Chapter 15

I left Edward at his house so he could have an early dinner with his mother and I could get changed and switch vehicles. Alice thought long ago that we should have outfits that suit the sport that we are playing, so I put on my baseball outfit.

After I changed I went to talk to Emmett. "Emmett I need to borrow your Jeep tonight." I said once I walked into his room.

"Why do you need my car? We always just run there." He said looking puzzled.

"Because Edward is coming and my car isn't outfitted to off road and I don't want to run that far with him on my back. Last time he almost got sick." I said with a sigh.

"Okay." He said with a smile as he handed me his keys.

Everyone started to gather in the entry way to head to the field. Emmett and I walked that way but I didn't leave with the rest of them. I went to the garage and went in Emmett's Jeep to go get Edward.

I walked up to the house and knocked on the door. Of course Edward answered shortly after my knock. "Hello Edward. How was your dinner?" I asked as I stepped into the house.

"It was good, we had lasagna. Are you ready?" He asked me. I wrinkled my nose when he said about the lasagna and he chuckled.

"Yes, of course I am. Let's go say goodbye to your mother so we aren't rude." I said pulling him with me towards the kitchen where she was finishing the dishes.

"Hi Elizabeth, I came back to get Edward, would you like some help before we leave though?" I said. It was obvious that I scared her because she dropped the plate that she was holding back into the sink and got splashed by the water. "I am sorry, I didn't mean to give you a fright." I said.

She grabbed a dish towel and dried off the front of her shirt. "Oh, no, I am ok. Don't worry about it. Just go have fun." She said avoiding my eyes, she was blushing and her thoughts were focused on how she didn't hear my entrance, she only head Edward's footsteps. Then she thought about how I had spoken my last sentence and how she never heard anyone talk like that.

I let Edward lead me out of the house and he stopped in his tracks when he saw the Jeep. "Whose is that?" He asked me.

"It is Emmett's. My Volvo won't get us to where we are going." I said as I opened his door and helped him get strapped into all the harnesses.

When I got in on my side Edward spoke. "Are we off-roading?"

"Yes, most of the way but I will have to run with you for a little bit." I said as I started on our way.

We made light conversation for the drive on smooth road. Once we got off the road Edward stopped talking and held on to the harness that was holding him to the seat.

Once we stopped and parked I quickly unbuckled Edward from his harness. We both got out of the Jeep and I dashed around to Edward. I looked at Edward expectantly. "Can't we just walk there?" He asked.

"No, it will take too long, besides they are waiting for us." I said.

Edward looked like he was about to protest so I quickly tossed him on my back and took off. When we were almost to the field I stopped and put Edward down, his legs gave out and he fell to his butt. I couldn't help the laugh that I let out. Edward blushed as I helped him up.

We walked hand in hand out into the field. Rosalie and Esme were near the cluster of boulders talking. Carlisle was pacing out and placing the bases. Alice and Jasper were throwing the ball back and forth. Emmett was swinging three bats around.

Once we got closer Rosalie stormed off in the opposite direction. Alice and Esme came up to us smiling.

"Welcome Edward, so glad you could join us dear." Esme said wanting to hug him.

"Thank you for having me join you guys tonight." He said.

"Come on Bella, it is almost time." Alice said pulling me.

"What should I do?" Edward asked Esme.

"You can be an umpire with me." Esme said grabbing Edward's hand gently and guiding him to the boulders near home plate.

"Aren't you going to play?" He asked as he sat down. By that point I was in the outfield watching Edward.

"No, the teams wouldn't be even. I catch and umpire to keep them honest." She said.

"Yeah, she thinks we cheat." Emmett said.

"I know you cheat." Esme said with a chuckle pushing Emmett towards the outfield.

Emmett came out into the outfield but stood on the opposite side from me. Jasper was standing at home plate holding a bat while Alice was standing on the pitcher's mound looking into the future. Alice spoke just before the first crack of thunder. "It's time."

Jasper got set and Alice threw the ball. Esme caught it. "Was that a ball or a strike?" Edward asked.

"It is a strike. If we don't hit the ball then it is a strike." Esme informed him as she threw the ball back to Alice.

Alice threw the ball again and this time Jasper hit it. I noticed Edward jumped with the loud crack and he said, "Now I understand why you need the storm." I watched the ball go into the woods and took off after it. "That's a homerun right?"

"Bella is very fast." Esme said. Just then I caught the ball. "Out." Esme yelled. I ran out into the field with ball in hand, then threw it to Alice.

Next Carlisle batted. On his third try he hit it and Emmett caught it by bounding up a tree. "That's my monkey man," Rosalie said.

When Rosalie hit the ball Emmett and I both tried to get the ball and collided with each other causing another loud crack like boulders colliding. By the time we got the ball back to Alice Rosalie was to third base.

We went through a couple innings and the score was tied at six. Jasper had knocked one into the woods and right before I went to rush after it Alice had a vision of three nomads coming to meet us. "Stop!" She yelled. We both ran over to Edward so the others did as well.

"Come on Edward we have to go!" I exclaimed in a rush.

"There isn't enough time Bella." Alice said panicked.

"What is it?" Jasper asked picking up on mine and Alice's emotions.

"Three nomads, they were passing through until they heard us playing." Alice said in a rush.

"How long?" Carlisle asked.

"Five minutes." I answered.

"We should keep playing like nothing is wrong." Carlisle said with a nod of his head.

"Esme, take my place. I'll umpire if someone else catches." I said sitting next to Edward. "Put your hood up." I told him and he did as I said without hesitation. I was surprised that he didn't say anything the whole time we were talking.

"That won't do anything, I could smell him all the way across the field." Rosalie snapped at me walking back to home plate so she could bat.

Alice took another ball out of the bag, and everyone went to their spots. No one hit that hard to keep us all together. I sat next to Edward making the calls.

When they emerged from the tree line there were two males and a female. The male leading the group had our ball in his hand. Carlisle, Jasper, and Emmett all walked in front of the rest of us to greet the nomads. We all kept Edward behind us.

"Hello, my name is Laurent, this is James and Victoria. We were just passing through when we heard your game so we came to investigate." Said the leader with a bit of a French accent.

Carlisle spoke. "I am Carlisle and this is my family; Esme, Emmett, Jasper, Alice, Rosalie, Bella, and Edward. We keep a permanent residence in the area." He said. He didn't point to any of us as he said our names.

"Really? That is interesting. Do you mind if we join your game?" Laurent asked.

"A few of us were just leaving so you can take their places. Emmett, Alice, Bella, and Edward why don't you take the Jeep and we will meet you at the house in a little bit." Carlisle said without looking our way. James had looked at Alice and noticed her, then he was studying the rest of us and noticed how we were all in front of Edward.

As Edward and I turned to leave a gust of wind knocked Edward's hood off and carried his scent to the nomads. James hissed and got in a crouch. "You brought a snack." He said between growls.

We all got into a crouch in front of Edward while Victoria and Laurent did as well. Laurent realizing that the numbers were not to their advantage spoke, "I can see we are not welcome here, we will leave now."

It took a minute for James to get out of his crouch and join Laurent and Victoria but I did read that he was going to hunt Edward, this would be his most exciting game yet.

"Go." Carlisle said to us bringing me out of James's thoughts.

I threw Edward onto my back and took off towards the Jeep. Alice and Emmett were following me but they couldn't keep up.

I put Edward in the backseat and Emmett got in next to him. "Strap him in." I told Emmett.

Alice got in the front passenger seat and I took off. Once we hit the road I started driving as fast as the Jeep would go, we were heading away from Forks, towards Canada.

"Where are we going?" Edward asked panicked.

"We are leaving Forks, we can go to Canada. He is a tracker Edward and us protecting you and how I reacted in particular has just made this his greatest game. I need to get you away from here and protect you. Nothing will happen to you, I won't allow it." I said gripping the steering wheel harder.

"You can't, what about my mom? My friends? He will follow my scent to my house. Take me home, at least let me make my mom think I am running away. Maybe James will even hear it and leave my mom alone. Just give me fifteen minutes. Please." Edward said.

Alice looked into the future and saw it would work and that James would hear it and leave his mother alone. "It will work Bella, turn around and let him do it."

I let out a frustrated growl and pulled a u-turn right in the middle of the road. I drove us to Edward's house in silence. When we got there Alice and Emmett ran the perimeter to make sure James hadn't been there yet, when I got the all clear from them Edward and I walked to the front door.

"I don't mean any of what I am going to say. Please just play along." Edward whispered to me.

"I'll meet you up in your room." I told him caressing his cheek and then giving him a quick kiss.

He opened the door yelling at me. "No Bella, just go! Leave me alone!" He yelled.

"Edward, please don't do this." I begged as he slammed the door. I ran around the house and climbed into his room. He was coming up the stairs.

"Did you two fight? Did she break up with you?" His mother asked while following him.

"No, I broke up with her." He said. He then came in his room and slammed the door in his mother's face.

I had already started to throw things into a duffle bag for him.

"You have to get her to let you go. When you leave, start heading to our house." I told him before he opened the door and I jumped out the window.

I didn't pay attention to what he said to his mother, I was busy making sure Alice would follow us in the Jeep and that Emmett was positioned to jump into the bed of the truck right after I got in it.

When Edward was far enough away that his mother wouldn't be able to see I jumped on to the driver's side and opened the door as Edward drove. "Scoot over, I'll drive, you would probably miss the driveway." I said and he did as he was told.

Just then Emmett jumped into the bed of the truck and Edward jumped and swiveled in his spot trying to see through the dark. "Calm down, it is just Emmett, Alice is in the car behind us." I told him trying to calm him down.

"What about James?" Edward asked.

"He is following us. He heard you with your mother, he'll leave her alone." I told him as I tried to push his truck faster.

"My mom is going to hate me and never forgive me." He mumbled looking down.

"Your mother will forgive you. She will be so happy when you are back that she will forget what happened." I said as I turned into our driveway.

"Why don't you just turn me, then he can't get me." Edward whispered.

"I will not change you, besides if we did he could still destroy you in the three days it takes for your transformation to occur." I said letting out a growl as I pulled up in front of the front door.

Alice pulled up right behind me and both Emmett and Alice stayed by my side as I carried Edward into the house. Once in the house I put Edward down. I then noticed Laurent talking to Carlisle and the others, all with casual stances. I didn't pay attention to their minds, I started to crouch with a growl ripping through my chest.

"Bella he is here to warn us." Carlisle's voice finally broke through to me.

"Don't doubt James for a minute. He is the best tracker I have ever come across and his senses are unparalleled. And Victoria is tricky as well. Is he really worth this?" He asked me. I just growled in response as he put his hands up showing he meant no harm. "Now that I have shared that I think I will go up to that Denali coven you told me about. This is not my fight and I have grown tired of James's games. I wish you luck Cullen family." He said and then he was gone.

"I have fought our kind before. They are tough to destroy but not impossible." Jasper said kicking into his old role.

"If possible I rather not kill." Carlisle said.

"We need to move." I said urgently.

Esme rushed over to the keypad in the wall and punched the code in to make the steel walls cover the glass walls. Edward gasped.

"Ok. Jasper and I will take Edward to Chicago. Bella, you, Emmett, and Carlisle can lead James on and get him away from here. Esme and Rosalie can watched and protect Elizabeth." Alice said.

"Carlisle, can you switch clothes with Edward to mask his scent and we'll have his to lure James?" I asked him.

Carlisle picked up Edward and ran up to his and Esme's bedroom.

Once they were up stairs Rosalie started in on me. "Look what you have done! We now have ro protect humans! We all have to deal with the mess you started!" She exclaimed.

"Rose, leave her alone." Esme tried.

Rosalie was about to continue on but I interrupted her keeping my voice low but still letting power ring through it. "I am sorry Rosalie that this is inconvenient for you. I will not let anything happen to him. If it was Emmett and he was human I would help you protect him with no fight because we are family and Edward is now part of it." I said, a ball of fire was floating an inch above my palm. Rosalie looked frightened and quieted down though she was still not happy with the situation.

When I heard Carlisle coming carrying Edward I quickly put out the ball of fireball so I wouldn't frighten Edward. Alice quickly re-appeared with bags for her and Jasper.

Carlisle put Edward down and made sure that Alice and Esme both had their cell phones. "We will call you to let you know when your groups should go. Everyone please be safe." He said.

I walked over to Edward and kissed him with so much passion in fear that it might be our last. "You are my life now. Take care of my heart for me, I have left it with you." I said and then quickly walked over to Alice, "Keep your thoughts to yourself." I told her and then I quickly followed after Carlisle and Emmett.

We took the Jeep. When we were far enough away and James was following us Carlisle called Esme and said that she and Rosalie should leave. They ran towards Edward's house. About five minutes later Carlisle called Alice and told them to leave. They took Carlisle's car. I was not happy with Alice and Jasper being the ones with Edward. It wasn't that I thought they couldn't protect him, it was fear of something happening that Jasper would lose control of his bloodlust or Alice slipping and telling Edward of her visions.

When we were twenty miles north of Forks we parked the Jeep and ran. Carlisle made sure to rub against some of the trees and other stuff to make sure Edward's scent was left for James to follow. We were running Northwest into Canada to get James as far away from Edward as possible. I was constantly listening to his thoughts and in the next day he noticed how Carlisle's scent was becoming stronger than Edward's. He figured it out and headed in the direction we came from.

I was leading our little group and stopped dead in my tracks. "He figured it out." I breathed as Carlisle and Emmett stopped next to me.

"Come on, we have to get back to the Jeep, we have to get to Chicago." Emmett said taking off.

Carlisle and I followed after him, I passed him easily, and once we were all in the Jeep Carlisle took off for the closest airport.

I called Alice, "Hi Bella." She said in what would be a quick whisper so Edward wouldn't hear.

"Alice he figured it out. He is on his way to find Edward. We are coming, we are going to fly there." I said just as fast.

"I know, I saw. Edward knows some too since he was in the room with us when I had the vision." She said again too fast for Edward.

"Let me talk to him." I said.

"Ok." She said to me. "It's Bella, she wants to talk to you." I heard her tell Edward as she walked across the room with the phone held out for him.

"Bella! Oh my God, are you ok?" He asked, I could hear the panic in his voice.

"Don't worry about me. Listen, James has figured it out. Emmett, Carlisle, and I are going to fly there, it'll be faster. You guys will meet us in the airport and then you and I will go hide somewhere while my family hunts him down and kills him. I am so sorry I didn't think that this could have happen." I said.

"We will meet you guys bright and early in the morning." Alice said from wherever she was.

"Alice said…." Edward started to say but I cut him off.

"I know, I heard her. Please, keep yourself safe. I'll see you tomorrow morning. I love you Edward. Let me talk to Alice again." I said.

"Ok, I love you too." He said and then I heard the phone change hands.

"Bella I don't know where you are going to try to hide him and I don't know if it will work. I also can't see if we will succeed in killing him. You need to decide before I can see for sure." She said, talking again so that Edward couldn't hear.

"Alice I don't know, I'll decide when we get there." I said with a frustrated growl.

"We won't let anything happen to him Bella, I promise." Alice assured me.

"You better Alice. See you in the morning." I said and then I hung up.