Chapter 5. Missing…

The next few weeks of my first college semester passed uneventfully.

Edward's terrifying expressions as he picked me up from class, had prevented not only that one male student in my English lit class, but most men in all my classes, from ever looking at me again. I caught plenty of stares though, especially from female students when I was with Edward, as students took in our pale and mysterious looks, but mostly I ignored them and they eventually stopped their obvious staring.

After all, I remembered my curiosity as a student at Fork's High School when I had first lay my eyes on the Cullen's, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised now I have joined their vampire ranks, that I would also be stared at. At least I didn't have to worry about blushing anymore.

It was Friday and I had two classes and a lecture to attend today before I could get home to see Alice and Jasper, who were coming to stay for the weekend. Nessie was getting Home School classes from Edward during the day, so I assumed they would keep busy with whatever project Edward had created to entertain our daughter. She was at Junior High level in most subjects and she spoke basic French and Spanish already.

The weather was appropriately dull and grey outside, ensuring I could attend daytime classes without scaring anyone. My first class started early so I offered to drop Jake at his school. With the amount of homework he received each week and the extra tutoring Edward was giving him to help him catch up after he had disappeared, wolf style, at the news of Edward and my engagement; I really hadn't had a chance to chat to him since we had moved to New Hampshire. I missed our old conversations.

I carefully backed up the Audi and drove out the drive. "So, school is alright?" I asked.

"It's okay," he grumbled. "Too much damn homework, though. Never had to work this hard on the Res."

"I am sure it is good for you! How is Leah getting on at the new job?" Leah had, not surprisingly, got the job working security for a local firm.

"Good, she likes the work. She is guarding cash trucks at the moment."

Edward and I didn't see too much of Leah. She was around of course, she lived in the apartment over the barn we built for Jake and Leah to live it, but she tended to keep to herself mostly. When we proposed she come over to New Hampshire, it was just as much to give her some breathing space from Sam, as much as it was to be near Jake.

"You don't drive as fast as Edward," Jake mused as we drove towards his High School. "Well I can't detect speed cameras before I get to them for one thing," I grinned, "and I am trying to make sure Nessie doesn't get a thrill for speed too quickly. Edward already has a bad effect on her."

"She does like things fast," Jake agreed. "Do you know that she is already planning which car she wants Edward to buy for her when she looks old enough to drive."

I blanched at the thought, Nessie was growing up way too quickly.

"She wants a Porsche, like Alice's, at least that's what she wants this week. She checks out all the cars and their performance on the internet while I am doing my homework. She can rattle off all the specs of Alice's Porsche."

"She is going to be a nightmare," I groaned.

I pulled up in front of the school and Jake leaned over and kissed me on the cheek. "Do you want me to pick you up?" I asked, ignoring him when he wrinkled his nose at my vampire smell.

"Nah, I'll run home."

"Okay, see you tonight."

I drove off after watching Jake disappear, not before I noticed several of the female students check him out. I shook my head at him and drove off to my first class.

When I got home that afternoon, the first thing I noticed was the yellow Porsche sitting in the drive, Alice and Jasper had obviously arrived. Edward had left me a note on the kitchen counter to let me know that he, Alice, Jasper and Nessie had gone up to a clearing not too far from the house, and that I should meet them there.

The clearing reminded me a little of our meadow back in Forks, but this space was about as long as a football field and was more open. Wild grasses grew high in places and the trees which bordered the clearing were tall and leafy, offering cool shade in summer.

I left my bag and took off running, enjoying the sounds of the forest around me. The trees were different here to those at Forks and the scent in the air seemed sweeter. I drew it into my lungs and held it there as I ran. I reached a ridge before the clearing and I lifted the shield from my mind, calling silently ahead to Edward as I ran. I could hear Renesmee's excited voice chattering over the top of Alice's as I slowed to a jog and came into view. "Momma," she squealed and ran over to me, "you're home!"

I lent down to give her a hug and then moved to hug both Alice and Jasper in turn. "When did you get here?" I asked them.

"A couple of hours ago, Jaz drove us down in a record 42 minutes. I'm going to do the drive back and I am determined to beat his time." Alice told me as she turned to her lover with a grin.

"No more taking about driving so fast around Nessie," I protested, thinking of Jake's comments this morning.

"Why not Momma, I love it when Daddy drives fast."

I mentally groaned as I threw a dirty look at my husband. He just looked back at me angelically. "There is nothing wrong with my driving, Bella, we have discussed this plenty of times, and I will teach Nessie to drive, so she will be brilliant. So how was class, love?" Edward asked me as he pulled me towards him in a hug, which was clearly meant to distract me. It worked.

"Great, I got a distinction in my first paper!"

"Well done," he congratulated me with a smile and kissed me to emphasis the point.

"Are you enjoying your first time at college, Bella?" Alice asked.

"Mmm, although I am not so sure how the male students around me feel. Edward frightens them when he sees them looking."

Alice laughed, "I completely understand. You should see that way Jasper responses when a guy stares at me too long." She shuddered delicately, "He can be terrifying." We shared a grin before I turned my attention to Nessie, who had walked over to spot she had been standing on when I arrived. She was holding a football in her hand and the group had clearly been playing catch when I arrived.

Catch for vampires, and werewolf's for that matter, required a great deal of space, especially when Emmett and Edward were playing. The length of the clearing allowed us to run around without crashing into to many trees. After all, there was no thunder to disguise the strange booming noises we would generate if there were.

"Want to play Bella?" Edward asked me, linking his fingers through mine and pulling me towards the far end of the field.

"I want to be in the middle" Nessie stated, so she stayed where she was, just moved closer to the trees, as Alice and Jasper took off down the other end. Nessie threw the ball to Jaz, who threw it all the way up the clearing to me, and then I back to Nessie. We played and laughed for a while as the light of the day dimmed until I realised something was wrong, when Alice threw the ball to Renesmee and she let it sail past her head.

"Nessie?" called out, uncertainly.

She didn't respond immediately, so Edward and I started running towards her when I saw her look up, her eyes full of human tears.

"Something's wrong with Jake," she wailed.

I caught her in my arms and hugged her, while Edward leaned over, paying attention to her thoughts. Alice and Jaz joined us and we listened as Edward told us what Nessie was thinking, as she sobbed on my shoulder.

"She can't feel Jake and he isn't answering her call."

I looked at Edward sharply, "I didn't know they were communicating telepathically?"

"I don't think they consciously realised it either. It seems to just be part of their connection." Edward frowned and looked frustrated that he hadn't picked up this fact. He looked out of the forest in the direction of our home, "I can't hear him either."

He watched Nessie and said, "Alice, try calling Jake's phone, see if there is an answer. Jaz, we should go back to the house to see if Jake is there and perhaps hurt." Edward's face didn't look promising though. "I would have thought if he was hurt, Nessie would sense this, but it is like he isn't anywhere near us at all."

Alice had her phone out, pushed the speed dial and put the phone to her ear. Jasper and Edward turned and sped away towards the house as I hugged Nessie. "Darling, will you get on my back so we can get home and see if Jake is there?" My daughter hiccuped as she tried to slow her tears.

"Please Momma, let's go now. Quickly," she urged. I felt a surge of anxiety at her tone and as soon as she was settled, I was running. Alice ran alongside me and put the phone back in her pocket. She shook her head at me, "The cell is going straight to voice mail."

I felt a wave of panic for my friend and I ran faster, Nessie quietly crying on my neck. I dropped my shield so I could communicate with Edward easily and told him what Alice had said. I knew that they would reach the house before we would so I could only hope that Jake was there somehow, ready to give Nessie a big hug when we arrived.

By the time Alice and I ran into the house, Edward was already pacing up and down the living area. "He is not here and not in the apartment. How was he coming home?" he asked me.

"He told me he would run." I told him, feeling guilty now as I could have picked him up at the end of my class.

I could hear Jasper talking on the phone in the next room. "Jasper is calling Leah, to see if she knows anything. I am going to do a quick scout around the trees nearby to make sure he isn't somewhere near. Bella, you stay here with Renesmee in case Leah calls or Jake suddenly appears. Alice, can you take your car and drive down to the school, see if you get some idea of anything that might have happened there or along the way?"

She nodded but looked worried, "Edward you know I can't see what the wolves are doing or what will happen."

"I know," Edward said with a sigh, "but if something has happened along the way, you might get some sort of premonition." She didn't look hopeful, but nodded and left. I heard the sound of her car flying out the drive as I sat on the couch and pulled Nessie onto my lap.

Jasper got off the phone and came in to the room. "Leah can't contact him, although she thinks she can hear a buzz from him, as though he is somewhere deep in the ground or behind a thick wall. At least that suggests he is not…" he glanced at Nessie and mouthed the word "dead" to Edward and I.

I felt a chill that had nothing to do with the temperature go through me as he continued. "Leah's leaving work now and will go straight to Jake's school to see if she can work out what has happened."

"Should I let the other wolves know?" I asked Edward.

"Let's wait until Alice and Leah have got to the school. It might be better if Leah calls them anyway."

Edward moved over and kissed me on the forehead and gave Nessie a quick hug. "I am sure he will be okay, darling," he told her before the two vampires ran out the door.

I held my daughter close to me, trying not to let my fear increase hers. I felt Nessie put her palm against my face and was almost overwhelmed by the thoughts running through her mind. I had to distract her somehow, and considering the state of her tear stained face, I decided a bath would be the best option for now.

I carried her up to the bathroom, grabbing the phone on the way past so I would get an update from Edward if he found anything. I held her while I filled the bath, running my hand over her hair gently to sooth her. By the time I had her undressed and in the water, her thoughts had turned from overwhelming panic to a numbing anxiety and desire to see Jake walk in the door, unharmed. My thoughts echoed Nessie's.

I washed and dried her, then carried her to her bedroom. I dressed her in jeans and a shirt rather than pyjamas so we could be mobile if we needed to be.

The phone rang and I put it to my ear. Edward's voice answered my greeting, he sounded upset. "Jaz and I didn't get any new scents to suggest Jake has been home today, we are moving closer to the school now. Leah and Alice are there already and I can hear Alice. They have found a trace of Jake's scent leading up the street from the school, but then it just disappears."

"How can that happen?" I asked, distressed.

"I don't know, Leah will have to call Sue and see if she or the other elders can come up with anything. I'll call you when we catch up with Alice. Can you call Esme and Carlisle and let they know what is happening. Carlisle might have some ideas."

"Okay, call me once you get to Alice."

Renesmee placed her palm on my face and silently asked me what Edward had said. "Jaz and Daddy haven't found Jake and they are going to talk to Alice and Leah when they get to Jake's school. I have to call Grandpa Carlisle now."

I lifted her onto her bed and tucked a blanket over her while I called Edward's parents. "Hello?" Carlisle answered.

"It's me, Bella. Something is wrong. Jake is missing."

"When, what happened?" Carlisle demanded.

"Renesmee started crying about an hour ago, she lost contact with him. Leah and Alice are at Jake's school, apparently they can track his scent away from the school and then it simply disappears. Leah can sense a buzz from him so we are assuming he is okay. Do you know of anything that could do this?"

"No," he said slowly. I could imagine his concerned frown as he spoke. "Certainly there are legends of things that can harm real werewolves, silver for instance, but I am not sure whether they would affect a shifter." I heard him talk to someone in the background. "Esme and I will come down straight away; we'll be there in an hour."

"Thanks Carlisle," I said feeling a little relief. "We'll see you soon."