Hostage Situation

When Bella fell asleep that night, I ran back to my house, and once again, Alice was there waiting for me, only this time, she was not sitting forlornly on the steps. As I neared the house, she barreled into me, throwing her arms around my neck and jumping up and down.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" she squealed, excited. She'd seen my plans and I laughed.

I shook my head. "There's no point in trying to surprise you. So, come on. Let's go get you a new car."

"Yellow," she grinned. As if I needed reminding. I'd seen her picturing the Porsche she'd stolen in Italy ever since we got back.

"Here's the deal. You don't have to wait until Christmas, but I want something in return."

Her eyes were bright, her smile broad. "I know. You want me to keep her away from Jacob."

"Bella is not to see the mutt again." My voice was a fierce growl. "That means twenty-four hour monitoring. When I'm out hunting, she does not leave your sight. Or… at least your hearing range. I suppose she can use the bathroom without you hovering, but – "

"I've got it, Edward," she rolled her eyes at me. "Go back out next weekend and I'll kidnap her. We'll have a slumber party!" Alice had been itching to spend time with Bella without me in their way. When she'd gotten to dress her up for the prom last year, she'd hoped it would be the first of many.

"Make sure she enjoys herself," I said with a laugh. "She's probably not going to be happy about it at first, but try to coax her into having a little fun…" I trailed off thinking of Jacob and his accusations that Bella's life lacked fun.

Alice laughed, excitedly. She began picturing multiple ways to torture Bella into submission. Manicures and pedicures, playing with make-up and elaborate hair styles, watching movies and ordering take-out. ...just like a real slumber party!

"I'm not just talking this weekend, either. Whenever I'm not with her, you will be." I sighed, grinding my teeth. "She just doesn't see the danger the wolves represent! Even if Jacob manages to control himself, there's a whole pack of the monsters in La Push! I've seen the memory of them in Mike's mind and even in their human form they're monsters. From what you showed me of your confrontation last weekend, they're even more out of control than the pack we met seventy years ago." My voice was rising, my fists clenching and unclenching.

"And the danger is not just from them; what if Victoria were to come for her while she was with them and you wouldn't be able to see it? You wouldn't be able to see them chasing her. I know they killed Laurent, but he wasn't half as dangerous as she is. There's something about her… the way she hunts, the way she is able to avoid both them and us. I don't know, but– "

"Edward, stop freaking out." Alice stopped me, grabbing me roughly. "Bella is not going to be harmed. None of us will allow it. Now come on. We've got a car to buy." She danced away from me, showing me a vision of herself and Bella, safe. The dealerships weren't open at that time of night, but we looked through all of the different options online, all available upgrades and perks. I transferred a chunk of money from my account into hers that would cover the cost, plus give her plenty of gas money.

The next day was Sunday. When Carlisle went to pick up Emmett and Jasper, he would take Alice to the closest dealership to make the necessary arrangements for herself. She showed me an image of the faces of the salesmen when she would walk in with Carlisle, Emmett, and Jasper and I couldn't help but to laugh.

Though Carlisle's demeanor was calming, Emmett and Jasper's hardly were. Emmett had been nearly as big as a werewolf in life, and becoming a vampire seemed to enhance that, without actually increasing his size. Though Jasper wasn't any taller than I was, his past added to the menace that the humans perceived without understanding. She showed me the salesmen eyeing my brothers warily until discovering that it was my tiny, pixie-faced sister who was getting the brand-new car.

"Ridiculous," one of the salesmen would mutter to another in a low voice. "Buying a Porsche for an eighteen year old girl. Daddy's spoiled little brat."

Though a human wouldn't have been able to hear his low voice, she would turn to him with a broad smile, showing all of her teeth. "Oh no. I'm buying this for myself. Do you prefer cash, or should I wire the money directly from my account?"

I wished I could be there to laugh at their expressions in person, but the whole point of this was not to leave Bella unprotected and I wasn't willing to let her out of my sight with Alice out of town. Just the few hours it took to make my arrangements with her felt too long, though I knew Bella was safe at home, and Victoria was not coming back any time soon. Once everything was arranged, I sprinted back to Bella and slipped back into her sleepy embrace.

Stung by Jacob's accusations that I didn't let Bella have fun, I drove her to Sequim on Sunday to go book shopping. I hadn't wanted to return to Port Angeles and Sequim was the next nearest town with a decent book store. She wasn't willing to let me buy them for her, but she had fun picking out a few new books, and I had fun watching her choose them. As long as she was happy, so was I.

Her purchases made, we explored the small town, stopping in at the Museum and Arts Center. They had displays of photographic art, paintings, and metal sculptures, as well as a large section of items from the early 1900's. There was a 1907 REO Model B Runabout on display and I laughed at Bella's expression when I told her about learning how to drive in a car similar to the one on display.

We finished the day with dinner – she ate, I didn't – and I felt that it had been a successful day all told. We'd laughed and held hands, gone someplace new. She'd been happy and I'd enjoyed her obvious good mood.

I knew that keeping Bella away from Jacob was not the only thing I needed to do in order to win Bella's hand. The first time I'd brought her over to my house, aside from telling her of my murderous past, I had played the lullaby I'd written for her. I remembered the way she'd been moved to tears. Music had long been used by men to tell their women how they felt. For most of the past century, music had been the way I'd expressed myself, and it was only natural for me to turn to it now, when I needed it.

After school on Monday, Bella and I went to my house, ostensibly to do homework, but it was my intention to continue to court her. Rather than sit at the dining room table, I casually positioned us in the front room. As soon as my work was done, I sat at my piano and began to play for her. I played the songs I'd already recorded for her to start with, then moved to some that I knew she hadn't heard yet, before toying some more with the new one from the beach.

She lay on her stomach on the floor beside me, her knees bent and her ankles crossed while she leaned on her elbows and tried to concentrate on her homework. I watched her carefully, and saw her eyes drawn to mine time and again, unable to stop myself from smiling at her each time our eyes met. And every time, I'd hear her heart stumble and watch the blush rise anew to color her cheeks.

In a rare display of good humor, Rosalie joined us when Bella was nearly finished. I scooted over to give Rose room on the bench, and she began adding her own embellishments to the song I was playing. Though she'd never composed, and music wasn't the passion for her as it had always been for me, I'd taught her the basics many years ago, and both she and Alice had often joined me.

"Thanks for the part," she nudged me with her shoulder. I just grinned, knowing she'd spent the entire weekend playing with her M3.

"What part?" Bella asked, eyeing me curiously.

I shrugged, nonchalant. "Just an upgrade for Rosalie's car."

"Just an upgrade?" Rose protested, and began describing the details of the car's new performance in comparison with the old part. Bella shook her head and bent back to her work.

I had Alice watch over the store while Bella worked on Tuesday so that I could go shopping for myself. Bella didn't want me to spend money on her, but there was nothing saying I couldn't spend my money on me. If Alice was going to kidnap her, hold her hostage at my house, the least I could do was to provide her with a place to sleep. I spent the hours Bella was working picking out a bed for my room.

After examining many options, I was torn between two. There was a wooden one that tempted me. It was a light cherry, with carved accents and a canopy that met in the middle that reminded me of a chandelier. Although it was very nice, I found a wrought iron frame that I thought was perfect. It had intricate roses climbing up the four posters that created an interesting pattern on the headboard and above the bed in a lattice. I thought the black color of the metal would contrast nicely with the light gold of my room. The frame picked out, I sampled the mattress selection and picked out one the salesman's mind lead me toward, ignoring his spoken sales pitch. I made arrangements to have the bed delivered the next day and went back to Newton's to wait for the end of Bella's shift.

The next day, I made similar arrangements with Alice to watch Bella while I shopped. The bed had been delivered and I needed to pick out the bedding. Keeping in mind how Bella enjoyed staring into my eyes, whether they were golden or black, I picked out a set that was just a shade lighter than the gold in my room. With a black bed frame along with the gold sheets and comforter, it would be like I'd have my eyes on her while she slept. I grinned, liking the thought.

Making my purchases hadn't taken long and I had time to go home and set everything up. Esme had told the delivery men to just leave the frame and mattress in the front room. I carried them upstairs to my room, adjusting my existing furniture so that everything fit. Once set up and made, I stood back and admired the new addition. I could easily picture Bella asleep there, one arm thrown above her head, her dark hair spilling across the gold pillows.

She'll love it, Edward. It's truly lovely, Esme thought as she came to stand behind me. Esme loved the beauty of architecture and home designs and appreciated the aesthetic beauty of the choices I'd made.

"Thanks, Mom," I grinned and gave her a quick kiss on her cheek.

The dealership called. Esme grinned at me and I laughed. The Porsche will be here tomorrow. I made arrangements with the manager to have it delivered first thing in the morning.

"I'll go tell Alice."

Excited to tell Alice that her Porsche was on its way, I drove back to Newton's Outfitters. Everything was set up for my trip away. Alice would get her car and Bella had a place to sleep. Suddenly extremely thirsty, I wasn't sure I wanted to wait until the weekend. I'd already been thirsty when I'd skipped hunting over the weekend. If I left while Bella had to be in school, she'd be kept busy and safe where she wouldn't be able to contact him.

When I pulled up to Newton's, Alice met me at my car. "Your car will be here tomorrow," I told her with a grin. "Carlisle and Esme don't think you should drive it around town, though."

"Edward," she rolled her eyes at me, having already seen it arriving as well as the unsolicited advice they would give her. I laughed.

"Okay, then, what else am I about to tell you?"

She laughed, her high voice a musical trill. "I think you should head to Canada tomorrow." I frowned, not liking the idea of being so far away. "Garibaldi Provincial Park has been having trouble with their lion population. You'll find the hunting there to be much more plentiful than if you stick to Washington state. It's not really that far," she said, seeing my grimace.

"Ok, fine. I'll leave when I drop Bella off for work tomorrow. You can kidnap her for her sleepover Thursday and Friday nights. Let Em and Jazz know so they can come if they want."

"Carlisle will want to, too," she agreed, easily. "It'll be just us girls," she clapped her hands, excitedly, and took off back home. Seconds later, Bella walked out after her shift.

Carlisle, Emmett, Jasper, and I took off for the Canadian mountains Thursday afternoon. We took Carlisle's Mercedes so that Alice could have my car. I could taste my venom flowing the whole way there in anticipation. It had been a while since I had gone so long without hunting something, even if just a deer, and I was looking forward to thinning the overpopulated prides Garibaldi was having trouble with.

Emmett and Jasper took off together once we had our site set up while Carlisle and I went the other direction, running together easily. My mind was too full of thoughts of the prey I was searching for to really be concerned with what he was thinking. He was being careful with his thoughts again, but he didn't seem angry like the previous time, so I wasn't worried. After we'd each drank a couple of lions a piece, we sat in companionable silence, looking out over the mountain range and he finally called my attention to what he'd been thinking.

Edward, I think you're going about this the wrong way.

"What do you mean?"

I mean you're trying to force her into a decision she doesn't want again.

"The wolves are dangerous!"

The wolves? Or Jacob?

I narrowed my eyes and growled, "Same thing."

No, it's not. He paused before thinking, Alice told me how you got her to go to Florida with you.

"And?"

"Think about it, Edward," he spoke aloud, wanting to make sure I heard him clearly. "Did she want to go at first?"

"No…"

"And when Charlie told her she couldn't go, what happened?"

"She…" I sighed, seeing where he was going. "She argued for the trip. She said her natural teenage tendencies took over when he started bossing her around."

"Mm-hmm. The more you push her, the harder she's going to push back."

"You think I should just let her go hang out around a bunch of werewolves?" I asked, furious.

"Yes. That's exactly what I think."

I stared at him, shocked.

"She's going to do it anyways."

"Alice will stop her," I growled.

"And then you will alienate your sister, too, by making Bella mad at her. Despite your best efforts, I think Bella will find a way to see him. She spent months with him when you left. She doesn't see them as dangerous and…"

"She doesn't see danger!"

"And," he said with force, before continuing calmly, "I have to agree."

I was sputtering in my shock and anger. "What? You… They… Don't you remember last time, Carlisle? People died! And there are even more of them now!"

"So to keep her away from one kind of dangerous monster, you have her spending the night in a house full of another. Don't you think that's a little hypocritical?"

"Alice won't hurt her."

"Neither will Jacob."

I ground my teeth together, unhappy.

"You aren't being fair to her. She trusts him. You need to trust her."

He eyed me, and I saw myself in his mind, a sullen seventeen year old, fuming under his father's censure. This image of myself only made my scowl deepen. I was a hundred years old, damn it! Yet I was and would forever be the eternal teenager. When I didn't argue any farther, he stood and ran back toward our campsite, leaving me to sit alone and think over what he'd said.

Bella didn't like double standards and, if I was being honest with myself, I wasn't being fair. I wouldn't hurt her, and I was certain that neither Alice nor Esme ever would either, but Rose didn't like Bella and Jasper had already attacked her once. He was here with me this time, but…

"Damn it," I grumbled to myself. The thought of her being harmed by the wolf was terrifying, but just as bad was the thought of her choosing him instead of me. Alice was certain she wouldn't, but, as Alice had stressed to me multiple times, in order for Bella to choose me, I had to give her the choice. Both Alice and Carlisle had cautioned me previously about trying to make Bella's choices for her. Every time I had tried, it had only made things worse. I wouldn't like it if she tried to force me to do something I didn't want, and it really wasn't fair for me to do it to her.

Jacob was obvious in his hatred for me and Bella had been furious with him when he'd used his memories against me. I'd just have to show her I was the better man. I'd have to give her the time to spend with her friends, to let her be with Alice without her having to kidnap Bella, to let her be with Jacob without having to sneak out, and yes, even to let her spend time with that horrid Newton boy if that was what she wanted. No matter how much I hated the idea. I heard myself growling just at the thought.

I stood and tried to clear my mind of all the anger and fear. Finding a small amount of peace, I opened my senses to the mountain air and searched for the scent of another lion. Though I had killed two already, I was still thirsty and knew it wouldn't help my emotions to thirst. When I got back to the campsite, Carlisle wordlessly handed my phone to me. Anxious, I saw that I'd missed a call from Alice, but there was a voicemail. Trying to calm the panic I felt, I accessed the message and was instantly relieved to hear the voice on the other end of the line… until I heard the words she was speaking.

"You are in trouble," Bella's lovely voice sounded in my ear. Despite the anger in her tone, I thought it was the most beautiful sound I'd ever heard. "Enormous trouble. Angry grizzly bears are going to look tame next to what is waiting for you at home."

I sighed in defeat when the message ended. I met Carlisle's calm eyes briefly and nodded in acknowledgment. Sensing my mood, my father and brothers left me alone while they hunted and I tried to come to terms with my all-consuming need for Bella.

Carlisle and I were watching Emmett and Jasper wrestling the next morning. Esme and Rose didn't like it when they really went at it, so they were taking advantage of the unsupervised time away from the women to have an all-out throw-down.

Jasper had been a Major in the Confederate army in his life. He'd been very young for his rank, but had a certain charisma – a charisma that had become his ability to sense and affect emotions as a vampire – that had made him a very effective officer. He'd gone from one war to another when he'd died. Maria – the vampire who had changed him – had used his training and charisma to conquer a large portion of human habitation as her own hunting grounds. He'd spent nearly a century fighting and training.

Emmett had been a big man in his life, a hunter even then. Though not exactly possessing an ability the way Alice, Jasper, and I did, his strength was enormous, well beyond the already extreme vampire strength. Emmett had always been a powerful physical competitor, but due to Jasper's military training, Emmett rarely got the upper hand on him. Time and again, Emmett went sailing through the air as Jasper outmaneuvered him easily.

I was surprised when my phone rang during their wrestling match. Alice, again.

Oh, no. Somehow I knew what she was going to say.

"What is it, Alice?" I asked in dread.

"I'm so sorry, Edward!" she wailed. "That mutt grabbed her between classes! I was surrounded by the humans, there was nothing I could do! I can't see him, I didn't know he was coming and neither did Bella and – "

"Alice, slow down." I heard her breathing become steadier at my intentionally calm tone. "How did he know to come? Surely he wouldn't be so stupid as to try to take her while I was there."

"Um… Well, you didn't say she couldn't call him…" her voice was worried.

I sighed. "No. I didn't."

"She'd made plans to see him while you would be gone, but with me holding her hostage she wanted to call him to cancel," she explained.

"It's okay, Alice. Just… let me know when she gets back." I closed the phone and stood up. I felt my father and brother's eyes on me, but I forced myself to remain calm and walked out of the campsite.

Trying not to sulk, I hunted for yet another lion, though I was quite full by that time. Coming across the scent of, not a lion, but of a wolf, I stalked the animal. When I caught up to the small pack of predators, I jumped on the first one in fury, ripping the animal's limbs off. The others attacked me then, and I caught one as it lunged at me. I squeezed it – hard – feeling the beast's bones splintering in my arms and hearing its agonized yelps. I threw its mangled body away from me and turned on the next one. One by one I slaughtered the undeserving animals, chasing down the ones that tried to escape from my rage.

When the last one was dead, I looked around in horror at the destruction I had caused. It was one thing to kill an animal for food. It was quite another to take my anger out on the beasts. I was covered in blood, my clothes shredded from the wolves' attempts to defend themselves. All around me lay their corpses, the trees were splattered in blood, the ground glistening and wet with the red liquid that I hadn't bothered drinking.

Ah, I was a monster! I sat down in the middle of the scene and wrapped my arms around my knees. I'd called Jacob a dangerous monster, but I doubted he'd ever killed anything other than Laurent, and he'd been trying to kill Bella at the time, so I couldn't blame Jacob for that. Breathing heavily through my clenched teeth, my body was shaking with remorse and pain. Eventually I calmed down, took off my ruined shirt and pants and set fire to them and to the wolves' corpses. I bathed in the river, washing their blood off, before I returned to the campsite. I deliberately ignored the speculative glances and thoughts of my family members at my appearance.

I shouldn't have expected Emmett to be able to hold his tongue, though. As I strode toward my tent to retrieve some new clothes, he snickered, "I could have sworn you were wearing more than your shorts when you left here!"

"Bite me, Em," I muttered.

"Emmett, Jasper, perhaps you'd like to see if we can find any more bears?" Carlisle stood, and I could hear his subtle disapproval of me in his voice.

To my relief, Emmett agreed that hadn't found all the bears he wanted. He and the others went back out to hunt, leaving me to watch the campfire and think about my actions. I couldn't deny that I was a monster, undeserving of Bella's love. But there was no way I could or would ever leave her again. Not unless she forced me to go, and even then I would never be able to go far. I needed her too badly. If I was going to keep her love and win the yes I so desperately needed, I could not afford to give in to my anger like that again.

For one thing, I felt worse now than I had before. Those wolves were not Jacob nor his pack. It wasn't their fault that two monsters were in love with an angel. If I was going to keep her love, I would have to give up my temper. Was it possible to be a good monster? I didn't know, but I would try. I resolved not to let my temper control me anymore, just as my red-eyed monster no longer did. When I got back, I would weather the storm of Bella's anger – I deserved it – and I would do everything I could to make her want me.

When Alice called that afternoon, I was relieved.

"Bella's safe," she assured me, but there was something off in her tone.

"What's the matter, then?"

"Are you okay?" she asked warily and I knew she'd seen the results of my fury being taken out on the wolves.

I sighed, ashamed. "I am now. It won't happen again."

"I hope not," she said, her voice angry. "You scared me."

"Sorry." We were silent for a moment and I thought there was something else bothering her. "What is it Alice? What happened?"

"I'm not sure. Bella came home angry and upset. She didn't tell me what happened. She was soaked; she'd driven her bike here in the rain!"

I wondered if she'd fought with him. Suddenly in a better mood, I told Alice, "Well, we'll be home tonight. Try and keep her safe until then, please?"

Garibaldi's lion and bear – and wolf – population considerably thinner than it had been when we'd arrived, we packed our tents and headed back out of the mountains, returning home around midnight.