Author's Note: I'm so sorry! I know, I haven't updated in over a month wince First, all my Twilight books went circulating around my friends, which meant I didn't have Twilight to look at for dialogue. Then, this dump truck load of social studies homework fell on me and I was buried up to my eyeballs in outlines that took me nearly 5 days to finish. And then it was finals week and I was studying like crazy. And after that, I had no more excuses. So, I'm sorry.

As for shorter or longer chapters, I've decided that I'm going to do shorter ones. Otherwise, you'd be waiting forever.

This chapter is dedicated to my friend, Ren, whose hamster just died tear

I tensed as I slowly drove the Jeep down Bella's street, the tires softly crunching against stray pebbles on the pavement. Bella's breathing was the only sound to be heard in the cab. We listened intently for footsteps in the forest, the crackling of dry leaves, and peered into the shadows. I opened the window a fraction of an inch and tried to catch the scent of a vampire other than one of my siblings'. Even Alice, who was confident that James wouldn't be here, was alternating between searching the area carefully and scanning through the future. I cut the annoying hum of the engine to hear better, trying to locate James's mind, brushing past an anxious Charlie and the tired neighbors and a man four blocks down out with his dog. Finding nothing, I announced, "He's not here. Let's go."

To say the least, I was surprised to see Emmett lean over to help Bella out of the harness. "Don't worry, Bella," he said as he unbuckled her. "We'll take care of things here," he assured her warmly. Noticing my questioning gaze in the rear-view mirror, he responded, I like her. She's gonna be a great sister. As if somehow guessing Emmett's thoughts, tears sprang into Bella's eyes and she stared at him with sadness, happiness, and another undecipherable emotion in her eyes. After blinking, a drop of salty water rolled down her cheek.

Shouldn't she be home by now? Charlie worried from the living room. I knew I should have bought her a cell phone!

"Alice, Emmett." They slipped out of the Jeep quietly, Emmett heading to the back of the house to patrol the forest there. Before leaving to guard Bella's truck, Alice confidently assured me, This will work. Most of the time, Alice was right. There was the occasional wrestling match or staring contest that she misread, but these were few and far between. Her track record was filled with countless well-predicted football games, spoiling Emmett's fun, and storms loud enough for baseball. I hoped that this would be one of those times.

I got out of the Jeep and opened Bella's door, listening intently for the tracker's mind. After stretching my limits and not able to locate it, I pulled Bella out and held her tightly, nervously to my side. My mind was screaming at me to grab her and run back to the Jeep, then drive away as fast as the car could carry us. I hurried towards the house, my eyes darting from shadow to shadow anxiously.

"Fifteen minutes," I reminded her quietly and urgently when we reached the porch.

"I can do this." Bella sniffled determinedly, her jaw set and eyes shining. She stepped onto the 

porch and took my face between her warm palms, face nearly level with mine. "I love you," she whispered fervently, brown orbs boring into me. "I will always love you, no matter what happens now."

I stared back intensely, my chest constricting. "Nothing is going to happen to you, Bella," I promised. It couldn't—I wouldn't let it, even if it killed me trying.

"Just follow the plan, okay? Keep Charlie safe for me. He's not going to like me very much after this, and I want to have the chance to apologize later." A slight crease formed in her brow and I saw that leaving Charlie like this was going to be painful for her. But her statements were worrying me more than was comfortable. She was considering the possibility of death far too seriously for my liking.

"Get inside, Bella," I urged. "We have to hurry." Charlie was getting restless. If anything has happened to her, the first thing I do will be buy her a cell phone. After dismantling that Cullen boy, of course.

"One more thing," she murmured fervently, leaning in closer so that our noses were a few small inches apart. My breath caught in anticipation and I moved closer. "Don't listen to another word I say tonight!" And startling me more than I thought was possible, she pushed herself up and pressed her warm, soft lips to mine with an overwhelming amount of force. I reveled in the feeling while it lasted, then it was over and she whirled around to kick the door open.

"Go away, Edward!" she screeched at me, eyes brimming with tears, before slamming the door in my face.

I stared at the door, blinking in confusion. "Bella?" Charlie called anxiously, hurrying over from where he was pacing in the living room. Oh no, he lamented. The doorstep. God, don't let him have tried something on the doorstep. But I barely registered the words. I was preoccupied with Bella's angry exclamation.

Go away? Had she finally come to her senses during the kiss? Realized that she wanted—needed—someone other than a cold, hard monster? But then I remembered her other words: "Don't listen to another word I say tonight!" I nearly laughed in relief as I heard her scream, "Leave me alone, Charlie!" and stomp past him, tears streaming down her cheeks. This was all a part of her plan to get Charlie to let her go. And I had said she wasn't a good actress. Through Charlie's frazzled mind, I saw her stumble up the stairs, running with unsteady feet into her room. He hurried after her, only to have the door slammed and a soft thump sound from inside. "Bella, are you okay?" he demanded, voice rising hysterically. "What's going on?"

My God, Edward, what did you do to her? Emmett asked me, startled by the sudden noise coming from the house. Alice must've seen this, because she wasn't surprised at all. Go! Go!she was screaming at me, aggravated. What are you doing standing around uselessly? GO HELP HER PACK!

Pack. Right. After briefly sweeping the area for any people likely to be startled if I suddenly disappeared from where I was on the doorstep, I scaled the side of the house and slipped 

through Bella's window. A ratty black duffel bag was on the floor next to her, its only contents so far being an old grey stuffed sock. Oh, for the love of God, did she not realize that a vampire was chasing after at this very second? Exasperated, I opened one of her drawers and immediately shut it. Of course, I had to open the one filled with her underclothes. I tried the next one and was relieved to see a variety of harmless shirts and pants. I gathered a clump of jeans in my arms.

"I'm going home," Bella screamed and as her voice broke, a knife twisted into my un-beating heart. I froze at the unfamiliar sensation.

Charlie inhaled sharply. "Did he hurt you?" It was the doorstep. I knew it. Dammit, I should've showed him my gun.

"No!" she screeched, the jarring sound rousing me from my startled stupor. Bella turned, flinching slightly in surprise when she saw me, but recovering quickly. I proceeded to toss clothes to her, opening the next drawer once the first one was vacant. Hurry up, Edward! Alice urged.

"Did he break up with you?" Rich, stuck-up— I attempted to block out the series of expletives that followed. The second drawer was nearly empty and the bag was getting full. I opened the last drawer and, not looking at what I was handling, threw the fabric—because that's all it was, fabric—in her direction.

"No!" Bella shouted, her voice going hoarse. She swallowed, wetting her dry throat. It was so easy being a human in that way. To dampen their parched, rough throats, all they had to do was swallow. So much easier than having to take a life, however far less satisfying. I shook my head forcefully; thinking about things like that was intolerable when Bella was so close by. I watched her as she blindly continued to pack the duffel to its breaking point.

"What happened, Bella?" Charlie asked desperately, panicking as he banged on the door futilely. I silently thanked Bella for locking the door behind her. Maybe Renée was right, Charlie mused despondently, leaning against the door. Maybe I'm not prepared to take care of my teenage daughter.

"I broke up with him!" She punctuated the words with a yank on the zipper of her bulging bag. The metal teeth snagged a piece of light blue fabric, unrelenting as they gripped the threads, as if trying to prevent her from leaving. I moved her fumbling fingers out of the way and zipped the bag.

"I'll be in the truck," I murmured, setting the bag on her shoulder. It dug into her shirt and she gripped the strap to support its weight. I hoped that it wouldn't slow her down, or worse, tip her off balance on her way down the stairs. "Go!" I whispered urgently before turning and slipping out the window, closing it smoothly behind me. About time, Alice murmured anxiously as I dropped to the grass and headed to the truck. It doesn't really take that long to pack, does it?

"She's only human," I murmured absently, climbing into the passenger seat and listening 

intently as Bella shoved past a bewildered and quickly growing angry Charlie. Through his mind, I saw her wobble down the stairs, the duffel definitely hindering her ability to stay upright. I had put more clothes in there than I realized.

"What happened?" Charlie called, hurrying after her as she ran through the kitchen. Why is she carrying a duffel bag? It looks as if she brought her entire wardrobe! She's not really leaving, is she? "I thought you liked him." He managed to snag her elbow, pulling her to face him. I watched her face shift as she looked up at her father: her eyes were determined, a sad, almost pained crease formed in her forehead and tears filled her wide eyes. She swallowed.

"I do like him—that's the problem!" Bella declared. "I can't do this anymore! I can't put down any more roots here! I don't want to end up trapped in this stupid, boring town like Mom!" Charlie flinched at the mention of his ex-wife and his brows furrowed. Renée. "I'm not going to make the same dumb mistake she did. I hate it—I can't stay here another minute!" she burst out and salty water flowed freely down her cheeks as she tore her arm away from Charlie's limp fingers. Frozen, he reminisced painfully, the memories also playing before my eyes.

"Renee! Wait! We can work this out!" a much younger Charlie calls. His curly hair grows further forward on his brow and the strands of grey are gone. The worry lines are absent, other than the angry wrinkles between his eyebrows. He hurries after Renée, who, on the other hand, doesn't seem to have changed much, if Bella's photograph is anything to go by. She lugs an overflowing suitcase towards the door with each hand and has a baby Bella cradled against her chest in a snuggly.

"No we can't! I'm tired of this stupid town and tired of you!" she yells back, setting down one of her bags to fling open the door.

Charlie catches her arm and tries to pull her back. "What about Bella?" he pleads. "She needs her father."

Renée yanks her wrist away with a hiss, grabbing the handle of her suitcase again. "We'll be fine on our own," she huffs, stomping out. "Just let me go, Charlie…"

Charlie shook himself from these reminiscences, arguing weakly, "Bella, you can't leave now. It's nighttime."

"I'll sleep in the truck if I get tired," Bella replied, her voice thick with tears as she walked down the front hall.

Emmett and I are going now, Alice told me sliding out of the front seat. I nodded to her and she darted to the Jeep, where Emmett was already waiting. He gunned the engine as Alice closed her door and they drove backwards around the corner, out of sight.

"Just wait another week," Charlie was begging as he followed Bella to the front door. "Renée will be back by then." And hopefully you will have changed your mind.

This seemed to affect Bella more than anything else her father had said. "What?" she asked, pausing and turning to look at Charlie in shock. I swore softly as a vision of Bella staying in Forks 

flickered in Alice's mind, but to my relief it quickly disappeared.

"She called while you were out," Charlie gushed. If I had known this would stop her, I would have told her sooner. "Things aren't going so well in Florida, and if Phil doesn't get signed by the end of the week, they're going back to Arizona. The assistant coach of the Sidewinders said they might have a spot for another shortstop." My fingers contracted into a fist. Hurry up, Bella…

She shook her head roughly, as if trying to shake any doubt out of it. "I have a key," she murmured, turning the doorknob. I can't let her go. Not like I did with Renée. Oh God, Renée would be furious if she found out that I let Bella leave on her own. Charlie reached towards her. "Just let me go, Charlie," Bella snapped suddenly. I frowned in confusion, hearing the words from Charlie's memory being repeated. "It didn't work out, okay? I really, really hate Forks!" And with those words thrown at her hurt father, she threw the door open and ran out of the house, leaving Charlie standing motionless at the doorstep.

His mind was spinning, barely registering the fact that Bella was running to her truck frantically, and I realized the purpose of Bella's words—to incapacitate her father. I withdrew from his mind, feeling invasive and disrespectful and swept the area again as Bella tossed her bag into the back of the truck and climbed in.

…hope David will reply to my email…

…Earnshaw, may you not rest, as long as I am living…

…quadratic formula? Ugh, I hate math…

…yes, once I get my hands on that delicious human…

I froze, petrified, as I heard the familiar voice of the tracker ringing in my head. He was little over a mile away, and approaching quickly. Panicking, I entered Alice's mind, trying to see if she had seen anything change. She hadn't.

Then, suddenly, she had. "I'll call you tomorrow!" Bella shouted out her window, loud enough for James to hear. Ahh…there she is… he rejoiced, speeding up. Horror-struck, I watched images flash before my sister's eyes and my own. James following us. James and Victoria grinning triumphantly. Bella, eyes wide, mouth opened in preparation to scream. My eyes darted to Bella as she revved the engine and drove onto the street, tears creating glistening paths on her pale cheeks.

And so the hunt began.

Author's Note: Review!