Disclaimer: Look at my face. Does it look like I own this? O...you can't see my face? Well, that's probably a good thing. I'm just "prattling on". Blah blah blah bleh. Oh, i have a funny statement...AHEM "Is a hippopotamus a large mammal, or just a really cool otomus?" TEHEHEHe...he

THANKS EVERYBODYXOXOXOXOXOUnless you have an uncanny tendency to shy away from human contact...then I understand.

Nobodyparticular: Breathe...Inhale...Exhale...Inhale...UHHH? What comes next? WHAT COMES NEXT? (Hyperventilates) SOMEONE PASS ME THE PAPER BAG!

SS: I shall send my own minions to that author who killed Bella. Ye TRAITOR! Feel thy snowball wrath! (yay. It's snowing.)

Kersicca: smelly hairballs indeed. Anyways, I'm STILLLL in jail. Did pjotter get kidnapped? Ask a blind man for directions? My cell block number is 456636346( it's a rather large prison...on an island in the middle of Lake Erie) He can't miss it. Oh, if you would be so kind, could you ship me some Reece Cup King Sized...and some earplugs. Fred snores...and is quite fond of doing loud, obnoxious Nsync renditions. In your words, "GHEH". Bob ran completely away with my b-an-an-a. Not only that, but he left the peel on my floor so I tripped and broke my spleen. Poor spleeny...So, how was mars? You know ive always wanted to go there. And i did simulate choking. Just call me mrs. Dedication.

XCULLENLOVEx: Lol. Poor Jacob...he's just a jerk sometimes. Thanks for the review.

Euphoria falls: YAY! I helped you heal those broken ankles. Finally, my deed to mankind is finished. I can die happy. PRETTY PLEASE WITH A CHERRY ON TOP can I borrow flying green llamas? I think they would make an excellent addition to my back yard, on top of my SUV. Maybe we can fed ex some to the Volturi. I hear they make lovely Christmas gifts.

Thefuturemrs.edwardcullen: Thanks for the long review. I DOO feel loved. BTW, i loved frankenstein. Such a good novel. Sad though, especially when he watched that family and thought they'd take him in, but then they shunned him...Poor frankenstein. AND ALRIGHTTIEM FOR SOME REVENGE DEATH THREATS! How could you just go and break my heart like that? I'll never get over it...I shall now ignore you for eternity. ---------------------------

MeyaRose: KK. This coments almost as long as yours.

Albnal33: Paprika flavored cookie cakes are the best. O, and I dipped it into a vat of radioactive waste. That should explain the glowing. Don't be surprised if strange superpowers show up in the next week or two. It's 3: 41. I decided to comply with your demands.

Cubye4: tis a great word isn't it? Newyas...new reviewer. YAY What shall your initiation be? O i know. I dare you to stand on the golden gate bridge, and moon every one who drives by. How's that sound?

Chapter 14

Dawn and a strange cool hand on my forehead woke me. I blinked slowly a few times, trying to regain my senses. When I finally followed the arm attached to the hand, up to its owner's face, it was not the one I expected to see.

"Alice?"

She smiled sadly, "How you feeling?"

"Fine," I said in rush, trying to get up. I was propped up against a large oak tree. "Where's Edward?" I asked frantically.

Alice pushed me back down. "He's fine," she answered, or rather didn't answer my question, smiling some more. I could tell right away that it was forced though.

"Where though?" I demanded.

Her eyes tightened, "He'll be back," she reassured.

"Be back? You mean he left?" I cried. I did stand this time. My head still felt woozy, but nothing in the entire universe would stop me from finding Edward.

"Bella, listen to me," she said, grabbing my shoulders. "He's coming back. I promise."

I sighed, but I'd trust her now. Suddenly, I realized how much I'd missed my best friend.

I threw myself at her in an entirely too inappropriate hug for an ill fed vampire. "Sorry," I mumbled.

"S'okay," she answered back, laughing. "I would've done the same."

I stepped back eventually, "So, how have you been?"

Her face darkened.

That was apparently the wrong question to ask at the moment.

"Never mind," I quickly corrected, "You don't have to tell me."

"No, Bella, it's not that..." she started.

My brows furrowed, but I remained silent. I wasn't going to press her.

She looked back up, "I'll tell you later, okay?"

I nodded, then grinned, "Right after we go shopping?"

She squealed and clapped her hands together. "Bella, I LOVE you!"

"I'm surprised," I muttered, thinking about all the trouble I'd caused.

She shook her head, "You and Edward – always blaming yourselves." Then, she turned, scanning the treeline on the opposite end of the field. We were on the edge of a field, I noted. The sun was barely over the horizon, the tops of the trees silhouetted in light pinks and oranges. The ground was drenched in rain.

Thank God, that I had been moved away from that bridge. I really don't think I could've handled seeing it at the moment.

Alice was still gazing patiently at the trees.

Then, he broke through, slowly striding onto the field. He was glorious, sparkling in the early morning light, water still dripping from his hair, that bronze hair that was tangled and curling messily over his glittering forehead. He had his face tilted towards the earth.

I couldn't stand it anymore. I took off at a sprint for him, my knotted hair flying behind me. I seemed to be running a lot today. Edward never even looked up, whether he hadn't noticed me or didn't care was the question that bothered me.

When I was close enough, I launched myself at him, latching on, wrapping my legs and arms around him – his own living shirt.

The force of the impact knocked the breath out of me, and he looked up, surprised. His expression instantaneously changed to anger upon seeing my face, though.

"Alice," he growled, "I though I told you to take her home!"

I cringed.

Alice's voice came from directly behind me, "She needed to see you, Edward – your name was the first sound out of her mouth."

I blushed, buried my face into Edward's shoulder, and mumbled, "Second. The first one was 'where's'."

The man I was currently encircled around had still refused to wrap his arms around me. I had to use my muscles to stay in place.

Then, speculations as to why he would've requested that Alice take me away hit me, and I sharply glanced at him. "Were you leaving?"

He had the decency to look away, ashamed.

I turned my head towards Alice, "Pass me a nail gun," I told her, almost serious.

"Why?" she asked slowly, drawing the word out.

"So I can permanently bolt myself to Edward so that he won't take all the blame for something that wasn't his fault and go running off to stupid South America...Really, what's so great about South America anyway?

"But even if he does go, I'm going with him, and there's nothing he can do about it because I love him, and – and that's also something he can't do anything about" I said, the words rushing out in a torrent, then finished, "Obviously."

I gripped him tighter. Slowly, gradually, Edward's arms lifted to hold me to him tentatively.

"Bella..." he whispered into my ear.

I shook my head, "And don't you give me any of that 'I don't want you anymore' business either...unless...unless you really don't want me any more," I said. "Do you?"

Really, I wouldn't blame him if he didn't.

He didn't speak.

But just because I wasn't going to blame him doesn't mean that it didn't still hurt.

"Alice," he finally said, giving her a pointed look.

I turned around to glance at her. She nodded and disappeared.

"Bella," he started again, "I almost killed you. I was killing you." His melodious voice broke twice under its sorrow.

I pressed my face into the side of his neck and shook my head.

Per usual, he was blaming himself. "Josius was killing me," I corrected, "Not you. And you're not leaving."

He started trying to pry my fingers away from him, but I wouldn't have it, clutching to him tighter.

He sighed, "I'm not going to leave – but you should want me to..."

I looked up at him incredulously. "That, Edward, is by far the stupidest thing you've ever said...And here I thought vampires were supposed to be smart," I scoffed.

"Bella, I love you from the core of my being, but...I...you almost...DIED!" he yelled, "Don't you understand? I almost killed you Bella. I almost murdered you..." His voice was intense, trying to intimidate me. "You, the love of my life, almost died at my hands...and if it weren't for Tanya..." I could feel his shudder.

"It wasn't your fault Edward!" I yelled back, trying to knock some sense into his thick head. "Josius was controlling you, and you couldn't do anything about it. I still love you; I'll always love you. Don't you care? This proves it!"

"All you've proven is that you're insane," he bit back, but I could feel his hand, fingers spread out on the flat of my back, jerk me closer.

"Your fault," I murmured into his damp shirt.

His expression instantly softened and he smiled a bit.

"Wait..." I said, "Tanya?"

That word erased his smile, and I regretted saying it.

"She saved you, Bella," he finally said, "she distracted Josius enough to draw his attention away from me."

I blinked. The irony was delicious.

"Oh," I managed to say, "Wow."

Remind me to send her a fruit basket and a tractor-trailer full of thank you notes.

He nodded. "Now," he changed the subject, "you need to let go," he said.

I held on tighter, "Do we need to go over this again?"

He chuckled, then leaned in closer. "I can't kiss you the way I want to when you're like this," he whispered huskily.

"Is that a promise?" I asked, letting my death grip loosen slightly.

"A promise."

"Would you sign a blood oath?" I teased.

He was silent for a moment. "That's not funny, Bella."

"Yeah, it was," I countered quietly, but let him lower me to the ground.

As soon as my feet touched the grass, he crushed his lips to mine, hooking one elbow around my neck and his other arm around my back.

If someone had asked me what two plus two equaled, I couldn't have answered, and not just because of my lack of oxygen. What country was this? Where was I? And more importantly, who cared?

I kissed him back, throwing caution and all his dumb rules to the wind. I moved my lips from his mouth and trailed them down the side of his neck, peppering that place where his neck connected to his shoulder with frantic butterfly kisses. His hand reached up to run through my hair, and he growled.

I smiled against his cold skin.

"Bella...stop," he groaned.

Thoroughly ignoring him, I brushed my lips across his collarbones to worship his other shoulder.

His hand grabbed a fistful of my hair and groaned again. "Bella, you have to stop...before I..." he was panting, "before I take...before ...in this very field."

Reluctantly, I pulled away, but was stopped from going far by his hand still holding the back of my neck.

Swiftly, he removed his hands and backed up a few feet. His eyes closed and he lifted his face towards the pastel painted sky. Now, I could see little rivulets of water dripping down from his hair and trailing winding, rainbow paths down his skin.

After ogling for a good five minutes, I flushed and apologized. "I guess I got a little carried away..."

He opened one eye and looked at me accusingly, "Really? I hadn't noticed...I was nearly about to..."

"About to..." I urged.

He glanced back up at the sky. "Never mind."

In spite of myself, I grinned. I knew exactly what he was nearly about to do. The fact that I held such control over him was frightening – and thrilling.

Rising in columns above his head, I could see thin columns of purple smoke. It was a painful reality check. Caught up in the sweet moment of our reunion, I had nearly forgotten about the battle.

I pointed to the smoke. "Is that...?" I asked.

He glanced at me. "Yes."

I glowered. He noticed the expression on my face. "Are you – mad?"

"Just wished I would've gotten to rip a few limbs off is all."

His laugh resonated somewhat bitter.

"Can I," I started, "Can I see?" My voice was hesitant.

He looked at me like I was mad. Which I probably was, but still.

"I just want to make sure," I told him.

Somberly, he nodded, understanding me somehow. Then, he turned around, and I climbed onto his back.

As he took off, I realized how much I'd missed this – running with him. Any marathon runner would weep for envy. But it wasn't just the speed I enjoyed, though that was exhilarating. It was the smoothness, the feeling of flying, and the way Edward smelled underneath me.

I laughed for joy.

We reached another break in the trees, and I saw the field I had seen earlier. The meadow that the vampires had been fighting the werewolves, the meadow where I watched nauseated, as Edward snapped Jake's legs with a sickening crunch.

I flinched. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all.

Edward tugged on my hand. "Maybe we should go back."

"No – I want to do this."

I walked forward toward the flames. They were starting to die down now.

Morbidly, I hoped Josius could feel them.

I thought about all the lives he had nearly ruined. I thought about that werewolf lying dead on the ground, and Kate. Even though I hadn't liked her much, she didn't deserve this.

Crying out in rage, I rushed forward and kicked the edge of the blaze. Angry tears were pouring from my eyes.

Cold hands wrapped around my waist. Edward kissed the top of my head. "It's over now," he reassured.

"People died because of me!"

He nestled against my hair. "What was that soliloquy you preached to me? The one about not taking the blame for everything. Listen to your own advice, Bella," he said gently.

I sighed. "Who was the werewolf that died?" I asked quietly.

Against my spine, I could feel Edward tense. "I don't think now is such a good-"

"Who died, Edward?"

"It wasn't your fault, Bella. If it was anyone's fault, it was mine. I told the werewolves to protect you."

"But I could have stopped them," I said desperately.

"No, you couldn't have," he assured fiercely. "No one is just going to let you die, Bella. It's out of the question."

He turned me around and tenderly wiped the moisture from my face with his thumbs.

"Just tell me who it was," I pleaded.

His eyes penetrated with their sadness. "Leah Clearwater."

The sobs erupted. Edward crushed me to him.

I had known Leah. Talked to her. She wasn't just a statistic. She was a living, breathing person – someone with thoughts and feelings and troubles.

I let him hold me and stroke my hair, murmuring kind words into my hair. They wouldn't bring Leah back though.

"God, I hate him," I cried.

Edward just held me tighter.

"What about the others?" I asked, after I had calmed down some.

I could feel Edward flinch. My eyes met his imploringly.

"Are they okay?"

Slowly, he nodded. "Carlisle's attending to them now. I'm...I'm so sorry...about...Jake."

The tortured expression he wore on his face reminded me of the one he had in the tunnel. That just wouldn't do.

"Again," I stressed, "Not your fault. Injuries heal."

His mouth twisted into a lopsided grin. God, how I'd missed it. "You're incredible. I thought you'd come after me with that rocket launcher of yours, to be honest."

I shook my head and wrapped my arms around him. "Nuh uh. I have a stay-mad-at-Edward time limit of about three seconds."

He chuckled. "I'm glad."

A/N: AWWWWW...but we're not out of the woods yet. In fact, we aren't even halfway into the woods. Who killed Leah? What will the other werewolves do? How much did Irina piss off the Malinaught (remember them) exactly? And what DO the Volturi have to do with all of this? Folks, this was only the preliminaries...