Jasper and Noah stand in line at the check out desk when Jasper's phone rings.
"We're close. Why isn't Bella answering her phone?" Edward immediately says giving Jasper no time to greet him.
"Bella said she was going to the bathroom... a while ago." Noah and Jasper rush over to the women's room at a human speed. As they get there a middle age woman is coming out.
Noah steps forward with a sweet smile on his face, "Excuse me Ma'am."
"Oh! Yes?"
"Sorry to bother you, but my friend wasn't feeling well earlier and its been a while since she said she was going to the restroom. Could you check and see if she's alright in there? She's about this tall, brown hair, and her name is Bella." Noah charms the woman.
"Of course, such sweet friends to be worried about her." The woman goes in calling Bella's name. A few seconds pass and the woman steps back out. "Sorry, there was no Bella in there. Do you need help finding her."
"No thank you Ma'am. She probably already went to the car. Thanks so much for looking. Have a great rest of your day."
Noah waves off the woman with a kind smile as Jasper tells Edward that Bella is gone.
"Well where could she have gone!"
That triggers a vision for Noah. His eyes dart back and forth watching whatever he's seeing. Once he's out of it Noah pulls the phone down so he can talk to Edward.
"She went to James. He made her believe he had her mother at her old ballet studio."
"What? You two were supposed to protect her!"
Jasper growls, "Watch your tone brother. We'll meet you there."
As they speed down the road Jasper asks, " What are you hiding?"
"What do you mean?"
"I know you baby. I know when you don't say something about your visions."
Noah pouts, "Bella is going to be changed."
Jasper jerks the car then immediately corrects bringing them back in the correct land. "What if we make it in time?"
"If she's not turned here, it'll just happen somewhere else. Becoming one of us now is guaranteed. "
They pull up to the studio at the same time as Emmett, Carlisle, and Edward who flashes into the studio. Crashes and a loud roar makes the rest of the Cullens burst in. They see Edward whipping James against the pillars like a baseball bat.
"Edward! Let them handle this, Bella needs us."
Edward's expression changes as he realizes he's gone too far. He backs off as his siblings crouch into attack mode and lunge at James like a pack of animals. Dr. Cullen rushes to the injured Bella who screams again in pain. Edward dashes toward her upset that he was so focused on James he missed Bella's screams.
As Edward and Carlisle reaches her side Dr. Cullen works fast to assess her wounds, focusing on a massive bleed from her leg. But clearly her hand hurts the most. She writhes in pain. Dr. Cullen applies pressure to the gash on her thigh.
"Her femoral artery's been severed. She's losing too much blood."
"It's on fire! My hand!"
"Venom." Edward says in dread.
"You have to make a choice. Either let the change happen..."
"No!"
Noah appears behind Edward, "It's going to happen. I've seen it."
"It doesn't have to be that way."
"Noah, find me a tourniquet. A rag, a shirt." Carlisle orders.
Noah holds his nose and avoids the blood as he rips the sleeve off his shirt and kneels to aid Dr. Cullen.
"It's burning!"
"What's the other choice? You said." Edward asks desperately. Anything to save her. To keep her human.
"Tighter, above the knee."
"Carlisle."
He lifts his head to talk to Edward, "You can try to suck the venom out."
"I won't be able to stop."
"Find the will to stop. But choose, she only has minutes left."
Edward looks down at Bella, thrashing in pain. Finally, Edward takes her hand. She tries to pull it away. "It's alright, Bella. I'll make it go away." He looks at her then starts to suck the venom from her hand. They never take their eyes off one another, the connection palpable, intense.
Bella's eyes are wild with pain, but it was subsiding. In Edward's eyes you could see the frenzy begin. He sucks harder. Hungrily. Anguished, he wants to stop but can't. Dr. Cullen's voice sounds miles away.
"Stop. Her blood is clean, you're killing her."
The blood lust is too strong. He is killing her. Bella looks at him, forgiving, as she begins to lose consciousness.
"You're awake, baby! You're okay!" Rene tells Bella.
Bella looks around and finds herself in a hospital bed. Arm bandaged, leg in a cast, all in all she's in bad shape. Rene hovers over her, tears in her eyes. On the bed side dresser, she sees get well cards from her friends from Forks.
"Edward? Where's."
"He's asleep." She nods across the room to a chair in which Edward 'sleeps.' "He never leaves. And your dad's down in the cafeteria."
"What... happened?" Bella says with a strained voice.
"Baby, you fell down two flights of stairs and through a window."
Bella is drawing a blank, confused. Rene sees that confusion and jogs her memory.
"Edward came here to convince you to come back to Forks. His father brought him down. You went to their hotel but you tripped on the stairs."
A moment passes and then Bella realizes it's a cover story. She nods. "Sounds like me." She chuckles.
Rene's cell phone beeps. She opens it, reads a text, and starts typing in a reply. "It's Phil. He's worried about you."
"Mom, you're... texting."
"I told him to stay in Florida. The Suns signed him!"
Bella smiles, "That's great mom."
"Jacksonville is always sunny and you'll have your own bathroom."
"Mom, wait. I want to live in Forks. I have Dad." She looks at the cards again. "And friends."
"And he's there." Rene looks at Edward.
Bella shrugs, conceding the truth.
"Charlie doesn't like him. Blames him for your leaving."
"What do you think?"
Rene lowers her voice not knowing Edward can still hear her. "I think that boy is in love with you."
Bella smiles. Rene grins. Bella glances at Edward wanting to talk to him.
"Um, Mom, would you mind getting Dad? I want to talk to him. Apologize."
"I'm sure he doesn't care about that, Baby. But I'll go get him."Rene kisses Bella's forehead and exits the room. Bella watches her go. Once the door shuts behind her Bella turns back to find Edward standing next to her with deep concern. Her eyes well with tears. He kisses her forehead soothingly.
"Is James - did you?"
"We took care of him and the woman, Victoria, she ran off."
She closes her eyes with relief, then looks at him. "I'm alive because of you."
Edward's face darkens. "You're in here because of me." Looking at her wounds causes him physical pain. He strokes her face tenderly, afraid to hurt her more. "The worst of it... was thinking I couldn't stop."
"But you did."
"Bella, you should go to Jacksonville. Where I can't hurt you anymore."
"What? No! I want to be with you! I don't want." Bella panics. She cant stand the thought of separating from Edward. She loves him too much to be apart from him now.
Edward quickly sits next to her on the bed. "Ssh. It's alright. I'm not going anywhere. I'm right here." He wraps an arm around her. As she curls up in his arms.