AUTHOR'S NOTE AND DISCLAIMER:

Stephenie Meyer is the author of Twilight. She owns the characters, and the Twilight Series. I'm just offering an alternate possibility.

I am eternally grateful to Jmeyer for acting as my beta.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Bella's POV-

I did not sleep well that night. I was completely exhausted, but I slept fitfully; I twisted and turned, had dreams that made me wake in a cold sweat, although I could barely remember them. Just fragments, impressions really. The idea of a nightmare, not the nightmare itself.


Edward's eyes, looking at me, knowing I'd been with James. His face was twisted in anguish, and he looked both heartbreakingly beautiful and tormented. I kept trying to explain myself, but my voice wouldn't work, so I just stood and gaped while his heart broke.

. . .

I was running through the woods outside the cabin, stumbling occasionally, searching for Edward. Screaming for him. I felt that no matter what, if I could just get back to him, everything would be okay. Then his arms were around me, saying he loved me. "I love you, James." Then I was alone.

. . .

They were fighting. It sounded like crashing boulders and wild animals, snarling and hissing and colliding. James was stronger, but Edward was faster. I wanted them both to win. I wanted neither of them to win. I couldn't look away.

. . .

Sadness. Fear. I was in Forks, but nothing could make me happy. The feeling of being alone was overwhelming. Suffocating.

. . .

I was falling, spiraling into nowhere. Edward's voice called to me, then James's. I fought to reach them, either of them, but I couldn't. I just kept falling.

. . .

Somehow, someway, even though I'd thought it was impossible, Edward had found me. He stood in the doorway to the cabin, looking like he wanted to kill James. But he wouldn't, for me. James said something, taunting. I could see the reaction in the darkening of his eyes. He called to me, holding one hand out. I took a few steps towards him then remembered James loved me. Turning on my heel, I walked back to my captor. James wrapped one arm around me, laughing at Edward. I frowned at the broken look on his face, confused. "You took too long, little Eddie. She loves me now. Stupid girl." Then he was biting me, and I could feel the venom burning through my veins. I screamed, realizing my mistake. I'd believed the lie, turned my back on the man that really loved me. I looked up, just wanting his face to be the one that I saw last. Edward was still standing in the doorway, looking at James and me, tears flowing down his face. I vaguely registered that that wasn't right... Edward couldn't cry... and he wouldn't cry over me... as I slipped into the darkness.


I woke to James shaking my shoulders roughly, his voice worried in my ear. "Bella?"

The rain still fell heavily on the roof, and the storm clouds prevented me from being able to judge what time it was based on any light.

"I'm awake," I muttered, blinking my eyes. His lips were moving over my cheeks, and I realized vaguely that he was kissing my tears- I had been crying in my sleep.

"You promised today wouldn't be so intense, Bell. I was counting on it. I can't handle it again," he whispered against my cheeks in between the kisses.

There was a vulnerability in his voice that instantly triggered my guilt; my arms wrapped around him so I could hold him tightly, trying to comfort him yet again. Even though I couldn't control my dreams, I felt bad. We had both had a rather heavy day the day before, and we deserved better on our second house-bound day.

"It was just a dream. You're right. I'm sorry. It will be better. I promise."

The words tumbled out of my mouth in a rush; my voice sleep-roughened and quiet. I wrapped one leg around him then, burying my face against his chest, just holding him as close as I could. Not because I wanted to have sex but because this comforted me, and I hoped it would comfort him.

After a few minutes, I felt him begin to relax, and I sighed in relief, my grip on him relaxing slightly.

"Crisis averted?" James asked hesitantly, tugging at my hair gently so I'd look up at him.

I laughed at the wary look on his face, nodding. "Yeah, I think everything's alright."

He nodded once, seeming satisfied with this answer. I knew the minute his grin appeared that he was up to no good, and he confirmed it when he shifted his hips against me.

With a quick swat at his shoulders, I pulled my hips away from him. "Cut it out! We've been going at it practically nonstop. The human needs a break, a shower, and a toothbrush. Now." Before I could roll away from him and off the cot, James leaned in, sniffing near my mouth then making an awful face, like he'd never smelled anything as offensive.

"Ugh, I agree. Get out of here." I felt his palm connect with the side of my butt, the slight slap seeming to echo in the room. The roar of his laughter quickly drowned out even the sound of the storm outside as he looked at my face, torn between anger and amusement and guilty pleasure.

His laughter was infectious, and soon we were both laughing, curled against one another on the little cot.

"Seriously, go shower. Put some clothes on. Make yourself feel better. I'll wait right here," he insisted, patting the little cot.

Laughing softly still, I climbed off of the cot, swaying my hips as I walked to where the bags of clothes were. I bounced my hips and hummed as I picked out my clothes.

"Bellaaaa." I heard James growl, warning me. I peeked over my shoulder, blushing at the sight of him sitting up on the bed, still naked, his erection evident.

"What?" Absolute innocence. I turned back to the bags, humming and shimmying to the song.

"Now Bella..." His voice trailed off, the warning clear still. This time when I turned around, he was standing on the other side of the cot, looking very much ready to pounce on me. As I watched, he took a slow step towards me. I threw my head back and laughed, wiggling my butt at him. He launched himself over the cot, landing quietly just inches away.

"I warned you!" he growled playfully.

I clutched my clothes in my hands and started to move away, but he wrapped his arms around me, lifting me and spinning me around.

"Now you're mine," he murmured into my ear.

As soon as my feet touched the ground again I ducked down, out of his grasp, and ran from him. He blocked my path in one direction, then the other, his movements a blur until he ended up grinning smugly in front of me, crouching down slightly with his arms wide, ready to catch me. I laughed at the mock-predatory look on his face then ran right under his arm and fled to the bathroom.

I heard him following, but he was using neither his vampire speed nor strength- we were just playing.

The knowledge made me grin; a vampire, playing. Because of me.

I managed to get into the bathroom before him, so I slammed the door shut behind me, clicking the lock and leaning against it, my breathing slightly erratic. He jiggled the doorknob, then I heard his breath heave in a very exaggerated sigh.

"Looks like I lost this time," his voice teased through the door. I paused, knowing there'd be more.

"Don't worry. I'll get you when you come out." I could practically hear the grin in his voice.

I was still smiling as I ran the water and stepped into the shower.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Edward's POV-

An eternity had passed since there had been a new development in finding Bella—at least that's how it seemed to me. The search area was still too large for my family to cover, and Alice had not come up with anything. Each tick of the clock echoed in my mind, another second, another minute, another hour, another day without Bella.

Without my heart.

Without my soul.

I was utterly incompetent; I had tried to find her and failed. If I couldn't find her, I had obviously never deserved her or her love, in the first place. My thoughts spiraled out of control from there as I reminded myself what a monster I was.

An image flashed in my mind of Bella, battered and broken, her skin even paler than it actually was, no blush warming her cheeks, her eyes shut as if in sleep.

Shaking with fury at myself, I hurled the book in my hands at the wall of my bedroom, satisfied with the cracks it made in the plaster, radiating away from the point of impact. Every mind in the house stilled to focus on my room. Waiting for more. Waiting for the signs that I'd finally cracked. Become a threat to myself, to the family.

I closed my eyes and held completely still. Slowly, hesitantly, they all returned to their previous activities one by one, although they still worried about me.

I wanted to grab them by the shoulders and laugh in their faces. I was here, with my family, in the town where I lived. I was safe or at least my body was.

I absolutely could not understand why they would waste time and effort worrying about me when we all knew it was Bella that deserved their concern. Bella who was kidnapped.

Bella who, as of yet, we had not a single way of finding.

Worse than all of this was the ache in my chest, like Bella really was some place I would never be able to get her back from. It was something I simply refused to accept. The only way we could be separated was by death, and I did not plan to outlive her by any longer than absolutely necessary.

Bothered by my own thoughts, I ran from the room, heading straight to my piano. Ignoring the thoughts of my curious, concerned family. I needed music.

It was the last thing saving me.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Bella's POV-

James was watching me when I strolled out of the bathroom running my fingers through my hair in lieu of a brush. I didn't mind the natural wave, sometimes, especially not when air drying was my only option.

His eyes raked over me hungrily, and I looked down at myself, alarmed. I had chosen shorts and a dark red fitted t-shirt, plus another set of matching lacy undergarments, but he couldn't see those. I didn't look awful, but had I really warranted that reaction? Noticing the question in my eyes, he shrugged his broad shoulders. He had gotten dressed while I was in the bathroom, thankfully. Neither of us would have lasted long if one of us was naked.

"Your legs look fantastic," he acknowledged, his eyes trailing up, down, then up again as he spoke. When his gaze met mine, there was a definite hint of mischief, and I couldn't help but worry about what he was going to say next. "They look much better with me between them, though."

I shook my head, trying to ignore my blush. "You're awful! Is that all you ever think about?" I asked as I walked towards him.

He'd held his arms out, and when I got close enough, he scooped me into his lap.

"Well, that's not it, but I do think about it a lot. It didn't seem to bother you before." His voice dropped to a low murmur at the last sentence, his teeth nibbling very softly at my ear.

I couldn't help but to gasp and twist out of his arms. Standing in front of him with my hands on my hips, I did my best to look stern.

"I told you I need a break. Humans wear out."

At that moment, my stomach growled. He smirked at me as I grabbed his hand, tugging him up off of the cot.

"Come into the kitchen with me. I need food. You can sit and do nothing just as easily in there as you can out here. It's breakfast time."

"Breakfast time? Really? For the vampire, too?" he teased gently before swinging me up in his arms and moving his mouth to my neck, his teeth just brushing barely across the surface of my skin, so lightly it tickled. I squealed in surprise then erupted into laughter.

"Put me down and let me cook." When he complied without further prodding, I was shocked, but I recovered fairly quickly.

"Go out there and hunt, if you want breakfast so badly," I suggested with a lazy wave of my hand in the direction of the window. "I like my blood just where it is, thank you very much."

At this, I peered over my shoulder at him, my lips curved into a wide grin. He rolled his eyes at me then took a seat at the table, and I turned back to the cabinets. Chuckling at all our teasing as I began getting out ingredients, humming to myself again. My hips shook gently as I started the stovetop, and his growl at the movement had every nerve in my body snapping to attention.

"If you start that again, you're never going to get to eat breakfast," he warned me.

When I turned around, he was just leaning back in the chair with his arms crossed, watching me. His long legs were stretched out in front of him, crossed at the ankles, and he looked so relaxed. But the hunger was present in his eyes, and there was a tightness in his jaw. He wanted me.

I turned back around and bit my lip, trying to ignore the reaction I was having just to seeing that look on his face. Then, feeling mischievous, I shimmied my hips again. His low growl was louder this time, and next thing I knew, his hands were on my hips, spinning me around and lifting me so that I was sitting on the counter.

I was ready for him. My legs parted, and he slipped easily between them, pulling me to the edge of the counter so our bodies were flush against one another. Our mouths met in a frenzy, our teeth cracking together, tongues dipping, lips frantic. His hand slipped under my shirt, cupping one breast and squeezing lightly. I knew he could smell my arousal already, even though we'd just barely begun touching. His fingers closed down on the bud of my nipple, pinching just barely, but it drove me crazy. I ground myself against his hips and moaned into his mouth, tangled my hands in his hair so that I could hold his mouth tight against mine.

"You're going to kill me," he stated as his kisses trailed across my cheek, towards my ear. When his tongue flicked against the sensitive spot just below it, I gasped, my hands flexing in his hair causing his breath to hiss against my skin. His other hand wound gently in my hair, tugging just hard enough to force my head back. Stretching my neck out in front of him as he pulled back. My hands fell from his hair, skimming down his body, tracing his muscles with my fingertips. Memorizing the lines of his body. My fingers curled against him when he squeezed down lightly on my nipple again. He was watching my face for my reactions to him.

He pulled at my hair again, grinding his hips against mine slowly and groaning when my mouth fell open, and my fingers curved into his skin. I tightened my legs around his hips, gasping, "please."

He ignored me, instead leaning his head down so he could kiss my neck. Tasting the skin over the vein because he didn't dare open it. His mouth moved upwards until he was at my ear, and then he started talking.

"You have no idea how good your hands feel on me, Bella," he whispered into my ear, arching his back against my hands as he spoke. "They're so hot. When you sleep, it's all I can think about. Your hot little hands and your hot little mouth... all...over...my body."

I was practically panting as I rubbed against him. He was barely touching me now- his hand in my hair was just enough to keep my head back, his hand on my breast was still, and his hips had stilled. Just his mouth... leaving sinful, icy, wet kisses against my skin. His mouth that wreaked absolute havoc on my body. His mouth that hadn't stopped whispering dirty things to me, something he hadn't done much of thus far, but something that was driving me completely insane. He told me about imagining me sucking him; he told me about imagining taking me from behind. Tasting me. He described so many fantasies that I lost count, still not moving aside from his mouth.

"Do you dream about me, Bella?" he questioned, breaking the routine. When I didn't answer, his hand tightened in my hair so that the sensation bordered on pain.

"Do you dream about this?" His hips rotated against mine, forcing his erection against me.

I wanted to cry- this wasn't enough. This wasn't what I wanted.

I wanted... no, I needed more.

"Do you dream about me fucking you, Bella?" His voice demanded, rough, just as needy as I felt. Knowing he needed me as desperately as I needed him shattered my last inhibition, and suddenly I couldn't stop talking.

"Yes James. God, yes. Yes, yes, yes, to everything yes! Just touch me, please," I begged, my hands struggling with his jeans, fumbling with the snap.

I had managed to undo the snap and slide the zipper down before James erupted into action, lifting me with one arm and quickly removing my shorts and panties. Then he was driving into me, and I felt like I could finally breath.

My hands fisted in his hair again, tugging as I rubbed my body against him, practically purring. Everything about him felt good. One hand stayed splayed across the pale skin of my hip, steadying me for each thrust, but the other wound itself in my hair again so that my neck curved for him.

I was completely gone, lost to the sensations, moving and stretching and rubbing against him to maximize the pleasure for both of us when his mouth found it's way to my neck again. Kissing, licking, his teeth grazing lightly.

Faintly, in the back of my mind, it registered that James hadn't fed since he'd come home to me last, which was less often than he was used to. But I wasn't afraid. I didn't have it in me to be afraid, not now. His hard rhythm continued, his hips pumping between my legs.

"James...ah- um-" I gasped as he hit a sweet spot, my legs tightening on his hips to the point where it was almost causing me pain. "James- oh, God- I'm close," I finally managed. He moaned against my neck, and the pace of his hips began to increase. I felt his teeth at my neck, pressing, pressing, pressing.

Right as the pressure on my skin began to toe the line between pleasure and pain, I came, my muscles squeezing at James, my fingers pulling harder at his hair than I'd ever dare to touch a human, the soft noises coming from my mouth surprising me. He tore his face away from my neck and released his hold on my hair to meet my gaze. As he stared into my eyes, I felt his release deep inside of me.

It wasn't for several more moments that I felt like I had enough energy to move at all. I just held James to me with my legs wrapped around him, his cock still buried inside me. I felt James reaching beyond me but didn't have it in me to care why.

"Bella," he murmured, taking my face gently in both hands.

His eyes were warm as he looked down on me, lips curved in a smile. He was looking at me with such love, and tenderness. I mirrored the look, letting my love for him shine.

"Yes?"

"I think we burnt your breakfast."

I looked at him in shock for a few seconds then giggled. Then the giggling became a quiet laugh. The quiet laugh became genuine laughter. The genuine laughter began to border on hysterics. I threw my arms around his neck, leaning to peck him dramatically on the lips.

Sometimes, being with James was just so easy.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Edward's POV-

I was sitting at my piano letting my fingers trail listlessly over the black and ivory keys when Alice approached me. I turned my head slowly, annoyed that she would interrupt me. The rest of the family had left to go hunting when I emerged from my room; Alice had stayed, but I'd expected her to leave me alone.

Any trace of annoyance vanished when I saw the triumphant expression on her face.

"Edward. That vision happens tonight."

I just stared at her, my fingers stilling. Tonight... I frowned, glancing out the window. The rain poured, much as it had been for the past few days. The storm was worse than the usual sprinkles and most of the humans were concerned. I shook my head, refusing to believe what Alice was telling me.

I had narrowed Bella's location to the Northwest... but there was no way she had been that close and I hadn't noticed.

Alice walked closer with her hands stretched out in front of her, as if in supplication. When she reached the piano bench, she cradled my head in her hands, speaking to me as one might when comforting a child.

"Edward, stop. Listen to me. Bella is in Washington. Or if she's not in it, she's really close. We're going to find her. We know where to look now."

My mind erupted as what she was saying finally sank in.

Bella was here.

Well, not here, but she was close.

"We need to get the family together. We have to find her," I insisted, standing. She merely nodded, and then we both were running, splitting in two directions to find the rest of the family.

My thoughts were going a million different directions, but they all had one thing in common: Bella.

We had to find Bella. She had been in Washington the entire time.

James had literally hidden her right under my nose. Far enough that I couldn't smell either of them, but I'd never expected him to risk it and bring her back to the state I lived in. I shuddered as I realized that either I was giving James way too much credit, or I wasn't giving him enough.

Either way, I needed to figure it out before we went head to head.

Before I got my revenge.

Before I rescued Bella.

I'm going to find you, Bella. I'm coming. Don't worry.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Bella's POV-

Eventually, I got to eat. It took two more tries before I managed to get something edible. One attempt had been foiled by James insisting he cook for me, and I'd ruined the next one when I was distracted by the delightfully wicked things James was describing to me, even though he never touched me again, and he stayed on the other side of the room. For a brief period, the clouds outside had cleared, and I realized it was much later than I thought. Breakfast was more like a late lunch, but it didn't really surprise me, after my fitful night of sleep.

We spent the day teasing each other, touching each other, laughing, playing. It was the best I'd felt in a long time. I only thought of Edward once or twice, and when I did, I was able to hide it from James.

Overall, I was happy.

At one point, I forced James from the cabin to go hunt. I simply smiled at him through the window as he locked me in. It didn't bother me, anymore.

As he walked away, I felt my stomach drop. As happy as we were, something had to change.

Change was coming, I could feel it.

I just didn't know that it was coming at vampire speeds.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~