Lost and Found

Disclaimer; all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

A/N-thanks for the kind reviews!

Part Thirty Seven-Sarah and Esme

Bella sat on Jacob's bed with his head in her lap. She was running her fingers through his thick black hair in a soothing motion. They didn't have much time together because she was about to leave soon to go on an outing with his mother, Sarah. Bella needed new clothes. To her relief she'd finally had a bit of a growth spurt which meant she had outgrown her old clothes. Sarah had offered to drive her to Port Angeles to get some new outfits. It was hard finding spare time to spend with Jacob. Between school, trying to keep up with her homework, and with his responsibilities it was making it difficult to get some quality time alone. Instead they shared snatched moments like this. Bella was surprised to find that Jacob was so exhausted. She had no idea about his nightly patrols and that he had to catch up on his sleep during the day. He had been resting when Charlie had dropped her off at the house, but forced his eyes to remain open just so he could get to spend time with her.

"You really need to get some more sleep, Jake." Bella chided him gently as she leaned down and placed a quick kiss on his lips. She tried to pull back but he reached up and cupped the back of her head so his mouth could linger on hers. He loved the feel of her soft lips pressed to his. He couldn't get enough of her. He wished that they weren't constantly surrounded by others all the time. It was frustrating. Both their lives seemed busier than ever.

Jacob smiled at her lazily as he finally released her. "I'll try." He promised, although there was no chance of that happening any time soon. He secretly thought that Sam was trying to punish him by putting him on the worst patrol shift possible just because he was pissed at finding him and Bella in the truck together. Jacob had wanted to protest but he didn't want to give Sam the satisfaction that it bothered him. He knew Bella had to live with the guy and he didn't want to put her in the middle. His Alpha was taking the whole protective big brother thing too far.

A soft knock on the door interrupted their peaceful interlude. Bella quickly scooted away from Jacob while he reluctantly sat up on his bed. It was so hard keeping their burgeoning relationship from prying eyes. Seconds later Sarah poked her head around the door and smiled at them. "Hey, Bella, you ready to go, sweetie?"

"Yeah." Bella climbed off the bed and looked at Jacob sadly as she bid him goodbye. His own face reflected her unhappiness as he forced himself to stay put and not grab her in a tight bear hug. It was hard restraining himself but he had to in order to keep up the pretence that they were still just friends. "See you later, Jake."

"Bye, Bells." Jacob watched as Bella retreated from his room, giving him a small wave before she left with his mother. When she was gone Jacob lay down on his bed and put his arm across his eyes to shut out the daylight. He soon drifted off to sleep again as his exhaustion got the better of him.

"At least the weather is holding up." Sarah glanced uneasily at the sky through the windshield of her car. According to local weather reports a storm was on its way but shouldn't reach Forks until late evening. That would give them enough time to drive to Port Angeles, do a quick shop, and then drive back again. There just wasn't anywhere to shop in Forks, at least not for the things that Bella needed.

"I hope it doesn't rain." Bella agreed as she too looked up at the cloudy sky. A few spots of rain began to spatter the windscreen.

"I don't think we're going to be that lucky." Sarah mused as she returned her attention to the road. They were both quiet for a moment as they became lost in their own thoughts. Bella looked out of the passenger window at the passing scenery. She loved the lush green of the encroaching forest as they drove down the winding road. Everything around the area just felt so vital and alive. She knew it was silly but sometimes it felt like she could hear the trees and plants growing, but it was probably her imagination. A flash of red caught her attention. Bella strained her eyes in order to catch another glimpse. There it was again. Was it some kind of animal?

Sarah noticed that Bella was staring at something intently. "What are you looking at, sweetie?" She asked curiously.

"I'm not sure." Bella frowned as she saw the same red flash in the trees. It was so odd but it looked like red hair. She noticed a shadowy figure flitting among the dark trunks of the trees, the redness was like a flashing beacon behind it, and it was keeping pace with their car. Sarah wasn't driving slowly either. Bella couldn't imagine what type of animal could run that fast. It had to be her imagination playing tricks on her. "I think I need glasses." She rubbed at her eyes and smiled at Sarah apologetically.

"You're probably just tired like Jake." Sarah carefully navigated a bend in the road. The rain began to fall harder, running in rivulets down the screen and obscuring Sarah's view of the road. She cursed under her breath and switched on the wipers. "So much for the weather report, they got this wrong, didn't they?"

"Maybe it's just a heavy shower." Bella said hopefully as she used the sleeve of her jacket to wipe at the steam fogging up her window. She peered out at the side of the road again to see if she could see the odd shadowy figure. It was getting harder to see as the clouds rolled in and the sky darkened. The wind had picked up, lashing the rain against the windows and drumming on the roof of the car. It was weird but Bella was certain that she could see two figures now. One was darker than the other. That couldn't be right.

"Bella, you okay?" Sarah had slowed down as she tried to navigate the slippery roads. She didn't think that the rain was going to stop anytime soon. The storm that had been predicted had arrived earlier than expected.

"Maybe we should turn back." Bella said nervously. The sudden rumble of thunder startled her and she shuddered involuntarily. She didn't like storms at the best of times, but being on a deserted road in the midst of one was the most terrifying prospect of all.

"I think you're right." Sarah agreed as she drew to a halt and began to reverse so she could turn around and head back home. She never finished the manoeuvre. Both the driver and passenger doors were suddenly ripped off their hinges and thrown to one side. Bella and Sarah yelled in fright as the wild wind and heavy rain suddenly flooded the vehicle. Their hair whipped wildly around their heads and obscured their view as they huddled in their seats, both too shocked to move.

"Sarah." Bella called out in panic as she pushed her tangled hair out of her face and tried to look at the older woman. But it wasn't Sarah's face she saw next to her. A dark skinned male with dread locks was sitting right where Jacob's mother had been. His red eyes glowed in the dim light as he looked at her with a hungry expression.

Bella screamed….

Esme walked around the gutted mansion and looked at the renovations which were already underway. Next to her strode the harassed architect as he tried to explain why the building work was behind schedule. Esme was barely listening. She was lost in memories. The place looked so different to how she remembered it. Time had destroyed the ornate fixtures and fittings she remembered from long ago. Now the mansion was just an empty shell. But once the work was complete her old home would rise again like a phoenix from the ashes. It felt good to be home.

"I apologise once again, Mrs, Cullen. I know we said it would be ready by the end of the year, but there was more work than we expected. It will take another six months before the ground work is complete." The architect ran a hand over his balding palate. Whenever he met up with the stunningly beautiful woman he always found himself lost for words.

"If you can't complete the work on time I am sure I can find others who can." Esme replied haughtily as she stared at the architect irritably.

"Please don't do that." The architect's face turned white. He had a lot riding on this renovation and didn't want to lose the job. "Um…let me run over the plans again. I am sure something can be done to accommodate you."

Esme was about to issue a retort when her cell phone went off. She sighed irritably, expecting it to be Carlisle. It wasn't. "Alice, I didn't expect to hear from you."

"Esme, I saw her. I saw Bella." Alice sounded frantic.

"What's wrong?" Esme put her hand to her throat as she picked up on Alice's panicked tone. "I thought you said you had difficulty seeing Bella."

"I saw a car. There were two vampires…a female with red hair and a darker skinned male with dreadlocks. Esme, they were attacking Bella and her female companion. It's happening right now." Alice spoke so fast a normal human wouldn't have been able to understand her.

"Where?" Esme demanded.

"I don't know for certain. It has to be somewhere near where you are." Alice continued. "Esme, you cannot confront them yourself. There are two of them, you'll get killed." Suddenly the call was disconnected as Esme abruptly ended the conversation.

"Mrs, Cullen is anything wrong?" The architect stared at Esme in confusion as he saw her eyes widen in shock. She looked as if she was about to be sick. "Was it bad news?" He questioned. "Mrs. Cullen….." He never got a response. Right before his eyes the beautiful woman suddenly disappeared. The architect turned in a circle and rubbed his eyes. Esme Cullen had vanished into thin air as if she had never been there.

The dark skinned male with the long dreadlocks gently ran a finger along the curve of Bella's cheek. His touch was icy cold. Bella pressed back into her seat as she stared at the strange male in horrid fascination. His eyes were mesmerising. She had never seen anything like it. He had to be wearing contacts. No human eyes were that vivid red colour. He leered at her as he inhaled sharply several times.

"Your blood is like nectar." His dragged his finger along the base of throat.

"Please don't hurt me." Bella whimpered. There was no way she could escape. She was still strapped into her seat. She wished she could see where Sarah was. It felt like she was trapped in some kind of nightmare. She had never thought she would end up being carjacked.

"I'll be gentle." The man crooned. "I promise."

Bella closed her eyes. There was nothing she could do. She was trapped. Tears welled under her closed lids as she thought about Jacob and then her father. "I'm so sorry." She said in her head. "I am so sorry I couldn't fight. Forgive me."

Jacob woke up abruptly from a nightmare. His tan skin was glistening with sweat and his heart was racing in his chest. He put his hand over his heart and pressed down as he tried to shake off the remnants of the dream. Bella was in Port Angeles with his mother. She wasn't in danger. She was fine. Of course she was fine. He took deep shuddering breaths as he tried to regain control and shake off the ill feeling. Bella was fine, she had to be fine. But it wouldn't go away. The tightness in his chest only got worse. His heart was vibrating so badly he was surprised it didn't burst through his skin. He couldn't ignore the warning his body was giving him. Something was wrong. Jacob leapt out of bed and sprinted out of the house. As soon as he was outside he phased and howled for his brothers to assist him.

It was the bloodcurdling scream that made Bella's eyes flare open again. The dark skinned male with the dread locks attention was focused elsewhere. Bella saw his brow furrow. "Victoria?" He called out. There was no response. "Victoria?" He called again. When there was still no response he cursed quietly before returning his attention to Bella. "Stay there my beauty. I'll be back." In the blink of an eye he had vanished.

Bella felt her breath come in short pants as panic set in. She grappled with her seat belt as she tried to break free. This was her one chance to escape. It seemed to take her ages before her shaking fingers managed to unclip the belt and she stumbled out of the car. Where was Sarah? Bella wanted to call out for her but was worried that the strange male would come back. The rain continued to pelt down, plastering Bella's hair to her head and soaking her clothes. She shivered as she staggered across the road, sliding on the wet surface. "Sarah." She sobbed quietly as she tried to work out where she was.

There was another loud scream. Bella froze in place as she stared wide eyed in front of her. The shadowy figure with red hair ran into the middle of the road, it turned out to be a woman. Was this Victoria? Bella was sure she recognised her. She was certain that they had crossed paths before in the distant past. The red head was snarling viciously. She looked absolutely outraged. Something had clearly thwarted her plans. Her eyes were as red as the males and when she turned her white face in Bella's direction, her eyes narrowed and she snarled again like a feral cat. The red head crouched down as if she was about to attack. Bella began to back away but before she took a step another female ran out into the road. This time it was a petite blonde. Her hair flew about her head in the wild wind as she leapt in the air, her slim leg kicking out in front of her. She was like a ninja as she attacked the red headed female.

Bella stared in stunned silence as she watched the two females battle one another. They punched and kicked each other viciously, pulling hair and cursing madly. Bella knew she should move but her body remained rigid. Eventually she was pulled out of her stupor as the male appeared again. He looked her way regretfully before leaning down and ripping the two women apart.

"We have to go Victoria. Others are on their way. I heard them. Your vengeance will have to wait."

The red head leapt gracefully to her feet as she too turned to glare at Bella. "You will die little girl. I promise you that." She threatened before she suddenly darted back into the trees with the dark skinned male hot on her heels.

Bella shuddered as she watched them go. She wrapped her arms around her waist and stared at the other female who had now regained her footing. Her long blonde hair was slick to her head and she was standing with her hands curled into fists. "Hello." Bella called out.

The female turned away from Bella so she could only just make out her profile. Her face was hidden in shadows. "The lady that was with me, her name is Sarah." Bella begged. "Have you seen her?"

The blonde female's shoulders slumped. Slowly she turned around and faced Bella directly. "Bella." She said in a gentle voice.

"Mrs, Cullen." Bella felt her head spinning. It couldn't be, not her old teacher. She had to be dreaming. This wasn't happening. None of it made any sense. Where was Sarah?

"Yes, it's me, Bella." Esme sighed as she watched Bella's eyes roll into her head. She began to fall into a dead faint. Esme caught her just in time before her head hit the tarmac.

In the distance the wolves howled…

A/N-thanks for reading!