A/N: Hey gang, so sorry about the late update! Get ready for a serious deviation from canon. Either way, I hope you enjoy!
Beau
When I wake, I'm in a dark room, and for a moment, my thoughts are too mangled in my nightmares and confusion. It takes me to realize where we are. The hotel room is large, and the bed is comfortable, though I hardly feel it. As I sit up, I notice the clock perched on the side table, informing me it's 3:00. I can't decide if it's AM or PM.
I stagger to my feet, pulling back the curtains. I don't know where we are, somewhere just outside of Seattle? It's dark and bleak. I look down at myself and notice I'm still wearing Edward's clothes. My heart lurches and it nearly brings me to my knees. God, I hope he's safe.
I can't decide if I should change or not, because I can still smell him on my—his—collar, when someone knocks on the door.
"Can I come in?" Alice's voice is soft, and I take a deep breath and let her in. She shuts the curtain and perches on the edge of the bed.
"You look like you could sleep a little longer," she says, nearly conversational.
"I can't," I say. If I close my eyes now, all I'll see is Edward's torn expression, my father dropping like a stone, Bella drained and prone.
"Okay," she says, like she gets it. I wonder if she does. "Thirsty?" I shake my head.
"How about you?"
"Nothing unmanageable," she says, a wry smile pulling the corners of her lips up. Her eyes tell me otherwise. She takes my hand and leads me out to the front room. "I ordered some food for you." We sit at one couch, while Jasper sits on the other, Bella stretched out along the length of it, her head pillowed on his lap. The TV drones on, low and barely discernable.
I pick at the food, not even noticing what I'm eating. Alice and Jasper sit like statues, completely still. I can't even see if they're breathing or not. There's a thin salt line just before the door, clearly Bella's work. I look to her, noting the exhaustion. She looks much younger like this, like a little girl, and guilt swirls through me.
"Beau," Jas says, jerking me from my reverie. "I know what you're feeling, and you are."
"I'm not," I say, not looking at him. I'd forgotten about his talent.
"Look at me," he says, and I do. "You are worth this, I swear. We will be fine, you're the only thing we're afraid for."
"God, if something happens to any of them, to Esme, Carlisle, Emmett—"
"Listen to me," he says. "Our family is strong and this threat is not the worst any of them has faced."
"Besides," Alice interjects. "It's been nearly a century that Edward's been alone, and now he has you. I know it doesn't seem like it, but he's changed so much, for the better. Do you think any of us want to look him in the eyes for the next hundred years if anything happens to you?"
A strange calm settle over me and my guilt leeches away. I know it's Jasper doing it. I sit there with them, not watching TV, for hours until the sun rose.
Alice orders breakfast for us, but Bella doesn't wake, too drained. At one point. Alice and Jasper trade places, and I lose myself watching Alice stroke back Bella's dark curls rhythmically. I pace around, take a shower, and brush my teeth. I scribble all over the little pad on the desk, inane doodles to keep my hands busy.
"Alice," I say, around noon. She's just finished ordering lunch for us. I doubt Bella will be up for that either. "What do you think they're doing?"
"Carlisle, Emmett, and Edward led the tracker up north," she answers cautiously. "They'll isolate him as much as possible before taking him. Esme and Rose will distract the female. She'll turn back and they'll go back to town, to keep an eye on Charlie. None of them have called, so things are progressing as planned."
"And they're safe?"
"Without a doubt." I consider the answer, and the sincerity in her eyes. I pick at a loose string on my sweater, thinking back to a conversation Edward hadn't let me finish.
"Alice?" She inclines her head, waiting for me to go on. "How… how do you become a vampire?"
"Edward doesn't want you to know," she says after a minute. "But… you'll find out eventually. It's the venom, obviously. I think it's part of our weaponry. It incapacitates the prey until they can't move, until they are so consumed with pain. I suppose when the venom spreads, the change begins. Eventually it overtakes you completely and you aren't human anymore."
"Edward said… it was really difficult."
"We're like sharks that way," she says with a wry laugh. "Once we taste blood, it's a feeding frenzy. It's pretty uncommon that you have enough control to stop feeding once you start. Apparently, the transformation is the last, most vivid part of the human life someone can remember. I can't even remember mine."
"Why do you think that is?"
"I don't even remember being human," she says, a strange, faraway look in her eyes. I take her hand, squeezing, and she smiles at me. Suddenly, Alice's face goes slack.
"Something's changed," she whispers. Jasper's by her side in a heartbeat. "I see a room, mirrors everywhere, with a gold band all around it. He… he waits in this room."
"Where is it?" Jasper asks.
"I can't tell," Alice says. "There's a decision missing."
"How much time?"
"Tonight, or maybe tomorrow. Soon. Right now, he's in a dark room, looking at something on a computer. Facebook… I see the logo."
"Where's the dark room?" Jasper asks.
"I can't tell, it's so dark." She shakes her head, like she's trying to reset herself. "The mirror room, that's where he waits…"
"What else?" Alice blink at him, eyes wide. Jasper goes still for a moment, and then their eyes flit over to me.
"What does it mean?" I ask.
"The tracker's plans have changed," Alice explains after a beat. "He's made a decision that leads him to those rooms."
"But we don't know where they are," I say. "The others, in the mountains, he'll elude them. We need to tell them."
Alice doesn't answer and is saved from doing so when her phone rings. She flits across the room to answer it.
"Carlisle," she breathes. She just listens, and worry my bottom lip, waiting. "Yes. I just saw him." She describes her visions, both rooms, but there's a strange tone in her voice that makes me think she's holding something back. "Yes, he's right here."
I hurry over, taking the phone from her outstretched hand.
"Hello?" I say.
"Beau." Edward's voice is both a balm and a bullet.
"God, Edward, I was so worried," I tell him, my heart beating so loud I wonder if he can hear it over the phone.
"Beau," he says softly. "Please promise me you won't worry about us."
"Where are you?" I demand.
"Just outside Vancouver. I'm so sorry, Beau, we him. He was careful to stay outside of listening range. He's gone now, and we think he's headed back to Forks to start over."
"Yeah I know," I say. "Alice told me."
"He won't find anything," he says, voice resolutely. "Just stay there and I'll come get you. Charlie's alright, Esme and Rose are watching him. He's still asleep at the house. The female's in town and Rose is tracking her. It looks like she's trying to find a new trail."
"I miss you," I say, my voice dropping down to a barely-there whisper. "God, so much."
"I know, Beau, believe me. It's like half of my heart is missing."
"Come get it then."
"I will," Edward promises. "As soon as you're safe.
"I love you," I remind him.
"Can you believe, despite everything I've put you through, that I love you too?" he asks.
"Yes, actually."
"I be there soon."
"I'll be waiting." As soon as the phone goes dead, I hand the phone back to Alice. "I have to call my mom. She's going to try and surprise me in Forks sometime today, and I have to stop her."
I try her cell phone first, scowling when I get the disconnected message. Had she forgotten to pay it? Come on, Renee. She had a google phone number where she checked her messages. It was easiest for her; in case she lost her phone. I call the google number instead.
I leave her a message, explain that Charlie ruined the surprise and not to bother coming down. I told her I would come up to her, and that we could figure out a time. I hope that might by me a couple hours at least.
To my surprise, I get a call back almost immediately. I step into the other room to take it, not want to disturb Alice as she drew out her visions.
"Hey mom," I answer on the first ring.
"Be very careful not to say anything until I tell you to." The strange male voice shocks me into freezing, and I just stand there, clutching the phone, my heart slowly climbing into my throat. "Now, imagine my surprise when I learned your mother was here, in Seattle. I just knew I had to meet her, see if she had that same, sweet smell. Of course, there's no reason for her to get hurt, so as long as you do everything you're told. Say 'no mom, stay where you are'."
I repeat the words, trying desperately to keep my voice even.
"That was a poor performance. I hope your face doesn't ruin everything. Say 'mom, please listen to me'."
I say those words too, trying to sound like a human instead of a robot. The tracker chuckles lightly in my ear.
"Alright, perfect," he says. "I want you to tell me if they can hear you. If they can, say 'mom, trust me'."
Those words tumble off my lips in a jumble, but I hope it's enough. I want to ask him to put my mom on, but I don't know how to do that without alerting Alice and Jasper.
"You can answer these next questions yes or no. First, I'm going to need you to get away from your friends. Can you do that?"
"No." Alice and Jasper would be on me like a hawk. When we'd leave here, they'd escort me down and into the car. There wouldn't be a single inch.
"Disappointing," the tracker sighs. "I'd have thought you'd be a little more creative, considering your mother."
I swallow hard, trying to force myself to think. Maybe there might be a way, I could escape through the bowels of the hotel.
"Yes," I say quickly. "I meant, yes."
"Better. There's a car outside you hotel, a silver Honda Civic, 2016, with the license plate GHD 5643. The key and an address are in the front seat. The car is unlocked. It's in the staff parking lot, behind the hotel. It should take you about an hour to find the destination. I'll give you a window of twenty-four hours, I think. Does that work?"
It's strange, him checking in with the convenience of making it to my death. I want to laugh, but the only sound that leaves my throat is a soft yes.
"Where's Phil?" I ask suddenly. I couldn't remember if my father had said they were both coming up to Seattle, or if just Renee was, while Phil was in Yakima.
"Be careful, now, Beau, don't speak out of turn." I shut my mouth, waiting.
"It's very important that none of your friends know about our plan. Tell that you placated your mother, that she's going to stay where she is for now. Now say, 'Bye mom, love you, see you soon'."
"Bye Mom, love you, see you soon," I say. My voice is thick with the lie of those words. I'd never see my mother again. I take a few deep breaths, force myself to be calm. I need them to think everything's fine. They cannot know, cannot be held culpable. God, Edward.
I walk out to the main room, my face impassive. Alice is on the phone speaking too quickly for me to make out. Bella's awake, sitting up and picking at a fruit cup. I take a seat beside her on the couch.
"Beau," Alice says, surprising me. "Edward's coming to get you. You're going with Carlisle, Emmett and him to hide for a while."
"Edward's coming?" I ask, panic clawing its way up my throat. I wouldn't be able to get away from him. "When?"
"Tonight," she says. "I'm going to meet them at the airport and Jasper will stay here with you and Bella." My breath comes in shallow pants, and me edges begin to get fuzzy. Jasper gives me a funny look, but I ignore him. My plan. My mother. Bella slips her hand in mine.
Suddenly, Bella lurches to her feet, looking at me with wide eyes.
"You spoke to him!" she accuses me.
"What?" Alice demands.
"The tracker spoke to you," Bella continues. My mouth drops open. How could she know that? "He told you to meet him. There's a car outside."
"What car?" Jasper asks. The authority in his voice is almost a tangible chain, forcing me to confess, but I resist.
"That's ridiculous," I lie. Alice flits over and grabs my hands.
"I saw you," she tells me, speaking fast. "In the mirror room. What did he tell you?"
Panic made the room close in around me, but I croak it out, the plan, my mom's visit, everything. By the end, I am curled into a ball on the floor, my face buried in my knees.
"My mom," I gasp, trying to force myself to breathe.
"Beau, how would he know your mom would be in Seattle?" Bella asks. She's on the floor next to me, flipping through her magic book.
"Facebook," Alice says suddenly. "The second vision. I didn't realize what that meant."
"Pull it up," she says, and suddenly, there's a laptop in front of me, wait for me to log in. Clumsy, I type in my password and a second later, my feed crops up. I click on my mom, point to the latest post.
"Geotagged in Yakima," I mumble. "Two days ago. She could have left and just not updated anything."
"What about your stepdad?"
"Phil doesn't believe in cell phones," I groan. It was one of the strange hippy-dippy things about him that attracted my mother in the first place.
"I found a spell!" Bella says excitedly. "A tracking spell! A real one, not like the one I did to find you."
"What?" Bella waves me off, promising she'll explain later.
"I need a map of Washington, or Seattle, or something, in paper. And I need something that belongs to the target," she explains. Jasper fishes out a map of the state, spreading it out before her. "I need something sharp too, plus salt and a match."
"We don't have anything that belongs to the target," I tell her.
"We have you," she says. "It's close enough. I need some hair or something from you." I do as I'm told, and soon, Bella's combining my hair, a packet of salt, and a few drops of her blood. All three of us look away.
Bella pours the concoction onto the map and strikes a match. She lights the concoction, and a bright, tall flame leaps up.
"Invenire quae sunt amissa, ostende nobis viam," she chants. The flame spreads thin across the entire map and extinguishes, leaving only a red tinge. I watch in amazement as it concentrates, contracting to a circle that outlines downtown Seattle.
"She is here," I moan. Bella slumps forward, exhausted.
"Bella, could Beau be confusing it?" Alice asks soothingly.
"Maybe," she mumbles. "I was trying to direct the spell, but there's no way to be sure."
"We have to tell them," Jasper says.
"No!" I all but shout. "If they know, if they come here, he'll kill my mom!"
"We don't know that he has her," Jasper tells me, laying an uncharacteristic hand on my shoulder. A wave of lethargy washes over me, so I scramble back, trying to keep my senses.
"We can't risk it," I say. "I have to go, it's the only way."
"Beau, you know that's not an option," Alice tells me sharply. "It won't just hurt Edward to lose you."
"Wait, I might have a plan," Bella says.
A/N: I've always hated the plot line of the tracker and everything, it was one of the lamest plot lines in terms of all the other "big bad's" that threaten them. I mean, I get why we needed it, but I took some serious liberties with it. First off, if Charlie's kid is running away from town because of their boyfriend, I feel like Charlie would stop that, would react more than he did. The reaction from Eclipse was extremely plausible, and I expected more from him, but New Moon doesn't work without the non-reaction, so I streamlined everything so Charlie doesn't see his kid running off. Sorry for the ramble, but I felt like I had to justify this a bit. Anyways, tell me what you thought!