A/N: For any new readers, the story is based out of Seattle, even though my original story is based out of New York. And please know that I am not particularly one to describe every single outfit my characters wear, so please don't ask. I will mention articles of clothing here and there, but I won't go into detail. Please don't be mad. An excuse the movie quotes and references if you notice them. Just some new details and thoughts added to this chapter. The newest details and added dialogue and thoughts should begin within the next chapter.
Disclaimer: Characters belong to Mrs. Meyer, and we love her dearly for them. Movie references and quotes belong to those who wrote them.
With only making two trips between the bar and the SUV parked on the curb outside, we were all set to go. Alice was behind the wheel, with me and Emmett in the second row seats. The passenger seat was conveniently left clear for Jasper, who was still discussing the situation to Jacob. Alice's was drumming her fingers along the steering wheel.
"How long?" Emmett asked leaning forward.
"Forty-five minutes tops," Alice replied.
Emmett sat back in an annoyed huff, as I stared out the window and watched Jasper and Jacob talk. Another minute passed and Alice honked the horn. Jasper looked back at us and held up one finger, while Alice sighed rather loudly. I rolled my eyes at her and continued to watch their conversation. I watched as Jasper pulled out a phone and placed it in Jacob's hands.
In a muffled voice I heard Jacob say, "remember the promise," while extending his hand toward Jasper. Jasper took hold and shook the other man's hand while nodding in agreement.
They broke apart and turned toward the vehicle. While Jasper climbed in the front passenger seat, Jacob shoved the newly acquired phone in his front jean pocket, made his way to my car door. He opened it and pulled me out slightly and hugging me to his chest. I immediately hugged him back and rested my head against his chest.
"Take care Bells," he whispered into my hair.
I just nodded in response, my voice not quite working just yet. He pulled back and cradled my head between his hands. As I stared into his black eyes, I watched as they began to water and the tears began to over flow.
"Jacob..." I breathed.
"Shh...listen to me. If you are ever in any kind of trouble, you just run, ok? Don't be brave, just run," He whispered.
"Yes Jenny," I snorted.
From beside me, Emmett burst into laughter with Alice and Jasper both joining in. Jacob looked disappointed for a moment as he stared at the other vampires in the car. Turning his attention back to me, I saw a whole new intensity behind his gaze. Blinking passed my own tears, I couldn't help but giggle a little at my joke. Jacob shook his head once, leaned in and kissed the tip of my nose.
"Miss you," he whispered again.
"Me too, " I whispered leaning in and kissing his cheek.
Jacob pulled back and shut my door walking up to Jasper's, just as Jasper rolled the window down. He leaned out as Alice pulled the SUV into drive.
"I'll contact you when we get to a safe place. Don't let anyone touch that phone," Jasper said.
"I won't. You guys take care, and watch your backs," Jacob replied.
He spared me another glance and smiled.
'Please don't let this be the last time I see him.'
"Don't worry Bells. It takes a lot to kill a werewolf," he said.
'Damn mutt is to overly observant,' I thought.
Alice pulled off the curb and started to drive off. I spun around in my seat and watched as my best friend waved at us and slowly disappeared from my vision. Turning back around, Emmett patted my knee. I looked up at him, blinking passed my silent tears.
"It's alright Bella. Jacob can take care of himself. Besides, the whole pack is near by, so ifhe gets into trouble, they are only a thought away," Emmett said reassuringly, giving my knee a final squeeze and pulling his hand away.
I could only nod at his words. I knew Jacob could take care of himself. He had already proved that time and time again. Didn't mean I would worry any less. I hated my loved ones putting their lives on the line for me, it made me feel weak sometimes, when I was anything but. Staring out my window I just hoped that I would be able to see my best friend again.
Several hours later, we had cleared Washington state and were heading into Oregon. The sun had just began to rise and it had set the sky on fire with its many rays of color.
'Thank Holy Jebus for heavily tinted windows,' I thought.
I just sat in silence and watched as the world around me came and went with every mile south we made. Alice had said we were heading down to Malibu for the night to hunt, before making our way to Phoenix. I had voiced my opinion about how sunny Arizona actually is, but Alice just shook her head and said it would be fine.
'Stupid all-knowing pixie.'
Slowly, I mean slowly, because we had plenty of sunlight to burn, Oregan's scenery melted into California's and we found ourselves outside of a Hampton Inn just off of the Pacific Coast Highway, just as the sun had cleared the horizon. As Alice handed the keys over to the valet, and Emmett unloaded our bags, Jasper and I did a quick sweep of the area to find the best place to "grab" a bite to eat. We had actually found a dive of a bar around the corner of the hotel, and decided that would be the best place. From the looks of the place, no self-respecting human would be caught dead here. But then again, that also helped appease our minds, thinking that only low-lives frequented here.
Standing just outside the door of the bar, Jasper would occasionally peer inside as patrons walked in. As he turned back to me his nostrils flared just a hand came to rest on my shoulder. Stepping forward away from the hand and closer to Jasper, I turned to see a blonde haired man standing before me. He raised his hands in the air in a show of no ill-will, and stepped back.
"Sorry, you just looked like someone I knew. I didn't mean any harm," he said. I could smell the alcohol on his breath, and scooted closer to Jasper by a half a step, and looked at him. Jasper had his eyes trained on the man in front of me.
'Ewwww...creepy drunk human! Now I'm gonna have to burn this shirt.'
"No harm done. We were just on our way," Jasper said sliding his arm around my waist and turning me in the other direction.
Before we could walk a few steps, the man called out, "Well, could I at least buy you guys a beer?"
Jasper stopped, looked over his shoulder, and said, "We don't drink.....beer."
I giggled at his pause and answer and swung an arm over his broad shoulders. Now Jasper was about six inches taller than me, so it was no easy feat, but I managed. He turned back to me and smiled, as we continued back to the hotel.
One hour later, we were all showered, changed, and rather hungry. As Emmett and I neared the entrance we heard Jasper say, "Alice."
We stopped and turned around to notice that Alice had stopped walking and stared blankly at us.
"Alice?" I asked walking toward her. I stopped in front of her and waved my hand in her face. She blinked several times and shook her head.
"Sorry, I thought I saw someone I knew," she said flatly. She linked our arms together and began walking again to the door.
As we stepped out into the night, and headed in the direction of the bar that Jasper and I found, we were all accosted with several scents all at once. My mouth immediately watered at the thought of my upcoming dinner, and Alice quickened her pace. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Jasper and Emmett steadily keeping pace with us. She quickened her steps once more and without turning her head she said, "Sorry boys, girl talk!"
I turned my head to her and she winked at me.
"Jasper told me what happened yesterday."
"Oh?" I asked.
"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you. I did watch out for you though," she said hanging her head down slightly.
"So that was you?" I asked turning my head.
She nodded then said, "After I saw that you were ok, I headed back to the bar, but half way there I got the vision of the Volturi. I had to start making arrangements."
I squeezed her arm a little telling her that it was ok, and to not worry about it.
As we rounded the corner and saw the bar a few feet ahead of us, Alice leaned in and said, "I am gonna take the guys downtown for dinner and we will meet you back at the hotel in one hour. Go in and the first guy you lay eyes on is your dinner for the evening."
I stopped and looked at her.
"Trust me," she said, and with that she gave me a kiss on the cheek and disappeared back around the corner.
Seeing the bar doors opened wide, I hung my head down and walked in. By now, I knew that my eyes were black with thirst, and didn't want anyone but my dinner to see them. If too many people saw them, they would stop and stare. We never wanted to draw attention to ourselves when we were hungry, so this is how we handled it.
As I attempted to make my way through the mass of bodies that suprisingly inhabited this bar, I bumped into a body and stumbled back. Hands shot out to steady me, and as I looked up, I saw a pair of blue eyes staring back at my black ones.
The man just stood there holding on to my arms gaping at me. I shrugged his arms off and lifted my finger to his chin closing it. I leaned into him closely, my mouth resting next to his ear and whispered, "You don't want to catch flies do you?"
I felt him inhale and shudder. A vampire's scent is an aphrodisiac for humans, which is how we are able to lure them in so easily. But, we also tend to lure in the crazy psycho every once in a while, and sometimes, it can get a little messy.
"Do you wanna take a walk with me?" I asked in another soft whisper. He just nodded in response.
'Hook, line, and sinker!'
I stepped back from him and took one of his hands in mine. I slowly pulled him back to the bar's entrance, and silently slipped back out in the night.
"What's your name?" he asked keeping pace with me.
"Bella," I replied pulling him closer to me.
"Bella," he breathed.
"And yours?" I asked.
"Mike."
"Well Mike, it's nice to meet you."
"And you as well Bella."
Our walk was one of silence. Old Mikey boy here thought he was probably gonna get some, but I of course had other ideas in mind.
Scanning the area, I saw an alleyway across the street, and quckly pulled my dinner...I mean Mike, across the street.
Slipping into the shadows of the alley way I pushed Mike up against the wall and attacked his mouth with mine. He stood there stunned for a minute, but responded rather quickly and pushed back against my lips. I sucked on his bottom lip as his arms encircled my waist and pulled me into his body. When I felt his tongue sweep across my upper lip and decided to grant my meal this once thing and opened for him. As soon as his tongue entered my mouth, I immediately thanked all Holy Jebus that this human hadn't drank yet, and continue to let his tongue dominate mine.
'Ugh, he kisses like a damn fish.'
I pulled back minutely with soft pecks on his lips and he opens his now heavy-lidded eyes and strares at me.
"Aggressive, I like that," he said.
'You ain't seen nothing yet, Mikey boy," I thought.
I kiss the edge of his jaw, running my tongue along his stubble, feeling him shiver against me, and I smiled against the curve of his face. Bringing my mouth to his left ear, I ask, "You like your woman aggressive?"
As he nods I suck his earlobe into my mouth and flick it with my tongue.
"Then you'll love me," I said as I pulled back and blew over the now wet skin, earning me another shiver.
Grinning against the skin below his ear, I kiss my way down his neck and settle over his jugular. Sucking softly on the vein, I can hear his heart racing and his blood flow quickening. Sucking a little harder on the vein I brought my right hand up around his neck and my left one around his waist to hold him place. With one final swipe of my tongue I bit down hard, and heard Mike hiss.
Immediately as his blood hit my tongue I swallowed convulsively. His blood had an usual taste, but was not entirely bad, just different. This was a flavor I was not used to.
'Well, Rosalie did say that Californians tasted different," I thought as I continued to gulp down the life elixir that was flowing freely into my mouth.
Mike started to clutch onto my arms as the initial feeding began, but I felt his strength start to wane and his body started to go limp in my arms. Swallowing the last gulp, I released him from my grasp and let him drop to the ground.
"Thanks Mike, I wasrather thirsty," I said bending down and picking him up.
I had noticed a dumpster at the end of the alley way and quickly deposed his body. Walking out of the alley way and across the street, I realized that no one was watching me.
'Odd. We always watch out for one another.' I decided to let that thought go.
Checking my watch and only realizing I still had time to burn, I decided to walk around a bit, and possibly find a quiet place to let the memories invade my mind. Time went by quickly and I was slightly irked that the memories hadn't hit me yet. Something was off. It never took this long for human memories to come to light. Usually it took about five minutes for them to surface with our minds, but others, like the sugar-laced victim of last might, almost came with a minute or two after the feeding was completed. But this was by far the longest it had ever taken for the memories to come.
'Maybe it had something to do with his unusual flavor?' I thought as I headed back towards the hotel.
Saying hello to the doorman I quickly made my way to the elevator and got in. As I rode up to the fourth floor, I did find it rather odd that I was full after only one human. Usually it took about three to sate our hunger.
'I never even thought to look for another human. Strange.'
Shrugging that thought off as well, the elevator dinged notifying me of my arrival to my floor. I stepped off of the elevator and made my way to our room. The familiar tingling sensation I usually got when the memories hit started at the base of my skull, which never happened. The sensation quickly rushed over me just as I stopped in front of the hotel room. Something was wrong.
'Oh, this can't be good,' I thought, and as soon as I raised my arm to knock on the door, the memories crashed over me driving me to my knees.
But these memories were different, because they weren't memories, but one lone memory to stand out from all the rest.
And as I fought way my out of it, the last thing I saw was a very familiar set of green eyes, a flash of bronze hair and his scent perfuming the air around me.
I stood up slowly with tears streaming down my eyes, and pounded on the door.
When the door opened widely, I yelled, "Damn you!" and lunged forward.
A/N: To any and all new readers, please review. I would like to know what you think so far, and please feel free to ask any questions. As to my other readers who have been with me since the original story, feel free to also review and let me know what you think so far. Thanks to Fate Lowe for doing just that.