This one answers some questions! I think I'm about half way done this story, so stay tuned for the ending!

Chapter 8: Running

Edward's Point of View

My sweetest dream, my angel, she was running away from me and my family. I felt so awful. She had to know that even if she did not love me anymore, she would be able to be with my family. I would not make my darling suffer. I would love her from far. It would hurt so much more knowing she was out there. I would gladly be the one running along the country side. She could take my place, marry Max, whatever. As long as she was happy.

I thought quickly of the Voultri, but took it back as I thought of my second reason for life, Renesmee.

My little girl. I never thought I would be able to say that, never dreamed, never imagined. Bella had made it all possible for me, and that just made me love her more. I wanted what was best for her, which I had thought could be me. Now I saw another possibility. I almost cracked a smile at how the other possibility was Jacob last time.

Thinking how awkward it would be for Renesmee when she grew up and heard about Jacob's er… unclean thoughts about him and her mother. I wish I could be there when they relived that to her. That would be quite the day.

On second thought, maybe we should wait until Jacob and she are married.

But, then again, I wouldn't mind it if Renesmee took a break from her werewolf friend for a while.

My beautiful little girl, how could I leave this world with her still here? She still would need her Daddy for so much. I thought quickly about my brothers and father. Surely, they could make up for whatever I would miss out on teaching her.

My thoughts were simple now. I would have to go in there, tell Bella that I wanted her to stay with our family and not come after me. I would tell her to continue dancing, tell her she looked beautiful and that I got the hint about coming back 'tomorrow'. Of course, she had meant 'tomorrow' in vampire terms, which means she is not coming home. There is just one long day for us vampires.

Then, I would just go. Maybe swim to Italy, depending on how I felt about that.
As I neared the club, I found Alice again. I don't want to stand here. I can't do this. I know we can't run after her, she told us there was a good reason not to. I just hope she calls soon so we can explain it to the others… and Edward.

I feared the worst. I could not tell if the image in her mind was of the real Bella leaving or one of her visions again. I needed to find Rosalie, or her mind, or some human.

I was outside of the club when I noticed that there was a line to get in. There was no way I could get inside in time to save Bella from running away from her family. I had to do something!

All of a sudden I noticed a group of humans with the same image of Bella running out in her pretty blue dress. The men were wondering who had bothered such a fine lady, and the girls were jealous of her perfection.

She had run, and I could not tell through which exit. I was hopeless. I walked around the club slowly, trying to catch her scent rather than anyone else's.

Rosalie, Alice, Jasper, and Emmett made a little circle around me.

"Freeze, Edward!" Emmett called.

We probably looked like a gang.

"No, I will not," I said, trying to push Emmett out of the way, of course that wasn't possible he was and always will be stronger than me.

"Edward, listen," Alice said, "Bella told us to stop you, she said it was for our own good not to follow her. I can't see what is happening to her, all I see is her running and running… I think she meets up with Max but I cannot be certain, it's all hazy from there you know that, I know you see it in my head Edward, I am not lying to you. Nor could any of us ever."

My face was contorted into an unpleasant way. I could not stand this any longer. Now my family too was in full support of Bella with Max, oh who am I kidding, of course their thoughts were that they were just friends blah blah BLAH. I KNEW better. Max was not an innocent man and where ever she is running with him is not safe. It cannot be. I know she would never listen to me now, so I cannot help them find her and warn her.

"Alright, alright! I'll stop! I'll just be on my way home now."

I would do the best thing I could for the reason of my existence, I would tell my family my last wish was for them to find Bella and warn her that Max was dangerous a lot more than we think, as long as she knew that, and was happy, then I give my full support, and I would die happily.

I quickly wrote a note and left it on the bed in what used to be me and Bella's room and went downstairs to talk with my family and play some music one last time. Someone would find my note there, if anyone, Renesmee.

I did not say exactly that it was my dying wish, because then of course it would be obvious I was going to Voltera.

I also avoided Alice's visions by thinking about going other places, making other plans in the future. I hoped I could pull that off long enough.

Bella's Point of View

What does he think he is doing?! Coming here? If he saw me finding him, why didn't he use his little brain and skedaddle?


My mind was filled with so much rage, that my mental shield was becoming more and more powerful. For fear that it might become more of the physical shield that Emmett and I had worked on for some time, telling Alice I would call her and explain later, I found my exit.

"I will call you guys, I will. Just let me get out of here, I'll explain in the phone call but don't run after me and don't let anyone else, okay? I don't want to hurt my family." I zoomed out of the club after these words.

What was Edward thinking? One night with my sisters. One night. He has to go and ruin it. There must have been something wrong with him; something must have been messed up. It was dark outside, so nobody could see me as I almost flew by into the suburbs in a matter of a few minutes. When I found some forest, I ran into it and picked up speed. I knew I had to call someone soon, so they would not worry about me, but right now all I could think about was running. Keep running, Bella. I said to myself over and over.

I was not about to let Edward find me, I was pretty sure my shield was physical right now and would probably whack him back so far it would hurt his vampire body. Not only that, but I was going to forgive him, because I knew how much I owed him, to respect him and find out what was wrong.

Why was I so blaringly angry at him, why was I so completely uncontrollable like that? There was something wrong. I knew it.

Instead of running, I should be next to Edward working this out… my pace slowed.

I tried to make my shield calm down, but the bubble around me was blaringly red. I sat down quietly. Calm down, Bella, calm down. It was not working.

This was so unlike me. These past few days had been so unlike me! When would I ever think about running from Edward? Even if he was not apologizing, when had I ever thought I could possibly run away from him? Something weird was going on with me, and I just couldn't put the pieces together.

The thought struck me at the exact same second that the smell did.

Max.

He was approaching the clearing, my thoughts were going a mile a minute, or maybe more like a second.

Edward might be right about this one. Max said he had the ability to test love, and late one night he told the family about his ability to mess and confuse a love that was younger than him, a love that was weaker than him. He had declared the tests involuntary.

Our love. My love. It was younger than he was. He had not been able to mess around with Alice and Jasper, Carlisle and Esme or Rosalie and Emmett because their love was older than he.

My vampire mind looked back to those first evenings we spent with Max, and my mind struck a question that Renesmee had asked him before we had gone hunting. My mind whizzed out of control as all the pieces fit together.

"Max? Are you in love with anyone? Do you have a mate?"

"No, I'm still in love with the woman I was with about ten or so years ago. I was changed into a vampire before my death from cancer, I was told I could not speak to my human family," he sighed, looking down in dismay.

He had only been changed ten years ago so of course our young love was weaker than him. The only way to overcome this curse was to complete the test, but he had never seen it done before because the couple was so repulsed by each other by the end.

Of course, why hadn't I thought about that? Our love was susceptible to his test, and I should have known that! Edward should have too. Everyone should have!!!

I remembered the conversation exactly. Of course I did. I was a vampire.

"My power has this weird way of working on its own; it's a part I have not yet learned to control. It only affects two people in love that are younger than me in vampire years."

So, everyone assumed that since Edward was many decades old that the test would not affect us. Well, it did not affect both of us, just me. That is why I was pulling away, while he was clinging. It was just me that spun all of this up in my mind. I was the crazy one!


"BELLA!" Max shouted as he was a few yards away from the clearing.


Max had arrived, "Max!" I called, excited that I knew how to fix this.

"Bella, Bella! Don't you see? Your love with Edward is being tested by me! I was so wrong! I thought that if I ran away, the test would stop and you two could go back to normal, but I was wrong! It works the other way! If I go away the test gets stronger, so I must be near you until you complete the test, so that it weakens and the two of you can see more clearly. When I started coming closer, could you see more clearly how insane you were being to doubt your love with your husband?"

I nodded my head.

"Quickly, Bella, follow me," he started running north.

"Where are you going, Max?"

"I will explain as we run. Just run with me."

**********

It was about two or three hours into our run, before I began to get weary. Max had yet to explain anything, and I had yet to call Alice, well actually, I would call Edward too.

I pulled out my silver cell phone and dialed Alice first thinking she could give me some answers as to where I was going exactly—keeping my fast running pace next to Max the whole time.

She picked up before the first millisecond of the first ring, "BELLA!" She screamed into the phone.

Max looked over at me, and he mouthed to me, 'You can tell them you're with me, just do not tell them the direction we are headed, it's for their own good. I think I can explain as soon as you are off the phone.'

"Alice! I'm fine, honest. Have you seen anything as to what I am doing?"

"No, it's all blurry. I thought I saw Max with you but then he disappeared and then you did too! What's going on?!"

"Max is with me, there is a problem Alice, and I have to help him, that's all I can say and really all I know. I'll try to stay safe, promise."

"Okay, Bella. Love you, sister, stay safe. Don't forget to come back home to us."

"I will, Alice."

Honestly, though I had no idea what would happen. Max had yet to explain this. On the other end of the phone, I heard Edward singing and playing his piano version of 'Wherever You Will Go' softly in the background, attaching my name to every line.

I wanted to turn around and run to him! I felt so weak because of the attachment I had to him. Thank goodness Max was here and I could see clearly how much I loved him. The questioning from the test had been forced into my brain but those thoughts were so insignificant, and so easily worked out that they were completely ignored and out of my thoughts.

"Alice, can I uhm, talk to Edward, please?" The notes on the piano ended abruptly and I could almost see Edward spring up, his face illuminated with hope.

I heard Renesmee running down the stairs, "IS THAT MOMMY ON THE PHONE?"

Alice held her back, "Hold on, Neisse, she wants to talk to your Daddy first."

"Edward?" I said, in a sort of out of breath sort of way. Or in other words, the way a vampire sounded when she was running so fast it would be a blur to human eyes.

"Bella, love?" he said, letting out a deep breath, like me saying his name in a caring way was enough to lift two tons of weight off his shoulders. I was not sure what question he was asking me: if it was really me, or if he was allowed to refer to me as his love again.

Max cursed, ran over to me and my phone, plucked it out of my hand, and smashed it in his hand.

"Bella the cell phone, we can be tracked easily with one of those on us. I'm so stupid, I can smell them nearing us."

I was angry, "Sooo, you couldn't let me finish telling my husband that I love him?"

"Oh, I- I am sorry, Bella. We may be able to call him later. I guess I will tell you what is going on now," he said, never slowing down.

I was still angry at him. I just needed to tell Edward three simple words, but I hesitated and in my moment of hesitation, the cell phone that would carry my message had been destroyed. I supposed telling him in person would be ideal, but that opportunity would not be given to me for who knows how long.

I listened as Max explained to me the very complicated problem he had gotten himself and the Cullens into.

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(: thank you, readers and reviewers!