Hi!!! Sorry it took me so long to get this up!!! We changed from Comcast to Verizon and then I got a new laptop that took forever to set up, then I couldn't upload because of some error, so I e-mail Fan Fiction about it and it seems to be working now!!! So here is the next chapter of Starlight!!! Sorry if there are any mistakes towards the end, but I was watching The Teen Choice Awards (and screaming for Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner. Twilight got ELEVEN awards!!! I totally voted all Twilight!!!)!!! Hope you like it!!!

Chapter 24: The Final Trip

Bella sat in the boys' dormitory. Chris had decided it was time to fulfill Edward's last request and called a meeting the morning of the mission. He was over by his trunk rummaging around in his stuff. Everyone was looking from him to Bella with questioning looks. Chris remerged moments later with an ancient, black key. Just the sight of it made Bella's stomach squirm. Chris spun around to face the room and gave them all a strained smile.

"Well we all know what the deal for today is. We are to get Freeman fired and therefore help Edward save Bella…" he trailed off looking as Bella who was staring intently at her hands.

"First off…we need lookouts. Josh, Kyle, Richard, and…Matt…you four are the lookouts."

Josh nodded confidently, but the other three newcomers looked nervous. Matt brushed a strand of black hair away from his anxious, blue eyes. "Uh…Chris? What do we do if we see Freeman?"

Chris turned to Bella. "What'd you guys do last time."

"Oh…"said Bella, seemingly coming back to reality. "Well…um…Josh was our lookout last time so he sang when he saw Freeman…"

"Okay, well obviously we can't use that again. First because we used it against Freeman already so he probably knows it. Second, I don't think any of these jokers," he flicked his head toward the lookouts, "could carry a tune to save their lives…or all of our lives in this situation."

"Why don't they send a message using walky talkies?" Bella suggested.

"Ugh, nice idea Bella…but um…we don't have any walky talkies."

Bella stood up looking determined. "We might. If I know Edward…" he voice trailed off and her chocolate eyes misted over as she ran out the door.

"What was that all about?" asked Josh. Chris shrugged.

Bella sprinted up the stairs to the room. She threw open her door and dove to Edward's side of the bedroom. "Oh Edward," she murmured under her breath, "please say you left it…" Fifteen minutes went by with Bella looking for Edward's old spy kit. Frustrated, Bella banged her fist on the wood floor.

"OW!" Bella cradled her throbbing hand to her chest. She looked down at the floorboard she had just hit. One side of the floorboard had slid back barely an inch to reveal a small dark opening. A thought occurred to Bella and she quietly pulled the loose floorboard away to reveal a secret hiding spot, right there by Edward's bed. A note with familiar handwriting was place carefully on top of the spy kit. Bella picked up the note with a shaking hand.

Bella,

I pray to God that you find this. I figured you'd need it for your trip to the cellar. I couldn't leave this about where Freeman might find it so I hid it here. I hoped that you'd be able to find it. I wish I could've hidden you a clue or just told you, but I was afraid of it being discovered.

Take this, Bells. Use it, get Freeman fired. As you read this I am finding out what Freeman wants with you and how to save you. I'm not going to let anything happen to you, ever. I promise. I love you, Isabella Swan. I'll be back to you before you know it. In the mean time be safe. I love you.

~Edward

Bella gently touched the paper with her fingertips and choked back tears. Get a grip she told herself firmly. Then she carefully laid the note on Edward's bed and pulled out the spy kit. They were right on top. Five small walky talkies.

"Thank you Edward." Bella sighed she took out the walky talkies then she closed back up the spy kit and set it back into the hidden cavity. "I love you too Edward." Bella whispered, kissing the note before putting it back on top of the kit. Then she pushed the old floorboard back in to place, grabbed the walky talkies, and bolted out of the room.

Chris and the others sat patiently in their dormitory as Bella flung open the door.

"What was that all about…" began Chris. Bella wordlessly held up the walky talkies. Chris took them looking shocked.

"Four are for Josh, Kyle, Richard, and Matt." Gasped Bella, out of breath from her sprint across the orphanage. "One is for me, Chris, and Nick."

Chris nodded in agreement and began handing them out to the lookouts.

"Where'd you get these Bella?" Richard asked examining his with great interest.

"They're Edward's. He thought we might be able to use them for our little…adventure."

Bella took the fifth walky talkie from Chris.

"Okay guys." Chris drew a long breath then continued. "First of Josh…you will be keeping lookout by the corridor leading to the cellar. Kyle you'll be stationed around the corner from the cellar. Richard…you'll be on the other side of the orphanage by Freeman's office. You have to tell us if he is in or out. And last, but not least Matt, you'll be by the boys' dormitory."

When the four boys gave Chris the thumbs up sign he turned toward the other guys in the dormitory. "You all will be just walking around doing the same things you always do on a Saturday. If we were all acting sneaky Freeman would get suspicious so with that being said it's business as usual for you guys."

"Got it Chris." rang across the room.

"Ready, Bells?" Chris turned toward her. Bella suddenly had a horrible flashback to the last time the crew had gone into that wine cellar. She remembered Edward going into that pit from hell first. She remembered how he had gone in and never came back up. IT was dangerous what they were doing. These boys were risking their lives to help Edward save her. It was stupid, ridiculous and she couldn't let them do it. If they didn't though Freeman wouldn't get fired and she'd be going against Edward. Bella sighed.

"Let's do this." Then the fear and doubt on her face was replaced by a mask of determination as she led her friends out the door.

The lookouts all took their places. The other guys began walking around, going about their ordinary business. Bella, Chris, and Nick headed to the wine cellar.

Oh God, Oh God, Oh God! Bella thought anxiously as the cellar door drew closer and closer. Bella put her shaky hand on the knob. Miraculously it turned. Bella was half afraid Freeman might've locked it. Perhaps he figured his threat to Edward was enough to keep the kids from exploring the wine cellar. Bella pushed forward on the door and it creaked open just the same as three years ago. The same musty smell drifted out to greet the gang as they crossed the threshold and entered the black cellar.

It was exactly as Bella remembered it. Shelves stocked with dusty wine bottle filled the walls. Cob webs hung abandoned by their inhabitants in corners. Their shoes left prints in the thick layer of dust that coated the floor. Bella shuddered as she tried to repress unpleasant memories. Chris made a bee line for the trap door. He pulled out his keys and stuck it in the lock. The key turned and the lock clicked. Chris looked up at Bella and Nick.

"I think we've got it. Ready?" he asked.

Bella nodded and turned to Nick who looked like he was about to pass out. "You set?" she asked.

Nick held up his cell phone. "I'm set."

"Okay Chris, we're ready." Bella crouched down beside him ready to jump. "Nick, you stay up here. Call when we tell you to and send a message to Josh and everybody." She hissed handing him her walky talkie.

Chris and Bella pulled up the heavy trap door and peered inside at the darkness.

"Edward went into that all alone without even knowing how deep it was?" asked Chris, a hint of admiration coloring his tone.

"Yeah I guess he really wanted to get Freeman fired…"

"Gee I wonder why?" Chris's hushed tone was laced with sarcasm. "I'll go first, Bells, then I'll call to you and you follow."

"Okay," Bella stared into his determined face a moment then said, "please be careful Chris. For me?"

"Always Bella." Chris tried to give her an awkward crouched down hug, and then he jumped into the seemingly bottomless hole.

Please, please, please don't let Chris get hurt. Bella prayed silently. Since none of the lookouts had called in anything yet she figured they were safe, for now.

Chris hit the bottom and then realized a second too late Bella had the only flashlight.

"Crap." he hissed. He couldn't see anything; however he could make out the outlines of some masses on the floor. Don't think about it. Don't think about it. The place reeked of death and decay. He had to find his voice, he needed a light and, if he was to be honest with himself, Bella. For some reason that little thirteen year old girl gave him courage and confidence. He was nothing unless she was with him. He'd needed her since she had first arrived at the orphanage and he had taken her under his wing. He definitely needed her now.

"Bells? Can you hear me?" he called staring up, he could see a pinprick of light.

Bella leaned over when she heard Chris's voice. It was faint, but she guessed that was because he was such a long way down.

"Chris?"

Chris saw a shadowy form of a girl with long hair. His fear eased a little just knowing she was close.

"Bella, you can come down now, I need some light."

If this hadn't been such a horrible, deadly situation Bella would've laughed. It was so like Chris to forget he needed the flashlight when he was about to jump into a pit of velvety black, nothingness.

"'Kay Chris I'm coming. One sec." Bella turned back to Nick. "I'm going in. When I call your name call the police. They're on your speed dial right?"

"Yup.", Nick replied in a shaky tone.

Bella patted him on the shoulder. "Thanks Nick, you're a great friend." Then she pushed off and jumped, her only comfort was that she knew Edward had jumped down three years ago. She felt close to him now, feeling as he felt, free falling into nothing. She hit the hard, stone floor with a thud, falling on her arm. She felt hands on her and almost cried out, until she stuck the flashlight right into Chris's worried face.

"Bella, you good?"

"Never better." She groaned nursing her arm. She handed him the flashlight and Bella screamed.

Right where the light hit she saw the decaying body of her old friend Lucinda.

"Lu!" gasped Bella in horror. Chris was staring at Lucinda's broken body, too with a mixture of pity and disgust. He put his arms around Bella and let her cry into his side. He knew this would be hard for her. Chris tilted his head toward the opening.

"Nick!" he called.

"Got it!" Nick yelled back and he pressed the speed dial.

Richard heard the sirens first. His heart leapt as the read and blue flashing lights stopped right outside the orphanage hearing a car door slam and several police men walked in.

"Excuse me?" asked one of them. "Could you tell me where Harold Freeman is?"

"He's in his office officer." Richard pointed his thumb to the entrance of Freeman's office.

"Thank you son. We got a call of thirteen murders of missing kids. You know anything about it?"

"Yes sir. My friends were the ones who called you. Mr. Freeman in there is the murderer."

"That's a very serious accusation boy. Where's your proof?"

Richard bit his lip. How could he tell the officer that their proof was the fact that their psychic friend saw him murder one of the kids and brag about the twelve others?

"He really did murder those kids officer." A frail voice came from the hallway. The frazzled, old form of the maid Desiree appeared like an apparition. "He's a bad man! He has murdered all thirteen of those poor innocent children and he's after that poor little Bella girl! Arrest him officer! Throw him out!"

The police officer stood there for a moment staring. "Why didn't you ever report this before?"

"He said he'd kill me and my whole family. I have a husband and a daughter and a newborn grandson. I couldn't take that risk."

The officer nodded. "Well I'm going to go down and check this out." He motioned for his crew who followed him behind Richard and Desiree down the narrow hallway to the wine cellar.

Bella still had her head buried in Chris's chest when the chamber was filled with light. She looked up sniffling to see police officers jumping down to them. A ladder was thrown down after them.

"Are you two okay?" asked a female cop kindly.

"Yes ma'am." Chris said.

The cop held out her hand. "Officer Emily Bowen at your service."

Chris smiled and shook it. "I'm Chris and this is Bella."

"Nice to meet you two." Officer Bowen turned to Bella. "Is everything alright Bella?"

"Yes ma'am." Bella choked out.

"Call in back up." said one of the officers over in the back into his mic. He turned around. "We're putting Harold Freeman under arrest for murder and I'm calling in people to move these bodies. Don't worry we'll have this all cleared up in no time." He ushered Bella and Chris up the later. Once out of the cellar they heard yelling.

"NO! NO! I murdered no one!" Freeman was screaming and trying to fight the officers who were handcuffing him and reading him his rights. He saw Bella in the hallway and blew up at her. "I MAY BE GETTING TAKEN TO JAIL, BUT I'M COMING BACK FOR YOU ISABELLA SWAN! I'M NOT LETTING YOU ESCAPE ME!"

Bella felt frozen as she stood in the hall and watched the police wrestle Freeman out of the building and into the police car. Chris held her in his arms tightly.

"Don't worry Bells. He's gone it's over."

But it wasn't over. Not yet.