The drive down to Phoenix was both easier and harder than I thought it would be. Bella's blood wasn't as tempting as it would be any other day. It still burned my throat and made my mouth water, but I still had something to focus my energies on... her emotions. That's what made it harder. Her emotions. The fear that had abandoned her back at the house had returned in spades once we hit the highway.

She clung to Alice in the backseat of the car like a castaway to a life preserver. I spared a piece of myself to be both proud and jealous of Alice. Proud that my wife had the control necessary to give Bella some physical comfort when she needed it. Jealous because I knew if I tried to do the same I'd probably fail miserably. Another small part of my mind took a second to note that Bella was comforted be Alice's embrace. But not by much.

The terror was clawing at her, I could feel it as she felt it and it was almost physically painful. Maybe that's why she started to cry again. So I sent out wave of calm, as often as I could, as strong as I could, but even so I could still feel it there, fighting to get free. So I focused my energies on that; defeating her fear.

It took less than twenty four hours to get to Phoenix, only stopping once so Bella could use the restroom at a convenience store. While she relieved herself, I bought her a human appropriate drink and snack. I got nervous when she wouldn't touch either. She mumbled a thank you and re-buried her face into Alice's shoulder. During the ride she had been so quiet you'd have thought she was asleep. Except the occasional flutter of an eyelid blinking signaled consciousness. I got nervous again. Humans were fragile. They had all sorts of requirements for them to stay healthy. They needed food, water, shelter, the right temperature, sleep…

When we arrived in Phoenix I caught a glimmer of déjà vu. The bright sun, the arid heat, the wide landscape looking quiet and dangerous…

If I was playing defense instead of offense I needed new contingency plans. I had spent the majority of the drive concentrating on the cracks in our plan and how to respond should an enemy wriggle through them. No matter how many scenarios I created in my head I could only find one sane response: take Bella and run. It was too sunny here, too populated, and too open to attempt making a stand. Someone would witness something and have it posted on YouTube in an hour's time. If they attacked at night there would be a little more breathing room but not by much. Humans were blind at night but there would be plenty of noise for them to overhear.

I glanced at Bella in the rearview mirror. Her eyes had dark shadows under them, and her lids were sagging with exhaustion, but her lips were frozen in a grimace.

Watching Bella suffer her emotions silently in Alice's arms gave me insight into Esme's compassionate nature. It wasn't that Bella was a child compared to me, which she was, or that she was too fragile for her own good, which was probably true, but how tired she looked… No. Not tired. Old. Despite what I was doing for her, despite what Alice was doing for her, it all came down to how much stress Bella could handle. And I didn't like that. This is was Esme's inspiration for compassion. This is why we lived the way we did. Not just to preserve human life but to reduce the amount of pain in the world. There was too much to go around already. Why inflict more? I was relieved that I was part of the defensive line. I could help alleviate some of Bella's suffering. I didn't have to be parted from Alice. If something went wrong, I'd be here to keep the love of my life and the love of my brother's life safe.

And nothing would go wrong, I was sure of that. Five vampires were more than enough to take out two. Rosalie may not like certain circumstances, but she loved her family as much as I did, and she was fierce. Emmett thrilled to every challenge life presented him, life was a game in his eyes, and even though he might lose an occasional bet, he wouldn't lose his life or his family. Edward had the best motivation of all and with the addition of his ability he'd be a force of nature. Esme's compassion wouldn't hinder her, not now. She was a mother with a mother's love and a mother's drive to protect her children at all costs. Carlisle patience would help him. He could wait as long as he needed to, to take care of whatever threatened his family. And he would take care of it. His hatred of violence did not stretch so far as to take away self-preservation.

When I spoke my voice was barely higher than a human whisper "Which way to the airport, Bella?" She flinched violently at the question like I had shouted it at her. My stomach clenched uncomfortably as I realized once again how much stress she was feeling despite my presence.

"Stay on the I-ten," She'd answered in a voice that was borderline robotic. "We'll pass right by it."

We waited for sunset before checking into a hotel for obvious reasons. I was a little relieved when she finally fell asleep just before we got to the hotel. Alice didn't even bother to wake her when we went to the room. She supported Bella's weight and even in sleep her feet instinctively shuffled forward.

Now I sat at a desk in the corner of the living room just staring at the TV. The news was on but I didn't care enough to pay attention. Bella lowered herself to the floor next to the coffee table and began to pick at the tray of food room service had brought up for her. Alice perched herself on the arm of the sofa and stared in to the future.

Once again I began sending out vibrations of calm in an effort to help, the only thing I could do. And, in truth, I felt helpless. Bella was frightened. Alice was stressed. My family was at war. I had no way of knowing what was going on. Alice knew but I was too afraid to ask. I just reminded myself that they wouldn't call if things were going right. That no call had come was proof enough that things weren't going wrong.

Suspicion invaded Bella's fear. I turned to look at her just as she looked at my beloved.

"What's wrong Alice?" She asked.

"Nothing's wrong." Alice told her and in that moment I was sure we had been thinking the same thing. She tried to paste innocence on he face and failed miserably.

Bella saw the failure and her suspicion strengthened.

"What do we do now?" She asked.

"We wait for Carlisle to call."

"And should he have called by now?" Her voice raised in pitch.

When Alice didn't answer right away Bella's fear tried to push through the wall I had been constructing to contain it. I pushed back.

"What does that mean?" Her voice was breaking now. "That he hasn't called yet?"

"It just means that they don't have anything to tell us."

Bella's fear pushed again and again I pushed back. This was ridiculous. She was safe with us, she knew that right? She had to know that we would never let anything hurt her. Without realizing what I was doing, I was moving closer to comfort her. One minute I was seated at the desk and a blink of a human eye later I was standing next to Alice, close enough to Bella to feel the air being heated by her warm body. I should have moved away but I couldn't. I had to tell her. She had to know.

"Bella," I said, trying to soothe her with both my voice and my ability. "You have nothing to worry about. You are completely safe here."

"I know that." She snapped at me.

I thought she should, but then why… "Then why are you frightened?"

Her brown eyes stayed on my face but they wouldn't quite meet my gaze.

"You heard what Laurent said." She whispered, her eyes glistening with tears she refused to shed. "He said James was lethal. What if something goes wrong, what if they get separated? If something happens to any of them, Carlisle, Emmett… Edward…" Her voice choked in her throat as she said Edward's name and her skin blanched.

"If that wild female hurts Esme…" Her voice was raising from its whisper and I struggled harder than ever to beat her fear into submission. "How could I live with myself if it's my fault? None of you should be risking your lives for me--"

I couldn't listen to this nonsense any more.

"Bella, Bella, stop," I ordered interrupting her hysterical rant. "Your worrying about all the wrong things, Bella. Trust me on this." If there was one person in my family she shouldn't trust, it was me. But she had to be made to understand, she had to be stopped from tormenting herself. "None of us are in jeopardy. You are under too much strain as it is; don't add to it with wholly unnecessary worry."

She looked away from me and the guilt began to seep in.

"Listen to me!" I commanded a little more forcefully than I should have, but she was just so… frustrating. It worked though.

She raised her eyes to mine.

"Our family is strong. Our only fear is losing you." I spoke slowly and deliberately hoping to get the message through.

"But why should you--"

Alice stopped Bella's argument by reaching out and stroking a warm cheek. "It's been almost a century that Edward's been alone. Now he's found you. You can't see the changes that we see, we who have been with him for so long. Do you think any of us want to look into his eyes for the next hundred years if he loses you?"

I won the fight. Her fear was slowly retreating back behind the wall. I rejoiced a little inside. Then I realized it was only morning. We weren't out of the woods yet… Well, technically we were out of the woods, but we weren't out of the sun yet. I struggled not to smile at my little joke.

The humor disintegrated as quickly as it had come as I sat down on the couch next to Alice. I may have been able to stop Bella from feeling certain emotion, but I couldn't make her forget why she felt the emotions in the first place. She began pacing the room back and forth, back and forth, around it in one direction, around it in the other, back and forth… It was almost hypnotic. She'd pause every now and then to stare blank faced at random things, the couch upholstery, the rug, the wall paper, a lamp, the desk… after a few minutes of staring at each, she would continue her restless movements.

I began to worry about her health again. All this stress couldn't be good for her. It happened all the time with humans. Stress led to hypertension which led to heart problems… That's just what we would need. Her to drop dead of a heart attack. I certainly didn't have the control to save her for Edward should her heart try to give out. Alice was better at control but I doubted that even she could stop herself once she had a taste… I was glad when Bella gave up and went into the other room giving me a break. But the gladness disappeared when Alice followed her leaving me alone.

I didn't dare follow; I knew Alice wanted a chance to get to know her new friend without interference, but I was curious. So I closed my eyes and concentrated hard on the emotions taking place on the other side of the thin wall.

Bella's fear had crept back in without my presence. I could sense her fear in the next room if I tried too, but I couldn't control it.

"Alice?"

"Yes?" Alice was curious.

"What do you think they're doing?" Bella worried.

I couldn't believe she was still on this. Hadn't we made it clear to her?

"Carlisle wanted to lead the tracker as far north as possible, wait for him to get close, and then turn and ambush him. Esme and Rosalie were supposed to head west as long as they could keep the female behind them. If she turned around, they were to head back to Forks and keep an eye on your dad. So I imagine things are going well if they can't call. It means the tracker is close enough that they don't want him to overhear." Alice explained gently, and Bella calmed a little.

"And Esme?"

I noticed how Bella said Esme and not Rosalie and wondered just how much damage Rosalie had caused and how much more would she cause. Unlike Edward I had faith in Alice's vision, I believed that someday Bella would join us. How could she not as in love as they were? But I was worried… Would Rosalie cause too much damage to be repaired? I didn't want to imagine the contention that would arise should Rosalie not be able to deal with her problems, if she couldn't stop herself from making her problems Bella's, but I couldn't stop myself and it was a few minutes before I realized I had lost track of the conversation. I tried to catch up.

"Tell me then… how do you become a vampire." Bella's determination to get the answer surprised me.

"Alice don't you dare." I spoke softly enough so that Bella wouldn't hear. "Edward doesn't want her to know that yet. Let him explain it when he's ready." But I wondered then. Would he ever be ready to explain it? With his grim views on the lives of vampires?

"Edward doesn't want me to tell you that." Alice answered, which would have made me relax except that I could feel her disagreement.

"That's not fair. I think I have a right to know." Bella had a point but now was so not the time.

"Alice," I pleaded, "he'll be pissed."

"I know." I couldn't tell if she was answering me or Bella.

Alice was quiet a moment and then sighed. "He'll be extremely angry."

"Its none of his business." Bella said although I don't know that I agreed with that. "This is between me and you, Alice, as a friend, I'm begging you."

I knew the battle was lost for me. Bella won. She may not have known it herself but there was no better wording she could have used to cut down Alice's defenses. Alice had been dying for this moment, a moment as proof of their camaraderie. Even before I felt Alice's acquiescence I knew she was going to acquiesce. How could she resist such an opportunity, the chance to prove herself as a friend to Bella? And how could she resist without knowing how to be human… she had no memories of her past life to draw from. I leaned back, groaned quietly and covered my face with my hand. I just hoped I was there when Edward found out.