Chapter 11


Charlie watches a baseball game on T.V. as the door suddenly bursts open to reveal Bella, crying, and Edward, devastated-

"I said, leave her alone!" Ellie told Edward in a protective manner.

"Bella, don't do this. Just think about it, please" Edward pleaded.

"Get out! It's over." she yelled and slammed the door closed.

Charlie has risen, baffled, concerned, "Bella? What happened?" he asked Bella.

"I have to get out of this place. Out of Forks. I'm leaving. Now." she said as she ran upstairs with Ellie and Charlie hurries after her.

Bella slams the door behind them. Edward already there, pulling things from her drawers and shoving them into a duffle faster than humanly possible. Bella leans against the door.

"I can't hurt him." Bella whispered.

Edward gives her a look, 'you have to'. There's a knock, Charlie on the other side. It's agony for both of them.

"Bells. Did he hurt you?"

"No, Dad." she said.

"Then what? Did he break up with you?" Charlie asked getting desperate.

"I broke up with him." she told him.

"I thought you liked him?" he asked.

"That's why I have to leave. I don't want this. I want to go home." Bella yelled.

"I'll be in the car." Edward said as he caught the keys Ellie threw to him and he disappears out the window. Bella gathers strength to continue her performance. She opens the door to reveal Charlie. Ellie follows as she carries her duffle and Charlie right behind them.

"Your mother's not even in Phoenix." Charlie told them.

"Bella, just sleep on it" Ellie said to her sister.

"She'll come home. I'll call her from the road."

"You can't drive home now. I'll take you to the airport in the morning." Charlie told her.

"I want to drive. I need time to think. I'll pull into a motel in a few hours. I promise." Bella promised him and headed down the stairs.

The girls reach the ground floor with Charlie on their heels. She's almost to the door but Charlie blocks her.

"Bells, I know I'm not around much, but I can change that. We can do more things together." Charlie told her.

She takes a breath, hating herself for what she's about to say.. "Like watch more baseball on the flat screen? Or go to the Coffee Shop? Same people, same steak, same berry cobbler every night? That's you, Dad. Not me." she told him.

This hits Charlie hard. She can barely stand it, heads down the stairs, as he takes a second to recover..

"Bella... I just got you and your sister back." he said which breaks Bella's heart... and forces her to deliver the final blow.

"And if I don't get out now, I'm going get stuck here like mom did." Bella said.

Charlie is stunned, wounded. She takes advantage of his shock, pushing past him out the door.

Ellie grabbed her spare set of keys, "I'll drive her Dad. Talk to her. I'll keep you updated." she said as she patted his shoulder and rushed out the door.



Bella exits, heads to her truck. Fresh tears spring to her eyes.

"Bella, my car" Ellie said as Bella put her stuff in the boot and got in the passenger seat.

Bella wiping tears away. Suddenly Edward is outside the car, near Ellie's window.

"He'll forgive you Bella," he told her and looked it Ellie, "Slide back.." he told her and Ellie climbed into the back seat.

Edward opens the door and climbs in, starting up the car and driving away.

"His face... I said the same words my mother used when she left him." Bella said with tears still in her eyes.

"It was the only way he'd let you go." he told her as he floors it.

"Hey, careful there" Ellie warned and Edward gives her a look.

"Your father's safe now. The tracker is following us" he told them.

Suddenly, one of the back passenger doors open and Emmett is next to Ellie in a flash. Both girls scream and Ellie realizes it's Emmett and hugs him.

"It's alright. It's just me Bella. Alice is in the car behind us." Emmett tells Bella.

She catches her breath and she looks out the window as they drive through town.


Edward, Emmett and Alice rush Bella and Ellie from the car to the house... but freeze when the door opens and Laurent exits. They immediately take defensive positions but Carlisle appears.

"He came to warn us. About James." Carlisle told them and they back down slightly.

Laurent addresses Carlisle, "I've grown tired of his games. But he's got unparalleled senses. Absolutely lethal. I've never seen anything like him in three hundred years ... And the woman, Victoria, will back him. Don't underestimate her."

Dr. Cullen nods thanks. Laurent looks at Edward, apologetic.
"I'm truly sorry for what's been unleashed here." And he moves off, disappearing into the woods..


The side door bursts open as Edward and the Cullens enter, followed by Bella and Ellie. The lights flip on to reveal a pristine garage; the Volvo, the red BMW, a black Mercedes sedan, an SUV.

Everyone but Rosalie springs into action, opening cupboards for supplies - cell phones, extra batteries, maps, portable GPS units, changes of clothes, cans of gasoline, etc. As they load up the vehicles.

"I've had to fight our kind before. We're hard to kill." Jasper says

"But not impossible. We'll tear him up" Edward suggested.

"We'll rip him apart with our hands, then burn the pieces" Emmett said with bloodlust in his voice. But Ellie touched his arm and he looked at her, making the bloodlist go away.

"I don't relish killing another creature. Even a sadistic one like James." Carlisle told them.

"If he doesn't get to one of us first." Alice said.

Ellie was horrified, "This is insane. You can't put yourselves in danger like this - for us."

"Too late." was all Rosalie said.

Emmett shoots Rosalie a look, but he grabs two sets of keys off a hook, throwing one set, lightning fast, to Dr. Cullen

"Edward and I will run the girls south, while you lead the tracker away" he told the others.

"No, Emmett - the tracker thinks you two won't leave Bella and Ellie. He'll follow you."

"I'll go with them. Jasper and I will drive her south." Alice suggested, she faced Emmett and Edward, "I'll keep them safe." she told the boys.

Edward agonizes. Frustrated. Alice steps forward, "Can you keep your thoughts to yourself?" he asks.

She nods. An unspoken agreement. Edward finally surrenders his keys to Alice. Then he opens one of Bella's suitcases, pulling out clothes, tossing them to the girls, "Esme, Rosalie, put these on so the tracker will pick up Bella's scent."

Rosalie dropped the clothes, "Why should I? What is she to me? Just a danger you've inflicted on us" she said.

Carlisle spun around to her, "Rosalie. Bella is with Edward and Ellie is with Emmett. They are both a part of this family now. And we protect our family."

Rosalie glowers, but picks up the clothes. Carlisle hits the door opener and the massive metal doors roll open. Carlisle squeezes both Edward's and Emmett's shoulder before he and Esme climb into the SUV. Everyone finishes loading up, climbing in cars.

Amid this Emmett and Ellie took a moment together, "I don't want any of you to get hurt"

"We won't, there are five of us, two of them. When it's done, I'll come get you." Emmett told her as he stroked her cheek, then he pulls her closer, looking into her eyes, "I know it might be a bit soon to say this, but I love you" he told her.

Ellie smiled and kissed him, "I love you too Emmett" she told him.


Jasper drives, Alice in the passenger seat. Bella and Ellie in the back, Ellie staring blankly out the window holding Bella's hand and Bella's eyes red from crying. She talks on her cell phone

"Mom, it's me again. You must have let your phone die. Anyway, We're not in Forks anymore but we're okay. I'll explain when you call." she hangs up and glances at her sister.

Ellie still staring blankly, so Bella looks out of her window again.


In the hotel room, Bella was on the bed and Ellie was sitting on the couch. The blinds are pulled. Alice and Jasper stare blankly at a T.V. set. Several plates of food crowd a table. Alice looks up as Bella enters, looking at her cell phone.

"I wish he'd call." Bella said.

"You both should eat." Alice said to both Ellie and Bella.

Ellie doesn't move and Bella ignores the food. She sits heavily on the couch next to Ellie.

"They could get hurt. It's not worth it." Ellie said finally breaking her silence.

"Yes. It is." Jasper insisted.

Ellie is taken aback. It's the first time he's engaged with her or Bella.

"Emmett's changed since he found you Ellie. Same with Edward and you Bella. And none of us want to look into their eyes for the next hundred years if he loses you." Jasper told them as he looks forward again, "It's worth it." he simply said.

Suddenly, Alice reels. Jasper goes to her, Bella and Ellie follow.

"What do you see?" Jasper asked Alice.

"The tracker. He just changed course.." Alice said as Jasper quickly sets a pad of paper and pencil in front of her.

"Where will it take him, Alice?" Jasper asks.

"Mirrors. It's a room of mirrors." she spoke as she begins to draw at hyper speed. She closed her eyes trying to see it clearly.

"How do the visions work? Edward said they weren't always certain." Bella asked.

"She sees the course people are on, while they're on it. If they change their minds, the visions change." Jasper explained.

Ellie looks over Alice's shoulder to see the drawing, "So the course James is on now will lead him to... a ballet studio?" she asked.

"You've been here?" Alice asked.

"No. I don't know. We used to take ballet lessons as a kid before I got into Taekwondo. The school had an arch like that. Remember Bella" Ellie asked Bella.

Bella looked at that drawing, "Yeah. For sure" Bella confirmed.

"Was your school here in Phoenix?" Jasper asked.

"Yeah, around the corner from our house. But I haven't been there in 12 years." Ellie said.

"Do you have any reason to go now?" Jasper asked.

"No. Hell, no. I hated the place." Ellis said.

Alice and Jasper share a look, trying to figure this out. Suddenly, Bella jumps as her cell phone rings. She picks it up. Sees the caller I.D. and exhales relief. She answers..

"Edward. Are you alright?" she asks as she puts the phone on loudspeaker when both girls got into the bedroom.

"We're coming to get you both…" he pauses, "We lost the tracker. The woman is still in the area. Rosalie and Esme are protecting your father."

Bella plopped down on the bed next Ellie, "This is my fault. You warned me, but I didn't think. I just.." Bella started as Ellie put an arm around her.

"Bella, we're in too deep. We can't change how we feel.."

"No... we can't… When will you get here?" Bella asked.

"In a couple hours. Then you and I will go somewhere. Together. The others will keep hunting" he paused before continuing, "Bella, I swear to you, I'll do whatever it takes to make you safe again" Edward told her as her eyes started welling.

"Ellie!" they heard Emmett and Bella handed the phone over.

"I'm here Emmett" Ellie replied.

"I'll see you real soon babe." he told her.

"I cant wait!" Ellie told him.



Alice was in the lobby, settling the bill as Jasper loads up the car out front.

The girls still in the bedroom gathering their things to leave, but Bella's phone rings again.

Bella picks up the phone and looks at the caller ID. As soon as she saw 'HOME' on it, she answered it.

"Mom, I'm so glad you got my -"

"Bella? Ellie? Where are you?" Rene asked concerned.

"Calm down, Mom. Everything is fine, okay? I'll explain every-" they hear rustling on the line, as it Rene dropped the phone.

".. Mom? Are you there?"

"What's going on Bella?" she asked Bella getting worried. All Bella could do was shrug her shoulders.

Then Bella hears a voice that sends a chill down her spine and puts it on loud speaker.
"Nice house you have here. Not the best on the block, but comfortable." James said.
"I was prepared to wait for you. But then Mom came home after she received a very worried call from your Dad. It all worked out quite well."

The girls looked at each other, "Don't you dare touch her you sick son of a bitch…" Ellie angrily said.

"And what are you going to do about it, Feisty?" he asked and she stayed quiet, "I must say, Forks High School doesn't protect its students' privacy very well. It was just too easy for Victoria to find your previous address."

"Bella? Ellie?.." they heard in the background.

"Leave my mother out of this." Bella told him.

"You're both protective of her. That's nice. You can still save her. But you'll need to get away from your friends. Can you do that?" he asked.

Bella looked at Ellie, "I... don't think so." she said.

"If your mother's life depends on it?" James asked.

Both girls terrified, but there is no choice, "Where should I meet you?" Ellie asked.

"The old ballet studio around the corner. And I'll know if you bring anyone along besides the two of you. Poor mommy would pay the price for that mistake." they heard him sniff the air, "She smells like you. Delicious."

Ellie hangs up the phone and starts flinging open drawers, searching for a weapon, something she can use because she knew her skills won't be enough against a vampire.

Bella grabs her purse. She dumps out the contents, and finds the pepper spray Charlie gave her. She clings to it, her only protection now.

Bella and Ellie walk through the lobby, scanning for Jasper and Alice. She spots them outside under the porte cacher, loading the Mercedes, deep in a heated discussion. They slip out the
opposite door, and rushes toward a Taxi and jumps in, closes the door.

"8th and Palo Verde, please." Ellie told the driver and the taxi pulls out. Bella watches the hotel disappear.


End chapter 11