A/N: Woo! New chapter! Haha I hope you like. It was quite a hard one to write, actually. Oh well. Mind the spelling and grammar mistakes, there's bound to be a few (sorry Alanna! :D). Also yes, I make up my own words. The dictionary hasn't been printed yet. I don't know much about America, so I just chose random names that I knew. If they are nowhere near where Bella, Alice and Jasper are headed, my apologies now. I know it ends on a cliffie, but hey, you should be used to that by now. It's me we're dealing with! :D Enjoy! X L

It took us just under a day to get to Phoenix - a trip that usually would take three days by car.

I slept very little in the car. Actually, I don't think I slept at all. If I did, it wouldn't have been for long. Even though the Mercedes had a soft purr to the engine, it wasn't enough to send me to sleep.

Bella, however, had fallen asleep on Alice's shoulder just outside of Olympia, Alice amazingly not worried about feeling a little…peckish.

Just outside of Portland, it started raining heavily. When we had left Forks, it was lightly drizzling. Now, Jasper had the windscreen wipers on, the sound smooth against the glass as it swept the water drops away.

For what seemed like hours, and it probably was, I stared at the water droplets rushing down in unsystematic patterns down the window.

I tried not to think about where Robert may be, or what he was doing. Especially not what he was doing.

Yet it was hard not to, especially now that our true feelings towards one another had been revealed.

"Ally?"

I turned my head, Jasper calling my name. I silently declared a fat raindrop the winner of a water droplet race. "How are you holding up?" he asked, concern written all over his face. I knew he could feel the same emotions that I was, the way his fingers gripped the steering wheel giving him away. Glancing in the rearview mirror, I saw that Alice had her eyes closed, even though she wasn't asleep. She reminded me of a statue I had once seen. Bella's sleeping head was on her shoulder, and she was covered with a small blanket.

I nodded my head. "I'm fine," I replied, my voice unnaturally quiet. "I think." There was still that horrible, churning feeling in the pit of my stomach, which had been there ever since Robert and I had said our goodbyes at the Cullen house.

Jasper smiled at me softly. It seemed to say, everything will be okay, just you see.

I was growing to like Jasper more and more as we spent time together. He was still respecting my wish to not alter the way I felt things, which must have been hard for him. The compulsion was such a natural thing for Jasper now, I knew.

Jasper, also, was a lot more comfortable being around me, especially compared to Bella. Thinking about it now, as I stared straight ahead through the windscreen, the washers a blur in my vision, I had an idea that it might have something to do with the way I smelt. Rosalie was right, I admitted to myself silently. I didn't smell human, and Jasper was able to act as if I was just another one of them. A vampire.

Plus Jasper, the newest 'vegetarian' to the Cullen clan, thought that my distaste for the dietary needs of Robert and the Cullens hilarious.

As a kid, my favourite movie had always been Bambi. When I first saw it, at the age of seven, I had made up my mind that I would become a vet and take care of sick animals. That dream had been shattered when I met Robert, however.

I had never seen him hunt (nor did I want to), but I can't deny the fact that it does happen.

Spirits didn't need to eat - food to them did nothing, and would just dissolve in their stomachs. Being a vampire as well, however, meant that Robert usually disappeared at least once a week (Sundays, when I usually stayed home and did homework) and 'quench his thirst', as he would delicately put it.

Much to the amusement of Robert, and now the Cullens, I still bore a World Wildlife Fund sticker on the boot of my car and made a yearly donation to the local RSPCA. It was the least I could do - call it compensation to the animal community.

---

Before too long the rain had stopped and dawn broke as we crossed over into California. It was from there I must have slept, for soon I was woken up by Jasper's cold hand.

"Ally, we've arrived."

I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. We were definitely not in Forks anymore. No, we were in Phoenix, the home of Bella, snakes and heat waves.

Perfect, I thought, getting out of the car. We were in front of a hotel; its name I wasn't bothered with. It was close to the airport, I knew that much. Planes flew low overhead, creating shadows as the loud engines rumbled, and the noise echoing through my chest. I would be glad when this whole thing was over, and I could get back to living my almost normal life.

The hotel room was a standard room, the walls an off white that would only be used in a hotel or hospital. The furniture was colourless and dull, the furniture bolted to the ground. I noticed this as I fell onto the bed in one of the two rooms, my eyes feeling heavy. Who would go to the effort of stealing a desk from a hotel room? I wondered, an amused, tired smile playing on my lips as I turned on my side and drifted off to sleep.

---

It was a stream of sunlight from the half open curtain that woke me up. I stretched, yawning as I rolled over, wanting to snuggle into the curve of Robert's cold chest. There was no-one there, however, causing me to open my eyes in panic.

Then I remembered everything. The baseball game, the nomads, James' snarl. The harsh words Bella had said to her father, trying to throw the tracker off her course. Then Robert and why he was not here.

I sat up. I was still dressed from yesterday, my shirt sticking to me. I noticed my bag on a chair, and I swung off the bed to grab it. Robert, who had I had left in charge of packing my bag, had packed it well. Not only had he squeezed in enough clothing to last me forever, but he had also packed my toothbrush and two books - North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell and Stardust by Neil Gaiman. He forgot, however, to pack me an extra pair of jeans.

Sighing, I took the closest top and exited the small room. In the living room, which held a kitchenette, Alice and Jasper were sitting in front of the TV. It was tuned into a news channel, the volume on low. The pair was talking softly, their hands clasped together. I tried not to make a noise as I walked on the soft carpet to the bathroom, but their vampire hearing caught me out.

"Ally," Alice said softly, looking over to me. I stopped in my tracks, turning to the couch. Smiling softly, I pointed to the bathroom.

"I was going to take a shower," I said huskily. I coughed, clearing my throat. I knew my hair looked awful, I could feel the wisps fly around my face as the ceiling fan spun around, keeping the room cool for Bella and myself. "Any news?" I asked, my voice soft and low this time. The door to Bella's room was shut.

Alice shook her head. "Not yet."

"Don't worry," Jasper added. "I'm sure we'll hear from them soon. No news is good news, right?" He tried smiling in attempt to influence how I was feeling.

It didn't work. "I thought it was bad news is good news," I mumbled, heading towards the shower.

The water did miracles for my muscles, the hot water loosening the tension between my shoulders. I fought off the urge to sit on the tiles and let the water rush over my body until it turned cold.

All too soon, however, I was out. I tried my best not to look so glum while I brushed my teeth. That didn't work either. Pulling my ponytail tight against my head, I looked into the bathroom mirror. The girl inside it looked foreign to me. She stared back, her face plain and sad.

I shook my head. I had to stop doing this. Getting myself down over every little thing wasn't going to help the situation. Look on the bright side of life, I thought, quoting Monty Python. Soon Robert and Edward and Carlisle will be here, and we'll head back to Forks, everything taken care of.

That perked me up a little bit. There was, however, a little part of my brain that whispered, "But how long is soon?"

---

Back in my room, I had opened North and South to a random page, spreading myself out over the bed. As soon as I read the words, they were forgotten.

A soft knock on my door sent me sitting back upright. It was Bella.

"Hey," she smiled softly. "Can I come in?"

I gestured to the bed. "Sure."

Bella sat down, crossing her legs under her. For a while she didn't say anything, and we sat in silence.

"You're in love with him," Bella said after a few minutes. I didn't need to ask who she was talking about. I nodded my head.

"Do you hate Edward?" she asked, turning her head to look at me. I looked back at her, my face curious as to why she was asking.

"I did hate Edward," I corrected.

"And now?"

I thought about it for a while before giving me answer. "Now I tolerate him." I paused. "Mainly for your sake," I added on.

We sat in silence again, until Bella asked another question. Again.

"Why? Why do you hate him?"

I laughed, unsmiling. "Edward thinks he has it tough. He used to go around, moping all the time. I watched him," I said, before Bella could open her mouth and speak.

"He hated who he was. Who he is. Until he met you. And then it got worse. Those first few days, I could see it eating him up, trying to cope and deal with who he was - a monster, and one that thirsted for your blood."

I turned my whole body to face Bella. She didn't interrupt me.

"But then you two…happened, I guess. You started dating him. Sure, he's a vampire that could attack you at any second. Sure, he thirsted for your blood, longed for your scent. At least you could still be with him in public." I knew my voice had turned bitter.

"I, on the other hand, I who smell like nothing, I'm in love with someone who ninety nine percent of the population can't even see. While Edward can put his arm around you, I have to make do standing as close as possible to the random cold spot."

I got up off the bed, opening the curtain slightly. Overhead, a plane rumbled. People were gathering in and around the airport, carrying on with their lives, as we should be doing.

I rested my head against the cool glass before turning back to Bella.

"I guess I don't hate Edward. I'm more…jealous of him," I said, thinking of the right word. "Of his visibleness." I chuckled. "He's visible, Robert's not. A vampire, yes, but still visible. You both have it luckier than you think," I murmured.

Throughout my rant, Bella had remained silent. I looked up at her. She began to say something, but changed her mind.

"I'm sorry," was what she said, pressing her lips together. "I - I think that it might…I'm sorry," she repeated her words, saying them again as she changed mid sentence.

I looked at her curiously. What was that all about? I decided to brush it off.

"It's okay, really." I smiled. "I'm starving. Are you starving?" I asked, heading towards the door. Bella followed me out of the room.

---

Late morning, and Bella was talking with Alice in her room. Jasper and I had re-arranged the furniture that wasn't bolted down on the ground so that the coffee table separated the floor area from the TV to the couch. After flicking the TV from CNN to MTV, Jasper and I had settled on either sides of the coffee table, Scrabble board in front of us. Jasper had won the last five out of six games, and I suspected that he had let me win the first game.

I was just laying out the word 'cape' when Jasper leapt gracefully to his feet, the door to Bella's room opening at the same time. He strode over to where Alice was standing.

"What did you see?" Jasper asked.

I stood up slowly, pushing my hands into the back of my pockets as Bella and I hovered over Alice.

"I see a room. It's long, and there are mirrors everywhere. The floor is wooden. He's in the room, and he's waiting."

"What does that mean?" Bella asked her voice soft. Alice didn't say anything - it was Jasper who spoke.

"It means the tracker's plans have changed," Jasper said. He had handed Alice a piece of paper and a pencil as she spoke, and now she was drawing what she saw. I watched as she drew, explaining what she was drawing at the same time. It was a long, rectangular room. The wooden planks stretched out along the length of a room, the walls were covered ceiling to floor with mirrors.

"So the tracker's plans are leading him to a ballet studio?" Bella asked again. Three heads - mine included - shot up to look at Bella.

"You know where this is?" Jasper asked.

"Sure - it's a ballet studio. It looks like the one I went to when I was younger. I mean, all ballet studios have mirrors, but the arch on the door looks familiar," Bella explained.

"Was this ballet studio in Phoenix?" Jasper asked.

Bella nodded her head. "Yes. Around the corner from my Mum's house. On Fifty-eighth and Cactus."

Alice and Jasper exchanged a quick look, but I didn't miss it. Too many years having Robert hanging around.

"This bad, isn't it?" Bella asked. "Should we call the others?" A silence filled the room.

Suddenly there a loud shrill that filled the room. Alice was up and off the couch in a flash.

"Carlisle," she said, answering her mobile phone. There was a long pause as Carlisle spoke, the rest of us waiting anxiously. I tucked my legs under my chin. The Scrabble game was all forgotten.

She talked to Carlisle for a few more minutes before handing the phone to Bella. Alice came and sat back down next to Jasper. "The tracker turned around. We're positive that he's headed this way, so Carlisle, Emmett and Edward are coming as soon as they can. Esme and Rosalie are staying in Forks, making sure that Charlie stays safe."

"Stays safe?" I questioned. Alice must have seen the worried look on my face, because she leaned over, resting her hand over mine.

"Victoria is still in the area. Esme and Rosalie are just making sure that she doesn't attack the house, not that we think she will. Everyone's safe."

I nodded my head softly. I couldn't bear the thought of something happening to Charlie. In the last year and a half Charlie had been more of a father figure to me than all of my foster fathers combined.

I felt a nudge on my shoulder and I looked up to see Bella standing over me, Alice's phone in her hand. "For you," she said quietly.

I stood up, stretching my legs. Bella passed the phone over, and I took it from her hands, moving into my bedroom before speaking into the receiver.

"Hey," I said, closing the door. I paused, waiting to hear his voice for the first time in twenty four hours.

"Hi." I sighed, breathing out as I slid down against the door.

"Are you okay?" I heard Robert say. He sounded far away.

"I'm fine. How are you?" I cringed, knowing we were making small talk. Nine years of never making small talk and now this?

"Always the perky one, you know that."

I laughed weakly. "What's going on?"

I heard motion before Robert spoke again. "James is heading towards Phoenix. We're trying to get there before him. From there, Edward and I will take you and Bella out of the city and the others will take care of James."

I nodded my head slowly, digesting the information.

"I'm guessing you are nodding your head right now?" Robert said, laughing.

"You know me so well," I joked, laughing back.

There was silence, and I wiped some sleep out of my eyes.

"I miss you," I whispered into the phone. A felt a tear fall from my right eye.

"I miss you too," Robert said. "Don't cry," he added softly.

"I'm not crying."

"You are." I wiped the tear from my cheek.

"When will you be here?" I asked. I closed my eyes, rubbing my forehead.

"Soon," was Robert's answer. "We're heading to the airport now."

"Awesome." There was that awkward silence again. Since when we did we start having awkward silences?

"Look, I have to go. I'll see you when we reach the airport?"

I nodded again, before remembering that Robert couldn't see me nodding.

"Go. I'll see you at the airport." Another tear fell. One more day, I told myself. I realized then that Robert hadn't hung up the phone.

"Ally? I love you." I felt my breath catch in my throat.

"I - I love you too." There was a clicking noise, and the line was gone. Robert was gone.

I snapped the phone shut, covering my face with my hands, willing myself not to cry. I stood up, my legs carrying me to the bed, where I flopped down, picking up North and South.

I had closed the book when Bella had entered my room before. Now as I picked it up, finding my page, a piece of small white paper falling out from in between the pages.

Normally I would have scrunched up the paper, but this time curiosity got the better of me.

I hadn't left any paper inside the book.

I unfolded the piece of paper. I felt my face pale. My hand shook as I read the piece of paper.

The park behind the hotel. 12 o'clock.

I dropped the paper onto the bed, my breathing shaky and raspy. It looked like any old note, one that could get caught in between a book. A note which knew that I was at the airport hotel. A note which was written in the exact same handwriting as the letter I had received two years ago.

Grabbing the note, I crumpled it in my fist, jumping up to the window. Feeling like I was in the witness protection program, I peeked out of the window, concealing my whole body except my face.

I saw the park that was mentioned in the note. It was small, covered in palm trees and creosote bushes. Half of it was obscured by the other side of the hotel building. There was an underpass that crossed the busy highway. I let the curtain drop, pulling it across so that no-one could look in the room.

I thought about going. What on earth could they want after all these years? Surely they knew that Robert was not with me. After all, it was him they were after. I sat back down on the bed. I could go, however, and explain that Robert wasn't with me, that he had gone.

I thought about how I'd get out of the hotel room. Alice said she couldn't see my future, or my path or whatever it was she does. It wasn't me James was after. If I could get out of the hotel, then I'd be fine. I think.

I grabbed Alice's phone. Bella was resting once more in her own room, Alice and Jasper back to their original position in front of the TV. The game of Scrabble had been left untouched.

I cleared my throat, Alice and Jasper turning at the sound. I reached over to Alice and handed her the phone.

"I was wondering…is it possible if I could go out for a walk? I need fresh air, it's too stuffy in here," I blathered aimlessly. I pulled myself together. If Jasper felt me freaking out, I wouldn't be allowed outside.

They both looked at me curiously. Keeping my face as straight and as plain as possible, I tried to look the part of a girl about to go mad from staying inside.

After a silence, Alice spoke up.

"I don't see why it won't hurt you," she said, her voice almost resigned. "As long as you stay in the hotel building area." I nodded my head, trying to contain the butterflies in my stomach.

Phoenix was warm, so I didn't need a jacket. My black top was three quarters, and I knew as soon as the sun hit the black fibers I would warm up fairly quickly. As I headed down the hallway, I walked slowly. If I ran, I knew there would be a chance that Alice and Jasper would pick up the vibrations from the floorboards. I sighed once I was in the lift. Now the butterflies turned in my stomach, and I could feel the fear rushing up as the lift rushed down. I started jogging in the lobby, darting through the throng of people checking in and out.

Outside, it wasn't hard to find the underpass. It was heaving with people, giving me good cover. I wouldn't put it past Alice or Jasper to watch from the windows if they suspected anything.

I let myself be carried through the underpass. Now that I had managed to get outside, the butterflies had come back. A sign notified people that the park exit was coming up. I squished my way through the crowds and up the stairs, taking them two at a time.

It was only then I noticed that no-one had followed me up the stairs.

The park was deserted. There was a playground, but with no kids climbing all over it. A swing moved slowly with the wind. It was like stepping into my own personal horror movie. I wandered around, looking through the trees to see if they were around. I couldn't see anyone. The noise from the highway and the airport was loud, hurting my ears.

I looked at my watch. Five past twelve. Just go back, a part of me said. Go back!

I hate how I never listen to that voice. It's usually right.

"Glad you could join me," a familiar voice laughed.

I turned slowly on my heel, gulping as I came face to face with him.

James.