A/N: Another week has passed, thankfully without a lot of drama.

Today, no sunshine but I'm feeling okay and eager to get rid of the brace on my arm - one week to go.

My thanks to Sunflower Fran for her beta-ing skills without which no one would be able to take a breath while reading!

More thanks to those who followed and favorited and reviewed, it's gratifying and I never thought I would see it

My thanks to Tarbecca who recommended my story in the Fic Dive Campfire over at A Different Forest!

It's fabulous to see my name amongst those whos' stories I have read

And sadly, nothing has changed since last week, Stephenie Meyer still owns Twilight and I still wish she'd finish Midnight Sun - sigh

Chapter 14

"Wow, love the car, Edward."

He lost the glare and smiled at me, laughing lightly that it was about what we could expect for a thousand bucks and was non-descript enough not to be noticed and get us out of here. Before I could retort, Jasper came jogging around the corner looking more worried than he had when he left.

"What is it Jazz?" I said fearfully.

"I just spotted those guys again, so we need to get out of here quick. I don't think they know anything for sure, but just as I left the office, they walked round the edge of the building and headed for the door."

"Did they see you, do you think?" Edward said. "Is it safe to take this car?"

"I'm pretty sure they were too busy arguing with each other about what their boss was going to say when they told him they'd lost track of us. So, no, I don't think they saw us, and as long as we get out of here quick, the car should be safe too. Bella, you and Edward get in the back, lie on the seat and cover yourselves in that blanket. They're looking for three people, and I'm the one they know the least since they have followed both of you at one point."

Without argument, Edward climbed in, and I crawled in after, laying full length in front of him. Jasper threw the blanket over us and then jumped in the driver's seat. Thankfully, the car started the first time, and he drove us out of the car park, too slow for my liking but probably at just the right speed to make sure that there was nothing suspicious to see.

Ten long minutes later, Jazz spoke up, "It should be okay to come out now."

And not a minute too soon! I was so hot under the blanket that I thought I was gonna pass out. I threw it on the floor, and both Edward and I sat up and opened a window for some of the cool morning air. The sun was just peeping over the horizon washing the sky with light as I sat there, with my hand on Edward's leg breathing in the fresh air.

"I'm pretty sure no one followed us," he continued. "We still have to get gas, and I think it best if we look for a less obvious route out of town just in case."

We headed out through town toward I5, the car full of silence for the moment as we were each engrossed in our own thoughts.

Jazz spoke up first. "We need a phone, but I'm a bit concerned that these goons may have more clout than we thought. They might be able to trace it, so we will have to go blind for a few hours until we find a payphone to contact your dad, Edward. And we need gas now, so let's stop at the first gas station, get some breakfast and coffee to go and find a map - the old fashioned way instead of GPS!"

"Sounds good to me," Edward answered, "I think we should wait until we get to Seattle to contact him. Bella, does anyone know where you are?"

"Only Alice," I answered, "And then only the general area, I didn't tell her exactly where I was, although she might have worked that out for herself since I left the laptop at your parent's house open for her to find. She promised that she would say nothing to anyone until I said it was okay."

I stopped for a minute thinking and watching Edward's face. "She won't tell anyone, she can be trusted you know that. I don't need my phone, I have her number written down, and we need someone to let us know what is happening in Seattle. I sort of asked her to tell your parents that I was visiting my dad in Forks, so we're safe for now."

Edward sighed, thrusting his hands into his hair, tugging at it, "She's right, Jazz. We can call Alice from a pay phone at the next gas station and let her know when we are likely to be back in Seattle. She can let us know what else is going on, so we don't walk into any traps."

Nothing more was said as we drove onto the I5 finally heading towards Seattle. I could only hope that we could sort this out and Edward would be free to get on with his life. I didn't allow my mind to go down the path of where and if I fit in; there was time enough for that once we had proved his innocence even if he decided that he didn't want to be with me.

Fifteen minutes further along the highway, I saw a gas station sign at the same time as my stomach growled. Jasper laughed and pulled into the forecourt beside the pump. "I'll get the fuel, Edward, I guess you should go and get breakfast for Bella. Can you bring me back a coffee and a bacon sandwich please?"

Edward and I made our way to the food court and picked up coffee for each of us along with a sandwich, which would keep us going for a few hours. I nudged Edward as he was waiting for the coffees, telling him I would be in the restroom and left him to wait for Jasper.

Less than five minutes later, Edward banged on the door scaring the life out of me. "Bella, Jazz is pretty sure he's seen those guys again, come on quick while they're busy."

I rushed out, panicking slightly, following him out of the door and round the edge of the building. "Where's Jazz?" I whispered.

"He's paying for the gas right now and thinks that as long as we aren't seen with him, it's likely to be a coincidence. I'm not so sure, but he said that to be on the safe side we should wait around the back and he'll leave and turn off at the next exit, doubling back as long as he's sure he's not being followed."

Fear flew through me, and I felt lightheaded. "What if they are following him? How are we to get out of here then? He won't be able to come back for us, will he?"

"It's okay Bella, we discussed that possibility, and Jazz suggested that if he isn't back in a few hours, we should try for a lift back to town and see if we can get a bus to Seattle instead. He said to wait at the bus station in downtown LA until after dark and if he hasn't managed to get back to us by then to take the bus and he would meet us in Seattle."

Edward sounded confident, so despite being afraid not only for us but for Jazz I agreed, and we made our way around the back of the building where there were some picnic tables. Choosing one in the shade and a little out of sight of the main exits, we watched Jazz drive out and back onto the highway and then watched the now familiar, black Mercedes follow a few minutes later. I hoped that Jasper knew what he was doing and that them being there was just a coincidence.

Picking up on something else Edward said I questioned him, "What do you mean if he hasn't managed to get back to us? That would mean that they are following him. Will he be safe?" I was really worried that Jasper would just be getting himself in trouble and without us to back him up; he would end up in danger or worse.

"Jazz didn't seem to be worried about that at all. He said he would just lead them on a merry chase out of town and then back again and as long as he stays on the main highway in daylight hours he will be fine." His explanation soothed me a little, but I couldn't help but feel guilty that it was my fault that Jazz was involved in this; it was me who led those guys here.

"Jazz doesn't think like that, Bella. He was adamant that he would be helping me no matter what and who knows, they probably would have found me anyway."

I allowed him to convince me for the moment that everything would be all right, but I couldn't help but worry and would continue to do so until I knew that Jasper was safe.

We sat at the picnic tables and drank our coffee and ate our sandwiches while the sun rose higher in the sky. Almost three hours later I was getting really anxious and was about to suggest to Edward that we move on, convinced that Jasper hadn't managed to get away from them when his car returned and he drove round the back of the building where we sat.

"Thank God," I practically leaped for the car grabbing the door handle as Jasper slid to a stop beside the bench where we had been waiting.

"Just a second," Jasper groaned, "I need to get a coffee and something to eat. I had to lead them on a merry chase to get rid of them."

Getting out of the car, he loped towards the cafe telling us to hop in while he went to get his coffee and a sandwich; the one he had before was long gone. Edward climbed into the driver's seat, while I practically fell into the passenger seat in relief. Five minutes later, Jasper was back with his food and coffee along with some cold drinks and chips. Sliding into the rear, he slouched back biting hungrily into his sandwich.

"What happened, Jazz?" Edward and I almost mirrored each other in our eagerness to find out what had occurred when he left, both turning around to speak to him. "You've been gone hours." I continued. "We were getting anxious."

"Well, it may or may not have been a coincidence, but they followed me anyway, so I think there's a good chance that they had a suspicion about who I am and that I'm linked to you even if they had no idea how I fit."

"How did you get away?"

"Did you lose them?"

Again, Edward and I were on the same wavelength.

Jasper emptied the rest of his coffee and leaned back. "I drove around ten miles further on the highway and took the next exit. Fortunately, there was a fair amount of traffic, and they were at least eight to ten cars behind me which meant that I managed to get through the stop lights, while they got stuck."

He laughed and shook his head. "They were absolutely furious, but there was nothing they could do!"

The tension dissipated in the face of our shared laughter. "What then, Jazz?" I asked, "Are we okay to get out of here?"

"I decided that just in case they were still hanging about, I'd drive into the residential streets and make my way back here without using the highway, that's why it took me so long." He looked a little embarrassed as he finished, "Err, I got lost!"

That did it; we all dissolved into practical hysterics as the fear died away leaving us a lot less worried and in a much more optimistic frame of mind. There was silence for a few seconds while we were all lost in our own thoughts until Edward spoke up.

"If they're already suspicious I think we should take the longer route back to Seattle." He grabbed the map from the bag at my feet and opened it up to show the I5 route.

"They can't possibly have enough people to cover every exit, but we can't take too much in the way of a risk in case they are on the look-out for the registration." He looked at both of us and continued, "If we take the coast road for at least part of the trip, we stand a better chance of making it back without them catching on and following us."

"Good idea, Edward, but wouldn't it make sense for them to wait for us in Seattle."

"Probably Bella, but with us not taking the obvious route or flying we can keep them in the dark as to where we are actually headed. For all they know we could be headed south or anywhere in between." Edward was trying his best to convince me that everything would be fine but I could see the worry in his eyes.

"It's okay, Edward," I leaned over the center console and gently touched his cheek. "We have only one option right now, and that is to go back to Seattle and see if we can find something to prove that you didn't kill Tanya. We all believe in you, your family, Jasper, and me. We're all here for you, so stop worrying about us and let's get going so we can do just that; find that evidence."

He turned his face to me, his eyes searching my face for the truth. Eventually, he sighed and looked back at Jasper.

"Right, I suggest we stay on the I5 for a while because there's plenty of traffic right now and we can keep our eyes open for anyone following us. We can always head off towards the coast for a while if we need to and we may have to stop tonight. There are plenty of exits for us to leave if we need to but we have to keep a lookout to make sure that there aren't any other strange cars that keep pace with us for too long."

"Sounds like a plan," Jasper agreed. "You drive for a bit, eh?"

Edward agreed, and as we drove out of the gas station, Jasper promptly stretched out across the back seat and closed his eyes, seeming to fall asleep in just a few minutes. Edward shook his head and smirked at him and then turned North on I5, while I kept an eye out for a black Mercedes. We spent the next two hours talking about anything and everything, while Jasper slept oblivious in the back. I reveled in the fact that my Edward was well and truly back. I knew I was in deep and I was falling in love with him, and helpless to stop. I wasn't sure how he felt, but until this was over, there was no way I could broach the subject; he had enough to worry about.

The rest of the journey was relatively uneventful as we traded off driving and sleeping and switched from the highway to the lesser-known roads just in case we were followed. I knew that once we reached Seattle, it was likely that we would have to be a lot more careful as I was absolutely sure that there would be someone hanging around to see if we turned up at the apartment.

Despite the seriousness of the situation, I couldn't help but enjoy the trip. Edward, with the help of Jasper's laid back attitude, became less stressed, and I got to know him better. Our conversations covered every topic under the sun from music to books to places we had been. Nothing was said about what we might meet over the miles we covered, there would be time enough to talk about that once we arrived at our journey's end. Jasper also proved to be a good companion, and as time went on, I was happy to say that we became good friends and I had no doubt we would stay that way.

Instead of stopping that night at a motel we decided to park the car off the road at a gas station just outside Portland that offered space for the many trucks that were headed in the same direction we were. There was some safety in those places amongst the giant trucks and drivers who were protective of strangers, and we slept feeling safe, Edward and me on the back seat cuddled up together and Jasper leaning back in the front seat. Not that comfortable, but then we were only stopping for a few hours since we all were too tired to drive any further.

I woke first on the following morning just as the sky was beginning to lighten. I was brought awake with a bit of a start as the trucks on either side of us came to life to get an early start on their day. Edward's arms were tight around me, and I lay there relishing the feeling for now, knowing that soon enough we would have to face the next problem. Jasper stirred about fifteen minutes later and opened the door to make his way to the gas station, no doubt to take care of business in the restroom.

I could feel Edward stir behind me as his body stiffened, probably remembering where we were and what was coming. His morning wood rubbed deliciously against my ass before I turned and faced him. His hair, as usual, was all over the place, and his eyes were sleepy as he looked at me, smirking. I grinned at him and pecked his lips murmuring something about morning breath. He insisted on kissing me no matter, and I gave in a lot less reluctantly than the impression I gave him.

A few minutes later, Jasper knocked on the window and then opened the driver door with a flourish planting three coffees on the central console. I pulled myself free of Edward, and we both crawled out of the car heading somewhat sleepily toward the restrooms following Jasper's example. I did take a look around as we crossed the parking lot, but there was no sign of any other cars and definitely no black Mercedes. And while I was under no illusion that they had just let us go for now we were safe.

**CD**