I know this is a short one, but I do have the next chapter started already!

Can't wait to hear what you all think of this one!

Enjoy!

Also, please read Stripped by punkfarie! It is just deliciously awesome!

EPOV

"So we'll be back in three weeks?" I asked again, zipping up the last of the luggage. Renee nodded, marking off a checklist with Bella to make sure she'd packed everything that was necessary. She pulled out a few bags of gummi bears with a stern look and Bella grinned sheepishly, taking them and hugging them to herself.

"I need them," she tried. Renee shook her head and pointed to the table, still going through the checklist. I snuck them into my bag with a wink.

"Bella I want you to get an early night okay? No staying up to ungodly hours with Edward. Asleep by eleven," Renee said, folding up her list and putting it in her pocket. Bella frowned at her.

"I don't really control what time I get tired," she argued, shrugging.

"You need lots of sleep for the trip."

"But if I'm not tired at eleven I won't be able to sleep."

"Well trying to sleep is better than behaving like a crazed monkey with Edward," Renee muttered, rolling her eyes. "It's not negotiable, Bella," she called over her shoulder as she walked out of the room.

"Your face is not negotiable," Bella mumbled, scowling after her. I tugged her over by her waist, my nose diving into her hair as soon as she was close enough.

"I'll come keep you company," I promised. She looked up at me with a smile.

"Will you stay?" she asked, knowing the answer already by the sparkle in her eyes. I had spent every night with her lately and I wasn't about to change that just because I was going with her.

"You know they're going to kill me," I joked, leaning in for a kiss.

"I won't let them," she smiled, closing the distance between us, her eyes fluttering shut at the same time as mine.

Kissing Bella wasn't like anything else I'd ever experienced. Her lips were soft, warm and sweet – and my hands fit perfectly in the curve of her waist. Her fingers were gentle as they weaved through my hair and she always, always tasted like gummi bears.

"I love you," she breathed, lingering so close that her lips brushed against mine as she spoke.

"I love you," I echoed, pressing a small kiss to her nose. Eagerly, she reached up on her tip toes to kiss me again. I chuckled softly as I kissed her back, but we were interrupted as always by someone just barging into Bella's room. They really had to learn to give her some privacy if they were hoping to raise her like a normal girl.

Charlie cleared his throat uncomfortably, averting his eyes. Bella pouted as I pulled away and turned to him, not bothering to hide her annoyance.

"Dinner's here," he mumbled, staying put when she brushed past him. His eyes were trained on me as I pretended to look over my luggage one more time. "Edward."

"Yeah?"

"Dr. Cullen called Cystemaco and reported Bella a hazard," he blurted. When I turned around his face was a twisted expression of worry and confusion. "He knows she attacked that young girl in the mall. He wants them to take her back. They called us today and want us to take her for an evaluation."

"No," I said simply. There was no way she would get out of that place unscathed. I wasn't going to have her there – it was like dragging a steak into a lion's den.

"We don't really have a choice-"

"There's always a choice," I clipped, cutting him off. They could hide her, they could keep her safe and away from those vultures who were on Carlisle's side – trying to make her out to be an emotionless soldier so they could experiment on her guilt-free.

"They have power, Edward. More power than you can imagine. If they want her, they will find her and they won't let anything get in the way. I'm only letting you know about our detour out of courtesy, and so you can prepare Bella tonight."

"You can prepare her tonight."

"I'm not the one who's going to be spending the night in her room," Charlie challenged, raising an eyebrow. I figured this was his way of saying I could stay the night so long as I gave Bella a talk about going to Cystemaco. It was going to completely ruin our last night in this house.

"Our dinner's gonna get cold," I muttered, pushing through the doorway and heading down the stairs with Charlie close behind me.

***

Bella's steady breathing was hypnotic. She clutched my shirt gently, her lips pushing out with each exhale. She looked completely at ease sleeping on my chest. I didn't ever want to wake up to anyone else. She was just perfect.

As I looked down at her, I couldn't help but trail my fingers down her arm. I smiled as her skin formed goose bumps under my touch. She reacted to me even in sleep.

"Edward…"

The corners of her mouth turned up into a small smile.

"Morning, Bella," I whispered, brushing her hair away from her face and kissing her forehead like I did every morning.

"Not yet," she protested, snuggling into me and sighing with content when she found her little niche again.

"We have to leave in an hour," I grinned, digging my fingers into her ribs and tickling. Immediately, her body seized up and she began to giggle. She pushed me away playfully and sat up, blearily rubbing her eyes and stretching.

"I don't wanna go to stupid Cystemaco," she complained, yawning loudly. "They're gonna ask me stupid Carlisle questions and stupid stinking Carlisle is a douche. I hate him so much. I thought he was a nice dad but Charlie is a better dad than Carlisle. Carlisle is such a-"

"You guys dressed?" Emmett yelled from the other side of the door. I rolled my eyes as Bella looked at the door as if it had just asked her what sound a dog makes.

"Why the hell would we be naked?" she asked in response, her tone hilariously confused.

"You might wanna… leave with a bang," he replied, pushing the door open and grinning at me with a wink.

"And you've gotta be naked to do that?" she asked apprehensively. Right before she was leaving, she was finally figuring out that Emmett's mind was not always to be trusted.

"Well, I suppose you don't have to be naked."

"I don't think being naked around anything that explodes is a good idea. Just saying," Bella shrugged. Emmett laughed and flew over to Bella, easily throwing her over his shoulder and carrying her downstairs.

I followed after I had a shower and found Bella surrounded by my very anxious-looking family. Jacob was there too, looking more distressed then I'd ever seen him in my entire life. He was normally such a happy guy. Anyone would've thought that she'd been given a diagnosis of terminal cancer or something, when in truth she was leaving Forks for a few weeks. Sure, she wasn't going to live with us anymore, but Charlie kept assuring us that she was going to able to visit whenever she wanted as long as it didn't interfere too much with her education. If there was anyone that I thought I could trust, it was Charlie.

Esme was in the middle of giving Bella a long talk when I finally joined them. I took my place beside Bella and she reached blindly over to hold my hand. I took her little hand in mine and squeezed supportively as I noticed the tears trailing down her cheeks.

"And you'll be the best Bella that you can be, okay?"

"Okay, Esme," Bella choked, sniffling lightly. Esme leaned over and wiped some of her tears away, completely ignoring the tears that were dripping off her own chin.

"I'm so proud of you, honey. You've come so far from the girl we first met. You're a beautiful, loving, smart young woman."

"I'll never forget how much you've done for me," Bella whispered before straightening up and addressing everyone else. "You've all been so wonderful to me. I feel like I'm abandoning you all. But I promise I'm going to grow up with the Swans and make you all proud. I'm going to be the best person I can be and I'll have every single one of you to thank," she smiled.

"You're not abandoning anyone," Charlie promised, resting a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him, still smiling.

"You're the best father I could ask for," she told him sincerely.

"Wh- Uh…. thanks, Bells," he mumbled uncomfortably, clearing his throat and looking at the floor. Bella turned to Jasper.

"You've been a great friend and teacher, Jasper," she told him. He shook his head and looked away, embarrassed by his choices. She wouldn't have any of that. "I mean it," she said. He looked her in the eye, thanking her. "I wouldn't know half the stuff I know now if it weren't for you. And things could have been a whole lot worse for me in the office without you there." She turned to Rosalie next.

"Rose, we haven't been close for very long but I feel like you're a sister to me. You've taken care of me in ways that no one else would ever understand. The smallest things have always meant the most to me. And I see the way you are with Emmett – I hope you have kids one day because you'd make a fantastic mother." Rosalie choked up and nodded her thanks. Bella didn't know, but Rosalie probably wasn't able to have any kids because of an illness that she'd caught when she was a kid. I didn't know all the details, but Emmett was there when she found out and it completely devastated her – she wanted to be a mother more than anything in the world. "Alice. The best sister in the world," Bella grinned. She didn't get a chance to say anything more because Alice blubbered like a baby and pulled her into a hug, sobbing into her hair. When the estrogen-fest was over Bella walked over to Emmett and took his hands.

"Emmett Cullen. My big brother. One of my best friends. My Korben," she grinned. He grinned back. "I have one thing to say to you," she took a deep breath. "My name is Leeloo Minai Lekarariba-Laminai-Tchai Ekbat De Sebat." Emmett burst into laughter and hugged her.

"Good. That... that whole thing's your name, huh? Do you have, uh... a shorter name?" he asked, going along with her little game.

"Leeloo," she answered, and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Do one more," he demanded, looking a little misty.

"Um… okay," Bella agreed, trying to think of another quote from The Fifth Element. "Everything you create, you use to destroy."

"Yeah," Emmett smiled, wiping fiercely at his face. "We call it human nature."

***

Bella saved Jake for last, and took him outside to talk. I let them have their moment, helping Charlie and Renee with the bags instead. I thought back to the time when I thought Jacob would be a threat to me, and it occurred to be in that moment how ridiculous I had been about it. From the very beginning, it had been obvious that she was mine. My Bella. She didn't want to be with anyone else. She had always preferred me over everyone she met, and without any known reason. I would have to ask her one day, when she was more likely to understand her reasoning.

They came back looking puffy-eyed and linking arms. She hugged him warmly and he clutched the back of her shirt, begging her to come back soon. As if it weren't final. Of course we were going to be back soon.

"Love you, Jake," she sighed, kissing his cheek.

"Yeah, I love you too," he sighed back, pulling her into one of those hugs she hated – the one where he buried her head in his arms. Instead of fighting him off, she simply giggled and tried to tickle him but he wasn't ticklish. "Say it," he smirked, one arm holding her in a headlock while the other tortured her side with flutters that sent her into hysterical giggles. Playing one last game of Uncle.

"I'll pounce you!" she warned, gasping between laughs.

"You're not allowed to pounce," he reminded her.

"I'll break one last rule for you, stink-ass!"

"Stink-ass?" he echoed incredulously, tickling harder. She was giggle-putty in his arms. I leaned against the doorframe, smiling at the sight.

"You stink like a dog!"

"Say uncle!"

"I'm gonna pounce you so hard!"

"Say it!"

"No!"

"Say it!"

"You say it, stink-ass!"

"Say uncle or I won't stop!"

"FINE! Uncle!" she gave in, pulling away and clutching her sides while she caught her breath. Jacob was too busy laughing at her to notice her move into her crouch. She pounced him lethally, Jacob falling straight back onto the floor. I heard the wind being knocked out of him right before Bella erupted into evil little cackles. "Suck it!" she teased, wiggling her butt at him. He slapped it, causing her to squeak and run over to me. "He slapped me!" she complained, pointing at Jacob and pouting.

"You deserved it," I chuckled, bopping her nose gently with my finger.

"I kinda did," she admitted, grinning impishly.

"Ready to go?" Renee asked. I heard Bella gasp slightly. The time was here. She was leaving home.

We did the rounds, hugging and kissing everyone before making our way outside.

There was no way I expected to see Carlisle standing in our driveway. We froze in between the door and the car. Renee and Charlie, Bella and myself all in before Carlisle, a united front. He looked mad. Not angry – insane.

"You can't take her," he rasped. He looked like he hadn't slept in weeks. He was still in his work clothes even though we knew he hadn't been to work in days. I looked over my shoulder to find Esme and the others gathered just outside the door. It was us versus him. he had no chance if he tried to start anything.

"You have no right to be here," I told him. His eyes, which had been fixed on Bella, darted over to me.

"Edward," he begged. "Son, don't take her over there."

"Why should I trust you?" I challenged. He was obviously trying to make us believe he'd seen his wrongdoings and was trying to make up for it. Well, I wasn't going to fall for any of his shit. I saw Jacob move forward slightly and I went to tell him to stay where he was but Bella beat me to the punch.

"Jacob, its fine," she assured him.

"Bella," Carlisle began. I felt her tense and take a step closer to me. "You cannot trust James and Victoria. They want you to be a soldier. They know what you did to that girl. They think you're too dangerous to be a normal girl."

"Edward…" she breathed, worried by his words.

"It's alright, Bella," I whispered, rubbing her hand softly with my thumb. "It's fine. I've got you."

"Carlisle, thank you for your warning but we're fully equipped to deal with Cystemaco and their potentially ill intentions," Renee said politely. She continued her walk to the car then, taking Bella in tow.

"Dr Cullen, I suggest you leave now," Charlie warned when he didn't move.

"You can't take her," he rasped again, looking more manic by the second. It scared me.

"Get in the car, Bella," I muttered, pushing her further towards the car. Charlie took her from me as I went to usher Renee to the passenger seat. Bella noticed the panic in my voice, looking worriedly up at me.

"You get in, too," she demanded. I didn't get a chance to answer because a gunshot rang out. I flinched and looked around to find Carlisle pointing a gun. Charlie was on the ground.

Everything turned into chaos. I shoved Bella into the car and slammed the door shut as screams erupted from all angles. I ordered her to get down but her head whirled, eyes flying in every direction, scared for her friends. She begged me to get in the car, too. There was another gunshot and Carlisle staggered back. I ripped the gun from Renee's shaking hands as I shoved her into the car, too. I didn't even question where she pulled her own gun from – I didn't want to know. It wasn't even important. The family began running towards us. Bella needed to get out of this right now.

"Go!" I ordered.

Another shot.

Pain.

Burning, hot, searing pain. I fell to my knees.

Everything was going blurry. I could hear Bella's voice as everything else turned into a dull hum. She screamed my name as the car started. She screamed my name as the tyres spun. I could hear her screaming as the car tore away from me and everything faded to back.

Okay so like I said… there is another chapter already in the works! It's coming very soon! I won't leave it like this, I promise!