(A/N): Hey my faithful readers! Thanks for the reviews, story alerts, author alerts and favorite stories!! =)

Here is chapter 12!! :)

Oh! and on the last chapter, Alice wasn't in the conversation at the very end and I had her saying something instead of Rosalie :P sorry if that confused you.

The next few weeks were better than ever, though I felt guilty for keeping Edward away from his aunt and internship in Phoenix. He said not to worry about it, because he didn't want to go in the first place. Carlisle seemed a little distant and frustrated at first, but he eventually warmed back up to me. I wondered what it was about, but figured it best not to bring it up. Thanksgiving came and went in a blur. Edward spent it with his family, and I celebrated it with mine. December quickly came, and with only three weeks until Christmas, I realized I hadn't bought any presents. I was at my house that fateful Friday night when I called Alice.

"Alice, I can't hang out tonight. I'm busy."

"With who? You don't have a life without us."

"Uh...thanks, Alice. I have a lot of homework to do, though."

"On a Friday night? Besides, you could just bring it over, then."

"Okay, Alice. I have to go Christmas shopping tonight. Sorry, but you can't come with me. I haven't gotten your present yet."

"Oh, Bella, you procrastinator. Well, maybe we can hang out after you're finished shopping then."

"Maybe! Bye Alice." I hung up and ran out of the door and bumped right into Jasper, knocking him on the ground.

"Oh! I'm so sorry! Are you alright Jazz?"

"Yes, Bella, I'm fine," he laughed. I sighed with relief and walked outside toward my old red truck and jasper asked, "Where are you going?"

"Christmas shopping."

"Can I come with you? I haven't gotten any presents either."

"Sure. Come on in. We just won't be able to buy each other's gifts unless we are really sneaky about it."

"It's cool. I already know what to get you, anyways." Hmm…something seemed a little fishy. Then something clicked in my brain.

"Didn't you get Christmas presents like, a month ago?" He looked busted.

"Uh…yeah…" He gave me a pleading look.

"What's going on?"

"Well, you see, Emmett, Rose, Edward, and Alice are all hanging out tonight and I didn't want you to be alone- so I told them that I couldn't come and I was coming with you."

"Aw, Jazz! Thanks, but you didn't have to do that!" I was so grateful to him, but so guilty at the same time.

"I wanted to." He blushed, and I couldn't help but be proud of him. When we got to the little gift shop in Forks, I recognized a car in the parking lot, although I couldn't remember where I'd seen it. We went inside, and I instantly regretted it. James and Jacob from the two worst days of my life were in the liquor isle, and they came over to me as soon as they saw me walk in the door. I was overly thankful that Jazz had come with me.

"A little young to be buying alcohol…" Jazz contemplated. James did look quite young.

"I'm twenty-one since yesterday, punk," James retorted. He didn't have to be so mean. He had a smug look on his face, too.

"Hey, Bella. What's up? Hey, I'm really sorry about La Push. I shouldn't have acted like that. I had a little too much to drink…" James cut him off and gave him a dirty look. Wow…I guess Jacob was a nice guy after all. Just an awful drunk.

"Thanks Jacob, it's okay. Could you both go away now, please?" Jacob looked like he was going to walk away, but James held him back.

"Or what? You'll sick your boy toy on us again?" I was furious.

"Edward is NOT my boy toy. I LOVE him, and nothing you do or say will ever change that!"

"Are you experienced?" That was an odd question to ask. James smiled as he said it.

"In what?" I was dumbfounded, while James laughed and Jasper was trying hard not to, as was Jacob.

"Jasper! What are they talking and laughing about?"

"Uh- nothing, Bella…"

"Oh…she must not be then. This will be fun." James started walking toward me.

"James, wait. She hasn't done anything to us." James looked annoyed when Jacob said this.

"So what, Jake? Just because you want to wait until you and Lauren are married doesn't mean I have to. Besides, I like taking advantage of people, and this is the best way to get to Bella and Edward. He'll fight me every day he sees me after this if I am successful. Bella, here, is completely defenseless." Oh no. James was going to…no, I couldn't even think it. I tried to turn and run, but the door took too long to open, so I slammed into it and fell down on the ground. Suddenly, I saw a fist hit James square in the face, breaking his nose.

"Jazz! No! Stop!" I'd rather James do whatever to me than for Jasper to get hurt.

"Call Emmett, Bella! I can't take them on my own!" Oh, Jasper! My little brother was fighting while I was dumbfounded on the floor.

"Uh…right." I dug into my little handbag and pulled out my cell phone. I found Emmett in my contacts list and pressed "call" while I walked toward the back of the store. Emmett answered after three rings, which felt like an eternity.

"Hey Bells!" Wow, he was cheerful at the moment. Not for long, though.

"Emmett. I need you to come to the Forks Gift Shop, NOW."

"What?" He sounded alarmed and confused.

"Just get here! Jasper is fighting off James and Jacob..." He hung up urgently without a word. Not ten minutes later, Emmett showed up with Edward on his tail. I sat down in the corner, where I could still see the fight. But something was wrong. Missing. I was cowering in this corner, tears silently rolling down my cheeks. Why did Edward have to get himself into this? No, I got Edward into this. He could get hurt, and it would be my entire fault. Where were the store employees? Wouldn't they be obligated to stop the fight? I listened very closely and heard voices in the aisle next to me. I looked around the corner for a second and almost became nauseated by what I saw. Jessica and Mike were making out quite repulsively, and I had to look away. They were definitely in their work uniforms. Why would someone put them on the same shift together? That was disgusting. Suddenly, two arms wrapped around my waist, but they were too low and too menacing to be Edward's. I started to scream, but James put his hand over my mouth so only a tiny sound got out of my throat. We were in the back corner of the store, where I had been hiding.

"Hello, Bella," James' menacing voice whispered in my ear. I started to panic and I felt quite nauseated. I tried to kick and fight him off, but it was no use. I was screaming through my mouth, muffled by his hand, and I knew no one could hear me. It was all going to end tonight. James was going to win, again.

"If Lauren finds out about this…" Jacob looked at me sadly, and I knew he didn't want James to do this to me.

"Jacob! Hold them off, you idiot!"

"I've been doing that, but fighting just isn't my style. I've been telling them why you are so messed up, and that you won't ever leave this girl alone."

"You imbecile. Go fight them off, and knock them unconscious."

"No, James. I'm done. We are done. WE are through. Now there is just you." Jacob looked at me apologetically as he ran out of the store and never came back. I hoped with everything that I had that he told the others where we were. I was whipped around abruptly, forced to face James. H was trying to pull me closer to him, in order to make a quick escape. For a minute, he took his hand off of my mouth, and I placed my own hand in place of where his was. As soon as he pushed me away in defeat, I screamed as loud as I possibly could.

"You little wench! You'll pay for that!" I was scared. What if Edward got hurt?

"No, YOU will pay for THIS!" A hand went flying out in front of me and knocked James into the frozen food section. Yes, there were frozen foods in a gift shop. It was mostly cold treats that would make a simple gift. The two employees came out of their make-out aisle and shouted, "No fighting!" They both gave me a weird look and went back into the confines of the craft aisle. I grimaced and thought that Mike and Jessica were the dumbest employees ever to have just noticed the action going on here. Edward picked me up into his arms as I protested, but he wouldn't listen. Suddenly, I remembered Jasper.

"I have to take Jazz home, Edward."

"No way. Emmett will take him home. I'll drive you in your truck." I sighed, but didn't further the argument. I fell asleep on the way home, and when Edward woke me up, he looked worried.

"Are you okay, Bella?" I didn't really know, but I was really scared that James would come and fine me while I was sleeping. I cringed at the thought and shook my head.
"What if he finds me again?"

"No, Bella. I won't let that happen." I believed him, but not everything can be so controlled. What if James had minions hired to take Edward out so that I would be left alone and defenseless? Suddenly, my cell phone went off with Alice's ringtone, "Love Story" by Taylor Swift, and I answered it.

"Hey Alice." My voice sounded shaky.

"Bella. You are staying at my house in my room tonight. It's all been arranged."

"Okay, thanks, Alice." I hung up, distressed. "Let's go to your house, Edward."

"You look green, Bella." I figured. I felt like I could puke up everything that I've ever eaten. Edward put his hand on my face as he turned around to take me to his house.

"You don't feel warm…" He sounded worried. I tried to ease his discomfort.

"Yeah… I don't think I'm actually sick. I'm just thinking about stuff." He didn't look like my statement helped at all.

"You know what, Bella? That Jacob kid may be an idiotic drunk, but he's definitely not a creep like James." Oh how well I knew that.

I merely nodded, too scared to even speak. We finally arrived at Edward's house, and Alice came running out to greet us.

"Oh, Bella! Are you okay? Well, of course you're not, but Oh Bella! I was so worried, but our brothers wouldn't let me come." I was grateful for that.

"Thanks," was all I managed to say. Alice glanced in Edward's direction and showed me the way inside to her vast room full of pink sheets and walls. There were posters of the Jonas Brothers, Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, and Rascal Flatts all over her walls. She also had many movie posters, including The Dark Knight. Her room was huge, with a large queen-sized bed in the middle of the back wall. Of all the times that I had been in this very room, it was never as welcoming as it was right now.

"You're going to be okay, Bella. I promise." How could she promise that? Edward was now in danger as well as her, if James found out she was helping me. He would stop at nothing.

"Thanks, Alice," I repeated. I stared out the window for a long while, until I felt two strong arms wrap around my stomach. I jumped as I turned around and saw that it was just Edward. My breathing slowed down and I was becoming calmer.

"Sorry, love. I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's okay," I replied, my voice sounding off from the stress at the gift shop.

"I love you, Isabella Marie Swan."

"I love you, Edward Anthony Mason Cullen." He smiled and kissed my temple.

"Rest, my love." He walked out of the room, and Alice popped back in.

"We should probably go to bed now, Bella. You need rest." She was right. I knew I wasn't going to sleep, but either way I did need sleep. I nodded and climbed into the bed with Alice on the other side. I lay there, staring at the ceiling for a very long time.

(A/N): So lots of stuff going on now. Did you like it? Hate it?

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Thank you for reading!