Title: You Found Me

Full Summary: Edward Masen has lived the life of a nomadic vampire, travelling with James and Victoria since he awoke as an immortal. His ability to read minds has had the unusual side effect of making him a vampire with a conscience. Despite the ridicule from his coven mates, he's confident he's making the best of his existence and doing what's morally right... until he stumbles upon a brown-eyed girl reading in a meadow in Forks. As he attempts to befriend her and learns more about the sleepy town of Forks, Edward finds there's a lot more to being a vampire than he ever thought possible.

Pairings: Canon

Rating: M, for language and sexing.

Chapter: Thirty-eight; Retributive

POV: Bella

AN: There's been a few new readers hoping on the bandwagon lately. Thank you to everyone who has been reading, whether from the beginning or since the last chapter, I appreciate all of you and your comments :) You drive the story. I can't say how many times the story has been made better by things you suggest. We're only a few chapters from done, now…

xx

"Dad, I'm fine," I repeated for what had to be the tenth time. "I'm really, really sorry I didn't tell you before I left."

"I just don't understand why you didn't." His disappointed tone was the reason I had dreaded making the phone call. It inspired even more guilt than Alice's. It was no wonder he made such a good police officer. "If you wanted to visit your mom for Christmas, you could've told me. I know how close the two of you are. I would've understood."

Remorse over that lie prickled. I didn't want him to think I was picking my mother over him. I was quick to remind myself it was the lesser of two evils. Given the alternative – telling him that I was rescuing my boyfriend from two mental vampires – I decided I had made the right choice. It was safer that he remain in the dark.

I knew he'd never call my mother to verify. Charlie and Renee never spoke unless they had no way around it. Usually I was their go between. Since I has been old enough to operate a phone, I had been the one to call Charlie to let him know when to expect me each summer. As a result, it had been years since my parents had said so much as a word to one another. I didn't expect that would change any time soon.

"It was kind of last minute," I explained awkwardly. I'd been so panicked about getting to Edward I hadn't considered how me taking off would affect anyone else. "Mom found some really cheap discount tickets online. She's been asking me to visit for a while. I didn't want to say no. When she told me I had to leave today I made a split second decision."

"I'm not happy about it," Charlie muttered down the receiver. "But you're 18 now. You're old enough to make your own decisions and I trust you. You've always been a good kid with a good head on your shoulders. Next time, for the love of God, just throw your old man a bone and give him a little warning, alright?"

"Thanks, Dad. I'm sorry I've been such a pain in the ass lately. I'll try to be better."

Charlie cleared his throat uneasily. "I know. Have a good Christmas with your Mom. You call me if you need something. It's gonna be odd, not having you around for Christmas. I was getting used to all the good food."

"I'll cook you something special when I get back," I promised.

"I'd really like that." Charlie's relief was audible. I wondered if maybe he had been worried that I wasn't planning on coming back. I resolved to give him a really big hug when I got back and let him know how much living with him for the last couple years had meant to me.

Jake smirked at me, tipping his chair back on two legs as Charlie and I exchanged final goodbyes. I took a sip of the tea sitting on the table in front of me.

After the call with Alice, I had resolved to do everything she asked. She had made it very clear that Jake and I were not to go searching for Edward by ourselves and that we were to stay put until she and the others arrived. After all the trouble I'd caused getting to Chicago, I owed her that much.

Sitting around and waiting in the airport had been vetoed by Jake pretty quickly. So once we'd gotten to Chicago, we'd asked a cab driver to take us to a coffee shop in Lincoln Park where we could wait more comfortably. We still had another hour of waiting ahead. If James and Victoria didn't get to me first, the anxiety of sitting around on pins and needles might just be the end of me.

"What are you looking at?" I snapped when Jake continued to stare. I still wasn't pleased he had forced his way into my plans. He was only putting himself in danger. I really didn't want to be held responsible for him getting hurt.

"Nothing," he trilled, playing innocent. "It's just nice to see you and Charlie getting along. He's been worried about you."

"How would you know?"

Jake raised a thick eyebrow. "My dad is his best friend. They may not be the most talkative dudes around, but they do manage to get in a few words. And trust me, the way you were acting, it's no wonder they were talking about you."

"I wasn't that bad!"

"Uh, yeah you were," Jake countered, tipping his chair back further. I was tempted to give it the extra shove it needed to topple over. "Oh, Edward, I miss you so much, I can't live without you. Oh, how will I continue on? My life might as well end now," he mocked, his imitation of my voice closer than I cared to admit.

"Shut up, you idiot," I demanded. "Do you really think this is a good time to be making jokes? There's no guarantee we're going to make it out of this any better off than before. We haven't found Edward yet, let alone gotten out of here in one piece."

Jake shrugged, raising his mug of hot chocolate to his lips and taking a massive gulp.

"You're too tense. You need to relax a bit. I thought that tea was supposed to chill you out." He nodded to the waitress at the counter of the coffee shop. "Are you sure they didn't mix up your order and give you coffee by mistake?"

I ignored the jibe. I was not in the mood to get into a petty discussion on the merits of tea versus coffee. I just wanted to get Edward and leave. Waiting had never been a strong suit of mine. I glanced at the digital numbers on my phone, imploring them to move faster. It was only early in the evening, but it felt like it had been forever since we had left Forks behind.

I laid my head on the table. The weight of the day and my lack of sleep the night before were not helping my patience. I must have drifted off, because the next thing I remember, Jake was shaking my shoulder, the darkened sky visible in the window behind him.

His eyes were wide. "Okay, don't freak out. But I think I just saw Edward outside."

I shot up in my seat, instantly awake. My eyes flashed to the window, trying to spot the face that was more familiar to me than my own. All I could see was a black cab. It was parked on the opposite side of the street, blocking everything else in view. Even if it hadn't been blocking the view it was hard to distinguish anything through the blowing snow, since darkness had enveloped the city while I was asleep.

"Where?" I asked Jacob desperately, still scanning the street, hoping maybe I'd missed something.

"In that car, over there." He pointed at the black cab. "The windows are tinted and it's snowing, so it's kinda hard to tell, but I'm pretty I saw Edward get into it."

"Are you sure it was him? Was there anyone else with him?" I squinted, trying to get a better glimpse, but it was useless. Jake's eyesight was much better than mine.

Jacob frowned, apologetic. "I'm not positive. But it looked a lot like him. Same weird hair, really pale. Someone who might have been Victoria was helping him into the car. I'm not exactly sure what she looks like… I've only ever seen her from the back when I was chasing her with the pack."

I remained glued to the window, watching the dark car like it was my lifeline. The illumination of the streetlamp shone on the car, so the vehicle was easily visible through the snow, but it reflected off the windows making it impossible to see what was going on inside.

As it pulled away from the curb my stomach knotted. There was a possibility Edward was in that cab. I didn't want to let it out of sight. I looked at Jake, unsure what our next step should be. Should we try to follow them? A glance at my phone said the Cullens wouldn't be landing for another half hour. Could we really risk letting them out of sight? What if they took off again?

"Bella. I know what you're thinking, but no. It's not a good idea. Look, maybe we could try asking around. You have that picture of Edward on your keychain, right? Maybe we could check some of the places across the street and see if anyone's seen him. If someone has, there's a good chance that you were right and they've gone back to his house. When the reinforcements arrive we can worry about storming in."

I crossed my arms defensively. I had an inkling he was just trying to keep me busy so I didn't do something that might be perceived as stupid. "Can't you just smell him? I mean if he was just there, you'll be able to recognize his scent, right?"

"It's snowing," Jake said as if that explained everything. At my blank look he added, "The snow messes with smells. Combined with the wind, it's pretty unlikely, but I can try."

"Fine. Let's go then," I agreed reluctantly, already zipping up the leather jacket I had borrowed from Jake. "Are you sure you're going to be okay?" I asked him, regarding his thin knit shirt. It was freezing outside.

He stood and grabbed his hot chocolate, chugging the remaining contents. "108 degrees, remember? I'm my own furnace. I'll be fine."

"Okay, let's go," I said more bravely than I felt. I was kind of terrified. I wasn't sure what we were hoping to find. At least if we managed to gather some evidence it was Edward, we'd know we were in the right place.

I shivered as I stepped out in the chill. I would have killed to have Jake's ability to keep warm right then. I stopped cold in my snowy footprints as the signage and flashing lights across the street slipped into view.

"It's a casino," I told Jake excitedly, pushing the crosswalk button eagerly.

Jake shot me a puzzled look. "Okay. I hate to ruin your fun, but one, we're both underage, and two, we've kinda got some other things to worry about. Probably not such a good idea to be gambling right now."

I shook my head. "No. Not that. Edward told me that James and Victoria used to take him to casinos. His ability gives him an edge, so they scammed houses out of thousands that way. I remember because he said they really loved blackjack and he especially hated it because it was the most boring game ever invented."

"So you think they've slipped into old habits?" Jake questioned. "Isn't that kind of dumb? I mean, it's asking to get caught. It's the first place anyone is gonna look if they know who they're looking for."

"You don't understand vampires," I countered. "They're creatures of habit. They don't change for anyone. Except maybe their mates, but even that's a struggle. James and Victoria are set in their ways."

Jake held up his hands. "Okay. You're the vampire expert."

I pushed open the shiny brass doors tentatively, unsure what kind of reception we would get, being that both of us were younger than legally required. I gripped the key chain that held Edward's picture tightly, prepared to shove it at anyone who looked like they might kick us out.

A woman in a dark vest with a sleek ponytail greeted us as we passed through the entrance. "Hello. May I see your IDs, please?"

"Um, hi, we're not here to gamble, actually. We're looking for someone who we think might have been here earlier. His name is Edward and he looks like this." I showed her the picture of him, small though it was.

To my surprise she burst into a wide smile, recognition obvious in her expression. "Oh yes. He's been a regular the last couple weeks. Him and his sister. He's such a sweet boy. Very quiet though. He's drawn the attention of quite a few admirers, especially the younger set. He walked out with a nice sum today. First time I ever saw him win a jackpot. He deserves it after what he's been through."

My heart fluttered. I had steeled myself for disappointment. Though hearing the woman mention 'what he'd been through' didn't sound like something I wanted to hear about. What had those monsters done to him?

Morbid curiosity made me ask, regardless. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you know, the accident," she said carefully. "Being confined to a wheelchair can't be easy. The poor kid, his whole life thrown out of whack just as it was beginning. I can't imagine how he's done it."

"He was confined to a wheelchair?" Jake said doubtfully. "Edward wasn't in a wheelchair." He took my keys to show the girl the picture again. "Are you sure this is him?"

The woman nodded. "One hundred percent. Excuse me for saying so, but it's hard to forget the boy with one leg."

I swallowed my gasp. His inability to escape snapped into sense. There was only one way I knew of to damage vampire skin: fire. They'd burned off his leg so he couldn't leave them. Their vindictiveness really did know no bounds.

Tears stung my eyes, my hate for James and Victoria growing exponentially. He'd bear the scars of their cruelty forever now. How could they do that to him and call themselves his family? The drive to be there to comfort him was stronger than ever.

"Right," Jake said smoothly, covering for my emotional reaction. "The accident must have been recent. It's been a while since we've seen him. We're trying to reconnect."

The woman nodded in empathy. "They said it happened within the past year," she explained helpfully. "I can understand it's a bit of a shock to find someone different than you expected. It's not something you hear of every day."

"Is there any chance you know where he lives?" Jake pressed.

"He never said. The cash desk would have it on file but they wouldn't be able to distribute it without express permission. I'm sorry."

Jake thanked her for her help and led me back out the way we'd come. I was stoic. The woman's unintentionally horrific account of what had transpired had shaken me.

I didn't want to think about how much pain the loss of his leg must have caused him. Or how it would affect him in the future. He wouldn't be able to hunt… he'd always have to rely on others' for help. If I knew Edward, that would wound him more than as the physical pain.

"It's okay, Bella," Jake soothed, wrapping a warm arm around my shivering shoulders. I soaked in the heat. My insides were icy from shared pain and my outsides frozen from the cold. "We know we're in the right city now. We just need to wait for the Cullens and then we'll get everything sorted out. He'll be fine and they'll pay for what they've done to him. We'll go back to the coffee shop and wait. Their plane should be landing any minute."

"It's already been a month!" I snapped as he tried to lead me toward the shop we'd vacated fifteen minutes prior. "I'm tired of waiting! And he's stuck there with them, and they're hurting him! They burned off his leg, Jacob! He'll never get it back! Who knows what else they'll do to him given the chance?"

By the end of my rant tears were dripping off the end of my chin. I swiped at them angrily. Who was I to be crying when Edward was the one suffering?

"So what?" he returned irritably. "What can we possibly do? Without the others, we'll get ourselves killed. Is that what you want? Because if it is, you're on your own. I'm not following along this time because you're too impatient to wait ten minutes! If they wanted to kill him, they would have done it! So stop being such a baby and chill out! Nothing is going to happen!"

My jaw tightened at the insinuation that I was being ridiculous and selfish. Though a part of me knew it was true, my adrenaline was firing and the fraction of awareness was easily blanketed by rage.

"Fine," I said icily. "I'll see you around." I stomped through the thickening blanket of snow. In the last hour it had come down furiously, covering the city in pristine white. The purity of it was completely at odds with everything I was feeling.

I waved at one of the cabs lined up in the roundabout in front of the casino, sliding myself into the backseat. I yanked the door to slam it shut, but it was prevented from closing by Jake's hand.

"Bella, please don't do this. You're going to get yourself killed. Please."

I ignored him, tugging on the door once again, but it remained firmly in Jacob's grip. "Leave me alone!"

"Bella, I'm begging you, don't." The puppy eyes were out full force, but I pointedly ignored them, too angry that he'd called me out to care.

"Sir," I addressed the cabdriver, playing up the role of delicate woman. If it was fair game for Jake to con girls at airplane ticket counters, I could use the cabbie to my advantage, too. "This man is drunk and he won't leave me alone! I don't know what to do!"

The driver exited the cab, bravely facing down Jacob, who towered nearly a foot over him. "The lady said to stay away. I'm afraid if you don't step away from my cab, I'm gonna have no choice but to call the cops."

Jacob backed away reluctantly, given no other option but to comply. I slammed my door shut. Once the driver returned to his seat, I demanded that he lock them too.

The man dusted the snow from his cap and flicked the heat up a notch. "Where to, miss?" he asked, his eyes still on Jake in the rearview mirror.

I swallowed twice before I was able to form the words to the address I had long since memorized.

xx

As the cab neared its destination rationality and a healthy dose of fear kicked in. I had never intended to go find Edward on my own. Even when I had devised my plan to get to Chicago, before Jake had thrown a wrench into it, I had known the Cullens would be hot on my heels. There had never been any danger of going into the ordeal completely by myself.

I might have been hopeful, but I wasn't stupid. I knew there was nothing I could do that Edward couldn't. If James and Victoria had managed to prevent him from escaping, my humanness would guarantee there was nothing I could contribute.

It was the shock of discovering what they were doing to Edward that had pushed me into the taxi. Jake's words – truthful words, I could admit in hindsight – had been an excuse for me to pull the trigger. I wasn't angry at Jake, not really. It was James and Victoria I was angry at and I had let that cloud my judgment. It was a stupid move I now regretted.

Dread settled in the pit of my stomach as the cab turned onto Edward's street. This was a bad idea. I knew it was. I had promised Alice I wouldn't do this for good reason.

"What number did you say it was, miss?" The cab driver asked, glancing at me in the rearview.

"Could you maybe drive around the block a couple of times?" I suggested uneasily, making up my mind to wait for the Cullens and not do anything reckless. "Keep the meter running. I just need a little more time."

He nodded. "Of course. Just tell me when you're ready to pull over."

I watched the numbers on the houses pass. As the count pushed within half a dozen of 2013, I held my breath. As we drove past the house that Edward had grown up in a century ago, my vision took on a surreal quality. Edward was in there now. If it weren't for a few layers of bricks and drywall, I would have been able to lay eyes on him for the first time in a month.

I hardly noticed how beautiful the house was. It wasn't until the second time past it that I was able to take any of it in. It was a gorgeous old-Victorian style home that, if I set my mind to it – a daunting task given that all that occupied it was the need to see Edward and be done with this nightmare – I could picture young Edward running around it, playing in the snow, ruddy human cheeks and all.

On the third pass I signaled to the driver to let me out across the street, several houses down from Edward's.

Jake had said the Cullens were due to arrive any moment more than fifteen minutes ago. They had to be getting close by now. I didn't want to accidently involve the innocent cabdriver. In James and Victoria's eyes there would be no reason for him to survive if he got caught up in the mess. I refused to turn him into collateral damage, so it was best I wait out the remaining minutes by myself.

I waited until the cab turned the corner before moving under the cover of a tree. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing. I shivered as the feral winter wind blew straight through the leather of Jake's jacket. Snow was still coming down in icy flakes that stung as they bit at my exposed skin. It wasn't quite enough to be called a blizzard but it was close.

I pulled my phone out of my pocket to check if I'd missed any texts from Alice. I tucked my freezing hands into the too-long sleeves of the jacket, leaving only my fingertips to operate the touchscreen.

The phone dropped into the half foot of snow piled beneath my feet when a hand clapped on my shoulder. Instinctively I shrugged away from the touch and turned to face the person.

I'd never seen her before but she was instantly recognizable. The abundance of fiery red hair that shot out in every direction left no doubt that I was looking at Victoria. Red hair like that just wasn't common. Her scarlet eyes eliminated any doubt. The streetlights picked up the red hues easily, making them appear even more sinister than they would have in daylight.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" she simpered. "Are you lost little Bella Swan?"

I straightened my shoulders. I would not fall prey to intimidation tactics, even if my insides were screaming with terror.

"My, listen to that delicate little heartbeat," she said when I remained silent. She circled me like a vulture examining prey. "Don't tell me it's beating for Edward Masen. He's moved on, I'm afraid. That's why he left, you know. He's found another human plaything. He said she was much better in bed. So don't waste your time. Go ahead then, run on home with your little broken heart."

Tears stung my eyes, though not for the reasons that Victoria was hoping. I ignored her playful sneer. I would not pander to her attempts to hurt me. She could tell as many lies as she wanted. I knew Edward better than she ever would. He wouldn't do that to me.

"Let me ask him myself," I suggested audaciously. "If I talk to him and he confirms, I'll leave."

Victoria shook her head. "Why do you insist on causing yourself the pain, little girl? He's with her now. Do you really want to see him fucking another girl? I'm quite certain you won't enjoy walking in on that."

Anger boiled in the pit my stomach. "You're lying."

Her eyes narrowed. "Don't call me a liar. You're trespassing outside my home, and you're calling me a liar?"

"I'm not trespassing," I insisted. "I'm not even on the property."

She rolled her eyes. "Technicalities. Don't think I didn't hear you in your little taxi, circling the block. It's pathetic, really. Spying on a man who no longer cares about you."

I returned her glare, refusing to comment on her ridiculous assertions. I knew better than to trust anything she said. She seemed even more irritated that I wasn't backing down.

"Enough small talk. If you want to see Edward, fine. You won't like it." I didn't doubt that. But not for the reasons she claimed.

She grabbed my arm and dragged me in the direction of the house. I stumbled behind her, tripping over my own feet in an effort to keep up with her. As she led me up the porch steps, I tumbled to the ground. My hands instinctively reached out to soften my fall and met frozen cement. Angry red scrapes coloured them.

Victoria's gaze flashed to the fresh blood, hunger clear in her eyes. She didn't bother to hide it from me. I half expected her to lose control of whatever restraint she had then and there. She didn't. Instead she grabbed the collar of my coat and dragged me inside like I was a disobedient puppy.

"Jamie?" she called out. "Look at what I found outside."

A dirty-blond vampire appeared at her side. I'd never seen a vampire that could be considered anything less than ethereal – until now. He was average looking, almost ugly, as far as vampires went. His blond hair seemed dirty and his features squashed, as though he was permanently pressed up against an invisible window.

"Ah yes, Miss Swan." He leered at my bloody palms much the way that Victoria had. "Bring her to the basement," he commanded.

Victoria gleefully grabbed a hold of a handful of my hair and yanked me towards a door just beyond the kitchen. Pain radiated from my scalp as she dragged me down a flight of stairs into a cold, dark space.

There were no windows or any lights of any kind. I couldn't see anything, but the space had the horrible coppery smell of blood. I was quite certain I wouldn't be the first to die here.

"Don't touch her." Edward's hard voice sliced through the silence.

I couldn't see him through the darkness but judging based on the direction of his voice, he was only feet away. I reached out blindly, desperate to feel him. I needed to know he was real.

My fingers found cold metal. I felt around trying to determine what it was. When my hand met a rubber tire, I realized it had to be a wheelchair. I flung myself at the chair, knowing I'd find Edward in it. Familiar hands lifted me, pulling me close.

"Edward!" I sobbed, a horrible mix of relief and fear setting in my stomach as Edward curled me securely in his lap. For the first time in weeks, my world felt centered.

Remembering what the woman at the casino had said, I reached to touch his leg, needing to feel for myself before I could believe it. There was nothing but empty space. My heart broke for him all over again. He would never be the same again.

I wound my arms around his neck, desperate to be as close to him as possible… to offer comfort and let him know I loved him. If we were going to die, I wanted to cherish our last moments together.

"Did they hurt you?" Edward asked me roughly.

I shook my head against his chest. I fisted my bloody hands, through it was stupid to hide them from him. A few scrapes and bruises were insignificant and I didn't want him worrying about them.

A lone dim bulb snapped on then, just as James materialized as the foot of the stairs with a toolbox in hand. He set it down in the small space. The basement hardly qualified as a room. It had to be less than ten feet each way, with the staircase taking up a large portion of that. With the four of us crammed inside, it seemed even smaller.

James opened the box with a loud snap. He pulled out a pair of pliers, examining the rusted metal in the sparse light of the hanging bulb.

"These should do nicely for removing fingers, what do you think, Vic?" James declared loudly. Victoria nodded her approval, digging through the toolbox for additional tools of torture.

"Do whatever you want with me," Edward pleaded. "I'll do whatever you say. Just leave Bella out of it. Please, I'm begging you."

James eyes flicked in our direction. "Well isn't that sweet. Eddie is willing to sacrifice himself for his human. Well, that's just too fucking bad. She gave up the right to live when she went snooping where she had no fucking business being." He snapped the jaws of the pliers. "The price of being a nosy little slut is ten fingers."

He advanced toward us, still holding the pliers. "And I always collect. Don't forget that, Eddie. Nothing you can say will change the fact that she's the one who has to pay her debts."

His cold, fathomless eyes narrowed in on me.

"And you. You've been awfully quiet for someone who's about to lose a few digits. Not much for talking, are you? All you humans are so annoying. There's never any consistency. Some of you love to talk. You beg and you plead and you pray to your ridiculous god for mercy. And then there's the quiet ones like you. The ones that pretend to be strong when inside they're cowards like all the rest. Edward could tell you that, couldn't you, Edward? He hears thoughts, you know. He's heard the pathetic thoughts of thousands of humans as he's torn open their necks." James jerked the pliers through the air, as if to reenact the scene. The pleasured smile on his face turned my stomach.

Edward was silent, his head hung with shame.

I channeled every ounce of hatred I felt for the two vampires before me into my cold stare. If James was trying to make me think Edward was no better than them, he was wrong. There was absolutely no comparison to be made. When Edward had been offered the choice to cease killing humans he'd embraced it with open arms. James and Victoria didn't care. They took pleasure in death and mayhem.

James raised an eyebrow. "You're not surprised. You know about his past, then. Oh well, I guess you're going to have to die. We can't have our secrets getting out, you know. It's unfortunate, really. Well, not too unfortunate. I am quite thirsty. Don't worry, we won't be greedy, we'll let Edward have a taste, too.

"You'll have to kill me first," Edward snarled, pulling me closer and reversing so we were tucked into a corner. He pressed my head against his chest. I wasn't sure if he was trying to comfort me or shield me from looking at James.

"Don't be so sure. Don't you smell that?" James sniffed the air and snapped the pliers again. "Lovely isn't it? You won't be able to resist."

He materialized beside me and grabbed one of my fisted hands, unfurling it with no effort at all. My fingers had just barely straightened when James went sailing backward. He smashed into the staircase, tearing through it like it was paper. The pliers clattered to the floor several feet in front of him.

Victoria snatched them up, diving for them before Edward could reach them. She twirled them in her hand, snapping them just like James had.

Everything occurred so quickly it took me a moment to register what had happened: Edward had kicked the other vampire with his good leg.

James was on his feet again before I could blink and he was seething.

"I said don't touch her," Edward snapped, matching the other vampire's vicious expression.

"You fucking asshole," James spat at Edward. He snatched the pliers back from his mate and stalked towards us again. "Do you really think you can overpower us? A fucking cripple and a human? It's so pathetic it's almost not worth the effort. But then, how would you learn your lesson?"

There was a roar and a violent smash upstairs that shook the ceiling with its force. The crunch of wood breaking echoed down the stairs. James and Victoria exchanged looks of surprise.

"One of the fucking dogs?" Victoria scowled, eyeing the top of the stairwell. "How is that possible? They don't… not here."

"Stay here. I'll be right back," James demanded, handing her the pliers. "I'm gonna let out the fucking dog. Fucking mutts…"

He hurtled past the broken stairs, disappearing to the upper floor. More sounds of furniture being destroyed spread through the house. Howls I recognized vaguely as wolf sounds and snarls that had to be James' alternated.

Victoria eyed us warily, clearly unsure what she was supposed to do without James' leadership. It seemed to me that she was much more comfortable issuing threats and taunts than administering physical violence. Her behaviour outside sprung to mind – she had tried to convince me Edward didn't love me any more. Violence had only been a secondary measure when her threats had proved an ineffective means of control.

"What's Jacob doing upstairs?" Edward whispered, though it was pointless lowering his voice.

Victoria was only watching us half-heartedly, however, a large portion of her attention was focused upstairs, where it was apparent a fight was brewing.

"It's a long story..."

He pressed his forehead against mine. "I suppose we don't have time for those yet. I want you to know I love you, okay? Whatever happens, don't forget that. I love you. Always."

"I love you, too," I responded, burying my face in the crook of his neck. He smelled just like I remembered. It was infinitely better than the rotten smell of death that lingered in the basement.

"Shut up, shut up, shut up," Victoria snapped at Edward. "Do you really truly think you love this thing?" she flicked at my hair distastefully.

Edward snarled and shoved away her hand irritably. "How many times do I have to tell you not to touch her?"

That comment only seemed to make Victoria more upset. "It's disgusting. You're confused. We'll find you a real mate and then you'll see. What James and I have is–" The ceiling shook with another crash. "James!" The panic infused into his name almost made me feel sorry for her.

She darted up the steps, the cries of her mate's name growing more desperate as she disappeared from sight.

"What's happening?" I questioned tentatively. The ceiling was shaking and groaning with the force of whatever was going on. I could still hear James' snarls in the mix, so he couldn't be too badly incapacitated.

"The Cullens have joined the fray," Edward said shakily. "Emmett and Jasper have got James pinned in a corner. Victoria knows he's as good as dead. She does love him, in her strange way."

The words were not yet out of his mouth when an agonized roar filled the house. Edward winced and clutched me even tighter to his chest. He was squeezing me so tightly it was painful. I didn't care.

He didn't have to tell me that James had met his end.

"It's over?" I questioned in a strained voice. I was unwilling to believe it until I heard the words from someone else.

I didn't get them from the person I expected.

"It's over," Alice said, standing over us, a leather suitcase in hand. She set it down at our feet. "Almost, anyway. The others are finishing off Victoria. She's not putting up much of a fight. She's going to let Rosalie rip her to pieces when she sees James is dead."

Edward's expression was blank. It had to be an odd experience for him. As much pain and suffering as James and Victoria had caused him, they had once been a significant part of his life. I hugged him tightly, extending what little comfort I had to offer.

Alice's expression was grim. "We've got to get out of here. Carlisle and Esme are getting ready to torch the place."