BPOV

Jasper had gotten us to the car before we broke down. Though I was still in a daze, tears fell down my face and soaked me shoulder, that one courtesy of Jasper. This was the first time he'd cried since the… murder, and I hoped this was the last. It was almost physically painful to see, or even know, that Jasper was crying. As a younger sibling, even if we don't share all of the same genes, I looked up to Jasper, and when he broke down like this, it was like there was no hope at all.

My phone rang a few times; both ours did. And we both knew it was probably our mom, thinking so surely that we had finally gone over the edge. She probably saw whatever station was playing that news clip, and got worried about us. Always on the defensive. Bets are on whether or not she crashes all things supporting the news until this all dies down.

For the twentieth time, Jasper's phone rang. He groaned, put on the emotionless mask he always wore, and answered.

"Mom? Yeah, we're okay. We're going to be about for a bit longer." His voice sounded more dead than usual. "No, we're fine. I'll keep her away from that. Yes."

Without saying good-bye, he hung up and slipped the phone back into his pocket. He picked me up by my arms gently and moved me into the passenger's seat while he slid into the driver's.

"We're going to the dealership." Jasper stated shakily over the roar of the engine as he started my car. "It's still your birthday and I'm not going to let you go without celebration."

My head popped up. What was the date…? September 13th. A Friday, at that, how cliché. Damn, no wonder Jasper was actually smiling today.

"Jasper, no. We should go home. Mom's worr—" I started with new-found nervousness.

"She knows nothing of my plans, but I told her we're going to be out for a bit." Jasper sprouted a sly smile, watery as it was, and he sped out of the parking lot as fast as my ancient truck would allow. We left an orchestra of honks and beeps behind us. That's my Jasper.

Luckily, my truck's top speed is a whooping… 55 miles an hour. Speed demon, isn't it? Considering it's old enough to be my grandfather's car… I'm just lucky it runs.

Not even ten minutes later had Jasper pulled up to a very expensive-looking car dealership. My jaw dropped, much to my misfortune, at how completely beautiful and stylish they were. But I noticed one thing—

Not one of them was the same brand.

And then I noticed that nobody else was here.

And then that we were in what looked like a car show.

And last, Jasper's torturous smile directed at me while he waved to a man, standing in front of it all. I recognized him as… gulp… my mom's car dealer. And my mom was a near billionaire. Put the pieces together, and you get a very expensive, European car that has yet to come out in the U.S. and a very large bill.

"Jasper, that's not who I think it is, is it?" I asked

"Oh, it's exactly who you think it is." Jasper sneered playfully. I shoved him back, causing him to hit the window. It cracked. "Oh, nice going, Bella. Now we're really going to have to get you a new car."

I groaned.

"Come now, o sister of mine." Jasper said, jumping out of the truck and striking a heroic pose. For the first time in a while, I laughed truthfully. "For we have a quest. A quest for the holy grail!"

I kept on laughing, even earning a few chuckles from Jasper, but all that disappeared when he knocked on my window. I glared at him with all my hate, pulling it from all my memories. He held a stern face for a few seconds before breaking out laughing. And somehow I still managed to hold my glare.

"Bella. It's a gift. I'd be hurt if you didn't accept." Jasper gave a pitiful smile once more before tugging my door open and tossing me over my shoulder before I could latch myself onto the seat.

"Jasper! Let me go!" I shrieked after a few seconds. I was actually in shock that he would do something so brotherly, not only in front of anybody, but just less than an hour after being reminded of Alice's death. He really must be dedicated to giving me a good birthday.

"Ah, Mr. Swan!" The car dealer, Mr. Elan, greeted Jasper from behind me. "So nice of you to keep your appointment."

"Couldn't you have at least chosen a less…" Jasper trailed off, and then started again. "The car show scared Bella."

"I'm sorry to hear that, but I needed to get ready for this afternoon." Mr. Elan snapped, losing some of his cheery outlook. "But I really have to finish getting ready, so if you'll just come here please…"

Jasper set me down and grabbed my shoulder tightly to make sure I wouldn't run away. We followed Mr. Elan through the silvery white dealership. Our footsteps echoed through the halls and rooms, but nothing whispered back their presence, telling me that this place was deserted.

"So, how many cars are you showing today?" Jasper asked disinterestedly.

"Twenty-five, or so. More arrived this morning." Mr. Elan said proudly. "Saab is paying a lot for this, since their cars make up most of my showcase. There are also a few custom made ones. That are considerably more aerodynamic than factory-line ones, but their frames are very intricate and require hand-made parts and can't be assembled in a factory. They are by far the most expensive but best."

"I didn't ask for a lecture." Jasper said politely. Mr. Elan fumed. "I just want Bella to have her birthday present."

Mr. Elan's eyes tightened as he showed us to a separate part of the large showing hall. Something jingled from within his pocket as he pulled an object out and handed it to Jasper, who pressed it into my hand. They were keys, with a Volvo logo on it.

I looked up from my feet to see a shiny silver Volvo parked beside a pedestal. Pulling Jasper with me, I examined the interior, with was a dark navy blue leather. But what really caught my eye was what was on the dashboard. On the speedometer. It was the last little number that said—

"Two hundred miles an hour?" I spun on Jasper, who smirked.

"I had the company personalize it." Jasper said between his teeth, but that was only to keep from laughing at me expression. I admit, I must have looked funny, in my state of smiling at Jasper for getting me a car, glaring at him for the same reason, and being shocked that he had it personalized.

"You really shouldn't have." I scolded him half-heartedly. And then I hugged him. "But thanks anyway."

"Anything for my sister." Jasper said calmly. "And to think; 20's a big birthday. Just one more year until you can drink."

I laughed and squeezed Jasper once more before letting go.

"How are we getting both cars home?" I asked.

"I'm driving your old truck to the…" Jasper gauged my expression before continuing. "Dump."

I clenched my teeth together to keep from gasping, but that didn't stop my wide eyes. I had had that truck since I got my license, and I hadn't been planning on letting it go after four years of good service.

"Bella, you have a new car now." Jasper pleaded. "And the truck's going to die in a time measured only in days. It's time you let it go."

He turned on his heel and ran off in the other direction before I could yell at him again, but it was only until after I heard a door close in the distance that I looked back at the Volvo.

It was nice.

I opened the door and sat down in the driver's seat, my hands on the wheel.

It was comfy.

I groaned. Why did Jasper have to know me so well?

Closing the door and putting my seat belt on, I turned on the ignition, expecting to hear a thunderous roar echo through the showing room, and was quite surprised to hear a soft purr emitting from the engine, almost like a happy cat.

A light tap on the flimsy gas pedal jolted me forward. The speedometer momentarily spiked up to 60mph before settling back down at 0. Even more carefully, I supplied the tiniest amount of pressure to the sensitive pedal and the Volvo began inching forwards. A little more weight had me going at 10 miles an hour.

The wall at the end of the room opened up like a garage door, allowing me access to the parking lot. I waved to Jasper timidly upon seeing him climbing into my suddenly less-appealing lump of rust. Compared to my new Volvo, what wouldn't be?

I pulled out of the parking lot and drove around town for a test drive of the car. I quickly got used to the speed, as much as I hated to admit it, and it actually felt nice to be able to go the speed limit without hearing your engine whining.

The freeway called to me, and I instantly answered that call. After a few minutes, I realized that nobody else was there, as far as I could see, and I decided to floor it. But going 175 mph in less than twenty seconds is more than a little scary. And a car was coming.

I slowed down to the legal speed limit of 60 mph as I neared the car. Curiously, I looked at its license plate. My mother and I had always tried to find cars that were out of state.

It was a car from Maine. I would know these things.

Its number was 473-FRX.

It was a black Mercedes, shining in the sunlight.

EPOV

After a while, I gave up hope that a car would notice this one. My captors had made a very clean getaway, and this would be no different. No doubt they had taken care to go onto the least populated highways during the least populated hours.

I had tried to sit up against the door, as a way to pass time. The strategy of trying to get up while taking care to not agitate my wounds would keep my mind busy, my protesting body screaming in pain keeping me going. Besides, the cool glass of the window would do wonders to soothe my facial wounds.

Carefully, I pressed my left leg down, ignoring the ferocious fire in my fractured bone. I could practically feel the bone rubbing against its other, broken half, threatening to break. I hissed under my breath at the pain.

With so little energy it even surprised me, I heaved myself to a sit, and collapsed against the window and door with a soft thump. My eyes flew to the men in the front two seats to make sure they didn't hear it, but they were still arguing. I relaxed, hoping for sleep to take me forever. I couldn't go on like this. Not when I was in pain every waking moment. Not when I was dead to the world, never to be found and only to be tortured.

The soft hum of an engine crept into my ears. It sounded like a purring cat, something I hadn't heard in so long. I remembered Christmases with my extended family, and how they would sometimes bring their black and white cat Sylvester to play. I always got sick.

In the next few seconds, a silver gleam appeared behind me, presumably the car, but the men still argued, and it wasn't like I was going to alert them to this person.

The hum was louder now, and the car pulled up by my window.

I dragged my eyes up to look at the driver, and was stunned to see a woman.

Not any woman, oh no. This was Bella.

Her beautiful brown eyes locked to mine, stunned, but I'm sure mine mirrored their shock. She mouthed 'Edward,' and I knew she remembered me. I let a hopeful but considerably weak smile take over my worn features.

"Hey!" I was startled out of my sliver of hope when the man in the passenger seat yelled out, breaking the argument he and his companion had. He had spotted Bella. My heart stopped momentarily when I saw him reaching for his handgun.

"NO!!" I screamed, though it was muffled by the filthy rag in my mouth. But, where I had found the energy to even speak was beyond me. Spazzing out, I aimed a high kick the seat in front of me, the passenger seat, with my good leg, which sent it pressing forward. There was a sharp thump as the man's head hit the airbag, which went off. I heard a snap.

Meanwhile, the gun he had been holding slipped, aiming it at me. Another jerk of the dead man's body in the front seat set it off, and the bullet hit me in my side, just below the ribcage. I was at least thankful for that; I didn't want a broken rib or bone in addition to a bullet wound. But I still screamed.

A stench entered my throat, one that I recognized as the bile-coated rag in my mouth. Cringing in disgust, I forced it out of my mouth with my tongue, nearly puking again at the taste of it, but fresh air was worth it.

Taking one last look at the driver, who was struggling to stop his swerve, I kicked the dead man's belt, hearing the jingle of the handcuff keys. I could feel blood trickling down my side, stinging my skin with its heat, and my limbs losing some of their feeling, but I maneuvered the tip of my ragged shoe around the keychain from outside his pocket until I could see a gleam of cold silver peaking out.

I was faintly aware of the blurred landscape, signifying a race. Out of the corner of my eye, Bella's silver car was keeping up easily, while still keeping that feline purr smooth as silk.

Almost there, I thought upon seeing a flash of striking green. A sign. Literally. We were getting close to a town. Balancing the key ring on the tip of my shoe, I carefully brought it closer to me, and then I dropped it on the seat, where my hands picked it. The driver swerved to the left, almost making the keys go down the crack between the backseat and the door, but I caught them, much to my relief.

Freedom was not slipping away this time.

A/N: Should something bad happen? Personally, I thought that getting Edward back was too easy this way...

Review or PM me to let me know what should happen!
Kylie M.