Sorry for the delay. Here's the next chapter!


Chapter eleven. Don't Go, Edward.

Edward's POV.

"It's me, Edward. It's really Izzy. Except now I'm perfect", she said in an enlightened voice, "I can do things. I've been placed in a body that was trained in the twenty-ninth century. I've got all the skills that you have. All the understanding that you have. I can fight, I can defend, and I have knowledge on using Jewlzo technologies and devices. I know you have doubts in believing me, but it's true. I am really your Izzy, and I have returned."

"Izzy wouldn't do this", I whispered in a disbelieving tone. My heart was hammering against my chest. If Izzy did partner up with Victoria, James and Laurent then Bella was in deep trouble.

They had managed to get rid of Bella's defences which was Rosalie and Emmett. They managed to wipe the brains and tactics out of the picture, which were Alice and Jasper. Now it was just me. They wanted me out of the picture. The bodyguard. I'd do anything for Bella. I'd die for her. But would that help her escape?

"Izzy had to change, I had to change", the woman said in a harsh tone. She straightened up and took in a deep breath, "Edward…I loved you. You were the best thing that ever happened to me. Yet, you let me die for her! You gave me up as a human sacrifice, Edward. And it hurts…you didn't come back for me and it hurts so much."

"You only love him because I do", Bella said in a quiet tone, "you're part of me, Izzy. You only exist because I do too."

"Well, I'm not really bothered about the technicalities", Izzy shrugged. She clasped her hands together and smiled fondly at me. My heart twisted in an unpleasant way.

This was the girl that I had felt feelings for. I had felt sorry for. This was the girl who I thought was pure and so guiltless.

"So what do you do now?" I asked her. I wanted to know her motives first. Then Bella and I could capture her and find the others. Izzy was now lethal.

The perspective that I saw her in now was so different from a few minutes ago. She was too confident. She had no weapons yet she acted as if she was armed.

She had been trained, fully trained. And that was something that not even Rosalie and Bella had done yet. We hadn't gotten the chance to fulfil our studies before Bella had to go on the run. We were one of the best for our age, but this lady looked a couple of years older. She could possibly take us both in a fair combat.

"Edward, if you come with me I'll make sure to tell my friends to not kill Bella", Izzy whispered in a sickly sweet tone. Her eyes flickered in between Bella and I.

Suddenly a blue ball bounced in the gap between us. A little girl with brown curly hair skipped in. my eyes were glued on Izzy. Bella didn't even blink or look at the little girl. Izzy looked, smiling at ease. We could've taken her then. But Bella hadn't given me a signal so I did nothing.

"They're planning on killing me anyway", Bella, hissed, "as soon as I die, they can claim my parents' fortune."

"Or they can just hold you ransom", Izzy put in, "they were planning on doing the latter, just in case you're needed for other things. Actually Vicky and Jamie were discussing many options with me…"

She gazed up looking lost in thought.

"And what if I don't come with you?" I challenged her. She stopped ranting. Her hazel eyes were no longer soft and sweet. They looked deadly. She crouched, the defence mode in attack and grinned.

"Can you get my ball?" a little high voice squeaked. We turned a quarter of our attention to the little girl. She was waving her arm through the bench, reaching for her blue ball but her arms were too short. She sat up, exasperated and turned to Izzy for help.

"This is dangerous with witnesses here", Bella whispered to me, "Edward…I don't…what do we do?"

"Here you go, honey", Izzy reached down and got the ball for the girl. The little child who looked to be around seven or eight years old smiled, blushing and skipped away. Izzy smiled up at me.

"Edward can come with me and Bella…you wait here", Izzy suggested, "Vicky will be arriving shortly. Don't fight, don't struggle, and don't talk. Just a bit of advice. Come on, Edward."

Izzy held out her hand towards me. I stared at it. did she really expert me to touch her? Did she expect me to go with her? What kind of sick world was she living in? This wasn't something that I would ever comply with. I would never leave Bella willingly unless she commanded me to do so. I could never just walk off on her.

And I wouldn't.

"How about this", Bella started in a strained voice. She took a step closer and so did I. Izzy's eyes narrowed at us. "Tell us how to find the others unharmed and we'll leave you alone. We can protect you from the Nomads. They'll never know that you've betrayed them."

"So that you and Edward can have a happily ever after?" Izzy scoffed. She threw her head back and laughed, cackling away freely. Bella tensed.

"I want a happy ending", Izzy snapped suddenly, all signs of humour was gone. Her nostrils flared in anger and her eyes were now red. "I wanted my life. I want my happy ending. And you are in the way of it, Bella!"

"So you just want me gone?" Bella whispered, tilting her head to the left.

"Well…yes", Izzy explained simply.

"Tough luck because it's not going to happen", I snarled, stepping forwards. I grabbed Izzy's arm, twisting her around. She gave a little yelp but did nothing to stop me. I could've cracked her neck right then but something warm touched my bare arm.

"Edward, no!" Bella warned me. She pulled me off Izzy immediately and we took a couple of steps back together. "There are people around, Edward."

"That's right, don't make a scene in front of the wee little kiddies", Izzy added in almost patronizingly. She rubbed her arm where I had reached for her and sighed. "So now that all the fuss is over, can we please get on with it?"

"Last chance", Bella said, her voice barely above a whisper, "please Izzy. Please tell me where my friends are, our friends."

Izzy leaned forwards as Bella gripped on tightly to her knife. I pulled out my Jewlzo Projectile gently, hiding it from any witness eyes. Izzy's pink lips curled upwards.

"One's dead. One's dying. One's critically injured. And one had been – tamed and captured to watch the others fail and die", the woman explained. Her long caramel hair fell forwards and she flicked it back as she stood up straight.

I noticed now, that her signature move was always the flick. It looked like a harmless position but really her feet were spread out in the correct angles, ready for a defence mode. Her arms could swing out at any time and knock out her opponents off guard. Her eyes were scanning and searching all the time.

"No", Bella whispered, she had stopped breathing. Izzy stepped back and sat on the bench she had been on, satisfied with her work. Bella staggered beside me and grabbed my arm for support.

"Who is it?" I asked aloud.

"Hmm?"

"Who did you murder?" Bella snarled bitterly. Izzy laughed and shrugged.

"Don't know really. But it wasn't me. I was here, waiting for you guys", Izzy said simply.

A long silence stretched out between us. I had no idea what to do. I tried to keep my mind from replaying what the woman had said but I couldn't. Her words were wearing me down. Someone had died. It was now dawning on me.

No…

Someone.

No…

One of us.

Please no…

Was it Rosalie? She was already so frail, suffering from all the blood loss. Her body was just beginning to heal. I couldn't loose her. She was cold hearted and blunt but she got the work done without a wince.

Was it Jasper? Brilliant minded Jasper? So amazing with technologies that one would think he was part of them. He couldn't be gone. He was the one with the brains. He thought of the plans. So many times Bella and I had been in stupid life or death situations and he had come to the rescue.

What about Emmett? Always the life and soul of the party. The big brother you could go crying to and he would be there, arms opened. He so tough on the outside, looking out for everyone he knew, and so soft in the inside ready to take real care of you.

And Alice? Small little Alice. No, it couldn't be Alice. She was small but lethal. She could defend herself, couldn't she? Surely she was alive right now. Please?

Let them be alive.

Please…

Bella's POV.

It was happening again.

My heart was being torn into millions of tiny cold pieces. First with my parents getting murdered, and now with my friends suffering because of me.

I couldn't be tough old Bella anymore. I couldn't stand it. I was always able to defend, to fight when it was necessary. But that was because I had something to fight for.

Izzy had won. She had taken the best of my life. Now all she needed to take was Edward and I'd be nothing. By the way she was relaxed and smiling, it looked like she knew she had already won. When Victoria and James Nomad would arrive, Edward and I would be outnumbered. They were all fully trained too.

She would get Edward. They would get me.

"You're not getting anything out of this", said Edward to Izzy, "why? Why do this to us?"

"Oh but I do get something", Izzy pointed out. She grinned widely. "Edward honey, I get you."

"You can't have him", I hissed, stepping in front of Edward. She wasn't going to take him from me. No. I had lost too much. I wouldn't loose Edward.

"Ah…Bella. You don't exactly have a choice, now do you?" Izzy laughed, flicking her hair back once more. My eyes narrowed.

"If you get me", said Edward suddenly, "the others get released. You don't need them. Let them go."

I turned to Edward, confused. He wasn't seriously considering this, was he?

"I suppose…" Izzy mused. She shrugged lazily. "You can have three of them back. One's already been disposed of, you know."

"Who?" I demanded her. My stomach twisted and my throat was dry. No. My friends were my life. No.

"I don't know", Izzy said childishly, "so I guess I'm being soft on you guys. Huh, Edward? Bella gets to live and the other idiots get released. See how nice I am? See how truly kind I can be?"

"Edward stays", I said through gritted teeth, "my friends get freed. You die and burn in hell. So do the bloody fucking Nomads!"

"Oh Bella", whispered Izzy shaking her head, "your friends will die if I don't get what I want. One by one. Then it'll be your turn, honey."

"No", said Edward firmly, "release the others, leave Bella alone. Y-you can have me."


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