THE TRIP

I do not own the characters of Twilight. I will try to return them unharmed.

This chapter is short but necessary. Big chapter coming.

Edward swore to Alice he was strong enough to carry Bella. His protectiveness of her had been an instinct and that would never change.

Bella locked her hands tighter around Edward's neck as he ran. She kept her head down focusing on his back. She couldn't afford to have her queasiness take over and make her vulnerable for him now. He was weaker than he was willing to admit. She knew it. She could sense it. Her heart knew this man too well for him to hide his illness from her.

Everything had moved in slow motion. Bella had been sound asleep in Edward's arms. He had shaken her awake in a hastened panic. He hadn't said a word, just thrown a jacket at her and pulled her onto his back. He had moved swiftly to the living room and spoke quickly and quietly to Alice.

Bella knew they were speaking but couldn't make out a lot of the words. A few of them had hit her ears. Things like vampire, safety, escape. She knew from the look on Alice's face and the way she shifted her eyes from Edward to Bella that they had been discussing who needed to get Bella away from the cabin. Who had the best chance to keep her safe.

Of course Edward had won the argument not that it had been long. Whoever the vampire had been must have been close cause Edward had quickly looked at Bella and told her to tuck herself in as much as she could. Bella couldn't understand at the time why but when Edward had gone through the window, closed window, smashing the glass she had understood.

Edward ran for so long that Bella could feel her arms cramping. The tinkling from lack of circulation had began to burn. Bella was wearing the jacket Edward had thrown at her but without it being done up her chest was exposed to Edward's skin. Even with his sickness, Edward's body temperature was still low enough that long exposure to it would eventually chill her to the bone. Bella wasn't sure how much more she could take.

She felt the wind around her begin to slow. And as she was about to raise her head she heard Edward say, as the wind caught the words and blew them past her, "Bella, hold on, I'm passing you over to Emmett."

Bella looked up in time to see a tree whip past her head. She screamed sharply and simultaneously she tucked her head in and was swung from Edward to Emmett. She found the courage to look up again. Her eyes denied what she saw.

Edward was breathing hard. He was running slightly slower than Emmett. She knew because Emmett was pulling away from him. Edward's illness was effecting him more than he had been willing to admit to her and she was suddenly anger with him again.

The three continued to run for what Bella felt was forever. She had lost sense of time but knew it was near morning as the sky was beginning to go from a jet black to a pale blue. She wished the trip would be over. She needed to know what was going on. She wanted to know who had been coming for her and why. Her questions seemed to be endless these days and she needed answers.

She found it harder to hang onto Emmett. He was much more massive than Edward and her arms were barely long enough to hug his neck. She tried to adjust her legs for a better grip. She felt herself slip and her heart skipped a beat. Just as she was about to scream she felt her body being pulled around the huge stone man. He tucked her into his arms without missing a stride.

Bella looked up into the face of the man carrying her. She saw a determined set on his face. Realizing that she was looking up at him, he glanced down at her. She scanned his eyes for any information she could get instead his eyes sparkled at her telling her that she was safe. She received no more information.

Bella continued to glance around but for most of the trip was in darkness as she kept her eyes shut tight. She couldn't afford the dizziness that she knew would soon accompany her if she didn't. She worked on relaxing her arms to relieve the burning pain hanging from Edward and Emmett's necks had caused.

She could hear the wind around her quietly become silent and poked her head up into time to see Edward looking at her gesturing ahead. She shifted her eyes to look where Edward was pointing. She could see a small settlement coming upon them as they crested the hill they had been climbing.

Bella had no clue where they were but realized this was their destination. When they came to the top of the hill the two men slowly to a walk and then stopped to put Bella on her feet. As Emmett let her go, Edward's arms took over. He had obviously remembered Bella's trip like this in the past. She needed a moment to gather herself. Being both klutzy and unsteady from the trip would normally made Emmett laugh. But there was a strange seriousness coming from him.

"Bella, listen to me. I want you to walk between us. Don't look up. Don't make eye contact with anyone. Don't react to any questions, comments or sounds. This is a dangerous place for humans and I am in no shape to fight. Do you understand?" Edward stared at her. His face was determined.

She knew that she couldn't argue with him. Wherever they were he needed her to listen to him exactly. She was definitely terrified. Edward would never bring her to such a dangerous place if the danger behind them wasn't worse. Who the hell was this vampire chasing her? Who was it that wanted her so badly?

With Edward and Emmett flanked on either side of her, Bella felt like a princess with her personal guards protecting her. She kept her eyes down letting them lead her. She could see the ground turn from a grassy trail to a small dirt road. She tried to concentrate on anything other than the sounds around her but found it impossible.

She could hear shuffling coming from someone other than the three of them. Someone or something had made a sound. Bella couldn't tell if it was a human voice or something else. Suddenly she heard an unearthly sound. She was so petrified but held her course and allowed herself no change in her pace.

She felt them change direction and saw that they had stepped onto a cobbled stone walkway. She felt herself being pulled into a stop. She listened to one of them knock on a wooden door she assumed.

She had been right. She heard a door creak as it was pulled open and they started to move again. She heard again the door close and Edward pull her to a chair and sit her down.

He put his hand under her chin, pulling her face up so she was looking into his eyes. "Bella? Are you okay?"

Bella nodded slightly. She was confused. She wanted to ask where she was and what was so dangerous in this place.

As if hearing her thoughts, Edward answered, "Bella, we are in a village that is far into the mountains. It is the one place a vampire would never dare come to."

"But, Edward, you....." Bella slowly started to speak, still afraid.

"Bella, the family is safe here. It is a long story and we don't have time to discuss it now. Ask me again sometime. For the moment all you need to know is you are safe within this house. You can't go outside. Promise me." He was completely serious and needed her to take this seriously.

Bella nodded and very slowly willed her body to look around her. She saw the inside of the room and found it to be normal. There was a TV in the corner, chairs and a couch, pictures on the walls and a bookshelf with numerous books scattered on its shelves.

She looked up further when a movement caught her eye. She found herself staring into the blazing red eyes of the largest dog she had ever seen.