Chapter 5

Wind blew through Bella's hair, whipping and curling it around her face. She was still barely conscious, but she could just make out the feeling of hard arms cradling around her, though it was beyond her to open her eyes. They still stung badly from the fire. The fire! Bella remembered seeing flames licking up the trees around her and she forced her eyes open. It was dark now, and she could hardly even make out the features of the person carrying her. She let her eyes roll to the side, and she noticed that whoever was carrying her was running extremely fast. Faster than anyone she'd ever seen.

"Stop." Bella's voice rasped. Bella noticed the person above her look down, though she couldn't make out their features, she could faintly make out their pale skin. They slowed down, and came to a stop.

Bella's rescuer set her down gently on a large stone. She felt around to get her balance as she tried to stand up, though she regretted it as soon as she stood upright. Her head began to feel dizzy and she felt her knees weaken before she felt herself falling backwards to the rock she had previously sat on. But before she felt the impact of the tough stone on her body, she felt a cold hand on each of her shoulders, slowly placing her back, gently, to the stone seat.

"Are you okay?" It was a man's voice. It was smooth and somehow sort of mesmerising, she thought.

"I'm fine. Who…are you?" Suddenly, even although this man had saved her, Bella began to panic. She was in the middle of the woods in the pitch black, with a man she did not know. She felt her heart begin to race, but she didn't say a word. Although it was dark, her eyes were beginning to make out the shapes of the trees around her. She could make out the silhouette of the man before her too. He took a few steps back, as if he could feel her unease.

"I'm Edward. Come on, we better get you out of the woods." Before she could go anywhere she wanted to know more about this man, although it terrified her to ask more.

"How did you rescue me? And why?" Bellas voice hurt as she spoke.

"I was nearby and saw the fire."

"So you decided to walk into the blaze?"

"I saw you. I couldn't just leave you there." Bella realised that she owed her life to this man, and she hadn't even thanked him. All she had done was question his motives for doing a good deed.

"Sorry. I…thank you. I'm Bella."

"Let's get you home to Charlie, then, Bella."

"How do you know my dads name?" Bella's heart began to race again. She couldn't help but think the worst of this man. Probably because she couldn't see his face.

"He's the Chief of Police. Everyone knows your dad." Bella took a minute to think about his answer before she spoke again. She watched his silhouette move away from her to lean against a thick tree to the right.

"Come on then, lets go." Bella stood up, even more careful than last time. Luckily she didn't fall back down again. She took a few steps forward before turning back to Edward. "Which way?" she asked.

"This way." Bella squinted into the darkness to make out the way Edward was moving and followed him. Before even reaching her tenth step, she caught her foot in the underbrush and tripped forwards. She threw her arms out in front of her to try and soften the blow.

"Ow!" she pulled herself up, more embarrassed than anything, and dusted her mud covered hands over her jeans.

"Are you okay? I can carry you again if you want?" Edward asked. Bella was flattered that he would offer, but of course, she couldn't let him.

"It's okay. I'll just be more careful."

"We'll get out of the woods a lot quicker if you let me carry you." Edward took a step back in her direction, and Bellas heart began to race again. She still was uncomfortable being in the dark with this stranger…even if he had saved her life. "…Or you could climb on my back…if you want."

"Doing that will just strain you, and we'll end up being in here even longer than if I just walked." Bella said as she started to walk forward again.

Bella and Edward barely spoke as they walked together. Bella noticed that Edward was always a few steps in front of her and realised she was slowing him down. She could feel her feet become heavy, and her eyes getting more tired as she took each step. She had no idea what time it was. When she slipped for the fifth time into the mud she just sat there for a moment.

"Are you okay?" Edward asked again.

"I'm not hurt. I'm just tired."

"Bella, let me carry you, we don't have far to go now anyway." She succumbed to his offer and pulled herself to her feet.

"Okay, but put me down if you get tired."

"Deal." Edward helped Bella climb up onto his back and when her arms were locked around his shoulders and legs around his waist he began to run. Bella noted that it wasn't as fast as she had previously thought when she awoke after the fire, but it was faster than average. She slipped her arms up closer to his neck, but she was careful not to strangle him. She could feel that he had a shirt on, which had the top few buttons undone. Her fingers grazed his chest accidentally as they moved and his skin was hard and smooth…and ice cold.

"You're freezing." She said. But he didn't answer. She didn't want to say anything else so she kept her mouth shut and kept her eyes forward. Everything was quiet, even this footsteps weren't loud on the earth below them. He wasn't even out of breath yet.

Soon there was a light ahead from the street lamps shining through the trees.

They emerged from the woods just down the street from Bellas house. Edward placed Bella easily onto the path so she could walk home. In the street light, Bella wanted to get a look at Edwards face. But he was still a few paces ahead of her, walking towards her house.

"Charlie will be worried about you. Better hurry home."

"Edward." Bella stood still as Edward paced on ahead. When she said his name, he stopped, and slowly turned back to face her.

Bella was lost for words. She had never seen anyone like this boy before. By the way he spoke, the way he carried her through the woods and his courage to venture into the fire to save her, she had assumed that he was an older man, maybe in this twenties. But this boy was no older than she was. And his skin was flawless and pale. He had bronze hair that was slightly tousled.

"Bella? Are you alright?" Edward asked when Bella did not speak. His voice snapped her back to reality.

"…Yeah. I, uh, just wanted to see your face, I suppose." Bella felt embarrassed but she caught Edward smiling a crooked smile that made her heart race.

"Come on, let's get you back to Charlie."

Bella and Edward walked side by side along Bella's street. Edward was no longer a few paces ahead, but they walked in sync with one another.

Suddenly, when Bella's house was just coming into sight Edward stopped walking. Bella turned to look at him, confused.

"Come on, my house is just over there." She said, pointing with her finger, and for the first time realising the crowd gathered outside her house and the flashing lights of the fire brigade.

"I better get home, it's getting late." Edward said, starting back the way they had just walked.

"Are you sure? I can drive you home if you just give me a minute. My trucks at the house. It's really the least I can do." Bella didn't want him to go so soon. She barely even knew him, and she wanted to know him more. He didn't even go to her school, she would have noticed him before. He must be home schooled, or maybe go out of town.

"It's okay. Honestly. I will walk." Edward smiled and took a half step toward Bella. "I'm glad you're okay, Bella." Then he quickly turned and walked in the opposite direction.

"Thanks, I guess." Bella breathed the words quietly as Edward was walking away. He looked back at her once as he walked, as if he had heard her. She watched as he walked away, wondering if she would ever see him again.

After Edward walked around the corner and was out of sight, Bella turned to make her way back to her house. As she done so she slammed into Sam Uley's huge frame.

"Oof! Sam! Sorry I didn't realise you were there." Bella said stepping back to look at him. Sam was from La Push, and knew Jacob and his friends. He was older than them, probably around 25. Bella got the impression that they didn't like Sam that much, which made her wonder why he was here.

"Bella. Charlie has been looking for you. Get home, now." Sam spoke in an authoritative tone, which made Bella feel like he was her dad. She didn't even have the guts to speak back to him. Sam was much like Jacob and the rest of the Quileute, except he was probably the tallest of them all. Bella reckoned it was because he was older as she walked silently beside him.

Bella could pick out Jacob, pacing back and forth outside her house. She could see Charlie, looking worried as he leaned over the hood of the cruiser. Other officers from the police department were walking around, cordoning off the obvious entrances to the woods. Jacobs' dad, Billy, was beside Charlie, and it was he that first spotted Bella and Sam.

Charlie quickly looked up and a wave of relief covered over his face as he raced in her direction.

"Bella! I'm so glad you're okay." Said Charlie as he grappled Bella into a bear hug.

"I'm sorry." Bella said into her father's chest. He wasn't letting go of her, but she could see Jacob and Billy behind him. And although she couldn't see him, she was aware Sam was still stood behind her. She noticed something odd, when Billy gave the slightest of nods toward where Sam would be standing, but it she didn't think it important and looked at Jacob. He didn't look happy either.

Charlie let go of Bella and just by the look that now covered his face, she knew he was over the relief and it was now anger that filled him. She knew it was going to be a long night, Charlie would shout at her for as long as he thought necessary, then she would be grounded. But despite this she couldn't stop thinking about Edward.

That night, after Charlie had given his verdict of being grounded for "the rest of your life", Bella made her way to her room. She knew that eventually, Charlie would calm down, and realise that it wasn't like Bella to skip school and purposely set fires in the woods, and would let her off of her grounding.

Bella sat in her room reading over and over the same page in her tattered copy of Romeo and Juliet. She knew the play inside out, but tonight it wouldn't sink in. She finally put the book down and let out a sigh. Her clock told it was already 1.15am. But she couldn't sleep. Edward was still on her mind. She had tried sleeping, and even though she was tired, she just couldn't shut her mind down.

She had so many questions about him running through her mind. Who was he? Why did he save her? How could he run so easily with her in his arms? Charlie hadn't even asked how she got out of the woods. Surely he would want to thank Edward if he knew? Surely Charlie knew something about him, considering Edward knew he Charlie was. Bella decided that after school tomorrow, she would tell Charlie about Edward.

She put out her bedside light, curled under the bedcovers, closed her eyes and waited for sleep to consume her.