A/N: This chapter was difficult to write. There was a lot to try to explain without slowing the story down. I hope i did it justice. In addition my fabulous editor ginginlee has real life stuff going keeping her from editing (it's good though) so all editing mistakes are my own!

Chapter 5- Paradise Lost

I turned to Jasper who was fighting Emmett and Carlisle. Finally, Rose and Alice stepped in helping Emmett wrestle Jasper out the door. I slowly turned to see Bella on the floor. She was still breathing and her heart was beating steadily. She had just passed out from her intense fear. Suddenly, her scream resounded in my head and I sickeningly realized that she had been afraid in that final moment. She was afraid of me. When she woke, she was going to go running as far away from me as she could get. The other shoe had finally dropped and she had realized what monsters we were. I numbly gathered her up in my arms as gently as I could, her blood not appealing to me at all. Gently, we took her into Carlisle's office. I tried to wake her, but she was out cold.

Carlisle looked over her injuries and said, "Edward, her cut is too deep to be fixed with external stitches. She also needs internal stitches. I don't have that thread here. We are going to need to take her to the hospital."

With Bella passed out, there were going to be a ton of questions we would be asked that we couldn't answer. This was going to be very awkward for Carlisle and our family. Then Alice had a vision that changed everything. This event would make the local papers while a nomad was wandering through. The nomad would take the paper back to Italy. The Volturi would show up on our doorsteps in two months' time demanding an explanation. The chances of it ending badly for the family were almost certain. For some reason, the moment Bella passed out she disappeared from Alice's visions. The only way for us to get out of the situation was to leave immediately. The news of our departure would trump Bella's injuries and we would be safe.

I looked down at Bella and felt my heart break. I loved her with every fiber of my being. The sight and sound of her screaming my name in fear would not leave my thoughts. Yet again, I had put her life in danger, and now my whole family as well. I knew I was not good enough for her. I was a monster who hurt any human he was in close contact with. Bella's life was worth more than my own happiness. I had told her once that I loved her more, because I would leave if it were the right thing to do; if my leaving would keep her safe. Add into that the fact that she was now terrified of me, I knew what I had to do. I would do the right thing to keep her safe and to keep my family safe. I would give her the chance to have a normal happy human life. I would keep her safe. I would leave and never return. I looked down at her as I made my decision and I felt most of myself go missing. It would always be with her. She was my heart and my life. I would do what was needed to keep her safe and I would suffer the consequences.

It barely registered when Alice started crying softly behind me. She had not left and gone after Jasper as I had expected. She was concerned about him, but she also knew that she was about to lose her best friend for good. As I looked down at the love of my existence, Alice explained my decision to Carlisle and Esme. I heard Carlisle gasp and Esme begin to cry. I knew that the right thing to do would be to comfort and explain, but I could not tear my eyes away from Bella. I was burning her image into my mind, knowing that once we left her at the hospital, I would not see her again. The only thing that kept me from breaking down was the fact that I needed to stay strong for her. I would not let my emotions get in the way of the last moments I had with her, conscious or not. Whatever Alice told them was effective because after a moment, Carlisle picked up the phone like it weighed two tons and slowly dialed the hospital. The moment he was off the phone, he went to his computer and wrote a resignation letter. Crying the whole time, Esme began to move through the house, covering furniture and packing up the essentials. Alice ran upstairs and began to work on my things first, knowing I would be in no condition to do so.

Then Alice was suddenly standing opposite me, looking down at Bella. After a moment she brokenly said, "Edward, you- "

She paused for a moment and then with resolve said, "Edward, you can't go to the hospital with her. If you show up there, Charlie will blame you. If you are there when Bella wakes up, you won't be able to leave. Everything will go wrong if you go. You also need to take her ring. Charlie will never believe you left if you went through with giving it to her. Carlisle already has a story planned, which will not be suspicious. I still can't see her directly but I can see the results."

Alice's visions were strange. It was like there was a hole where Bella should be. I wondered for a moment what it could mean, but it was quickly overshadowed by the feel of Bella's skin against mine.

I searched Carlisle's thoughts and saw what he planned to say to them. I knew it would work without the ring. I gently picked her up from the table, careful not to jar the pressure dressing Carlisle had put on her arm and held her to me. I gently kissed her lips for the last time and then put her down. I looked at her hand with my mother's ring on it again, memorizing exactly how it looked and then gently slipped it from her finger. Then I leaned over, kissed her forehead and ran from the room as the paramedics entered the house.

I left the house and wandered into the woods trying not to focus on what was going on with Bella in the house, however I could not convince myself to move beyond the point where I could no longer hear. After what seemed like an eternity, they loaded her in and drove away, sirens blazing into the still and dark night. From their thoughts I had gleaned that they thought she was going to be fine, but were somewhat baffled at the fact she was unconscious. Carlisle had attempted to explain her aversion to blood and that it always made her ill, but they did not believe that someone's response to the smell of blood could be so severe. Carlisle asked me to stop by Charlie's house and explain it to him while he accompanied Bella to the hospital, knowing that it would be harder for me to leave if I went back to her. As it was, it took every ounce of strength I had and the reminder of the Volturi visit to keep me from her. I went to Charlie's quickly; however I could not bring myself to knock on the door. I knew when I faced Charlie that there was no going back.

After a few moments, I felt my phone buzz. When I looked down at the screen, I saw that the message was from Carlisle. I had expected that Alice would be the one attempting to contact me but was surprised to see Carlisle's name light up the caller ID. I quickly flipped the phone open and read the message. Carlisle let me know that I had no time to waste if this was going to go well, I needed to get in the house now. Reluctantly, I knocked on the door and waited for Charlie to open it. I heard the sound on the TV go off but could still hear the buzzing from the screen. I heard a shuffling noise and then saw Charlie on the other side of the glass in the door. When he flipped on the light and realized who was standing outside, he went into overdrive, opening the door faster than I thought he could.

Charlie barked out, "Edward, where is Bella? Is she alright?"

I looked at Charlie and softly said, "She lost her balance Charlie and fell backwards into the piano where Alice had the cake and glass plates set up. She knocked everything off the piano and rolled it across the room. She cut her arm pretty deep on some glass plates. She passed out from the sight of the blood; you know how she gets with blood sometimes."

Charlie nodded and then reached for his coat. I put my hand up and said, "Charlie, I know you want to get to Bella, but there is something I need to tell you first. We were going to wait to tell Bella until after the party, but now there is no time. Charlie, my family is leaving Forks. Without telling us, my father, Carlisle, applied for a job in Arizona. Carlisle got a job offer yesterday with Mayo Clinic that he can't turn down. The offer was only good if he could be there to start in two days. He never thought that we would have to leave this quickly. My mother is leaving in the morning. I am flying out with Alice and Jasper tonight. I wanted to make the break as clean as I can for her. I love her but I'm not going to drag her through the pain of a long distance relationship, which can only end badly. I am sorry we couldn't prepare you for this. I am even more sorry now that she's-"

At that I stopped, not being able to say any more without breaking down. I knew the lie would work but it stuck in my throat like that pizza I had choked down as demonstration for Bella all those months ago. Carlisle shouldn't be taking all the blame on himself. I never should have been involved with Bella in the first place. She was human and I was a blood-sucking monster who would always be dangerous to her. Charlie was furious at Carlisle for not preparing anyone. He already knew that Bella would take things hard. However, he was also concerned for me. He could tell I loved Bella. He wondered how long I would be able to stay away.

Finally, I was able to control myself and continue with, "Charlie, I have a couple requests. I want to make this as easy on her as possible. I am going to go upstairs for just a minute and remove a few key items that I believe will cause her to have a harder time with this. I also would still like her to hear this from me. I may not be able to tell her in person but she deserves to hear that it's over from me. Charlie, I'm going to lie to her. I'm going to tell her that I don't love her. I think it will make it easier for her to move on. I don't want to be the reason she's unhappy and waiting to live her life. I love her too much to let her hang on to me."

I stopped talking. I was shaking with the emotion. This was truly the hardest thing I had ever done in all my years. After a moment, Charlie awkwardly put his arm around my shoulder in an attempt to comfort me.

Then he said, "Edward, I know I haven't been completely supportive of your relationship with Bella. However, most of that is because you're young. I didn't want you and Bella to end up like Renee and I did. I also unfairly blamed Phoenix on you. Thank you for doing the right thing for Bella. I think you're correct about your plan. You have thought this through. I will do what I can to help her on this end."

After Charlie finished, he motioned towards the stairs. I walked up slowly, taking in every detail. I paused at the entrance to her room and took meticulous inventory of what it looked like. Then I moved to through her room, removing every trace of my influence on her life. I knew she wouldn't forget but I knew it would help her move on. When I finished and held an armful of pictures, notes, and other memorabilia, I acted on impulse. I reached down and pried up a floorboard. I carefully arranged everything inside with the exception of one picture. Charlie had taken it when we left for prom. Her cast wasn't visible. She looked like an angel her face looking up at mine. I could see the adoration I felt for her written all over mine. I carefully tucked it in my pocket. I replaced the floorboard and dragged myself from the room and her life.

I ran away from the house the moment I was out of Charlie's sight. Somehow, I found myself outside the hospital in a tree, looking into Bella's room. I knew I shouldn't be here but I couldn't seem to keep myself away from her. I heard her heartbeat speed. I saw her wake I saw her eyes scan the room frantically for me. My heart broke further in that instant, knowing I could never go to her again. I saw her talk to the doctor. I saw her reach out her hand, look to her father, and see Charlie's look and scream as she passed out again. I lept down from the tree, running full speed for the entrance. Just before I left the trees, I heard Alice's thoughts screaming my name and playing her vision of our fate if we did not leave. It stopped me dead in my tracks. Then she reminded me that I was leaving to keep her safe. I collapsed on the soft wet ground and barely noticed when Emmett picked me up on my feet and forced me to walk to the car with him.

The instant the door closed, I felt Alice wrap her arms around me, followed quickly by Esme's. My body shook with sobs as I cried. Then I felt something I had never experienced before, venom went spilling over the edge of my lower eyelid and trailed down my face. I heard brief concern from Esme and Alice before they decided to ignore it and discuss it with Carlisle later. Eventually, I picked up that we were headed to Alaska for a week or two until we decided on a new home. Jasper, Rose and Emmett were already halfway there, running to help Jasper and attempting to convince him that everything would be all right. Carlisle and Esme both decided that we would never sell the home in Forks and that we would never return.

When we arrived at the Denali's in Alaska, Tanya immediately threw herself at me and said, "So you decided I was better than a human any day after all?"

I knew that the polite response would be to gently remove her from my body and explain as calmly as I could, however I was incapable of the calm response at that moment. Instead, I threw her away from me as hard as I could, only feeling a slight hint of guilt when I heard her hit the wall of the house behind her. I turned and ran into the woods as quickly as I could. For a moment, Esme's thoughts were automatically ready to admonish my rude behavior, but then she softened and thought at me that she would smooth things over with Tanya, understanding my need for solitude at the moment. When I got to the same small clearing I had spent time in when I left Forks last year, I collapsed into a snow bank. I dimly heard Esme's conversation with Tanya and her apology and understanding over the issue. She genuinely felt bad, she had been teasing and never meant to hurt me. I decided I would attempt to apologize later. However, most of my thoughts were consumed with Bella. She was the only thing I could see in my head. The next morning I felt my phone vibrate. I saw Bella's name on the caller ID. Somehow, I kept myself from answering the phone. After a few minutes, it beeped again, letting me know I had voicemail. Against my better judgment I flipped open the phone and checked it. After a moment, I heard her voice panicked through the phone begging me to call her back. Begging to know where I was and if I was okay. Then I heard the tears as she told me she loved me and missed me. I thought she was done until I heard her voice heartrendingly call my name before she ended the message.

Every part of me wanted to call her back and explain that it had all been a big mistake and that I was coming home for her. We would run until the end of time if that meant I could be with her. Just as I flipped the phone open Alice came into the clearing, grabbed the phone and handed me a new one that was missing Bella's number. She knew I had it memorized but the unspoken message was clear. I checked the phone number and was not surprised to see that the number had been changed. I stayed in that clearing until dawn the next day when Alice descended with Carlisle and Esme. Alice had a vision of how I would tell Bella. Carlisle and Esme were there to convince me to go along.

We drove into town and chartered a plane to Vancouver. The whole time we traveled, the other three vampires blocked their thoughts from me, making the only intrusion I had to endure the two humans on board.

I agonized over what I was going to have to do. I was going to lie to the one person I never wanted to keep anything from. However, I owed her something. I was not just going to disappear on her with no explanation. I had to tell her something and everyone agreed that the lie I was going to tell would help her move on. When we arrived at the small studio, everyone was very kind. I followed directions, however, the moment I began to speak everything would fall apart and I would not be able to say what I needed to. Finally, Alice showed me a vision of the Volturi killing a very human Bella, myself and the rest of the family. After seeing it, I got halfway through before I lost it. Then Alice focused on it over and over again. The scene playing helped me finally record a message that would pass. I was sure that Bella would see through it, knowing me well enough to read the emotion I was desperately trying to hide.

However, Esme finally said, "Edward, the words will be so shocking that they will feel like truth. Moreover, you are not going to record it on a normal DVD. Even if she watches it repeatedly, it will take her human brain some serious time to doubt something this intense. By the time she begins to question it, the DVD will no longer play. Emmett is already on his way back from Forks. He text messaged Carlisle while you finished your recording. You need to go home now Edward. Alice will take care of getting the disc made. Your only job is to try to move on, as impossible as that seems right now."

Then her thoughts continued what her words did not. She told me how much she loved me and that she would be there in whatever way I needed her whether it be tough love, a sounding board or a shoulder to cry on. She would be the mom I needed, however I needed her.

Wordlessly, I walked over to Esme and wrapped my arms around her. I knew that she loved all of us, but that I was dear to her heart, her first child in this very long life. She tried to force her thoughts that ached at the loss of her newest daughter, Bella but she couldn't quite manage it. I appreciated the effort on her part. Then Carlisle came to put an arm around me as well. I had no idea how I was going to live without her, but I knew my family would help however, they could.

By the time we arrived in Alaska, Alice had messaged Carlisle to let him know the DVD was in the mail and on the way to Bella. I quickly fished out my phone and asked Alice if my part was over. Alice gently told me that I could let go and stop fighting the pain. I had been fighting what I was feeling, trying to get through the situation, but now I let the waves of aching twisting pain roll over me like dirt being put over my dead heart until I was buried in it.

Two weeks later, my family forced me from the house to hunt. I had no desire to quench the burn in my throat, it matched the way the rest of me felt, but I finally relented when Carlisle threatened to force feed me from the Denali blood bank if I refused. We were leaving the next morning for our home in New York and Carlisle was not going to allow me to travel without feeding first.

When I reached the bottom of the stairs, Jasper was waiting. He had been trying to talk to me for days. I just wasn't ready to discuss it with him. I was not upset with him. He had acted on instinct and it was not his fault. However, I could not handle discussing that night yet. I shook my head at Alice, who turned to her mate and quietly explained that I was not ready to talk. Jasper looked at me with resignation over his face thinking that I was handling things well, especially considering what I had been through with Bella lately. He hated that he was the cause of our departure. I ran from the room, trying to escape and find a quiet place to let my misery have me.

I barely made it past the edge of the forest before I collapsed. I knew that I left for the right reasons, but every ounce of me was fighting to go back. It was all I could do to stay. I wanted to be distracted because as much as it was hard to maintain, the pain was just as hard. I wanted her so badly. I needed her. She was everything to me and I walked away. I reminded myself repeatedly that not leaving would have been the end of her life. It was the only thing keeping me from chartering a plane back to Washington and showing up on her doorstep, begging and pleading with her to take me back.

After a while, Carlisle came out and found me, took me by the hand and led me deeper into the woods. I finally smelled deer and forced myself to hunt. Finally, after four large deer, Carlisle was satisfied and I ran back to the house, up to my room and locked myself in. I could hear Esme think about coming up to try to comfort me; seeing one of her children hurt was almost more than she could handle. Alice however kept her downstairs after she had a vision of the result. Just as I attempted to focus on anything else, Alice had a vision of Bella indirectly. She gasped and shut down her thoughts after a brief flash of red.

I yelled, "Alice, you need to explain now!"

Alice had anticipated that I would not let her vision go. She was at my door already, whispering softly, "Edward, Bella is in trouble. She's going to be attacked if we don't do something. Victoria will show up in Forks and track Bella out of the small town. I don't know why she is leaving, but due to her lack of luggage it must be a day trip. I see her killing Bella in Seattle. Edward, you have to go after Victoria. For some reason, if any of the rest of us goes, I see the Volturi in our future. Get moving!"

I did not need prompting. Her safety was the most important thing to me now. She deserved to live a happy, normal human life and I was going to give her that, even if I spent the rest of her life hunting Victoria to keep her safe.

In a few hours, I was back in Washington, standing in the tree outside her window, watching her sleep. Alice told me that if I went in her room, I wouldn't be able to leave again. Bella would wake up, I would break down and tell her the truth and we would all end up dead. Alice was having an increasingly hard time seeing Bella, even indirectly. I was concerned, but Alice told me that she had no idea why she couldn't see her.

I looked through the darkness at Bella. She was calling my name frantically in her sleep. My fingers dug into the wood of the tree, which gave way willingly. Fortunately, I was high enough that the foliage would conceal the damage until it was no longer evident. She began crying into her pillow, calling my name over and over again. I knew she was asleep and dreaming, but she was in such pain even in her dreams. Finally, she began to scream. I felt my body heave in dry sobs, wanting so badly to go to her, knowing that I couldn't. After what felt like an eternity, Bella's mother burst into the room and shook Bella until she woke up, gasping and panting. Bella hugged her mother fiercely and continued to cry. Renee was furious with my parents for forcing me away from her. She knew that there was more to the story than there appeared. She could tell that Bella's behavior was a more severe reaction to something else that she couldn't quite place. Renee was really incredibly intuitive. After a moment, a blank distant expression settled on Bella's face as she looked out the window, directly at my hiding spot in the tree. For a moment her eyes narrowed, like they were trying to peer into the darkness and glimpse what was in the tree but then Renee called her name, she shook her head slightly and turned back to address her mother.

After a few moments, her mother left the room, turned out the lights and Bella went back to sleep. After a few moments, her breathing evened and slowed. Then she began murmuring in her sleep.

At first, it was unintelligent but then she said very clearly, "Edward, I love you."

I was startled for a moment. I knew that she hadn't seen me, but somehow she must have sensed I was there. My heart broke watching her, not being able to go to her. I could hear Charlie and Renee quietly fighting downstairs about whether or not Bella should go back to Jacksonville or not.

I spent the whole night in that tree, watching Bella sleep. She had two more nightmares. Both times, she looked outside as if she knew I was there. I hoped that she would not see through my ruse and would be able to move on. I knew I would never be able to, however Bella deserved the chance for happiness. I only hoped that when that day came, I would not get in the way. She deserved more than that. Just as Bella's heart rate began to rise and she began to toss as she began the process of waking up, I smelled something on the wind that was distinctly vampire. It was not Victoria, but I had a feeling that anyone in the area would be somehow connected with her. As if Alice had heard my unspoken thought, a text message immediately came through, instructing me to follow the unknown vampire.

The creature was moving quickly towards the house at first and then stopped, took a deep breath and abruptly changed directions. I knew that it had detected my presence. I gave Bella one last glance through the leaves and then sprung to the ground, landing hard and immediately running after the spooked vampire.

As I ran, I had trouble catching up with Victoria's new friend. I looked at the ground as I ran and realized that they were not faster than I was, but stronger by the distance between footprints. After going through the options the only real choice was that I was chasing someone newly born into this second life. Only a newborn would have this level of strength. Finally, I began to catch glimpses through the forest growth of blond hair and a well toned pale body that was distinctly male somehow. I finally heard his frantic thoughts, which were centered around Victoria. He knew she would be angry with him for allowing me to track him. However, Corey didn't know how he was supposed to lose me unless he turned around and fought. I welcomed the idea gladly. It would be good to burn some of the excess energy I had. Finally, when we hit the California border, I was right on his heels. He attempted to speed up even more but he was at the limit of his strength and he knew that he was only delaying the inevitable at that point. After a few more seconds, he spun on me and took a challenging stance. He took in my more refined look and immediately assumed that I would be an easy target. I controlled my facial expression but was pleased. His poor evaluation of me would make my job so much easier.

After another moment, he said, "Are you suicidal or do you honestly think you can take on someone in their first year?"

I smiled back at the naive neophyte and retorted, "Victoria really does not take very good care of her creations. I highly doubt you will prove to be much of a challenge, youngling."

I smirked at him and raised my hand toward him, curling my finger back in a way that was an unmistakable sign to attack. The blond boy's eyes' narrowed, he sneered and then lunged. I easily side stepped his pathetic attack. I could hear the shock in his voice when he realized that I had completely dodged his attack.

I turned, smiled and casually stated, "Are you sure that you want to challenge me? Take me to her and I'll spare you little one."

It was a cruel twist of fate that the only reason I was able to smile was that I was protecting Bella from harm and even then my smile was not the same. My lips were tighter, and more drawn, never a completely carefree expression. The young boy actually considered my proposition for a moment before he minutely shook his head and resolved to complete the task he had started.

He lunged for me again. This time I not only stepped out of the way but also twisted and caught him from behind. He attempted to escape my grasp but did have effective technique to accomplish it even though he had far superior strength. I gave a hard laugh and put my hands firmly on his head.

Then I said, "You will tell me where Victoria is."

He attempted to break free again but in his head, he thought about the location where he was supposed to contact her. Apparently, she had not informed him of where she was going and would not until he called her. Just as I was about to give up however, he flashed a vision of the place he had come from and how he wished she had prepared him for what he would face. I did not have her location but I had somewhere to track from. Satisfied with my progress and the idea that I would not get anything more from the boy, I shifted my hands slightly and then relieved him of his head. I set it aside as I made short work of the rest of him. Then, I picked his head back up, made a small fire and threw his body into it, piece by piece. Once I was satisfied that there was no chance he would every return to life, I buried the fire and headed toward the sleazy motel that Victoria had stayed in last.

It took me an hour to arrive at the dingy almost deserted inn, which catered to exhausted travelers who thought they could make the next town. The trees of the forest surrounded the backside of the small complex, the branches of the closest ones brushing against the windows of the tiny rooms. I could smell the unpleasant stench left behind by many humans who had been on the road too long. I could tell the place was not cleaned well from the smell alone. It made locating Victoria's smell almost impossible. I stayed well back into the forest until the sun set. I did not need to be noticed by humans and risk the wrath of the Volturi. Finally, the moment it was safe, I stepped out of the trees and began carefully searching for Victoria's scent. Just as I was about to give up I reached the last room on the top floor and finally picked up the unique scent that only a vampire could produce. I could tell that there had only been two here, Victoria and the boy I had just killed. The scent was still fresh and once I focused, powerful. After a moment, I realized that the scent was not just them but also the result of the venom deposits their bodies had left behind. I jumped off the ledge and followed her scent as it went into the forest again, heading south.

For days, I tracked her. I ran through the length of California and Central America without interference. However, the moment I crossed over into Argentina, deftly avoiding the border patrol in the process, I hit a snag. She had crossed this area in the cover of dark and the sun was now high in the sky. My cover was gone and I would not be able to continue to follow her until nightfall. I spent the day pacing through the small area of forest finally stopping to hunt what was available. I had no idea when the next time would be that I would have a chance to stop. My mind was so focused on tracking Victoria, that my thoughts had been able to keep from dwelling on Bella. However now that I was stopped, she was all I could think about.

After a couple of hours, my phone began to vibrate. To my surprise, Rosalie was calling me. Of all my siblings, our relationship was the most strained. On the last ring, I finally decided to pick up the phone.

In a cautious and guarded voice, Rose said, "Edward, Bella is missing. Her truck was found with the keys in Seattle. Her bank account was empty. Edward I- we have no idea where she is or what happened. Alice lost all visions relating to Bella four days ago. You need to come home. We need to find her. Tracking Victoria will have to wait."

I froze in place, horrified. I couldn't believe that she would leave, especially after I asked her to stay safe. I thought that would help keep her from danger. I was terrified that something had happened to her. I was only a half hour from twilight and only two hours from Buenos Aires. I forced myself to move, knowing that it moments could make all the difference.

As I ran back to the edge of the forest, I barked instructions at Rosalie. For once, she made no comment about my rude behavior. Rose was usually the first to jump on me if I ever did something that was evenly slightly outside the range of perfect behavior.

By the time I hung up the phone, I had a mere five minutes to wait and a plane ticket waiting for me at the airport. I was thankful that I had my information on me. I was less than thrilled that my papers read Edward Cullen but I hoped that I would make it through the gate with few problems.

The moment the sun disappeared behind the mountaintops, I ran as fast as I could towards my destination. I had been to Argentina once before when I was relatively new to the vampire life during my rebellious phase. I hated those memories but I was thankful that I knew where I was headed.

The moment I arrived in the outskirts of the city, I stole the fastest car I could find. I drove more quickly then I felt completely comfortable with but I needed to make the flight. As I drove, I was consumed with my fears about what had happened to Bella. Had she tried to follow us? Was she running away? However the more I thought, the more I wondered if she was searching for others of my kind, looking for a way to become like me. I knew that she loved me with all of her human heart, but I hoped that she would believe the lies I had told her. Obviously, she had seen through my veneer and was searching me out. I hoped that she was not trying to end her life, but I knew that it was the most logical explanation. I hoped against hope that I was wrong.

Finally, I arrived at the airport, parked the car in a no parking zone and ran into the massive airport. I made my flight with seconds to spare. I had no idea why Rose had been so insistent that I took the flight instead of running until Alice grabbed the phone from her and yelled that she couldn't see what would happen if I ran home, she was afraid that me running home meant the end of my life because I would run into the Volturi. I hated the fact that they were in the way with such frequency. I wished there was a way around them, but I knew that thwarting the royals was a risky proposition with horrible consequences.

The trip was excruciatingly long. I could hardly stand being around my family and being stuck with their thoughts, let alone a large group of humans, over half of which were afraid to fly. Their thoughts were so loud that I had trouble focusing on my own. I kept wishing that I had Bell with me, her blank silence a refuge to focus on. I could smell the ambrosia contained within the human bodies all around me and for some reason it was getting to me. I immediately stopped breathing, curled into a ball in my seat and waited for takeoff, which felt like an eternity later, but was really only three minutes and twelve seconds later.

The moment I arrived back in Washington and saw Alice's concerned face, I knew that something was very wrong. I walked up to Alice and the moment she could hear me I said, "Alice, what is wrong?"

Alice looked at me through her thoughts told me that it wasn't something she could tell me until we were on our own. I followed her wordlessly through the tiny airport and to the car. The moment we were moving Alice said, 'Edward, Rosalie lied to all of us. She knew exactly where Bella went but waited until it was too late to tell us the truth."

I glared at Alice and growled out, "Alice where is she?"

Alice took a deep breath and gently said, "Edward, she went to Alaska. She stayed with the Denali's one night and then left the next day. They are telling us that they don't know why she left however Kate sounds- off."

I whipped my phone from my pocket and dialed Tanya's number immediately. The instant she picked up I said, "Where did she go Tanya?"

Tanya took in just enough air, sighed and said, "Edward, we just don't know. However we think-"

I could feel my eyes narrow as I questioned, "You think? She is the love of my existence! You need to do better than you think!"

Tanya let out a sigh and said, "Edward, we were completely shocked when she showed up here. We were even more shocked when she ran away the next day. All we know is that she was really upset."

I could tell that Tanya was hiding something however I couldn't figure out what it was. With a calmer voice, hiding my anger and fear I said, "Tanya, did anyone go after her?"

Tanya's voice grew slightly higher in pitch as she said, "She made it out of the woods before we could get to her, Edward. We tried searching for her after dark, but we were- unsuccessful. We don't know where she is Edward. I am truly sorry."

I wanted to talk to Kate but I knew that I would get the same information that I had from Tanya. The girls would back each other no matter what and without my physical presence; I could not read their minds. Without another word, I hung up the phone. I would call back and apologize once I knew where Bella was. I only hoped that I would be able to find her before something went very wrong. I promised myself in that moment that if we found her, I would make her one of us. I knew now that I couldn't live without her. I would do whatever it would take to get her back and make her mine. I didn't care about what was right and wrong anymore, the only thing that mattered to me now was Bella and being with her.

The moment we got to the house in Forks the whole family was waiting for us at the dining room table, ready for action. The moment I sat, Carlisle said, "We need to find her. If the Volturi realize our connection with her, that will be it for our family. We don't know if they are still here or not for some reason. Edward, we need to look for clues at Bella's house. You are the one who knows it best. You need to go and look for things that are out of place. We will continue the conversation once Edward returns."

I nodded at him, my emotion hidden behind the mask I was showing Carlisle. Going back to her house was going to be torture, but I knew that it was one of the best places we would find clues. I made the familiar run at full speed knowing that Charlie would still be at work for another hour. The moment I got to the door however, I knew it was going to be trickier than I thought. Charlie was there with half of the Forks police force as well as Bella's mother. Getting into her room would be almost impossible at the moment. I kept guard outside the house, observing as much as I could. I heard the moment the Seattle police discovered Bella's truck on the outskirts of town with the keys in the ignition. It looked like someone had taken it for a joyride but that it had been abandoned. I picked up the phone, called Tanya and said, "What was Bella driving when she got there?"

Tanya said, "A dark purple PT Cruiser. Edward- Kate is tracking her right now. We know that she got on a plane to New York City. Kate is running across country hoping to get to the airport in time to intercept her. We didn't want to tell you because we didn't want to give you false hope. There is only a slim chance of this working. Wait- I'm getting a call from her. I'll call you back Edward."

I watched the house for a few minutes before my phone began to vibrate again. Tanya was on the other side but it took forever for her to speak. Finally, she said, "Edward, Kate—she didn't make it in time. She never got to Bella before she got on another plane. Edward, Kate can't even figure out where she went. I'm sorry."

Woodenly, I closed the phone and leaned against a tree. Running away seemed so unlike Bella to me, but there really was no other way to look at it. After a moment, I picked up the phone and called Carlisle. The moment he answered I said, "Carlisle, she got on a flight from New York City to some unknown destination. Can we narrow down what flight she might have been on?"

I heard Carlisle begin to type quickly into the computer. After a few moments he said, "Edward, there are a lot of possibilities in a two hour time frame, most of them international. They include, Paris, Nice, Brussels, London, Madrid, Florence, Jerusalem, Moscow and Taipei. Edward, it is not a complete list. There is no real way to narrow down which plane she might have been on."

I thanked Carlisle and hung up the phone.

I swore to myself immediately that if we found her, I didn't care what the effects would be; I would not leave her side again. The fact that she had run away to the Denali coven told me that she was not going to let me walk away. The idea that her life might end because I was not there to protect her, was almost more than I could handle. I would let her live out her human life with me by her side, keeping her safe. When she died, I would go to Italy and leave this life as well. If she truly wanted me to make her a vampire, I would. I did not want to live in a world without her. Just not knowing where she was and if she was all right was excruciating.

Finally, after two hours, Charlie left the house with his officers and Renee sat down on the couch with her head in her hands and began to weep. In that moment, I knew I was to blame for all of their pain and Bella's disappearance and I could hardly handle it. I needed to be anywhere else. Listening to her mother cry was tearing me to pieces. Just as I was about to run, I saw Alice coming at me slowly.

Alice looked like she wanted to cry. I had never seen the little pixie of a girl so upset. I had a sudden flash of a dying pixie telling everyone to clap their hands so her light wouldn't go out. However, I was the one who had caused this pixie's light to go out. Bella's disappearance was taking all of Alice's joy, which was entirely my fault. I never should have left her. She finally stood in front of me, took a deep breath and said, "Edward, I know that you feel this is your fault. It isn't. Some things are just outside of our control. Bella made her own choices for reasons we don't understand right now. If it's anyone's fault, it's mine. I should have seen her run away in time to stop it. I should have seen it."

With that Alice started to cry. I wrapped my arms around her and held my grieving sister close. Until this moment, I had not even given a second thought to the fact that Alice didn't see it. I knew that there was no way she could see everything. I wished with every fiber of my being that she had but it was not her fault. I took a deep breath and said, "Alice, you can't see everything. We rely on your gift excessively and it is not fair to you. You are not responsible for keeping bad things from happening. Horrible things are going to happen sometimes. Don't blame yourself, please."

Alice looked up at me gratefully. I could tell that she had not stopped blaming herself completely, but that she was relieved that I did not blame her for it. Then she brokenly continued, "Edward, I came because I saw you were going to run, and Renee is about to fall asleep. This is the only chance you are going to get at the house for days. Charlie is leaving someone here at all times. He is furious that he missed the call from the bank. The family should be arriving shortly at the house here. They want to be here for you."

She hesitated for a minute, thinking underneath a translation of the Quran into French, backwards. Then she blurted out, "Edward you also need to know. I can't see Bella anymore, at all. I don't understand it. I've tried every trick I know but I see nothing."

I reeled at the news. Alice had never completely lost the ability to see someone. Humans were more difficult, but to not be able to see her at all was unheard of for Alice. Suddenly Alice said, "Renee is out, you need to get in there now. You only have a few minutes."

I nodded and turned away. I put Alice's problem out of my head for the moment, focusing solely on what I might find in her bedroom.

I scaled the side of the building, not bothering with the tree. I slid the now well-oiled window up and was assaulted by her scent. I steeled myself, mentally reminding myself that I had a job to do if I were ever going to see her again and began to search her room. I searched but was completely baffled. Her room was almost exactly as it would have been normally. Nothing was out of place except that her bulletin board was completely clear. The picture that I had cut myself out of was in the garbage along with the rest of the contents of the board including her calendar and other various mementos. The only things she hadn't thrown away were her photos, which were neatly stacked on her desk, face down. I was going to continue to look but I heard Renee's heartbeat begin to pick up speed and I knew she was getting ready to wake up. I picked up the stack of pictures and found one of the studio senior shots she had done, took it and replaced the stack precisely where it was. Then I turned and climbed out of the window, pulled down the glass and then dropped to the ground just as Renee opened the door. I made for the tree line as quickly as possible to make it out of sight before Renee got to the window. I watched through the trees as she sank down into the rocking chair and hugged one of Bella's stuffed animals to her. The heartbreak on her face was physically painful to see. Then one thought changed everything. Renee saw the calendar in the trashcan and wondered if Bella had told her the truth about sleeping with me. Her thoughts began to be concerned that Bella had run away to find me because she was pregnant. She thought through her conversation with Bella and I froze as the image of Bella's expression burned into my brain.

After a moment, I relaxed. There was no possible way she could be pregnant. Vampires were the best form of birth control. The timing was so strange though. I knew that I couldn't be the father of a baby. I knew that Bella would never be with someone else. I just couldn't wrap my brain around it. Finally, I settled on the idea that her expression was merely because she was lying to her mother about sleeping with me and couldn't explain why there was no way she could be pregnant. I wasn't completely satisfied with my conclusion but it was the best one that I could live with.

I went back to Alice and the instant I reached her, her expression went blank and her eyes glazed over. "Edward – "

Alice whispered and I froze as her vision hit me. She saw Charlie was about to get a lead which would lead him to a hotel. Charlie would arrive at the hotel and find out that room had not been occupied since Bella had used it. He would search the room and find a thermal receipt from the drug store that had been left on top of the room's heater. It was completely black and Charlie could not figure out what was on it. Alice hissed as she then saw that they would take it to a lab in Seattle and once they figured out that there was a pregnancy test on it, they would come looking for me. We would meet with Charlie and he would accuse me of being the reason Bella ran away. I would question him and he would scream at me that Bella left because she was pregnant. I hit the ground and Alice began to cry as her vision continued. Charlie would try to shoot me in rage, losing control, I would be uninjured and the truth would be out. The Volturi would get wind of it when a newspaper article that included an interview with Charlie would say just enough to make them suspicious. They would show up with the guard and kill everyone. One of their own, that I could not identify, under a Volturi cloak would attempt to help us and die in the attack. Alice and I would be forced into service while we watched the rest of the family perish.

Finally, the vision stopped and I was helpless to move. Bella was pregnant. This was completely impossible. Unless of course, I wasn't the father. That idea tore my heart into tiny bleeding pieces. I would not believe that she would ever cheat on me. Ever. I knew my Bella better than that.

My mind was locked in an internal war until Alice shouted my name and shook me violently. I looked at her and she sharply said, "Edward, we have to get that receipt. It's the only way to keep the family and Charlie safe. Maybe we will find a clue they missed which will lead us to her. Let's go!"

She yanked me to my feet. I shook myself and began to run, strengthened by the idea that this might lead us back to her.

As we ran, I rolled the possibility around in my head. I went through every scenario I could imagine. Finally, the simple math hit me in the face. If Bella was pregnant, which seemed to be the truth, there was no way I could be the father. The only way she could be pregnant was by another human. Did she find someone else that quickly? Was I that easy to forget? Then I realized that if we found Bella, she could clear it up and I would have my answers. Cruelly, I reminded myself of the fact that I had wanted Bella to move on and have a happy human life and that whoever had gotten her pregnant was much better for her than I was.

Finally, Alice came along side me and gently said, "Edward, we don't know if the receipt belongs to Bella. All we know is that Charlie believes it does. Please don't jump to conclusions."

I realized that she was right and that somehow I had missed the fact that we didn't know for sure. However, the evidence was beginning to mount against the idea that it was someone else. Finally, we reached the outskirts of town and we were forced to slow. We moved quickly but maintained a human pace- barely.

Alice and I reached the hotel just as Charlie walked into the room to give it one last look. Alice darted to Charlie's cruiser and grabbed the evidence bag from his front seat, took out the receipt and then ran around the building. We both heard Charlie violently swear when he saw the receipt was missing. Quickly, the police officers were searching the area while we maintained a safe distance so we would not be seen. I looked at the receipt as we moved away. The color difference between the ink and the blackened paper would be invisible to the human eye but it stood out as clearly as the lights on the Vegas strip to my eyes. I turned to Alice who had already seen my request before I could ask. She found the drug store on her phone's GPS and showed the screen to me. I nodded and we moved quickly in the direction of the small store.

When we walked in there was a young girl behind the makeup counter who was immediately enamored with me. Alice whispered, "This is going to be easy Edward. Just explain that your sister is missing. She'll help you."

I took a deep breath and put on my most alluring smile. Inside I was miserable, but I knew that it could be the only way we would find Bella. I went over to the girl who stopped breathing when she saw me smile at her which forced me to use every ounce of control not to focus on the thought that I did the same thing to Bella. I leaned over and said, "I was wondering if you could help me with something?"

I immediately regretted my choice of words. The images that burst into the girl's mind were sickening. She raked her eyes over me and gave a smile that I figured was meant to be alluring as she said, "What can I do for you?"

Her mental fantasies became more detailed and I was having a hard time focusing. Meanwhile, Alice was attempting not to laugh at me. I couldn't bring myself to care. I attempted to dazzle her wordlessly and as her eyes grew wide, I knew I was having the desired affect. I was attempting to ignore the thoughts in her head. I sighed and said, "Well honestly, my sister went missing two days ago. The police are moving as slow as molasses in freezing weather. I know she stopped in here a couple days ago. Do you happen to keep security tapes here?"

The expression on her face went from one of lust to sympathy, mostly. "I'm so sorry, hon! We do but I'm not supposed to show them to anyone."

I knew that she wanted to show me but I needed to break through her last barrier. Alice looked at a couple scenarios and figured out that it really didn't' matter what I did, she was going to cave. Internally I was grimly smiling to myself. Alice was right, this was going to be easy. I leaned in a bit more and said, "I'm sure your boss would be willing to help me. We are really worried about Bella. We think she ran because she was pregnant. We think she was worried about how the family would react. My mother hasn't stopped crying since she went missing. Please?"

She thought for another moment and then smiled and nodded. She came around the counter and reached her hand towards mine. I didn't want to take it, but I was so close to getting what we needed and so I held my finger up and then turned toward Alice. While I asked her if she would be alright on her own, I reached out and leaned against the counter inconspicuously and used the bulb inside the edge to warm my hand. Alice nodded at me, and I whipped back around with a winning look on my face. Then I reached out and took the girl's hand as she led me to the back room. The bulb trick worked because she didn't notice any temperature difference in our skin. I found the feel of her hand revolting, especially as she thought about where else she wanted me to touch her. After what seemed like forever, we were standing in front of the system and she was opening the file for the date I wanted. I knew exactly what time frame but I knew I needed to give her a wider frame. I looked at her and said, "We think she was in here in the early afternoon."

The girl nodded and grabbed the tape, handing it to me. I smiled slightly and popped it into the TV next to the system monitors. I rewound to a few minutes before the receipt and saw her at the register. I slow motioned through the tape and saw the cashier scan and bag three pregnancy tests and some water. Bella looked scared and stressed. I knew at this point that I didn't care what she had done. I would do anything to erase that look from her face. I knew I needed to act for the girl and so I said numbly, "That's my sister; that's Bella!"

I breathed out and put a quiver in it, making it sound like I was ready to cry, which wasn't a real stretch in the moment.

Suddenly, I frantically heard Alice screaming in her mind at me that Charlie was on his way. One of the staff had seen her with a bag from this shop and they took the most logical route hitting up all three of the shops between the edge of the city and the hotel. Charlie decided to start closest to the edge of town. Alice was frantically flipping through scenarios, which I whispered to her, "Alice, faked robbery?"

Alice immediately went through scenarios. It would work but I was going to have to knock the girl out. If I hit her just right, she would have no memory of us. I grabbed the girl and said, "I could just kiss you!"

The girl lit up. I smiled down at her and wrapped my arms around her. I reached my hand around and traced up her spine. I looked at her adoringly even though every ounce of me was revolted. Then I reached the base of her skull and began pulling her face toward me, as I found the right spot on her head. With a measured amount of force, I hit the back of her head. Her eyes went wide in shock before she passed out and sank to the floor. I grabbed the tapes for the last week, got the girl's keys, and went out into the main part of the store. We grabbed gloves and two duffle bags. Alice opened the registers and bagged the cash while I put the videos in a bag. Then I grabbed a hammer and used it on the surveillance equipment in the back room. Then we walked out the back door just as Charlie was pulling up to the front. Fortunately, we were near the forest line and so we ran into the trees. I groaned when I realized that this was going to look very odd to Charlie.

I snapped at Alice, "Charlie is still going to suspect that this is where she was."

Alice nodded grimly and said, "He's going to be obsessed with it for a while but since there is no evidence since I wiped down the counter, he'll give up on the idea eventually. The trail is going to go cold and the Seattle police will give up for some reason that I can't see yet."

I knew what I wanted to do next, but I was reluctant to voice it because I did not want to go alone. Having Alice with me was invaluable. Exasperated Alice sighed and said, "Do you really think I would abandon you Edward? I'm going to help her find you. Jas understands. He blames himself and so he wants me to be here, trying to help you find her and you don't need to thank me either. She really is my best friend Edward, I want to find her as much as you do."

Then Alice began to hide her thoughts from me. I growled at her. She snapped, "Edward, you don't need to know everything. I saw something yes, but you don't need to know it, so stop!"

I hated it when she hid from me. She was even better at it than Carlisle. Right now, it was translating Shakespeare's Twelfth Night backwards from the original Italian into Japanese. I knew that whatever she had seen was bothering her, a look of worry was creasing her face. She continued with her translation even as she got a new vision. Then she suddenly let go and let me see what she was seeing. A small group of the guard would be in Forks to escort Carlisle to Volterra. When he arrived, Aro would touch him and find out the truth. Then he would disappear from her vision completely and followed shortly by the rest of us.

We looked at each other and wordlessly changed direction. Then I opened my phone and called the house as quickly as the slow piece of technology would allow.

Esme answered quickly and said, "Edward, did you find her?"

I quickly said, "No but the Volturi are about to find us. We need to leave the moment Alice and I arrive. The house needs to look as empty as possible. We are going to have to move to New York now. They are coming for Carlisle and Alice can't see why."

Esme gasped and I could hear her moving quickly and then heard the sound of the metal plates moving into place over the glass. The phone suddenly went dead and I knew that she was so worried that she was moving immediately into action.

I pushed my body to the limit and when we burst through the trees and into the yard, my Aston Martin was waiting for me. No one else was in sight. Alice looked at me and climbed in with me. I drove down the long driveway until I hit the road. Then I floored it. I barked at Alice, "Do we need to go with them or can we head towards Alaska like we had originally planned?"

Alice's eyes were vacant for a moment before she said, "We can go to Alaska. However for some reason that I can't see, we shouldn't call the Denalis and warn them that we are coming."

I nodded and headed towards the highway that would take us to Alaska. Running would be faster but it would look suspicious if we left a car like mine behind.

Driving was excruciatingly slow. It would take us three times as long to get to Denali this way. When we stopped for gas, Alice sighed with obvious exasperation and said, "Edward, do you want me to drive while you go on ahead?"

In any other circumstances, there was no way that I would allow anyone else to drive my car but in this case it was Bella and none of the normal rules applied. I took a moment and then nodded. Alice grinned and said, "Only Bella would- "

Then she stopped and her face fell. She took a breath and said, "Edward, we will do everything in our power to find her."

I whispered, "I know, I hope it's enough."

She agreed with my statement in her head and I impulsively hugged her, before walking behind the store. The second I was in the safe cover of trees, I took off at top speed. I pushed myself, knowing that even a minute could mean the difference between finding Bella and losing her. I was quickly past the Canadian border and making great time. I might make it to their house in record time. I was pushing my body with every ounce of ability my body had. I was thankful that my body did not get tired. The only thing I could seem to focus on while I ran was the idea of Bella pregnant and who the father was. I knew it wasn't me because vampires could not have children, but which human in her life was responsible? I tried not to go through the boys of Forks High and was unable to keep myself from analyzing each one. Then I realized that the Forks High kids were not the only ones in her social circle. Horrified, I realized that one of the Quileutes could be the father just as easily. I never really knew the extent of her friendship with any of them since we could not go near the reservation and anyone from La Push kept a healthy distance from us.

Finally, I arrived in the woods outside their house. I realized that my throat was burning fiercely and that I should hunt before I faced them, needing every bit of focus that I had. I ran towards a reindeer that I could smell and began to track it. The moment it smelled me it began to run in fear. Just as I was about to pounce, someone jumped on it and began feeding hungrily. It took everything I had to keep from fighting for it. Then I realized that it was Kate and I straightened waiting for her to finish eating. Her mind was not in the hunt. Instead, she was reliving her search for Bella. In that moment, my tattered heart broke completely. I saw her confront Bella and the words she remembered coming from Bella's mouth about the father of her baby forced a wordless scream from me as I collapsed in the snow. What was even worse was that she had lost Bella in her shock.

At the sound, Kate looked up from her kill in horror when she realized who her competition for the young reindeer had been. She knew exactly what I had seen and I felt her put her arms around me. I was unable to react. My mind was reeling. That one sentence tore my world apart. My worst fears realized. Her best friend of the people left in Forks meant that the father of her child could only be one person- Jacob Black. Not only was he Quileute, but he carried the gene as a descendant of the tribes' last chief. I could feel Kate trying to get me to move, but I couldn't. I knew that humans were not as constant as vampires, but to jump into someone else's bed so soon after promising to marry me was astounding and completely opposite of the character that I had come to prize in my Bella. Finally, Kate answered it for me in her thoughts. She had been focused on her disbelief at Bella's ability to be with someone else until it hit her. Bella was angry. So angry she was trying to hurt me as badly as she could and she had succeeded. The only thing that didn't fit was that she had been looking for me which gave me a small sliver of hope. I didn't care what she had done at this point as long as she was safe. I needed to find her.

I sat there for so long that I heard Alice approach us and felt her arm wrap around me as well. She looked at Kate and said, "Why didn't you tell us? Why did you lie?"

I knew exactly why. She had lied to protect me from what I was going through right now. Which she explained to Alice seconds later. Then Kate began to remember her response to Bella, which she tried to stop but was unable to do. I sprang from the ground and threw Kate as far as I could. In the distance, I heard a tree fall and spun to face a shocked Alice.

"Edward, what was that? This is so unlike you!" Alice yelled at me.

I couldn't even bring myself to fake an ashamed expression. I yelled back, "Alice- she told Bella- she told Bella I had already moved on and was chasing after some other girl. She twisted the truth about Victoria. Bella ran the moment Kate said it. She ran through a gate- oh God no!"

I realized exactly which gate she had gone through. Kate hadn't realized it at the time, but I saw the print on the banner above the entrance. Bella had gotten on a plane to the worst place she could go. She was in Italy, the home of the predators we had fought to keep her away from. I could only hope by some miracle that she was able to avoid them.

Alice inhaled and started sobbing the moment she saw what I was going to tell her. Kate was running as quickly as she could towards the house. I had scared her so badly that she was afraid for her life. In that moment, I was afraid for her life as well. I had to get control of myself. I forced my body into submission. I dialed Carlisle's phone. He picked up immediately.

Without waiting for a greeting, I rushed right in, "Carlisle, I need a favor. I need a ticket to Italy as soon as possible. I am going to need you to monitor all Italian news and talk to any friends who might be in the vicinity. Carlisle- Bella she's- she's in Italy."

I heard him gasp and quickly begin to give Emmett, Rose, Esme and Jasper directions. Then I heard Carlisle typing furiously at the computer. Finally, he stopped for a second before I heard a loud sound accompanied by a crack. After a moment, he spat out, "Edward, I can't get you a flight until tomorrow. I'm booking it now."

I growled into the phone. Carlisle gently said, "Son, I know this is hard but it's the best I can do. I looked into a charter and there is nothing available. I'm sorry son. I'll let you know if there is anything interesting on the Italian news."

Without another word, I ended the call. I ran towards the house with Alice trailing behind me. When I opened the kitchen door, I saw Tanya in a heated conversation with a vampire I didn't know at first. She was talking about his blood consumption and told him that he was going through too much human blood at a time and that the blood bags were meant to help wean him off human blood, not to substitute for an actual human. Then Tanya saw me and quickly cut off the conversation and the other vampire turned around. I recognized him immediately and a growl came rumbling from my chest. Irina ran in the room and stood between the two of us. When I read his mind I relaxed and said, "I am glad to see that you decided to leave Victoria, Laurent."

Laurent relaxed and then I turned to face Tanya as I said, "Tanya, I need to talk to all of you at once. Bella is in great danger. She's- Tanya, Bella's in Italy."

Tanya gasped and ran from the room. I walked into the living room where the news was playing. Most of the family came in and joined me but Eleazar was missing. Tanya said something about the fact that he was probably still hunting. She ran out into the snow to look for him while I attempted to distract myself. Then the Italian flag showed up in the corner of the screen and I stopped breathing, completely focused on the broadcaster as he said, "Moving to international news, our biggest story comes from Italy where a mass grave was found. The toothless murderers have killed again. Just as before, each victim is missing their teeth and their bodies are severely disfigured. A total of thirty-two dead including one identifiable victim, so rare for this group of killers. The body of a young pregnant woman who is believed to be a runaway from the United States according to an old Italian family who had seen the girl days before. A representative of the Volturi family said that they had seen the girl two days before. She had been sent to them by the advice of a friend and they had turned the young girl away, not knowing she was a runaway or underage. The family expressed their deep sympathy about the young girl's fate. The girl's name is not being released at this time while they attempt to contact her family."

Everything stopped. I couldn't and wouldn't believe that she was dead at the hands of the people she went to for help. Alice wrapped her arms around my frame and her thoughts confirmed what I knew and wanted so desperately to be wrong. In a couple of hours, they would name the victim as one Isabella Swan. I held onto my sister like an anchor and the grief and pain overwhelmed me.

So- I know it's been a few weeks. I've got a lot going on starting with the fact that Cause and Effect at this point is the last piece of fanfiction I plan to write at this point. I have learned a lot from this process but it is time to move on to my own completely original material. I do plan on posting all of Cause and Effect since it is completed. It has been edited by my and my first pass editor but from here on out ginginlee won't have gone over them with her fine tooth comb so it may be a bit rougher than you are used to from me. I hope it doesn't get in the way but I have to focus on what I am writing now. I hope you all understand and appreciate this community so much for all that it has taught me! Thank you so much for sharing the journey with me!

Reviews are still greatly appreciated and will be read and replied to as always :) The good news is that you are going to get the rest of this pretty fast!