Lost

Disclaimer; all characters and copyright belong to SM.

A/N-thanks for the kind reviews!

Chapter Four

When Jacob arrived at the Swan house to see Bella's father he found Charlie on his way out. He was loading some gear into the back of the cruiser as if he was planning to go somewhere. Charlie stopped what he was doing when he noticed Jacob and hailed him wearily. The older man looked like he hadn't slept all night. Something was clearly worrying him. Jacob could guess what it was. The reason for the Chief's odd conversation with him from a few days ago made sense now.

"I can't stay and talk, Jake. I've got a plane to catch."

"Where are you going?" Jacob asked cautiously.

Charlie looked furtive as he finished loading the cruiser. "I'm just going away for a while. I'm due some extended leave from work, so…." He shrugged as if it was no big deal. "You can tell Billy that I'll call him when I'm due back."

"You're not going to Alaska by any chance, are you?" Jacob decided to throw caution to the winds. He saw Charlie's face pale. "Bella's there isn't she."

"I thought you said you hadn't spoken to Bella." Charlie replied urgently.

"I haven't."

"Then how do you know she's in Alaska?" Charlie studied Jacob carefully.

Jacob answered Charlie's question with one of his own. "Is Bella in trouble, Charlie?"

Bella's father sagged against the side of the car. He ran his fingers through his hair. It was beginning to grey now. "I didn't want to involve you, son. Especially with how things were left between you and Bella, but I'm at my wits end. Come with me."

"Okay." Jacob waited as Charlie went back to the house and unlocked the front door. He flipped on a few lights as he headed straight to the phone. "Bella has been trying to contact me for days. But she kept getting cut off. She sounds desperate. She keeps saying she wants to come home. All I could get out of her was that she was in Alaska somewhere. Then the other night I got this message left on my answerphone."

Charlie played the message. Jacob hadn't really prepared himself to hear Bella's voice again. It hit him like an arrow straight to the heart. It was made worse by how frightened she sounded. Charlie hadn't been exaggerating. Some of her words were slurred as she rambled about missing Charlie and wanting to come home.

"I can't move here without someone always watching. It's suffocating. I just want to come home, dad." There was a stifled sob. "Please dad come and get me. I'm begging you…"

Jacob's whole body shuddered as he listened to her begging Charlie to come and rescue her. What the hell had the fucking bloodsucker done to put her in this state? Jacob was convinced just by the sound of her voice that she was still human. If she was one of them she could leave at any time. Cullen and his coven wouldn't be able to stop her. They had her trapped and she had no way of escaping. It had to be bad for Rosalie Cullen to break ranks and make contact with him. Jacob knew that Bella wasn't close to the blonde; they rubbed each other up the wrong way. She had given him an address but no information. Jacob knew he had to pull himself together and focus. Any doubts he had about getting involved with Bella again were gone.

The message came to an abrupt end as if the call had been cut off. Jacob noticed how sick Charlie looked. If it was having a bad effect on him it must be even worse for Bella's father. It was time to speak up. "When we had our last conversation I wasn't lying when I said I hadn't heard from Bella." He revealed.

"But you have now?" Charlie asked hopefully.

"Not from her directly, but I have an address." Jacob hurriedly passed Charlie the slip of paper.

"Denali." Charlie raised his eyes to Jacob's. "You don't know what this means. You're a saviour Jake. I was going to head to Anchorage and make some enquiries from there but now I can head straight here. Thanks kid."

"You can't do this alone, Charlie." Jacob interjected hurriedly. "I'm coming with you."

"No." Charlie shook his head adamantly. "I've already involved you too much. I'll find Bells and bring her home."

Jacob gazed at Charlie determinedly. "You don't really have a say in what I do, Charlie. I'm coming whether you like it or not. You have no idea what you're dealing with and you'll need my help."

Charlie frowned. "This isn't some kind of covert operation, Jake. I am not rescuing my daughter from a cult."

"That's exactly what you'll be doing. If you don't take me they'll see you coming. With me along for the ride you'll have a chance." Jacob stated firmly.

"What the hell does that mean?" Charlie scowled.

"It means you better book an extra flight." Jacob replied as he pulled out his cell to call his dad.

Bella's eyelids fluttered open. Her head was banging. She moaned softly. Her skin was caked in a cold sweat. She could feel her clothes clinging to her body. She felt absolutely rotten. She raised her hand to her forehead and rubbed her temples. Suddenly Edward's face swam into view as he hovered above her. His eyes were a golden brown which meant his hunt had been successful. His expression was full of love as he carefully slipped his arm underneath her and pulled her up against his hard body. The movement hurt Bella's head and she moaned again.

"Is it really bad?" Edward asked gently as he touched her forehead.

"What happened to me?" Bella whispered. She stared around blearily. She recognised their room. She was sitting on the ornate four-poster with Edward. How had she gotten here? She couldn't remember. Her memories were hazy. She must have been having nightmares again.

"You were having a bad dream when I came back." Edward said sadly. He caressed her forehead as he tried to ease her pain. "Esme was trying to settle you but was finding it difficult."

Bella was confused. None of it made sense. She tried to remember what she had been doing. Vague images of Carlisle's study came into her mind. Had she been dreaming of it? If so why? "I need to take a shower."

"Not now, my love." Edward crooned. He pressed a soft kiss into her silky hair. His fingers left her forehead and drifted along her cheekbone. Bella heard him inhale deeply as he breathed in her scent. "I thought we could spend this time together. I miss touching you." He pressed another kiss into her hair. "You are so intoxicating." He sighed dreamily. "I love how smooth your skin feels. Your lips, your…."

"I said I need a shower." Bella said shakily as she scooted away from him. She saw his eyes darken at her rejection. She tried to ignore his dour expression as she walked unsteadily to the bathroom.

Bella closed the door and used it as a shield between them. She knew he was still on the other side, probably listening to every breath she took, every sound she made. Her heart fluttered in her chest as she dropped to her knees and crawled toward the loose tile. She lifted it, checking for the silver cell phone but it was gone. Tears welled in her eyes at the empty space. He had found it. Her last connection to the outside world and Charlie was gone. Bella sat back on her haunches, suddenly aware of something digging in her butt. She reached around and fumbled with the back pocket of her jeans. Her fingers connected with something hard and rectangular. She pulled it out and to her relief she found it was the phone. What was it doing there? Her mind became fuzzy as she tried to think but she just couldn't remember.

"Bella, I can't hear the water running. Are you alright?" Edward was already fumbling with the door handle.

Bella quickly hid the small cell under the loose tile before hastily turning on the shower. "I'm just going in now. You don't need to come in."

Edward emitted a frustrated sigh. "I'll just wait right here then." He said through the door.

Bella began to cry silent tears.

Another day passed. Breakfast, lunch, dinner…Edward watched her like a hawk. He took note of every mouthful she ingested. She felt like a specimen under a microscope. Bella saw no one else all day. There was no sign of Esme, Alice or Jasper. It was just her and Edward. Carlisle was still at his medical conference and Rosalie and Emmet were still missing. Bella felt stifled and on edge. The food tasted like ashes in her mouth. Each meal was sprinkled with the same white powder that Edward insisted was vitamins prescribed by Carlisle.

It was late evening. Edward was sitting at the piano with Bella beside him. He wanted to recreate one of their most romantic moments. "Do you remember when I first played your lullaby for you?" He said dreamily.

"Yes." Bella was trying not to be sick. She had just forced down a portion of vegetable lasagne. Each mouthful had stuck in her throat. The last thing she felt like doing was reliving Edward's idyllic memory of their romantic encounter. Bella could barely remember it.

Edward tickled the ivories with skilful fingers before he closed his eyes and began to play in earnest. He was soon lost in the music. He swayed slightly, his fingers stroking the keys as he replayed the lullaby over and over again. Bella watched him, feeling pensive. To any human eye he looked like an Adonis. But she knew better. She was viewing him with fresh eyes. Her rose coloured glasses had been removed months ago. Her lullaby reached a crescendo, Edward swayed again, opening his eyes and staring at her hungrily. The music ended abruptly. Edward reached out and cupped Bella's face delicately between the palms of his hands. His touch chilled her to the bone.

"You are so ravishing." Edward breathed her in. He inclined his head toward hers, his lips aiming for her mouth. But at the last moment Bella turned her head and they landed on her cheek. He drew back sharply. "Why?" He questioned. "Why do you shy away from me?"

Bella didn't know what to say without sounding insulting. He was angry and she didn't want to arouse him further. "I'm tired, Edward. I need a shower." Her skin was already breaking out into a cold sweat. Edward's eyes travelled to the beads of perspiration coating her forehead and his jaw flexed. "How does this keep happening?" His jaw became tight.

"What do you mean?" Bella put some space between them. He was getting irate which was a rare occurrence. Normally he was so carefully controlled around her. But her behaviour was obviously testing his unlimited patience.

"Carlisle will find a cure." Edward didn't seem to hear her. His expression softened and he closed the gap between them. "Forgive me, darling. I didn't mean to snap. I just want you to be well."

"I need to take a shower." Bella felt like a broken record. She extricated herself from his embrace and stood up. Edward began to rise too. "No, you keep playing. I won't be long." She smiled tremulously before hurrying toward the spiral staircase.

As she trudged up the steps she came across Alice on her way down. Their eyes met and suddenly Bella remembered.

Two days later and Charlie and Jacob reached Anchorage. They checked into their rooms before meeting up again to discuss their next move. Charlie assumed they would hire a car and drive the rest of the way but Jacob put a block on this. "Why not?" He demanded. He didn't hide his frustration. He was getting weary of Jacob's cryptic responses.

"I'm going to make a call." Jacob avoided answering directly. He pulled out his cell and walked a few feet away from Bella's father.

Charlie gritted his teeth. He hated being kept in the dark. Jacob was a man now, which had been demonstrated on the journey to Alaska. He had taken control of the whole enterprise. Charlie hardly recognised the boy he once knew. This Jacob was hard, determined. He was fully focused on what he was doing and seemed to expect Charlie to follow his orders as if he was the one in charge. Which considering the fact that he had been following Jacob's lead all the way to Anchorage meant that somewhere along the line he had allowed the kid to take over.

Charlie remembered the call Jacob had made to Billy. That had been tough to overhear. It was obvious his friend was trying to talk Jacob out of it. Which Charlie could understand but at the same time he still felt hurt that Billy was so adamant that he didn't want Jacob to help him recover his only child from a difficult situation. He knew their break up had been hard. Jacob had really suffered after Bella had left but he had gotten himself together. He was older now, more mature. Charlie felt Billy needed to let go a bit and realise that his son had a mind of his own. He was certainly learning that now. There were depths to Billy's son that Charlie had never realised. Nothing seemed to faze him.

The call Jacob made was short. He was back within five minutes. "Now we wait." He told Charlie.

"Wait for what? You have to give me more than that, kid." Charlie put his hands on his hips and glared up at Jacob. The boy was so darn tall. He craned his neck.

"That's all I've got, chief." Jacob said curtly as he began to head for the nearest eating place.

Charlie shook his head in disbelief. He pulled his thick jacket tighter around his body. It was freezing. Jacob was only wearing a light coat. He didn't seem to feel the cold at all. Charlie felt his age all of a sudden. Here he was, a middle aged man, and a police chief to boot and he was taking orders from a teenager. There was something wrong with that somewhere. But as he followed behind Jacob, Charlie had to admit to himself that he was glad that Billy's kid had taken charge. He had been floundering on his own. Now he had someone to share the burden with and that made a whole lot of difference.

Bella turned the shower on full so the water came gushing out. She hoped the noise would mask any movements she made. She knew Edward was in their bedroom. There was no way he would allow her to go around unsupervised. Bella fell to her knees and lifted the loose tile. The small cell was there. She tugged it out and turned it on. Seconds later the screen booted up and a message appeared.

You need to be ready. Charlie and Jacob are in Anchorage, waiting.

Charlie and Jacob? Jacob was here, in Alaska with her dad? Bella couldn't believe it. She reread the message over and over; needing to make sure it wasn't her wicked imagination playing tricks on her. Jacob had come to her rescue again. Her heart began to flutter madly in her chest while a thousand butterflies set off in her stomach. Bella felt her cheeks burn as the blood rushed to her face. It hadn't done that in a long time. Normally she had to force it. Her hands were shaking with emotion. She raised them in front of her eyes. Just briefly she noticed her skin return to its former creaminess as the blood rushed through her veins. Then just as quickly it reverted to its normal translucency when there was a knock on the bathroom door.

"Bella, are you nearly finished?"

It was Edward. Bella's fingers curled into fists. She wanted to scream at him to leave her alone. Why couldn't he just let her breathe? But she knew it wouldn't get her anywhere and would expend what little energy remained. She quickly hid the cell phone under the loose tile and replaced it carefully.

"I'm nearly done." Bella replied with difficulty.

"Good girl. I'm right here waiting."

Bella scowled as she stood up. But for once her despair was tinged with a modicum of hope. Rescue was on the horizon. Soon she could be free.

Charlie didn't know where Jacob put it all. The boy sure could eat. He was on his second helpings already while Charlie was still ploughing through his first. If he ate as much as Billy's kid he would be like the side of a house. But Jacob was built like a pro-athlete. He had a body that any guy would be envious of. To maintain it must take commitment. But Charlie never saw Jacob work out. There was no exercise equipment anywhere in the house or the garage. It was just one of the many mysteries that Charlie knew he wasn't privy too. He wasn't stupid; he knew that Billy and his son kept secrets from him. Charlie had witnessed things over the years that couldn't be explained. But he was a practical man and did what he had to do. Right now he was placing all his faith in his best friend's son, and counting down the hours until he held his little girl in his arms once again.

Bella lay in Edward's cold arms. She was freezing. The thin blanket he had placed between them didn't do enough to ward off the chill. She was pretending to sleep, but in reality was wide awake. Her mind kept ticking over, picking apart the series of events of the previous day as she tried to remember what had happened. Seeing Alice had brought fragments of it back to her. Bella was now certain she had been in Carlisle's study and that Alice had been the one to find her. She wasn't sure how much the little psychic had told Edward but he hadn't mentioned it and Alice had been avoiding her ever since. Time seemed to pass excruciatingly slowly. Bella eventually fell into a light doze as exhaustion pulled her under.

There was a sharp rap on the door. Bella startled. She heard Edward curse under his breath. The bedroom door was shoved open and Alice appeared. The little seer looked shaken. Her eyes were huge in her white face. She ran to her brother and whispered to him urgently. Bella couldn't hear what they were discussing but once she saw Edward's drained expression she knew it couldn't be good. Panic set in. What did this new crisis mean? She had been so close to escape now it was all going to be ruined. Tears welled in her eyes. This couldn't be happening.

"Bella." Edward had hold of her arms now. His eyes bored into hers. "I need you to go with Alice. The Volturi have paid us an unexpected visit. I can't believe this has happened, usually they give us pre-warning. Jane is here to check up on you. We can't let her see you like this. I am going to see her and make up some excuse, okay. I am going to tell her you and Alice are away shopping or something. She can't protest if she arrives unannounced." His expression softened. "Don't worry about me, darling. Alice has already called Carlisle. He is on his way back. Esme and I will be able to keep Jane occupied until he arrives. He will be able to sort all this out." He said confidently.

"Edward…." Bella whispered. She didn't have the energy to say anything else. His mouth was suddenly on hers as he kissed her urgently. She felt like throwing up but forced herself to endure his attentions.

"We have to go, Edward." Alice interjected. "Jasper and I will take care of her."

This was like déjà vu. Hadn't Alice said that before once upon a time? Bella didn't have time to think. She was quickly hustled out of the bedroom and down the back staircase. It led through to the underground garage. Jasper was waiting by Alice's yellow Porsche. "I won't leave this behind." She sounded sentimental, as if she was never coming back.

Bella's fears increased. Could this unexpected visit from Jane mean that they would have to relocate again? Her chance to escape would be lost forever. As she climbed into the back of the car tears fell down her face. She couldn't be bothered to hide her distress anymore. Jasper was driving. He spoke quietly to Alice before he put his foot down and sped out of the garage.

Midnight rolled around. Jacob and Charlie stood outside their lodgings staring up at the heavens. Myriad stars glittered in the sky. The view was breath taking. The temperature had dropped even more once the sun had set. They hadn't spoken much. Both felt the tension. Waiting around was frustrating, especially for Charlie as he didn't really know what the hell was going to happen next. He watched Jacob covertly, wondering what the boy was thinking. He was hiding his emotions well. Charlie couldn't read him at all. He would make a good cop, he mused. Then suddenly it all changed. Jacob tensed, his eyes scanning the parking lot like a hawk. How the hell could the kid see anything? Charlie was struggling. He strained his eyes as he tried to see what had caught Jacob's attention.

Jasper drove like a mad man. His eyes were locked on the road ahead as he weaved through the traffic like a pro. Bella strapped herself in, her heart hammering in her chest. "Where are we going?"

Alice turned around to look at her. Her face was full of sorrow. She reached out and took Bella's hand in her own. "I am going to miss you." She whispered.

"What do you mean?" Bella was confused. Her eyes flicked to Jasper, he was still concentrating on the road ahead. The car swerved and Bella nearly threw up. "Alice what do you mean?"

"This is goodbye, Bella. Once Jas and I drop you off then we will be heading north."

"Why? You told Edward you…."

"Jane is not at the house, Bella. I lied." Alice finally revealed. "It was the only way I could distract Edward and give us enough time to get you out."

"It was you…." Bella breathed.

"I had to avoid you otherwise Edward would have read my mind. After I found you in the study I took you back to your room and told Esme that you had fainted just down the hall. She didn't have any reason to be suspicious." The Porsche lurched to the right as Jasper increased his speed. "There isn't enough time to explain. Take this." Alice reached into her coat and pulled out a spiral notebook along with two vials of blood which had been in the chiller cabinet in Carlisle's study. "The notebook contains Carlisle's latest notes on your condition and there are references to Jacob Black, too."

Bella took them. She noticed her name was written on one of the vials along with Jacob's. "You took these."

"Yes." Alice sighed sadly. "It's over for us, Bella. Jas and I will have to go into hiding now. I won't be able to contact you again." Her golden eyes glistened in the half dark. "You will always be my sister." She continued in barely a whisper.

"Alice." Bella cried.

"NOW." Jasper turned the wheel violently causing the Porsche to skid to a juddering halt.

Bella was thrown back into her seat, the breath stolen from her body. Alice was out of the car, pulling the seat back so Bella could get out. "They are waiting for you." Alice pointed into the darkness. "I can't come with you. I have to go. We are being followed and Jas and I need to steer them away from this direction." Alice helped Bella alight from the car. She hugged her briefly to her hard body before letting go. "Goodbye, my sister."

She was back in the car in a flash. Bella didn't have time to respond as she watched the bright yellow Porsche tear off at an alarming rate and disappear into the darkness.

A/N-thanks for reading!