~.Read.&.Review.~

Edward's POV

Edward! Edward! Edward! Edward! Edward! Edward! Edward! Edward!

I entered the cafeteria glaring at Emmett.

He smiled innocently, his eyes brightening. "Edward! Just the vampire I wanted to see. How did you know?"

How could he possibly be attempting to being funny at a time like this? I suppose he was Emmett, and he, along with Alice, is a very optimistic person. The only thing that kept me from growling at his incessant calling of my name in his head was the fact that he was only thinking about saving Bella. Her scent had excited him, and for that I had no intention of holding it against him.

Rosalie was at the other entrance/exit of the cafeteria. "Her smell is stronger outside, where it's not mixed with the cleaning chemicals and other's scents," she muttered to me. I nodded, heading over there.

"Yeah," Emmett agreed. "It smells like a trail," he paused. "And a lead." His smile widened in anticipation.

Outside Bella's smell was definitely more potent. There were others I recognized. Mike Newton. Angela Weber. I wondered if Bella knew what was happening, knew the dangers they were in, and tried to save her friends from what she knew they had absolute no power against.

"It's just like something out of a horror movie," Emmett said to no one in particular. "One ordinary day at the small town high school and then BAM! Vampire attack! Can you imagine the kids running and screaming, unable to get away from the blood thirsty demons-" I shot him a deadly look. Did he think I actually wanted to picture the students running for their lives from monsters like us - worse than us considering they were newborns - when Bella was one of those students. I shuddered. Emmett held his palms up defensively. Then something caught his eyes. It was Bella's truck, smashed hood down into the ground. "And I thought it looked bad before..." he murmured.

Esme was there first. She peeked inside but there was no trace that Bella had actually been in there during the time of attack, for which I was grateful.

She had made it into the woods it seemed. Not very far unfortunately. Her trail stopped just a couple yards in. I came to a stop in front of a large boulder. My teeth snapped together audibly as I noticed dried blood on the rock. It was definitely hers. Not only was she attacked by newborns, but she had also spilled blood! How on earth had she escaped with just a bite?

With my thought on that I wondered if I was happy she was one of us, that she was at least still here on this earth where I could reach her, rather than she was gone to another world entirely. Selfishly I think I am happier knowing that she is still around. But that isn't right of me. It's wrong for me to feel any amount of joy when the love of my existence has been damned to hell with the rest of us. After all I put her through, after all she has lost she deserves happiness in the end. All I can do at this point is hope Carlisle was right this whole time; that maybe for those of us who attempt to be good despite what we are still have a chance at a heaven - I had to hope now, no matter the grim odds. Bella was a vampire, and I refused to believe she would not be relieved after her time in this world, even as an immortal, was up.

I shook my head. Bella's death was not something I wanted to think about. I was actually glad to hear Emmett's thoughts calling at me again.

Yo, Edward! "I think I caught her trail again." ...I'm on a roll!

My cold, tuneless heart skipped a beat at his words. Whether from joy or eager anticipation I didn't know; most likely both.

Rosalie scrunched her face in disgust. "Ew. Wolf stench is mixed in with hers," she muttered. I understood where her revulsion was coming from; those dogs smelled horrible. Their extraordinarily bitter smell burned my nose as much as Bella's fragrance inflamed my throat, the only difference - besides one was more about food - is that Bella's I loved despite the flames it brought, and I would suffer with that pain any day as long as it meant she was by my side, protected and unharmed. I realized, however, that after we found the end of her human-scented trail I would never smell that wonderful floral aroma again. I could be with her without worrying about sinking my teeth into her.

I stopped my thoughts at that point. I know I wanted to, and needed to be with her always, but that didn't mean she wanted me the same way anymore. In fact, it would make sense for her to hate me.

We followed their mixed scent. The trail rounded the school going east, and began heading straight up north. My feet moved faster and faster automatically in anticipation. I heard Emmett growl in his head that I was going too fast for them to keep up. I didn't care. I wove flawlessly through the narrow spacings between the trees, speedily trying to get to the destination I was seeking. The more I went, the more isolated the area seemed to become. Soon there was no trace that any civilization had ever stepped foot on the land. The only smells that were human were Bella's and a few others that I recognized as her old friends. The trail lingered on and on and on, a never-ending path to nowhere. I wondered how long we had been following it, it felt like a century to me. Nothing changed until after at least thirty minutes, when it turned sharply west. I wondered what the point of making such a long trip was. Well, Bella would have been extremely far from any humans once she was finished turning, which was good.

My mind ran through the memory of my own transformation and I groaned inwardly. Bella had suffered through that alone.

Suddenly something clicked in my head, literally. "Damn it!" I hissed, stopping dead in my tracks. The voices I heard, the thoughts, they were not from those who I wanted to see.

"What?" Emmett asked catching up to me quickly. He tensed for a fight. Rosalie and Esme looked around wildly.

"The Volturi!" I spat.

"They're here?" Esme looked ahead worriedly. She pictured Bella caught in their grasp; a low growl rumbled in my chest at her vivid thoughts.

"Esme..." I pleaded. She gave me an apologetic look, but she was too taken over by distress to really seem sincere about it, though I knew she was. I answered the frightful question which hovered in her mind. "They don't have her. They just caught her scent like we did. They're heading this way from an old shack in the middle of nowhere, where apparently Bella's vampire scent was most palpable." I paused as I read. There were more? Then I recalled what I had smelled before, the scents of some of her friends. Could they have really been bitten and saved too? Unbelievable. Bella was not alone. What miraculous string of events occurred to bring that about? Not to mention how dangerous that was for Bella if she were to wake up as a temperamental new vampire with the rest of them...

"Should we leave?" Rosalie asked when I had stopped speaking.

I shook my head. "They already know we're here. They're heading toward us now."

As if on cue their scent hit us and we heard their quiet approach. They better just let us go peacefully, I thought.

Don't kid yourself, Edward, my inner voice told me. I sighed. Why did it seem like everything was getting worse the longer it took for us to find Bella?

I caught the sight of their dark tinted cloaks undulating in the light passing breeze. They halted upon seeing us. The wind howled in the silent air as I listened to the thoughts of our opposition, who were unaware that they were in my way. Unfortunately, there was nothing I could do but attempt to be patient - however impossible that may seem right now.

"Alec," I greeted indifferently. I wanted to get this over with. They hadn't seen Bella, just smelled her. Half of their guard had found a more recent trail of hers apparently, and were following it - the one Esme, Emmett, Rosalie, and I had been following was very faded by now, as Bella was still human at the time it was made. But that information, that half of them had found Bella's vampire trail long ago, alarmed me. They were ahead of us, closer to Bella than we were, maybe already with her... No. I didn't want to believe that she was found. Jane's group wouldn't listen to her, they would simply just take her out. I held back a growl, which had begun to build up in my chest, edging it's way up my throat.

On another note however, they had caught Carlisle, Alice, and Jasper's scents also, following another trail of Bella's. I knew I should be happy about that, but a part of me wished that I hadn't been so stubborn, and that I went to speak with the wolves like Carlisle had asked of me. Now they were closer to Bella than I was. I doubted this was a good time to be...jealous... Or maybe I was just overly worried about Bella, the angel who had brightened my dim world, who I had thanked by abandoning her. What if my family couldn't reach her in time?

"Cullens," Alec addressed in his soft, child-like voice. "Strange seeing you here."

"Yes," a bulky shadow agreed. Felix. "Aro said you no longer haunted these grounds." He smirked. Emmett scoffed. Felix ginned back at him.

Alec, however, paid no attention to my brother. "At least, that's what Carlisle told him..."

My jaw tightened. "Carlisle was speaking the truth." My tone came out sharper than I had intended. I eased the tension in my voice before speaking again. "We came here to do our own investigating...out of curiosity," I added indifferently, as if it was of no importance. Neither Alec nor Felix was buying my explanation.

"And what exactly have you discovered?"

"Nothing that you don't already know."

Alec narrowed his eyes, calculating the truth in my words. He knew what I could do. He grasped the idea of how easy it would be for me to take information from each of their thoughts and use it to my advantage. I could gain all that they know, and they could never be sure if they got the same out of me. The majority of them thought this, and it made them cautious of me, untrusting.

"We split up to reserve our time - just as you did with your group," I answered an unspoken question. I figured if I actually started to give them details then perhaps they would leave us be, and we could continue our search before Jane found Bella - I flinched at the thought of being too late.

"No!" I snapped at Felix. My family tensed at my side. Alec and Felix both raised their brows curiously, wondering about my sudden fierceness, and what I had responded to. I sighed to keep myself restrained. I chose my words carefully. "We did not come here to help any guilty newborns." I stared at them, my words being conclusive, yet there was a hidden implication in there that no one missed.

Alec watched me carefully. Then he took a different approach. "Mrs. Cullen." He smiled and turned his head to Esme, who was frozen with a blank expression on her face; only her thoughts gave me any sign she was stressed. "For what reason would your...son feel the need to imply you aren't just here out of curiosity, but rather to help a newborn?"

"Is that what he implied?" Esme asked coolly.

Alec sighed in irritation. "We aren't here to play guessing games with you Cullens. We have no intention of harming you four." His eyes went to each of us as he spoke. "But now it appears that I have the right to assume that you are helping a newborn from Forks. Don't you agree?" he asked his procession behind him.

They hummed their agreement. Alec smiled apologetically at us. "You see?"

Felix grinned and inched forward eagerly. I bared my teeth at him; Emmett crouched slightly in defense. Esme's stress intensified at the way things seemed to be going.

"Felix," Alec cautioned. The vampire spoken to did not ease his stance, and his wide smile remained plastered to his face. Alec was worried over Aro and his fondness for Carlisle, while Felix just wanted to have fun and wanted to challenge Emmett and I. Alec turned his attention back to me. I was about to answer his unspoken question but Esme surprisingly beat me to it.

"Edward was merely stating the truth - that we are not here to help any guilty newborns," she responded strongly.

"That's not a straight answer."

"What are you talking about, Felix," came a high voice from the left. I stiffened. I hadn't even heard them coming, let alone their thoughts; I was too preoccupied with the ones in front of me. "It is exactly the way it sounds. They did not come here to help any guilty newborns."

Jane was the first to appear, floating lithely toward us. Her group followed a few inches behind her.

"Jane? Back so soon," Alec questioned.

"Hello, brother," she answered sweetly.

Even without Jasper I could feel the tension now rolling off my family. Alec was enough of a problem, but Jane was more...bitingly hostile than her twin.

Then again...she agreed with us. What did that mean? What did she know?

Bella's POV

Mike and the others were still wary of the Cullens. Not because they thought they were dangerous - given the exception of Jasper, who looked more intimidating with my new eyes than he did with my human ones - but because they had no idea what to think about them being vampires. They were seeing the Cullens from an entirely different view point. The strange, silent Cullens actually had a reason for keeping to themselves in school, and it was a pretty good one.

Alice was as excited as ever, nothing seemed to faze Alice for too long. Once the Volturi had left in peace, and she was finished hugging me, she had immediately went to our classmates. Her and Angela clicked right away compared with the others, though Angela was evidently struggling to look comfortable with Alice's eccentricity.

Jasper attempted to calm his wife for us. I figured it wasn't just about keeping Alice from seeming too wild for us to handle, but that he was over-cautious of our newborn tempers all together. He looked wary of us, as we were wary of him. Alice explained his story briefly to me as we caught up. The newborn armies in the south and all. No wonder he didn't fully trust us - heck, I didn't fully trust us either. Eric found it the most interesting that Jasper was in the Civil War. He began bombing poor Jasper with questions, the others soon joining, wondering about Carlisle's past, and Alice's.

I was thankful we had Carlisle now. My friends listened to what he had to say about the life of vampires - if it could really be considered a life. I thought it could be. I choose to believe Carlisle's theory more than Edward's about the whole soul issue. Edward's was just so much more depressing, and the thought of any of the Cullens - after all they have sacrificed and protected - not being freed from their nightmares was just something I could never imagine.

The Denalis had left shortly after our confrontation with the Volturi.

"No more secret human pets, Carlisle - we're practically family," Kate teased just before she, Carmen, and Eleazar parted ways with us.

"And be careful," Carmen added. Carlisle promised that we all would, and that he would get in touch with them as soon as things had calmed down back in Forks, where Esme, Emmett, Rosalie, and Edward were. This news shocked me. Why would they be in Forks?

"Where else were we supposed to look for you?" Alice responded when I had asked her about it. Her answer only confused me more but I wasn't sure if truly wanted to know. I was afraid that I would get my hopes up, the hopes I had lost that day way back in September. Every part of me wished that they had actually come to find me because they loved me still - not just because they needed to stop the newborns, and Alice happened to see me and the Denalis in trouble with the Volturi.

It was hard, however, to not feel hopeful when it looked so much like Alice, and Carlisle, and even Jasper had missed me. The relief in their eyes and their joyous smiles were hard for me to ignore. Was that enough for my brain to accept that they still cared, and have always cared in one way or another?

Angela and Jessica had gone off to hunt. Carlisle told them to stay close, and Alice had assured everything would be fine.

Alice and I were standing off to the side of the clearing, watching the boys converse with Carlisle and Jasper. They were all very relaxed and at ease; I assumed Jasper had something to do with that. Carlisle was fascinated with our latent talents. He was surprised, as I was, that all six of us carried one. I could just see the theories forming in Carlisle's head.

My feelings were wavering as I talked with Alice. She spoke about where they have been, and how the family was. The one person her and I both knew I really wanted to know about was never brought up. Part of me was grateful that she understood, while the other half of me wanted to strangle information out of her. I resisted such an urge though, because the torn hole in my chest was still there, despite Alice's grand return. The throbbing every time his name was mentioned was proof that I wasn't ready to hear what I wanted to know.

When it was her turn to ask questions she stared at me with a serious face, listening intently to my answers. It was obvious she didn't like most of what I had been doing. Befriending werewolves. Being stalked by vengeful vampires. I left out the motorcycles and my delusions of hearing Edward's voice whenever I pulled some reckless stunt - she would have thought I was crazy for sure.

After a moment I noticed Jasper was throwing questioning glances toward us. "What's wrong with Jasper?" I asked Alice. It looked like he wanted to speak with her. I guess I was kind of hogging her to myself...

Alice shrugged, a little too casually. I saw the sorrowful expectance in her eyes. "He's just wondering about my actions earlier."

"What happened?"

She smiled slightly at me, but it wasn't even close to reaching her eyes. "Right before we arrived in this field, when you were facing the Volturi, I had told him to stay behind, to not come with Carlisle and me to help you." She hesitated. I waited for her to continue. It didn't make sense that she would leave Jasper behind. "He is extremely overprotective of me, and I couldn't allow him to get hurt." Her brow furrowed.

I remembered Jasper in the snow, writhing in absolute torment. She must have seen that coming.

"There was more to it than that, Bella," Alice said, realizing what obvious conclusion I had come up with. "I did foresee Jane harming him, and I would have never let that happen if there was another way," - she closed her eyes - "but that was the only way to save him." Her honey irises opened slowly, locking on my red ones again. She understood the incomprehension in my face. "I was supposed to be in Jasper's place," she explained. "If I hadn't switched our positions before joining you then I would have been the unlucky victim of Jane's gaze. I would have been the one crumpled in the snow, and I wouldn't have been strong enough to hold back my cries."

I cringed at the thought of Alice's tiny form in Jasper's place.

"You see, if that was me, Jasper wouldn't have been strong enough either. My pain filled screams would have been too much for him…he would have attacked them." She stared into my eyes knowing I would understand better than anyone. I did understand. Because I knew exactly what would have happened if he had attacked them. "And, Bella," she continued softly, "I couldn't lose him like that."

I nodded to her, my eyes downcast. To save her love she had to let him suffer through Jane's torture in her place.

It had been obvious to me that Jasper would refuse Alice's request to stay behind the moment she had told me about it. I can sympathize with both Alice and Jasper on this. I know how hard it is to protect the people you love when they're trying their hardest to protect you too.

I wish I would have known. I could have saved both of them from their inner struggles, and in Jasper's case, physical pain as well, if I had known what Alice had seen. I could have prevented the attack from Jane right away.

From my peripheral vision I saw Jasper look away from us, his questions seeming to be answered - he had been listening. Alice sighed. "Of course, I had no idea of what you could do," she mused, smiling at me. "Jasper would have suffered quite a bit longer if it weren't for you. So I must thank you for that."

"Don't mention it," I mumbled sheepishly. She laughed at my obvious embarrassment from the subtle praise. It was so good to here that sound again - her cheery, bell-like laughter. It was almost like she had never been gone. That she had always been here, and this was just another day of hanging out with my best friend.

"Same old Bella I remember." She looked me over. "Pity - I was hoping you're sense of fashion would improve."

I looked down at my outfit, noticing, for the first time, how filthy I actually looked. Not only me, but Mike, Eric, and Ben, too. I also figured Jessica and Angela were the same. We had spent at least three straight days in the same clothes - in the same clothes since that day our school had been viciously terrorized, and then through our torturous transformations. From our encounters with Riley, the Denalis, and the Volturi our looks have only gotten worse. It was quite clear that we needed a change of clothes.

I met Alice's critical eyes. "Well, I don't think you can really blame me for how I look right now."

"Did you put those clothes on you?" she asked seriously.

I frowned. "Yes."

"And did anyone force you to put those clothes on you?"

"No. But-"

"Then, yes, I can blame you for the way you look right now," she countered, smiling victoriously. I sighed.

"Same old Alice I remember." I said. Her grin grew wider.

My fingers grazed over my throat. No matter how many times I fed the burning is never fully extinguished. Would it never end?

"You'll get used to it," Alice assured me, noticing what was wrong. "You should go hunt though. Quenching your thirst as much as possible will help your self control."

"Right," I said, turning for the woods. "And you should probably go talk to Jasper." We both looked to him. He was watching us curiously, his eyes waiting for his chance to speak with Alice.

"Yeah. He's probably angry with me."

"For saving his life?" I asked doubtfully.

Alice smiled. "No, silly Bella. He'll be irritated with me for even thinking about making him stay behind so I could suffer without his interference. Unfortunately for him I'm not apologizing, and I would do it again if ever the need came up." She winked and skipped away toward an unhappy looking Jasper, who had surely heard what she just said.

I shook my head at her as I ran into the forest. I hoped I didn't run into Angela and Jess. This was my first time alone since I became a vampire. It was satisfyingly peaceful, and I could enjoy the new sights and sounds that my extra-powered senses can pick up.

Unfortunately, it didn't take long for the quietness to become too quiet. In the relaxing silence there were less ways to keep my mind distracted from things I didn't want to think about.

Victoria was my main concern. Would the Volturi really take care of her? They were powerful, but she was smart and quick to escape. Victoria was no fool. She must have known the Volturi would become involved. Maybe her need for revenge was so great she didn't care of the consequences for her as long as she took me out, too. That had to be it. No way could she have thought to actually survive once the Volturi knew about her, unless she hoped the Volturi would never find out about her involvement.

It didn't matter either way, all that I cared about was endangering my friends. With the Cullens here they were just as much as in danger as the rest of them. Once they realized that would they leave again? I wouldn't mind if that were the case...

Who am I kidding? I would miss them tremendously just like I always did during the last months of my human life. But I couldn't put them in danger either. Everything always seems so complicated. Must I have a vampire trying to kill me every single moment of my life. First it was Edward. After Edward there was James. After James it was Jasper. After Jasper came Laurent. After Laurent it was Riley. After Riley it was Victoria, and technically Victoria's been after me since James was. Then the Volturi wanted me gone, too. Don't I ever get a break? Will this pattern keep repeating itself until someone succeeds and kills me?

I sighed. This was exactly what I was attempting to not think about, yet here I am thinking about it anyway. And so, to distract myself, I focused on my prey.

Emmett's Pov

Jane? I think I remembered Carlisle's and Eleazar's stories enough. Her power was just as bad as Alec's, only more instantaneous. That's great. I think the world's plotting against us in some way; something always has to go wrong or interrupt us in our quest.

"You Cullens are a very interesting coven," Jane mused, eyeing us with scrutiny in her crimson eyes. "What bonds you to those newborns I wonder..." Edward stiffened, his jaw clenched tight, his eyes widening despite himself. What was in Jane's thoughts to make him react like that?

I peeked at Rosalie, standing tall and elegant beside me. She wasn't paying attention to Edward; her beautiful golden eyes were staring warily at Jane.

"You sure are risking a lot to try and protect them," Jane continued absently. Alec and Felix were staring perplexed at her, as was I. What was she talking about? I wished she would just get to the point. It was bugging me.

"We have a strong sense of justice," Edward responded firmly. His eyes were piercing through Jane's mind; observing, studying, listening.

The tiny member of the guard was not phased by Edward's severity. "Indeed," she replied, almost seeming annoyed with us. She barely just got here, what was her problem?

Actually, now that I thought about it, every member of the guard looked like they thought they were superior to us, that we were below them. They might have their impressive powers, but I could take them all on in a one-on-one battle.

"Jane, please explain," Alec told his look-alike.

"I ran into Carlisle a while back," she said.

What? I glanced at Edward.

"Eleazar too," Jane continued.

Eleazar? What was he doing with Carlisle? This just got more and more weird. No wonder Edward looks like he's about to get hit by a truck; figuratively speaking of course.

"They were protecting six newborns; all victims of the massacre here. All innocent apparently..."

My jaw dropped. Six? Rose and I looked at each other, shock evident on her face, too. Tiny, terrifying Jane was filled with the craziest news. I found myself eagerly waiting for her to continue.

I was glad, too, because it sounded like Carlisle, Alice, and Jasper had found what they needed to from the wolves, and had reached Bella in time. One burden was gratefully taken off our shoulders.

"Huh," Alec responded thoughtfully. It was all he said about the information. It was apparent he trusted Jane's words to the core.

Felix on the other hand stared at her questioningly, but he didn't press the matter. I guessed he trusted her too but was wondering, like the rest of us were, what exactly had happened. Then a smirk appeared on Felix's face. "I knew your half of the group would have more fun." He said. There was a message in there that I didn't get. Somehow the way he said it was like he really meant something else.

Jane scowled. "It wasn't as fun as I would have liked." Felix's smile wavered, and Jane reluctantly gave more detail. "One of the newborns could block out my power." Jane's eyes flashed to us, catching the recognition in our faces. I only knew one person who that could be; Edward's slightly smug, and relieved, expression confirmed that. I held back a smile that would surely upset Jane, who glowered at us, a dangerous gleam in her eyes. Edward went rigid and I automatically did the same. She wouldn't attack us, would she? I saw Edward shake his head, our eyes meeting for a an eighth of a second. He didn't ease though, so neither did I.

Felix frowned in confusion and disappointment. Then his dark eyes glinted just as dangerously as Jane's had.

A low growl came from Edward. Felix only grinned at him. "Jane already had her fun with someone in our family." Edward said sharply, glaring at Felix, who turned his attention back to Jane.

Realization hit me. I now understood what 'fun' they were talking about. And they had used it either Alice or Jasper, because I knew she wouldn't dare go for Carlisle. Bunch of sadistic, power-hungry vampires.

A grimace contorted Jane's little face. "I won't play here," Jane told her comrade - or whatever they referred to each other as. Felix's face fell, chagrinned, but he didn't say anything more about it. "The Cullens are free to go," Jane told Alec and the other members of his group. "We have our job to do. We're looking for a Victoria it seems."

My eyes widened, and Esme let out a soft gasp. A vicious hiss slipped from Edward's mouth.

The members of the guard firmed their stances, ready to attack at his sudden outburst. Edward calmed himself immediately, not wanting to provoke a fight.

Alec waved his hand to calm them down. "Who's Victoria?"

"The newborns' creator." Jane said motioning for the assembly behind her to follow her. "Apparently she and her army are after one of the newborns the Cullens are protecting." She was moving with Alec now, as their two groups joined together so easily it looked like the whole thing had been choreographed. "Not that I care about that. It's exposure she must be punished for," she added in a quieter tone, that somehow sounded more deadly. "Good day, Cullens," Jane and Alec said simultaneously as they disappeared among the green trees.

Felix smirked at Rose, winking as he passed us. She growled subtly at him, in synchronization with me; although mine wasn't subtle. The burly Volturi member chuckled, amused, as he marched away from us.

Yeah he better run, I thought. I'd take him out! And I could, easily. He wouldn't stand a chance against me. The thought of smashing that smirk of his into the ground made me happy.

Once the Volturi were no longer in range of our hearing, a loud silence filled the air. Everything seemed extra still, even the breeze had died down.

I was about to break the eerie silence when without any warning at all Edward was gone. I heard him move furiously through the woods, away from us, headed somewhere he desperately wanted to get to. No longer was he following Bella's human trail, but Jane's; obviously that lead to the girl I so fondly think of as a sister. But did he really have to run off on us like that. He was so impatient.

"He really has to stop doing that," Rose sighed in irritation, echoing my thoughts, as we took off after him hurriedly.

"He's just anxious to see Bella," Esme said. "But I do worry about him."

"I don't," Rose muttered quietly. I laughed - not because Rosalie didn't worry about Edward, because truly she did despite her annoyance - I just find the absurdity of this whole entire situation amusing, in a somewhat dark way. Our lives become so much more action-packed and entertaining where Bella is involved.

Edward's POV

As soon as they were out of sight I dashed forward, running at full speed in the direction Jane and her group had come from. The fact that my family had yet to begin following me was no concern of mine. I had to get to where the others were, where Bella was, and I had to get there as fast as I possibly could.

I sprinted between, around, and sometimes even through trees as I went. Whatever destruction I left in my path would help Esme, Emmett, and Rosalie catch up eventually, in case the Volturi's old trail was washed away by the rain that looked about to fall. I wasn't waiting for them; I had no time, and they were too slow - they held me back.

The wind shifted, and a new smell crossed my path; a disgustingly sweet scent that sickened me beyond imagination. Venom rose in my mouth. My body turned automatically in the direction the scent was coming from. It was a new direction, away from Bella, but I couldn't stop myself. I repeated in my mind that Bella was safe with Carlisle, Alice, and Jasper. No matter how much I needed to see her for myself, to apologize for everything I've done to her, I needed this much more.

Bella would never truly be safe until Victoria was gone; and this was a fresh trail.