A/n: Sorry, Edward's POV is short again. Thanks for the reviews! I LOVE reviews and for the most part I try to respond these days.

I will tell you that there are reasons for a couple of things that I'm doing in this chapter and I need you to have just a little faith and stick with me until we hit the fight scene. There is a method to my madness and it might just grow on you.

Twilight belongs to Stephanie Meyer. I just like to play with her universe.

Music:

Evanescence, "Hello" and "Haunted"

I shared a sigh with Alice when her vision cleared. Jasper had not necessarily had the strength to keep himself from sinking his teeth further into Bella but Adrianna stopped him before he sliced into her carotid artery. She was in shock and his teeth had damaged the skin slightly but Bella was alright.

"He didn't... Bella is fine." Alice informed the others without pulling out of her vision. She watched Bella and Jasper for a while longer. Her vision was in the very near future, only a few minutes away from occurring.

Bella giggled uncontrollably and tears streamed down her face as her foot tapped on the floor. One foot tapping became two feet pounding and the laughter intensified into full blown hysteria. Jasper sat frozen across from her and it took some studying to realize that he had been frozen. Since his ability was physical, it wouldn't work until he had some control over his body again. The two other vampires in the room stared at Bella.

Just as Bella's coloring started to be affected by lack of oxygen, Jasper straightened and calmed her instantly. She sagged onto the desk and cried softly but more calmly than before. He couldn't completely take away the emotion because he needed her to appear not to trust him and he couldn't risk being exposed as a spy. However, Jasper could keep her alive; he could keep things from being unbearable for her.

"How is Bella holding up?" Carlisle took in my reaction to the vision which must have been severe.

"Physically, she's fine. Jasper had to be stopped but that was to be expected. He did break the skin but he didn't draw blood. It was very close." I sighed again and tugged on my hair. Waiting and being out of control were wearing on me. "Emotionally, she's going to have a break down and laugh hysterically in a few minutes until she can't breathe. Jasper will still be frozen when she starts but he will get her calmed down before she passes out."

He'll take care of her, don't worry. Carlisle pulled me into a hug. Bella is resilient, she'll be fine. No one is torturing her or trying to kill her at the moment. They haven't been overtly violent. She should be okay.

"She just looks so helpless." I groaned.

That's because she is helpless you fool. Rosalie didn't bother to hide her thoughts.

"She has help. Jasper is there." Emmett attempted to reassure me.

I retreated back into Alice's mind.

Jasper was frighteningly good at playing the villain. He knew how this coven operated and that the two women were in charge; he also knew exactly how to get what he wanted out of them. Alice caught brief glimpses of his manipulation and when they decided to leave Bella alive and send Adrianna to arrange a meeting I relaxed. Bella was with Jasper and he would take care of her. She was safe. The plan was going to work. It appeared that Jasper was even going to attempt to work with Bella on her guilt and fear while they were trapped down there. He convinced Ari that he intended to brainwash Bella which gave him unlimited private time with her.

"Adrianna is coming up as soon as there's enough cloud cover." Alice looked up at Carlisle. "I think that we need to move the fight to after dark."

"Alice!" I knew why she wanted the fight moved, it would be safer to meet after dark in the open but that left Bella's arm without medical care longer.

"I know Edward. I wouldn't suggest it except for the fact that it will draw less attention from the locals," she indicated the town below, "if we wait for dark."

She has a valid point. Emmett shifted his weight. I glared at him. "Edward, I'm just saying that there's a practical advantage to doing this at night. I know that you're worried about her but you're not the only one!" So pull your head out of your rear and listen.

"But her arm-" I started.

Son- "The damage to her arm has already been done. Realistically, a little more time won't make a huge difference as to what I'm able to save. She won't loose the hand." We just need to keep her alive and avoid notice. Carlisle paced a bit. "So we wait for dark." He confirmed with Alice.

My heart broke. Time was my enemy and Carlisle had just agreed to add more of it. This hill was rather rapidly moving from being merely purgatory to a full blown circle of hell. I growled and resumed pacing.

Arrogant much? Rosalie folded her arms and settled back to wait. I ignored her and continued to wear a path in the ground between the trees.

When the clouds descended again in the late afternoon the small dark haired figure whom we had been expecting made her way up the hill. Adrianna was alone but the situation was hardly dangerous for her. Ari still had Bella and Adrianna could drop any of us to the ground on her own. We knew how this would pan out but that didn't stop the venom from pooling in my mouth and my body from tensing. Adrianna was a dangerous creature and she couldn't be trusted. I involuntarily sunk into a crouch as did Emmett.

Oh please lover-boy, like you could fight me and live. She smirked and her eyes met mine while she climbed. Her hair swirled almost unnaturally around her as she picked up her pace. Stupid lot of human loving idiots, it's just unnatural, that's what it is... It'll serve them right when their little pet comes running back to us after they give up the area for her.

I attempted to keep myself from snarling at the little vampire, or worse yet, springing onto her. It was time to pretend like I didn't know her intentions. We all had a part to play, myself included.

"Greetings." Carlisle spoke at a normal volume even though she was still far off. She heard him and inclined her head.

That one must be Carlisle, fits the description. "I come to arrange a meeting. Please do not force me to stun any of you." She folded her arms across her chest and came to stop a few feet away from Carlisle.

"A meeting?" Carlisle cocked an eyebrow and mimicked her stance.

"It's come to our attention that we have something that you want and you have something that we want." She smirked. "A trade could be beneficial to both covens."

"What is it that your coven has that you think we want?" Carlisle played it cool. We all stood unnaturally still and tried not to play human. In order to get respect from vampires one must act like a vampire, not a human. I found not fidgeting difficult as it was a staple in my day to day life in order to fit into human society.

"We have the girl. I think her name is Bella?" She feigned ignorance. "I have it on very good authority that you'll exchange anything for her."

"That all depends on whether or not she's been damaged." Carlisle focused intently on Adrianna.

"I assure you that she is largely unharmed." There was mirth in her voice. Adrianna wanted to feed off of Bella but could see a use in keeping her alive. Her imagination was vivid. I let out a low growl.

"If you've hurt her-" I threatened.

"I assure you that there has been no physical harm. You must be Edward, her lover, or not exactly her lover." She winked. This is going to be fun, I wonder if I can get him to attack...

Don't let her get to you. Carlisle warned.

"Yes, I'm Edward." I snapped and stepped up next to Carlisle. "How do we know that you haven't hurt her?"

"You don't." Her eyebrow twitched. "Although it seems that the greatest danger to her is your own 'brother'. I had to pull him off of her. Old habits die hard and she just smells so good. It's been difficult but your precious pet is safe I assure you." His obsession with her is sick. I know that we pick on Ari for playing with her food but this is just plain ridiculous.

"What Edward means to say," Carlisle's tone was hard and he spoke through a set jaw, "is that we won't be entering into any negotiations until I've been given the opportunity to examine her. We know that she was injured prior to her abduction and she needs medical attention. There will be no meeting unless this happens."

"Fine with me," although I really don't know why you haven't bothered to just change her. "Give us until nightfall."

"Nightfall?" Carlisle did his job well, he certainly sounded outraged. Pretending like he was acquiescing to their request would make it more likely for us to set the meeting place.

"Nightfall." What can I stall with to give Jasper some more time to brainwash her. " The snack is sleeping." Adrianna looked down the hill to their warehouse.

"Fine, but we meet here." Carlisle demanded.

"Agreed." She nodded and retreated down the hill. We watched her walk all the way to the warehouse before letting out a collective sigh of relief.

"Just a couple more hours." Emmett looked at the sky. He began getting agitated and pacing across the tree line. "I get Adrianna."

"Not without me you don't baby." Rosalie shook her head. Emmett shot her a murderous glare. "She's already knocked you out once. I think that you might need some assistance. Don't be a baby about it, I just think that two of us will be better than one."

"Alice-"

I know, you want me to help you with Ari and Colin. It's the only way to get an advantage over the two of them. Her thoughts cut me off. She smiled. "Jasper will want to take Mark and you and I will take Ari and Colin." She said for the benefit of the others.

"Are you sure that you don't need me to fight?" Carlisle ran a hand though his hair.

"No, Bella will need you. We'll be over the six hours that we planned for by then and her hand will most likely be in danger." I pinched the bridge of my nose. Bella was hurt and she might still loose some feeling or mobility in the hand because the ace bandage was cutting off blood flow, not to mention that it wasn't sterile and the wound hadn't been cleaned properly. Infection was another thing to worry about.

"So, I'm going to take Bella and run." I just wanted to make sure.

"You're the only one who can help her." I asserted. "Even if one of us could take her to the ER we wouldn't be able to resist her blood once the bandage was removed."

Speak for yourself. Rosalie snorted. I could resist but you need me to fight.

I shot Rose a dark look. Carlisle might be a bit of a pacifist but I was positive that he learned how to fight in his time with the Volturi. I couldn't confirm whether or not it was true but he had once or twice mentally corrected my form while I sparred with Jasper and Emmett. He knew what to do in a fight. Carlisle was the right choice for Bella but not necessarily for the rest of us. If Carlisle fought we could be guaranteed a victory; without him we would manage but the fight would be more difficult. Jasper knew that when he came up with the plan. I could see it in Alice's mind. Bella could not remain on the battlefield. If she did, she would die in one of a myriad of ways that Alice had already seen during the planning process.

I could call Esme. Carlisle volunteered.

"Make the decision and let's see what happens." I suggested. Alice shot me an incredulous look before crossing her arms and waiting for her vision to change.

Bella was lying somewhere in the woods her eyes closed her hair fanned out around her head. Something seemed wrong with her though she was too still. Then I noticed that her sleeve was rolled to the elbow, the bandage had been removed from her arm, and blood covered the shirt that I had wrapped her in before she was taken from me. The suit coat she wore a few hours earlier was clutched in her other hand with the ace bandage. In Spite of the gruesome image her face looked peaceful like she'd just laid down to rest.

"I don't know what you just changed but put it back." Alice growled.

Carlisle blinked before sliding his phone back into his pocket. "What happened?"

Did Alice just growl at Carlisle? Emmett's eyes went wide with shock. Alice, although often hyper was rarely more than playfully violent and never argued with Carlisle. I nodded, confirming his suspicion.

"I don't know how calling Esme to help would cause that." I shook the image from my head. It wasn't the most disturbing of the day but it was traumatic nonetheless.

"The plan stands, no more alterations." Alice shuddered. "We only have one way out."