Fears, Fights And Fries

A/N: Beyond amazing to read the responses to this story and I am very grateful for that. Here's another one as a thank you.

She had not cried.

She had not said anything.

She simply stared.

Sometimes out the window or sometimes down at the phone that she held in a tight death grip.

Probably waiting for the young boy to call.

Foolish girl.

What difference would it make if he did? He wouldn't dare go up against me and if he did, well it just made me want to escape with Isabella even more now. She would help me bring down the one person that she loved without knowing it.

At first I was content with her silence but now I grew irritated.

"He will not call" I stated, deliberating over whether I should reach over and take the phone, crush it in my hand before her eyes just so that the unnecessary hope in her eyes would die out. "Your little boyfriend - he will not call"

Her lips stretched into a taut grim line and then she pursed them, almost like she wanted to say something. I wanted her to sink continued to stare at her, patiently waiting.

Words did not come.

She slumped back on the chair and stared out the window, this time, her phone slipped back in her pocket.

I wanted to look at away but my sadistic part watched as a stray tear rolled down her flushed cheeks. Before another fell, she quickly reached up to wipe them away.

Urgh, humans and their emotions.

I sighed and looked back to the road, staring at the road that stretched ahead but a large sign caught my eye, distracting me from my original decision to keep driving towards the airport. "How about we stop for lunch, love?" I offered.

"I'm not hungry" her voice cracked and hoarse and her dulled gaze still cast out wards.

"Silly girl" I laughed and took the sharp turn towards the gas station with a McDonalds next to it. "It's not all about you, you know?" I commented eyeing her and hoping for a smile or something but she didn't even turn to look at me.

It was when I stopped the car that something dawned onto her and she spun around in her seat. "You eat?"

"I eat" I confirmed and stepped out of the car.

I thought about leaving her in the car but decided not to. This would work more smoothly if she gave me her loyalty out of trust instead of me constantly threatening her or her family.

Walking around to her door, I opened it. "Up you get"

Thankfully she understood I was not one to argue with because she stepped outside, pulling the jacket tightly around her small trembling form, regardless of the fact that it was 30 degrees.

I didn't question her.

Just gripped her arm and pulled her towards the restaurant.

I did not want to eat McDonalds. Well I have never actually eaten McDonalds - never saw the appeal but right now I needed to appease the cravings, especially with the fact that I would be in the small confinement of my car with her alluring and intoxicating scent.

She would be no good to me dead.

We found an empty booth so I gestured for her to seat. Once she was sat down, I pointed towards the cashier. "Any preferences?"

"I told you, I'm not hungry" she replied, stubbornly and childishly, she pouted and crossed her arms.

I braced my hands on the table and stared down at her. "Don't move" I ordered and she rolled her eyes at me. This time I growled under my breath, angry at her lack of respect.

Fighting against my instincts to have her blood decorate the menus, I walked to the cashier and helplessly scanned at the menu above.

"What's good here?"

Before the young teenager could answer, another voice chimed in. "He'll have the Big Mac meal and a large strawberry milkshake and an apple pie" she ordered for me.

The boy blinked at her for a second before stumbling to work once I threw some money at him.

I crossed my arms and turned to her. "I told you not to move"

She rolled her eyes and then settled into the all too familiar glare. "You're welcome" she growled.

When she walked away, I turned back to the cashier and was impressed by the speed it took as a tray of food was presented to me.

I accepted it and the napkins and ketchup he added before walking back to the booth, which was now accompanied by a grumpy Isabella. The phone had found its way back into her hands.

With another tired sigh, I fell back on the seat opposite her and took a bite out of what I could only assume was the Big Mac. My eyes involuntary snapped shut when I chewed the beef but was surprised by the taste - I could actually tolerate it.

I then opened my eyes to see an amused and confused Isabella.

"This is not as bad as I thought" I tried to make conversation.

She dropped the smile and then reached over, treating my like a child when using the burger's packaging to pour my fries onto it. She then ripped off the paper from the straw and stuck it in my milkshake.

I was taken aback by her actions but also left more perplexed about her nonsensical manner.

When I focused back in her, I caught her nibbling on some of the fries with her mind obviously falling deep in thought. "I thought you weren't hungry?" I challenged.

She jutted out her jaw but didn't stop eating as she retorted, "It's the least you could do"

We continued to eat in silence. Sometimes I would catch her staring at me and when I expected her to look away, she didn't. It was as if she was trying to solve me like I to her. Her wide inquisitive gaze searching deep within me that it made me uncomfortable.

Just as I opened my mouth to snap at her to stop, she dropped her eyes to the phone in her hands and switched on the screen but switched it off again only seconds later.

Which reminds me...

Ignore her inquisitive eyes as I pull out my own phone and dial the number. It wasn't long before he answered and instead of wasting our breaths with pleasantries, I jumped to the real matter at hand. "Dean, be a nice boy and tell the pilot to wait"

'Sure thing' he replied with a wavering tone and I was glad that I at least had power and control over some people. 'How long do you want him to wait?' he inquired.

"Maybe an hour" I drank but then paused when I was reminded that it was strawberry...exactly what I could smell from Isabella.

Strawberries.

'Did you find what you were looking for?' my minion questioned, pulling me away from the dangerous territory I had entered, to which I was thankful - not that I would tell him that.

"No, I found something better" I grinned when my eyes were met with her conflicted brown eyes that widened with my excitement.

She swallowed the food in her mouth and then dropped her hands to the table. A pensive look furrowed her eyebrows as she glanced outside towards my parked car. Suddenly, whipped her head back to me and spoke again. "Where are we going?"

"Well I see no harm in telling you" I breathed and pushed the tray towards her and linked my fingers together on top of the table. She paid not attention to the food as she sat up straighter to meet my gaze as I told her, "We're going to Chicago"

A small crease pinched between her eyebrows as she looked down at the milkshake. "Why?" her broken whisper reminded me of Mariana and the first time I had seen her cry.

I had spent enough time around humans and their emotions to tell that the young girl was troubled.

Not that I could blame her but why should I care?

"All will be revealed very soon"

She peeked up at me from under her eyelashes with such innocence that I actually felt something spark within as she sadly whispered, "Will I come back?"

"No" I diverted my attention to the window. "I don't think that will be possible" my tone was sharp and curt.

After a brief silence, she perked up again. "Can I make a call?"

I thought back to the throne room where she had screamed at the boy, even pushed him away. Her behaviour though strange did suggest that she had really fallen for the boy and that didn't seem to sit right sit me. "It seemed like you said everything you needed to"

"Not Edward" she shook her head adamantly.

Now, I was even more puzzled which seemed to be an occurrence with her around. "Who?"

"My dad"

Well I wasn't a complete monster...

Though, she would need guidelines so I replied, "Five minutes and...you do it here"

She nodded and I smirked at the gleam that finally brightened her once clouded eyes. Even her features seemed to light up with the permission that I granted her.

Isabella wasted no time in dialling the memorised number and placing the phone to her ear.

It wasn't even two rings before the phone was answered by a gruff and urgent voice. 'BELLA!'

She winched at the shout and lowered her voice even more, huddling further into the jacket. "Hi, d-dad?" sweet relief filled laced her stuttered breath.

'Oh thank God Bella! Thank God you're alive! Do you know how worried I've been? I had the whole town searching for you! Then jake tells me that you've gone to Italy? Why the hell are you in Italy?'

She squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath, trying to calm her obviously concerned father. "Dad, I just want you to know that I'm safe and I'm okay"

The incessant father wouldn't give up and I smiled finally knowing who had cursed Isabella with the stubbornness trait. 'Bella? What is going on? It sound like you're saying goodbye-'

For once, I decided to be silent and let her have what was probably the last time she would hear his voice.

I would have to confiscate her phone because I needed her to be focused.

"I'm okay where I am" she insisted but her voice broke with a sob which she muffled behind her hand.

"Where are you? Bella! You have to come home now? Or I will come and get you" he threatened.

Isabella shot up from her slumped position and worriedly flickered towards me. "No!" She screamed over the line, earning a few stares. "I just need sometime away from Forks - sometime to think" she amended her vagueness.

'Are you with that Cullen kid?' the father growled and I found myself pleased with his disapproving tone. 'Are your unending away with him? Eloping?'

She blushed furiously and tried to cowered say from me when turning to hiss. "No dad, I'm not with Edward. He left me remember" she added venomously and I finally understood the situation.

'Then why are you in Italy?'

"I just needed t get away" she replied. Now frustrated, Isabella ran her fingers through her hair, thus reminding me of why I was sat across from her, why we had stopped at this restaurant, and why we needed to hurry.

I tapped at my watch, reminding her of our agreement.

She nodded in understanding and began to finalise their conversation. "Listen dad, I just wanted to let you know that I'm okay and you don't need to worry about me"

'How can you ask me not to worry?' he argued and for a split second I marvelled at the love he carried for the girl. That was one thing that I both despised and admired from humans. When they love, they love with their all because they know that their lives are short. However, this then makes them weak and vulnerable - easy to eradicate and all you had to do was target their hearts.

"I love you dad" she whispered as if the simple sentence itself caused her pain.

'Bella!? No! This conversation is no-'

She cut him off.

I watched in fascination and something else that I could not decipher. I watched as she bowed her head to the table and remained like that for what seemed like endless minutes.

She just sat...stared...breathing heavily...

Suddenly, she threw her head up and looked into my eyes. I frowned at the hollow lifeless shadows that encased the once gleaming brown orbs. Her pale but flushed complexion now seemed ashen. Her bottom lip quivered but she trapped it between her teeth but the stopped so she could simply tell me. "I would like to leave now"

I complied.

A/N: What is better - Niklaus' good side or his bad side?

Please review and let me know what you think. Oh and happy summer!