Title: Solstice
Author: marjorie16
Fandom: Twilight
Summary: This is a story mid New Moon. Edward leaves Bella. Bella befriends Jacob. The werewolves kill Laurent BUT Victoria gets passed the werewolves and bites Bella.

Laurent: "...but if you knew what she had planned for you, Bella..."

Well, what if you did?

* Third Person POV

CHAPTER 6

"I saw her, Edward!" Alice exclaimed. "She's alive!"

She rushed towards the circle of startled vampires convened in the living room.

"What did you see? I thought you said all you could see before was just darkness?" Rosalie said. Edward hasn't recovered from the shock. He did not know what to feel right now. What would he say to his Bella? Where would he start? Well, no matter. He had to find her first.

"I did." Alice turned to face her sister. "It was jet black before. But when I was on my way to Angela's, I was mindlessly still searching for Bella." She was now reminiscing the event. Her face, thoughtful. "And then, a sudden jolt of light pierced through her future. I'm not sure what that means. But, it was like she was trapped before and now she's not anymore."

"Where is she?" Edward whispered. He could clearly see in Alice's mind how the vision took place. The vision had already turned into reality. It was in a dark forest. He was not entirely sure if it looked familiar.

"Well, as to that…"

"What is it, Alice?" Jasper's voice was concerned.

"Well, I don't know where she is." She paused. "I knew where she was."

"What do you mean?" Carlisle asked.

"I… I saw her lying down on the ground. Her hair covered her face so I didn't really see how she looked. I bet she was… sort of sleeping. I'm not sure. When I looked further into her future, it went blank."

"Oh dear, 'blank'?" Esme's worried voice grew anxious.

"That doesn't get us any farther than where we were before" Rosalie's snide remarks were getting annoying, Edward thought.

"It doesn't make sense. I should be able to see her now that she's out of where ever she came from."

"We'll find her, Alice" Jasper said. He moved towards her lovely wife and comforted her. Edward was fully aware of what Alice was thinking and feeling. Like him, she was relieved to know that Bella still existed. Never ending darkness didn't do well with their optimism. But then, she also felt a pang of disappointment. She should be able to see her now. Nothing would be equally stress-relieving than to find her lost sister and her brother's mate.

How he wished he could still call Bella that.

"You said that she was in a forest." Jasper began. "Is it here in Forks?"

"I… I think so." It annoyed her to think in maybes. She was always sure of everything. "The trees don't grow that thick anywhere else. There was moss everywhere. We could safely assume that the forest is somewhere in West America. The vision held a wintry atmosphere."

"It shouldn't be that hard to locate Bella in the forests her. Her scent is…" Jasper hesitated, looking at Edward. "Distinct."

Edward did not know what to say to that. He thought it was fairly appropriate. He could find Bella now that the area had been pinned. Come to think of it, he would look for Bella where ever in the world she could be. There was only one place where he couldn't follow. And that was the one place he didn't want her not to go.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Emmett's playful voice echoed in the silent room. He stood from his chair. "Rose and I will take the border. Maybe go farther to Alaska."

"Right!" Alice's face lit up. "Jasper and I will take forests around Portland----"

"Wait." Jasper's stern voice interrupted her. "Alice, we have a problem."

But, Alice immediately saw what he was about to say. "Oh my god."

"We can't afford to travel in twos or even threes when there's an army out there." Carlisle stated.

"Oh yeah. What a coincidence." Emmett said. His enthusiasm, dimmed slightly. The Cullens didn't miss the note of possibility that rang in Emmett's statement.

A coincidence? The word was a little disconcerting, Edward thought. Bella was missing in a forest harboring a battalion of vicious vampires.

Realization struck. He must save her from becoming what he was. She must have her chance in heaven.

Even if it did not include him.

"We should move faster, then."

* * *

"Jacob, what are you waiting for?" Sam's voice echoed in his head. "Kill the vampire."

"It's Bella."

"What the hell?" Paul was not yet in the scene, but he could clearly hear the thread of the conversation. "Swan's a vampire now?"

Jacob Black could not believe it himself. The love of his life was staring at him with her dark coal eyes, no longer the lovely chocolate-brown he remembered. She stared at him expectedly. She was thinking the same thing he was thinking a moment ago.

Death.

Sam and the others have all arrived and was shocked at the sight of Isabella Swan's new appearance.

"Man, she reeks!" Jared cried.

"She's a vampire." Sam's voice said. "She eats humans now." He looked at the unconscious body lying on the ground. "Is he dead?"

"No, she didn't bite him. I got here before any of the theatrics started."

"Jacob, she's a threat to human safety. Kill her" Sam ordered. "Do you need help?" He moved forward to assist him. The others followed. They closed in on them. Encircled them.

Jacob couldn't make sense of how he was feeling. Bella is now the enemy. He should kill her. But he just couldn't do it. This was his fault. If he were stronger then, she would not be cold and dead right now.

He leaned away from his victim and turned to growl at his friends.

"What the hell?" Paul exclaimed. "Look at her! She's not your girlfriend anymore!"

"You. Will. Not. Hurt. Her."

"Have you gone mad!" Jared yelled.

"I think so, but I don't really care at the moment."

"You----------"

"Look" Sam's voice interrupted. "She's not trying to escape. She's not fighting back."

"She was like that when I pounced on her. Maybe she won't turn out to be dangerous like the others. Maybe…" he hesitated, but he could not hide in his thoughts. "…she could be like the Cullens." He spat at the name.

"No. No. No. We've got a vampire here. She was about to eat a close friend of not only your father but also her father. She couldn't tell friend from foe for god's sake. Kill her now." Paul ordered. "Or I will"

The wolf lunged towards the weak vampire. But Jacob was bigger. He intercepted the wolf's path with his huge body and bit the beast's right arm. The exchange alarmed the vampire who was unusually calm considering her position.

"Enough," Sam commanded. Paul stopped. He knew he had nothing on Jacob. Jacob was bigger, almost as big as Sam. Sam moved towards the vampire. Bella sat up and looked directly at the black wolf.

"She seems weak."

"We're not going to hurt her, Sam" Jacob declared.

"She could be useful to us."

"I agree. I'll change and then, she'll remember me. She won't hurt us when she recognizes me. She'll give us information." Jacob was trying his best to infuse logic in the conversation. He would need Sam's help to keep Bella safe from his brothers. "She could tell us who did this to her. Information, Sam. She's more useful to us alive."

Sam looked at the three wolves behind him.

"Hmmm… Okay. That's seems best, especially that she's weak right now. But, I won't take the risk taking human form around her. It will be easier to fight when we have the four-leg advantage. We're stronger in our wolf form."

"But, how will she know it's me? How would she talk to us?"

"I think she's going to wonder why we're keeping her. She'll talk. Now, come on. Let's bring her home."

* * *

As a matter of fact, Bella did talk.

The pack was on route to La Push. They wouldn't dare carry the vampire on their backs like they did with Harry. So, they had to move slowly to the pace of the weak vampire. Jacob could tell that she was exhausted. Amazing, actually. He didn't know vampires could tire.

He and Bella walked between the others when she started to talk.

"I don't know what you are," her high singing voice said. "But I know that you know what I am." She paused for a while. And then, like a human, she fell on the ground exhausted.

Jacob stopped but the rest of the pack was unalarmed. Dammit. He could not even help her.

"And I think you know who I am, too." She looked at him. Her eyes full of intent. Jacob had to admit, even as a monster, Bella was beautiful.

"I'm hungry." The whole pack froze. Paul and Jared were on guard, snarling.

Bella merely flinched.

"I've been buried alive. What do you expect?" She sighed breathless. "I need blood. Now."

"Jacob, we have to kill her."

Jared carefully dismounted the unconscious Harry on a tree.

"No! Wait!"

He could not stop them. Jared and Paul shoved him aside forcefully, caging him. Sam sauntered over to the helpless vampire.

"She can't fight you! Look at her! Stoooop!" He growled.

Behind a myriad of trees, a group of immortals ran briskly towards them.

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I'm sorry for not updating as fast as I did before. I think I've compensated by writing this very long, rather irritating chapter. The reviews I get are mostly about the evil cliffhangers. What can I say? I just can't resist writing one.

Anyway, I've already figured out how this is going to end. Rest assured, the ending won't be a cliffhanger. So, there'll be four more chapters, I think. Maybe. We'll see.

For those of you who have livejournal accounts, feel free to add me up. I go by "marjorie16". This story wasn't received as warmly there. I haven't posted this chapter there yet. I'm actually waiting for the comments to move up a notch. So, please, move it up a notch. Pretty please?

That's all! Enjoy theorizing!