"I'm gonna pay you back, you filthy coward. Beg for forgiveness or you won't see the next morning." I spat.

"Oh, yeah. And you would kill me, rght?" He asked sarcastically, wiping the blood from his nose with his shirt.

"Not herself, but I would gladly do the job." Edward had appeared behind me, behind him Emmett and Alice, Carlisle, Esme, Carmen and Rose at either side of them. Even Esme looked terrifying, but I didn't fear them. I looked back at Mike. He did.

"You were saying…?" Rosalie asked him, they were circling Mike, Edward stood right beside me.

"I … um … err… what do you want from me?" He stuttered. Poor Mike. Did he really not know?

"You hurt my girl!" Edward growled. I loved the way he called me 'his' girl. I was, nevertheless. I would always be. Forever. That much was for sure by now.

"You filthy little coward hurt my sister and best friend!" Alice kicked him into the stomach and obviously wasn't very careful about it. He fell into the mud, but Emmett grabbed his shirt and pulled him up by the collar.

"You hurt my little sis. You gonna pay for that, I hope you know that!" Mike shook his head in fear, but Emmett smacked his fist against his already bleeding nose. A horrible crashing sound emerged and my stomach rebelled agaist the smell of blood. He grabbed Mike around the neck and passed him to Rosalie.

"So, little boy, you think you can try and hurt my sister without getting punished?" She asked sarcastically. But, in any case, Mike had not yet lost his pride.

"I and little? I gues you haven't seen me standing upright!" That gave her the rest. She kicked his leg until it splintered and he started whining.

"And I won't see you standing very soon…" She let him fall and Carlisle stepped nearer to him.

"Newton," he said calmly. Screaming couldn't have been as frightening. I could see the over three-hundred years old monster that had never taken any hold on him before. "You know who she is?" He asked Mike, who looked more than scared by now. He now knew they could kill him without any effort if they wanted.

"Answer!" Carlisle ordered.

"B – Be – Bella … Bella Swan, Sir." He stuttered.

"That may be right, but actually she is, and that's more important to me right now, a member of the Cullen family. And I don't let any part of that family be hurt. Especially not by such a cowardy little boy." He kicked his other leg and threw him into the mud again.

"I quite agree with my husband." Esme said. Carmen stepped beside her.

"Have you any idea what it does to a woman to be raped? No? I'll tell you. She looses any self-confidence and begins to hate herself. She will think that she is worth less than any other woman who had the right to decide over their virginity themselves. She probably tries to kill herself. Why I know this? I have been raped, boy, and let me tell you: It's the reason for many women to attempt suicide, and that's not a feeling anyone should aim for, or make somebody feel." Together they grabbed each one of his arms and pulled him up so carelessly that both of them broke with a loug crack. They held him at the shoulders, and Carlisle looked at him again.

"Edward, what's left of him is yours." He simply stated. Edward stepped in front of Mike and looked deep into his eyes. Every cell in Mike's body cried with fear.

"You know that I can kill you, Newton. Very easily." He hit him in the upper stomach and I could hear a few ribs break. My stomach turned once more. Mike looked like he would throw up any moment.

"Please –" his voice was husky, "please don't … don't kill me… I won't do anything…" He coughed up blood.

"You know you deserve nothing less. I want to kill you. I really do." Mike flinched. He looked like he was praying his last prayer. "But I'm certainly not the one to decide wether you shall live or not." Mike looked confused. So did I.

"Bella?" Edward asked in a velvet voice. I stepped beside him and he laid his arm around my shoulders. "It's you who has been hurt. You decide if this filthy dog deserves to live." I stared blankly at him.

"Don't kill him." I whispered.

"But Bella…" Edward looked at me with pleading eyes.

"He isn't worth the trouble. We certainly have enough problems to cope with." I stated. He nodded and turned to go.

"These monsters don't deserve you…" Mike whispered. I turned to face him.

"Oh, don't they? I disagree." I kicked his right led and he winced. "Oh, and by the way, it isn't 'monsters' it's 'family'." With that I turned around and fell into Edwards arms who kissed my lips lovingly and scooped me up in his arms to carry me back to the car. They left Mike lying on the muddy grass.

"Won't he tell?" I asked.

"Would you?" Alice asked back from beside me. I shook my head. I would know exactly what happened if I did . . .if Mike did. Edward would get him.

"See? It's shopping time tomorrow!" She whisteled happy tunes. I groaned inwardly. How would my mom take going shopping with these two maniacs? As we sat down in the car I realised how tired I was. The confrontation with Mike had taken the rest of me, physically and emotionally. I fell asleep in Edward's arms on the backseat before we got home.

I woke up to a low whispering beneath me. I heard Alice talk to Edward and decided to act sleeping and listen what they said.

"I had that vision twice now, Edward. She'll get her, but I don't know how and when…" Alice murmured.

"She won't. We have to be on the watch. Just don't let her out of your sight. And she mustn't know that she's still after her, that will only make her nervous. I don't like seeing her in distress." Edward replied. It was obvious who they were talking about, and I had to suppress a shiver. Instead I yawned loudly and tried to look unconcerned.

"Good morning, beauty," he kissed my hair softly.

"Morning, Bella. Still up for shopping?" Alice mused.

"Do I have a choice?" I asked. They just laughed. A simple and plain no was Alice's answer. So I got ready for the trip. I didn't want to go away from Edward. I was afraid she could get me easier if he wasn't on direct watch. I had breakfast, my mom had already eaten an hour ago, and soon we sat in Rosalie's covertible, driving towards Port Angeles. We listened to the music and had small talk, but nothing important, since Renee was still very awkward in their presence.

"Here we are!" Rose stated, and we all got off the car and went into the mall. Alice lead us into a few rather expensive stores and made me try out a few things – a few meaning about fifty different tops and trousers, but Alice could have been worse – but my mom refused to let her buy any of them for me. After a few hours we went into Victoria's Secret. Rosalie had me try out a few more things, but when I was in the dressing rooms a side door opened and a flash of red hair appeared in the chamber beside me. I was trembling when I picked up the sheet of paper that was shoven into my cabin. It read:

Hello Bella,

If you want to get out of this without any of your friends getting hurt, write a letter to your beloved Edward and tell him you don't love him anymore. Give it to your mom and come with me. Either this or you'll die immediately. And everyone else in this shop as well…

Victoria

She had gotten me. I had expected nothing less, so I picked up the empty sheet and pen that laid beside the first letter and began to write. I supposed that Victoria would have a close look on me, so I decided not to write the truth. I wrote:

Dear Edward,

I hope you can frogie me, when I tell you that I don't love you enough to be together wth you forever. Please tell me you an undersand that. You wn't meet me again soon. We'e dfferent people from now on. Forgive me.

Bell

I folded it together and stepped out of the cabin.

"Mom?" I cried. She hurried towards me and looked me in the eyes. I couldn't look back, I had to look down.

"Please give Alice this letter. It's for Edward. Please, don't ask any questions. Do it, for me, please…" I added as she tried to protest. She turned around to search for Alice, when Victoria grabbed my hand and dragged me out of the store through a back door. I didn't dare to speak and she didn't want to, so she just pushed me into a car and drove to a very old building outside of town. She opened the door and guided me into a small living room. I sat down on a sofa, trembling in fear. A single tear rolled down my cheek. She stuck her hand out to wipe it away, but I slapped her arm away and turned my head, wiping it hastily away myself.

"Look at me!" She commanded and turned my head violently to make me look at her.

"You have no idea what it cost me to get you, all your little friends are on the watch and then you go and throw yourself so freely in my arms. I would finish you off right here and right now, but sadly I can't. I have to kill somebody else first, I'm afraid. I can't torture you to death when I'm too hungry to even make your nose bleed." She commented, and chained my arms to the sofa with handcuffs. I was unable to speak. She went out, and I started to pray that they would get my message before Victoria could come back.

Edward's POV

I couldn't breathe. Alice had run home from Port Angeles because driving wold have taken her too long. Rosalie was still in the mall with Bella's mom. She didn't have a clue what was going on with her daughter. Alice laid the letter out in front of me.

"You think Victoria's gotten her? I can't see anything!" Alice said. About that last fact she was really frustrated.

"Look at the letter, Alice. She's left out single letters. V, i, c, t, o, r, i and a. She wanted to halp us. . . just in case. Wait … do you still have the pen? You said she gave it to you as well." I was panicing. My sweet Bella was once again in mortal danger because of me. I hadn't been at her side all the time like I should have. I hated myself for it. Alice gave me the pen. It was adderessed to a little shabby hotel outside Port Angeles. In the neighbourhood there were a few empty old houses – perfect. Within a few seconds I was out of the door and running to rescue my love. Alice was soon about a mile behind me. It took us five minutes to reach the city, while it would have taken us half an hour by car.

Back to Bella's POV

Victoria had been away for fifteen minutes when she came back, her eyes deeply crimson and her mouth twitching into an evil grin. She ripped my handcuffs open without needing a key, so my wrists started bleeding. Coming nearer to me she whispered

"This will be your end, Bella Swan. I will kill you. You will never become pretty Bella Cullen. Say goodbye to your boyfriend. He can't save you this time…"

"Fiance!" I spat. If I had to die I would die while standing up for Edward. She smiled, like that fact made her triumph even bigger. She punched my stomach so I flew against the wall. I heard something crack and I was very sure that it was my left shoulder. I struggled to get up and tried to think of a way how to get rid of her. But I knew that nothing on earth would work. I had seen too many vampires in action to know that nothing could ever stop them.

"Any last wish?" Victoria laughed. I straightened my shoulders, but winced in pain.

"Yes. I wish that you will burn in hell forever. I wish that you meet your cocky tracker mate and your both shreds will burn in hell and in the hell you'll go to then and so on." I spat on her feet to show her my disgust for her.

"Oh, how nice. And who do you think will rip me to shreds in the first instance? Maybe your sweet little lover?" I hated the way she was laughing but soon I felt my skull burst in a second crash into the wall. Blood dripped down my shirt. That scene was all too familiar. Suddenly the wall behind Victoria burst. Instead of just Edward, maybe Alice, like I had still hoped, there were Jacob, Sam, Jasper and Emmett. Jasper turned around immediately and run away from the smell of my blood.

"He's gonna get the others. They are searching in the other houses." Emmett said. Seconds later Carlisle, Esme, Edward, Alice and Rose appeared.

"Bella. Oh my Bella, I thought I had lost you…" Edward kneeled down to my side and helped Carlisle with my wounds, but still held my hand.

"I'm not that easy to finish up!" I chuckled, and then I heard my favourite sound in the world: Edward's relieved laugh.

"Jake … why are you here?" I whispered.

"I don't want you to pick sides. I know your decision. I don't understand it, but I'll have to deal with it. You're still my best friend, Bella. You will always be." He whispered back.

"Thank you… all of you. Edward - I love you." And with that I sank into unconsciousness.

I woke up to a bright light shining into my eyes. As soon as I had gotten used to the light I opened them carefully and saw a huge, but empty room. The wally were grey and the color of the sofa I was lying on had already faded away a long time ago. Nobody was here, but in front of me was a small wooden table with a bottle of water, a glass and a piece of bread. I sat up slowly. My back ached, but I didn't care. All I knew was that Edward wasn't with me, and it looked like he wouldn't ever be again. This had to be another one of Victoria's hiding places. I poured some water into the glass and sniffed on it, but soon figured that she certainly wouldn't pioson me, she had better ways than that. As I took a bite out of the bread I realized that I was hungry and quickly ate all of it and drank everything.

"Feeling good? Did you have a nice dream?" A female voice asked me. Victoria's voice was nice, but not as silken as the Cullens'. To think of them hurt my heart. I hoped against the fact that I knew they would never find me here, wherever here was, that Edward would soon come and rescue me.

"Good? No. But you don't care, do you?" Why be polite to the person who is going to kill you in the next few minutes?

"What have I done to you – yet?" She asked, mocking hurt.

"Nothing. Just killed my father, my aunt and my mother's husband –"

"Your aunt?" She asked, obviously not informed about the fact that my mother was still alive. Whoops. But I could tell her. If she killed me mom wouldn't matter to her, and if Edward saved me she wouldn't survive it.

"On the plane you asked for Mrs Higginbottom. My mom was travelling with her twin sister, because my aunt wanted to see e again, so mom just took her along. Mom was on the toilet at that moment and my aunt answered you, because my mother's name is Dwyer; she married Phil three years ago." Victoria swore, but quickly looked at me again with a smile.

"Well, I guess we don't need either anymore. And why do you care? They would have died eventually. You're all human after all. And your dad wasn't my fault." She laughed, sounding like someone who should be taken into intensive care in a mental asylum.

"Where are we?" I plainly asked.

"Victoria. Nice name for a city, don't you think. I wanted you out of the country. This building should have been a hotel, but the owner … disappeared one day." She chuckled evilly.

"Why did you bring me here?" I wasn't interested, but while she was talking she wouldn't kill me. My talking would give Edward time to find me. I really hoped he would.

"To not cause any trouble." She simply stated.

"You caused a lot of trouble in the reservation and within our family. And you have taken me away from the man I love." A single tear rolled down my cheek at the thought of never getting to see Edward ever again. Never getting to hear his silken voice, smell his irresistible scent again…

"Our family? Do you honestly see yourself as one of them? Oh girl, come on, you don't believe that, do you. If anything then you are their pet. You're going to die and they are going to live forever, so why should they care for a weak little human?" I felt the urge to hit her.

"They love me. Edward loves me. And it will be that way forever." Tears started to run down my cheeks. Victoria started to laugh. I couldn't stand it anymore, I knew I was being stupid and probably making my situation a lot worse than it was already.

"Why don't you kill me already? You said you wanted to torture me to death. Are you aware of the fact that you are already doing it? You took me away from Edward, while today was meant to be the happiest day in my life. He was going to transform me. We were going to marry in a few weeks. Now I won't even see him anymore. You and your beloved James had years and years together. We have never even had one day we could be truly together. I would have gotten the chance – now I will never get it. I HATE YOU!!!" I jumped off the sofa and tried to run towards the door. Pathetic attemp, I knew, but I was too upset to think clearly anymore.

"Did I say that torturing is only physically possible? To not know weather you are alive or not is torturing your – fiance if i got that right – more than being sure of your death." She smiled. I could kill you now, little Bella. But I have time. Edward will never find you. Alice can't see you, that's my gift, to block myself from being seen, and for Edward to hear me he would have to be close enough. We are so high that he would have to be in or right above the building to be able to do that." I looked out of the window. She was right. I sighed and sat down on the sofa again.

"And what are you planning on doing until he comes? Because he will come." I sighed once more.

"How about a game of chess?" I was perplex. She took out a chessboard with the white figures all female, the queen looking like a bride, the king was the bride's mother, knight, bishop and rook all looking like brisemaids and the pawns all looking like little girls with flowers; and the black alike, but for the male side. She was right, this was worse than all pain in the world. It hurt.

Christina Aguilera - Hurt

Seems like it was yesterday when I saw your face
You told me how proud you were, but I walked away
Christina If only I know what I know today
Ooh, ooh

If I had known I wouldn't see him ever again I would never have gone shopping with Alice and Rosalie. I wouldn't have ever left him. Why didn't Alice see this?

I would hold you in my arms
AguileraI would take the pain away
Thank you for all you've done
HurtForgive all your mistakes
There's nothing I wouldn't do
SongtexteTo hear your voice again
Sometimes I wanna call you
But I know you won't be there

I wanted to be in Edward's arms again. I yearned for his cool touch and his silken voice. He would be so upset when he got my letter. I could only hope he was bright enough to decipher my message before starting into a head-over-heel searching party. This moment it didn't matter to me if he would marry me or if he would change me. I would give anything for a last short moment in his arms.
Songtext
Ohh I'm sorry for blaming you
For everything I just couldn't do
LyricsAnd I've hurt myself by hurting you

I was so hurt by the fact I had to hurt him in order for him not to get hurt. There was too much hurt in my mind, and probably his, too. I couldn't bear it.

Some days I feel broken inside but I won't admit
LyricSometimes I just wanna hide 'cause it's you I miss
LiedertexteAnd it's so hard to say goodbye
When it comes to this, oooh

I missed him so badly and I was positive it couldn't have been more than half a day since I left him. It was incredible just how much I depeded on him … too much to be apart.
Liedertext
Would you tell me I was wrong?
Would you help me understand?
AlleAre you looking down upon me?
Are you proud of who I am?

What would he think when he got my letter? I was sure he wouldn't believe the content. He would break down in fear for me. He would blame himself for leaving me alone. Maybe he would blame Alice and Rosalie because they left me out of their eyesight.

Christina
There's nothing I wouldn't do
To have just one more chance
AguileraTo look into your eyes
And see you looking back

I wanted so bad for him to just storm through the door and get me out of here, ripping Victoria into shreds. But he wouldn't ever find me. There was no way he could come to the point he would find me in this goddamnned place.

Ohh I'm sorry for blaming you
HurtFor everything I just couldn't do
And I've hurt myself, ohh

I was so sorry for every single argument we ever had. I suddenly found it so irrational that I wanted to be with him forever – at the moment I just wanted one single little moment with him.
Songtexte
If I had just one more day
I would tell you how much that I've missed you
SongtextSince you've been away
Ooh, it's dangerous
It's so out of line
LyricsTo try and turn back time

Please Edward, find me here. I know it's impossible, but you always used to manage just everything…

I'm sorry for blaming you
LyricFor everything I just couldn't do

Edward … find me … Edward

And I've hurt myself by hurting you Liedertexte

Oh my Edward …

Edward's POV

Alice and I arrived at the little houses. I recognised Bella's schent, so did Alice, and together we raced towards one minor building. She had left it about half an hour ago, that much could we get from the fading scent.

"Alice, you go search upstairs for some hint where they could be now. I'm staying down here." The first floor was just the corridor and the living room with an integrated bed. On the foot of the sofa there were two handcuffs hanging, one of them a bit bloody. I fell to the ground and ripped them off to sniff on the bloody one. Bella's delicious scent filled my senses, and if I could have cried tears would have been flowing freely, but I had lost that feeling long ago.

"Bella, oh my Bella, will I ever see you again?" If I got her back, I wouldn't be hasitant anymore. I didn't want to loose her ever again. I would take the chance that I had refused to take probably once too often, if it was given to me once more. I wanted to make her mine forever, never had that thought been so clearly in my mind. She wouldn't be warm to comfort me, but she would be there to comfort me forever. She wouldn't blush, but she would love me more than ever, I knew that. She wouldn't be clumsy anymore, but at least she could defend herself then.

I stood up and ripped the drawers out of the cupboard beside the bed and searched through the content. Death notes and obituaries of the people she had killed. My stomach turned in disgust. I started to put them back when a newspaper article fell into my hands. A picture of a huge, not nearly finished hotel building. But it was the headline that caughed my attention. It read: Hotel tycoon misteriously disappeared caption: his bride Victoria had to be sent into therapy. That wasn't accidently in her collection. And to top off everything the name of the city – it was in Canada – was Victoria. She as his 'bride' would have heired the building, but why should she complete it? That was it. The best of all hiding places. And Victoria was arrogant, more than other normal vampires ever were – she would love a city named like her.

"Alice, that's it. We're on the way to Canada!" I called.

"What?" She asked, standing in front of me within a second.

"Victoria. She has an unfinished hotel building in Victoria, Canada. I bet she's hiding there." With that I rushed outside and home to collect the family. As I entered the main room, they were all waiting there for news.

"Victoria had taken her to one of the houses, but they left not too long ago. I think they are in Victoria, Canada. She's heired an unfinished hotel there, the perfect hiding place, and I bet she loves that city, arrogant as she is."

"Carlisle, how fast?" Eleazar asked.

"Three hours. No car." He answered.

"It's running then." Emmett stated.

"Get going, my sister's in trouble!" Rosalie said and pushed Emmett and Jasper out of the room. I smiled, she'd always liked Bella, she was just too sceptical.

"Let's hunt that bitch!" Tanya called. Nobody needed more – we ran at top speed, faster than any car could have been, nobody talking, and within three hours, like Carlisle had announced, we reached Victoria. We stepped out of the woods around the city, but behind us someone else emerged.

"Where to now?" I turned around to see Jacob, Sam, Paul, Jared, Embry and Quil behind us. Eleazar was furious, so were all of the Denalis. Carlisle held them back.

"Why are you here?" I asked.

"The only thing that could have made all of you run this fast into any direction is Bella in trouble. I followed you and they decided to follow me. I'm still Bella's friend, at least I hope so after all the mistakes I made." Jacob said, hanging his head at the last part. Eleazar looked like he was going to shout at Jacob but I plainly said.

"It's no use fighting now, we're all here on the same purpose: rescuing Bella. And we have no time to lose. You see the huge building in the East? That's it. In case Bella is still alive try not to make Victoria aware of anyone being here." I felt a pang in my dead heart. I refused to think anything else but that Bella was alive and whole. Victoria was selish and cruel, but not stupid. She would know that knowing that I wouldn't be able to come and rescue her and waiting with slowly fading hope was the worst thing she could do to her. And she knew that it would be worse for me to search and search and not find her than knowing she was dead.

As we arrived at the building I lead the search. To not make the smallest noise everyone thought his questions to me.

Alice: Where is she, I want to be closest. With you of course. 'Stay next to me' I pointed to her with my finger.

Rose: Ennett, Jasper and I will be at the escapes around you, so she can't flee. 'Ok' I pionted.

Carlisle: Esme and I will be right behind you. I left that one uncommented, Carlisle knew when and where he was needed.

Eleazar: The girls will follow Rosalie and the boys. Carmen and I will make sure she doesn't get out of the building. 'Stay at the door on the floor beneath her' He nodded.

Sam: What are we going to do?

Jacob: I want to be as close to bella as possible. Sam sent him a look, Jacob just looked back. There was some leadership-war coming, I could sense that much. 'Make a circle and close it carefully around us' That way it was ensured that she couldn't escape us.

Just as everyone else was situated Alice and I made our way towards the door I heard a scream – my beautiful Bella was screaming. Yelling into Victoria's face, that much could I understand. She was so very brave, my Bella. Alice nodded and we sprinted upstairs. Just as we reached Carlisle and Esme I looked at my father.

Go, rescue her. I am proud of you my son. And I see the decision in your eyes. Kill her and when we are safe up in Alaska take what you have maybe too long refused to take, but what will make you happy. I trust you and so does she, now don't let her wait, or Victoria may lose her patience. I didn't have to answer, I just ripped the door out of the frame.

Bella's POV

"Isn't this beautiful? Crying with hapiness." Victoria mused. I looked at the chessboard and crossed my arms in front of my chest.

"Imagine you are the lovely little white princess and Edward is your little black prince. It's a pity that in this game the prince is coming to thwart you…your prince charming would never hurt you, would he? He's your knight in shining armour. Your light in the dark, but that's wrong. Don't you see it? He's the dark in your life of light. He will kill you-" I couldn'T stand this. I threw her little chessboard off the table and kicked the table to her feet.

"WHAT DO YOU KNOW? YOU'RE A BITCH, YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT LOVE! I HATE YOU! WAIT TILL EDWARD COMES, HE WILL KILL YOU, AND I WILL BE GLAD ABOUT IT! I WILL BE SATISFIED WHEN THE SICK AND MAD LIGHT LEAVES YOUR EYES!" I took the table with such force that it surprised me that I could be so strong. I tried to hit her head with it, but she caught it with vampire speed and threw it through the glass of the window. She looked at me like she would go for me now. She was about to kill me when suddenly the door behind her flew off it's hinges. I used the moment to jump to the side and press myself to the wall, slowly sitting on the ground, knowing that now there was nothing I had to fear.

Edward jumped on Victoria's back, before she even knew what was going on. With a stomach-turning noise he twisted her head and broke her neck. Behind him Emmett and Jacob took the job of killing her completely, but gladly they went a few floors down. The last I saw of her were her red eyes slowly fading to grey. Edward rushed to my side and pulled me into his arms. Suddenly I felt too exhausted to say anything, I just started to cry. He rubbed circles on my back and kissed my tears away while Alice said things like 'It's ok now, Bella', 'We're here' and 'You are so brave'. After what seemed to be hours but actually were about fifteen minutes of crying I sniffed, wiped the tears away with my hand and looked at the two of them.

"Thank you. I'm so sorry, I should have been more careful. In the mall, and just a few minutes ago when I lost my temper with her. All these times she could have easily killed me, and I did nothing to keep myself safe. I'm so sorry Edward."

"You're one of a kind, Bella. Once again I endangered your life and you apologise for it."

"You should apologise to her." That harsh voice made me look up from the beautiful face in front of me.

"Jake? Why are you here?" I asked, perplex.

"Should I go? I'd understand you, the last time we talked I was anything but friendly…"

"No Jacob. It's nice to know you still care. You will always be my friend, and I know I wasn't always fair to you, but you know that I love Edward, right?" I was glad he would still talk to me after anything that had happened.

"I do, Bella, I do. I just want you to be safe.…" He let his head hang down a bit.

"Trust me Jake, there's the right girl waiting for you anywhere outside this building," I winked at him. He smiled and pulled a photo out of his pocket. I looked at him sceptically, then at the photo. He was on the beach with a girl, obviously from the reservation with her dark skin and black hair. She had a pretty face and looked like really in love with him. I smiled.

"No comment?" Jake teased.

"No comment." I stated, but laughed. I stood up from Edwards arms and hugged Jacob. I heard a low growl behind me that soon changed into a sound somebody made whose sister had just rammed her elbow into his side. I stepped back.

"You've got to get going, Bella, your mom will be wondering where you are." Jake said.

"Oh my – how long?" I asked Alice. She bit her lip.

"Shopping was about 11 this morning. It's about four pm. Your mom's worried sick."

"Did you tell her what happened?" I was panicing. If they had, and I hoped against hope that they hadn't, she would certainly not let me just go off to Alaska. She'd throw a fit and act like the adult once more, not knowing how childish that was in her case.

"We couldn't not have told her…" She answered. I sighed.

"How difficult was she?"

"Not so much. She handled it pretty well, she's waiting at home and has agreed to drive when you're back." I was relieved, Renee was always one of my major sorrows.

"So, we'll still be going tomorrow?" I had begun to fear we wouldn't drive to Denali after this thing.

"Of course – that means, only if you want…" He hesitated. Why did he always have to be so hesitant about that?

"I do. And I will always do." I stated. He kissed my hair and lifted me up in his arms to carry me down, where the others were waiting. They started running, but I was emotionally so very exhausted that I fell asleep in his arms.

I woke up when my mom ran out of the house to greet us and tell me how happy she was that I was still alive and whole.