Author's Note:

Yeah, it's probably best not to believe me from now on about the whole tension thing. My mind just goes with whatever happens in the moment.

However, this chapter does get a little intense…

**** Chapter Seven ****

Bella's POV.

'They're chasing me. The three red eyed vampires that killed the man who raised me as his own, when my real father wouldn't. The male with blonde hair held a devilish smirk on his face that made me feel sick. You could tell by his facial expressions that he had plans for me, and if anything, it made me want to crawl in a hole and die. But that wouldn't work for me anymore.

The woman running beside him to his right, had long red curly hair who seemed to be just as adamant on getting me as the blonde guy did. Every now and again she would release a little growl, making my insides turn in fear.

The third person who has been chasing me, has his black hair in dreadlocks. He jumped down from the trees and continued his chase on the ground alongside his two companions. Just like the woman would snarl randomly, he would trace his tongue over the bottom of his top teeth, leaving his tongue on his fangs for a beat longer before he put his soul focus back onto catching me. Like it's a cat and mouse game. These vampires are disgusting.

"We just want to talk, Bella," The blonde guy drawled out.

"Stay the hell away from me!" I called back to him. Running through the woods as fast as I could, trying to get back home before the trio get me.

"Oh come on, Bella. We're not chasing you to kill you," The woman started. "We quite literally only want to talk."

"Well go ahead and talk, but I'm not going to stop running." The dreadlocked man sighed and stopped running altogether, causing the other two to stop as well. My curiosity overtook my want to keep running, so I also stopped and looked back at them.

"I'm Laurent," The dreadlocked man spoke. "This is James," he pointed to the blonde guy. "And this is Victoria," He gestures over to the red haired woman.

"What do you want?" I cautiously asked, still trying to get my legs to start running again, but them having stopped their chase seemed so out of character for the trio, that I just had to stop myself and try to find out what they're really up to.

"Oh, no, we do want you. But not to kill you," Laurent continued. "We're all bonded together now."

"What are you talking about? I don't even know you!"

"But the witches do," there was a long pause before he smirked and continued speaking. "You remember the witches," he stated, as though it was a matter of fact. "They must've liked you if they didn't erase all the memories you have of being in their presence."

"What do you mean we're bonded together?" I demand. He just laughed and Victoria took over the conversation.

"Our blood from when we were all human, has been poured together by the witches. They casted a spell on it, bonding us together for all of eternity. We can't harm you, without it having the same effect on us. If one of us dies, we all die." I didn't know how to respond other than ask another, simple question.

"Why?" They all shrugged their shoulders, as though they didn't care, like it didn't worry them in the slightest.

"That's for them to know, and for us to find out," they all said simultaneously in monotone.

I woke up with a start, breathing erratically. Unable to calm myself down, I try to hold onto something, to feel more grounded. I end up falling off the bed and landing on the tiled floor with a thump. Consciously, I knew it was a dream, but it felt all too real. It was the most vivid dream I have ever had.

The next thing I know, my door is being flung open and Alice was the first to enter my room before Rosalie, Emmett and Jasper joined us. Alice rushes over to my right, lifting me up into a sitting position, and sits beside me. She places her left arm over my shoulders, and the other one holding my right arm, to try and stop me from shaking. Rosalie was at my other side in an instant. She placed her hand on my cheek and moved my head so that I was looking at her and she could study my face.

"She had a nightmare," Rosalie said simply. "She's fine," she finished talking, letting go of me and standing back up a beat later. She tried to mask how she felt, determined to not allow the others to know that she did actually care about me. But I could tell, even in the state I am in now. It was comforting to know I did have people who cared about me, even if they didn't admit it.

Alice only held me tighter. Having her so close to me, made me finally get my breathing under control as I started to relax into her embrace. I leant my head on her shoulder, and she slowly placed her head on mine.

Jasper cleared his throat and told the others, "Alice seems to be calming her down, however I think it is best we give Bella some more breathing space." They look at him, trying to tell him they don't want to leave her, and that they want to be able to help. So he continues, "There's nothing we can do, and there's only need for Alice here now. If they need us, they'll let us know. Come on, let's give them some room."

They nod their heads and slowly walk out the door, hoping one of them would say they could stay. Neither of the two spoke a word.

"Finally. I thought I was going to be stuck in there forever," Rosalie started. Jasper and Emmett just rolled their eyes, knowing she wanted to stay and help.

No one's POV.

Bella and Alice remained in their embrace in silence for another five minutes, finding comfort in each other before Alice finally spoke up.

"Bella?" she whispered, as to not scare her. Bella only hummed in response. "What happened?"

"I fell off the bed," she replied emotionless. "No surprise there though, I can be quite clumsy." Alice smirked at the other girl's words, but her concern kept her asking questions.

"What happened in your dream?"

Bella sat upright again, but Alice kept holding on to her, not wanting to let her go. Bella didn't mind it at all. She craved Alice's touch when she wasn't around, and now that she has it, she doesn't want it to end. She sighed at Alice's question, but answering it nonetheless.

"The dream itself wasn't scary. I wasn't tortured or anything, it was just how real it all was and the situation. That was what scared me. I was so confused, I didn't understand what was happening," Bella said rambling on. "Laurent told me that we were all bonded together, Victoria explained that it was because of the witches, and I just, I just didn't know how to handle it all. When I -"

"- Laurent and Victoria? Was James in your dream?" Alice interrupted her. Bella's head snapped up to her.

"You know them?" Bella shouted, scared out of her mind. "What the hell is going on, Alice?"

"Bella, I -"

"- Am I really bonded to them?"

"I don't see how you could be -"

"- Were they visiting me in my dream?"

"Well if it's to do with the witches -"

"- So witches are real, too?"

"Yes, Bella listen to me -"

"- Oh my god. I've been bonded with vampire serial killers! What am I going to do? Noooooo no no no no no. I don't allow this. I forbid it! This can't be happening," Bella at this point is pacing the room with her fingers on her temples as she moves them in circles.

"BELLA!" Alice shouts, stopping Bella in her tracks. "You are not bonded to them!"

"I'm not?" Bella asks barely above a whisper, eyes red from trying not to cry.

"No. How could you be? You didn't even know witches were real," Alice calmly responds. She moves over to Bella, taking Bella's hands from her head and placing them in her hands, slowly rubbing her thumbs over the back of them. "I haven't had a vision about the witches in a long time. I would know if they were planning anything to happen to you, Bella. Please don't worry." Bella's tears finally fell and Alice pulled her into an affectionate hug. "I won't let anybody hurt you. You're safe with me."

After another couple minutes, Bella steps back and Alice wipes the tears away from the girl's face. They both give each other awkward smiles, then Bella looks behind Alice. She was so caught up in Bella that once again, she hadn't sensed Edward's presence until now. She turned around and saw Edward's face. He looked like he was struggling with a decision he was trying to make. In the end, he simply gave a small smile at Alice.

Being able to read minds, he knew Alice was only taking care of Bella, nothing more. So he decided he wouldn't make a fuss. Instead, he just walked past Alice and gave a kiss on Bella's forehead.

Alice watched Bella's reactions the whole time. She could tell that Bella didn't want Edward to be there, but knew she wasn't going to tell him to leave, either. Alice inwardly sighed, knowing Edward wants her to leave them two alone now. Bella looks over to Alice when she felt the atmosphere's mood change around them. Alice simply mouthed to Bella, "Don't tell Edward your dream." Bella nodded her head in response, at the same time as Edward slightly pulled away from her.

Edward had stopped allowing himself to read Alice's thoughts once he entered the room. He was happy that Alice was here as a friend for Bella, he didn't want her next possible thoughts to ruin his growing respect he had for her.

Alice gave a small, encouraging smile to Bella before she turned around and started to walk away.

"Wait!" Bella called out to her, though she knew she didn't need to say anything above a whisper for the girl to hear her. Alice stopped walking, and slightly turned back towards Bella. "Thank you, I owe you one," she says, now just above a whisper. The words held so much emotion that she wouldn't have been able to say it any louder if she tried.

Alice gave a true smile and shook her head. She replied truthfully, "You don't need to thank me. Seeing you better than before is all the reward I need." With that, she turned around and walked out of the room. She found Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie sitting in the living room. As she walked in, they all smirked at her. Emmett was the first to say anything.

He put on a fake girly voice and repeated Alice's words, "Seeing you better than before is all the reward I need," drawling out the 'all' as he said it. Rosalie burst into a fit of giggles, whereas Jasper even let out a small amused laugh as well.

Alice crossed her arms over her chest while stating, "That was a terrible interpretation of me."

Rosalie says through her fit of giggles, "Well it's pretty close!" Alice sighs and sits beside Jasper. "So, got a thing for female brunettes, hey?" she continues.

Alice looked at Rosalie in an instant, who was suggestively wiggling her eyebrows. "You know, you've been acting really weird since yesterday," Alice avoided her question.

Rosalie just shrugged and says, "Maybe I'm loving the change we've had here since yesterday. It's become, interesting." Rosalie pauses for a beat before going back to her previous question, "So, Bella, huh?" She saw Alice shift closer to Jasper before stating, "Don't even try. Jasper told us you both aren't together anymore."

Alice moves back and gawks at Jasper, "What? Why?"

"Because the only people who are truly going to care are Carlisle and Esme," he replied smoothly. "And Edward would already know," he saw Alice thinking hard about something before he continued. "Bella wouldn't know. There's no chance Edward would give you any advantage of winning Bella over. And I know he'd be able to hear us all right now, if he isn't too busy being all caught up in Bella like you were," he smirks.

Alice wonders if Jasper is actually coping with this as well as he appears to be. It seems rather sudden, but maybe it is just his way of coping, she thinks.

They all hear a lot of movement, but don't know what's happening or where it's coming from specifically, until they heard Edward yell, "Bella!"

Alice was speeding towards Bella's room, with the others in tow when she suddenly halted, seeing Bella with her top slightly ripped and tears streaming down her face. Edward appeared behind her a second later, looking defensive as soon as he saw Alice and the others.

"Bella, come here," Alice said softly, not taking her eyes off of Edward. She placed her hands in front of her for Bella to take. Edward pulls Bella backwards when she went to reach for Alice, now holding her in place. More tears fall from her face as she mouths to Alice, "Help me."

Everyone besides Edward sees what Bella silently begged and they started to lunge toward Edward, to separate him from Bella. He was quicker though, reading their thoughts, knowing what was coming. He held her tighter to him and started running towards a tall glass window.

"You don't love her, Edward!" Jasper called out to him before they reached the window. Instead of jumping through it, he jumps over the railing of the second floor and lands down on the first floor, holding Bella in an attempt to protect her from the impact. It doesn't do anything though, as Bella's head manages to hit the ground.

"Bella!" Alice cries out, jumping over the railing to land beside the dazed girl. As the smell of blood travels through every vampire in the room's nostrils, they speed over to Edward, prying him off her while Rosalie and Alice hold Bella so she doesn't jostle in the movements from being separated by Edward.

"Alice," Bella weakly manages to say.

"I'm here, I'm here. It's okay. It's going to be okay," Alice tried to soothe. She moved her hand from being underneath Bella's head, only to find blood on them. The desire she had to taste it, to taste her blood was so strong, but her care for Bella was even stronger.

At that moment, Carlisle and Esme returned from their hunt, only to witness the end result of their little feud. Carlisle rushes over to Bella, checking for any other injuries. Bella's eyes continually closed and opened again, as though keeping her eyes open was a struggle.

"Stay with me, okay Bella? You're going to be okay," Alice tried to make herself believe it as well.

"Alice, I -" Bella struggles to breathe out.

"Shh, it's okay. You can tell me later. You'll be fine, Bella," please don't leave me.

Bella struggled to say anything more, wanting to tell Alice she chooses her and not Edward, but eventually her heavy eyes gave way and she was living in total darkness.

Author's Note:

SO, you CAN trust me when I say things are going to get a bit darkish soon. POSSIBLY next chapter. I'm planning to make it next chapter, but I'm sure you know how it is with me now about when I say things are going to happen. Oops.

Look, if it's not next chapter, it'll probably be the chapter after that haha, my bad!

I do have a lot of BIG events planned for this story, though!

I can't wait until I get to them :)

Things to think about:

Are the witches actually after Bella?

Is Bella going to have to turn into a vampire to survive this incident?

What will happen to Edward because of this?

Will Alice put herself through torture for allowing this to happen to Bella, right after she said she wouldn't let anything happen to her?

Is Jasper really okay with Alice's feelings for Bella, and if not, will he decide to join Edward in a plan to try and keep them apart?

Until Next Time….