I don't own Twilight!

Chapter Seven: Delayed

"Do you know where Edward is?" I repeated, because I didn't get an answer the first time I asked.

Alice and Jasper glanced at each other before Alice finally turned and faced me.

"No," Alice said quietly. She looked like she was worried I might hurt her even though there is no way I possibly could.

"What?!" I yelled louder then I actually meant to.

"Well, he was with Carlisle and Esme, but now he is on the run. He hasn't decided on his destination yet, so I can't see where he going to go," Alice explained in a rush.

"Do you think he is in trouble and he is running from something?" I asked, hoping that wasn't the case.

"No, it looks more like he is trying to find something," Alice said, and I could tell she wasn't really sure.

"What do you mean?" I asked. I was totally confused.

"Well, every once in a while I get a vision of him stopping and smelling the air around him," Alice explained. "It's almost as if he is tracking something, or someone."

"Who would he try to track?" I asked.

"I have no idea," Alice said, and then turned to Jasper. "Do you have any idea?"

"No," Jasper replied, and I could feel the frustration rolling off of him.

"Do you think Carlisle and Esme would know?" I asked while trying to fight off the frustration Jasper was still throwing at me.

"I don't…" Alice started to say "Jasper, enough with the frustration!"

"Sorry," Jasper said, and immediately felt the frustration disappear as it was replaced with the waves of calm Jasper was now sending out.

"As I was saying, I doubt if Carlisle and Esme would know, but it's worth a shot," Alice said.

"So, should we call them?" I asked.

"No, it would be better if we talk to them in person," Alice explained.

"Why?" I asked.

"Well, mostly because they felt horrible about leaving you, and I know they would love to see you," Alice explained.

"Okay," I said, feeling a little guilty that Carlisle and Esme felt so bad.

"Bella, you have no reason to feel guilty. This was Edward's bad choice, not yours," Jasper said when he felt my guilt.

"I know it was Edward's choice, but I still feel guilty," I said, but I felt Jasper calm me down.

"Now you don't feel guilty," Jasper said with a smug smile, which caused me to childishly stick my tongue out at him.

Jasper and Alice both laughed before Alice went to grab her purse off the coffee table.

"Let's go," Alice said as she started walking towards the door.

"Shouldn't we tell everyone we are leaving?" I asked, not wanting to be impolite.

"I suppose," Alice said before yelling at the top of her lungs, "WE ARE LEAVING!"

"God, Alice, did you have to yell so loud? I am guessing you could have used your regular voice and they would have heard you," I said while trying to get the ringing to stop in my ears.

"Sorry, but that was more fun," Alice said, and I rolled my eyes.

Everyone in the Denali clan, except Laurent, was downstairs two seconds later to say good-bye to us, and I thanked them all for letting me stay. I also promised to keep in touch with Tanya before Jasper, Alice and I walked outside. I no sooner took a breath of the clean, crisp air, however, when I stopped immediately. Laurent and Victoria came running out of the woods.

"Bella, would this be what you didn't want to tell me before?" Alice whispered.

"Yes. I heard them talking in the woods, Victoria wants me dead and Laurent agreed to help," I whispered back.

"How did you not see this coming?" Jasper whispered to Alice.

"I was too busy looking at Edward's future," Alice whispered back.

"Well, it looks like this is going to be easier than I thought," Victoria said while looking at me menacingly.

"Think again," Alice said, as she and Jasper stood in front of me so I was blocked from Victoria's line of sight.

"You think that the two of you are going to stop the two of us?" Victoria asked, as if it was the craziest thing she had ever heard.

"Yes," replied Alice, and I saw her give Victoria a sweet smile, which caused Victoria to growl.

Alice and Jasper ran forward, and before I could blink, Jasper was fighting Laurent and Alice was fighting Victoria.

I closed my eyes because I couldn't bear to see Jasper or Alice get hurt. Plus, the blurring motions they were making as they fought were making me dizzy.

The fight continued around me as I kept my eyes tightly shut. If I had been smarter, I would have run into the house to get help, but I was frozen in fear. I did my best to block out the growling and groans that were going on, but it was no use. I heard everything that happened.

Finally, I heard a sound that I was expecting, yet dreading. The screeching sound of metal being ripped apart filled the air. It was the sound of a vampire being dismembered. As soon as I started to smell smoke, I cracked my eye to see who had won and who had lost.

I exhaled the breath I was holding when I saw Jasper throwing parts of Laurent into the flames.

"Are you okay?" he asked, and I nodded.

Jasper kept glancing towards the fight that was still going on, and I could tell he was worried about Alice. I was, too.

Just then the front door burst open, and everyone came running out. I heard Irina shriek as she saw what Jasper was doing.

"He was helping Victoria," Jasper explained. "I didn't have another choice."

Victoria heard the rest of the Denali clan joining Jasper and I, and she realized immediately that she was outnumbered. Before Alice could react, she ran at full speed back into the woods.

Alice came running over to us, and I was relieved to see she didn't have a scratch on her.

"We have to go," Alice said as she pulled me to the car that was sitting in the driveway.

I looked back at the Denali house as we pulled away, and saw the whole coven trying to comfort Irina as she sobbed by the flames that held Laurent's ashes. I felt horrible for Irina, but I knew there was no other choice.

I turned back around and was relieved we were finally on our way after our little delay. My relief turned to excitement as I realized I would soon see Esme and Carlisle again.

AN: Thanks to my beta fnmom68! REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW PLEASE :)