Lost
Disclaimer; all characters and copyright belong to SM.
A/N-thank you very much for the kind reviews!
Chapter Five
Jacob's cell phone rang. He answered it at once. The same female he had spoken to earlier told him where Bella was right now. She was at least a mile away from his current location. "You said you would bring her right here." He whispered fiercely. He had walked away from Charlie so the older man couldn't hear his conversation.
"We had no choice as we are being followed. We dropped her off in the next safe location. Please hurry she can't be on her own for too long."
The call ended abruptly. Jacob could have screamed with frustration. If Bella was a mile away he was going to have to phase so he could reach her quickly. Which meant having to literally leave Charlie in the dark again, he already felt guilty enough hiding things from the older man. He had a deep respect for Bella's father. He hurried back to the police chief who was watching him with a worried frown.
"Is Bella on her way?"
"She's close." Jacob said cryptically. "I'm going to have to leave for a while. Wait here and I'll be back as soon as I can."
"You are not leaving me here, Jacob. No way. I'm…." Charlie blustered. But his words were in vain. Jacob had already melted into the darkness and vanished.
Bella was freezing. She was only dressed in a thin shirt and jeans. Her abrupt departure meant that she hadn't been able to pack anything appropriate. All she had were the two vials of blood and the spiral notebook Alice had given her. She began to shake as the cold infected her bones. This was terrible. She didn't know where she was. It seemed like she was in the middle of nowhere. Was she supposed to wait or move on? Bella breathed in the crisp air as she tried to think rationally, but it was hard to get her sluggish brain to function. Alice wouldn't have left her in the wilderness alone if someone wasn't coming to pick her up. Perhaps Charlie and Jacob were on their way. As soon as she thought about them a deep longing coursed through her veins. She felt the blood pumping and just for a second her heart beat to a normal rhythm before the energy left her and she was back to her normal state. She could have cried. She trembled violently as she wrapped her arms around her midriff to try and give herself some semblance of warmth.
It didn't help at all. She ended up sitting on the cold ground, pulling her legs up to her chest and resting her chin on her knees. She continued to shiver violently as her breath fogged in the air in front of her. Bella pictured Jacob in her mind. That was easy. His image was imprinted permanently in her brain. She closed her eyes as his face appeared in front of her. She remembered every line and curve, his beautiful smile, the way he frowned sometimes when he was overthinking something. His dark eyes, so full of life. She wondered what he would think of her now. Would he be disgusted by her? He must be so angry with her. She had hurt him so deeply. The fact that he was here in Alaska, coming to her rescue once again, gave her a faint hope that somewhere in his warm heart he had forgiven her for rejecting him.
Part of her was thrilled at the prospect of seeing him again, of seeing Charlie. But a larger part was scared. She wasn't the same girl who had left for her honeymoon almost a year and a half ago. That girl was dead. To be replaced with this. Bella couldn't even describe herself. What was she? Most days she was too exhausted to think or ponder the changes in her body. Boredom and the unutterable strain of just getting through each day were tough enough. She would spend hours just sleeping. Any heightened emotion would send her spiralling into darkness. She had no energy. It was only the occasional burst of strength which would make her blood pump through her veins and her heart beat like a lions. But even that took its toll. She couldn't eat, food tasted like ashes in her mouth. If this was her punishment for choosing to become something other than she was, well then she was suffering for it.
As the minutes began to tick by she rocked back and forth on the ground. She hid her face against her knees as she hugged them to her chest. Her long luxuriant hair, the only thing that seemed to grow, fell around her thin shoulders in a silky wave. She cried, feeling immensely sorry for herself, only to feel ashamed of her tears moments later. This was no less than she deserved for the poor choices she had made and the hurt she had caused. She was so lost in her misery that she didn't hear anyone approach until they spoke her name.
"Bella."
Her heart shattered into a million pieces.
Bella refused to raise her head. That would only make it true. She sobbed, rocking back and forth. She curled in on herself, hiding under her abundant hair. This was a nightmare, a bad dream. This wasn't happening. She had to be hallucinating because it was so cold. That had to be it. Her fears were making her hear things. But as his cold fingers touched her face Bella knew it was no dream.
"Darling, look at you." Edward knelt down in front of her. He pushed her hair away from her face and cupped her face between his hands, forcing her to raise her head when she didn't want to. "Oh, my love." He continued to croon. "It's going to be alright. There is no need to be scared. I'm here now. I'm going to take you home."
How had he found her? How? Bella knew she would never know. Somehow Jasper and Alice's ruse hadn't worked. Where were they now? Had he caught up with them? Had they managed to get away? Tears pooled in her eyes as she gazed at her husband. He was leaning over her now, his cheek pressed into her hair as he inhaled deeply. She was his drug. He would do anything to keep her close and feed his addiction. It wasn't love he felt for her but obsession. Bella wondered why she had never seen it. He had even called her his brand of heroine once. She had been so young, so foolish.
Edward cuddled her against his hard body. His cold lips grazed along her cheek until they reached the corner of her mouth. "I know things have been difficult, but it will get better. A cure is just around the corner. Carlisle is convinced of that now."
Bella shuddered. Carlisle the eminent doctor! He was so handsome, so admired and revered by his peers. The one everyone was convinced someday would make an incredible breakthrough; it would be something that would change lives, cure ills. Cure everything…even vampirism. A cold sweat broke out on Bella's skin. Beads of perspiration coated her forehead.
Edward inhaled again and he recoiled. "This can't keep happening." His eyes were fixated on the sweat breaking out on her face. His fist clenched in aggravation. "We need to get you home. I'll call Carlisle and let him know I've found you. Everything is already prepared."
Bella's head was spinning. Edward had his hand under her elbow. He pulled her onto her feet and kept a tight hold as he began to speak rapidly into his cell. Bella couldn't keep up with the one sided conversation. She felt groggy and extremely unwell. Edward's closeness was making her sweat even more.
"What do you mean pre…prepared?" She was slurring her words now.
Edward ended the call. He kept a tight hold of her arm as he dug his other hand into the inside of his jacket. He pulled out a small silver flask. "You need to drink, darling. You're dehydrated."
"I don't w…want it." Bella shook her head, gagging at the thought.
Edward was getting frustrated again. His golden eyes flashed with irritation. "Why must you always fight me?" He sighed heavily and captured Bella's chin with his fingers and forced her head back. "I'm sorry my love but you're not really giving me any choice and we're running out of time. Don't worry you won't remember."
Bella struggled weakly. She grabbed Edward's wrist between both her hands and felt a sudden surge of fire rush through her veins. Blood rushed to her face turning her cheeks rosy. With one violent push she shoved Edward away from her. He went reeling, dropping the flask on the floor as he fell back on his butt. The vials Bella had been carrying smashed on the floor, the blood pooled at her feet.
"Where did you get those?" Edward asked in astonishment as his nose wrinkled at the smell. He sniffed cautiously before leaping to his feet. "You've been in Carlisle's study by yourself."
Bella didn't answer him. She took the opportunity to try and run. She knew it was all in vain. Her energy was sapped. She slid on the hard ground, scraping her knuckles as she tried to stop herself hitting the dirt.
Edward was already by her side. "Why must you make things so difficult?" He said in exasperation. "It's the side effects." He pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "I know this will all be worth it in the end but I struggle, my love." His expression became pained. "I hate to see you suffer. I don't do any of this willingly. But as Carlisle said the end result will transform all our lives."
"What are you doing to me?" Bella cried as she scooted away from him.
Edward ducked down and retrieved the flask. It was still half full. His handsome face was the picture of sadness as he caught Bella's face and forced the liquid down her throat. She coughed violently. "I am so sorry, darling. I really am but it makes it so much easier for you. Please don't resist."
Tears pooled in Bella's eyes as she stared at him in despair. She was weak; she had no fight left in her. Edward had won. The next time she woke up she knew she would be back in her prison, none the wiser about what had happened this night. He was reaching for her again, ready to pick her up and carry her to his car. But Edward Cullen never completed the action. He raised his head sharply, his eyes widening in disbelief. "Impossible."
Bella's world was going dark. She sagged on the ground, her eyelids drooping as she saw some kind of black shadow sail over her head. She saw it hit Edward head on and her husband was thrown violently backwards. Bella tried to raise her head to see, but she was too weak. She heard growls and a scuffling sound before she succumbed and sank into unconsciousness.
It took Jacob a moment to recover from his primal state. He took deep shuddering breaths as he tried to recover his humanity. He scanned the immediate area for any signs of Edward Cullen. But like the coward he was, the leech had run off. He was a shitty fighter and knew he would never be able to tackle Jacob alone. So he had abandoned any attempt to defend himself and had run back into the shadows. Jacob didn't have time to pursue him. He was unfamiliar with the territory and anyway he had other priorities. Once Jacob felt in control again he hurried over to Bella's side.
As soon as he knelt by her side, his emotions unravelled as he laid eyes on her for the first time in eighteen months. His whole body shook with the force of his feelings. It was almost too much to bear. Bella was changed. He couldn't deny that now. She was so thin, so tiny. It broke his heart to see her in such a fragile state. He could hear her heart fluttering in her chest like a bird trapped in a cage. His gaze travelled to her face. Her eyes were closed; her long silky lashes cast shadows on her face. Her skin was so white, like snow. It was almost translucent. He fancied he could see the blood pumping underneath the paper white skin. Despite her fragility she was still incredibly beautiful. A lump lodged in his throat as he continued to stare at her. Jacob flexed his fingers; they trembled as they hovered over her face. He ended up touching her silken hair instead. Her cheek rested upon it like a satin pillow.
Bella smelled different. Her sweet scent was the same but mixed with something else. Something so familiar, it was earthy, potent. He couldn't name it. But it was connected to him, to who he was, to who they were. He swallowed thickly. It was time to move. Mere seconds had passed while he stared at her, drinking in the changes. But to Jacob it was like time stood still. He hunkered down and lifted her into his arms. Bella never stirred. He had no idea what had rendered her unconscious. She was breathing and he couldn't see any signs of injury, so all he could assume was that she had fainted through fear. She was so cold. Jacob cradled her to his hot chest, hunching over to shield her from the bitter wind. Then he took off at a fast sprint as he made his way back to Charlie.
Charlie was pacing like a mad man as he waited for Jacob to return. As soon as he saw him reappear out of the gloom he ran toward him. As he drew closer he noticed that Jacob was dressed only in jeans and nothing else. They hung low on his hips. He seemed to have lost his shirt along with his shoes. Charlie frowned, wondering what the hell was going on. He was about to call Jacob out on it when he noticed that the kid was carrying somebody in his arms.
"Bella." Charlie cried frantically. He closed the gap and within seconds he had pulled his daughter out of Jacob's arms. "Oh my baby girl." He stared down at her white face as her head lolled on his shoulder. "What happened to her?"
"Let's get her inside." Jacob suggested quickly. Charlie was in a highly charged emotional state and not thinking rationally so he decided to take charge. "You head in and I'll be right behind you."
Charlie just nodded. His attention was fixated on Bella. He didn't see Jacob lope back into the darkness as he went to fetch the rest of his clothes which he had hidden nearby before he phased.
It was lucky that it was so late. Otherwise Charlie knew he would have attracted a lot of unwanted attention as he carried Bella to his room. He had difficulty opening the door to his lodgings. He didn't want to put his daughter down but he couldn't get his key card out of his pocket if he didn't. He cussed under his breath until Jacob reappeared suddenly. Charlie let out a startled curse before he carefully passed Bella back to Jacob. He did a second take when he noticed Jacob was fully dressed again. What the hell? He was too frazzled to question it. He dug the key card out of his pocket and he pushed the door open, allowing Jacob to go inside first before following behind. Charlie looked around to make sure that no one was watching them before he closed the door firmly and locked it from the inside.
Bella drew in a sharp breath. She coughed violently. She was going to be sick. She felt someone cradle the back of her head as she leaned forward. A paper bag appeared out of nowhere and she retched. She kept puking until there was nothing left inside of her to come up. God, she felt so ill. When it was over she leaned back against a pile of heaped up pillows. She felt groggy and utterly exhausted. It took her a while to gather her wits and when she did she finally opened her eyes expecting to see Edward staring down at her. But she was still hallucinating.
"Dad?" Bella rasped.
"Easy now, kiddo." Charlie sat beside her on the bed and studied her anxiously. "I've got a glass of water here." He held up a sparkling glass filled with a clear liquid.
Bella thought she was definitely hallucinating. Was this a trick her deranged mind had conjured up? She stared blearily at the glass expecting to see the same cloudiness caused by the white powder. "What's in it?"
"Water." Charlie said again. "You're really dehydrated, kiddo. You need to keep your fluids up."
Bella looked at the glass then at her father. She didn't know what to do. "Are you real?" She whispered.
"I'm real, Bells. It's me….your old man." It was the way he spoke that finally convinced Bella that it was indeed Charlie. If it was Edward faking Charlie he wouldn't have said your old man. That was such a Charlie saying. Tears leaked out of her eyes. "It's gonna be alright, Bells. I've gotcha." Charlie continued thickly as he put his arm underneath her body and helped her to rise. He put the glass to her lips and Bella drank the cool liquid slowly. Like everything in her life now it was horrible, but it did settle her burning throat. "Has that helped?" Charlie asked as he helped her to lie back down.
"Thank you."
"You don't need to thank me." Charlie's gaze drifted over his daughter's thin face. She looked half starved. He tried to hide his anger. Edward Cullen was a dead man. If he ever laid eyes on that son of a bitch he was going to kill him. That was if Jacob didn't get there first. The kid had left to get some food and to allow father and daughter time to reconnect. At least that was what Jacob had told him. Charlie guessed it was a cover story, but like everything he swallowed the lie as he concentrated on his daughter. "You're safe now, kiddo." He took her hand and squeezed it.
"I'm so sorry." Bella blinked back tears as she took in Charlie's sorrowful expression. He still looked the same apart from some grey flecks in his hair. Just the familiarity of him eased her broken heart.
"Now none of that." Charlie chided her gently. "None of this is your fault." We all know whose damn fault it is he thought in his head. He felt anger burn in his gut but he hid it from Bella. Now was not the time. He had come across enough domestic abuse cases to know how fragile the victim could be. This must have been going on for months. He knew there was always a reason he hated Edward fucking Cullen. How he wished he had put his foot down the second time that piece of shit came into his daughter's life. Then maybe he could have saved her all this heartache. He had just been so scared of losing her completely, afraid that if he acted the hardass she would expel him from her life forever.
"I did this to myself." Bella whispered hoarsely. Fresh tears welled in her eyes. Her head ached abominably.
"No you didn't." Charlie brushed her hair back from her forehead. She was ice cold. Beads of sweat coated her brow. "This is all on him, kiddo. I know you can't see that right now but one day you will. I'm gonna get you home and get you well. I want you to focus on that right now, okay."
Bella gave up protesting. Charlie would never understand. She glanced around the room briefly. There was no sign of Jacob. Had he really come with Charlie after all? Perhaps not. She wasn't worth his time, if he had washed his hands of her than she had no one but herself to blame.
Jacob was back where he had found Bella. He was still full of anger and needed to run it off before she saw him. He could smell Cullen's sickening stench along with something else. He phased back into his human form, hunkering down so he could inspect the ground closely. It was pitch black but he recognised the metallic smell of blood. He touched the ground with his fingers and when he held them in front of his face he could see they were coated in red. His expression hardened. He smelt the blood warily, knowing very well that it belonged to him. Jacob knew he hadn't injured himself here or spilled any blood, which could mean only one thing. It had come from somewhere else. His keen eyes caught the faint glimmer of broken glass. The shards were scattered around the same area as the blood. He investigated some more. A few feet away he found a spiral notebook. It was lying face up in the dirt. He picked it up and sniffed it. Yes, that was Bella's new scent. She must have been carrying this with her.
Jacob flipped it open. Each page was filled with neat calligraphic writing. Amongst them were some chemical symbols that he didn't recognise. He didn't have time to read it now. On the back of the notebook someone had taped a memory stick to it. Jacob frowned. What the hell was this? The wind was picking up. It was nearly dawn. It was time to go. With his discoveries firmly tied to his leg, Jacob phased and headed back to the lodgings.
A/N-thanks for reading!