First of all-ignore my extremely lame attempt at a funny chapter title. You'll get it later.

On another note, I am sooo supremely sorry that this took so long to write. I just got distracted, forgot about everything and just kind of melted down. But now I have all of my work OFF the laptop and on the actual computer, which should help, no more searching for stupid wireless internet! I'm really going to try to do better, definitely not daily updates, but maybe one every week or two? I'm trying to finish my homework (gag) before I get home so I have time to write, which so far, I've been succeeding in, but…who knows… no promises, but I really hope you'll wait for the chapters and not give up on me!!

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Bella's POV

True to his word, Edward decreed that we leave the night after. I still hadn't eaten anything, simply because I was repulsed at the thought of eating anything that was supplied by vampires. At precisely eleven the next night, they all walked toward the door, like a silent command had been given. I was still in bed, due to my complete lack of energy and my complete inability to move. Emmett, as I had learned his name to be, came back to where I was lying and picked me up, slung me over his shoulder, and carried me out the door, to the parking lot, and sat me down in the Volvo. He and Jasper climbed into the back one either side of me, Alice and Edward in the front. Edward drove, Alice sat in the passenger seat. Edward leaned forward, pinching the bridge of his nose, as was usually his position. He shook his head gently, then pulled out of the lot with his headlights off.

How long we'd been driving, I didn't know. How long I had been on this dark road with no light to guide the way, I didn't know. How I had survived for nearly a week and a half without food, I didn't know. I was ravenous. And every time I realized my hunger, I thought of them and how they must feel after a week without food. But that always made me shiver and made everyone in the car look at me. So I did everything I could to draw my thoughts away from my hunger. I tried thinking of home, but when I found a tear rolling down my face I quickly dissolved that thought. Crying was unacceptable now. I had to stay strong. I wouldn't let them see I was weak. I couldn't.

Evidence shown by the traffic signs, we were in Canada now. We crossed the border fifty five minutes ago. I had resigned myself to counting, seconds, minutes and hours. It would make me mad, but I wouldn't think of what I was missing. Or them. We'd passed Vancouver, on our way to Alaska. Alaksa. Cold, unfeeling Alaska. Like them. They hadn't said a word the entire trip, moved, but I had the feeling that they were communicating. A slight nod of the head, widening of the eyes, subtle things that most others wouldn't pick up. But that's all I could do. Watch and think. Communication like that was going on now. The way Edward's head was cocked and how Jasper was leaning forward. Some exchange was going on here.

Then, with such force and suddenness that I was slammed into the back of the seat in front of me, Edward pulled off the rode. He stopped right at the edge, not a tire over the curb. How he did that, I had no idea. But he yanked his door open, Jasper and Emmett leaving around me. They were all on the opposite side of the car. No words were said. But, Alice, still in the passenger seat, stayed behind while the others disappeared into an invisible wood on a dark highway. I sighed internally, leaning back against the seat, calculating my odds of escape. I imagined myself sprinting down the highway…then falling down. Maybe I should hide in the forest until they decided to leave, but there would be no way to get home. I was over one hundred miles away from home. Shaking my head, I rid myself of the thought. I closed my eyes, continuing the count.

Fifty seven minutes, forty eight seconds. Forty nine seconds. Fifty. Fifty one.

I continued counting until I reached sixty. A full hour away from home. Only an hour to drive one hundred miles. Vampires had super speed; did they need absurdly fast cars as well? I opened my eyes gradually, finding myself staring straight into two dark gold eyes. Alice was turned slightly around in her seat, gazing at me with the curiosity that only she could possess. Her gaze was intoxicating, I couldn't pull away from it, couldn't avoid it. Her eyes weren't cruel, like Edward's, but they still frightened me.

Then I realized she wasn't really looking at me anymore. Her gaze was in the same place it was before, on me, but it was like she was looking inside me, her eyes glazed over.

Then she was really looking at me again. She half-looked up, then got out of the Volvo, coming around to my side at a false human speed. She yanked my door open, standing behind it.

"Get out of the car."

Her voice held a certain humor that I couldn't decipher.

I looked to my sides, confused.

"Just do it."

Still the same tone of humor.

I did as she said, standing in the middle of the highway. She pulled me back a few feet, completely out of line of the door I just exited. Me, still confused, just stumbled along, eyes wide with puzzlement.

Alice looked skyward. "We still have about five minutes…" she mused.

I decided to take a chance and ask a question.

"Five minutes to…?"

It appeared that she suddenly became aware of my presence.

"Oh. I completely forgot. You have no idea about me, do you?"

"Hmmm…" She continued speaking. "I'm not sure Edward would want you to know…mmm." She shook her head gently, her black, spiky, pixie-like hair falling in little waves over her eyes.

"I suppose…no…maybe…uhuh." After every "Maybe" her eyes would glass over, then she'd deny the plan. It was like she was seeing the result of her possible decisions.

"Damn."

I was surprised at the curse, completely random and unexpected. But then, I saw her reasoning.

A deafening crack of thunder sounded out and Jasper appeared, flying from some impossible force, from out of the woods, crashing into the closed door of the car. He fell limp, sliding off of the door, leaving a huge dent in the silver Volvo. I stared as Edward appeared from the woods, his breaths coming in angry pants, glaring at Jasper with eyes that could have bled, had that been possible. He continued walking toward Jasper, looking like he had the intentions of murder, but Alice intervened.

"Stop it, Edward."

His eyes still smoldered.

"Just stop it. This is stressful for all of us. The last thing we need to do is turn against each other. Carlisle is expecting us back when things are safe. All of us."

She paused.

"Breathe, Edward."

He glared at her.

"I meant that metaphorically."

He closed his eyes. A deep breath sounded from his chest, expanding the same muscles that had killed sixteen, should've killed me, could've killed his brother. I shuddered, near the breaking point. Driven mad from avoidance of memories, falling into a chance near-death situation with a vampire, and ending up near starvation by choice certainly could do that to anybody.

Emmett appeared from the dark woods, taking in the scene, a slight grin on his face. Alice turned to him, distracting herself from Edward momentarily.

"Emmett?" She said, giving a small gesture with her head toward the Jasper-shaped dent in the car.

He gave a gentle nod, that silly grin still on his face, and opened the damaged door that was across from me. He gave it a quick glance, then pressed, what appeared to be gently, on the bump on the inside of the door. A loud "pop" sounded out, then, when the door was closed; it appeared that nothing had ever happened to it, except for a few miniscule scratches in the paint.

Edward's POV

Shame.

Complete and utter shame.

The only things that I felt at this point.

What it was that Jasper and I had fought about, I didn't want to recount, but my reaction was unforgivable. It was more like something Emmett would do. But this time, it turned out that Emmett was the one fixing it, and I was the problem that needed fixing.

To avoid thinking about what had happened, I was scanning, intrusively, through my family's thoughts.

Edward, that jerk.

…Jasper. Hopefully he's not too hurt…

…way out of line. I shouldn't have said…

Stupid highway. Gotta reach home before sunup…just passed twenty mile marker…two hundred miles to go…

The random thoughts startled me. The twenty mark…we'd just passed that sign half a minute ago. Some human was out at this time of night, trying to get home, driving in the same direction that we were…

I barely had time to react when the red Corvette swung around the bend.

(A/N: I almost ended the chapter here, but I decided I owed you guys more than that for the long wait. So I continued)

Instinct.

Instead to kill, to save. Running around the car. I grabbed Bella by the arm and slung her on top of the car. At the same time, still holding onto her arm, I swung around the back of the car, avoiding getting hit by the car going nearly as fast as we normally drive. I winced as I heard the loud 'clang' from the Corvette driving just a little too close, the right mirror lay shattered on the highway.

When the car disappeared, I pulled Bella off the top of the car, swinging her down against my knee, my arm supporting her back. Then, realizing the awkward situation I had just placed myself into, I, very ungracefully, dropped her. I took a few steps backward, keeping my face away from her.

Bella's POV

It wasn't until my head hit the pavement that I realized what had happened.

Why had Edward saved me? They intended for me to die anyway. Was Rosemary wrong? Impossible. She knows. Her life is shaped around this family, she knows their intentions. Or does she?

Were they really as evil as she made them out to be?

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There you go! A chapter! I definitely enjoyed writing this, and I'm really glad that I FINALLY got it out! Lots of Volvo abuse, a little bit of awkward chemistry, maybe romance coming up soon? Nah, not divulging my secrets. But I really really really hope you'll review and that you're not too mad at me for not posting in so long! I promise to do better!