Flight of the Phoenix

Chapter Fourteen – Wicked

"She's going to be here in about three minutes, Edward. Umm… you'd better grab her and take off running." Alice said sheepishly.

I sighed. "Why do I have to do that, Alice?"

A vision clear as day played in her head.

Bella comes into the house, slamming the door with her powers, sending it off its hinges. She floats into the room and glares at me, her eyes filled with anger and something else.

"How could you?" she roars, causing all the windows to shatter.

She was going to be noticed. She was going to bring down the Volturi on herself and my family.

Alice nodded and stopped showing me the outcome of Bella's anger. I stood beside the door ready for her. She was going to know what I was going to try and attempt, but I had no choice. She'd expose herself and my family if I allowed her to blow up like that.

"Grab her and take her to that meadow you were at last night," Alice said. "You know, the one you ran to." Alice took Jasper's hand, walking out the back door and out of sight.

I waited nervously in Bella's house when I heard her car tires screech on the pavement outside.

"Edward," she whispered, only audible to those of my kind.

Why did she sound so calm?

Hurry, I don't know how long I can hold it.

I listened to the surrounding area and heard and saw that no one would see me nearby. I ran to her car door and helped her out. Her whole body was flushed; her hair was whipping around her. I stared in awe; she looked like a fallen angel.

An angel bent on causing hell.

I gulped.

Get me out of here, her thoughts cried out to me.

I nodded and swiftly put her on my back. I ran to the backyard and found purchase on a large Douglas fir. I launched into the neighboring tree, always mindful of Bella. I continued upward and further into the lush forest.

After twenty minutes, I found the clearing and Bella flew off me, sending me careening toward a tree, demolishing it.

Bella landed on her feet a few hundred feet away from me. She started pacing… well, it looked like pacing, but her feet were about four feet off the ground. I watched, entranced by her movements and thoughts that were chaotic in her head. She suddenly blocked me, aware that she had dropped her shield.

After a few minutes, her breathing had returned to normal, and her bare feet touched the ground delicately.

"Did anything I tell you sink in that hard head of yours?" she asked, avoiding my gaze.

I made my way to her after dusting myself off and stood a few feet in front of her. "Please don't be mad at me, Bella," I pleaded. Her hurt and in pain was terrible and unthinkable. But her anger at me was just as bad.

"When did you do it?" she asked, crouching low on the ground. She leaped and settled on a branch on a large spruce about twenty feet above me.

I panicked, watching from the forest floor, afraid that she might fall and hurt herself.

"I paid for it about the same time I ordered the car. Um… you were still in the hospital."

She watched me and shook her head. "Why didn't you tell me so at least I could've been prepared?" She jumped off the tree suddenly, and I watched in horror ready to jump to catch her, but she held me in her restraints and I was unable to move.

Her toes touched the ground delicately and gracefully. She used her telekinesis to soften her landing. She released me once she was safe on the ground.

"I went in there after attempting to set up online payments this morning on my laptop so I could make a payment on my house. But low and behold, it showed that I no longer had a balance. I thought it was a mistake. I went to the bank and found out it was paid in full by Pacific Northwest, the same company that gave me a last minute scholarship. Tell me you didn't pay for my tuition, too."

I shook my head, because I had nothing to do with the scholarship. The fact that it was my family's dummy corporation told me that someone in my family had something to do with it.

We both came up with the answer – Esme.

Bella shook her head. "You've all done enough for me, and you've done enough for me. Doing something like this just throws us more off balance."

"Off balance?" I questioned. Talking seemed to be distracting her enough to calm down.

"Yes, Edward… off balance. You know you're all beautiful, smart and perfect and… I'm just me."

I looked at her. Had she lost her mind?

"Bella, even before all this happened to you, you were all those things and more. You're selfless, warm and good. How can you believe otherwise?"

"I don't know how to explain it." She sighed as waves of insecurity came off her. "It's like the only thing I can give you is me, and everything you give me, all the things you buy me, it's like you're… putting up your whore."

I took her hands in my own and kissed them and shook my head. "Love, I would never think of you as property or something like that."

"Wait, I'm not finished." She held up her warm hand over my mouth. "I feel like a pet. That's the best way to describe it. I feel like a damn lab experiment. 'Let's see what happens to the little human when I buy her a car, wardrobe, or a damn house.' 'Let's see what she eats and how erratic her sleep patterns are…'"

I shook my head. I never felt like I was watching her every move because I wanted to see her reaction to something. It was just that every move she made was beautiful and sensual.

"Stop trying to make me believe otherwise. Since the beginning, you were attracted to my blood, to my quiet mind and my humanity. And face it, with each passing day I'm less and less human. And even if you choose to change me, what will it do to our already – fragile relationship? Will you like the way I smell then? What if once I become a vampire, my mind remains unshielded? Will you still want to know my thoughts?"

God, she based all my feelings on just her human qualities and nothing more. She believed that I loved her for all the things that had originally attracted me to her. Had I given her any other reason to believe otherwise? When I saw it through her eyes, no, I hadn't. I'd never once told her all the reasons I loved her. I'd undermined her wishes and kept things from her.

She didn't feel like my equal or at the same level as my family and me. But she failed to see that even though she had all those qualities now, it didn't mean she would have a semblance of her humanity after her change.

"I don't want to be kept in the dark. I want to know what is happening. I want you to tell me something even though you know it would upset me."

I shook my head and pulled her into my arms. "Bella, please believe me when I say that I love you for so many reasons and not just for your blood."

"I'm trying so hard to block my powers from reading your thoughts and feeling your emotions when you're touching me. I'm afraid that if I don't, I might not like what I hear. What if I repulse you?"

"Bella, I appreciate that you are giving me my privacy when we're together, but let me assure you that if you dropped your shield while you're lying next to me, kissing me and just simply holding my hand, you'd find that I love and want you."

I kissed her forehead and put my finger under her chin so that I could raise her face to look into my eyes. "You have no idea what you do to me. Do you?"

Bella closed her eyes, shielding her most expressive feature from my searching eyes. "You can lie in your mind. I know you can. You'd do it just to make me feel better," she whispered, her delicate sweet scent of her breath fanning across my face.

I tensed, tasting her scent on my tongue and at the back of my throat. Bella sensed the minute change in my body and backed away slowly.

"I guess you're right. You first want me for my blood. I'll go now." Then she was gone.

"Bella!" I screamed and ran, following her scent.

How is she moving so fast?

"Bella, please don't run away from me. I wouldn't hurt you." I ran where her scent suddenly stopped, and I couldn't figure out in what direction she had gone.

"God, Edward, what the hell did you do now?" Alice asked, coming toward me with Jasper by her side.

"She just disappeared," I said, trying to calm myself.

"She's fine, she's heading home. She's just getting ready for class, but you have to give her time. She doesn't seem to understand what she really means to you, and to us, for that matter. We have to show her that we don't see her like she thinks we do," Alice explained.

"I never said anything to her to make her think that I felt she belonged to me," I said, going over the conversation in my head.

Jasper cocked an eyebrow and shook his head. "You never said anything, but did you do anything?"

I shook my head.

"Edward, you bought her a car, her house, you pay for her groceries, and I know you paid her utility bills. Now think about it. What would that look like to an observer?"

"That I was taking care of my girlfriend," I said, like it was obvious.

Alice and Jasper shook their head and chuckled lightly.

"If we were in Forks, what would they think about her?" Jasper looked at me as he worded his question carefully.

I thought about it. "Oh God, they'd think she was a gold digger or something like that. I can just hear Jessica's and Lauren's thoughts if they saw us together."

Alice nodded. "And what would they think about you doing that for her?"

"That I was doing it for… oh God…" I trailed off. They'd think that I was giving her the world because she was – how would Emmett word it – putting out.

"Exactly. So, you have to understand where Bella is coming from. She's never liked being the center of attention. Now we've thrust her into a life that is very different from what she had before. She's not used to all this attention that we are lavishing on her. We spend money on her even though she forbids us to," Jasper elaborated further.

I nodded. "How do I fix this? I don't want her to be angry with me."

"Just give her time. She'll come to understand why you love her. And frankly, that girl doesn't see herself clearly. But let's just say that class is going to be a little hard for you," Alice said, giggling.

I groaned and pinched the bridge of my nose. Please tell me she's not planning on doing something.

Alice thoughts were blocked from mine as she continued giggling. Her eyes glazed over, and then she started down right laughing.

"Oh my God, Bella… so funny… can't wait… so much fun…"

Jasper started laughing along with Alice because of the emotions coming off Alice, no doubt.

Alice composed herself and drew out her cell phone, making a call. "Don't say anything, Bella. Edward will hear if you do. The answers are, yes I can help. Yes, I'll call the others. Yes, I'll make sure Carlisle asks the wolves to watch your father while they're gone. Yes, he'll do it just to make it up to you. Yes, I'll tell him."

I glared at Alice as she carried on a one-sided conversation with Bella on the phone. Alice hung up.

"Bella wanted me to tell you, 'See,you don't like being kept in the dark, do you?'" Alice said, sticking out her tongue.

"That's from me. Come now, Jasper. I have some searching and shopping to do."

"Alice," I growled.

"Edward," she growled back.

"Alice, I have every right to know what's going on with my Bella."

Jasper raised his eyebrows rather smugly, and then I realized what I'd said. I groaned. I did see her as mine. All mine. I couldn't help it. The possessive nature I felt toward her was almost animalistic in nature. I felt territorial, and I didn't want anyone encroaching on my territory.

Shit, I cursed in my own mind. She was right.

Alice and Jasper left, telling me the rest of the family was coming soon.

I made it back to my house, but not before checking on Bella, who had already left for class that started in an hour. I noticed her car was still in the driveway. She must've have walked.

I changed quickly into jeans and threw on a sweater, pulling up the sleeves up to my elbows. I thought about stopping somewhere to grab some flowers but thought better of it. I'd be once again buying something to make it up to her. That would not bode over well, I was sure. I grabbed my satchel before I left walking. The sky had finally clouded over as I made it to the campus about ten minutes later.

I followed her scent and found her sitting in the outdoor food court, sitting by herself, eating a salad and drinking a Coke. Her eyes lifted to mine, and what I saw made my heart clench.

She looked defeated.

I approached her, but she shook her head. I sighed and sat on a bench and pulled out a notepad a few tables away from her. I glanced a few times toward her, watching her and aching to sit with her.

Give me time, please, she pleaded.

Bella, please. I just need to be with you.

I noticed her getting up from her seat and throwing her food in a nearby trash bin.

I don't want you to be with me, for now.

As she left the court, toward our first class, she walked past me, averting her eyes from mine. She had a pair of skinny jeans and a fitted white camisole with a blood red tight vest. No doubt something that Alice had picked out for her to wear. I cringed at the mental barrage of fantasies of some of the other male students around us. This was going to be a long night.

I followed behind a few hundred feet to watch her, following her inside the class. I went to take a seat where we'd sat last time, but Bella sat closer to the bottom of rows of seats near the aisle.

I sat and watched her from afar as the classroom filled with other students. The young man that had thought that Bella had nice legs during our last class waltzed in the room.

I looked away from Bella and listened to the ingrate.

Well, well, well. Its looks like not all is well in paradise. Asshole. Now's my chance.

I held back a growl as my fingers clenched around my knee. I watched as his eyes lingered a little too long on Bella's chest before descending, taking in the entire length of her body. He took the seat beside her, and it seemed that she wasn't aware of his presence. Bella shifted in her seat and bent down to retrieve a pen from her bag.

Through his eyes I could see that he was looking at her backside as she bent down, and he got a damn eyeful of black lace. The onslaught of fantasies that this image invoked in this little boy was enough for me to tear off his arms… hell, all his appendages.

Calm down, Edward. I can feel your hostility from out here. Jasper had apparently been sent by Alice to keep me calm. Apparently, I was going to act out on this boy.

I noticed Bella blush as the little man sitting beside her told her his name. Adam. Bella's eyes flickered to mine and she gave me a small smile. My guess was that she was also feeling my hostility. I sighed, feeling waves of serenity coming not only from Bella but Jasper.

Now what, Edward, I'm not allowed to have friends outside of your family?

Is that what she thought? It was illogical that she wouldn't make friends, but did she have to make friends with men that only wanted to get into her pants?

Edward, it's fine. I know exactly what he's thinking about. I have no intention of acting out any of his fantasies – with him.'

I understood the innuendo in her words and shivered. That earned a peel of her laughter inside my head from her and Jasper.

'Thanks, Jasper, I can handle it from here.'

'That I'm sure of, little lady. I'll see you two at home.'

I rolled my eyes at her and concentrated on keeping my eyes ahead. Anything to help dispel the jealousy coursing through my body as Bella introduced herself to the boy named Adam.

The moment their hands touched, Bella's eyes glazed over, and a vision played into her head.

Victoria, James's mate, hovered over the quivering boy whose hands were bleeding as he scrambled to crawl away from her. His hands continued to bleed as glass cut into his palms in the dark alleyway.

"Victoria, really, you should stop playing with your food," a voice from a dark corner behind her whispered.

Victoria cackled and turned to her lover and grinned. "Now, where's the fun in that?"

James laughed along with her as he stepped from behind her into the light. Adam's hand came to his mouth as he screamed in horror, aware of their eyes. Black rimmed with crimson.

James tsked. "None of that now. It's too late. You're already dead."

James pounced, landing with a sickening crunch onto Adam's chest, ending his screams.

I could hear Bella's heart rate double as she replayed the vision to see where it would take place.

Bella, calm down. He's looking at you. You need to say something.

I projected my thoughts, aware that both Jasper and Alice were already outside, waiting for class to end.

Bella smiled at Adam and let go of his hand. Adam scrunched his brow in confusion and alarm. Bella's sudden grimace of pain while seeing the vision, alerted him that something was wrong. He turned in his seat, and I quickly looked at the professor.

She's in love with him. I'm making her uncomfortable. Oh well. I don't want to hurt her.

He returned his attention to his notebook and started taking notes. He chanced a glance at Bella, who was still going through the vision, looking for anything to tell us something to help save the boy.

The vision stopped suddenly when Adam's hand covered his own mouth in horror. He was wearing a watch. The watch showed us the date and time of his attack.

He was going to die in three days.

James and Victoria were coming soon.

We knew the when but we didn't know the where.

Edward, I've seen the same vision. I don't think it's here. There's a newspaper in the trash beside him; it's a local paper for a small town nearby.

Alice explained this as Bella continued searching the vision until she focused on the paper.

"Adam, are you from around here?" Bella asked quietly, so as not to be overheard by anyone else.

"I live on campus, but I'm originally from a small town further south, about an hour away," Adam said, glancing at Bella. "You?"

"I'm from Florida."

"Wow, this must be a little different for you, then," Adam said, amused.

Bella laughed, nodding. "You have no idea." I grumbled. Fishing for information did not have to involve flirting.

"So, what is the name of this tiny town you're from? I like small towns, the homey feeling and all."

Adam chuckled. "Well, homey is the way to describe Laden."

We're on it, Edward. We'll go out there tonight to see if they are around or at least try to find where this will take place, Jasper thought before taking Alice's hand, and through his eyes he was asking her if she was ready to face James.

Alice nodded, and they left hand in hand through the darkening campus. With the information that James knew who Alice was, Jasper had been tirelessly searching records to find more about Alice's past.

He hadn't found anything yet.

Bella projected her thoughts of fear for Alice and Jasper but claimed that she didn't foresee any problems. But she was still worried, since it was possible that James knew of Alice's gift and would know how to work around them.

I knew her mind was open to my thoughts, so I tried to calm her worries.

Love, don't worry about Alice and Jasper. They can take care of themselves. Despite his knowledge of her visions, it doesn't mean that she won't be able to see something.

Bella nodded minutely, catching the attention of Adam again. He followed her gaze and locked eyes with me and gave me a small smile.

Poor guy, he looks a little upset. I don't like being the other guy. Maybe I should ask her what's wrong.

"Um… Bella, I can see that you're upset about something. Are you okay?"

Through his vision I could see a pink blush color her cheeks, and she sighed. "I must really be an open book, huh?"

Adam gave her a smile and a nod. "Just a little."

"Everything will be fine." Bella smiled. A smile that reached her eyes.

"Yes. Everything will work itself out. Now, about my hometown. There's an evening baseball game this weekend. Would you and your boyfriend like to join us?"

Bella's smile widened. "Us?"

"I'm dating this girl in my next class. Well, I wouldn't say dating… more like I'm following her around like a puppy. But she's flirting with me. That should mean something, right?" Adam looked expectant, hoping for reassurance.

"Have you asked her to join you?" Bella asked as a smile tugged on lips.

Adam's face saddened, and he shook his head. Bella chuckled a little. "Ask her to join you and some friends. I'm sure it would put her at ease that others will be joining you. With that said, you also have to make it clear that you are there with her."

Visions of Adam asking a pretty girl with sandy blonde hair played in her mind just as Adam made the decision to ask her. She said yes in the vision. But then I thought about the previous vision and realized that the attack might very well happen the same weekend. Bella also came to the same realization. Another vision came into her head when she decided to have us join Adam.

Both Adam and this girl were attacked. But before the death had taken Adam, there was a sharp keening noise and growling in the darkness. Then the agony of burning.

He was changing.

Bella locked eyes with my own and blocked a vision from me. But she whispered lowly so that only I would hear.

"He's essential to my survival."

What? How could he be the key to her surviving?

I didn't understand, and Bella refused to open her mind to me to elaborate.

"Adam, Edward and I would love to join you. In fact, most of Edward's family is visiting. They happen to love baseball. Do you mind if we all come?"

Adam smiled. "The more the merrier."

Bella muttered under her breath. "You have no idea."

Impatiently, I waited until Adam and Bella came out of the classroom after exchanging numbers. They came over to me, and Bella introduced Adam to me.

"Hello, Adam. It's nice to meet you."

"Hello, Edward. I, um, invited you and Bella to a baseball game this weekend."

I smiled and put my arm around Bella's waist, pulling her closer to me. "That sounds like fun. My family and I love baseball."

"See, I told you I could make friends," Bella said, looking up at me.

Adam looked a little confused. "Huh?"

"Sorry, Adam. But I can't seem to make friends when he's around." Bella elbowed my ribs, putting her telekinesis strength behind it, making me cough slightly. "People seem to find him intimidating."

Adam laughed. "Well, he does have a protective stance around you whenever I've seen you two together." He winked at us. I shook my head.

"Possessive is more like it. But alas, there is nothing I can do about it. Now, Adam, you're running late for the special lady."

Adam smiled and said his goodbyes before taking off down the hall. I turned to Bella and glared while she wore a perfectly composed face. I rolled my eyes and took her hand to walk to our next class.

"Stop being so grumpy. If I can get past my anger you can get past me flirting to get information."

We took our seats; Bella took out her notebook and started on notes while the professor started his lecture.

Edward, stop being such a sourpuss. I'll tell you everything once Jasper and Alice get back. They'll be home soon.

I looked at her, a little surprised. I was sure if she had seen the vision, Alice had to have seen it too.

She didn't see the vision. I'm not sure why. I think it has to do with the fact that Adam is human. I'm closer to what he is so, I can see him more clearly.'

I nodded, but now I needed to clear the air between us. I'm sorry about earlier.

What was it that caused you to tense that way?

I sighed and shifted in my seat slightly so that my body was angled toward her body. I tasted your scent on my tongue, and it was just unexpected.'

But we've kissed and you've managed. What made it so different then?

I'm not sure. I think I was afraid that I may never get over the urges of the monster within me.

Bella sighed and nodded. I placed my hand on hers and brought it to my thigh. She sighed again and squeezed. I smiled at her, which she returned.

I love you, I whispered in my thoughts.

Bella's smile widened. "I know."

We went through the rest of our classes, and I waited for her outside of the only class we didn't take together, Creative Writing.

She smiled as she came out and walked up to me and wrapped her arms around my waist. She looked up at me through her long lashes.

"Hi," she said sweetly.

"Hi," I said, smiling at her brightly.

"I'm ready to go home. It's been a long day." I nodded and took her hand and walked home. She talked adamantly about some of the projects that she was going to have to do in her Creative Writing course.

We arrived at her house, and she searched for something suitable to sleep in. I walked into her kitchen and made her a snack while she took her shower.

Suddenly, I heard Bella screaming from her bathroom. I ran to her, not even taking note of the strength I used to open the door as it broke off the hinges.

Bella was on the tile floor, clutching her head and screaming. She quieted and slowly stood up. I stopped breathing.

There Bella stood, completely naked. Her skin was flushed from the warm water. She was so beautiful. I couldn't help myself as my eyes, of their own accord, raked her goddess-like form, from her bared collarbones, the soft curves of her breasts, to the flat expanse of her torso. A low growl rumbled in my chest as my eyes descended further to the flare of her hips to the small triangle of dark curls, and then down the length of her slender delectable legs. A vision had just finished playing in her head.

She was going to die in two weeks. I looked into Bella's eyes, filling with tears. Visions continued to swirl in her head. No matter what decision she made to change her future, she still died.

We were fighting death.

Death wanted to claim her. And it wouldn't stop until it had her.

We didn't have time.

I rushed to her, pushing her into the wall behind her. I crashed my lips against hers. Bella's hands went to my hair, tugging at it harder, fueling my desire for her further. My tongue slid against her bottom lip, and she opened her mouth enough for me to slip inside.

I groaned and pushed my body harder against her. I felt all the curves of her soft, pliable body, and the warmth was amazing.

We didn't have time to practice. Death was coming for her. I had no idea if we could stop it. I had to do something.

"Edward," she whispered as I pulled away to kiss the skin along her neck. My hands descended from her arms and slid down her body, grazing her supple breasts before resting on her hips.

"Yes," I gasped as I felt her hands gliding down my clothed chest.

"If we do this now, for some reason I don't see our future," Bella said as I continued kissing her, lapping my lips and tongue along her collarbone.

"Do I kill you?" I had to know. If I killed her while in this act, I wouldn't be able to live with myself.

"No, I see us afterward. We're both fine, but everything is unclear after the two weeks." Bella gasped as I gently nipped at her chest.

"You survive after we…" I trailed off, aware that my lips were just inches from her hardening nipple.

"Yes," she gasped as I placed my lips over her left nipple, groaning from the sweet taste.

"That's good enough for me," I whispered against her nipple as it hardened further against my cold lips.

"Me too," Bella said. I looked up at her into her eyes, searching for any doubt. I didn't find any.

For that I was thankful.

AN: Thanks to lisa89 for your beta skills. Erica