Bella's POV

I should probably correct myself. James' hands began to twist sharply to the side, still holding my head but something stopped him.

Something huge and unexpected crashed into James and sent him soaring backwards directly into a building on the opposite side of the street resulting in bits of plaster to rain down on the floored vampire.

Unfortunately, James hadn't let go of my throat when he'd been attacked so I went sailing with him, landing heavily on top of him. Taking advantage of his surprise I wrenched my head out of his now loose grasp and thrust my hands around his neck, squeezing as hard as I could, watching in satisfaction as his eyes start to bug out of their sockets.

I hear a loud growl and wind whistles behind my back. I instinctively whirl around still keeping my hands tightly around James's neck. Victoria has been knocked to the floor, having just tried to attack me with my back turned.

And my saviour?

Jacob.

Jacob had saved me from both James and Victoria.

He'd come back.

And he was pissed. Although he was in wolf form it would take a blind person not to notice the anger radiating off him.

Victoria dived to her feet in a move that would make a ballet dancer envious and dodged Jacob's next feral lunge, her movements faster than a bow from an arrow. She was dancing now, her surprise replaced with amusement.

James kicked upwards at me and because I had been too busy watching Victoria my hands loosened slightly from around his neck. It was all he needed to be able to wrench my hands all the way from the rest of his neck. He glared at me with hooded eyes and I found myself watching him intently.

We both straightened up at exactly the same moment, both watching the other carefully, waiting for the other to make a move. He scowled at me. "You've become stronger young Bella." He says carefully.

"I'm not so young anymore." I correct him. "But I'm still strong enough to kill you."

He looks surprised before hastily resuming a neutral expression. "You haven't realised, have you? You're stronger now than you were when you were first created. Why is that, I wonder?"

"Does it matter?" I hiss. "You have nothing to do with me anymore!"

"You're right." He nods to himself. "I care nothing for a pathetic newborn like you who refuses to do what is right."

"And by that I'm assuming you're referring to my refusal to slaughter innocent humans?" I growl.

"Innocent? What makes you think that? They fight among themselves, rape, pillage, kill children, are slowly killing this earth through the chemicals they spew out every day and take great pleasure in having unnecessary wars with each other. How am I worse?" He asks evenly.

I glare at him, wishing him to the deepest pits of hell. "Because you stupid vampire!" I yell. "They're not all like that! Some of them are good, some of them are kind, some of them want to help others. Not all of them are monsters! Just the same as vampires; we're not all monsters like you! Where the hell has your humanity gone James?"

"Humanity is weakness. I don't need humanity." James snarls before reaching for my throat. I easily side step his attack but he laughs and reaches for my waist, neatly catching me and throwing me to the ground. I lightly jump to my feet, scissor kicking him away from me but he rolls with the force of my kick and is back on his feet in a second. Next to me, Jacob and Victoria are a blur but I'm so focused on James I can't really watch what they are doing.

"Ah Isabella. You'll have to do better than that." James taunts.

"You're right." I smile sarcastically before launching myself across the space at him. As I expected his hands automatically rise up to protect his throat but I force myself higher, aiming my foot at his face.

It connects.

James goes flying backwards and crashes into a car on the other side of the street, where all its windows break and shatter. The car alarm goes off but one furious punch from James at the dashboard silences it. James starts yanking the glass out of his arm, his gaze murderous.

The alarm distracts Victoria and Jacob who pause in their fight for one second. I notice there are no marks on Victoria with exception of a savage tooth mark on her left hand, presumably from Jacob's teeth but Jacob was limping badly. Evidently, Victoria was a better fighter than James even though he had a supernatural git.

A sudden thought hits me and after a quick glance at James to make sure he was still down and another glance at Laurent who still hadn't moved from his position on the pavement, I turn to Victoria. "VICTORIA!" I yell, mostly to distract her from Jacob. "What's your supernatural gift?"

Victoria hesitates in her feral stalking over to Jacob's limping form. "What's it to you?" She hisses before lightly springing up and performing a smooth roundhouse kick that hits poor Jacob. He is flung backwards with a yelp. He doesn't get back up from where he thuds to the ground but I can't go over to him. I need to distract and hopefully kill Victoria before James is able to rejoin the fight.

"It's the only reason you're with James. You must have some really useful gift. That's all he cares about." I tell her.

"As if I'd tell you what it is." Victoria yells. "And give you the advantage? I don't think so!"

Victoria darts towards me and her attack is so sudden, so unexpected that I don't move out of the way in time as she launches herself at my throat with all the speed and grace of a bullet from a gun, aiming to kill.

Fortunately, several things happen simultaneously. Something hits Victoria with enough force she is flung backwards, although she manages to land on her feet. I blink in surprise to see that it is Jacob, steady on his feet once again. Relief washes over me as I realise Jacob had been faking his injury, hoping to lull Victoria into a false sense of security.

A split second later something hits me squarely in the back and I am propelled forward, instinctively rolling so I land on my back. I throw James off me before he can get a grip on my neck. He growls and lands in a neat hunting crouch. "You have quick reactions Isabella but they won't save you." He snarls. "You're dead."

I push myself to the feet and mimic his posture. "Technically, so are you." I say snarkily and he growls in response. "Just where is your humanity gone James?" I ask, as we start to circle each other, predator and prey. I wasn't going to die without a fight.

"He doesn't have any." A new voice says. "He is completely devoid of anything that might have once made him human."

I glance up just for one brief second to see who is speaking and then James lunges at me. Only he never touches me as the newcomer grabs his arm and flips him the ground.

The newcomer then turns to me.

"I'm relieved you're still alive." Edward says quietly. "For one horrifying second I thought we might be too late."

Edward!

He shoves James away from him without looking as James lunges again. "If you want to start comparing supernatural gifts, mine is better than yours James. Give over." He says, rolling his eyes.

"You sure about that?" James hisses, watching Edward intently.

Edward turns cold furious eyes on him. "Yes James. I am sure about that. What are the odds you can take me, Bella and eleven other vampires on at once?"

James looks confused and Edward cocks his head at him. "Behind you." He supplies helpfully as James whirls around. Out of the side street appears Alice, Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie.

"Give us a reason." Emmett snarls, baring his teeth at James.

"James! We need to go!" Victoria yells suddenly, side-stepping Jacob's furious lunge. "Right now!" Before anyone can stop her, Victoria jumps over Jacob's huge furry head and runs for it, pelting it down the side street with such speed and accuracy I wasn't sure that even Edward would have been able to catch her up. James hesitates, his eyes fixated on me but when Carlisle, Esme, Eleazar and Carmen appear out of the other side of the street he growls in frustration and sprints away.

Emmett and Jasper make a move to go after him as the Denali sisters turn up but Edward stops them. "No, leave it for now." He commands, his voice cold. "I need him alive. Besides he's gifted. As is the female, she has a gift for evasion. She could easily kill you both. You did well Jacob." Edward nods curtly to Jacob who inclines his head at him. Edward takes a deep breath. "Thank you for saving Bella." He says quietly and Jacob's eyes widen at his statement. "I can see you were the one who stopped Alice's vision from coming to pass. Thank you for saving the woman I love." Edward's face instantly tightens. "Because I owe you gratitude Jacob I will pretend I didn't hear that last thought." He says darkly, before turning to me, his golden eyes burning and worried. "I was afraid, so afraid you were dead, just like I saw in Alice's vision. I thought we might be too late." His voice cracks.

"Edward, I don't know what you saw in Alice's vision but I'm here. I'm alive." I say gently, wrapping my arms around him. "Although you and Jacob definitely helped." I say shakily.

"They'll be back." Edward says, his arms tightening around me. "Maybe not today but they will be back. James was not finished with you and neither was Victoria."

"Where is Laurent?" I ask suddenly, raising my head from Edward's chest.

Edward's expression tightens. "The dark skinned one? He took off as soon as he noticed me approaching. He didn't seem particularly hostile."

"He just watched." I explain to Edward. "I wouldn't have lived if I'd had to fight him as well."

Edward bites his lip before tightening his arms around me. "I am endlessly thankful that you are safe." He hesitates before continuing. "And I picked up a lot from James' mind before he left. I have some explaining to do to you Bella. You deserve to know the truth about your creation."