Chapter Sixteen:

Chase

He came back for me.

The thought was irrational, yet my hands grew sweaty, and I tightened my hold on Edward as those horrifying, intensely red eyes fixed back on me. I felt like the world was swimming around me, like at any moment my knees would give out and I would collapse and be swallowed up by his hungry gaze.

I bit my lip, willing myself not to cry, to be still.

My eyes closed and I held my breath, praying that Alice was right, that they would realize that I was human, that he wouldn't know who I was , not after all this time. Hadn't Edward said it was difficult for him to remember his human memories?

My stomach dropped as I felt a soft breeze ruffling the ends of my short hair under my baseball cap. Edward inhaled sharply and I froze, his arm tense next to mine. He could smell me and, if he could smell me, then so could the other vampires.

I peeked out from under the brim of my cap. Cullens visibly stiffened; a vicious snarl sounded in my right ear, startling me. Edward was suddenly gone from my grasp and in front of me, crouched. His posture was foreign, frightening, like none that I had ever seen before. I could only see the back of his head, but I was certain that his expression was utterly terrifying.

He shifted so that his body hid mine from view, but I could see the visiting vampires couch down, looking as if they were about to spring. James drew my focus, his body positively convulsing with something that I didn't recognize, and his narrowed, dark eyes found mine.

His expression confirmed everything I dreaded: he recognized me. Despite all the years that has passed, my changed body and features, my short black hair, he knew who I was. Something sinister danced in his eyes, a mixture of glee and malice and cunning. It struck fear straight into my soul. It was the same look he'd had a thousand times, the one that sent me cowering as a child when we were alone.

Laurent's voice cut through the growls that were emanating from both Edward and James. "You have a human," he said, surprise lacing his careful tone. It was all just an act. "One that you do not intend to eat?" It seemed like a question, strained with its politeness, but I knew better.

Carlisle spoke, his tone full of forced politeness, but he was one of the few still standing upright. Laurent straightened slightly as well, but the two behind him stayed crouched. My gaze was still fixed on James, Carlisle's voice distant. "She is part of our coven," he said firmly.

The world was spinning, Carlisle's strange words not making sense. I placed a hand on Edward's back to steady myself, almost unconsciously, finally tearing my eyes away from the field. I tried to focus my eyes on the threads of his light shirt, feeling the woven fabric with my fingers.

Laurent's voice sounded like it was reaching me through roaring wind, although the air was still. He was clearly assessing the Cullens, their size and numbers, as he spoke. "Then we will not harm her… We best take our leave, now."

I didn't look up from Edward's back, my hand fisted tightly in his shirt, too involved in my struggle to remain coherent and keep the panic at bay. He reached back, prying my fingers from him. I barely registered the chill of his fingers on my wrist.

My heart thumped loudly in my ears. I couldn't think; all I could see was James' sharp eyes, the tautness of his shoulders, the evil there. There was buzzing, hushed conversation; I was vaguely aware of being carried. My breath came in short gasps, my hands fisted in cotton jersey like it was the only thing holding me there.

I finally snapped out of it as I felt myself being folded into the back seat of the Jeep, large, unfamiliar hands gently dragging my fingers free of the twisted fabric.

"What are you doing?! Let go of me," I shouted, struggling uselessly against the iron-like hands. "Let go!" I kicked out, my boot connecting with the door painfully.

"Edward!" I cried, looking around for him as Emmett continued to restrain me. My foot found purchase on his chest, but he held me fast, my body taut like a spring as I yanked and pushed uselessly against him. "Edward!"

Most of the Cullens had disappeared; I could only see Alice and Emmett. Desperation clawed at me. My foot slipped down Emmett's chest; my heel struck his knee and I hissed as jolt of pain went up my leg.

Edward was in front of me in an instant, grabbing my hands and holding them tightly. "Bella, Bella, I need you to calm down." But his expression was anything except calm and I trembled as he lifted me into the Jeep with unnatural ease and speed.

My tears were flowing freely down my face; I seized his shirt, pulling myself toward him. His dark eyes showed barely concealed panic. "Edward, he came back for me – it's him, it's James – he's going to kill me, Edward, he's going to kill me!" I struggled against him, my fist thumping his chest.

Anyone else wouldn't have believed me, but Edward stared into my eyes, his own black and fierce. "I won't let him. I promise, Bella, I won't let him hurt you, but we need to leave."

Edward strapped me into the seat, doing up all the complicated buckles without hesitation, before I could even blink. He was in the driver's seat almost instantly, and I fought to unhook all the buckles. "Where are we going?" I huffed, my voice cracking, giving up on the buckles and hoping to just rip myself free of the damn harness. The car was moving quickly; the trees a darkening green blur through the windows.

"Emmett, hold her still," Edward growled between his teeth, jaw set.

My head snapped to Emmett; he cast me an apologetic look and took hold of my hands. "Can't have you going through the windshield," he explained as I tugged against his icy grip.

Alice was in the passenger's seat, mumbling to herself occasionally as her face oscillated quickly between expressionless and concerned.

"Edward, where the fuck are we going?" I demanded, my breathing shallow. I leaned as far forward as I could with the seatbelt and Emmett restraining me. The trees flew by at impossibly fast speeds, and as we took a sharp turn, the back of the vehicle fishtailing, I worried for a moment that we might crash. "Answer me, damnit!"

He ignored me. "How the hell did you not see that, Alice," he hissed, taking another sharp turn through the dense vegetation, the Jeep jostling violently.

"How was I supposed to know who the hell he was?!" she snapped back, turning to look at me. "I didn't know what he looked like, Bella, I swear. If I had known –"

Edward cut her off. "Well, he knows about her, now. God-fucking-damnit," he swore, banging on the steering wheel. "You don't get it, Alice," he growled. The expression on his face was alarming as he turned to look at her. "He's not going to stop until he has Bella – and then –" his voice broke and Alice interrupted him.

"I know, I saw it."

"Saw what?" I keened, a spike of dread lancing through me, still trying to free my hands. "What the fuck did you see?" Panic was starting to set in again. She didn't have to answer me; I saw it all in her distressed eyes. James was going to find me and kill me, however long that would take. I was already dead.

"The vile things going through his mind when he saw you," Edward snarled, his voice rough. "When he realized it was you – motherfucker!"

The Jeep spun again as he pulled onto the highway, the tires screeching. Bile was rising in my throat and I swallowed against it, squinting my eyes shut. Edward continued to swear under his breath as the engine revved and we picked up speed.

I opened my eyes just in time to see the sign indicating that we were now traveling south of Forks. "Edward, where the fucking hell are you taking me?" I shouted, quelling my nausea, anger and fear mixing into a sickening pulse that wiped away all other thoughts from my mind.

"Edward, we can't go there," Alice said, clearly having an idea as to where we were heading. I threw an unnerved glance at Emmett, who looked as mystified as I felt. "He'll expect that."

"What do you want me to do, Alice?" he yelled, and I saw the speedometer inching past one twenty. "He's a fucking tracker! A fucking twisted, psychotic, pedophilic tracker!"

"A tracker? Edward, what the fuck are you talking about?" My own questions seemed to go unheard.

"I know!" Alice snapped. "But you can't take her anywhere – he'll expect you two to stay together."

A silent conversation seemed to be taking place between them in the front seat, punctuated by Edward's swearing and Alice's harsh looks. I turned to Emmett, frightened. "What is going on, Emmett? What the hell is a tracker?" My voice broke.

Emmett's golden orbs lowered to mine, his mouth set in a grim line. "A tracker is a vampire that can find anyone – given enough time."

That was it, then. My life was over. My breath came in rattling gasps.

Edward's voice brought my attention back to him. "Who the fuck made him into a vampire? Fucking unstable sonofabitch –" The rest was drowned out by the sound of the engine revving and the screech of tires. "Keep your fucking thoughts to yourself," he tossed back at Emmett, who just shrugged.

"Edward, you have to pull over," I insisted, but he wasn't listening. I appealed to Alice, "We can't just leave! He'll know where Charlie is – and Charlie knows I'm with you! If I don't go back soon, he'll know something has happened – he'll blame you." I was surprised by how much sense my own words were making. Alice seemed to agree.

"We need to take her back, Edward – I know, okay! No, he wants more time – No – Yes." Her responses were disjointed, and I could only assume that she was replying to Edward's unasked questions.

More time. He wanted more time. My vision swam once again as the meaning of that sentence finally struck me. He was going to torture me, just like he used to, before killing me.

I felt the Jeep jerk to a halt, my body thrown forward by the momentum, only to be yanked back into the seat by the harness strapped around me. "Fuck," Edward groaned. "Fuck, fuck, fuck." He pinched the bridge of his nose, grinding his teeth angrily. "You too," he snapped at Alice.

"Edward, you have to take me back to Charlie's." His strangled growl of dissent tried to cut me off, but I persisted. "Edward, think about it. I'll pack some stuff up, tell him I'm going somewhere, back to Arizona – no, listen! – and then you can take me wherever."

Alice mumbled her agreement as her expression turned blank again. "I think it'll work, but it all depends on what you tell Charlie, Bella."

Emmett interrupted. "We can just take her to the house – we can kill that mofo, no problem."

Edward shook his head. "I'm not willing to take that chance. We can't hide Bella anywhere obvious." He banged his fist on the dash and I was surprised when he didn't dent it. "I know, Alice! That's the least of my concerns right now, I'm more interested in keeping her alive."

She glared at him pointedly.

"Can you stop it with the fucking secret conversations?" I barked.

Alice at least had the decency to look embarrassed. "Sorry, old habits."

Edward opened his eyes, twisting around and staring at me. "What?" I mumbled, his eyes scrutinizing me as if I held the answer to the meaning of life.

"What if we did take you back to Arizona?"

"Wait – what?" I gaped at him.

"No, think about it," he insisted. "We'll make sure that James hears you tell Charlie that you're going home," he turned to Alice. "He'll be by the house, right?"

She nodded after a moment. "He wants to check everything out, see if he can pick up a trail there."

"Okay, so you tell Charlie that you're going back to Phoenix, pack up a bag, and take your car to our house – I'll wait in the cab. He won't expect you to actually go back there – let alone tell Charlie where you're actually going."

"Will that work?" I asked hesitantly, casting a worried glance at Alice.

Her face scrunched up in confusion. "I think so – the future is in flux right now, no one is settling on a decision, so I can't know for sure. If nothing else, we'll have to move quickly and kill James even quicker."

Her declaration about killing James didn't surprise me. That would be the only way to ensure that he couldn't come after me again, and I wanted that fucker to burn for all the things he had done. It was the only way.

"Okay, then," Edward grumbled, yanking the steering wheel and pulling the Jeep across both lanes of traffic without looking for other vehicles and speeding back toward Forks. "I'll take Bella home, and you and Emmett will drive back to the house while I wait for her. We'll meet the house to regroup, I'll drive her down to Arizona –"

"No," Alice cut him off. "After your display in front of James, he'll expect you to be with her…" Her voice trailed off as her jaw went slack again. "Jasper and I will take her," she declared.

"What? No, I'm not leaving her for a moment," he argued angrily.

A second passed as they alternated glaring at each other and huffing, frustrated. A sign indicating that we were five miles out from town flashed by.

"Will you be able to control yourselves?"

Alice rolled her eyes. "Jasper is getting better, you know that, and well – sorry, Bella, but you still smell a little sickly." She shrugged and I sent her a small scowl.

"If I smell so bad, then why does everyone want to get a taste of me?" I quipped.

Emmett chortled while Edward blanched. "That's not funny, Bella."

"Sure it is!" Emmett boomed, releasing my hands to grip Edward's shoulders over the seat. He squeezed them, turning his bright eyes to me. "He needs to lighten up."

I nodded absentmindedly, watching as Edward shrugged him off and pressed a little harder on the gas pedal. The Welcome to Forks sign flew past as we entered the city limits, forcing Edward to slow down a little.

"Just keep your opinions to yourselves," Edward warned suddenly. Alice shrugged.

She turned around in her seat to look at me. "When you tell Charlie, be as vague as possible. Don't give him exact reasons for leaving and don't mention anything about Renee."

I nodded. Charlie knew of my distaste for Renee – he had seen it first hand in the hospital after my attempted suicide – it would seem suspicious if I was going back to simply live with her after everything. "Okay," I murmured, trying to organize my thoughts. Everything seemed to be happening so fast; it was disorienting, not to mention all the secret remarks that Alice and Edward were sharing. It annoyed me.

"Slow down, Edward," Alice cautioned, facing front again. "Otherwise we'll get there and leave before he has a chance to overhear Bella."

Edward grudgingly complied, the needle on the speedometer inching down to fifty. "Help me out of this contraption, Emmett," I demanded, exasperated, as I pulled at the straps again. He chuckled and deftly pushed the buckles, freeing me almost instantly. I scooted to the edge of my seat, leaning against the back of Alice's. "What happens once we get to Arizona?"

Alice closed her eyes for a moment. "We'll get a hotel somewhere safe – populated – and wait."

"The sun won't be a problem for you guys?"

Alice smiled. "Oh, don't worry about us, I know exactly what we're doing." She tapped her temple knowingly.

I exhaled deeply, leaning my head against her seat tiredly and yanking off the baseball cap still on my head when it got in the way. I ruffled my hair distractedly, trying to figure out exactly what I could say to Charlie without making him suspicious or breaking his heart.

We had gotten to know each other pretty well over the last few months and he was a good guy – he was a good dad. I wondered for a moment just how different my life would have been if I had lived with him growing up instead of with Renee.

We reached the house all too soon and parked on the street out front. Edward was pulling me out of the backseat before I had even processed him leaving the Jeep, setting me down gently. "Are you ready?"

I shook my head, running my hand through my hair. "I don't think I'll ever be ready, but it doesn't look like I have a choice."

I began walking up the driveway and Edward followed me. "Do you know what you're going to do?"

"I have an idea," I sighed, looking up at him. "Just, you know, follow my lead? I think I'm about to say some really nasty things – to both you and Charlie. I don't mean any of them, okay?"

He nodded. "Okay. I'll help you pack up once you're in your room."

I placed my hand on the door, knowing that it would be unlocked since Charlie was home. "Here goes nothing," I mumbled, then threw the door open.

I slipped into Bitch Mode quickly – it was almost effortless. The sound of the door hitting the wall was drowned out by my screeching voice as I started in on Edward like Renee used to with me.

"Just fucking go away, Edward," I yelled, stomping through the doorway. I heard a chair in the kitchen scrap – Charlie coming to investigate all the noise.

Edward's shock at my sudden change in demeanor wore off when I raised an eyebrow at him. "Bella," he pleaded, looking the part of the distressed boyfriend. "Let's talk about this, please –"

"I'm fucking done talking," I snapped. "That's all you ever want to do – talk. Just leave me the fuck alone – no!" I interrupted as he started to open his mouth, "I never want to see you again, I'm done!" I slammed the door on Edward's surprised face just as I heard Charlie stomping toward me.

"Bella?" he questioned hesitantly. "What's wrong?"

I composed my expression, willing myself to feel angry so that this could be easier. I thought about how if Renee had never married James, I would not be running for my life, and that was enough to ignite my fury.

I laid into Charlie, directing my misplaced anger at him. His stunned expression was all I needed to let me know that it was convincing. I stalked to the stairs, passing him. "I hate this fucking little town, I can't stand it!" I let out a frustrated growl, Charlie trailing behind me up the stairs.

"Bella, if he did anything to upset you –"

I sighed angrily, turning to face him at the top of the stairs. "He didn't do anything, Dad. I just can't be here anymore – I'm not getting any better and everyone here just seems to think that everything is perfect," I complained, stalking towards my room, "and it's not. I'm going back to Phoenix where the sun actually shines and all my friends live –"

Charlie interrupted me, sounding panicked. "Bella, stop for a second. Think about what you are about to do –"

"Don't tell me what to do! I've thought about it and I'm going to do it!" I hollered as I slammed my door closed and locked it. Edward was already there, pulling out a small duffel bag. I began tossing him clothes while Charlie tried to reason with me through the door. He turned the knob, rattling it.

"Bella, open the door – please, can we talk about this? I really thought things were going well for you here," he pleaded.

"I'll meet you out in the truck – you'll be driving. Don't forget your keys," Edward whispered, giving me a quick peck on the lips before disappearing out my window.

I grabbed a few more things, including my backpack, and flung the door open, pushing past Charlie into bathroom. "Bella, why are you doing this? Please, just hold on, we can talk about this, call Carlisle. Just stay the night at least, it's getting late –"

I shoved my toothbrush and other toiletries into my duffel as fast as possible. "No," I cut him off. "I can't fucking stay here for one second longer. I'm just going to get stuck here for the rest of my life. I never even wanted to be here in the first place," I insisted, half-believing it myself.

Charlie wasn't a very expressive guy, but the pain I saw in his eyes almost made me freeze in my tracks. Instead, I rushed down the stairs quickly, refusing to look at him again. I picked up my keys from the table next to the door, yanking it open. It was dark outside, and I knew that James had to be out there, listening in.

"Bella –"

"Just stop it!" I huffed, one foot already out the door. "Just let me go, Charlie." I slammed the door in his face, my guilt weighing me down. I forced myself into my truck, throwing my bag into the passenger's seat and starting the engine before I was fully inside. I backed out of the driveway quickly, trying not to look at Charlie's rigid form standing on the porch.

I felt Edward's hand on my knee as I drove down the block and I realized that I was crying. "I'm a horrible person," I sobbed, turning to head toward the Cullens' house.

"No, you're not," he assured me, squeezing my arm as he unfolded himself from the floorboard. "You're doing what you have to in order to protect yourself – both of you, really."

I shook my head, blinking hard to get rid of the tears. "I'm such a bitch – he's never going to forgive me."

"Bella, it will be okay. You'll come back and it'll be okay."

I scrubbed angrily at my eyes, not sure if I entirely believed him.

"Here, I'll drive," he insisted, and I couldn't argue with him. I started to pull over onto the shoulder, but Edward tossed my bags onto the floor and easily slid over to take the steering wheel with one hand while tugging me over his lap and into the passenger's seat with the other. I hadn't even done up my seatbelt in my hurry to get out of there.

Edward drove back into the lane, buckling me in and speeding up without even glancing at the road. "Is he following us?" I asked, sniffling.

"Charlie, or James? Charlie is back inside the house – he's in shock, I think, but he'll be fine," he promised, and I nodded. "James is trailing us. He's curious about what we are doing – he expected us to stick around for a fight – but he's not going to follow us for much longer. He's going to regroup with Victoria."

I nodded, biting my lip and wiping my eyes on my sleeve. "What is going to happen now?"

Edward sighed. "We are going to lead them away from you. Esme and Rosalie will take your truck north and Emmett, Carlisle, and I will track James. They won't get to you." His voice was steely, his jaw set in a determined line.

I watched the trees speeding by, feeling sick about what I had just done to Charlie and what James was going to try to do to me. After a moment, I shrugged out of my jacket, feeling warm, and unwrapped my scarf, stuffing it between the seats.

We pulled up to their house a short time later, the rest of drive mostly silent except for my occasional sniffle. The garage door opened as we pulled up and Edward parked my truck next to the Jeep. I moved to get out once he shut off the engine, but he grabbed my hand to stop me. "Wait until the garage closes."

"I thought you said he wasn't following us anymore."

"He's not," Edward explained, "but we don't want your scent escaping the house. It's a faint trail outside, and it'll make it easier to confuse Victoria when we leave – James is going to make her follow your truck."

"Okay," I whispered, and we waited until the door shut resolutely behind us. Once it was closed, Edward was helping me out of my seat, pulling me close to his chest. We rounded the front of it to find Rosalie and Carlisle packing up a black Mercedes that I assumed was Carlisle's.

"Rose, change clothes with Bella," Edward demanded as we pulled level with them. Carlisle went back into the house, leaving just the three of us and I followed Edward's pacing body with my eyes warily.

Rosalie looked disgruntled. "Why should I do anything to help her? She's putting us all in danger."

"Rosalie," Edward warned, his voice nearly a growl. "Just fucking –"

"No," I cut off Edward, raising my hand. Rosalie's eyes narrowed, watching me, as Edward swung around, astonished.

"Bella –"

I waved my hand, shaking my head earnestly. "No, it's a good question, Edward." I glowered at her. "Why should you do anything for me, Rosalie? Other than the obvious answer, there are a few reasons. For one, that fucking psychotic vampire out there is my abusive, asshole stepfather," I intoned nastily, "who will torture me until he decides to finally kill me."

Edward winced at my words, but I ignored him, stalking forward until I was mere feet from Rosalie. I was feeling a whole hell of a lot braver standing before her devastatingly beautiful face than I should have been, especially since her scowl could have peeled paint off a car, it was so acidic.

"Before he drains me of my blood, he will probably toss me around just like he used to – that's just who he is – and I will be able to do nothing to stop him," I said, punctuating my words with my hands. "Then – just in case that isn't enough to make your apparently non-existent conscience rise to the occasion – he will rape me, again, just for the fun of it, just like he did seven fucking years."

She froze, the glare slipping off her face, her eyes wide. I could see that something from my rant had resonated with her, the pain in her eyes mirroring my own. "And, that is why you should help me. He destroyed my childhood, any chance that I could ever live a normal life, he left me unable to have a family of my own someday – and I will not die because of him. I have fought too hard, for far too long."

I looked away, running a hand through my hair. "If you don't want to help me, then fine," I snapped angrily. "But don't let him get away with what he did to me, and don't let him do it again – to anybody."

I realized that the rest of the Cullens had joined us in the garage at some point. Esme was clutching Carlisle's arm, looking upset, while he rubbed her back, nodding to me. His expression was… proud, almost, although pained as well.

Emmett and Jasper were both frowning while Alice stared at me, obviously not aware of the full story behind James' intentions. I turned to look at Edward, who was standing behind me.

"You didn't tell them?" I wasn't sure if I was pleased about it or not. Carlisle, I expected to keep it a secret – he was my fucking therapist, for Christ's sake – but I thought that Edward would have mentioned the fact that James knew me and intended to put me through hell again when they were dragging me off the baseball field. I was flushed, though not out of embarrassment, a strange energy crackling through me.

Alice appeared next to me and grabbed my hand. "Come on, Bella, Esme will switch clothes with you."

Alice began to tug me to the door leading to the house when Rosalie's voice cut through the uncomfortable silence. "Okay," she breathed. My head whipped around to watch as she walked gracefully toward me, her mouth fixed into an angry frown. "I'll help you and I'll kill that bastard myself if I get the chance." She took my arm from Alice, leading me inside with a steady hand.

My eyes were probably the size of saucers. I hadn't expected Rosalie to just give in like that, tirade or not. She glanced at me once we were at the stairs, stilling frowning. "May I?"

I nodded, my tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth. She stooped and picked me up, whisking me up the stairs. I felt the air blow my short hair around and then we were in front of the door on the second floor that Edward had indicated to me was her and Emmett's bedroom. Rosalie set me down, turning the handle and waving for me to enter first.

I stepped over the threshold, my jaw popping open as I took in the beautiful room. Like Edward's room, there was an entire wall made of glass, giving her a beautiful view of the trees and distant mountains. The room was white, just like downstairs, except for the dark wood of the four-poster bed and other furniture. A white couch with dark wooden feet was pressed into the corner where the giant window met the adjacent wall, facing the open bathroom to my right.

Rosalie led me to the left, turning around the corner of the L-shaped room and opening two French-style doors to reveal a humongous closet. "You're a little shorter than me, thinner, too," she observed me carefully. "My clothing should fit, but just in case I'll grab a belt for you." She disappeared into the closet and I gazed around. This room was so much larger than Edward's – it was almost unreal.

She reappeared, handing me a belt, and began unbuttoning her cardigan. I looked away as my face flamed. "Don't be embarrassed," she told me, a hint of gentleness in her tone. After only hearing her speak to me – or, well, about me – with a cold, hard voice, this change in demeanor was almost unsettling.

I pulled my eyes back to her when she held out the cardigan and delicate silk shirt to me. It looked expensive. I breathed deeply, shrugging off my knit sweater and closing my eyes as I prepared myself for her reaction to my skin.

I felt her fingers on my shoulder, dancing over to my collarbone. She hadn't even seen the worst of it, and I peeked over at her, feeling ashamed as I saw her flawless skin and perfect figure exposed to me. She still had on a bright red bra, so beautiful that she looked like a runway model.

"He did this to you?"

I pursed my lips, only managing a nod as I looked away.

"I'm sorry, Bella," Rosalie whispered, and I was once again caught off guard by her tenderness. "I shouldn't have judged you – I was angry, I thought that you were choosing to give up your human life to be with Edward."

I bit my lip. "I'm not giving anything up for him. I never… I would rather be with Edward than live a short, empty life without him."

She nodded, taking my sweater from me and waiting as I pulled the tank top over my head. She handed me the delicate shirt and cardigan and I took it gingerly from her, afraid that I might rip it or something. I pulled the silk top on carefully, fumbling with the buttons of the cardigan until she brushed my hands aside to help me.

"Thank you, Rosalie," I muttered. "For, you know, doing this."

She smiled, looking pained. "You can call me Rose, I don't mind." I nodded. My sweater, which was large on me, fit her a little better. However, I was sure she could wear a burlap sack and still look amazing. She kicked off her shoes and pulled her pants off quickly as I stumbled out of my own boots and skinny jeans. She had to reach out to catch me as my foot caught in the leg.

"I don't know if they'll fit," I mumbled, flushing.

Rosalie nodded, taking them from me and sizing them up. "Unfortunately, we don't want me to smell like myself, so they'll have to do." I slid into her pants, which fit better than I thought they would. I bent down to pull the hem of the dark skinny jeans up and over my feet, trying not to look at her bare, shapely thighs as I did so. The extra inches of the pants bunched around my ankles, so I folded them up and let my boots hide the cuff.

"Hm, stretchy," she commented, zipping up my jeans. They looked more like capris on her because she had a good five inches on me, but they fit her statuesque body in a way they could never fit mine.

"My jacket and scarf are still in the truck," I told her as I threaded the belt she'd handed me earlier through the loops on the waistband to hold the slightly loose pants in place; her hips were much wider than my boyish ones.

"Oh, yes, you'll probably be wanting one of my own," Rosalie mused as she glided back to one of the numerous racks in the enormous closet. She tossed me a light, patterned scarf that matched the red of the silk shirt and then pressed a jacket into my arms. It smelled like flowers and mint, and something inexplicably sweet that I realized must be vampire.

She slipped her tennis shoes back on, looking like a model for casual spring clothing, and then pulled me back into her bedroom. Lifting me once again, I found myself back in the living room at the base of the stairs, sliding out of Rosalie's arms.

Rosalie smoothed my hair down with her hands. "Unruly, that is," she muttered to herself.

I furrowed my brows as she continued to awkwardly rub the ends of my hair between her fingers, raking them a few times through my bangs.

She smiled sheepishly and ran her hands through her long hair. "Trying to get more of your scent on me – make it as convincing as possible."

"Why are you doing this?" I finally blurted. I had said something that had convinced her, but her suddenly warm behavior, after months of disregard and especially after her behavior today, left me reeling.

Her face hardened slightly. "I was raped by my fiancé and his friends when I was human," she stated, devoid of emotion. A trickle of cold ran down my spine. "I was being selfish when I wrote you off – I see that now." She rubbed her hands through my hair again and then over her arms and thighs. "I can't let that happen to you again."

I followed her wordlessly back out into the garage. Rosalie made a beeline for my car, opening the door and pulling out my coat and scarf, which she wrapped around her neck and rubbed over her hair before she lifted her blonde waves free of it. Edward handed her the baseball cap I had been wearing and she fitted it over her head, then slid my leather jacket on.

I caught Alice sniffing me and jumped, casting her a wary look. She giggled. "Just making sure you don't smell like you."

Edward tossed my bag into a black Mercedes. "Rose and Esme will take your car and lead Victoria north while Emmett, Carlisle, and I track James," he explained quickly.

"What about Laurent?" I squeaked, remembering the olive-skinned vampire.

Carlisle answered before Edward could, checking something on his cellphone. "He came by to warn us before you got here – he swore that he was just traveling with James and Victoria and that he wouldn't help them find you. We directed him up to our cousins in Denali."

"Oh," I breathed, relieved that there was at least one less vampire coming after me. Edward moved to stand next to me, gazing down at my worried eyes. I wanted him to wrap me in his arms and tell me that none of this was really happening, but I knew he couldn't. Everything was all too real.

"What's wrong?"

I sighed, eyeing the busy vampires around me. "I don't want you – any of you – to get hurt."

Edward grabbed my hand, squeezing it. "We'll be fine – I'm more worried about keeping you safe from James."

"Yeah, like James could get through us," Emmett proclaimed loudly, winking at me before hopping into the Jeep.

I bit my lip, anxious over what I was asking of them. "You all have already done so much for me."

Esme smiled kindly. "You're family, Bella," she answered softly. "Don't worry about us – just stay safe."

Edward kissed me, running a hand along my cheek longingly before escorting me to the Mercedes. "I'll see you soon," he promised and I nodded, my throat tight. I closed my eyes as he shut the car door. Alice and Jasper were already in the front seats, Jasper behind the wheel.

"Road trip," Alice sang, smiling lightly back at me. I think I managed a small grimace in return.