Back at cheerleading practice, I was throwing my stuff in my bag when the phone rang and I picked up the earpiece, fitting it into my ear.

" Hello?"

"Hey Alyson, this is Bella. I'm very worried about Jacob! He's been gone for so long now and, and Billy's not telling me where he is and Harry's in the hospital and I feel so alone."

Bella whined to me and I hang my head, inwardly sighing. " Okay… so you want to find out how Jacob is right?"

" Exactly! You're coming with me to go La Push, okay?"

I almost growl. " Why do I have to be dragged into this?"

" Because! I can't go alone. It's scary alone!"

I was silent for a moment before speaking very softly. " Bella… do you love Jacob?"

" …." there was a moment of silence before her broken voice filled the earpiece. " I… I don't know."

I bite my lip before waving to the squad and securing my bag on my back, hopping on my bike.

I rev the bike and just sit on it. " Bella… you're going to have to choose, not because I like one of them, but because if you don't choose, you'll end up hurting both of them…"

" Edward! I love Edward more."

I nod to myself.

" But Jacob is my best friend, I NEED to find out how he's doing."

" Good enough excuse for me, I guess…Do you know what Billy said he had?"

" Mono, and that he could have no visitors."

I chuckled as I maneuvered my way to the high way before hitting high speeds up to 100 mph. I weaved in and out of traffic before speaking to her, keeping my eye on the road.

" Mono is not contagious by regular bodily contact. It's the passing of saliva, or kissing that does it. Do they think we're that retarded?"

" I gave them a week, but it's passed PLUS a day. I've been generous, so now it's time to take action." I heard Bella smack her palm with a fist and pushed my beauty above 120 mph.

" You sound very much like a general about to see her soldiers off to war."

" This might very well end up in war." I fell deathly silent at Bella's response and she hung up.

Oh god, what is she planning on doing.

As soon as I pulled into the garage with a squeal of tires I was manhandled into Bella's truck and was frozen in shock.

I'm not sure I liked wherever we were going. The route seemed highly familiar.

I said nothing as I finally realized where we were heading to, and I was wondering if Bella finally found Edward's meadow. My hang out spot to just be alone with nature and think.

Bella started to look a little worse and worse with each step that she took and I was behind her to catch her should she fall… but she didn't look physically worn out. Just… she just looked bad.

An hour later we pushed into the meadow and I was barely paying attention to Bella anymore. I spotted my tree, the tree with the surreal glow around it.

My heart was aching to touch the tree again, but I steered clear of it. My mind was strangely empty of all thoughts, my gaze blank as I spread myself out in the middle of the clearing and just stared up at the sky.

My body spasmed into wakefulness and I jumped to my feet just as a figure stepped out of the woods.

" Laurent!" I eased closer to Bella as she spoke, keeping my eyes on his.

He had red eyes.

My lips pressed into a thin line. " Bella?" He glanced towards me and tilted his head. " This is the other human James told me about. That tracker did have a sharp nose even for a vampire." He grinned. " I didn't expect to see you here."

" What are you doing here, Laurent. You're supposed to be in Alaska." I all but snarl, cutting Bella off from speaking.

He looked slightly astounded that I knew. " You're right. I did go t o Alaska. Still, I didn't expect. . . When I found the Cullen place empty, I thought they moved on."

My mind was working quickly to figure out a solution to our situation. I knew we were in much more trouble then my mind seemed to register.

" They did move on." Bella whispered.

" Hmm, I'm surprised they left you behind. Weren't you two their sort of pets?"

" Something like that."

" Hmm…"

I didn't like the look on his face. At. All.

" Do the Cullens visit often?" He asked casually, yet he took a step forward which caused both of us to step back.

I answered instantly. " About once a week, sometimes twice if there's something Alice needs to tell us."

I was hoping to God that my lying had gotten better since the last time I have ever lied to a vampire.

Laurent stared at me for a while. " Hmm, the house smelled like it had been vacant for a while."

I plop down on my ass to appear more casual and lean an elbow on my thigh, my chin in the upturned hand.

" They visit us directly at our houses. No more than 2 at a time though, in the privacy of our own rooms. They're still really sensitive about the James attacking us thing, you know."

Alyson shut your mouth…

" Are they really?" Laurent stepped even closer and I had to squish all instincts that were telling me to get off my fat ass and run, I almost threw up at the fact I was ignoring my instincts to that degree.

" So how are things working out in Denali? Carisle said you were staying with Tanya?"

I winced a little when I heard Bella speak, dear god this girl couldn't lie to save her life sometimes, yet it did make Laurent pause.

" I like Tanya very much. And her sister Irina even more . . . I've never stayed in one place for so long before, and I enjoy the advantages, the novelty of it. But, the restrictions are difficult . . . I'm surprised that any of them can keep it up for long."

He looked at us with such a predatory grin that my body started trembling.

" Sometimes I cheat."

I couldn't stop myself for shooting up and falling back to Bella's side at this point.

Bella spoke a lot more. " Oh.. Jasper has problems with that, too."

" Really? Is that why they left?" Laurent seemed genuinely interested.

" No. Jasper is more careful at home."

" Yes, I am too." Laurent all but purred, and I almost dropped all composure right then and there.

Laurent… Laurent was the vampire hunting here and leaving bodies drained of blood. I almost flinched when Bella spoke.

" Did Victoria ever find you?" I looked up to see that he was closer then he was when I took my eyes off him and slid back a little.

My eyes glared into his, rage fueling the fire within my body, but I barely held it in check.

"Yes. I actually came here as a favor to her." He made a face. " She won't be happy about this."

" Happy about what?" I cut in, my voice heavy with anger.

" About me killing you," he answered with a happy, seductive purr. " She wanted to save that part for herself.. But she never said anything about the other human.."

I involuntarily take another step back, something was telling me to stall for time.

"What? Why me?"

" She thought it was more appropriate to kill Bella then Edward - fair turned-about, mate for mate. She asked me to get the lay of the land for her, so to speak. I didn't imagine that both humans together would be so easy to get to. So her plan has flawed - apparently it wouldn't be the revenge she imagined, since you two must not mean very much to the Cullens if they left you here unprotected."

I flinch back, grabbing a hold of Bella's arm as well.

" I suppose she'll be angry all the same…"

"They why not wait for her?" Bella choked out, her form trembling beneath my hand, I was trembling too.

" Well, you've caught me at a bad time, Bella and Alyson. I didn't come to this place on Victoria's mission - I was hunting. I'm quite thirsty, and you do smell… simply mouthwatering… and I'm curious as to how the other one tastes."

I barely concealed the flinch this time, edging my foot backwards.

" He'll know it was you! You won't get away with this." Bella whispered hoarsely.

"And why not?" Laurent's smile was widening, while I was staring at Bella. What is she doing?

He gazed around the meadow with calculating eyes.

" The scent will wash away with the next rain. no one will find your bodies - you'll simply go missing, like so many, many other humans have. There's no reason for Edward to think of me, if he cares enough to investigate. This is nothing personal, let me assure you. It's just thirst."

I whispered. " Please no."

Laurent shook his head as if speaking to a little kid. " Look at it this way. You're very lucky I was the one to find you two."

I gasped softly. " Are we?"

" Yes. I'll be very quick. You won't feel a thing, I promise. Oh I'll lie to Victoria about that later, naturally, just to placate her. But if you knew what she had planned for you, Bella..." He shook his head with pity. " I swear you'd be thanking me for this."

He inhaled deeply as a breeze blew in his direction. " Simply mouthwatering."

I crouched as if ready to run away.

Laurent suddenly whipped his head abruptly to the left. I followed his gaze seeing nothing for a few minutes until a huge black wolf emerged from the edge of trees and I collapsed onto my knees a sigh of relief pushing from my lips.

Laurent was staring in horror as four more large wolves stepped out of the bushes, one even came close enough to see the different textures of his fur.

I whispered, barely audible. " You are so fucked."

Without any warning, he turned on his heels and disappeared into the trees, the large wolves all nipping at his heels and following him.

I sunk to my hands and knees, breathing heavily, allowing the trembles and fear to shake themselves out of me.

I turned to Bella. " You are NOT to tell Charlie of this. Including the wolves."

I got to my feet, turning to look in the direction the vampire and shape-shifters went.

Be careful.

As soon as we stepped into the door, Bella had turned every single lock on the door, and Charlie appeared in the doorway, arms crossed.

" Where have you two been?"

I immediately spoke up. " We've been relaxing in the meadow me and Bella found. It was such a pretty day to lay in the grass you know."

He stared at me but turned to Bella, eyes narrowed. "What happened to going to Jessica's?"

I shut up, realizing I couldn't answer this question.

" I didn't feel like Calculus today." Bella supplied.

" I thought I told you, Bella especially, to stay out of the forest." Charlie still looked pissed.

I approached the situation cautiously. " That's why she asked me to accompany her to the meadow. Plus it wasn't near where the news channel marked the sightings of the bears."

He relaxed just a little bit.

" You two hungry?"

My stomach answered for me and I cradled it smiling sheepishly. "Girl, if you didn't get groceries, you'd eat me out of my own house." he shakes his head pointing to the kitchen. " Take out."

I leapt towards the food, but froze when Charlie spoke to Bella.

" Hey. Didn't you say Jacob was gone for the day?" I paused at the doorway, my body tense.

" That's what Billy said," Bella told him.

" Well, it's just that when I went to pick up Harry, I saw Jacob out in the front of the store down there with some of his friends. I waved hi, but he … well, I guess I didn't know if he saw me. I think maybe he was arguing with his friends. He looked strange, like he was upset about something. And . . . Different. It's like you can watch that kid growing! He gets bigger every time I see him."

" Billy said Jake and his friends were going up to Port Angeles to see some movies. They were probably just waiting for someone to meet them."

" Oh ." Charlie sounded satisfied now, and headed in my direction.

I quickly finished my trek to the kitchen, sighing inwardly in heavy relief.

After I finished eating, I went out to the garage, polishing my bike and working in complete silence.

Something always ruins complete silence, because my phone rang and I hooked my earpiece up to my ear, squatting near my bike to put down the cloth.

" Hello?"

"Why the hell would you go into the woods with Victoria looking for you and the other vampire loose?"

I sigh loudly, standing up and throwing the tarp across my bike.

" Hey Sam, how are you doing today?"