What if Bella hadn't jumped off the cliff? If Rose never made the fatal call. Edward does return but only to check on Bella. What he finds sends him in comatose. When he wakes, he finds that the tables have turned and decisions must once again be made. AU BxJ, BxE, who will win?

So, haha, funny thing. I was just looking over my fics. And I realized, that I completely the real Chap. 10. Instead, I skipped straight to Chap. 11, where…things happen. But by pure coincidence, (you can check now, by reading the last line of Chap. 9 and then the first line of Chap. 11, and you'll notice that it sounds completely plausible). But I skipped all the action. Rawr. Plus, I had no idea where that chapter went so I had to rewrite completely by my OCD was driving me nuts.

There is still the epilogue, which I think provides a nice, significant ending to this story, tying up loose ends. If you want me to update sooner like say, every three days, you should do one thing: REVIEW. I've made it easier for you by providing the lovely button at the bottom of the page. If you want me to update sooner, I want at least 5-10 reviews. Not too much to ask, right? Listen to (Jillian) I'd Give My Heart by Within Temptation while reading this. Enjoy.

xoxo —ei

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter 9: Chasing Victoria

EPOV:

In a heartbeat, we were upstairs, standing around the pile of clothes Alice had delivered mere minutes ago.

"She knew." Alice breathed.

"What?" Emmett glanced at her, confused.

"Didn't we hear her; she was wondering about the clothes – she realized something was off. Why are we always blind?" She scowled. "We are gifted and despite that, we are always missing something."

"Love makes us blind," Carlisle soothed her but she turned her angry eyes on him.

"Don't give me that crap, Carlisle."

Jasper pacified her.

"She can't be far," Rose said, glancing around the room. The window was ajar. "We can catch up."

"She might already be…" Emmett began to say, but after glancing at me, he broke off and looked at the window.

"She's not." I said, my voice shaky. "Victoria, wants me to find her – to see her die before my eyes, helpless to do anything. Revenge for James – she's taken her somewhere, waiting for me to show."

"We need to split up," Jasper said. "Esme and Carlisle, take the town. Emmett and Rose, take north. Alice and I will take the wolf trails. Edward you go toward the border of La Push." He gave orders quickly, methodically.

We departed in a blink, the seven of us scattering in various directions. I followed the edge of the forest toward La Push. I hovered at the borderline, but no wolves confronted me. She wouldn't have risked entering La Push again, so I shot away, past our house, beyond to the roadway.

I had always been able to save her. Even in Arizona, we'd been a mere one step behind. But now…never since first leaving here had I felt so helpless, so untethered, vulnerable even. And yet, unconsciously, I had registered what I had consciously refused to admit.

I found myself on a familiar road, my breath catching as my mind registered slowly what my body instinctively had realized...

I burst into the light and tumbled into a circle of grass, waist-high. The trees on the perimeter were in bloom, the meadow smoking with the scent of wildflowers.

I sank into the grass. I was in mourning. Savoring the memories I had before I knew. Before I found her, cold and still. This time, I was too late. Nothing could save her now. Not even…

"Where are you?" I whispered to the firmaments. "You didn't save me; please, save her!" I clenched my hair in frustration when I received no answer. But what I expected, an ascertaining lightning bolt? "Sacrifice me if you must. Sell my soul for hers." I pleaded. "I was good. I didn't kill anyone who didn't deserve – I don't kill. I deserve this at least."

Carlisle believed in God. In a higher power. He believed we were all destined for something greater, infinitely better if such a place without Bella could exist – which, it couldn't. He saw something beautiful for all of us; something that couldn't possibly be true…

She was beyond my reach. Nothing, nothing, no thing except…

I prayed.

For a miracle, for a chance, for one breath, for just a-

My phone buzzed in my pocket.

"Alice?"

She spoke in spurts. "Edward – we've got her – the baseball field – the clearing – Jasper realized – we're coming – go!"

I remained there for an instant, staring into the sky, my lips parted in awe. "I'll never put down Romeo again," I promised fervently.

- Ъєαиτιƒи∫ ƒατє -

When I neared the clearing, I was having doubts again. Perhaps, she had fled in alarm? I couldn't sense anything in the clearing. Off to one side there was a small fire burning, flames spitting sparks across the grass where someone had split kerosene, or perhaps lighter fluid from the reek of it.

But as I entered the field, I saw a flash of red across it. And then, Bella's scent hit me so hard, I stumbled.

Open blood.

She was lying on the grass, motionless, her eyes closed, her chest still. One of her arms lay at an unnatural angle to the rest of her body; broken, I realized, clenching my teeth in anger. Bone was poking out below her elbow, blood dribbling down wrist into the grass.

Victoria eyed me with a triumphant smile.

"You didn't think you would see me again, did you?" She taunted, her sweet child's voice wrought with anger, scorn, and victory. "But Bella did. She knew I would be back. If Laurent hadn't killed her, she knew surely that I would."

"Don't kill her," I pleaded. "Take me instead."

She merely laughed. "Now, that wouldn't be fair, Edward. After all, you killed James." She hiccupped slightly at the name of her former lover.

"There's no reason to do this," I said quietly. "My family will be here in a moment; they'll kill you." I managed to keep my voice even. "I'll give you one chance. Run and never look back."

Bella had raised herself up and was attempting to crawl away.

Her voice grew ice cold. "I have every reason to do this." She scoffed. "You seem to be under the delusion that I am a coward. Or perhaps, I didn't love James. If so, you are wrong on both counts."

Then I realized as I read her mind, so consumed by passion and fury, and intense, crippling sadness. The same emotion I had been obsessed by when I left, each time Bella was ripped from me. She wasn't afraid of death. She would welcome it. After all, what was life with her James. What was life without Bella?

I took a step forward and she snarled. "Keep your distance," she warned me. "Or else." She, too, stepped forward and raised her foot above Bella.

"No!" I cried out.

"Don't move," she warned me coldly. "Or it will be worse."

She stamped her foot on Bella's knee.

Her back arched up, legs trembling. She screamed as the fragile bones in her knee cracked and as her jolted leg sent shocks of pain through her body. She cried and whimpered, not daring to move. She could no longer move.

"Bella," I called.

She turned slowly to me, not moving her lower body.

"Edward," she whispered.

"Well, now that she's awake, things will be much more interesting," Victoria smiled beautifically.

I didn't dare move. If I did, she would snap Bella's neck or slash her throat, killing her instantly. Yet, as I continued to stand her, she would mutilate her until my family arrived and we could overpower her.

Victoria nudged Bella's body and I watched in horror as her scream echoed through the clearing.

Helpless. I was just as helpless as she was.

"Take me!"I shouted.

Victoria paused and looked up, intrigued.

"Take me," I repeated, sobbing. "I won't fight. Kill me. Leave her alone. She wasn't the one who killed him."

"No," she agreed. "That is an interesting offer. And yet…" She sighed dramatically. "It won't do at all. It wouldn't be fair," she said playfully. She walked back to Bella and eyed her critically. "Besides, I'm quite bored, aren't you? I think I should end this. Right now." She raised her foot above Bella. "Say goodbye," she crooned.

"Bella." I sank to my knees.

"Edward," her lips barely moved. Her voice might have been part of the spitting fire.

And still, Victoria and I looked at each other, her head tilted a little to the side, like a curious child, wondering what would happen if she proceeded, considering the forlorn vampire standing before her.

No one moved. Not Bella, not I, not Victoria. We were waiting, everything was waiting.

I could see Bella's chest rising and falling as she took shallow breaths and forced them through her broken body, and I thought inexplicably the way anger blazed across her face, the special smile she reserved for me, and the feel of her lips on mine–

Her eyes flashed and a singularly mirthless smile curled her full-lipped mouth.

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