(A/N): I got the dates mixed up...I thought I had more time to work on this chapter, but it turns out that my family's starting our trip tomorrow instead of on Thursday. The ending's a little bit rushed, partly because I had a writer's block, and partly because I've got too many variations of what will happen that I had trouble keeping my ideas straight. I think I'll edit this chapter later for details/grammar.

Chapter 9 – Interlude 2 and Forks

James leaned back against the tall fern atop a woody hill that overlooked a seemingly deserted village. Scrutinizing the movements of carefree thieves and trepid villagers, he lapsed into silent thought. He had heard about the Cullens for longer than he could count. Their family line was very straight and very pure; although considering their strange choice of wives, it was a miracle that the blood still ran clear.

And, of course, he had heard about the curse that had befallen upon them just a few years before his father was born. Oh, yes…James looked quite young for his age – the appearance of being in the early thirties although he really was in his sixties. He thanked his special status for that. He was granted two times his normal lifespan because of his job, and he had never regretted his initial decision.

The Cullen curse intrigued him. For a little over a century, the curse stayed solid as stone. Some of his fellow workers, if you will, had already finalized that the Cullen curse was not meant to be broken for centuries coming…so many had erased the entire family off their watch list. It was only by chance that James asked for the wrong command and put the Cullens at the bottom of his list instead of deleting it. Nothing could define the shock and surprise of suddenly finding their names at the top of the list just overnight. And not just any list either – it was the list of curses about to be broken.

At first, he thought it may be a different line or his eyes were playing tricks; but even his designated partner, Victoria, confirmed his sight. He had seethed and swore under his breath. No doubt it's the work of them cursed Angel Hunters, who were often so ignorant that they didn't even know what job they held! James left immediately, with Victoria in tow, and for nearly three months, they had hunted all over the Americas for the stupid Kimberley Castle – a place where the idiotic history books often alluded to but never mentioned its precise position; a place where every text and literature only mentioned briefly, never in detail.

And now he had found it. Sure, he had not actually seen the castle yet, but he could pinpoint its exact location. He was a hunter by nature, and being part of the elite group of hunters only embellished his natural skill. He ran his fingers down a thin obsidian sword he named Ter, short for Terror. The sword was his secret weapon. Passed down from generations of Hunters, it never dulled its edge nor failed its masters. Wielded by the right hand, the blade could cut through stone and steel as if they were bread. With a powerful master, Ter had been known to blast through a tunnel through a mountain without ever touching the mountain itself.

Footsteps alerted him of someone approaching. With a graceful twist and twirl of the black sword, it was placed precisely in front of Victoria's neck, causing her to pause and stare wide-eyed at James. His cold glance did no waver, even as he saw the platter of food she held to him. Dropping his sword back into its sheath, he took the food without emotion. He never saw the hurt expression in Victoria's eyes nor did he see the defeated form she took as she silently left him alone. He had better things to occupy his mind with…such as, how to provoke this almost ghostly village into near-instant action. He needed a scapegoat…and he knew just the person…

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Bella woke up feeling very groggy and depressed. Her back ached from lying on hard floor, cushioned only by a thin layer of grass; her eyes were still a little swollen since she had silently cried herself to sleep the night before. She felt something was wrong. She recognized the old barn as Newton's Barn, located right smack in the center of a busy marketplace. Something feels wrong. Alice and Jasper were behind tall bales of hay, quietly whispering to each other, their hushed tones signifying how worried they were.

"What's wrong?"

Alice started. "The town's too quiet," she answered. "I sometimes get visions, you see, and right now I'm getting too many different ones." Bella nodded, prompting her to go on. "Well…they all involve James, Victoria, and you in some way or another waking this town up."

Bella gasped. That's what's wrong! The town was too quiet. Market on the quietest days still hummed with activity, yet the streets outside seemed all devoid of activity. A lonely wind blew through the half-open shutters, making a solo whistle that echoed desolately. What had happened to her beautiful Forks?

Jasper nudged her knee, allowing her to notice the small bits of fruit and nuts they had scavenged. Her heart felt heavy. It was usually Edward who ate breakfast beside her, making jolly jokes that were sometimes ridiculous and other times just plain pathetic, yet always raised a happy atmosphere. She swallowed a lump in her throat, resisting the urge to cry as she nibbled the food distractedly.

When she ate her fill, Alice and Jasper sat across from her, staring intelligently, waiting for some sort of plan. Silence lagged on as she racked her mind for any sort of good plans. She knew she'd be unwilling to leave Forks for somewhere farther away. Already, she felt almost physical pain from being separated from Edward, as clichéd as it sounded. Her heart constantly ached and her mind constantly wandered off. What was he doing? Did he feel as she felt? Would she see him again?

A sudden smack made her jump ceiling-high. "What?"

"You're worse than Edward when it comes to listening instructions…" Jasper chuckled. He said more, but Bella did not hear. At his name, Bella's mind drifted off again. Was he okay...? Another smack.

"Oi! I'm trying to think here!"

"Oi! I'm trying to talk here!" mocked Alice sarcastically, her patience clearly hanging by a thread. "Now…if you will just listen…!"

Bella glared at the dog for a long moment before her eyes softened. "Sorry," she mumbled.

"We think that we should all get as far as we can from Kimberley. That will keep you safe once James finds out that the curse isn't about to be broken," Alice said. "We could come back after a year or two and find everything peaceful and quiet again…"

"No," commented Bella determinedly. "I'm leaving no further than Forks. I want to see my father again; tell him that I am okay, and then go back to Kimberley."

As Alice was about to protest, Jasper stepped in and said, "I've heard a saying…it says, 'the safest place to hide is also the most dangerous.' They'll never think we'll be at their door. It's the last place they'd look."

"But –" Alice began again, but sighed. "Oh, alright! Bella, we'll have to stay in the shadows, though. I have a feeling that James and Victoria are in Forks, and that they are hunting you."

And so it was decided. Bella snuck around and found a tattered shawl and a patched dress. Smearing dust and soot all over her pale arms and face, she looked exactly like the peasant maids who roamed the streets. Outside, sunlight filtered through the clouds. Jasper winced. "Alice and I will stay in the shadows…our skin will glow like Edward's if we are under direct sunlight," he explained.

Bella bowed her head low, like the occasional young maids did on the streets, hiding her face in her shawl and careful to stay in the shadows. Jasper and Alice always followed her as inconspicuously as possible, sometimes trotting beside her, other times hiding behind overturned carts and near-crumbling buildings. It hurt her deeply to see that the busy and bustling Forks she knew turned into such a ruin in just a mere three months. Many of her favorite shops were smashed into and now very empty. Occasional shadows of a passing thief or robber seemed to slink by her unnoticed although she could have sworn that it was not like this when she last was here.

Street after street gave her the same sight. Of the ten taverns, only three were open; the other seven were boarded up and devoid of the jolly noise.

Turning onto another street, she faintly recognized the heavily-bearded man who was hitting on an unfortunate maid. Mike Newton could not get rid of his habits even during a time like this. The maid seemed to fend for herself nice enough, so Bella planned to slip by unnoticed – a plan that went haywire.

"Hey! You over there!" he called as soon as he noticed her. "Come here."

She pretended to not hear and walked on, forcing herself to stay at the same pace. Alice and Jasper growled from where they were hidden. When he called again, she still walked on, trying to control a sudden urge to shudder. Two more times, and she still didn't pay any heed to him.

It wasn't until he tapped her on the shoulder that she realized he'd been following her instead of becoming disinterested. As if acting upon instinct, she turned around, careful to stare only at her shoes. "Are you mute?" he asked, clearly annoyed and almost flabbergasted.

Bella didn't so much as twitch, though she was barely controlling her laughter inside. Mute?! She was trying to be deaf! Does he even know his vocabulary?

He swore a string of curses under his breath; she had to try hard not to wince. Suddenly finding the dusty road much more interesting than him, she ran away to the sanctuary of her own thoughts. She wondered what Edward was doing at this moment. Did his heart ache as hers was doing…is still doing? Was he continuing his life as if nothing happened like she sometimes hoped and sometimes feared?

She was brusquely interrupted from her chain of thoughts when Mike forcefully flung her into a nearby building, knocking the breath out of her and trapping her there. He forced her to look at him – his none-too-clean face overdue for a shave and a wash. He pressed himself closer so she could smell his scent – the sour mix of sweat, dust, and decaying skin. Unable to stop herself, she wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"Ahh…so the little girl has one of her senses working," he sneered, looking evil and unforgiving. "Let's see if she could feel everything that goes on…" He reached for her shawl, ripping it out of her hands, snapping her head up. Bella felt her hair tumble down from its pins.

Mike Newton was watching the shawl flutter to the ground in glee; when he turned around to reach for her dress next, his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. "B-B-Bella?!" he stuttered, stumbling back. Her defiant gaze met his, staring him down with the coldest glare she knew.

"Do you treat all 'little girls' this way or am I just an exception?" she asked, her voice dripping with venom. He swallowed (more like gulped) nervously, shaking his head in disbelief.

"W-What are you doing here?" His voice was hoarse.

"Not in need of your most adequate welcome, I assure you," she replied sarcastically. As she was about to leave, he stood in her way. "Let me go, or I promise you'll regret it."

"What's the worse you can do? Knee me? I'll take that." He was back to his usual self again, teasing and annoying, thinking himself so smart. Conceited fool! Just as she was about to slap him, he was gone – disappeared. A moment later, a surprised yelp and the barking of two dogs caught her attention. Alice and Jasper had snuck up on him. She laughed. The shock of surprise and terror on his face was priceless. He even forgot to scream!

"Nice to see you regret your decision so soon," she told him as she continued her way.

Two turns and one more unexpected meeting with a street rapist later, Bella, Alice and Jasper arrived in the second biggest building in town – the chief's house. Only, it seemed more like a deserted mansion instead. Her peonies lay trampled beneath the windows and her rose bushes were wild but nearly dead. Weeds of all sorts had taken over her gardens. The front gate creaked loudly when she opened it. A chilling wind blew; loose shutters rattled their lonely music. A faint howl filled the air.

Running into the desolated house, she yelled, "Daddy? Butter? Are you here?" There was silence for a long moment. Only her voice echoed back to her. Tears leaked from her eyes. But just as she was about to sink to the floor, an encouraging bark and hurried padding alerted her of Butter's presence. A moment later, Butter jumped into her arms, licking her face in blatant joy.

"Butter! Oh my goodness, you're alright!" Butter squealed in reply before beckoning Bella to follow. Jasper and Alice silently trailed behind.

And there, lying upon white-washed sheets and coughing loudly, was Charlie. Several alcohol bottles lay forgotten upon the bed stand. His head tossed and turned in a nightmarish dream. More tears fell. "Daddy?"

Charlie made no reply, mumbling incoherent things under his breath. But, as if he had heard, his voice grew louder until he screamed Bella's name, sitting up straight in bed.

"Daddy?" His eyes snapped open, bloodshot and restless. His breath was heavy and labored.

"Bella, sweetie? Am I dead yet?" He looked around, almost in disbelief. "I must be dead…there's no way that…monster of a man could've left you alive. Bless the Lord!"

"Daddy, you're not dead…I'm not dead either…" she was cut off by his piercing stare. "He…left you alive and he freed you?"

She nodded soundlessly, hurrying over to his side to engulf him in a hug, crying into his shoulder. "Oh, child," he patted her. "What tortures you have gone to?" There was a pause as he thought everything over. "Did you run away from there? We have to leave…we must!"

"I'm not leaving…I need to go back," she told him.

"Like heck I will let you! You are not going back to that…bloody place!" He hugged her tighter. "I can protect you…he won't get you."

As he said that, he jumped out of bed with amazing vigor and started packing up some clothing while she sat, dumbfounded. "What are you doing, Bells? Pack up and we'll leave…now!"

"I'm not leaving." She dried her tears. "He needs me…and…I think I need him as well." Her voice had dropped so soft Charlie had to strain his old ears to hear. But once he did, however, he froze. The next moment, Bella felt his hand on her forehead, then checking her pulse, then looking into her eye, checking her throat…everything a doctor would normally do in a check-up.

"Are you feeling alright, Sweet? A fever, perhaps? Induced mental illnesses? Delirium from locked up in a cell?"

She laughed. "No, Daddy. We saw him wrong…he's not a bad monster. He's just lonely, and I've made him better."

"You didn't…didn't…do that sort of thing with him, did you?" he asked, in shock. She blushed at what her father was implying.

"I'm still pure, if you have to know," she muttered quietly. "He's quite a gentleman..."

"Then he…" Bella cut her father off by starting to recount more or less the details of her stay at Kimberley. She left out the part about the curse, the kisses, and about the Hunters, not knowing whether he actually will take her to a psychologist if she told that.

"By the Lord, Bells! And here was I worrying that he ate you for dinner!" Charlie chuckled nervously. Whether it was the father in him or whether because he knew his daughter for too long, he somehow also learned that his only daughter had finally found love…and with this Edward, too.

Just as they were about to say something more, the door was unceremoniously banged open. In strode Victoria, her dark red hair floating on an invisible breeze, her eyes narrowed. "Sorry to interrupt this reunion, but I will need the services of Miss Isabella here."

"Over my dead body!" shouted Charlie, somehow knowing that this woman is not to be trusted.

"Very well then." A whip appeared seemingly out of nowhere. A flash of her hand, and Charlie was on the ground, unconscious; a thin red line of blood appearing on his shirt. Hands muffled Bella's cry; ropes suddenly bound her wrists and feet. In the next moment, she was no where near her own home. The man she recognized as James stood over her, laughing evilly with glee, rubbing his own hands together. And then, everything went dark.

I hope it isn't much of a cliffie...I don't really like cliffies, and I tried not to make this one a really bad one... I tried to characterize James a little bit in the beginning...tell me how it went.

I'll update as soon as I can, but reviews on this chapter would be lovable :). I don't think this is a really great one...I think I should've taken a little more time on it (It would've been better if I had not had my dates mixed up...) You could say that I don't have to update it before I leave...but I don't know...I wanted to. That doesn't mean I completely like the results, though. I'll promise that the next chapter's better (hopefully ;). Review!

Cathy