Come away with me in the night.

Come away with me.

And I will write you a song.

...

The time was twilight, evidently the saddest time of day, according to one Edward Cullen. Bella, however, felt no sadness as she rushed about her room with a strange sense of urgency; she grabbed things from drawers, from her closet, and shoved them into a large duffle bag. Absently, she was reminded of the urgency she felt when packing for Phoenix when James was on her trail, hunting her; the thought of him sent a soft shiver down her spine. Quickly, she dispelled her memories and zipped up her duffle bag; she made a quick once-around her room, making sure she had everything. Then, she called Jasper.

Jasper was stalking a small fox, a hunter's smirk on his lips when his phone chimed out the opening bars to Take It Easy. Bella. A huge grin split his face, and he whipped out his phone, not caring that his prey had got away.

"Hello, darlin'," he drawled lazily. His tone was easy going, laid back, but inside, there were jumpin' beans vibrating about his stomach. The things that this woman did to him.

"Jasper?" Bella asked, her tone bright and breathless, urgency lilting her words excitedly.

Come away where they can't tempt us with their lies.

"Are you all right?" was the first thing that tumbled from Jasper's lips, fearing that she was injured or something of that design.

"Are you alone?" Bella demanded, getting a tad impatient.

Jasper took a moment to look around, to make sure that no one from the house had followed him before nodding slowly. "Yes."

"I think I'm leaving Forks," Bella said nonchalantly, but Jasper could practically feel her excitement through the phone.

And I want to talk with you on a cloudy day,

In fields where the yellow grass grow knee-high

"What?" he choked out, taken aback by her sudden revelation. She couldn't leave him; he'd fall apart.

"You heard me. I-I just woke up this morning and I knew. I knew I couldn't let my life go this quickly. I used to be so adamant about being changed, but truth be told, I want to be human longer." Bella was bright eyed and breathless as she waited for his response.

Jasper was silent for a long time, his dead heart fluttering and spluttering; she wanted to stay human for Edward. "I'm sure Edward will be happy to hear that."

So won't you try to come?

Bella barked out a laugh. "No, Jasper. You don't get it. If I stay human around Edward, with Edward, I'll never actually be human. He's so overbearing, overprotective. I won't be able to do the things I want with him constantly watching over me. He says he wants me to have all my human experiences, but he really doesn't. He wants to live like a human vicariously through me and wants everything to be perfect, and I just can't do that anymore. I'm not perfect; I'm human, I'm the epitome of imperfection. I just...I just…," Bella stammered, her heartbeat increasing.

"Darlin', calm down. Aren't you-," Jasper began, but he was cut off by Bella.

"Come with me," Bella requested with a large grin. "Let's run away. Me and you. Just me and you. We'll have so much fun." Bella's hypnotic words were pulling him in, convincing him. She wanted him to go with her, and god, he wanted to go with her so badly. Jasper felt as giddy as a school girl; she could have asked anyone, but she asked him. "We'll stay up all night and talk, get to know each other. We'll sing and listen to music and just live. No one will be able to stop us. Come with me." Bella awaited his answer eagerly.

Come away with me and we'll kiss on a mountaintop

"I'll be there in five," Jasper said, snapping his phone shut.

Bella laughed, a laugh full of pure joy and exhilaration; she grabbed her duffle bag and sprinted with amazing grace down the stairs. Once down there, she shoved her feet hastily into a pair of converse before tying them up quickly. Bella grabbed a notebook from one of the kitchen drawers and wrote Charlie a quick note.

Charlie,

I'm sorry for leaving so abruptly...again. I'm sorry. Really, I am. I can't go through with the wedding. I just can't. I know what you're thinking. You've told me, ever since the beginning. I can't close myself off to everything for a guy. Not yet, anyway. And now, I'm not even sure if when I'm ready, it would be Edward. Things have changed, and I hate it. Anyways, I'm not sure where I'm going, but I've got my phone. I'll call you.

Love,

Bella.

As soon as she was done fumbling with her letter, the doorbell rang a few times; she flew to the door and slung it open, grinning broadly at the blonde Texan vampire that stood just out of reach. Bella squeezed past him, closing the door gently behind her and locking it. Instead of seeing the two-wheeled, black Ducati, Bella saw a sleek, black Mercedes. For a split second, she thought it was Carlisle's, but came to a quick conclusion that it must be Jasper's car.

"I figured that you wouldn't want to ride the whole way on the back of a motorcycle," Jasper said, lightly taking her bag from her. Bella grinned at him and wrapped her arms around his neck, placing a kiss on his cheek. Jasper grinned broadly down at her, unable to help himself. After opening her door for her and letting her safely get inside, Jasper tossed her bag lazily in the back seat. "You sure you wanna do this?" Jasper asked her worriedly.

Come away with me and I'll never stop loving you.

"Just go before Alice sees," Bella said, moving forward to fiddle with the radio, trying to find a good station. Taking that as a conformation, Jasper tore out of the driveway, then out of Forks. Once they were safely on the highway, Jasper slowed down the car to a quick, but not all too dangerous pace. Bella's fingers that were digging into the arms of the seat, loosened at the drop in pace.

"Where are we heading?" Jasper asked, glancing over at Bella who looked satisfied...almost happy.

"East, I think. I mean, it really doesn't matter. Let's just drive. I just wanna drive. If we see something interesting, then we'll stop and look, stay, see. Live," Bella said absently, rummaging through her bag for a moment.

Bella produced her iPod out of her bag; she plugged it into the little jack in the car and the familiar tunes of Let Me Take You Home Tonight poured from the speakers. A soft, satisfied smile worked its way to Bella's lips, and she relaxed back into the seat, closing her eyes softly. Jasper glanced over at her and lightly took her hand; Bella smiled slightly and squeezed his hand.

"I'm just along for the ride, darlin'. You're callin' all the shots here."

While I'm safe there in your arms.

Bella smiled softly over at him, her eyes dancing with excitement. "I wanna see things I've never seen, feel things I've never felt, experience things I've only imagined. If you see something interesting, wake me up and we'll stop and look, maybe even stay for a while."

"Deal," Jasper said with a grin, threading their fingers very gently.

"Thanks, Jasper," Bella murmured.

"Anytime."

xxxx

Alice and Edward sat on a rock together, just kind of staring at the other. Neither needed to feed any longer, but they didn't have to be back for another two weeks. Edward was getting restless, wanting to see Bella; they had never been away from each other this long, ever. Well, aside from when he made that horrible mistake and left her. The mere thought of those months tore a ragged hole in his chest and made him shudder.

"Your phone is going to ring," she said in a soft voice.

Edward flipped open his phone before the first ring even sounded. "Hello."

"Edward." It was Carlisle; from the tone of his voice, something was wrong.

"Is it Bella? Is she all right?" Edward demanded wildly, jumping to his feet.

"That's what I'm calling about Edward. She's fine, but, son, she's gone. Charlie just called; he thought it was you and Bella that took off. Suffice to say he was shocked that I told him that you were out. Evidently, she left him with a note...Son, I don't think she's coming back," Carlisle informed in a very quiet, sympathetic tone. It felt as though his heart had been torn from his chest. His Bella; his beautiful, sweet, kind Bella. He'd lost her.

"No," Edward whispered, his voice agonized. "She has to come back. We're getting married. She loves me, and I her. She'll come back." At this point, Edward didn't know if he was convincing himself or Carlisle. It seemed more self-reassuring than anything else. A tearless, broken sob escaped Edward's lips.

"Edward," Carlisle rumbled quietly, his voice taking on a note of obvious pain; he hated knowing that his son was in pain, "there's something you don't know."

"What else can everyone possibly be hiding from me?" Edward roared.

Carlisle, ever the trooper, the peacekeeper, kept a level head and tone as he replied to his son. "Bella and Jasper are mates."

"NO!" Edward snarled viciously.

"Son, listen to me. Please. Marcus saw it. Didn't you read it in his mind?" Carlisle was starting to get concerned. Why hadn't Edward read that in his mind? Why was he surprised?

"I couldn't read Marcus's mind," Edward said dejectedly, but with an angry undertone.

"Why is that?" Carlisle asked, alarmed.

"I don't know, Carlisle!" Edward barked at his father figure. "Everything's been on the fritz since Jasper slipped up and ruined everything for me." The last part of Edward's explanation came out in a sob.

Carlisle frowned, lines disrupting his solid, marble-like features. "Who's mind can you read?"

"Depends on who Bella's talking to," Edward ground out, getting rather impatient.

Carlisle tilted his head to the side minutely, a small, bemused smile on his lips. "I suspect that Bella has a mental shield," Carlisle mused. "And somehow she's unconsciously projecting that onto the people she speaks with." Carlisle couldn't help but smile; Bella really was a remarkable person.

"Carlisle, I'm really not in the mood for you and your theories. Where is Bella?" Edward barked out.

Carlisle sighed gently and opened his mouth to speak, but in an instant, Esme was at his side, holding her hand open for the phone. He silently put his phone in her hand.

"We don't know where she went, Edward. The note didn't say. Ask Alice to look and see where she's going. Edward, you heard your father, though. They're mates. The note that Bella left Charlie said that she couldn't go through with the wedding."

Edward choked out a sob, crushing the phone in his hands; his whole world had gone to shit in the matter of five minutes. Everything inside him hurt.

xxxx

Bella awoke naturally, undisturbed by any loud noises or streams of light. The latter revelation surprised her; she and Jasper were in the car, so naturally there would be light coming through the windshield, yet she saw no light behind her lids. Slowly, she opened her eyes, her lids fluttering ever so slightly. Jasper glanced over at her and gave her a soft, adoring smile; she was beautiful, so very beautiful.

Before she could realize his staring, though, he turned away, back to the road. When Bella opened her eyes, her vision was distinctly black. For a moment, she panicked, but soon realized that Jasper had put a pair of dark sunglasses over her eyes. A soft laugh bubbled from her lips, a smile turning them up easily, and she pulled off the sunglasses.

"How thoughtful," Bella laughed softly, glancing over at Jasper and letting her eyes adjust to the ever so slight light that came in through the limo-like tinted windows.

Jasper grinned lazily over at her, eyes twinkling. "Always," he replied, leaning back in his chair, gripping the steering wheel lazily with one hand. Casually, he threw his arm across the back of her chair.

"Where are we?" Bella asked, rubbing her eyes and clearing her throat. Her eyes flickered to the dashboard clock; it read ten A.M. Wow; she'd been asleep for roughly twelve hours. That was probably the longest she'd ever slept.

Jasper grinned mischievously at Bella, his eyes twinkling with good humor. "Several hours outside Vegas."

Bella's eyes brightened. "Really?"

"You wanna stop in?" Jasper asked, squeezing her fingers softly.

"Like I said, something appealing equals us investigating and experiencing. Then again, I that's more of a solo thing 'cause I'm sure you've been to Vegas before," Bella mused, arching her back very gently, stretching.

"Actually," Jasper corrected, "I've never been. Alice always says it's too trashy for the Cullen family." He made soft noise of disgust.

"Well, it's a good thing I'm not a Cullen. As a matter of fact, neither are you. Whitlock, right?" Bella inquired, arching a brow softly over at him.

Jasper grinned at her, then winked. "Yes, ma'am," he drawled, laying on the accent thick.

A slight, soft smirk pulled at Bella's lips. "I don't think Vegas is too trashy for the Swan-Whitlock party," Bella said with a grin over at Jasper.

"Not in the least, darlin'," Jasper drawled with an equally enthusiastic, wide grin.

"What are you waitin' for, Whitlock? Step on the gas," Bella urged, poking his ribs.

"Never thought I'd hear you say that," Jasper teased back, poking her side in retaliation.

Their soft peals of laughter rang out in the car as they made their way into Vegas, their first stop on their unstoppable adventure.

So all I ask is for you to come away with me in the night.

A/N:

What's up, fuckers?

I know I just updated...what, the day before yesterday, but meh. I was in the mood for writing this story. I'm shamelessly advertising my new story right now. It's called Every Saint Needs a Sinner; it's a Bella/Carlisle story. I have a Rosalie/Bella story coming up, but I'm stuck on two things: the title and the beginning. I know what's going to happen, I just don't know how to approach it. Fuck it. It'll be out eventually.
:3

I love waking up to reviews.

I shan't call any of my other story-reviewers/readers fuckers. You, readers of this story, are my only fuckers. You hold a special place in my heart. I know this is premature, but I'm just going to inform you that there will be a sequel to this. :3 I have the title and everything. It'll be called I Kissed Your Lips and Tasted Blood. That's all. I adore you all.

-Claire

PS: my twitter is on my profile. :3 Follow or whatever for teasers and pictures and tidbits.

PPS: I didn't put all the lyrics in order for this song. I mean, if you listen to the song, they're in this order, but I took out some lyrics that didn't really have any significance in the story. :3