A/N: Well, I decided to throw all you wonderful dedicated readers a bone here and have a lemon this chapter. It's been a very long time. ;)

Bad news like a sucker punch, what do you say?

Air knocked out of my lungs, your cue to stay

When you hear something difficult don't back away

Some people say nothing, good ones engage

Don't turn your back on me

Don't bury your head deep

Just cause you don't know what to say

Don't turn your back on me

Don't bury your head deep

Just cause you don't know what to say

It's true

That it kicks you in the teeth when you are least expecting

Bad news

Oh it beats you black and blue before you see it coming

Chapter 24: Too Close For Comfort

Alice POV:

"You know, this isn't exactly what I had in mind when you said we were going away for the weekend."

"What were you thinking it would be love?" Bella smiled mischievously from her spot right next to me on our hotel bed.

"Well I thought you'd take me to some local bed and breakfast or something. Not this!" I gestured to our window with a perfect view of the Eiffel tower outside. Bella merely laughed harder and nuzzled into my neck.

"I have a four day weekend, and you deserve much more than a local bed and breakfast." I couldn't stop the giggle that escaped my lips as she tickled me with her butterfly kisses.

"Why Paris?"

"Why not?" Her tone had been slowly melting into a sultrier one during our conversation, but now it was positively dripping sex. My legs quivered under her gentle touches, however innocent she made them out to be. Nothing ever seems so innocent when you're naked. "I want to travel the world with you. Everywhere. So why not start with Paris?" Bella began to trail her kisses across my collarbone and I was having trouble concentrating on her words because of it. "You can shop, and I can do this."

There was only one thing in the world that could take my mind off of shopping, and that would be my girlfriend on top of me, giving me her undivided attention.

"Explore the world huh?" My voice was coming out in a breathy squeak. "No complaints here." The body hovering over mine shook with silent laughter at my flummoxed behavior.

"Good." She dragged her tongue down my chest and circled each nipple with it slowly, drawing a loud moan from me. "Show me what you want."

One of the better techniques we used to help with Bella's control problems was this. She would keep her spot on top to settle that alpha wolf of hers, but would let me control her from underneath. It was a great compromise and gave us each what we wanted.

"Right here." I carefully maneuvered her to nestle between my legs, having my thigh between hers.

"Yeah?" Her usual cocky sex voice held a bit of hesitance and nervousness in it.

"Yes." I lightly giggled at her apprehension and leaned up to kiss her.

I embedded one hand into her hair and my other cupped her cheek while we kissed. Her arms were like steel bridge cables, keeping her balanced above me. The muscles were taught and wound up from the vulnerability of the position.

"Just relax baby. You know I won't ever do anything to hurt you. Let me take care of this." Bella's flushed face nodded at my words and I felt now was the time to do something. My leg moved tentatively upwards against her and I immediately received a reaction.

"Oh fuck." Her hips jerked involuntarily against me and she buried her head down next to mine. "Fuck that feels so good." I smirked at my success and turned slightly to give her ear a small nip.

"Told you I know how to do things." After my smartass comment, I hushed down to focus on the task at hand.

The minutes ticked by and sweat was running down Bella's body from the exertion. I was losing control of my own hips and they were moving on their own accord. Bella's breathy moans, gasps, and muttered curse words were driving me up the wall with the need for release. I'm sure the sounds I was making were very much the same and were having a similar effect on her.

"Ah fuck. Alice, Alice I'm –"

"I know. Me too. Just don't stop." Getting those words out was very difficult. I was starting to feel the familiar heat work its way up from my toes.

Seconds later, I felt Bella's muscles clamp down and move erratically against me, a strangled moan of pleasure escaping her lips. My orgasm came just as hard and I finally collapsed, taking us both down.

We laid in a heap of hot and cold flesh, too tired to move an inch. I drew lazy circles all along her back, perfectly content. After several long minutes, she finally decided to pull herself up and snuggled down next to me. I propped up on my elbow and quirked an eyebrow at her.

"Traveling the world with you. Where to next?"

Ring! Ring Ring!

"Shit!" I scrambled out of my day dream memory quickly to find the phone that interrupted it. "Hello?"

"Hey Al it's me. I was just calling to check in with you real quick before we land." I sighed in relief at the sound of Liam's voice on the other end.

He was currently in route to Egypt to hopefully capture the main guard. I did not like him being in that much danger without Bella on his side. Sure Jacob was a strong fighter, but he was just a kid. He didn't have the experience or tactical thinking that Bella did. Well, I mean I guess Liam and Bella were really still just kids, but they never acted like it.

"Are you worried?"

"Not too much. I think we'll be good. We're going to keep our distance and take them out from there. If it all goes to plan, they won't even know what hit them until they wake up in our custody."

The plan was pretty solid. Liam and Jacob were each given a high powered sniper riffle with bullets highly concentrated in venom. So concentrated in fact, that it would knock out any vampire hit with it for a period of time. One of Carlisle and Jasper's more genius inventions if I do say so myself. So Liam would take one spot and Jacob another, quick and easy fish in a barrel.

"Still. I worry."

"I know you do. So I cleared it with Colt so you and Zoey can watch from the control room when we get there. Sound good?"

"Actually yeah. Thank you Liam." I beamed at his thoughtfulness.

"It's no problem Al. Just keep my girl calm, alright?"

"Deal!" He chuckled and there were a few noises in the background.

"Ok I gotta go. I'll see you soon!" He hung up rather abruptly, probably to get Jacob ready. I sighed again and flopped back down on my mattress, thinking about that wonderful memory that I was horribly taken out of.

Really I hadn't intended on reliving that particular one. I was just thinking about Bella and wondering where she was right now, and it just sort of popped into my head.

"Fuck that was good." I groaned before getting up to change.

"What's our ETA?"

"Three minutes sir."

Liam and Jacob had landed about thirty minutes ago and were on their way to each of their positions. Each would have a perfect view of Amun's compound, where the guard was expected to arrive at any minute now.

"I'm in position. Standing by for Jake." Liam called through the receiver. Almost everyone in the room shared a look of apprehension. I think we all worried about how Jacob would do.

"I'm here. Sorry about the delay." Now Jake's slightly out of breath voice called through. I'm sure his nerves were going crazy.

"Eyes on the compound. Tell me what you see." Colt was pacing around the room while he spoke, a nervous tick he did during particularly stressful missions.

"Nothing yet sir."

"Alright Jackson. Just keep me updated."

"Copy that."

Almost ten minutes went by with absolutely nothing. We all sat watching our two little dots on the overhead map with baited breath.

"I got movement." Jacob seemed excited that he was finally getting some action his way when he called it.

"We have three black SUVs pulling in. Reinforced by the looks of them." The room went rigid in tension. "Amun is coming out to greet them…. Oh holy fuck. Shit!"

"What?!"

"Colt we have the whole fucking Volturi down here. I'm talking Aro, Caius, the entire main guard, and even some of the secondary."

My stomach dropped to the floor. Zoey's heartrate started beating rapidly and I went over to hold her hand.

"Get out of there now. You are outnumbered and do not have enough supplies. I repeat, get out of there right fucking now. Do you copy?" Colt's voice was shaking as he finally stopped moving, his face had lost all its color.

"Jake pull out now. No sudden movements alright? I'll keep an eye on them while you move and then you do the same."

"Copy." Jacob's little red dot started to move, I watched Carlisle's station and saw extremely high heartrates from them both. No surprises there. My own leg was bouncing up and down from it.

"Keep moving Jake. The guards are starting to sweep the area. We don't have much time." Zoey clutched tighter onto my hand.

"I'm out of the area now Liam, but I lost my vantage point. I can't see where they are anymore."

"I know. I'm going to have to eyeball this."

"Liam." Colt said a warning through gritted teeth.

"I don't really have a choice here Colt. They're getting closer and we need to keep Jacob safe." Now Liam's tiny dot began to move and Colt pinched his nose in frustration. This was much too close for anyone's liking. "Fuck!"

"What now?!" Zoey and I nearly jumped out of our seats.

"I miscalculated my footing on the jump down. Fuck I think my leg is broken." There was now almost no air being drawn in the control room. Zoey blanched and Colt even looked at her briefly.

He was now a sitting duck, with the entire Volturi coming his way.

"Listen to me, you need to get out of there now. Crawl if you must. You know the consequences if you fail. Just give it everything you possibly can."

"I'm fucking trying!" You could hear the effort and pain in his grunt. His dot was making too slow of progress.

"Let me help him!" Jake cried out in a panic.

"No! You are mortal! If you get caught as well you're dead. You stay where you are and that's an order."

"I'm not leaving him!"

"Restrain him!" Colt yelled into another radio with the support team in the safe zone. There was a small scuffle in the background, but Jacob's dot didn't move anymore.

Zoey began to shake against me and tears were falling.

I knew what she was about to feel. There was nothing I could do to stop it. There was nothing I could do to make her feel better. I was absolutely helpless.

"They're getting closer. I can smell them. I'm sorry, I can't go any further." The room was in a stale silence, like listening to someone's last words on their deathbed. "I'm so so sorry. Zoey, I – "

And then his dot jumped off the map, a ringing silence in its wake.

Liam POV:

My body had given up. My nostrils had been filled with the Volturi's scent closing in. I knew my luck had run out.

But something hard pulled me away, down and into another building. Something with a strong hand keeping my mouth shut in case I screamed.

I had closed my eyes in preparation for my inevitable capture. So when I opened them, I probably would have screamed if I could.

Bella Swan was standing before me, one hand still firmly pressed against my mouth, the other with a finger over her own lips to make sure I hushed. But that wasn't what wanted to make me shout in terror.

Her eyes were once again back to the shade of a deep dark red.

She kept us quiet and still for a few more minutes, focusing on the sounds outside and away from us. I was still just trying to wrap my head around her eyes. She didn't seem to have her emotions off. Her movements were careful and thought out, and of course there was the fact that she just saved me.

No, she definitely still had them on. So why did she switch her diet after working so hard to get off blood?

"What the hell are you doing here?" She finally yelled at me once determining the coast was clear.

"What am I doing here?! What are you doing here?! And why the fuck are your eyes red Bella?" She rolled her eyes and dragged me further into the building, but my leg was still very broken. I let out an involuntary whimper of pain. Bella caught on quick and supported me up more.

"What do you think I'm doing? I told you I'd be hunting down the Volturi. Did you think I was lying?" She seemed to be more annoyed with me than anything else, which of course just pissed me off.

"Actually, you never fucking told me anything. Alice was the only one fortunate enough to receive a letter." The ice in my tone caused her to cringe, but maybe that was just the mention of Alice's name. However, almost as soon as it came, the emotion left her face again.

"Just go home Liam. You've already fucked up the plan I've worked weeks for."

"Plan?! What plan?! You had the whole fucking Volturi there and you're telling me that you somehow had a plan to take them all out on your own. Bullshit!" The anger I had been holding inside of me for weeks was finally spilling out.

"Of course I had a plan! I actually think things through, unlike you! What the hell were you thinking bringing Jake into this? The kid could have been fucking killed! And then you go and wear a god damn computer's worth of tech on you into the field. You don't think they can track that shit?!" Bella was almost as enraged as I was, and pointed to the ground where she had smashed my earpiece and tracker when she grabbed me.

My brain was slowly catching up to it all and I felt extremely stupid and unprepared. But I didn't want her to know that. I was still beyond furious at her abandonment and lack of communication.

"I'm just trying to do my fucking job Bella!

"And I told you that I would handle it!"

"NO YOU DIDN'T! YOU NEVER TOLD ME!"

Our argument had finally come to its head, and it left me nearly out of breath. Bella was still highly agitated and she ran a hand over her face before speaking to me as calmly as she could.

"Look, what's done is done. You need to go back to safety and stay there. Trust me when it comes to this, I'll take care of them." She reached behind her and pulled out a few spare medical supplies out of a backpack, beginning to work on a make-shift splint for my leg.

"They hurt me too Bells." I called softly while she worked. It was ignored as expected. Once done, she stood up and got ready to leave again. "Why are your eyes red?" I had to at least try and ask before she left. I couldn't very well chase after her with my leg.

Bella turned back to glance at me briefly before walking away.

"Just go home Liam. Let me take care of this."