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.

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Bella's POV-

"You know, I could get used to this," I joked once I'd finished, waving my hand over the table. Edward and Charlie were both disastrous in the kitchen. I was always cooking, it seemed.

When James answered me, his voice seemed oddly serious.

"I could too." His eyes were intent on my face, the strangest emotion storming through them. I met his gaze squarely, head tilted slightly, confused by the sudden turn in the feeling of the room.

Suddenly, I didn't feel like we were talking about breakfast anymore.

"Um... what?" I asked lamely. James grinned, but it only lasted a split second before the very serious look was back on his face.

"I love you, Bella," he began, his eyes never straying from mine. "I like our routine. I like spending our days teasing each other and making love. I like that you wake up to me in the morning, and you wrap yourself around me at night. I don't want to lose that."

My mouth opened as I struggled to form words, to form the appropriate words, preferably, but any words would do.

"James... I..." I shut my eyes, taking a deep breath.

Allowing myself time to gather my thoughts. All I could think was that I needed to touch him; I needed to be in his arms, if we were going to have a discussion this serious. Unthinkingly, I stood up and went over to James, folding myself into his lap. I sighed in relief when his strong arms closed around me, holding me close.

Still, I didn't speak. But finally, I felt like I could think.

"You don't have to lose it, James," I said after a lengthy pause. "No one has found us yet. Who knows what my school thinks. I want to finish high school eventually, but that doesn't mean you have to lose me." My voice was getting louder, and I bounced in his lap as my plan became clearer to me.

"We'll do this the proper way. Eventually, we'll go back. You can say you found me! You can't live close to town, I don't want anyone in Forks being in danger, but we could still see each other. Then when I'm finished with high school, we could really be together. James, you won't have to give anything up. We'll have plenty of time to devote to this same routine. It'll be perfect."

James's arms tightened around me, and he refused to meet my gaze. "What about him?" he whispered.

Him. Edward. My supposed other half.

I buried my face against James's chest, trying to ignore the pain. Thinking of Edward still tore my heart in two. He felt so distant that I wanted to mourn his loss, grieve for the love I'd lost, but I hadn't been able to. I'd been too caught up with James. With a new love, and a new future. Images flitted across my memory.

Edward, speeding across the parking lot to save me from the van. The concern in his eyes.

Edward, his face illuminated by the dashboard lights as we sped down a dark Washington road. "Distract me."

Edward, sitting in the cafeteria. Grinning. Beckoning me with a finger.

Edward, the first time he revealed himself to me in the sun.

Edward, as he leaned in to kiss me for the first time.

Edward, looking so tortured as he bent to kiss me one last time.

"Be safe."

Then, James. "Do you always wake up mad?" he asked, sounding simultaneously confused, amused, and perplexed. I didn't want to answer, but I'd already given him half the explanation so I might as well give him the rest, I reasoned. "I thought you had left." Then, his lips on mine. Rough. Claiming my mouth as his own.

Me, whispering- "this is so wrong-" before I threw myself at James. Us against the door, really together for the first time.

"I love you, I love you, I love you," We were on the cot, moving against one another, and I just kept repeating it, tears streaming from my eyes. "I love you too, Bella," James answered, wiping my tears away carefully.

James, after I'd asked him why he didn't kill me. Rocking me, comforting me. "Bella... just because that was the reason why I didn't kill you originally doesn't mean that's why you're still alive now. I love you. I don't like it, but there it is. It started as a game, but I love you."

The two of us in the kitchen, his voice low in my ear. "Do you dream about me, Bella?"

Edward's face, close to mine, whispering "I love you" became James, smiling brilliantly, murmuring the same thing.

"He's gone, James. He didn't find me. He isn't going to. I'm here with you." My voice was rougher, sadder than I'd intended. But I reached up and grasped his face in my hands, leaning to kiss him. "I love you, James. We can be together. We can make this work."

"God, Bella..." His arms tightened around me almost to the point of pain, and his mouth crashed against mine: lips, teeth, tongues colliding. "I can't lose you now. We'll have to find a way to make it work, because I just can't lose this."

I eased my way out of the kiss, moving my lips gently against his.

"You're not going to lose me, James. I promise."

We sat there, unmoving, just talking to each other for hours. I asked about his human memories, his life before me. He asked about my childhood, my family, Phoenix; he carefully avoided my time in Forks and wisely did not bring up Edward or the Cullens. I never managed to get more than a chuckle from him, and his voice when he answered my questions was almost monotone, although it erred on desperate when he asked me questions, attempting to pull more information from me.

After awhile, it became too much. It had gotten impossibly dark outside, the rain still pouring down, lightening illuminating the forest eerily right outside the window. I stretched against him and rested my forehead against his.

The strange, serious expression was still there; I didn't like it, not even a little. It made me anxious.

I smiled at him, wrapping my arms around his neck. Finally, a smile curved his lips. My smile widened into a triumphant grin.

"You probably know more about me than I do by now. We've spent several days just asking questions since we got here. And I'm fairly boring," I pointed out, arching an eyebrow at him.

"I find you very, very interesting, Isabella. But alright- what else do you suggest we do?" His lips were still curved in a smile, although the haunted look did not leave his eyes.

I wasn't sure what to do, how to cope with this alarming behavior from him. From Edward, I would have expected it. But not from James. I could think of only one thing that would guarantee a better mood.

My fingers threaded through James's hair, tugging lightly as I shifted in his lap. "How about we go to bed?" My voice was low, and I hoped seductive.

I struggled not to clap with glee when the emotion in his eyes flared, shifting from haunted to aroused in that split second.

"I think that is a wonderful suggestion."

He stood up, shifting one arm so I was cradled in his arms against his chest. He didn't even pretend it took any effort; by the time I blinked, we were next to the cot, and he was lowering me carefully onto it.

"You're so beautiful," he murmured, looking down at me.

I felt the blush burn across my cheeks and was grateful when he joined me, stretching out slowly on top of me. He was heavy, but it was a welcome weight- it kept me grounded, tied to the moment. My mind couldn't wander as easily when I was surrounded by James.

When he was situated between my thighs, his lips pressed against mine. Moving slowly, gently.

Immediately, my hands slipped beneath his shirt, simply touching. Stroking lightly along the skin. I would never tire of touching him; his skin was so cool, so silky. Perfect. I felt the moan rumble through his chest when my fingers trailed across his nipples, causing a very feminine satisfaction to spread through me. The fact that I could get him so worked up absolutely thrilled me.

His mouth pulled away from mine, peppering little kisses along my jaw, tracing it up until he'd reached my ear.

"Something isn't right," James whispered.

I froze, my hands stilling on his body. Something wasn't right? Didn't he want me? I opened my mouth to ask him, but he held a finger to my lips.

"Not you, Bell. Something isn't right outside. Something's going on with this little game that I haven't prepared for."

I struggled not to gape at him, because I had no idea what in the hell he was talking about, and he wasn't explaining. But he looked at me, smiled warmly, and leaned so that he could press a warm kiss to my lips, and I quickly forgot there was ever a problem.

"I'm going to go check it out," he murmured. "I'll be back before you even know it."

And with that he climbed off of the cot, backing towards the door.

"You wait right there, alright? I'm not locking the door. No funny business."

Laughing, I rolled my eyes then stretched out on the little cot. Waving him away with a little motion of my wrist. But I was smiling.

"Get out of here, see what's wrong, and hurry back. I won't move a muscle."

It wasn't even five minutes later that James burst through the door, his expression tight, worried. His hand grasped my arm tightly as he tried to lift me from the cot and push me in the direction of the bathroom without using too much force.

"Bella, get in there, now. Shut the door and wait for me to tell you it's okay to come out." His voice was rough and commanding.

Struggling in his grasp, I glared up at him. "What in the hell do you think you're doing? What's going on?"

He just ignored me and lifted me into his arms, depositing me in the bathroom himself.

"James, damn it, tell me what's going on!" I demanded, my hand closing around his wrist, tugging as hard as I could just to stop him.

"James? I'm scared…" I whimpered, pouting up at him. Okay, so it was fighting dirty. But if he was going to ignore me, I had to find a way around that.

He just looked at me and groaned, shoving his free hand through his hair anxiously.

"Victoria is out there somewhere. I need to try to stop her from coming to the cabin. If she..." His voice trailed off, then he slammed a fist into the doorway, cursing low in his throat. The wood splintered, buckling under the force of his hand. I reached out a hand to soothe him before I even realized what I was doing.

"God damn it, Bella, if she finds out about us, she's going to want to kill you," he rasped, his eyes boring into mine. Begging me to understand.

Begging me to be safe.

I leaned up to press my mouth to his, parting my lips in silent request. I needed him to kiss me. I needed to know things were going to be okay.

I needed this to get me through it if they weren't.

For a second, he relented, claiming my mouth in a way only he could. His lips worked mine, his tongue stroked inside my mouth, his teeth nipped softly at the flesh of my lip. And then he was gone, leaving the cabin's front door to slam shut behind him. For a moment I just stood there, watching the door and waiting for him to come back inside and tell me this was all a sick joke. Then I shut the door to the bathroom as he'd instructed, to wait for him to return.

Then it all came crashing down.

I rested my weight against the bathroom door, pressing my fist against my mouth. Willing myself to calm down, to breath, to not let my heart get out of control. Victoria was here. She was angry. She wanted me dead.

Not only that, but those feelings were only going to get stronger, because when she got close enough to James, she would be able to smell me all over him. A small part of me thrilled at the thought, but the part of me concerned with staying alive recognized that as something I didn't want to happen.

I knew James had gone out to meet her, to try to stop her from coming to the cabin. I waited, listening intently for the first sign of their arrival, but I couldn't hear anything over the storm. It had gotten impossibly strong; the winds battered the little cabin, and the tiniest little leak had begun in the ceiling, the water dripping slowly onto the floor in front of me.

After what was most likely just a few seconds but seemed like eternity, the front door opened, and the angry sounds of their arguing drifted beneath the door. They were speaking so rapidly I had trouble keeping up, but for the most part, I managed.

"You were supposed to call me to come join you!" Victoria accused angrily, her voice seething with anger.

"I was busy," was all James said, his voice low, curt.

"Busy fucking your little human whore!" I flinched at the words, wanting to defend myself. Wanting him to defend me. I waited, listening for his defense. The words that came next almost broke my heart.

"I was bored, Victoria. She served a purpose. And just imagine the lovesick one's reaction when he finds out."

"You wouldn't have been bored if you'd done what we talked about. Killed her, fought the brat, then called me so we could move on!"

James' voice sounded much angrier when he answered her next; I could almost picture his face as he said the words. "I do not have to defend myself to you. You follow me. Not the other way around. If I want to kill her, that's okay. If I want to turn her, that's okay. And if I want to keep her alive and fuck her whenever I want, that's okay. It's not like she means anything to me."

"Oh, really? Not anything? Then you won't mind if I just get this over with and kill her now, right?"

Her voice was getting closer to the door. I could feel my heartbeat skyrocketing at the same time it felt like it was breaking. I shut my eyes, hoping, praying that he would find it in his heart to stop her. Okay, so all the "I love you"s had been lies. But he had to care for me. I'd seen it in his eyes. I'd felt it in the way he touched me sometimes. He might not love me, but he cared, on some level, he cared, and surely that was enough to safe my life.

Wasn't it?

"Go ahead." He laughed, and his voice was just as far as before. So he hadn't moved towards her, or me. "Actually, that would be great. It'll save me the trouble. Although I have much more of an element of surprise."

"Well then. Let's get this taken care of."

Victoria's voice was so close. I stood up, scrambling to get away. My foot hit the water and slid out from under me.

I barely had time to gasp at the pain from the muscle pulling when my head crashed into the wall. Tears sprang to my eyes as I struggled to sit up, clasping one hand around my ankle and pressing the other to my forehead, the pain radiating in waves from my ankle and my head. I just wanted to lay down and take a nap, let my head stop spinning.

Victoria threw the door open then, and the light from the next room illuminated her from behind so that her hair looked like fire, curling wildly around her very beautiful, very angry face. I struggled to stand up, the urge to run nearly choking me with its urgency, but I just crashed back to the ground. When I put my hands out to catch myself, there was blood absolutely covering one of them.

It was at that point that I registered several things.

I was bleeding.

I could not walk.

Victoria wanted to kill me, and now I couldn't even pretend I had a chance to get away.

Both Victoria and James looked very, very hungry.

And there was someone else in the doorway.

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Edward's POV-

Too late, too late, you're too late. My conscience chanted, the words in time to the rapid beat of my feet on the forest floor as I ran. I was soaking wet, but I just kept running. We had searched and searched. It had taken longer than we thought to cover the search area, and so far it had been fruitless. The timeline for Alice's vision had come and gone. I was afraid that Victoria had already killed Bella. But I needed to find her anyways.

I needed to know for sure what had happened.

I needed to get my revenge on James.

Jasper had been trying to convince me to give up when I caught Victoria's scent. I assumed it was fairly recent, considering all the rain. Cities were being evacuated. Counties were in states of emergency. It stormed, and it stormed, and it stormed some more. But I had managed to smell her, to identify her, so surely that meant it was recent.

From that moment on, my thoughts had been focused only on Bella.

In the distance, I could see the faint outline of a building, a soft glow coming from the windows. Light.

The cabin.

Bella.

It was like tunnel vision. Every ounce of my being was focused on that one pinpoint of light, and I ran faster than I've ever run before. I didn't even think to yell for the family. Bella was all that mattered.

Bella was all that had ever mattered.

I didn't still until I'd busted straight through the door. Immediately, Bella's scent washed over me, soothing me. I could hear her heartbeat. Alice was wrong. She had been wrong. She was a day off. Victoria was here now, and Bella was alive.

Both James and Victoria wheeled around, their faces twisted in shock, anger. Briefly, I registered regret at not calling my family. I couldn't fight them both and get Bella to safety at the same time. But then my eyes found her: huddled on the bathroom floor, blood trickling down the side of her face, pain evident in her expression.

Save Bella! My internal voice demanded.

So I did. Moving completely on instinct, with a speed even I had never known before, I slipped past both of them into the bathroom and gathered Bella into my arms, shielding her as best as I could with my body. Victoria began to advance, growling low in her throat, but then suddenly James was yanking her back into the kitchen, in a move I did not understand.

I heard the crashing, the loud cracks and sharp hisses that indicated they were fighting.

Bella gripped my neck tightly, her shoulders shaking with the force of her sobs as she simply repeated my name over and over again.

"Shh, Bella. It's me. I'm here. I'm going to save you," I whispered rapidly, yanking a towel from the shower rod to cover her with.

I was thankful for James stopping Victoria, whatever his motivation was. Perhaps I'd kill him a bit quicker when the time came. But for now, my only focus was Bella. I had failed her before, and I would not do the same now.

I needed to get Bella to safety.

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Bella's POV-

I was in shock that Edward was there. Everything was happening so fast, one second I was sure either Victoria or James was going to kill me, the next Edward was there, gathering me into his arms, and the next we were out the door, running into the storm. I thought I saw James looking out the door, his expression almost sad, but surely I was seeing things.

My brain barely had time to process what was happening, and my emotions were tangled; on one hand, I felt like my heart was breaking- I still remembered James's words, his cool acceptance when Victoria said she was going to kill me. But on the other hand, I felt gloriously whole, like I'd had the most important part of myself restored to me. I had Edward back.

Edward, my love.

Edward, my soul mate.

Edward, the only thing that mattered.

I looked up at his face in awe, his beauty absolutely shattering my heart. He was even more perfect than I remembered.

"Edward," I sighed, my awe evident in my voice.

His arms tightened around me as he looked down, his lips pressed tightly together. He looked furious, which confused me, but when he spoke, his voice was soft and musical.

"I've got you now, Bella. I love you. We're going home."

I nodded, burying my face against his chest. Inhaling deeply the sweet smell I'd so missed. Edward, my heart sighed. Everything was right. I was with Edward. I was safe. I was going home.

Home...

Somewhere in the pits of my mind, there was a single note of alarm. Wrong! it screamed.

Stop!

I ignored it.

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