(A/N): I know I promised action this chapter, but I kinda misjudged how much I needed to write to set somethings up...so the set-up is all here...but the actual action part is next chapter. I have to say, though, that I like the very beginning and the almost-ending part of this chapter the best. The middle part stinks in my opinion...and the ending isn't really a real ending since I kinda did a 'ini-mini-meini-mo' on it.

Special thanks to Annilaia who gave me the idea for the basic plotline for this and next chapter.

Chapter 7 – Getting Lost…

"Dark and damp…dark and damp," muttered Bella under her breath as she tried to find Edward while not getting lost at the same time. "So…musty…there should be flowers and lighter about…this would not do…" she continued before resuming her previous chant.

Not realizing where she was going, she turned a corner and smacked into a very hard body. The next thing she knew, she was holding on to a pair of cold arms for dear life.

"Now, where are you going?" chuckled Edward as he steadied her and began dragging her down the dark corridors.

"Trying to find you," was the mumbled reply.

"And?"

"And wondering if you could let me go into the forest for some fresh air." Edward came to a sudden halt.

"You are not going to the forest alone," he said, his voice low with such authority that Bella's eyes widened.

"You need to lighten up. The castle's dark enough without your bad moods." She poked him in the chest, emphasizing every word.

"And I am not going to just release you into the forest. There are dangers there that are worse than me!"

Bella stared innocently at Edward, her eyes wide; her shoulders slumped almost unnoticeably in defeat. His warm yet hard gaze bore into hers. It took all she had not to flinch. A moment later, his eyes softened. "If you have to go, then I'll come with you," he said softly. "Meet me at the front door when you're ready."

Her demeanor immediately brightened. Her happiness was not lost on Edward. He smiled widely in reply, surprised when she jumped up to give him a big hug. Then, she disappeared down the hallways.

How she managed to move that fast, he did not know, but by the time he arrived at the front doors, she was already there, fidgeting with her fingers, clearly impatient. Upon sighting him, she grabbed his hand and practically pulled him outside into the warm summer morning. The sun was already very high in the sky, but the air still had a faint breeze hinting that last night was chilly indeed.

Like a small child, Bella ran down the footpath to the edge of the forest, twirling around and singing nursery tunes. Often, she skipped ahead of Edward for a while, only to return, laughing and making him dance, before running away again.

"Bella!" he called to her once they neared the forest. "You can go in only if you stay by my side the entire time. No running off." She acted as if she hadn't heard him, but when he was about to repeat himself, she replied with a nonchalant "yes".

Yet, true to her word, she stayed dutifully by Edward. Her previous joy and childishness suddenly dissipated when she entered the forest. Her serene expression and suddenly-serious attitude unnerved him. Both stayed silent as the forest birds called and chirped.

"I thought the curse dictates that you can't go outside of Kimberley," she suddenly stated.

"Kimberley estate is larger than just that tiny little round clearing around the castle, you know," he replied. "It includes much of the forest. I will know when I take my first step outside the estate."

"How? What happens?"

"The curse isn't a strict one. I can walk away from Kimberley if I so wished, but I would become both physically and emotionally sick. I won't die; but I would be under the most painful and torturous of torture until I return. And then, the farther I stray, the more…ill…I get until I'm basically incapacitated."

"And you know this because…?"

"Bella," he suddenly stopped. Bella whipped around to look at him. "Do you seriously think that I haven't tried running away from this timeless stay in a timeless castle? I tried to run away…tried to build an immunity to this…illness, but every single time, I had to get back because that was the only way I could feel better."

Silence trailed after his words, deafening silence. Even the forest spoke no word…until Bella broke it with her bright laughter. Edward watched indignantly as she laughed so hard that tears brimmed her eyes. He pouted angrily while trying, at the same time, to keep her on her feet as she doubled over in her mirth.

"I don't understand what's so funny," he said grumpily.

"Nor will you," she answered between gasps. "I won't tell you…ever!" She paused to check her laughing fit. "Look! Alice!" she pointed behind him, her eyes twinkling in mischief. He didn't see that though. The time he took to look back and realize that there was no Alice behind him was all she needed to escape his clutches and skip further down the path, mocking him and laughing.

"Hey!" he spluttered as he suddenly noticed that he was tricked. He chased after her. Though he ran at a slightly-faster-than-a-human pace, she learned to weave in and around trees, often tricking even his fast reflexes. Inwardly, he cursed how his inability to read her mind inhibited his actions.

Bella, on the other hand, was having the time of her life. Laughing and giggling while attempting to not trip over the numerous stray roots, she never truly figured out how she managed to evade Edward for so long.

And then, she was cornered. Behind her was a shallow hill, slowly rolling down to the banks of a softly singing stream. Edward crouched in front of her, as if ready to pounce the moment she tried to escape. The corners of his mouth twitched upwards, as if knowing she had no where to run unless she risk a fall. Silence followed, as if the world was holding its breath. It was broken by Edward's yell as he charged. As if in slow motion, Bella stood, numbed, as his sweet face loomed closer and closer. Just as he was about to reach her, the world was breathing again. With quickness that surprised even Bella herself, she moved aside, pushing herself flat against a nearby tree and watched his beyond-shocked face sail by. She gave a cheery wave as she saw him land in an unceremonious heap and slowly rolled down the hill by the river bank.

Birds called and shrieked; the river sang; but there was no other sound – no other voice. Edward stayed in a sprawled position by the bank, unmoving.

"Edward!" Silence. "Edward? I swear, if this is some kind of a joke, it's not funny!" Still silence. "Edward?"

Suddenly scared for him, she practically ran down the hill to his side, shaking him, apologizing over and over again. Tears brimmed her eyes, gently splashing upon his cheeks as they fell. He was not breathing. "I'm sorry…I'm so sorry!"

Unbeknownst to Bella, Edward cracked open an eye. In one swift and graceful movement, he picked her up and dumped her in the shallow stream. She came up wet and spluttering, cursing.

"Edward Cullen! That was not funny!" she screamed at him, eating her wet fists on his chest. "You had me worried sick, you hear? Sick!" Her anger seemed to have suddenly dissipated. She hugged him tight, pulling herself flush against his cold marble body. "I was afraid that you'd died!"

His arms wound around her, effectively enveloping her into his tall frame. Burying his nose into her wet hair, he murmured in a teasing tone, "You knocked the breath out of me…what was I supposed to do other than to try to wrestle my breath back?" She laughed breathily.

"Not my fault you have the worst aim!"

"Huh!" he grunted indignantly. "You know, while I was trying to bargain my breath back, I was thinking…"

"About how to scare me to death, most likely."

"No…stop interrupting. I was thinking that there's something I really wanted to do." She pulled a little away from his embrace, staring into his melted-golden eyes.

"What then?" she breathed, feeling her heart speed up at the heated look he was giving her.

"Shhh…don't speak…it'd ruin the moment," he whispered into her ear, causing a shiver to run down her spine. Ever so slowly, he turned his head and pressed a feathery kiss to the bottom of her ear, slowly tracing the line of her jaw. There was a whispered 'whoosh' as Bella's breath was 'knocked' out. Being the teaser, when he reached her mouth, he tilted her head and started the same again from the other side.

"Breathe, Bella, breathe," he chuckled softly as she drew in a ragged breath. And then, with the slightest of pressure, he pressed his cold lips to her soft warm ones.

It was as if heaven was singing to them. Their minds and hearts disregarded everything else, only concentrating on the feel of their lips upon each other. When they broke apart, Bella was not the only one having trouble breathing. Heat blossomed on her cheeks. The couple looked awkwardly at each other, both very nervous.

"W-What? Am I that bad?" Edward stuttered softly, looking away.

"N-No…it isn't bad…you aren't bad at all…" she whispered back, blushing even harder. "I l-like it…I like it very much."

Taking in a deep breath, he changed the subject. "We should get back."

"Yes…" came the quiet reply.

The slow walk back to the castle was innocently quiet. Their soft footsteps were barely audible, their breathing slow and relaxed. Neither made a single sound, both were too deep into their own thoughts to notice where they were going.

Unnoticed by either, Bella's quick stride soon placed her in front of Edward until only a shadow could be seen of her. It wasn't until Edward felt the familiar sickening in his stomach that he realized he had walked outside the boundaries of Kimberley and that Bella was no longer beside him. His keen sight could only see a small shadow in the near-distant trees, but that disappeared when she rounded a corner. A rough wind picked up, disturbing and erasing all traces of her scent, but also brought a new one – one that had Edward feel cold and sickened to the bone.

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A low growl suddenly made Bella loose her balance and trip. Coming back into the real world from her thoughts, she realized, with a deadening heart, that Edward was nowhere to be seen. She tried to call out to him, but her voice came out as a hoarse whisper that barely even reached her own ears.

(A/N: to imagine the scene I'm about to describe better, think of Snow White when she first went into the forest.)

Night was beginning to settle…the tall healthy trees blocking out nearly all of the light, causing the forest floor to be dark – so dark that she had trouble seeing her hands even when they were right in front of her nose. What little light filtered through the thick canopy offered no respite. Rather, they caused haunting shadows and daunting faces to leer at her, almost smirking in an evil glee.

Slowly, she backed up, stumbling over the unseen roots and bushes, tears slowly running down her face. Shaking with fear, she ran blindly in what she assumed to be the way back, hacking through the underbrush and ignoring each and every single little cut the hidden thorn bushes and whipping branches bestowed upon her.

"Edward! Edward?" she called, almost wishing that he was just hiding somewhere – that everything would be okay. The soft hum of crickets and chirps of the nighttime world greeted her instead of his melodic voice.

Bushes rustled suspiciously everywhere around her. She hugged herself to a tree, only to scream a moment later when she felt something furry scurry around her. "Edward!" she called again. Still, no one answered.

Sobbing, she sat with her back against an old oak, hugging her knees tightly and prayed that everything would be alright.

So...the ending was a little skimpy. I had two choices: to write a little more and leave with a cliffy, or to leave it like it is and write everything else in the next chapter. I personally hate cliffys, so I decided to spare you one :). Review! Hmm...I should start bribing...I find that I actually write faster/longer when I give a bribe ;)...but I don't feel like bribing...yet ;) lol. Review!

--Cathy