CHAPTER THREE: THE ROAD

Edward POV

It had been two hours since we left Forks and Bella hadn't said a word. She was simply laying there with her eyes closed. I didn't know if she was sleep or just overwhelmed. I had told her more than I had wanted to in her room but it had gotten her in the car and now she was safe. That was provided Alice didn't tell the others where we were going or how we were getting there.

I still couldn't believe that I had in essence kidnapped her, granted with her help, and was currently driving her across state lines. If I were human I would be worried about going to some kind of federal prison for this instead of keeping her scent from saturating my car.

Two hours and I already needed to stop. I wanted to make it at least to Oregon before having to take a break but at this rate it was going to be a lot sooner. But I took comfort in the fact that it wasn't as bad as I had expected it to be. There was the normal burn but I was getting use to it and actually able to breathe normally and my eyes hadn't darkened all that much. I could feel the monster within jumping at the possibility that he might be able to feast off of the tantalizing creature next to me but I was in control. He was nothing more than a steady hum in the back of my head. Which was why I knew that I needed to hunt soon before he got any louder.

But that presented its own problem. How would I explain to Bella my pulling over on the side of a forest to run off and find whatever wild life that happened to be nearby? She would think I was an even bigger freak than she must think I am already. I guess I could stop at a hotel so that she could sleep in a real bed but that would simply prolong the time that we were together and all that could do was put her in more danger. So what was I to do?

This would be a lot easier if I could just tell her the truth. I couldn't explain it but for some reason I felt like she would understand but that would be even more irresponsible and give Rose and Jasper one more reason to come looking for her. No, telling her the truth was not an option but what then?

Even with my driving we had a minimum of thirteen hours left before we reached Arizona and there was no way that I was going to be able to make it through all of them only stopping once or twice. If I were alone then that wouldn't be a problem but with having Bella here then that was going to need to be doubled; probably tripled.

Maybe I could pass each hunt off as a bathroom break. That would be believable. Humans always needed to go to the bathroom but that might be a problem too. If I had to pull into a rest stop to hunt then I would be close to humans when I let my instincts take over; I would be close to Bella. There is no way that could end well.

But if I found rest stops that were farther off the highway then normal and less busy then I would be able to run far enough away that there wouldn't be anybody near. And as long as Bella was kept busy or at least not paying attention then she wouldn't notice that I didn't actually go into the restroom at all.

This was shaping up to be the better of all my ideas and I found myself wishing that I had brought a map that showed the rest areas. I knew that there was a gas station about a mile up the road so maybe now was a good time to stop and map out where the best places to stop would be. I could pick up the right map and give myself a few minutes of air that didn't have Bella's wonderful scent mix in with it.

I slowed my speed and moved into the closest lane to the exit all without waking Bella or disturbing her. I looked at the gas reader and decided that I might as well get gas while I was here also. It wasn't needed but the fewer stops I could make the better this trip would go.

"Why are we stopping?" Her soft voice resonated threw the car.

"I need a map and I figured I might as well get gas." I told her looking over to see that she was sitting up. There wasn't a trace of sleep to her face. "Did you have a nice nap?"

"I wasn't sleep" she spoke to the window not looking at me at all.

"You weren't?" But she had looked so peaceful.

"No" She breathed in. "I was just thinking."

I knew that I shouldn't ask but I didn't want her to be scared. For some reason I needed her to know that she was safe with me even if I wasn't sure that was true. "What about?"

"Charlie" That wasn't what I was expecting at all. I stayed quiet hoping that she would explain why her mind was thinking about her dad with everything I had told her.

"He's never going to forgive me for this." There was such sadness in her voice that I almost reached out to take her hand. I stopped myself before I could touch her knowing that would be a colossal mistake.

"Of course he will" I tried to comfort her with my voice since I couldn't do anything else.

"No" She was shaking her head. "I don't think he will." She turned to me then. "But at least I'll be around to ask, right?"

She was trying to make light of all the information that I had given her. "Right" I agreed pulling next to the pump.

She was such a different human. Here I had basically told her that my family was going to try to kill her and she was worried about her father's feelings. When I had been in pain from her scent back at her house in Forks she had started to help even though I was trespassing and could have been there to hurt her. I had never met any human more concerned with others in all the years that I had been around. Other than Carlisle I didn't think such a selfless person existed but here she was proving me wrong.

I opened the door to get out and noticed that she was doing the same. "Where are you going?" I asked abruptly. The last thing I needed was her trying to run off or tipping off someone that I had taken her without permission even though she had gotten into my car willingly.

"Snack food" She pointed toward the little convenience store. "If we are going to do a road trip then we should at least do it properly." She smiled and then skipped off to the store.

I found myself laughing behind her and I placed the nozzle in the gas pump and followed her in. If she only knew my idea of snack food she wouldn't be in such a hurry.

I walked in and was accosted with her scent. This was why it was better that I didn't stop too often. The longer we were together the more danger she was in. I went to look at the maps and found one that showed exactly what I wanted. I waited for her at the counter trying to take in as much of the dirty cashiers smell as possible.

When she made it to me she it looked like she had everything in the store. Soda, multiple kinds of candy, chips and a fruit smelling drink that looked more like ice then liquid. My eyes widened at the thought of her spilling any of this in my prize car. No one had ever eaten anything in there and I hadn't expected that someday someone would or I would have gotten the stain protector for the seats.

"Did you want anything special?" She asked looking up into my eyes. Why was it that Bella never seemed afraid of me? I could feel the monster's glee at the idea of her blood as being special but there was something in her eyes that quieted him. Never had I felt more normal then when I was in her presence and when the scent of her wasn't setting my throat on fire.

"No" I shook my head motioning for the cashier to add all that she had to my purchases. "Are you going to eat all that?"

"Not right away" She shrugged. "But it's some time until we get to Arizona."

"Do you think I'm going to starve you?" I joked surprising myself. First that I could joke with her so close and second that up until this moment I hadn't thought about the fact that she would need to eat. I had been so focused on my not eating her and finding a way to hunt that I had forgotten all about her needs.

"Of course not" She laughed. "If you were going to starve me to death you would have just left me to your family." Suddenly her laughter stopped as if she just realized the seriousness of her statement.

"Forty-eight, sixty-two." The clerk interrupted the tense moment looking at both of us as if we were crazy. I handed him a fifty and told him to keep the change.

When we were outside Bella looked up at me strangely but didn't say anything. For the hundredth time since meeting her I wondered what she was thinking. There was so much that had happened in the last twelve hours to upset her life and I was right in the center of it. If she were smart she would be thinking how she couldn't wait to get away from me and she would be right.

"Would you do me a favor?" I couldn't bring myself to ask what I really wanted to know.

"What?"

"Put one of the blankets down up under you so that if you waste anything it won't get on the seat." I really didn't want to always remember Bella as the girl that burned my throat and stained my car.

She laughed again. "Sure thing." Was her voice always so heavenly? "I would hate to mess up your car. Especially since I would have to work most of my life to be able to pay to fix it."

I rolled my eyes at her and then shook my head. Since when do I roll my eyes? I let her walk in front of me so that I could spread the map out on the hood before getting back in the car. This way at least I could have a few more minutes of clean air before subjecting myself to Bella once again.

I had just started to look at the map when I heard Bella scream. I raced around faster than normal just as she barreled into my chest. Her arms were wrapped around my waist and her head was tucked against my arm. My throat flamed as the monster demanded that I take her now with no one but an easily dealt with clerk as witness. Yet my shock over powered him as I let her hold onto me without moving to push her aside.

"Bella?"

"They found us" She wept into my sleeve as a current of ice ran through my body. I looked up to see Alice sitting calmly in the front seat of the Vanquish with a smile on her face and Bella's drink in her hand.

Alice POV

Man that trunk had been cramped. I thought as I moved to open the lid and slid out. It was amazing that I had managed this long but I guess two hours of not breathing wasn't really all that hard. Especially when I had spent most of the time concentrating on not thinking. That was the hardest part.

But now I was out and we would all be fine. I walked around to the side door and opened in letting Bella's scent drift out. It was a wonder that boy hadn't killed her by now. Her scent was everywhere window down or not. He would have done better putting the top down but that wouldn't work out so well when we really got on the road. There were going to be way too many sunny states that we were going to have to go through before we reached Bella's mom. I laughed to myself. I wonder how many we would have to go through before my vision came true.

Didn't Edward know that as soon as I saw him standing outside Jasper's classroom that I would know something was going on? That I would be able to see his future shifting and taking shape with every decision that he made? It's a good thing that Bella is so suborn or I never would have had time to pack up his things and mine for our impromptu road trip and leave a note telling the family that everything was fine and they should head to Denali for a few weeks.

I put all of Bella's things in the truck and pulled out the essentials that I knew we would need before heading back inside the car. Let's see, I tried to continually block Edward from my mind but at this rate I was pretty sure that he would know that I was here no matter what I did so I might as well wait for them inside. But should I be in the back seat or the front. I didn't want Bella to think that I was forcing her into the back but if I sit in the back then she's going to drop her drink all over Edward's seat. Oh well, better to save his seat and move later than to have her sitting in something sticky for another five hours.

I got comfortable and let my head relax into the seat back. I drifted through the visions that had come to me before we left. I didn't want to think about the worst of the pack. That was the one that made me get up out of my geometry class and head home so that I could make this journey with them. Instead I focused on the happier visions that had come to me as I was folding myself into the trunk. I smiled; this was going to be a good trip for Edward and Bella. Hmm, Edward and Bella; had a good ring to it. Glad I brought the camera.

I was also glad that he had made the decision to see her home. This one had a much better outcome than the one where he just put her on a plane and left. In that vision Esme had been beside herself and Jasper had decided to take matters into his own hands. I shuttered at the thought. Bella and I were going to be best friends and just the thought of my husband being the one to cause her death did not sit well with me at all. However, I also didn't like the idea of my brother being the culprit either. Boy, it was a good thing I was here.

"Would you do me a favor?" I heard Edward's voice.

"What?" Bella sounded so much different up close. I smiled again thinking of all the fun that we were going to have.

"Put one of the blankets down up under you so that if you waste anything it won't get on the seat." I smothered my laugh at that. Leave it to Edward to be worrying about his precious little Vanquish. It really was a good thing I was here and had decided to sit in the front. He would never forgive her if she wasted that drink all over his car even though it would take nothing but a little detailing to get it up.

I heard Bella laughing. This was a good sign. "Sure thing" And it sounded like she wasn't taking him that serious. This was a very good sign. "I would hate to mess up your car. Especially since I would have to work most of my life to be able to pay to fix it."

Again I held back on my laugh wondering what Edward must be focusing on so strongly that he hadn't noticed my presence yet. He should have easily been able to read my thought now whether I was trying to block them or not but still nothing. I suddenly had a flash of Bella screaming and understood the vision of the soda dropping. I had wondered how it was going to end up all over his seats. There was nothing to do about it now. If I stood up she would just drop in on the ground and if I tried to hide before she could see me it would just frighten her more when I did show up.

Sure enough Bella moved around the door a few seconds after I pasted on my friendliest smile. Scream, drop and then run for Edward. Okay I hadn't seen the run for Edward. This was going to be easier than I thought.

"Bella?" I heard the anxiousness in Edward's voice right off. Whatever happened in this car over the last two hours must have been quite interesting.

"They found us" I could hear her tears but I kept my smile firmly in place so that Edward knew that I had come in peace.

They both came around the door then. Bella wrapped around Edward's middle and her head buried inside his chest. My smile grew. This was getting easier all the time.

I could tell the minute that Edward noticed me. His eyes widened, his lips pulled back slightly and a sharp but almost playful growl rumbled in his chest. He was protecting her; from me. How great was that? Visions started coming at me at an alarming speed and my smile disappeared as I tried to process all that I was being given.

"Alice?" His voice had calmed and now sounded more alarmed than angry.

I sat Bella's drink in the cup holder and took in a deep breath to clear my head before I looked up at him. "We have a lot to talk about."

AN: You just can't have a road trip without Alice. She makes everything more fun. Sorry that I am posting a little later than usual but I had a webinar that I had to attend and didn't get a chance to add this beforehand. I hope that you enjoy and don't forget to review. They are like little rays of sunshine in my inbox :).