A/N: Thanks to everyone who has been reading, reviewing, and alerting. Have a safe and Happy New Year!


Bella was propped up on the bed, typing on her laptop and watching Edward pack, although, to her human eyes, he was just a blur. She was dressed and ready; Chimera was also ready downstairs, packed in dry ice.

"Edward, we can't carry this on a plane. The TSA's website says that liquids over 100 milliliters are prohibited."

"I know."

"We can't check it, either. What if something happened to it? What are we going to do?"

Edward stopped moving from the dresser to the bed momentarily. "We're going to drive, Bella. It's the only way to get this to your mom."

Bella groaned and flopped back onto the bed. "Argh! That will take forever! Can't Carlisle get some kind of special pass to carry it on or something, since he's a doctor?"

"I don't think so, and even if he could, it would probably take several weeks to get approval, so it would still be quicker to drive. And, you're forgetting who's driving," he added with a big grin.

Bella rolled her eyes and let her head fall back to the bed. "Oh, God."

Edward laughed quietly. "Now, Carlisle is flying down to your mom now so he can look her over before we get there, but we must hit the road if we're going to get there right after Carlisle."

"Edward, MapQuest says it takes 20 hours to get to Jacksonville. Carlisle's flight lands in eight hours."

"I know," was all he said with a laugh.

Bella crossed herself and quickly said a prayer out loud. "Lord, please protect me from my crazy husband's driving. Amen."

"Amen. Now, let's hit the road, woman." He slapped her on the bottom, causing her to jump.

oOo

Bella had thought that her first night drive with Edward through the woods of Washington State had been uneasy, as he had taken hairpin curves while looking over at her. That had been the night she had finally told him her theory of what he was.

Tonight, uneasy did not fit the description. Terrifying was more appropriate.

"Edward, for the love of God, please slow down. You're going to get a ticket or have an accident."

"No, I'm not. Remember, built in radar detector," he said, smugly tapping his temple. "And I've never had an accident."

While the novelty of Edward had still not worn off, and Bella knew it never would, she could still strangle him when he acted so smug. "Oh, shut up. How can you tell a cop from the hundreds of drivers around us?"

"I'm just talented, love."

"Well, if you get a ticket, I'm going to laugh my ass off."

He grinned. "Well, don't laugh too hard. I like your ass just the way it is." He reached over and gently pinched her derriere, causing her to laugh. "You're certainly in a good mood."

Bella nodded in agreement. "Yep. Just knowing that we have Chimera ready for Mom, and that it actually might help, just makes me feel so warm inside. Can you imagine if it actually works and it cures her? We would make the cover of the New England Journal of Medicine and every other scientific journal in the world! We'd be famous!"

Edward looked over at her, a panicked expression on his face, while continuing to weave in and out of cars. "Uh, no, we couldn't. Bella, sweetheart, have you forgotten what we're dealing with?"

"Oh."

"Yeah. And personally, I don't want the Volturi breathing down my neck and Caius asking why we let the world know of vampire venom in the first place while Aro looks on with an amused expression. That would just give Felix a reason to kick my ass."

"Sorry, I wasn't thinking. All I could think of is that we might have discovered a cure for cancer." Bella sighed. Was it right to withhold what could be the discovery of the century from millions of cancer patients just because the Volturi were a bit anal about being found out? She wondered where ethics fit into the vampire world. Something told her that only the Cullens would really care.

Edward took her hand and threaded his fingers through hers. "I know, and I pray that we have, for your mother's sake."

Bella felt her cell phone begin to vibrate and quickly flipped it open, not bothering to look at the caller ID. "Carlisle?" she asked hurriedly, assuming he was already with her mother and might possibly have some bad news.

"No, Bells," Jake's voice sneered over the phone line. "It's me."

Oh, goody. "What do you want?"

"You gonna hang up on me again? Or tell me to go fuck myself?" he asked with a laugh.

Bella grit her teeth. "Well, it depends on what you want."

Jacob's voice was suddenly serious. "You need to tell me where you are and exactly what you're planning on doing."

"Why? It's none of your business." She heard Jacob sigh in exasperation.

"Because I'm trying to save your precious bloodsucker's fucking family for some stupid reason," he growled.

Bella sat up straighter in her seat and looked over at Edward, panic on her face. "What're you talking about? What do you know, Jake?"

Edward held his hand out for the phone, and Bella handed it over numbly. What had she pulled the Cullens into now?

"Jacob. What's going on?" he asked calmly.

Bella strained to hear Jacob's end of the conversation, but she could only hear his garbled voice.

"I see. And what does Sam think we are doing?"

Another tense silence permeated the car.

Edward sighed. "Is there any way he would speak to me and allow me to explain? We have no intention –" Edward rolled his eyes at the interruption.

"What?" Bella whispered, but he raised a finger to her before pressing the speaker button while continuing to weave through traffic.

"Jacob, I've put you on speaker so Bella can hear this as well."

Jake snorted. "So, you've finally decided to keep her out of the dark, then?"

"Yes," Edward answered simply.

"What's going on, Jake?" Bella asked, an undertone of panic lacing her voice.

Jacob sighed on the other end. "Look, Bells. Sam heard my thoughts on what you told me about this…experiment, and he's worried."

Bella began to gnaw on her bottom lip. "Explain 'worried.'"

"As in, he's ready to attack your precious Cullens for changing your mom into a filthy bloodsucker."

She gasped. "Wh-what? We're not…it's not –"

"Jacob," Edward said smoothly. "You can assure Sam and the rest of the pack that we're not transforming anyone. The exact sciences of what we have done are very difficult and delicate, but they can rest assured that Renee will not be turned into one of us."

"I don't think a promise from you is going to ease his mind."

Bella had her fingers pressed to her temples. She had placed the rest of Edward's family in danger – again. Would she ever learn? "So what do we do now?"

"Easy," Jacob replied. "Pitch whatever it is you have, and let nature take its course with your mom. It's the only way to keep Sam in La Push and out of it."

oOo

Edward glanced over at his sleeping wife beside him. She had spent the hour after Jacob's call between righteous indignation that he would even think of allowing her mother to die and tears that she had once again brought problems to the Cullens. They had been driving for eight hours and he was coming up on Charleston, South Carolina. He would be in Jacksonville within an hour. He had decided to wait and speak to Carlisle before calling his family in Forks. Emmett and Jasper had returned earlier that day, so he felt some better; however, with Alice's vision blocked when it came to the wolves, he began to question his decision.

Not desiring for his family to be ambushed, he flipped his phone open and called Carlisle. He quickly explained the situation and the warning from Jacob. He felt much relief when Carlisle told him that he would call Forks and warn the family of the possibility of an attack.

"Maybe they should all go to Hanover, Carlisle. Get out of the area until this is over," he suggested.

Carlisle paused. "I hate to overreact."

"It's better than under reacting and having the pack do the overreacting. Especially without me there to hear their approach or you to keep the peace. Alice can't see them, and Emmett's liable to fly off the handle…"

"You're right," Carlisle said with a sigh. "I'm going to call now and tell them all to head to your house in New Hampshire. That way, we can focus on what we need to without worrying about the pack."

Edward breathed a sigh of relief. "Tell them to make themselves at home. And, Bella and I will be there within an hour. How is Renee?"

He sighed again. "She's weak and sick – probably weeks away from death. I can tell the cancer is intense – I can smell it."

"Bella will be devastated if this doesn't work."

"I've thought about that. Renee has been asking me questions, and I've told her we'll explain all once you and Bella arrive."

"All?"

Carlisle laughed slightly. "Well, almost all. If Chimera works, and Renee is healed, we will have to decide if we want to tell her what it is."

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. See you soon, Carlisle."

"Drive carefully, son."

oOo

"Bella," Renee croaked when she laid eyes on her daughter, her smile too large for her thin face. "Oh, my dear Bella." She held her arms up for a hug, and Bella shuddered internally when she saw how the cancer had basically eaten away at her mother.

"Mom." Bella quickly embraced her mother, hugging her gently. She was afraid she would crush her if she squeezed too hard. "How are you feeling?"

Renee shrugged. "Like death warmed over…but that's what I am," she said with a smile.

Bella was not amused. "Don't talk like that. You have to fight."

She sighed. "Honey, I know that's what you think, but I'm too tired to fight anymore. I'm so weak, I can hardly make it to the restroom by myself, and to me, that's when it's time to go."

Bella's eyes began to fill up with tears. "Mom…"

"Shhh," Renee comforted her daughter. "It's all right. Everyone is given a certain amount of time on this Earth, and mine is almost up. Don't be sad, Bella. Soon, I'll be in a better place."

Bella swiped at her eyes. "Do you remember when I told you that I might have something that would help?"

Renee nodded weakly.

"Well, I do. I have it with us, and I want you to take it, Mom. I think it will make you better."

Renee brushed her thin fingers over Bella's cheek. "Sweetie…please don't take this so hard."

Bella stood up suddenly. "Damn it, Mom! Just take it! Why are you so ready to die?"

"I've made my peace."

"But why give up? You can't give up until your heart stops beating!"

Renee looked at her strangely.

Bella knelt at the side of her mother's bed and took her thin hand in her own. "Please, do it for me. Then, if it doesn't work, I'll be at peace about it, too. Just…please, try."

Renee searched her eyes for a few moments. "All right, for you. But please don't get too hopeful, Bella. The doctors have done everything they can."

"Well, you have a new doctor now," Bella said firmly and walked into the hallway to motion Carlisle to come in. "She's agreeable to try it."

Renee smiled sadly at the blonde doctor. "Dr. Cullen, I hate to waste your time –"

He shook his head. "Nonsense. Trying to save a life is never a waste of time. Now, I'm going to start an IV, and then we'll administer the infusion. Any questions?"

She shook her head and rested her arm on top of the covers. "Poke away."

Bella bit her lip and held her mother's other hand. As queasy as blood made her, she was not going to abandon her mother at this point after she had begged for her to take Chimera. She just did not watch as Carlisle held the needle over her mother's skin.

"All right, Renee, there's going to be a pinch," he said, then slid the needle smoothly into a vein.

Bella was looking out at the beach when Edward came to the bedroom door. "Bella…um, you have a visitor."

She looked at him, confusion on her face. "Me? Who in the world would know where to find me here?"

Edward's mouth, set in a thin line, was the only answer she needed.

Jake.