Chapter Seventeen:

Hunted

My phone rang shrilly in my bag and I glanced as Alice quickly, not sure if I should answer it.

We were driving through California, the road mostly empty save for the occasional trucker because of the early hour. I'd ignored Alice's insistence that I try to sleep, too worried about Edward and the others to relax. Rosalie's jacket was discarded on the seat next to me along with my backpack.

Jasper zipped around a bend in the road, the speedometer never creeping below one hundred. It wouldn't be long before the sun started to rise, but the dark tinting of the Mercedes' windows would mean that we could keep driving.

Anxiety pulsed through me as I watched Alice's vacant expression. She shrugged, "I don't see anything changing, just see who it is."

I hesitantly pulled the phone out, wincing at the sheer volume of the annoying ringtone that split the silence of the cab. My head pounded – why hadn't I ever changed it to something more soothing? "It's Charlie," I murmured, a little surprised. He should have been asleep right now, possibly tossing and turning.

I flipped it open, putting the cell to my ear. "Hello?"

"Oh, Bella, thank god." His voice was thick, raspy.

I remembered that I was supposed to be angry, but I was too emotionally drained to put any real muster into it. "What do you want?"

His voice cracked. "Bella, please come home. Just tell me where you are and I'll come get you."

I sighed, slouching down in the seat. "I can't do that. I need to go back to Arizona."

"Have you called your mother?"

I dragged a hand through my hair, shooting Alice a worried look. "No," I answered hesitantly. "Have you?"

After a tense pause, Charlie said, "Not yet, but I might."

"Why?" My confusion was thick in my voice.

"You just up and left, and I have no idea if you'll get there safely. And don't you think that you should check with your mother before you show up at her house?"

Charlie thought I was going to stay with Renee? Even he should know how absurd that thought was. "I'm not staying with Renee," I disputed quickly, then tried to shift my tone to be softer. "Please, don't call her. You know what she's like."

I heard Charlie sigh over the phone. "Where will you be staying then, Bella? I don't like the idea of you staying at a motel or anything –"

"Dad!" I cut him off before he could get any further with that train of thought. "I'm staying with a friend – I've already called and talked to her." Alice's perfectly shaped brows rose and I waved that it would be fine.

"Who?" He just wasn't stopping with the questions, was he? Being the type of father he was, though, it only made sense.

"A girl from Phoenix – Nessie. Don't worry about it, okay? I'll call you when I get there, I'll even stop driving when I get tired and take a break."

"Is that that redheaded girl from middle school?"

"Dad!" I snapped. I massaged my temple. "Just, please, don't call me again. I'll let you know when I get there and I'll call you in a few days, okay? I just… I just need to think." That was the last thing I needed to do, though; it was all I had been doing the last several hours.

"Okay, okay. Just… don't take too long?" There was a pause, and then, "I love you, kiddo."

My throat tightened. "I love you, too." Then I shut the phone, swallowing back against the tears welling in my eyes.

It was silent in the car as I sniffled, Alice and Jasper giving me the space I needed. "Aw, crap," I moaned, wiping my cheeks. "I should probably call Nessie to let her know I'm using her as my alibi." It was unlikely that Charlie, or Renee, for that matter, would check at her place for me, but I was still worried. Everything was happening so quickly; it was all so tenuous.

I hadn't talked to Nessie since before I had left Phoenix, before I had even been put into the institution against my will. After the whole fiasco with James walking in on us kissing, things just weren't the same between us. She'd started hanging around new friends and we'd just grown apart.

Alice's eyes glazed over, then she turned to look at me, seeming frustrated. "I'm not sure – too much is in motion – but I think Charlie isn't going to tell Renee, so you probably don't have to say anything to your friend."

I nodded, resting my head on my hand, elbow pressed into the crook of the door.

I started to drift off, my face pressed into the cool glass, Alice and Jasper's whispering voices lulling me into an uneasy sleep.

~o~

"Bella?" Alice's voice pierced the silence of the car.

"Yeah, Alice?" I mumbled, jerking up. I'd somehow ended up on my side, Rosalie's honey and mint scented jacket stuck to my cheek.

"Do you have your medication with you?"

I blinked confusedly at her for a moment. "Of course," I told her, more awake now. It didn't surprise me that Edward had told her about the mood stabilizers that Carlisle had asked me to start taking after Bree was finally gone. He said he was close to her. "Why?"

She smiled kindly at me from the front seat. "Edward wanted me to remind you to take it, it's almost time."

I glanced at the clock on the dashboard, which indicated that it was still early morning. The time I would have been up to go to school, if this was a normal day. "You're right. I didn't realize."

I fished the orange bottle from my duffle bag and used the water bottle Alice had given me when we stopped for gas to wash the pill down. Alice had insisted that they get me something to eat, and even though my stomach had rolled at the thought of trying to force anything down, they'd gone through a drive-thru anyway.

Alice was watching me intently as I screwed the lid back on the bottle. I raised my eyebrow. "Sorry," she apologized. "I'm not used to being around humans so much."

I rested back against my seat. The sun was just starting to light up the sky, but the tinting on the Mercedes' windows was so dark it couldn't penetrate the interior of the vehicle. "Edward told me that you don't remember anything about being human."

Alice shook her head, then turned to gaze at Jasper. "The first thing I remember is seeing Jazz and knowing that I had to find him," she tapped her forehead. "It took a couple decades, but I did it." I saw Jasper smile out of the corner of my eye and Alice squeezed his hand on the console before she looked back at me. It made me long for Edward.

"Do you mind if I ask you what it's like?" she said tentatively.

"Being human?" She nodded, eyes glinting with curiosity. "Honestly, I'm probably biased." Her expression fell a little and I bit my lip, looking up at the roof of the car.

"It – honestly it sucks, for the most part – at least, until recently. You know what happened to me, why I have to take the pills, right?" Another nod. "I never feel like I'm in control – the smallest thing and I just spiraled, and I didn't know why. I'd feel on top of the world, sometimes – like I could do anything – and then I'd come back down and I'd feel normal, for awhile, I think. It's hard to say what's normal, anymore. And then I'd feel so low, like the scum of the Earth – worthless." I sighed, "Words don't really capture it well."

"I understand," Jasper interjected, glancing back at me. "I've felt it. At the school."

I'd almost forgotten about his gift. "I'm sorry." The words spilled out of my mouth automatically.

"Don't be," Jasper countered dismissively, catching my gaze in the rearview mirror. "It's not your fault."

I didn't know what to say, so I just pulled Rosalie's jacket over my lap and listened to the sound of the road.

Alice broke the silence after a few minutes. "You still feel that way, now?" she asked kindly.

I shrugged. "I'm closer to normal, I think," I told her. "I dunno, maybe I'm just being pessimistic, but most of the time, it feels like I'll be this way forever. But, when I'm with Edward, it helps. He helps."

Alice smiled, reaching back to grab my hand and squeezing it gently. "You'll see him again soon, I promise."

I just hoped she was right.

~o~

I fell asleep again at some point, curled up in the back. I woke up as we rounded a turn and sat up, blinking blearily. "Where are we?"

"Arizona," Alice said, pointing to a sign that indicated we were some fifty miles from Phoenix. Now that I was upright, I recognized the landscape, even the look of the roads. Alice asked me how to get to the airport and I gave her and Jasper directions.

"Are we flying?" I asked.

"Just being careful," Alice replied lightly, but her expression belied her tension. She made some phone calls, booking a room under a name I didn't recognize and rattling off a credit card number without even pulling out her wallet. She adjusted the heat as she confirmed the number, switching on the A/C just as I started thinking about how warm the cab felt. I smiled gratefully and she winked as she absentmindedly repeated back directions to the person on the phone. I got the feeling that it was for the receptionist's benefit, more than anything else.

About an hour later, we pulled up under a hotel awning, bellhops already walking to meet us. Alice pulled on a pale long-sleeved shirt that she seemed to produce out of thin air and tossed Jasper a light coat.

They didn't linger, Alice grabbing my hand and shuffling me through the revolving door quickly. Her skin seemed to glow in the light that reflected off the pavement, drawing curious glances until we were fully inside. Jasper emerged into the lobby behind us. I glanced back, spotting the bellhops loading our bags onto a dolly.

Jasper coolly walked ahead of us, Alice pulling me toward the elevator. We loitered while Jasper spoke to the concierge, keeping a pair of sunglasses over his eyes and looking like a celebrity trying to pass unnoticed. As soon as the concierge started to hand Jasper the little folder with the room keys, Alice jabbed the elevator button. The doors slid open, the compartment empty, just as Jasper pulled level with us. It was bizarre to think that Alice must have seen this whole encounter and planned our movements down to the second she pressed the elevator button.

I gave Charlie a call after Alice had safely shuttled me to the top floor and into a large suite. I assured him that I was taking my meds and would call again soon, once I "figured everything out." I hung up, feeling terrible about the anxiety in his voice.

Alice ordered room service and forced me to eat as we waited to hear anything from the others. It was nerve-wracking and I could tell that despite Alice's cool façade, she was worried that we hadn't heard anything more since early this morning. By the time the faint light bleeding into the room from under the closed black-out curtains faded, I finally cracked.

"Shouldn't we have heard something by now?" I asked, drawing their attention to me from my perch on the couch as my knee jiggled up and down.

"Not necessarily," Alice said a little too quickly.

I glared, but she didn't say anything more, just going to the phone to order more room service. My stomach twisted into knots, but she cajoled me into eating something. I felt like some kind of class pet that she was taking care of.

I played the conversation in the Jeep over and over again in my head, what Edward had said James would do. Something about it was bothering me, and I couldn't put my finger on it at first, but then something that Edward had said came back to me.

"Alice," I began hesitantly, pushing the half-empty plate of pasta away from me. She turned to face me from the ottoman she was sitting on, the blueish light of the TV illuminating the side of her face. "What did Edward mean when he said to 'keep your opinions to yourself'?"

Her expression didn't betray anything, but Jasper's head titled minutely in my direction.

For a long moment, she said nothing. I wasn't sure if she was going to answer at all, but then she said, "I think that's something you should talk to Edward about when he gets here."

"Wait, they're coming?" I asked. "I thought they were leading James away."

"They'll join us after they destroy James," she replied. "You can ask him then."

I frowned, shifting on the uncomfortable hotel sofa. The fabric was slick beneath my fingers. I heard a low, deep whisper from my left and whipped my head around to stare at Jasper. "What was that?"

"Nothing," Alice replied for him, shooting him a pointed look. "Bella, why don't you take a shower, get some sleep? You must be exhausted."

I was, but I didn't think I'd be able to sleep. A shower, though, sounded appealing. I decided to bookmark the discussion and press her and Jasper for an explanation later. Alice's hasty interjection hinted that her and Jasper weren't on the same page about Alice's choice to defer to Edward. If I was reading the room right – and I really hoped I was – maybe leaving them alone for a bit would give Jasper a chance to change her mind.

Alice seemed relieved when I acquiesced and took my bag into the bedroom adjoined to the main room, shutting the door behind me. When I turned on the shower and left the bathroom to get my toothbrush, I paused by the door. I couldn't make out the words, just the buzz of two voices, one low and one high, speaking too quickly and indistinctly for me to understand anything. Giving it up for a bad job, I carried on with getting a change of clothes out – clothes more suitable for Forks than Arizona, but it didn't seem like we'd be going anywhere soon – and climbed into the shower.

The hot water helped sooth my frazzled nerves, but I knew the anxious energy bubbling in me wouldn't leave until I had Edward in my arms once again. My shirt damp with water from my dripping hair, I rejoined them in the little living room. They looked like two, eerily white statues, facing an almost-muted TV in the dark.

"Bella, you really should sleep," Alice said as I sat down on the sofa.

"There's no way that's gonna happen," I replied, pulling my legs up onto the cushion next to me. My foot bounced nervously. Alice glanced as Jasper, who leaned toward me from the armchair he'd occupied since we'd arrived hours ago. As I shifted toward him, he placed a cold hand on the arm I'd tossed over the edge of the couch.

Immediately, a sense of drowsiness washed over me, of sinking. I fought to keep my eyes open, taking a shaky breath, trying to meet his golden eyes. I thought I heard Alice say something, and then it everything was just blackness.

~o~

I woke up in the hotel bed, the covers tucked around me. I groaned, rolling over, my neck stiff. The line of light leaking in under the black-out curtains told me I must have been out at least all night.

Sure enough, the clock on the nightstand told me it was almost noon. I reached out, searching for the lamp.

"Christ!" I yelped as a lamp above me flared, momentarily blinding me, and Alice was illuminated next to me on the bed. "I didn't hear you come in," I panted, willing my racing heart to slow down.

"Sorry about that," Alice said, chagrined. "I thought you'd want to know we heard from Esme and Rosalie."

I sat bolt upright, fighting to disentangle myself from the sheets. "What did they say? Are they okay?"

Alice's eyes crinkled with anxiety. "They're fine, but they lost Victoria a few hours ago in Canada."

"Fuck," I whispered.

She nodded sagely. "They're making their way back across the border, then look around town to see if they can pick up a scent. They'll keep an eye on Charlie and cover for our absence from school."

"And the others?" I asked, hoping she'd heard something, anything.

"They're still leading James away. We're waiting to hear from them." As she explained their tentative plan, I leaned my elbows onto my knees and ran a hand through my hair. None of it was reassuring.

"I ordered you breakfast – or lunch – brunch?" she said, contemplating for a moment. "It should be here soon."

I went to the bathroom, trying to straighten out my bedhead and splashed water on my face. I closed my eyes, gripping the cool countertop and breathing deeply. When I finally emerged into the suite, Jasper turned on the lamp next to him and smiled weakly at me.

"Real subtle, Jasper," I commented sarcastically as I sat on the other end of the couch, just out of arms' reach. "You should consider just knocking me over the head with a skillet next time. I hear it's just as effective."

He chuckled, the sound ringing like bells. "Sorry about that."

I rolled my eyes, stretching out on the cushions and waiting for the promised food. Now that I'd slept, I felt hungry again, even if my stomach was flipping nervously.

I was trying to fold a piece of pancake into my mouth when Alice gasped. Jasper was at her side in an instant. She reached out, groping the air, and he took her hand in his. "What is it?" Jasper murmured.

I dropped my fork, sliding to the edge of the couch. Alice breathed, "James getting into a plane – we need to tell Carlisle that he's realized Bella isn't with them."

Alice's phone chimed as Jasper reached for it. "That will be them," Alice sighed. Alice spoke quickly to Carlisle, too fast for me to understand. When she hung up, she said, "James just turned off their trail. They are chasing him, and I've told them about the plane."

I suddenly found that I had no appetite. "What is going to happen now?"

"We wait," Alice replied, typing on her phone in a blur of speed. "And I keep an eye on what they're doing."

I forced myself to finish off the plate, then curled up on the couch, the TV playing an outdated sitcom while Alice focused on the future, occasionally typing texts out on her phone. I didn't voice my anxiety, even when Alice froze and dropped the phone she'd being clutching for hours. She just shook her head at Jasper when he started to ask what was wrong.

"It's not the others, right?" I pressed, my nails digging into my palms.

Alice shook her head. "No, they are still chasing James. They'll be fine, they aren't in danger."

I didn't believe her, but didn't argue as she typed out a fresh message to Carlisle.

We waited for the rest of the day, before finally hearing from Edward, Carlisle, and Emmett. When the sun had disappeared from the edges of the curtains, Alice's phone finally rang and it was in her hand before the first shrill ring had ended.

She talked low and fast, hanging up a moment later. "That was Carlisle," Alice said as I leaned toward her, my heart pounding. "They lost him."

I didn't hear what else she said, just slumped back on the couch and curled up into a ball. My heart pounded in my ears.

"It's going to be okay, Bella," she whispered, kneeling by the couch. I shook my head dejectedly. I hadn't realized how much I'd been hoping that they would catch him; as much as I wanted Edward and the others to be as far away from James as possible. Now that James had eluded them, that initial feeling of despair was setting back in.

I'm dead. I'm dead. I'm dead. The words reverberated around my skull. This is it. He's coming for me.

"Alice," Jasper said firmly, although not unkindly. "She deserves to know."

That caught my attention, and I tilted my head to look at Jasper. He was leaning forward again, his elbows propped on his knees as he observed me and Alice. His expression was wary, but his mouth held a determined set.

"Know what?" I managed, looking from him to Alice again, who was shaking her head.

"It doesn't change anything," Alice insisted.

"Won't it?" replied Jasper. "It would put an end to this."

Alice's eyes glazed over and I sat up, attentive. A moment later she hummed lowly, blinking. "No, he'll still come."

Mystified, I started to open my mouth to demand they tell me what they were talking about, but what Jasper said next made the words die on my lips.

"At least she'd be one of us, Alice."

Alice looked stricken, glancing quickly from me to Jasper. "Edward is going to kill us."

"I'm less worried about what Edward will do to us," Jasper murmured, his golden eyes fixed on Alice, "than what might happen to Bella." The light from the TV flickered brightly across his profile, highlighting strange, shiny crescent-shaped marks across his otherwise perfect face. It startled me for a moment, but as soon as I'd noticed them, they seemed to disappear.

Alice bit her lip in a very un-Alice-like manner, clearly debating with herself. She slid back onto the sofa next to me and I touched her cold arm. After a moment, she seemed to return to herself and sighed. "Jazz, you're telling him that this was your idea. I'm not having my closet burned for this."

I shifted uneasily and Jasper's eyes caught mine. Alice took my hand and I whispered, "What's going on?"

"Edward didn't want us to tell you, but there is a way to protect you – or, at least, to make sure that you can protect yourself," Jasper said seriously.

"You mean, make me like you?" I asked, Jasper's words echoing in my brain. At least she'd be one of us. "A vampire?"

"But we can't do it," Alice reminded him gently. "Bella, neither of us has changed anyone. Even if it was something you wanted, we couldn't do it."

Sensing my confusion, Jasper supplied, "It is a really difficult thing to do. I think only Carlisle would have the strength to do it."

It was silent for several long seconds, while I processed this. "What does this… entail?" I finally said.

"Vampires have venom," Alice began. "All it takes is one bite to change someone. But that's the easy part."

"And the hard part?" I had a sinking feeling about what Alice was about to say.

Her lips quirked regretfully. "Not killing the human. Once a vampire starts feeding, it is very difficult to stop."

I sat with this new information, thinking it over. "So, you're saying that James will still come for me even if I am a vampire." Alice nodded slowly. "But I'd be able to protect myself?"

Jasper answered this time. "Newborns are stronger and faster than older vampires. Volatile. You would have a chance to defend yourself."

Edward has been purposefully vague, I realized, when he'd explained how Carlisle had come to change him. It seemed to me like this was an option that he should have mentioned. Maybe not the first plan we'd go with, but it was certainly better than being tortured to death. "Why didn't Edward say anything about this? I'd rather be a vampire than dead."

"Edward wasn't exactly truthful when he said Rosalie struggles the most with what we are," Alice supplied and I blinked, shocked that she knew what he'd said to me in Carlisle's study. "We have excellent hearing," she answered before I could even ask. "Rosalie certainly has strong feelings about us, but Edward… well, he doesn't believe anyone would ever choose this."

"Why not?" I asked in surprise. "I mean, it's just another way of being."

"Bella, he believes that vampires do not have souls – that there is no worse thing to be," Alice explained kindly.

"How can he think that?" I gasped, looking between the two vampires before me. "Not that I'm religious or anything, but that is just ridiculous – look at you, look at Carlisle and Esme –"

"I know," Alice agreed. "But that's what he believes. He doesn't want to change you into one of us because he thinks he would be robbing you of a chance to live a human life – to be with Charlie."

"I'm not going to have a life if James catches up to me," I snapped, sitting back on the couch. I seethed – he should have fucking said something. "This is my life," I said adamantly, slapping the flat of my hand onto my thigh. "I'd rather live as a vampire and kill James myself than sit around waiting for him to finally come kill me. I should have the choice."

"This is why this is a conversation that you needed to have with Edward," Alice added, giving a stern look at Jasper.

Jasper just shrugged. "Bella needed to know it's an option."

"So what would happen then? You said only Carlisle'd be able to do it." I could easily see how this choice was suboptimal, for more than one reason. Edward was with Carlisle, and if what Alice had said was even remotely true, there was no way Edward would just let Carlisle bite me, no matter how much danger I was in. Edward had been stubbornly doing everything in his power to keep me human – he had saved my life when he could have just let me die – he wasn't about to be convinced to end it.

Alice sighed in frustration, her hands up. "Well, I don't know, the future is shifting too much." Jasper and I both waited for her to elaborate, but what she had to say didn't really help clarify anything. "Sometimes you're human, sometimes – well, anyway," she interrupted herself, "There are too many decisions that haven't been made yet – too many futures."

I didn't want to think about the other visions Alice had that she wasn't telling me about.

The next few hours were agonizing, as we waited to hear if the rest of the Cullens had been able to pick up Victoria's or James' trails. After the sitcoms had transitioned to the evening news and we still hadn't heard from them, Jasper had me pick something for dinner – I ordered the first thing I saw and ate it without complaint when it arrived. Alice kept having visions, but she said that some important decision still hadn't been made yet.

I called Charlie again and told him everything was fine, that I had made it to Arizona. He asked again if I'd called Renee and I begged him not to say anything to her. Once he had had reluctantly agreed, I hung up and dragged myself to the shower. It felt like these had been the longest, most agonizing days of my life.

I was just dozing off, huddled in a clean sweatshirt, when Alice stiffened again and called to Jasper. Once again, he was by her side in an instant.

"He is in a bedroom – I don't recognize it…" Alice trailed off, her eyes flitting around and unfocused. I didn't need to ask to know who it was and dragged myself upright, my sleepiness banished. "There is a poster on the wall – a valley with water, maybe a lake? It's dark, I can't see much else."

My brows furrowed in confusion; I couldn't place the room she was talking about. Jasper brought over the hotel paper pad and pen, handing it to Alice as she said, "We need to call Carlisle."

She sketched out the bare details of the room, viewed from a high vantage point. A nondescript valley and body of water was on one wall, but I couldn't make out much else.

Jasper looked at me as I leaned over the sketch. "Do you recognize it?" He asked. Alice's eyes locked on mine, but then she started whispering into the phone.

I bit my lip. "No – I mean, I don't think so…"

Alice passed me the phone. "Here, Bella, it's Edward."

I didn't mention what Alice and Jasper had told me; I just cried as I listened to the sound of his strained voice through the speaker, telling me it was going to be okay.

I went into the bedroom, wiping tears from my cheeks with my sleeve. "Edward, I'm afraid."

"I'll be there soon, Bella," he promised, his normally velvet-smooth voice choked. "I won't let him hurt you."

I nodded to myself, breathing heavily. "When will you be here?"

"Tomorrow morning," said Edward, "We're coming in on the first available flight. Then we'll go somewhere else – somewhere he won't be able to find you."

I got off the phone and I just stood in the dark and the quiet, trying to compose myself. My brain was slow and I couldn't think straight, and when I emerged into the suite Alice and Jasper were deep in conversation. The first sketch had been discarded and Alice had drawn another, unfamiliar place.

"What is that?" I asked, passing her the little cellphone and collapsing onto the couch.

"We're not sure," Jasper replied. "Alice saw James here, but it's covered in tarps."

That made the image make more sense – there were boxes and buckets everywhere – but I had no clue what James would be doing there. I leaned back, bringing my legs up onto the couch and running a hand through my hair.

Eventually, my exhaustion caught up with me and sometime around midnight I slipped into a troubled sleep filled with glowing red eyes.

~o~

The next morning, Alice and I sat on the couch, watching the news on the television while Jasper skimmed through a magazine. I was feeling anxious, worried about what Edward had told me over the phone last night. They thought James might be heading south.

If I wasn't so upset, I would have been overjoyed at the prospect of seeing Edward in a few short hours.

My leg was bouncing nervously, and I practically jumped out of my skin when my cellphone rang. Alice had it in hand before I could even stand to get it from the coffee table, looking at it with interest.

"It's the Loch Ness Monster?" Alice whispered in a lilting voice, confused, and she handed me the phone. Sure enough, the screen read The Loch Ness Monster.

My stomach flipped, but I shrugged at Alice and implored her to excuse the odd label. "It's Nessie – I better take this." I stood and walked over to the window to peek out at downtown Phoenix. On the fourth ring, I flipped open the phone, bringing it to my ear and "Hello?"

I heard the crackle of static-y music in the background and some kind of commotion. "Bella! What the hell?!" More static, and indistinct sounds.

I rolled my eyes, pacing toward the bedroom to grab my backpack. "Nessie? Vanessa?"

I heard a strange, high-pitched cry. I pulled the phone from my ear, staring at it with confusion, then brought it back up. "Hello?"

"Hello Bella," a voice drawled lowly, just barely audible through the background noise. I felt my face pale. "Don't say anything," James demanded, his voice blending with the music. "Are you alone?"

"No," I whispered. The TV was playing in the background and I could hear Alice and Jasper's hushed voices through the open door. I felt paralyzed, if James was calling me from Nessie's phone…

The bedroom he was in, the picture of the valley and lake on the wall – Loch Ness – I'd given that to Nessie as a birthday gift years ago.

"Fix that."

I couldn't move, couldn't say anything as the realization came crashing down on me. I heard that strange sound again, like a child's cry, a woman's indistinct voice, the music crackling.

"Do it," he snarled, and my spine straightened instinctively, my skin crawling. "Or I hurt her."

I composed my face carefully, sighing and edging toward the bedroom door. Alice and Jasper were still sitting on the couch and murmuring to each other. Alice twisted in her chair as Jasper looked up at me in confusion, no doubt sensing my distress; her eyes worriedly darted from him to the phone in my hand. I covered the mouthpiece with my hand, as if I was afraid the person on the other line would hear, and willed myself to calm down. "Renee's at Nessie's house, raging something about missing persons –" I sighed again, trying to sound annoyed. "I'll take care of it."

Alice nodded, giving me a sympathetic smile as I closed the bedroom door behind me. I walked over to the bathroom and shut that door, too, for good measure, and turned on the tap. "What the fuck did you do?" I snarled into the phone, but it sounded less fierce than I had hoped it would.

I heard him chuckle over the phone, the sound sending a shiver up my spine. "Language," he admonished. I felt cold. He was playing with me.

"Fuck that," I hissed. "What have you done to her?"

"Oh, Bella, nothing – yet."

I inhaled sharply, my stomach dropping. I felt sick suddenly, nausea roiling through me. I gasped, wrapping my arm around my middle and slouching against the bathroom wall. I closed my eyes as I slid down it slowly to sit on the floor by the shower.

"That caught your attention, didn't it?" James mused. "Do what I say, and it'll stay that way. Fair Nessie will walk away from this, unharmed."

"What do you want?" I managed, pulling at my hair.

He snickered and I could practically see his sneer. "You know what I want."

I did – he wanted me. "I can't fucking do that," I replied curtly, not sure if they could hear me in the living room. I tried to keep the anxiety out of my voice as I pulled at my hair. I thought of Alice and Jasper in the other room, the near constant surveillance I'd been under since leaving Forks. How was I supposed to get away, when at any one point, either Alice or Jasper or both were watching me?

"Then let me provide you with some incentive." His voice was dangerous, biting and low. There was a pause along with some shuffling. The music grew louder.

Her voice was high, hysterical, as she sobbed.

My stomach dropped and I exhaled harshly. "Nessie – it'll be okay –"

James cut me off, the sound of Nessie's cries ceasing as I heard a door shut loudly. The music in the background was muffled now and I swore. "Now don't go saying anything you'll regret. No promises you can't keep."

"I fucking swear to god –"

"Ah, ah," James interrupted. "We don't want to alert your keepers." There was a short pause. "Am I right in assuming that you are, actually, in Phoenix?"

I considered lying to him, just for a moment, but I was afraid of what he might do to Nessie. "Yes."

"Do you think you could escape your keepers if the safety of your friend depended on it?"

I bit my lip, my mind scrolling through all the possibilities of what he could do to her. I couldn't let him hurt her, ruin her. I had my childhood taken from me by that bastard. She deserved to live the life that I had been denied by James and the horrible things he did to me. I eyed the bathroom door warily, wondering if Alice and Jasper were still in the living room. Jasper was supposed to go check us out soon. "You are asking me to do something that I don't know I can accomplish," I finally whispered, breaking the awkward silence.

"I have no doubt that you will rise to the occasion, my dear," he answered, voice light.

I bit my lip. "How do I know that you won't hurt her?"

"You don't," he answered smoothly. "But I can guarantee that she'll be dead if you don't do exactly what I say."

"What do I have to do?" I said finally.

He paused before answering. "Get to the old house by noon –" I looked at my watch. It was already eight thirty. We would be leaving the hotel in roughly thirty minutes to go to the airport. "You will find it empty and by the phone there is a number. Call it, and I will give you further instructions."

I sighed, standing angrily. "Fine, I'll try."

"You'll do more than that if you want her to live."

I beat my fist against the wall next to me, my anger boiling in my veins.

"Oh, and Bella?"

I exhaled heavily. "What?"

"Go back to where your keepers can hear you and repeat after me, if you want Nessie to remain unharmed."

I vaulted up, my hands shaking as I turned off the tap and grasped the doorknob. I pulled the bathroom door open. The bedroom looked sterile, the bed rumpled and the table empty of personal belongs. I jerkily walked over to the door leading to the living room, breathing heavily.

"Okay," I managed, my voice thick with exhaustion.

"Say, 'I'm not coming back home, Renee.' Say it."

"I'm not fucking coming home, Renee," I snapped, the expletive slipping out unexpectedly, my anger genuine.

"Good girl," he crooned. "Now, 'I'm fucking fine.' Say it," he prompted when I hesitated.

"I'm fucking fine," I ground out, clenching my fists.

"Now, one more: 'I'm an adult, I can make my own decisions.'"

I repeated the line, screaming inside.

"That actually sounded convincing, you should be an actress –" he laughed, "– well, that is, if you live."

"Fuck you," I spat into the phone.

I heard a click as the phone disconnected. I yelled, snapped the phone closed, and threw it wildly. I heard it slam into the wall, but the sound of my palm slamming onto the table in frustration almost drowned it out.

The bedroom door was open in an instant; I felt Alice grab my wrist, examining my hand for damage. I angrily wiped tears away, huffing.

"What happened? What did she say?"

"The fuck –" I mumbled haltingly. "I just can't even –" I stopped again, grinding my teeth together and yanking my hand away from Alice's probing fingers. "Just the usual crap," I managed, trying to keep my temper in check.

My hand throbbed painfully and I rubbed it, cursing in my head. "Ah, fuck me," I groaned, closing my eyes and plopping into an armchair after Alice guided me into the living room. Jasper was gone. "Remind me not to punch anything the next time I get the urge," I mumbled, tipping my head back.

Alice said something about Jasper going to check us out of our room. I was trying to organize my thoughts, wondering how I would get away.

I knew that once we met with Edward, Carlisle, and Emmett, I would have no hope of slipping away. My heart squeezed painfully as I realized that if I wanted to save Nessie from James, I wouldn't get to see Edward again before I did it. And once I went to James, I probably wouldn't see Edward ever again.

The silence stretched between us in the room as we waited for Jasper to come back. Alice said that he was having trouble settling the bill for some reason. I leaned into the couch, my whole body feeling burned out.

The plan was for us to drive to the Phoenix airport to pick up the other Cullens and then to make our way to California. Alice had said we'd take another flight from there – I don't know where to – so that we could cover our trail. If we had been flying from Phoenix, I might have been able to lose Alice and Jasper at security on our way to meet the rest of the Cullens at our gate. But Alice had told me that I wouldn't even have to get out of the car – it was better, actually, if I didn't – while we waited for the Cullens in the Mercedes near baggage claim. The plan was fool proof, according to Alice. Too much so, now, seeing as there was no way for me to make a speedy escape.

I looked forlornly toward the shuttered window, which hid the city that I had grown up in – the city that I hated. I was going to die here, in this infernally hot, barren place that was so fucking sunny that going out into the light for more than fifteen minutes burned me to a crisp –

Sun. That was it.

The plan formed quickly. I knew that if I wanted it to succeed, I would need to have incredible timing, as well as a huge helping of luck on my side. Alice stiffened and I quickly sat up. "What is it?"

She shook her head. "You're in kitchen, alone. Wait – no, we're getting on a plane."

I sat back and bit my lip, resolutely thinking about seeing Edward at the airport.

"It will be okay, Bella," Alice said, patting my hand gently.

Jasper finally called, informing Alice that they were ready to take our room keys. He had taken down our bags already, so I just clutched my cellphone, my wallet in my back pocket and my backpack slung over my shoulder. I stared at my phone's cracked screen as we waited for the elevator. A minute went by, and then another.

The ride from the fifth floor was uncomfortably long, my heart beating quickly despite my attempts to calm it. Alice smiled softly at me. "It'll be okay," she reassured me again. "Edward will be here soon and he won't let anyone hurt you."

I nodded, not trusting my voice, but glad that she had mistaken my anxiety for being concerned my well-being, not worry over how the hell I was going to get away from them.

The elevator chimed, letting us know that we had arrived at the lobby, and the doors slid open. We walked through the high-ceilinged room. Alice had our keycards clutched tightly in her hand when she froze, her face going slack again.

Jasper was at her side as quickly as humanly possible, holding her shoulders as he bent down to look at her. I cast a nervous glance around the room, relieved that everyone in the lobby was too preoccupied to notice the strange behavior of the two vampires next to me.

"What is it, Alice?" Jasper's soft twang brought my eyes back to him and Alice, who was mumbling to herself.

"Another room… Bella… I don't know where…" she murmured, and my stomach twisted, realizing that she must have seen my decision. I tried to turn my thoughts away from what I was about to do, again focusing on getting into the car with Alice and Jasper, on the vision of Edward's face once I saw him again in the airport

"No… yes… the vision is fuzzy, like someone is still trying to decide on something," her eyes cleared and she glanced at me. I tried to disguise my relief, focusing my thoughts on Edward's impending arrival.

"What did you see, Alice?" I asked, my concern coloring my voice.

"A large room… the one with tarps everywhere, like there is construction going on. James was there and, this time, so were you…" she trailed off, thinking. "But then it changed, you were with us at the airport, then back in the room with James…"

I think I looked visibly shaken enough that she overlooked the possibility that I was the one making the decisions. "Don't worry, Bella," she assured me. "The future is subject to change when people are involved, you may never be in that room."

I nodded, sucking in a breath and hoping in vain that she was right.

Running a hand through my hair, I turned away from them, pacing a few feet before turning around to face them. "I think I need a little air," I managed, biting my lip. Alice handed the keycards to Jasper, grabbing my arm and leading me to the waiting area in front.

"Jasper will finish checking us out. We're just waiting for the valet to bring the car around – it shouldn't be much longer."

I checked my watch – it was almost nine, and the plane would be landing at 9:35. I needed to be well on my way to wherever I was going before Edward landed.

"Alice, really, I'm fine," I told her as she pulled me into the revolving door, squeezing the two of us into the same compartment. It wasn't necessarily a tight fit, given our equally scrawny bodies, but it was awkward. I bumped into her multiple times, waddling to avoid stepping on her heels.

We practically fell out into the shaded waiting area. Alice's exposed skin seemed to glow in the reflected light, ethereal, as she herded me towards a bench right outside the door. There was about twenty feet of shade to work with and my eyes fell on the post for discarded cigarettes at the very edge.

I was suddenly very thankful for the 20-foot smoking rule in Arizona. I dug quickly in my bag, pulling out the crushed pack of cigarettes that I hadn't used in weeks. Alice eyed them with disdain.

"Those are really, very bad for you," she said, narrowing her eyes at the pack.

I shrugged, fishing out the lighter and tapping one of the cancer sticks out into my hand. "Stress, murderous vampires– nearly just as bad." My excuse was flimsy, but I knew that she would buy it. I moved over toward the post, which was still under the awning. Alice followed hesitantly, trailing a few feet behind me.

I looked over my shoulder at her when I was about halfway to my destination. "You don't have to stand next to me," I explained, gesturing with the hand that was holding the cigarette. I shoved my half-broken phone into my pocket as I slowed to watch her.

Please, please, please, I begged in my mind, don't follow me.

Alice's expression was conflicted, flicking between me and the post bordered by sunlight. "I'll just stand here," she waved her hand, indicating that she would remain by the door.

I nodded and sent her a reassuring smile. "It's not like I'm going anywhere." I traversed the rest of the distance to the post, dropping my bag at my feet. I didn't need it weighing me down and I had both my phone and wallet in my jeans.

I lit up quickly, putting the lighter back into my bag and straightening while I puffed on the cig. The sun was only a step away, but I had to wait for an opening, or else she would know what I was trying to do. I kept Edward's face in my mind's eye, thinking about seeing him again.

Alice watched me carefully, a disapproving look on her face. I tried to inhale sparsely, hoping that she was unfamiliar enough with the act to realize that I was enjoying it way too slowly. I faced the street, keeping an eye on her while trying to seem like I was lost in my thoughts.

The hotel door opened, and Jasper walked out with our bags. Alice turned around to look at him, shooting him a smile and reaching for his hand as her eyes flickered away from me.

I dropped the cigarette butt, bolting out into the sunlight that was only a foot away from me. I didn't turn to see if they were following me, knowing that the bright sun would keep them from chasing after me. I heard Alice's shouts for me to come back, Jasper yelling over her as my legs pumped, but they were stranded until they could get into the car.

I sprinted around the corner of the intersection, nearly getting decked by a car as I crossed a side street and kept running. I zigzagged through a parking lot and kept sprinting towards downtown, knowing that my chances of picking up a taxi would get greater the closer I got.

I must have run about five blocks, my chest heaving with the effort to propel myself forward and sweat running down my back and temples. It was hot as hell, the sun beating down on me as I darted around shaded areas to avoid the possibility that Alice or Jasper might be able to catch me there. My tank top under the light sweater stuck to my chest, my jeans rubbing uncomfortably against my overheated legs. I focused on the thump thump thump of my heart in my ears, trying to match my heavy steps to its beat.

I all but ran in front of the cab, causing it to screech to a halt. I was in the back seat in seconds, panting the address to the driver and throwing a bill at him. As it settled on the passenger seat I saw that it was a fifty – more than enough to get me to where I wanted to go.

The entire drive there I was looking over my shoulder, half-expecting a black Mercedes to appear in the distance.

I tumbled out of the taxi when we arrived at the house, shouting for him to wait for me as I ran up to the front step. Renee had sold the house shortly after she had me committed to the institution six months ago, and I hadn't even been in the new house for two days before she was announcing that I would be going to live with Charlie. It was odd to see the unfamiliar doormat with the name of the new family that lived here sitting at the foot of the front door.

I habitually stomped my boots on it as I reached for the handle, finding it unlocked. I left it open behind me as I entered the house, creeped the fuck out by the stillness of the hallway and adjoined living room, the simultaneous familiarity of the space and the alien decor. This house held terrible memories; I could see all the places that I had lain, beaten and broken, crying. I grimaced as I passed the foot of the stairs, remembering the countless times James had thrown me down them.

The smiling, happy faces of the family photos on the walls only made the experience more awkward; they were oblivious to the horrors that had occurred here.

I went into the kitchen, looking for the phone. A cordless black handheld sat upright on the table, waiting for me. As I approached it cautiously, I saw that a note had been placed under it. I picked it up carefully, wondering where the people who lived here were. Would James have killed them as part of his game, or were they simply out for the day?

My fingers trembled as I looked at the unfamiliar phone number scribbled onto the yellow post-it note. I pushed the corresponding numbers on the pad, holding my breath as I waited for the phone to connect.

It rang twice before it was picked up. "I knew that you could do it," James' voice trilled over the line.

"Where's Nessie? I want to talk to her," I demanded, resting my hand on my hip as I tilted my head up to look at the ceiling, phone pressed painfully tight against my ear.

"She's safe… so long as you are alone," he warned.

I nodded. "I'm alone," I breathed. "Let her go."

"Not until you are here with me. Then we can discuss her fate."

I growled with frustration. "I swear, if you so much as fucking touch a hair on her head, I'll –"

"You'll do what, Bella?" he challenged. He was right, I could do nothing to him. My silence answered that for both of us. "That's what I thought."

"You know, even if you kill me, the Cullens will continue to hunt you. They will kill you."

He laughed. "They're the least of my concerns. Rather than worrying about them, you should be concerned about the lovely girl I currently have in my possession."

I sighed, blinking back tears. "What do I need to do?"

"I'm assuming you got to the house by taxi?"

I nodded again, before realizing that he couldn't see it. "Yes," I hissed.

"Good. Take the envelope by the sink. There is money in there. Go to the address inside," he instructed. I walked over to the sink, picking up the envelope that I hadn't noticed before because it was the same white as the tiled countertop.

I pulled the money out, pocketing it, and stared at the address written carefully on the yellow post-it that had been attached to the bills. I didn't recognize it.

"Where is this?" I asked carefully, eyeing the paper. I wondered if he was just sending me on a wild goose chase as part of his game.

"Oh, dear Bella," he breathed. "Don't you recognize the address of your old ballet studio?"

My mind flashed back to the lessons that I taken as a six year old to combat my clumsiness. James had pulled me from the class when the bruises on my arms became too noticeable, citing to Renee that they weren't helping me anyway and I didn't like them.

My breath rattled out of me and I pulled at the roots of my hair, still damp with sweat.

"Don't take too long getting here," James told me, voice carefree. It dropped to a sinister whisper, "I don't know if I'll be able to wait for you much longer." The unspoken threat in his voice had me leaping toward the door as I dropped the phone.

I slammed the door closed behind me, sprinting back to the impatient cab driver and throwing myself into the backseat again. I rattled off the address quickly, throwing the money that James had left at him.

My foot tapped on the floorboard, terror flooding me and making it nearly impossible to think. I prayed that he hadn't touched Nessie yet, that he was just using her to force me into going to him, that his real target was me.

The cab ride seemed inordinately long, the seconds dragging out into minutes. As we pulled up to the address, I noticed that the windows were papered over, the sign out front having been pulled down.

I remembered what Alice had said about her vision: A large room… the one with tarps everywhere, like there is construction going on.

I climbed shakily out of the taxi, closing the door and standing in front of the studio as the cabbie drove away. I was terrified, panic gripping my chest as the sun beat down on me. My watch informed me that it was nearly ten o'clock.

Edward's plane would have landed by now and they would be searching for me – but who would think to look for me at an old ballet studio, which I only attended for a few weeks? Would they even know to go to the old house? I had never told Edward that Renee had moved, had never had a chance to mention it, so if they looked her up they would get the new address.

I ran a hand through my hand, letting it rest on top of my head as I gazed up at the place where the sign should have been. I was about to die, I was sure of it. I was willingly walking toward my death, but if it would stop James from hurting someone else I cared about, wasn't it worth it?

I pushed open the studio door slowly, the chiming of the bell the only sound. It shut behind me with another jingle, the papered windows keeping the sunlight from filtering in. It was pretty dark, but it was still light enough that I could make out the partially covered mirrors lining the walls, the wood floors covered in places with tarps that had painting and other supplies on them. A few panes of glass rested against the mirror wall to my right.

I walked through the waiting area, which was sectioned off by arched columns. My boots clacked loudly on the floor, my breathing loud in the oppressive silence. I hoped that Nessie was safe, that Edward would find us soon.

A shriek pierced the still air. I found myself running through the cluttered dance floor, tripping over the various items littering the floor. I heard a commotion coming from the office at the end of the long room as I flung open the door and barged in.

There was no one there.

I looked around the room, my heart sinking as my eyes fell on the open laptop on the desk.

"Bella! What the hell?!" Nessie shrieked, throwing a hand up toward the camera and stumbling back. "Stop!" She yelped as her brother scooped her up and I heard the sound of my laugh as I ran after them with the camera. "No, please, don't!" Music played loudly, chairs scraped, and Nessie screamed again as she was dumped into the pool.

Horror seeped into my bones. He had tricked me.

A low chuckled sounded and I whipped around to see where it was coming from. James stood in the doorway just a few feet from me, leaning against the frame.

"Bella, come on." My eyes darted back to the computer as James' voice, much rougher and human sounding than it did now, called to me from off camera.

"Funny, what you'll find in storage," James commented next to me. I turned my eyes warily to him.

"You lied to me," I accused, although I wasn't surprised.

"What's a little lie when it brings you closer to me?" he questioned, smiling and waving his hand in the air as if brushing off my claim. "It worked – I wasn't sure if it would, but, then again…" he trailed off, looking me up and down. "It seems like you haven't dealt with the last few years very well, so I thought, 'why not give it a shot? Her moral compass might prevent her from ignoring the cries of her friend.' And it did."

"But, you had her phone, you called me…" I trailed off, scanning the room again.

"Oh, this thing?" James asked, holding up a phone I didn't recognize. "You'd be surprised at how forgetful your friend is – I thought I'd have to take her whole purse, but it was surprisingly easy to swipe her phone from the restaurant table while she went to the bathroom. Then, all I had to do was call you – and here you are."

"She's safe? She's not hut?" I pleaded.

"Oh, of course, Bella. I only ever wanted you," he said slowly, like he was explaining it to a child.

I deflated under his gaze, but I was also grateful that Nessie had apparently never been in any danger. My fists flexed at my sides and I gritted my teeth, the question lingering on my tongue. "Why are you doing this? Why wait so long to come find me?"

"Oh, I didn't go out looking for you," James countered, observing his nails coolly. "I was focused on controlling the bloodlust and all that. I'd quite forgotten about you, in fact."

It was insulting to think that he had that luxury, while I lived every single day with what he did to me.

"No, you, my dear," his red eyes found mine as he waved a hand dismissively, "just have some really bad luck," he drawled, enunciating the words unnecessarily, reclining lazily against the doorframe. His tone was almost song-like. "That, and you have a nasty habit of running with the wrong crowd. Really, Bella, vampires?"

I inhaled sharply. "The Cullens are more of a family to me than you and Renee ever were. They will find me," I answered, my voice far more confident than I felt.

James shrugged. "Whatever you say, Bella. Somehow, though, I don't think they'll figure it out in time to save you."

He pushed off the doorframe, turning and walking back out into the dance studio. I followed hesitantly, glancing back at the computer to see that the video had stopped. The eerie silence was back, nagging at me that something was wrong, which I was already all too well aware of myself. Everything in me was screaming at me to run. I steeled myself, determined to remain strong. It was too late now to do anything, I just had to hope that I could keep him talking long enough for Edward to find me. I knew even now he was searching, that Alice must be looking.

As soon as I had exited the office, I felt a cold hand close around my neck and slam me back into the wall. I groaned as my head hit the drywall, stars dancing in my eyes. "Now, for the game to begin – I hope you came prepared, Bella," James hissed into my ear, his dark hair brushing against my cheek.

His bitter scent burned my nose, his hand around my throat making it hard to breathe. He pulled away to glare down into my eyes. His orbs were a frightening shade of red, dark and menacing; I could see every striation in them, how they contracted as he sized me up.

"Because it is about to be your last."

He tossed me away from him, a yelp escaping my throat as my back smashed into one of the covered mirrors, knocking the breath out of me. I slumped to the floor, my head bumping against the standing bar, my boots clattering against boxes piled around me, while James stalked toward me. Tears streamed down my face despite my resolve to show him no weakness.

I knew then that I was going to die. I hadn't been willing to accept it before, when I walked into the studio, but it was abundantly clear now. He'd hunted me, and I'd lined up, offering myself up for the slaughter.

This chapter underwent two pretty major rewrites, since Renee is an absentee jerk and most other alternatives I could think of to lure Bella out just didn't seem right. Then I remembered Nessie - oh, poor Nessie.

Anyway, do leave a review!