waking you," I told her; even though I knew she couldn't hear me. After I handed the valet our keys I helped Alice and Bella into the building.

"What was that back there?" Alice inquired as soon as we were inside the elevator. The stairs would've been much faster but the receptionist was already looking at us strangely.

"Nothing," I stated, but she wanted more of an answer than that. "Just Edward's new diet…"

Alice was about to say something but the doors opened before she could.

"The eleventh floor?" I wondered out loud.

"I like being on the top floor," she shrugged and smiled. I smiled back. She picked Bella up and held her with both arms. She was free to do so here; away from the receptionist's eyes. I held the door and she nodded to me. "The room number is eleven twenty seven, the key is in my back pocket."

My left hand zipped down her right back pocket and pulled out a sliver of plastic. My fingers traced another plastic card on the way out.

"Here you are Miss Rachel Lee," I held the door and gestured inside.

"It's a new card; Carlisle gave it to me before he left," She stated as she sat Bella on the bed in the second room. "I don't like the name too much though…"

I glided over to her, lifted her chin, and kissed her on her lips.

"A rose by any other name –" I began but cut short when Alice stood on her toes and kissed me back.

"– would taste as sweet," Alice finished for me.

I smiled at her and led her out of the room, closing the door behind us.

"I'll go get the bags," I offered as I headed toward the door.

"Could you get Bella some food? Edward told me to feed her or else," she smiled at me.

"Um, sure?" I paused at the door. How was I supposed to know what Bella would want? I didn't even remember what I used to eat.

"Just get what the person in front of you gets," she concluded. I smiled at her again; she always had an answer.

"I'll be back soon," I winked at her.

Her face went blank and she stared into the distance. "Yes you will," she finally concluded. I chuckled on my way out.

I arrived at the valet and asked them for our key. He offered to tell me where the car was, but where was the fun in that? It was late in the day so I would have no trouble with witnesses. I zipped my jacket and looked around. If anybody saw me, they would only see my face, which at top speeds looked like a white bird on a rocket. I casually walked at a human pace before I turned the corner.

Then, it began.

I kicked with my right foot and became invisible. I ran around the building and checked each individual car, although I didn't have to. After the building's perimeter was clear I ran into the parking garage. I slowed so the motion detector could catch my movement then jumped over the rising gate and sped off. I found our Mercedes on the fourth level near the front. I unlocked it and grabbed the two bags. After relocking I ran back down the ramp.

Third level.

Second level. Come on…

First level. So close…

Gate! Just in time. I rounded the corner and slid right underneath the gate before it clicked into place. One long black line of dark rubber along the right side of the road made me check my shoes. A hole in the bottom of my right shoe reminded me that I didn't put on socks today. Oh well; at least my left shoe's still intact…

Now to dispose of the evidence.

I was happy that my skid mark was mostly on the right side, all I had to do to make it look like a car's skid mark was create the exact same line on the left. I set the bags down about five feet from the first line as markers for where the next line would have to go. I started on the third level that time, estimated about how fast I needed to go, and took off. I slid right in between the two bags. I got up and admired my work on the road before I checked the damage on my shoes. They weren't too bad –manageable at least, so I walked in them to the building at a human pace.

The valet wasn't there which I found to be extraordinarily convenient. It would have been somewhat difficult to try to convince him that it was entirely normal for me to get my bags from a car four stories away in less than three minutes, especially since he didn't tell me where he'd put it. I whisked my way through the doors of the hotel and wandered into the food area.

To put an end to my lucky streak; nobody was there. I couldn't order the same as the person before me when there was nobody there. I started to plan my strategy when a young girl at the counter started talking to me.

"Hey there! Would you like something to eat?" I could feel the lust that she had for me, a complete stranger. It disgusted me. My love was for Alice and Alice only, but I saw no other option.

"Actually, the food is for a friend and I have no idea what she wants. Can you recommend anything?" I tried to sound as uninterested as I possibly could but she couldn't take the hint.

"Sure can," she smiled with an indication of defeat. She didn't like the fact my friend was a 'she'.

"You don't have to tell me what it is, just tell the cook to hurry up." I wanted to get away from there as fast as I possibly could; I sensed bad vibes.

"Yes Sir!" she smirked.

The food came out extraordinarily fast. There's something to be said about pre-cooked food. The girl came back and handed me a bag that held a box of unknown substances; the very smell of it made my stomach quiver. I threw her a twenty and went off to find the reception desk.

With both Bella's duffel bag and Alice and my bag in my left hand and Bella's food and a newly acquired room service menu in my right hand I bounded up the stairs. I started out rather slow; a show for those in line for the elevator, until I turned the corner. As soon as I was sure that I was out of sight I ran up the stairs as fast as I possibly could. My feet barely even touched the stairs as I leaped three at a time. I made it to the room before the elevator dinged on the second floor.

I maneuvered the food on top of the room service menu and tossed them both up in the air. My hand whipped to my pocket, pulled out the card, and inserted it into the slot before I caught the falling goods. I nudged the handle with the bottom of my right hand and it gave way. I was welcomed into the room by Alice's smile and the door beep.

I passed her the menu and set the food on the table.

"What's this?" she asked, her hands flipping through the pages.

"Room service. I don't want to have to go through that again…" That was the truth.

"Hmm, bouncy human girls aren't your type?" she joked. I should've known that she already saw what happened; I never surprised her.

"You know I only exist for you." I replied.

"Yeah, but I still like to hear it, all the same." She smiled and took Bella's bag to her room. As she did, I set our bag on the desk in the corner and sat in the chair. My eyes focused on the news. Alice came out of Bella's room but as she shut the door we heard signs of life from the other side.

"Let her situate herself," I told Alice as she reached for the handle again. "She probably doesn't even know where she is."

As I stared at the TV she made her way to the food. She took the box out of the bag and the smell stained the air. She lifted it up to show me. "Aww, your little girlfriend left you a bow," she said tauntingly, picking at a piece of fabric.

"Burn it." My eyes never left the screen.

She opened the box and removed the plate of food inside. She set the plate on the table and threw the rest away. I made a mental note to burn the trash. She looked at her watch repeatedly and glanced at the door. "It's been long enough," she assured herself as she walked over to the door. She tapped on it and asked, "Can I come in?"

"Sure," the startled voice on the other side answered and Alice stepped into the room. I thought about giving them some privacy but I voted against it and listened.

"You look like you could sleep longer," Alice began. She paused and I heard the curtains close. "We'll need to stay inside."

"Okay," Bella cracked. I quickly understood the necessity of the food.

"Thirsty?" Alice asked.

"I'm okay. How about you?" questioned Bella. She was more concerned for Alice's comfort level than her own safety. Bella could trust Alice more than I could trust myself.

"Nothing unmanageable. I ordered some food for you, it's in the front room." As she spoke I thought back to what I went though to get that food and I could've sworn I heard her chuckle. "Edward reminded me that you have to eat a lot more frequently than we do."

Bella instantly woke. "He called?"

"No, it was before we left."

Alice pulled Bella along by the hand into the main room. I continued to watch the television, not really listening, but absorbing what news had come up. There were no new updates on the missing hikers from Seattle and for some reason it really bothered me. Alice sat on the arm of the sofa and started to stare at the news as well. Bella sat down on the floor and picked at the food before she pushed it away.

"What's wrong, Alice?" she asked.

"Nothing's wrong," Alice answered quickly. The speed made Bella slightly nervous.

"What do we do now?"

"We wait for Carlisle to call," Alice answered blankly, hiding any emotion that could potentially upset Bella.

"And should he have called by now?" Bella studied Alice; looking for anything that would lead her to a direct answer. I turned to look at her too, catching her as she glanced at the phone. Bella didn't miss it either.

"What does that mean?" Her voice quavered, "That he hasn't called yet?"

"It just means that they don't have anything to tell us." Alice said straightly. The lack of emotion in her speech caused Bella to internally panic. I got up and stood next to Alice.

"Bella," I started, as smooth as I could manage. "You have nothing to worry about. You are completely safe here."

"I know that," she replied bluntly. Her sudden answer took me by surprise.

"Then why are you frightened?" Surely she knew we wouldn't let anything happen to her mom or Charlie.

"You heard what Laurent said," she whispered. "He said James was lethal. What if something goes wrong, and they get separated? If something happens to any of them, Carlisle, Emmett… Edward…" she gulped. "If that wild female hurts Esme…" her voice ascended higher with every passing word. She began to sound hysterical. "How could I live with myself when it's my fault? None of you should be risking yourselves for me —"

"Bella, Bella, stop." I had to cut her off there. There was no need for this fragile creature to be even slightly concerned for our safety. "You're worrying about all the wrong things, Bella. Trust me on this – none of us are in jeopardy. You are under too much strain as it is; don't add to it with wholly unnecessary worries." Her attention started to drift off but I wasn't going to let her ignore me. "Listen to me!" I ordered and her eyes snapped right back. "Our family is strong. Our only fear is losing you."

"But why should you –" she began before Alice touched her cheek.

"It's been almost a century that Edward's been alone. Now he's found you. You can't see the changes that we see, we who have been with him so long. Do you think any of us want to look into his eyes for the next hundred years if he loses you?"

Bella seemed to accept that answer so we settled down and prepared for the long hours ahead of us. I situated myself in the desk chair and stared at the clock on the bottom left of the television screen. I passed the time by counting the milliseconds between each minute.

Mortality must grant endless impatience.

Alice and I watched as Bella fidgeted and paced. As soon as that no longer interested her she sat down on the floor, mouthing the color of each stripe on the couch. Tan, peach, cream, dull gold she silently chanted over and over until she felt certain that she had memorized it. To occupy her attention after that, she sat on the couch and squinted at the abstract paintings on the other side of the room. Her eyes danced along the portraits until she found something familiar. When she did her eyes widened a little, her head backed slowly and tilted to the side, and then she nodded. After she accepted the shape her eyes shrunk and she leaned in again.

After a red circle made her look away she got up and went to her room. I hadn't felt any trace of weariness from her for the past couple of hours. To me there was no reason for her to go there; where my powers couldn't reach her. I looked at Alice and nodded in the direction of the room. She nodded back and casually strolled into the room with her. After they closed the door I quietly got up and headed for the couch. I didn't want to hear their conversation, I just wanted to provide as much comfort as I could. I couldn't send my emotion waves through walls so I settled with the small crack below the door. I sat on the couch and meditated. After I had felt completely at ease with myself I gathered all of that energy into my fist. When I was sure that I had everything in my hand I crouched in front of the door and let it out finger by finger. I had to be extremely careful. If Bella was too close to the door the high concentration might put her in a coma for a month.

At first I measured it by her heart rate. I listened closely and found the light thump on the other side. From what Carlisle told me, I judged that Bella's heart rate was too high for a normal human. I dropped my pinky for about three seconds before stopping the flow of energy. I pushed my ear against the door to hear the difference but it was no use; they were talking. Well, isn't that just great I thought to myself. After brief contemplation I stuck my left hand under the door with hopes of absorbing the present mood. It worked until I decided to let my finger go again. The lack of distance between the two hands made it impossible to test the average of the whole room.

At that moment a light tap on the floor made me jump. I retrieved my hands from under the door when Alice spoke.

"Something's changed," she said urgently. I opened the door and she was there in front of me. I guided her to the bed by her shoulders.

"What do you see?" Her eyes were far off somewhere but I stared at her intently. This was not a good time for change.

"I see a room. It's long, and there are mirrors everywhere. The floor is wooden. He's in the room, and he's waiting. There's gold…a gold stripe across the mirrors."

"Where is the room?"

"I don't know. Something is missing –another decision hasn't been made yet."

"How much time?"

"It's soon. He'll be in the mirror room today, or maybe tomorrow. It all depends. He's waiting for something. And he's in the dark now."

"What is he doing?"

"He's watching TV…no, he's running a VCR, in the dark, in another place."

"Can you see where he is?"

"No, it's too dark."

"And the mirror room, what else is there?"

"Just the mirrors, and the gold. It's a band, around the room. And there's a black table with a big stereo, and a TV. He's touching the VCR there, but he doesn't watch the way he does in the dark room. This is the room where he waits." Her eyes focused on me.

"There's nothing else?" She shook her head. I stared into her eyes and she stared back. Bella said something but it seemed unimportant so my mind pushed it away. Slowly it bubbled to the surface.

"What does it mean?" I heard it say. I turned my head to her.

"It means the trackers' plans have changed. He's made a decision that will lead him to the mirror room, and the dark room."

"But we don't know where those rooms are?"

"No."

"But we do know that he won't be in the mountains north of Washington, being hunted. He'll elude them," Alice said bleakly.

"Should we call?" A good question. If we did and James overheard than that could become a big problem but if they didn't know and James had already left…

Alice and I shared a look but neither one of us knew what to do.

Then, the phone rang.

Alice flew across the room and grabbed it. She hit the talk button and held the phone to her ear.

"Carlisle," she breathed then paused to listen.

"Yes," she said and looked at Bella. After a very brief pause she started again. "I just saw him." She described again the vision she'd just seen. "Whatever made him get on that plane… it was leading him to those rooms." She paused. Bella stared at her and became incredibly anxious. "Yes," Alice finally said and called for Bella. She ran to Alice and took the phone from her hand.

As soon as she was away from the phone I motioned to Alice and she ran to me.

"They're just outside Vancouver. They lost James and they think that he's on his way to Forks to start over again," she explained in a flurry.

"Do you remember what the room looks like?" I asked her and motioned to the stationary on the desk. I didn't need to, we have an extraordinarily good memory, but I asked anyways. It was common courtesy.

She sat at the desk and grabbed the pen. Her hand flew across the paper and a room started to take shape. The room was long and rectangular, with a thinner, square section at the back. Wooden planks ran lengthwise along the floor and down the walls were lines denoting the breaks in the mirrors. A band stretched about waist high around the room. The band Alice said was gold.

"It's a ballet studio," Bella stated. The sudden remark surprised me.

"Do you know this room?" I asked as calmly as I could manage but it didn't work; I felt a flicker of curiosity from her.

"It looks like the place I use to go for dance lessons – when I was eight or nine. It was shaped just the same." Her hand touched the square section in the back of the room. "That's where the bathrooms were – the doors were through the other dance floor. But the stereo was here" – she pointed to the left corner –"it was older, and there wasn't a TV. There was a window in the waiting room – you would see the room from this perspective if you looked through it."

Alice and I stared at her.

"Are you sure it's the same room?" I asked, maintaining my composure. If she knew where this place was, then we would know where James would be and we could corner him there.

"No, not at all – I suppose most dance studios would look the same – the mirrors, the bar." Her finger slid along what was the ballet bar set against the mirrors. "It's just the shape that looked familiar." She tapped the page where the door was.

"Would you have any reason to go there now?" Alice asked, breaking Bella's reverie.

"No, I haven't been there in almost ten years. I was a terrible dancer – they always put me in the back for recitals." I could see that. Bella wasn't the most graceful person in the world…

"So there's no way it could be connected with you?" Alice asked her intently.

"No, I don't even think the same person owns it. I'm sure it's just another dance studio, somewhere." She was wrong. If it had something to do with James then it had something to do with Bella.

"Where was the studio you went to?" I asked casually. I didn't want Bella to feel like she was being interrogated, but this information was more important than she knew.

"It was just around the corner from my mom's house. I used to walk there after school…" Alice and I looked at each other before carrying on.

"Here in Phoenix, then?" I continued.

"Yes," she whispered. "Fifty-Eighth Street and Cactus."

We stared at the picture and sat in silence. James had followed us to Arizona. I was trying to think of something, anything, that could help us at the moment, when Bella spoke.

"Alice, is that phone safe?"

"Yes," she responded. "The number would just trace back to Washington."

"Then I can use it to call my mom?" The question surprised me; I could've sworn Bella said her mother was in Florida…

"I thought she was in Florida." Alice answered for me.

"She is – but she's coming home soon, and she can't come back to that house while…" Her voice trailed off and her fear began to build up before I brought it back down.

"How will you reach her?" Alice continued.

"They don't have a permanent number except at the house – she's supposed to check her messages regularly." Her voice showed no sign of trembling and I felt somewhat relieved. I couldn't do much, but I wanted to do everything I could for her.

"Jasper?" Alice's voice brought me back into the conversation.

"I don't think there's any way it could hurt – be sure you don't say where you are, of course." My answer made Bella happy; she eagerly reached for the phone and dialed. She left a message on the machine and turned to the plate of leftover fruit.

She fidgeted while I watched Alice as she started to draw an outline of the dark room she saw. Not too long afterwards Bella fell asleep. Alice carried her to her bed and shut the door on her way out.

A quick last word

sorry about the last chapter's notes,
I tried to include the address to where the picture is but it didnt work...
:(
so I'm going to write it out for you!
:D
here it goes-
s174 dot photobucket dot com forward slash albums forward slash w104 forward slash isa1127 forward slash ?actionview("and" symbol, not in parentheses)current(equal sign)Picture646 dot jpg
haha,
that was confusing...
and for those of you who want to know,
i decided to try to send my soul to
† Stephenie Meyer †
via a myspace message.
it didn't work out so well...
i shall try again!
- theenvylover