*SIGH* If Twilight were mine I'd still be writing ff to sate my desire for some good old fashioned lemons. That fade to black was great for the teen set but a woman needs what a woman needs. Not mine (except the plot). All rights belong to the lovely Mrs. Meyers.

As per the norm, I must thank my delicious duo of betas...L & Kel...Ladies, you rock. If my head weren't about to explode I would totes write a lymeric about your amazing skills & perty faces;)

To all my lovely peeps, whose encouraging words and lovely porn (both Rob and the real shiz) keep me going, I say THANK YOU SO F'N MUCH!

Thanks for the patience it has taken in waiting for this chapter. RL, the bitch that she is, has decided to dump a ton of crap on my lap and that of at least one of my betas. It's not fair but I suppose no one ever said it was...BLARG!

Thank you, thank you, thank you to all my readers! I love reading your reviews and it just makes my lil heart go pitty-pat when I see a new comer sharing their thoughts!

Without further adieu, I give you...


Chapter 8

Mystery Revealed

The Cullen house was not normally so quiet. Vampires, while sneaky and fast, were also creatures of extreme noise. Most usually the noise was because at least one couple in the house was busy...getting busy. The moment Emmett and Rosalie walked in the door, they knew something was up.

"Hello?" Rosalie called. "Em, didn't Edward say Bella was here with Carlisle and Esme?"

"Uh, yeah. Hello?" Emmett echoed Rose's first call as he made his way through the door with the little bit of something they had picked up on the way, whose name was Demetri, as far as they could gather. They found it was much easer to deal with him after ripping his arms off. Rosalie would have been happy to decapitate him while they were at it because he was a mouthy little shit, but she was sure he had information that they would need in the very near future.

Rose continued walking further into the house, peeking her head around the corner into the living room. When no one was there she continued on to the study with Emmett hot on her heels.

"Oh, thank God! I thought something hap…" Rose halted her declaration as she viewed the three in front of her.

"What's up, baby? Did you find everyone?" Emmett asked. He hadn't realized Rose had stopped, and ran right into her back causing Demetri to collide with his own backside. They were a vampy train wreck of jumbled limbs on the floor of the den.

"What the fuck, Em? Shit…grab hold of that bitch before he's able to scramble to his feet!" Rose yelled. The high pitched vibrations of her voice brought Bella, Esme, and Carlisle out of the trance they were in and they all scrambled to help Rose and Emmett off the floor. Emmett indicated his need to remain on the floor, as he couldn't seem to get a good grip on the small bit of chain he had used to secure Demetri earlier. His weight was the only thing that continued to keep their prisoner from jumping up and running away.

"I got him! Carlisle, we need more chains or something to secure his legs. I left mine in the Jeep," Emmett bellowed.

"I'll get some. Rose, come with me and fill me in on why we have an armless vampire in our home that seems hell bent on getting away."

Emmett struggled to control the writhing hot mess below him while Bella and Esme waffled between total shock and violent giggles as it looked like Em was trying to wrestle a salamander. Just as he gained control of the situation, Carlisle returned with a set of large chains and began securing the captive vampire's legs.

"So, Rose tells me you two ran into this one and two more just outside of town? What happened to the other two? Has he talked at all? Do we know who he's with?" Carlisle questioned.

"Unless he's spouting curses he seems to have been rendered mute without his arms, isn't that right, buddy?" Emmett mussed Demetri's hair like he would a petulant child.

Demetri growled and tried to scoot across the floor to the corner of the room. His body was straining to free himself from the chains to no avail.

"Son, we truly mean you no harm but we have to know who you are with. We protect our own." Carlisle's soothing tone had no effect on this young man.

"They are coming and you will all pay for your impudence. Aro shows no mercy and you have what is his by right of birth." Demetri spat.

"Well, I guess your ability to talk wasn't connected to your pasty extremities. So, what you're saying is this dude Aro is gonna get us 'cause we have something he wants? Isn't that the shits!" Emmett replied.

Demetri sat stock still as he eyed the hunk of etched stone on the other side of the room. The tablet.

"That is what he wants. That belongs to the Volturi."

-BS-

"That is a matter of historical record for your kind. The Volturi have no more right to it than any of the vampires that live in this house. Besides, I found that and possession is nine tenths of the law," Bella said as she stood over the man. "I will not give it up without a fight and it might interest you to know that the Volturi have lied to your people for centuries. You still have a soul and with it, free will. Killing humans is as unnecessary for you as it is for me."

Just as Bella finished her sentence she felt as though all the air in the room was sucked away with the collective gasp of the people surrounding her. Both Emmett and Rose looked astounded by the revelation and though she didn't even know they had arrived, the effect was the same on Edward, Alice, and Jasper.

"You lie, human! We could not survive without the blood of the weaker species. Vampires were built to hunt humans just as lions stalk the wildebeest. It is nature's course." Demetri wheezed.

"Without the wildebeest, a lion would still have gazelle or even smaller creatures to prey on. You have the same option. Surviving on animals not only nourishes you but also saves your soul. The tablet makes that perfectly clear."

"They will flay you alive! All of you! My sacrifice is but a small token for the larger good. You mark my words." His face took on the look of a man haunted before quickly turning back to that of an unfeeling monster.

"That is quite enough. Emmett, as much as this pains me, we must dispose of this man. He is clearly a danger to us as well as the good people of Forks and it doesn't look like he'll be sharing any more information with us. Please, just see to it quickly and with as little pain as possible," Carlisle requested.

"Righto, pops! Alright there, Mr. Martyr, let's see what kind of pretty flames I can make with your legs!" Emmett bellowed, causing the rest of the family to cringe and Bella to gag.

"He's just not right in the head, is he?" she asked.

"My man just can't handle the heavy, Bella. He's always looking for the silver lining and this time it just happens to be the bright blue flame created by burning vamp fuel. I'm not saying it's right, but his heart is in the right place," Rosalie added.

"Fuck, you're both twisted. I'm torn between wanting to be your best friend and rocking in a corner."

"Whatever floats your boat, my dear," Rosalie responded, letting a slight smile light her face as she followed her husband and the screaming vampire he was carrying.

-BS-

Bella sat motionless in the den as she watched Rose and Emmett leave. Demetri had been the man sent to her apartment in France to wait for her. After looking into his eyes, she knew she wouldn't be alive if he had found her those few days ago. This realization made her all the more thankful for Edward's involvement.

"Bella, are you feeling okay?" Edward asked as he gently rubbed her shoulder.

"Uh, yeah. I just realized that he was the guy they sent to my apartment. I'm just glad I met him when he was armless and surrounded by a family of vampires instead of on my own."

She heard Edward laugh before she heard him speak. "Bella, you just never say what I think you're going to say. Amazing."

The coolness of his body embracing hers was oddly comforting. She supposed not all things comfortable need be warm.

"I like to keep you on your toes, Cullen. The mystery that is me will never be revealed completely," she snickered. The lightness of their conversation and the sensations caused by his proximity were enough to unravel the myriad of knots currently residing in her shoulders and back. When he was near she felt at home, which was a truly foreign feeling. Foreign, but good.

"I would give anything to have eternity to take you up on that challenge," he whispered. She wasn't sure if she was meant to hear it but she did and her responding smile shocked even her.

"As strangely out of character as this may seem, so would I, Mr. Beautiful."

With that Edward began to laugh, loudly. "Again with the surprises, Swan! Let's say we make it through this fucking fiasco with all limbs intact and then you let me take you up on that offer?"

"Edward, if we make it out alive then I expect you to take that offer and fucking run with it to Timbuktu. Stress or no, I think we have discovered the start of something really good here." Bella gazed up at the handsome creature before her and sighed. "Now, enough girly bullshit. It seems my former employers are hot on our trail so we need to formulate a plan of action, like yesterday!"

As Bella turned to the remaining people in the room, she noticed a far away look in Alice's eyes. She wondered briefly what would cause such a firecracker to seem so solemn. Before she had any more time to ponder this sudden change, Alice's eyes returned to their normal brightness but her face fell.

"They know where you are and that we have the tablet. They're on their way now and will arrive before Maria's troops. If we don't do something they will destroy Forks and everyone in it," she sobbed.

Jasper stood holding her up, his eyes full of understanding. "It seems facing them on home ground is now a risk we cannot take. I think the best option is to hide the tablet and Bella but I've no idea where or how to stop the Volturi's progress to Forks. Give me a few moments to ruminate on this. All hope is not lost we just need to change our course a bit. Carlisle, will you please inform the pack of the news but tell them to stay alert and that it is likely we will still need them."

Jasper left the room, head down, fingers locked in front of him. Bella knew two sides of this enigmatic vampire but could see that the facets of Jasper's personality were many. She also knew that even though he had nearly attacked her, he was quite possibly their only hope in this race against time.

-BS-

The entire Cullen clan, minus Jasper, spent hours discussing the repercussions of the Volturi's lies. Everything they had ever come to believe about their true nature was false and that gave them hope.

Edward spent many quiet moments staring at the beautiful and strong human in their midst. She was truly remarkable and if they did indeed make it out alive, he would hold her to her invitation…literally. That thought made him laugh as his family looked at him curiously.

"What? Am I not allowed to laugh? Now, where were we?"

Just as Carlisle began offering more options, though not very good ones, Jasper strode into the den with a smile the size of the Mississippi.

"I think I have plan. Scratch that. I know I have a plan and a damned good one at that. I've already contacted Maria to get her take on the situation and she agrees with what I've come up with, so listen up. Bella and the tablet need to "disappear"," he said, crooking his fingers into quotes. "Both Maria and I think the best place to send her is the Grand Canyon. With its spider web of valleys and caves it's the perfect place to hide the tablet and I know she's familiar with the area as she's been a part of several digs there. Maria and her crew would meet her there after she hid the tablet and they would be accompanied by a large group of Navajo bear shifters who will be beneficial in getting in and out of the canyon as well as helping in the fight. I think we can count on at least a few of the pack to follow us down there as well but we must make sure they leave the majority behind in case the Volturi don't take the bait."

"Jasper, this sounds really risky. How do we know we can trust Maria to keep Bella safe? And I hope you intend on keeping a very close eye on our brother. You know he can't turn down a good fight with a bear, shifter or not." Edward snorted.

"Yeah, I didn't really think about that. Emmett, I trust you to put the mission before your stomach, though these shifters are plenty capable of holding their own. Their help will be invaluable and not just because their claws can tear through our flesh like butter. They owe Maria a debt and this is the perfect time for her to collect. As for Maria, I know she can be trusted because she despises the Volturi's reign and I just added fuel to her fire with the whole "we still have souls" bomb. Every drop of human blood she has ingested has been to rid the world of an evil presence or add newborns to her clutch. I may not agree with her lifestyle, but there is a reason that a bunch of Native Americans owe her their lives and it's not because she's a threat to them."

"Fine, so Maria will keep her safe with the help of some giant fucking bears. But what about the Volturi's plans to come here? How do we stop them?" Edward asked.

"Well, that will entail leaving Carlisle, Esme and I behind. Carlisle has incredible control over his thoughts, the best of all of us, and I know that if Aro touches him he'll be able to let through only what we need them to believe and no more. Leaving Esme and I will simply make it look like we weren't expecting them. I will likely be able to influence some of the emotion during that time to keep them from going ballistic and ridding the world of the entirety of the Forks population."

"Jazz, I can't leave you! Let me stay too, please?" Alice begged.

"Darlin' there is nothing I want more than for you to be with me but everyone else will need your gift and if you're here it will be wasted. We'll be fine, I promise."

"So let me get this straight. I'm essentially being turned into a big, fat, tasty worm on the end of a fishing line held by a family of vampires?" Bella mused.

"Uh, yep…that's pretty much it. If there were any other way I wouldn't put you in this position but we really don't have many options. I promise you will be in the best of hands down South and Edward will be right behind you. You must hide the tablet on your own though. If the Volturi get hold of any of us I would feel much better about them not knowing the exact whereabouts of that stone and I have a feeling you might be as blank to them as you are to Edward. Edward, Alice, Rose, Emmett and the Quilutes will give you a day to get to the canyon and hide the tablet. I'm banking on your professional abilities to get you in and out without the need of a written map. We have to cover all our bases and having a treasure map that could fall in the wrong hands would undo everything we are trying to accomplish."

"I understand and I was just kidding with the analogy…sort of. When do I need to leave? Oh, and how will we know if Aro's crew took the bait? It's not like you can call if you end up being their prisoners."

"I've taken the liberty of booking you an early morning flight out of Seattle in the morning. You'll have to leave in a few hours to make it on time. I'm sorry there isn't much notice. As for how you will know what is going on here, well that, my dear is where my lovely wife will come into play. As soon as they've made a decision she will be able to tell you. Alice, I will need you to be tuned into the Volturi's future specifically. Don't worry about us, if we fear we're in danger we will find a way out." Jasper walked to his wife's side and pulled her into a fierce hug. "We've come too far to lose each other now."

Edward watched Alice melt into Jasper's arms. He felt like an intruder even though they were clearly aware they were amongst others. Where once he might have made some flippant remark about "getting a room" or "bleaching his eyes" he decided to simply take in the love and adoration the two possessed. It was something he realized he wanted for his future, if indeed he still had a future.

-BS-

Bella sighed and sank into the cushiony warmth of the sofa. She was to be bait. Perfect. Wonderful. Fucking great.

As she sat scrubbing her face with her palms she felt the cushions sink and looked over to see the same look she was sure she had on her face mirrored on Edward's.

"Are you sure you're ok with all of this, Bella?"

"Nope, but I'm pretty damn sure we don't have any other options. It sounds like the Volturi will stop at nothing to regain the tablet and to be honest, your kind deserves much better than the lies they've been told all this time. I'm a small sacrifice. Besides, I'll have you beside me for protection and from the sound of it some behemoth horses and wolves. It's like an American version of Clash of the Titans, without the water, of course." As serious as their conversation was, she couldn't help the vision she had in her head of herself tied up like a virgin awaiting the rescue of her very own Perseus, aka Edward. Just the thought of her as anything virginal after what she had done to Edward earlier made her nervous laughter turn into something altogether infectious and pretty soon Edward was rolling on the couch with her. It felt good to be a little light hearted through all this strife.

After a bit they were both able to calm down and Bella settled into Edward's side. He really did comfort her like she had never imagined.

Just as her eyes were drifting closed she heard a throat clearing and looked up into Jasper's crystal blue eyes.

"Bella, I was wondering if I could talk to you alone for a moment? It won't take long, I promise." He looked defeated and sadness marred his down home good looks.

"Of course. I suppose when we're done I should pack up my things again and prepare for another lovely flight. Edward, will you excuse me for a bit?" She stood and bent to place a chaste kiss on his cheek before turning to follow Jasper.

"I'll be waiting in your room, Bella. Alice, Rose, Emmett and I will be taking you to the airport and then driving on from there," he replied as she walked through the door behind Jasper. With his final words she looked at him and nodded her head not even trying to hide her smile.

She followed Jasper to the back of the house and out onto the deck. The view was magnificent and the air was alive with the smells of the forest.

"It's really beautiful here, even without the sun. I don't remember ever seeing so many shades of green before," she said.

"It is beautiful. There are many times I long for the brown of my home, though. Being in Arizona will almost feel like being back in Texas." He sighed. "Bella, the reason I asked to speak with you privately was to express my sincere regret for nearly killing you before."

Bella tried desperately to stifle her giggle but was wholly unsuccessful. Jasper looked mortified as she continued to laugh so she straightened herself out as well as she could and began explaining her response.

"I'm so sorry, Jasper. I wasn't laughing at your apology. It was wonderful. It's just that hearing you say you're sorry for nearly killing me seems so ridiculous and yet the reality is that you almost did. I think I might be losing my mind and my body's natural response is to laugh. I accept your apology and am just so fucking glad you had the presence of mind to send a distress call to Edward. Honestly, while you may have tried to attack me, you also saved me as much as Edward did. Thank you for that," she said and clapped the stunned Southerner on his shoulder before turning to go back inside. "By the way, your plan, while a little deranged and quite dangerous, is absolutely brilliant. I'm glad you're on my side, Jasper."

-BS-

Edward paced the small confines of the spare bedroom waiting for Bella to join him. The plans laid out by Jasper had him tied in knots. He wasn't sure if it was a suicide mission or sheer damn brilliance on Jaspers part or possibly a little of both. Either way it made him edgy and fearful that he was about to lose the only person he had ever wanted in his long and quiet existence.

Raking his hands through his hair and over his face for the millionth time his mind went to early morning hours when he and Bella were wrapped up in each other. The completeness he felt in her arms was more than he could have ever wished for. How the hell would he continue on with out her if something were to happen? Before he could think himself into a corner the door opened and Bella walked in.

"Hey Cullen, what's with the long face? It looks like you're preparing to send your lover into battle. Oh wait, you are!" Bella smiled. He could tell she was trying to make light of the subject to ease her own fears but he couldn't bring himself to smile at her words.

"I really wish I could go with you, Bella. Please promise to be careful until I get there? I've just found you. I can't let you go now," he said sullenly.

"Hey now, no heavy shit, Edward. I promise to be careful but you have to promise not to turn into some kind of sniveling emo puddle on me. I need my smart, funny, positive vampire back. And I feel the same way. I plan on fighting with all I've got so that when this is done we can see if what we have can withstand who we are as individuals. Though I have to say that I think you were fucking made for me." She smiled and this time Edward returned the sentiment. "How about we see if we can torture the rest of your family the way they tortured you for so many years and make some happy noises in here before we have to go?"

"GAME. ON. SWAN."

For the next few hours Bella relished the feel of Edward's cool touches and tingle inducing tongue all over her body. She held nothing back and moaned and screamed to her hearts content while enduring the rounds of "ewwwww's" and "keep it down" from the others in the house. She also delighted in pleasuring Edward countless times before finally demanding he fuck her until she passed out. That comment got her a nice earth shattering orgasm and the funniest comments from the peanut gallery she could have ever imagined. If she had been the type to be embarrassed, she would have been the color of an over ripe tomato.

-BS-

With the sun still firmly on the other side of the earth, the rag tag group of four vampires and one human loaded into a shiny silver Volvo after receiving round after round of hugs and kisses from those being left behind.

Carlisle had arranged for Edward and crew to meet up with the members of the pack that had volunteered to help in Seattle. From there they would start the trek to Arizona and pray that the plans they had set in motion would unfold in the manner they wanted. Edward also hoped the Quilutes had a fast car as they would need it to keep up with him.

Edward decided that it would be best if Emmett drove so that he could concentrate on helping Bella stay calm. He, Bella, and Alice took up residence in the back seat with Bella curled into his side. Alice simply stared out the side window, her thoughts most assuredly on her husband and our adoptive parents.

"Alice, they'll be fine," he reassured.

"I know, but this is the first time I've been apart from Jazz for any real length of time. I'm just not sure what to do with myself without him."

"I know, why don't you tell me where you're going to take me shopping when this is over, Alice," Bella piped in.

From where Edward sat, the light that came on behind Alice's eyes was brilliant. His lovely Bella knew exactly how to occupy his sister's time to keep the melancholy from taking her under.

He squeezed Bella's arm in thanks and bent to whisper words he never imagined saying, especially in a time like this.

"I think I was made for you, my Bella. I think you should also know that I do believe I'm falling in love with you."

Edward felt her gasp as much as he heard it.

"I'm sorry, that was probably too much too fast. I just wanted to be honest. If I never get the chance to tell you again, at least I know I've said it once."

"Oh Edward, no "sorry's". You make me insanely happy, and that's more than just my hooha talking. I never knew being close to someone could feel this way. Thank you for that and when this shit is over I plan on taking my time figuring out what we have and how I can keep you close to me always. Now, I need you to shut the hell up so I can focus on the torture Alice is going to put me through after this debacle. She just mentioned something about shoes and corsets." Bella wiggled her eyebrows suggestively and Edward laughed until the image of Bella in nothing but fuck me heels and a kick ass corset forced him to rearrange his now hard dick before it broke the zipper of his jeans.

He decided it was going to be a very long ride to Seattle.

-BS-

Bella sat listening to Alice yammer on and on about designers, shoes, and some Agent Provoca-something that she could only surmise was either a high end Victoria Secret or some super sexy spy. She also endured countless wiggles from Edward as he listened to Alice talk about various types of lingerie and what she thought would look best on her. Bella thought Alice was trying to purposefully make him uncomfortable, perhaps payback for their romper room fun earlier. In any event, he seemed both antsy and uncomfortable so she figured that Alice had accomplished her mission and her smile would indicate she was aware of this.

As they pulled up to the airport, Bella felt a heaviness in her chest that she had never before encountered. While flying wasn't her favorite thing to do, it had never bothered her very much. To be honest, she was fairly sure it wasn't the flight that made her feel so damn awful; it was who she was leaving behind.

Edward climbed out of the car first and then helped her out by gently grabbing her hand. She held her back pack full of meager possessions and the tablet in one hand, and wrapped the fingers of the other hand tightly around Edward's cool touch.

"I'll be there by tomorrow morning. One of the tribe will pick you up at the airport, Gage, and he'll take you to the canyon to meet up with Maria. She'll meet you at the Toroweap Outlook. It's remote and she says there should be plenty of places relatively hidden to place the tablet that won't take you two days to hike to. We'll meet everyone at the opposite end of the canyon just in case any of the Volturi are near. Take care of yourself, Bella. I don't think I could live without your brand of snark in my life."

"Is it just my wit and bad attitude that you can't live without Cullen?"

"No, but it's a good start."

"You be careful, too. I'll be waiting for you in the canyon."

Bella walked through the automatic doors before turning around. He was staring at her with hungry, sad eyes. She waved and winked at him, letting the small smile on her face fade as she thought about the short time they had known one another. Perhaps the heaviness was more than just her reluctance to let her knight go. Perhaps it was another sign that she felt for him what he had professed feeling for her. Perhaps it really was love.

Sighing deeply, she made her way to her gate, eyes darting all around and constantly on guard for creepy guys with terminator glasses. Settling into her seat to await boarding and hugging her pack close, she prayed for the first time in ages.

"God, I have no idea how or if I'm going to make it out alive but I promise if I do to make the most of the life I have left. I promise to give love a chance and to have more faith. I would promise to curb my cursing but I have a feeling I'd break that one in record time so how about I just try not to take your name in vain anymore? I think I can do that. I also promise to find your fallen angel and let her know that her words were not without merit. Maybe I can try to convince her that her life, though in exile, is definitely not without purpose. She may have been cast out soulless but I believe she's more than regained it…"

Before she could continue the prayer her seat was called. She left the shades of green, the unending rain, and a family of vegetarian vampires behind to save a relic and herself from the clutches of an evil she never imagined existed. For the first time she felt brave and a bit like her childhood hero, Indiana Jones.

If only she had a Fedora and whip instead of a dusty back pack. She marched to the plane humming her hero's theme song and feeling just a little bigger than she had when she arrived.

Maybe it really would be okay.


So, you know what I said about RL? Yeah, well it's kinda killed my drive to go fic diving so I don't have much in the way of new stuff I've been reading. Here are a few that I found recently and really enjoy...OH & for the love of pete, please let me know what you think of this story...review? I love you all:)

http:/www. fanfiction. net/s/5914465/1/ Bloody Choices by Nitareality...This is a period fic set during the Black Plague. It's beautifully done with the entire Cullen clan being honest to goodness vampires who are in need of clean blood. Edward makes a deal with Charles to take Isabella to their country estate and keep her safe. Charles must convince those that are still uninfected that the Cullen's need help, thus supplying them with their "food" and keeping Isabella out of harms way, he hopes. It's not very far in but is riviting to read and this last chapter was PHENOMENAL!

http:/www. fanfiction. net/s/6048208/1/ Coming Through the Rye by Mac214...the author of Relative Wind (an amusing and sweet tale of a May/December romance) throws Edward in a kilt and gives him a kick ass Scottish accent. Trust me that if I stopped there it should be enough to make you wanna read! Edward met Bella several years ago when he was brought over from Scotland to work in the US for the same company as her. Since that day she's been in love with him but from everything she can tell he just sees her as one of the guys. Edward loses his job and is in jeopardy of being deported, which Bella flat out refuses to let happen, so she offers to "take one for the team" and marry him to keep him here. This story is also just beginning and though Bella is a bit on the "I live to beat myself down" side, she has some spark. OH, did I mention that Edward has a girlfriend? Yeah, that could throw a wrench in the deal...but she refuses to marry him herself so what's a best friend to do? Humorous and a great read!