I know, I know, this ones super late. A combination of not being long enough - once I had most of what I said I would be putting into this chapter done, I realized that it was short, well, rather, shorter than most of the other chapters to this story - writers block, sleepiness - I haven't been sleeping well lately - and having not really been in the mood to type either didn't really help me out. However, I have finally gotten this chapter out. Enjoy.
Nomads, Phoenix, and Traps
Bella's Point of View
The three emerged one by one from the edge of the forest, a few meters apart from each other. The first male who entered – blond, ordinary looking compared to any other vampire I'd seen – immediately fell back, allowing the other male – dark haired, dark skinned, though still paler than any other dark skinned person I'd met, easily the prettiest of the three – to take the lead. The third was a woman, the real leader's mate, if what Edward had told me was true. The fiery redhead, while on the other side of the second male, kept glancing at the first man often, too often, to be honest.
The three caught sight of us, taking in the polished, urbane stance of Carlisle, who, flanked by Emmett and Jasper, stepped guardedly forward to meet them. I took the fact that they weren't looking at Edward and me to get Edward's attention enough to make sure that he kept his mind reading a secret, writing it out onto his back. A extremely slight nod, one the could have only been seen if one was looking for it, was given to me. I was still doubtful that he would follow my instructions; if the van was any clue, Edward would most likely act before thinking.
I made sure that we stayed in the back, furthest away from the three, and posed my body so that I was slightly behind him, easiest way to hide. Esme and Alice stood in front of me as well, making it so that any movement that any of the three made to attempt to get to me – should they learn that I'm not a vampire, anyway – would be unsuccessful.
As they got closer, I was finally able to understand what Ashanti had meant when I saw their eyes. Their eyes weren't the usual gold that I'd become used to, nor were they the black that meant they were hungry. Instead, they were a deep burgundy color, one that disturbed me, and made them seem sinister.
"We thought we heard a game," the pretending leader said. "I am Laurant, and these are Victoria and James." He made a motion with his head to each of them.
"I'm Carlisle. This is my family, Emmett, Jasper, Rosalie, Bella, Edward, Esme, and Alice."
He pointed to each of us as he introduced us. I was surprised when James, whom I was mostly focused on, felt surprise when he heard and saw Alice, as well as the fact that there was a hint of recognition on his face that I wasn't sure the others had seen.
The small talk that followed seemed standard, what will Laurent and Carlisle being social to each other while they talked about the three joining the game, as well as the fact that Carlisle followed a different diet, and actually had a home – or, rather, the fact that he had a permanent residence. Because of the nature of their diet, Laurent, James, and Victoria were nomadic, like almost all vampires, and had never heard of any whom didn't move a lot – at least, James and Victoria were like that. Their was a slightly longing in Laurent's emotions that seemed to be more of the familiar and missing rather than the wanting what one never had.
The knowledge of their differences in feeding habits interested Laurent, though both James and Victoria considered such a diet as a waste of time and worthless, making one weak in comparison. I doubted any of the three could take on Jasper or Emmett alone and win. I even doubted that any of them could win against any one of the Cullens alone, except maybe for Esme, who did not look as much of a fighter.
After asking that they not feed in the general area – I wondered whether James would take that seriously or not, since it wasn't just the Cullens he had to worry about – Edward, I, and Alice were about to leave them all to continue the game, as it was unanimously decided by the Cullens that I should be gotten out of their sooner rather than later. We had been about to begin running – best way to hide my humanity would have been to see me run, since I was just as fast as they were – when three things happened simultaneously before we could leave.
First, a breeze ruffled my hair, a breeze that from the wrong side of me, blowing my scent back towards the others – and, more importantly, the three new vamps in the clearing. Second, Edward stiffened while Alice, Esme, Emmett, and Jasper closed ranks around the two of us, hiding us, and, more importantly, me from view. And third, James, the real leader, suddenly whipped his head towards up, looking for me, his nostrils flaring. A swift rigidity fell on all three of them as James lurched one step forward, falling into a crouch, Jasper, the one closest to him, bared his teeth, crouching as well, preparing to fight in place of Edward, whose arm I had grabbed in a tight grasp, holding him to me, afraid to let go in case he attempted to fight.
"What's this? Laurent exclaimed in open surprise over the quick actions of the others. His eyes glanced from James and Jasper, trying to figure out what was wrong.
"She's with us." Carlisle's firm rebuff was directed toward James, just as Laurent and Victoria seemed to catch my scent, less powerfully than James. Awareness dawned on his face.
"You brought a…snack?" he asked, his expression incredulous as he took an involuntary step towards our group. Yet, the pause he had made me suspicious, as did the small amount of familiarity he felt, though that taste was gone so quickly, I figured that I had only imagined it.
"I said she's with us," Carlisle corrected in a hard voice.
"But she's human." This came from Victoria. I had to admit, I was surprised with the baby-like quality to it. With her wild, catlike actions, I was expecting something different, even if I didn't know what exactly.
"Yes, and…" Alice said, waiting for her to say something. None of them said anything, and James, who realized that he wasn't going to get to me, stood up from his crouch, though his eyes never left our group.
"It seems we have much to learn about each other," Laurent commented.
"Indeed." Carlisle's voice was still cool.
"But we would like to accept your invitation," Laurent continued, as if he hadn't noticed Carlisle's tone. "And, of course, we will not harm the human girl."
James and Victoria gave Laurent a look of disbelief, but I was suspicious as to why he emphasized what he believed me to be. I would have to asked what Edward might have pulled from his mind at that point. Carlisle measured Laurent's open expression for a moment before he spoke.
"We'll show you the way," he said. "Esme, Rosalie, Jasper?"
The three moved towards him, while Alice and Emmett covered closer to block me from view.
"Let's go, Bella," Edward said, his voice low and bleak. I quickly hopped up onto his back, not willing to give away anything to those three. While the others were surprised, they didn't mention anything, and soon, Edward, with Emmett and Alice, were heading towards the jeep. Reaching it, he flung me into the backseat, where Alice climbed in before he could shut the door. Edward and Emmett got into the front seat, Edward in the driver's seat.
Edward began growling under his breath. I couldn't tell exactly what he was saying, other than it seemed to be a lot of profanities, most having to do with bringing James' parentage into question, followed by Victoria's as well. I waited until I thought he was done before speaking.
"So, I take it that what Laurent said isn't going to be proven true," I said.
"No," Edward said. "Apparently, he's a tracker. And, as I mentioned before, he was bored and wanted a challenge, and guess what? We've just given him what he considered to be the greatest challenge ever!"
It was then that I noticed that he was driving us away from town.
"Um…Edward, what do you think your doing?" I asked.
"Getting you out of town," he said.
"Not when there's a chance that James might head towards my house," I answered.
"Bella, we can't –" he started. I rolled my eyes before reaching forward, slapping him onto the back of his head with a firm hand. He slowed down.
"Now that were thinking clearly –" here I glared at Edward – "here's what we're going to do, because, despite what you think, we can't just up and disappear. That would be dangerous on so many levels. First of all, Charlie will not just sit down and do nothing. If James doesn't kill him, he will call the FBI, who will them be all over your family, and then it will be pictures of me and whichever member – most likely you, Edward – all over the TV, which will most likely gain the attention of the Volturi, who will most likely kill your family, as well as hunt us down and kill the two of us for risking exposure of the vampire world.
"And then there's the fact that, even if the Volturi didn't catch on, that James could easily do so himself. I don't know about you, but James looks like he could easily fit in the human world. His only problem would be his eyes and the fact that he can't go out in pure sunlight, but, other than that, he would have no problem, as those can be easily fixed. He could simply follow any hint of where we are, and most likely find us that way."
"Bella –" Edward interrupted.
"Shut. Up. Edward," I growled out. I waited until I was sure that he wouldn't speak.
"Alright then. Here's what we will do right now. Edward, you are going to take me back home. I am going to take care of Charlie – and I have the perfect way of doing so. Alice, make sure you let Esme know that Charlie might call. I'm sure that she'll be able to figure out why within the first few minutes, before she even has to answer any questions, if she has to. Just let her know to say whatever she needs to that will allow me out of Forks with his permission. Just don't call her until James isn't anywhere near her.
"Once that's done, we'll head towards your house, and then I'll tell you the rest of my plan. Now, Edward, I demand that you turn this car around, and take me home."
Edward looked like he was about to argue, so I added a please at the end in a much softer voice, which was what got him going. Resigned, he turned the jeep around, heading towards my house, Alice calling Esme moments later, having been watching James' decisions. We pulled up moments later.
"Is he…" I began.
"Not yet. He's meeting with the female right now," Alice said, however Edward had something different to say.
"He's on his way. He can't hear us yet, but I can hear him," Edward said. The two siblings looked at each other – well, rather Edward looked at Alice, who glared at him – but, before they could say something, I stopped them, as the differences between their points just confirmed something that I was thinking already – and the fact that I could taste James coming closer as well.
"Okay, we have a few minutes. Edward, stay here. I would rather have Charlie see you in the car, and I also want James to see you as well. Emmett, I want you in the forest – maybe you can get him sooner rather than later, maybe not, but it'll show that he's not completely welcome. Don't go after him, though, just chase him if you see him. Alice, I want you to come with me; I don't think Charlie will be able to handle you."
Hopping out of the jeep with Alice behind me, I pulled her up to the door, plastering a fake, slightly excited but nervous look on my face.
"Dad," I called as I walked into the house, pulling Alice into the house with me. Charlie came out of the kitchen, wiping his hands on a rag where he had obviously been doing something, though what, I couldn't tell, nor really care.
"Dad, you know how you were reluctant to letting me go to Phoenix alone? Well, Esme – that's Edward's and Alice's mother – mentioned that she and Alice were planning on going there tonight – planning to catch a plane – and she offered to take me. I said I would ask you, but I would really appreciate it if you would let me go," I told him, giving him a puppy dog face. I could see that he wasn't about to give, so I lightly pressed down on Alice's foot without Charlie's notice.
"Yes, can she please come with us?" Alice added, her own face going into puppy dog form. I immediately saw Charlie's defenses go down – it seemed that she was much better at it than I was.
"I'll call Esme and check. If she does indeed say that it's okay, then you can go, but only if she says it's okay," Charlie relented. I smiled, hurrying up to my room and grabbing my bag. I waiting as I heard Charlie on the phone, having to admit that Esme played her part beautifully, while Alice jumped up and down next to him in faux excitement; I could hear her feet as she jumped, while I moved things around my room to make it seem like I was packing something. Since I still had clothes in Phoenix, I wasn't worried about packing a large bag.
I came down the stairs just as Charlie hung-up.
"Well, Esme said it's alright, and also informed that you wouldn't be back for at least a week," Charlie said, looking at me suspiciously. I smiled at him.
"Well, actually, she's not sure how long. She's hoping that what she has planned will take about a week, though she did warn me that it might take more than. She's not sure though. And I don't know how long it will take me to do what I need to do, so…"
He sighed, but since he had already given his permission, he let us go. I didn't look to where I could feel James looking at us, though I wanted to, but since I could also feel my father's eyes on Alice and I, I figured that it wouldn't be the right thing to do, plus, the fact that Emmett seemed to have spotted him as well made it not worth it, as he left immediately. I didn't say anything as Edward drove us away.
"To your house, Edward," I said. Waiting until we weren't anywhere Charlie could see us, I turned towards Edward.
"Now, wasn't that worth the two, three minutes it took to make sure that my father didn't bring unwanted attention to your family?"
He didn't answer, though I could tell he was displeased.
"Um, Bella, while I am glad that you helped keep our family safe, can I ask why you didn't have Emmett chase after James, and why you pretty much allowed him to know where you were going?" Alice asked.
"I'll tell you once we get back to your house," I said, not taking any chances of James hearing me. I didn't taste him anywhere in the my vicinity, but that didn't mean that he couldn't still hear me.
Pulling up to their house, I immediately noted that there was one more present there than their should be, as did Edward, who looked as if he was about to growl. I simply tapped him on the shoulder, and shook my head – as no one was talking right now, there was no way to know who was in there without other gifts. Thankfully, we heard someone's voice speaking, and Laurent answer, letting Edward growl as he so wished to do.
Getting out of the jeep, we headed inside, heading straight toward the living room. Laurent was there with the others, who all immediately stood as Edward began to walk towards him, murder in his eyes.
"He's tracking us," Edward said. Laurent sighed.
"I was afraid of that," he said unhappily.
"Is there anyway to stop him?" Alice asked.
"No, once he gets started, nothing stops him unless any chance of him winning is taken away. I only know of one instant when that happened, and he ended up killing the vampire that got in his way," Laurent said.
"We'll stop him. He won't be able to survive with us on his tail," Emmett said.
You can't bring him down. I've never seen anything like him in my three hundred years. He's absolutely lethal. It's why I joined his coven in the first place. Not to mention that Victoria is handy to have on your side as well," Laurent argued, before looking at me. "Are you sure it's worth it?"
I had to grab Edward to keep him from attacking. Laurent cringed away. Carlisle turned towards him.
"I'm afraid your going to have to make a choice," Carlisle told him, while I pulled Edward away and to the stairs. I didn't think it would be a good idea for him to stay in the same room as Laurent. I still listened to Laurent's words, while keeping an eye on Edward's face. I also noticed the chance in Laurent's features when he got a better hint of my scent – there was a definite sign of familiarity in his emotions, though it was quickly covered up.
"I'm…intrigued by this life you've created here. But I will not get in the middle of this. I bear you no enmity, but I won't go up against James. I think I will head up to Denali, where this other coven you mention is." He paused for a moment, and I saw that he was looking at everyone. "Don't underestimate James. He's got a brilliant mind and unparalleled senses. He's every bit as comfortably in the human world as you seem to be, and he won't come at you head on… And the woman, Victoria, she's got a rather subtle talent, one that helps her out more often than not. She's not to be underestimated either. I am sorry for what's been unleashed here. Truly sorry."
I turned my head at that moment to see him bow his head towards the other before heading out the door, where he looked towards me and Edward once more. The look on his face when he saw me was calculating, but he left before I could figure out what he was thinking. I had the feeling that it was nothing good, though Edward had no reactions.
Esme, upon shutting the door, touched an inconspicuous keypad on the wall, and, with a groan, huge metal shutters began sealing up the glass wall, as well as all of the other windows.
"Is Laurent really going up to Denali?" I asked Edward and Alice. They both nodded. "Where's James and Victoria right now?"
"About three miles out past the river; he's circling around to meet up with his mate," Edward answered. Alice nodded her head in agreement with him.
"So, Bella, what's the rest of the plan you came up with?" Emmett asked. The others looked at me, some surprised at the fact that I was the one who was pulling the strings.
"Simple. Me, Alice, and Jasper head to Phoenix –" Edward interrupted him.
"But he's going to head to Phoenix straight away, Bella. That's where your going, after all. You pretty much told him," Edward said.
"And what hunter is going to believe that I'm going to be going where I said I would," I told him. "As far as he knows, it was a ruse, a clever ruse, but a ruse none the less. He's not going there unless he had irrefuteable proof.
"Anyways, as I was saying, Alice, Jasper, and I will head to Phoenix – and, no, Edward, you will not because he'll expect you to be with me – Esme, if your willing, I need you to switch clothes with me. Emmett, Rosalie, and Edward in the jeep, heading east; sit in the back and wear something over your head to help disguise yourself, as they need to believe that your me, Rosalie.
"Carlisle, I would like you and Esme to do the same, but in a different car and heading north instead; just drive until you loose your tail. Alice, Jasper, and I will stay here until we're sure that James and the female are following you guys – text us when you pick up your tails. Once Alice, Jasper, and I are out of state, we'll text you, and then you can give up the pretenses; either wait for us to let you know were no longer in town, since I doubt it will take long, or come straight back if they figure out the ruse.
"Esme, when you get back, I would like you to head to the school, and erase my records. I don't want anything that says were I previously lived on there; it would be too easy for them to figure out that my going to Phoenix isn't a ruse if they know that I lived there previously. Grab any written or printed copies as well.
"Carlisle, I would like you to watch my father when you get back, make sure James and Victoria don't go there and attempt to hurt him. Rosalie, Edward, Emmett, you the hunting party; once we're out of here, you have the go ahead. If you can't get him before he leaves the state, or loose track of him, then Rosalie, Esme, switch with Carlisle, and then have those three head towards Phoenix, but not straight there. Go in a roundabout way – like head towards New York, Texas, and/or Kansas before Arizona. I'm not to worried about the woman right now, but that doesn't mean we should ignore her; if you can get her, get rid of her.
"Is this acceptable?"
I could tell that Rosalie – who had entered a state of disbelief that was quickly hitting angry, though she did seem a bit please with her part in my plan – was about to say something, but Carlisle – whom Rosalie wouldn't risk arguing with – agree, and Esme ran upstairs with me. We quickly switched while Rosalie attempted to get out of this, but it seemed a bit half-hearted – the fact that I was sending her with Emmett, that I obviously didn't figure her to be weak, especially since James was most likely going to follow the car that had Edward in it, raised me in her opinion.
"What car will we be taking?" I asked Alice once the switching was done – I noticed that Rosalie had a hood over her blond hair, just as Esme pulled up the hood from my sweater over her head.
"We'll be taking Carlisle's Mercedes," Alice said. "Carlisle and Esme will take Edward's Volvo, and, as you told them to, Edward and the others will take the jeep. They're going to be leaving in a minute."
Before I could ask why they were waiting to leave, Edward came up, wrapping an arm around my waist, and kissing me deeply, almost pouring his love into me. I heard the others gasps, and I had a good idea of what they were gasping about, but had no time to really think as I kissed him back, just as desperately as he was kissing me. Now that I was faced with the fact that we would be separating, I found myself not wanting to; only the fact that I knew I was right not to have him go with me – they wouldn't even think about the others if he stayed with me, and didn't see him leave before hand.
We parted slowly after a few more light kisses. I opened my eyes, noticing that his were strangely empty, before looking down as he set me down.
"I'll see you later," I whispered, and then he – with Rosalie and Emmett – was gone.
We waited for at least eight minutes, then Esme's phone vibrated. She held it up, looked at the message, and followed Carlisle to the Volvo, giving me a kiss on the cheek as she left. Alice and Jasper were looking at me, and I turned toward them.
"What?" I asked.
"We were just wondering how long you were going to glow like that," Alice said softly. I looked down. It was definitely going strong, stronger than I thought possible, and I quickly ran upstairs to raid Edward's closet for something long-sleeved to throw on – I even threw on a couple of shirts, heading downstairs just as Alice's phone vibrated
"Lets go," she said, and we all headed toward the Mercedes, and left Forks.
The ride down to Phoenix was silent until we hit the boarder line. Alice set the message – 'where out' – to Esme and Rosalie before turning to me.
"So, what is it that you are hiding?" she asked me.
"What do you mean?" I asked as I pulled off a few shirts, not glowing as much anymore.
"I mean the fact that you felt the need to go down to Phoenix long before this. You already had your bag packed when we got there; even with all of your moving, I could tell that you didn't throw one thing in a bag, yet you had one ready when you came down. Therefore, it is natural to assume that you were already planning something, and that you were hiding something at your house in Phoenix to make you willing to do whatever you could to get there. I mean, really, you don't have to go to Phoenix – you could join in the hunt, and you know it – so, logically, you must have something to hide," Alice explained.
"Nothing bad. It's just something I don't think would be a good idea if my mother stumbled upon," I said.
"What is it?" Alice asked.
"Nothing you need to worry about," I answered, my mind going to the file, as I called it. When I was in the accident, I wasn't transported to a hospital that knew me, and my id and license had been in my car at the time, so I didn't have them on me – I was basically a Jane Doe. Add in the fact that my heart actually stopped for over three hours before I drained my first victim and 'woke up', I was a bit of a medical mystery, though not really known, as Ashanti, who had followed, got rid of any and all mention of me having been dead, giving me that file at a later date…when I first met her after being changed.
Of course, my mother didn't know about my three hours of being dead…or the fact that I had been sent to the hospital for injuries. Since I was fine – a rather curious notion, but fine none the less – and the fact that the police were more concerned with the missing truck driver than with me, I was released without getting a hold of my mother. I did have to tell her about the car, but I didn't tell her everything, taking care of it myself. That was another thing that I had hidden: the pictures of what the accident scene looked like, as well as the report. That was another thing Ashanti did; get rid of the evidence.
"Hey, Alice, did James seem familiar to you at all?" I asked a bit later, just as I read the sign that we had passed another border. I wanted to get my mind off of the fact that I was missing Edward a lot. I had also been able to change out of his shirts, the glow gone.
"No. Why?" she asked, turning towards me.
"I think he recognized you. He seemed rather surprised when you were mentioned and he saw you. Did you notice that, Jasper?"
"No, at least, not with the insight that you did. I did notice surprise, but I thought it had more to do with our number rather than him having recognized anyone," he answered.
"No, while he was mildly surprised to see so many people, he had a rather huge bout of surprise and recognition when Alice was named and he saw her," I told him.
"Well, I didn't recognize him. Think he might have recognized me because saw me before I met up with Jasper and I just didn't notice?" Alice asked.
"Possibly. I just thought it was interesting that he noticed you, that's all," I said, nonchalantly, though I was lying as well. Between the fact that he noticed her, and the fact that Alice hadn't answered correctly about where he was at – that was why she was glaring at Edward, after all – I believed he not only knew her from before she was a vampire, but knew what her power was. The fact that she didn't see him heading towards us seemed to tell me that.
Of course, that meant that her visions weren't as reliable as everyone would think. My bringing her was done on purpose, but not for the reasons that others would believe. Though some of the visions might be wrong, she would still get flashes of what James was doing, just enough to figure out where he was, without the disclosing that her visions weren't completely right.
"Can you see what everyone's doing?" I asked. She began to go through different visions, informing me and Jasper as to what the other members of the family were doing, including Edward. She mentioned that the two had split up, and that Victoria was leading Carlisle on quite the chase – it looked as if Laurent was right about her, for every time it looked as if he were getting close, she was gone. Of course, Alice did inform me that she was at the school for a moment, looking for something.
James, however, was doing a much better job at evading the other three; with the exception of one time, they hadn't found him since then, though they did find scent trails around the house – it seemed that James was thinking that I was still there. I wondered how long it would be before he realized otherwise.
We went straight to my house when we got to Phoenix, walking inside just before the sun came up. I went around, making sure not a spot of light could get through before heading up to my room. It was just as I had left it, though it reeked of being unlived in. Sighing, I walked over to my bed, crawling underneath a bit until I found the two files I was looking for – which was pushed as far away from reaching hands as possible – and pulled them out.
Unfortunately, I hadn't been paying attention to Alice, who was quick in grabbing the folders from me.
"What's this?" she said, noticing the official stamps on them. She didn't let me answer her before she began rifling through them, her eyes widening as she read the reports and saw the pictures. Looking up at me, eyes looking watery, she asked, "How…how did you survive?"
"I think you can figure that one out," I said. Walking over to my closet, I began pulling out several suitcases – I didn't have any boxes – and began to fill them with the rest of my stuff. Alice placed the folders down to help, thankfully not asking me anymore questions. We worked together quietly, packing my stuff before moving to my mother's room and doing the same with the clothes left there. Alice mentioned that we could go get some boxes once the sun went down.
It was about midday when Alice had another vision, one that was followed by a call. They had managed to get a good track on James, one that, though they lost, was able to give them a good enough clue to realize that I was gone. Alice's vision was where James was going to be – in a room full of mirrors – before it cut off. I recognized a bit about the picture of the ballet studio she came up with, though the memories were extremely vague. Either way, it didn't take much to realize that he was heading here.
I talked to Edward on the phone a bit while they tried to figure out who was coming here to Phoenix and who was staying. Thankfully, they stayed with my plan on that point, and decided that the boys were coming while the girls would stay and protect my father. Since there wasn't enough room in my house for all of them – or, rather, their wouldn't be enough room soon – Alice and Jasper decided to get a hotel room, one close to the airport.
We took my thinks with us on that end, before we left to head there – neither Alice nor Edward bothered to mention that they were at the airport already when they called until I pointed out that there was no need to hurry like we were. The only good thing was the fact that Esme had stayed were my dad was at during that, so he hadn't been left unprotected.
As we drove away, I wondered vaguely how long it would take for Edward to get here.
"I'm going to the restroom," I told Alice, just as the announcement that the flight from Seattle was getting in. My eyes glanced at the clock as I got up out of my seat, reading that it was almost three in the afternoon. We had stopped at the hotel to get a few rooms and to lie low until the plane was supposed to get in, which, according to Alice, it would do around seven, so that was when he had headed here. However, unexpected circumstances had delayed the plane for a while, and we had ended up waiting longer than I felt we should. Also, in order to keep up appearances, we had gotten some food – rather, some coffee to drink – which I had just spilt all over the shirt I was wearing, a big brown stain forming on the light colored cotton.
I pushed open the restroom door, glad that it was empty for the moment. Pulling out the change of clothes I'd brought with me – well, rather, I had thrown into my bag from the car – and quickly dressing in it – I wondered what Edward would do when he saw me in his shirt – I was just about to head back out when my cell rang. Digging through my bag, I pulled it out, glancing at the number with confusion. Who was calling from my house? I answered it, feeling dread beginning to pool into me.
"Hello," I said. My heart froze when I heard my mother, voice panicking as she called my name.
"Mom," I said, disbelieving. What was she doing home, she was supposed to still be in Florida! Forcing myself to calm down, I listened harshly, noticing that there was something else in the background…a crowd of people? Seagulls? Before I could figure the rest of it out, the sound cut off, as did my mother's voice.
"That was rather clever of your friends to try and trick me." The voice on the other side had me stiffening. I had never heard it before, of course, but I was smart enough to realize who it was. It seemed that James had gotten down here quicker than we'd been expecting – then again, there was not telling how much of a head start he had to the others.
"Erasing your school files, making it seem as if you were in both vehicles, and even making it seem as if you never left the house. I never dreamed those yellow-eyes could have come up with such a clever tactic. Pity it didn't work to well."
"What did you do with my Mother?" Though I wasn't sure that it had really been my mother – in fact, as he had been talking, I had been wondering about what else I had heard, and come up with a pretty good idea on what it was – I not only didn't want him to know that I knew it probably a ruse, but I also didn't know for sure if I was right or not.
"Nothing. Yet. However, if you want to keep it that way, I expect you to listen to me very carefully. Are you alone?"
"Yes," I answered.
"Can they hear you?"
"Possibly." I wasn't sure if they could here me in the bathroom of such a crowded place – I could hear thousands of people outside the door – but I began to leave, walking out of the door opposite of where I came in.
"Now, they won't," I said, knowing that I wouldn't be getting any information from him.
"Somehow, I don't believe you," he said, "however, my instructions are simple. Find a way to ditch your friends, and head back to your house. You'll find a number there that I want you to call. Understand?"
"Yes." My tone was firm, while inside I was a bit gleeful. I would be about to discover if what I was thinking was true or not when I got there. I honestly wouldn't have gone there to begin with if I wasn't so unsure. I knew where he would be; the vision Alice had before hadn't changed, save for the lighting, which made the place even more recognizable to me.
"I'll see you soon, Bella."
I pulled my phone from my ear as I waited for the elevator, entering just as a burst of panic hit my tongue, one too strong to be anything but vampire. I looked back, just before the door closed, to see Alice standing next to the door to the restroom, looking at me with horror in her eyes.
Sorry, Alice I thought, waiting impatiently for the elevator to hit my floor, hoping that I would get there before she did. I already had the luck of holding the keys to the Mercedes, as they had given them to me to hold for some reason. I knew they were going to regret doing that in a few moments.
I made my way outside as quickly as I could, finding the car and heading to my house as instructed. I felt a bit sorry for Alice and the others, but was glad that today was rather cloudy, not like in Forks, but enough that they would be able to leave the airport without glittering like diamonds.
I was glad that the drive from the airport to my house was a bit long. It gave Alice time to tell the others about my leaving. I was also glad that it was late afternoon; it would be darker sooner rather than later, giving them the chance to get to me without worry. I wondered how James would attempt to kill me – would he do it fast, or would he do it slowly. He seemed like the type to play.
I didn't call him right away when I reached home. In fact, I dallied around a bit when I saw evidence that he didn't have my mother; a tape from our collection of home made videos was missing. In fact, I even considered not going, or at least waiting until Alice was close by and sending her a text of were I would be meeting him.
It was then that I realized that I was being a bit cowardly. I was willing to let others fight for me, when I could do it myself. In fact, now that I also thought about it, I realized that James' only reason for hunting me was because he considered me weak, a vulnerable element being protected by others. That began to piss me off.
Calling the number left by James, I listened to him, acting the way I knew he wanted me – helpless, scared, unable to do anything but what he ordered – and hung up once I had where he was, calling Alice on my phone and telling her – before she could say anything or Edward could take the phone, which he did moments before I hung up mine – where to go.
I left the Mercedes there; I would not need it. Walking to the studio, I made sure I didn't look suspicious, a feat made easy by the fact that I didn't look too out of place.
The parking lot of the studio was empty, and I wondered about that before reading the sign on the door that proclaimed that there would be no lessons for two weeks. Opening the door, I walked into the cool building The lobby was dark, shadowed. I could see that the one dance floor, the west one, was dark as well through the viewing window on the door. However, the outline of light – for the viewing window to the other dance floor was closed – could be seen around that door.
Taking a deep breath, I walked towards it, listening as hard as I could. I knew he was here – I could taste him. He wasn't alone, though; rather, he wasn't alone in the building. There was another vampire here, though no where near James. I didn't know who it was, and, at the moment, I didn't really care. Whoever it was didn't seem very interested in me or James; they seemed more like an observer. Either way, I didn't think whoever it was would help James if he was losing, so I would worry about the person when the time came.
As I stepped closer to the door, the sound of my mom's panicking had me moving faster. In reality, I knew it wasn't her; however, if I was too calm, I might cause James to change his game plan or think I brought someone with me. I'd rather neither happen. I already had an idea on what James would do: gloat. He seemed to much of a bastard not to; since he'll think he has all of the cards, he'll want to gloat about it.
Then there was the fact that, during my dallying around the house earlier, I noticed that my digital video camera was missing, and it didn't take me long to realize who had it. It just seemed perfect in my mind; he most likely felt that his 'hunt' was too easy, and I knew that Edward would already want to kill him if he killed me. What would rile Edward up more than a video of his torture of me. It was a rather good place, save for the fact that I would be the one surviving, not him.
Opening the door, I rushed in, probably just as he wanted me to, calling my mother's name out until I noticed the television playing the tape I had saw was missing. The screen turned blue, and I turned to see him standing behind me, the remote in his hand.
"Sorry about that, Bella, but isn't it better that your mother didn't really have to be involved in all this?" His voice was courteous, kind, as if he was doing me some big favor by not having my mother.
"I suppose so," I said, my own voice calm. He looked at me with interest.
"You don't seem angry that I tricked you."
"I'm not." You didn't trick me, after all.
"How odd. You really seem to mean that." He continued to look at me curiously. "You don't seem to have any self-preservation instincts, either," he commented as I stared back at him, unflinchingly.
A few minutes of silence passed.
"So, I suppose that you're going to tell me that your boyfriend will avenge you?" he asked, sounding hopeful. I shook my head.
"I asked him not to," I lied.
James looked as if he was about to ask when I had told him that, but didn't. Instead, he asked, "Do you think he will honor your request?"
"Yes, I do believe so."
"Hmmm. Well, our hopes differ them. You see, this was all just a little too easy, too quick." Here he goes. "To be quite honest, I'm disappointed. I expect a much greater challenge. And then, after all of their reactions on the fields, it only took a little luck to get to you."
I waited as he spoke.
"Of course, it wasn't completely easy. After Victoria failed to get to your father, I had her try to find out more about you. It didn't work, unfortunately; seems your coven thought of that and got rid of all the evidence of anywhere you previously lived. So, I was stuck for a moment, and then, what should happen but I run into a group of people who know you. Apparently, one of your friends called your father not long after you left to invite you somewhere, and your father informed her that you were going to Phoenix to help pack up you mother's house.
"I should have realized that you didn't choose here off a whim, especially since you mentioned your father being reluctant to allowing you to go alone, meaning that you already had plans of coming here, just needed someone with you. Of course, I couldn't be sure, but it did give me a place of where to look for you. Luckily, Victoria happened to overheard your coven making plans to come here and told me. The only thing I didn't have is where you lived, but that was only easily fixed, though it did take me awhile to find your house. I got lucky that you went there; it left a fresh trail of your scent.
"All that was left then was the use of your home movies, and a bluff. Very easy, you know, not really up to my standards. So, you see, I'm hoping your wrong about your boyfriend. Edward, isn't it?"
I didn't answer, waiting for him to make his first move.
"Would you mind, very much, if I left a little letter for your Edward?"
He took a step back, and touched my video camera, which was balanced carefully on top of the stereo. I wondered how I didn't notice it before, especially since it was already running. He adjusted it a few times, widening the frame.
"I'm sorry, but I just don't think he'll be able to resist hunting me after he watches this. And I wouldn't want him to miss anything. It was all for him, of course. You're simply a human, who unfortunately was in the wrong place, at the wrong time, and running with the wrong crowd."
He stepped forward, smiling as he imagined my demise. I began to ready myself when he paused. "Of, one more think, before we begin…"
"I would just like to rub it in, just a little bit. The answer was there all along, after all."
"The answer?" I asked, a bit confused.
"To stopping me from chasing you. It was there all along. It did happen once , ages ago. The one and only time my prey escaped me.
"You see, a vampire who was so stupidly fond of this little victim made the choice that your Edward was too weak to make. When the old one knew I was after his little friend, he stole her from the asylum where he worked – I never will understand the obsession some vampires seem to form with you humans – and as soon as he freed her he made her safe. She didn't even seem to notice the pain, the poor little creature. She'd been stuck in that black hole of a cell for so long. A hundred years earlier and she would have been burned at the stake for her visions. In the nineteen-twenties it was the asylum and the shock treatments. When she opened her eyes, strong with her fresh youth, it was like she'd never seen the sun before. The old vampire made her a strong new vampire and there was no reason for me to touch her then." He sighed. "I destroyed the old one in vengeance."
"Alice," I said. "I knew it."
He looked shocked when I smiled at him, no longer looking even the tiniest bit scared.
"You know, I wondered why you seemed to recognize her in the clearing; now I know. I can hardly wait to inform her of why she didn't remember anything from her human life when I see her again," I said.
"You won't be leaving here alive," he growled, pissed.
"Actually, I think you will find out that it's you who won't be leaving here alive."
He sprang towards me.
Alright, there you go. Before you ask, I did take some of this straight from the book, namely, the Alice explanation, but I did change quite a bit of the encounter between Bella and James. After all, she knew that it was a trap, and decided to turn it into her favor. How did you like the Charlie part? Small, short, to the point, and doesn't leave him with a broken heart and a hatred of Edward. It's what should have happened in the book; rather, something like that should have happened in the book.
Next chapter is the fight, a surprise - well, two surprises - the return of Edward, and most likely the end. Not sure about that last part, we'll see. Oh, as for those outtakes I mentioned in several previous chapters, I still plan on doing them, along with one new one, but not until I finish this story. Can't concentrate on them well enough at the moment. Oh, and i have a poll going right now, not a very important one, just something I want to know. If you read this story, or my others, I would appreciate it if you would answer it.
Please Review, I want to know what you think.
Hearts In Strangeness