Disclaimer. All publicly recognizable characters, settings etc., are the property of their respective owners. The original characters, ideas and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. I only do this for fun. –B

Chapter 15
(Edward's POV)

I couldn't find her anywhere.

I got back in the car and drove slowly through the streets of Port Angeles, looking for her. I stepped out into a few patches of shadows, but I only caught her scent once more before it disappeared as if she was constantly changing direction. She was confusing the heck out of me. Where was she trying to go? Was she lost?

I drove back and forth between the bookstore and the restaurant a few times, hoping to see her on her way. Jessica and Angela were already there, trying to decide whether to order, or to wait for Bella. Jessica was pushing for ordering immediately. I hated that Bella and her were friends. She was such a fake friend, always thinking the worst of Bella.

I began flitting through the minds of strangers, looking through their eyes in search of my chocolate eyed girl. Surely, someone must have seen her somewhere, somehow. She was wandering all over the place from where her scent was leading me.

I became more and more anxious the longer she was missing. I couldn't help but think the worst and it wasn't helping my predicament. I hadn't considered before how difficult she might prove finding even once, like now; she was out of my sight and of her normal paths. I didn't like it. Not one bit.

The clouds were massing on the horizon, and in a few more minutes, I would be free to track her on foot. It wouldn't take me long to find her then. It was only the sun that was making me so helpless now. I couldn't risk being spotted sparkling in the sun and risking exposure. Just a few more minutes and then the advantage would be mine again and it would be the human world that would be at a disadvantage.

One mind after the next and nothing…

…think the baby has another ear infection…

My boss has been driving me insane…

Late again…I ought to give him a piece of my…

Here she comes! Aha! – There, at last! I can see her face in this person's mind.

My relief was only momentarily as I read further into the thoughts of the man who was looking at my Bella. His mind was a stranger to me, and yet, not totally unfamiliar. I had once hunted the owners of such minds and vulgar thoughts.

"NO!" I roared and a volley of snarls erupted from deep inside of my chest and throat.

I slammed my foot on to the gas pedal, flooring it and pushing my car to go faster. But where was I going? I knew the general location of his thoughts, but the knowledge was not specific enough. I needed a street sign, or a land mark that would guide me in the right direction. The only thing that I was seeing was Bella in the shadows near an empty area as he focused on her frightened expression – enjoying the fear that was radiating off of her in waves.

Her face was blurred in his mind by the memory of other faces of young girls, proving that Bella was not his first victim. The sound of my growls shook the frame of the car, but did not detour me from my mission. There were no windows in the wall that was behind her. She was far away from the more populated shopping districts.

The wheels of my car squealed as I swerved around the corner and past another vehicle. I only hoped that I was heading in the right direction.

Look at her shaking! The man chuckled in anticipation. He was drawn to their fear and was the part he enjoyed the most.

"Stay away from me." She demanded in a slow and steady voice. Why doesn't she scream? Draw some attention? Do something to tell me that I am headed in the right direction!

"Don't be like that, sugar." She flinched at his voice as a rowdy laugh came from another direction.

Shut up, Jeff. He thought to himself, but he admitted to enjoying the way she cringed. It excited him to no end and he began to picture her begging and pleading with him.

I hadn't realized that there were other's involved until I heard the loud laughter of the man he called 'Jeff.' I widened my range, trying to pick up something from one of the other men that were stalking her, praying that they would give me something useful.

The minds around him were not half as bad and vulgar as his was. They were all slightly drunk or high and not aware of how far the man they called 'Lonnie' was prepared to take this. He only promised them a little fun, but they were not expecting this.

One of the men glanced nervously down the street, not wanting to get caught harassing the poor girl. As he did this, he gave me exactly what I was looking for. I recognized the cross street that he was looking towards.

I flew through a red light and slid through a space just wide enough between two unmoving cars that were sitting in traffic. Horns began to blare at me and my phone began to vibrate in my pocket, but I ignored it for now. I had more pressing matters to deal with.

Lonnie began to slowly stalk towards Bella, loving how he was drawing out the suspense and giving her time for her fear to increase. The terror aroused him and he wanted to savor her screams. He was preparing for it anxiously.

But Bella locked her jaw and braced herself, her hands making fists at her sides. This surprised Lonnie. He expected her to try to run or try to talk her way out of what was coming to her. It was slightly disappointing to him. He liked the way he was used to things; the hunt, the chase, the torture, the killer blow.

Brave, this one. Maybe better, I guess…there'll be more fight in her.

I was only one more block away. The savage could hear the roar of my engine, but paid it no mind, too intent on his victim. I would like to see how he enjoyed the game when he was the prey instead of the hunter. It would be interesting to see what he thought of my style of hunting. I smirked at the thought.

I was already sorting through all of the different ways I could draw out his torture. I knew of many ways to inflict the most pain with the least amount of physical damage. After hunting enough psychopaths in my vigilante days, I knew of many different methods and styles of making this bastard pay for all he has done to those young girls he keeps thinking back to. Not to mention what he intended to do to my sweet innocent Isabella. The others would merely die for their part in this, but the monster who called himself 'Lonnie' would be begging for death long before the time I got through with him.

He was now in the street making his way towards her.

I spun sharply around one last corner causing my headlights to shine across the scene and causing everyone to freeze in place. I briefly thought about running Lonnie over, but that would be way too easy of a death for a scum bag like him.

I let the car spin out and fish tail, swinging all the way around so that I was facing the opposite direction of Bella and the men. I threw the passenger door wide open and saw the she was already running towards my car.

"GET IN!" I snarled.

What the hell?

I knew this was a bad idea! She's not alone.

Should I run?

I think I'm going to throw up…

Bella jumped into the car without a second thought and slamming the door shut behind her. She looked up at me with the most trusting expression on her beautiful face that I have ever seen on a human, making all of my plans for revenge crumble. Shit…

It was then that I knew that I could not leave her in the car while I dealt with the four men who were still standing shocked in the street.

What was I supposed to do, tell her not to watch? Ha! Yeah right! When has she ever listened to anything I have ever asked her to do? Why would this be any different?

Maybe I could drag them away out of her line of sight and leave her alone in the car? The chances that another dangerous human would come along were slim to none. Then again, she was a magnet for danger. No…I could not, would not, let her out of my line of sight.

I slammed my foot on the gas before I had time to change my mind, leaving her pursuers standing with their mouths agape in the street. There was no way that she would notice my indecision. She would assume that this was part of the plan all along.

I couldn't even hit them with my car without frightening her!

My God, I wanted him dead by my hands more than anything right now. I wanted to do it so badly that the need for it clouded my sight and rang loudly in my ears. I could even taste it on my tongue. My entire body was coiled and tense, begging me to turn the car around and finish him off. I needed to do this. I would peal the skin off of his muscles and then the muscles from his bones. I wanted to slowly tear off his limbs and bask in his screams.

Except for that girl…the girl who was clinging to her seat with both hands and staring intently at me with wide eyes that were still utterly and unmistakably trusting…Damnit! Vengeance will have to wait.

"Put your seatbelt on." I ordered her sternly. My voice was full of malice and blood lust. Not for her, but for Lonnie.

She locked her seatbelt into place and jumped slightly at the sound it made when it clicked into place. It amused me how that little sound could make her jump, but she seemed fine as I swerved my way through traffic as I ignored all the traffic guides.

She was still staring at me, but she was strangely relaxed. Why is she so calm after all she has been through so far tonight?

"Are you okay?" she asked, her voice filled with stress and fear.

She wanted to know if I was okay? This girl just doesn't make sense.

I didn't even need to think about my answer as I looked at her briefly and said "No."

I parked in the same lot that I was in earlier when I spent the afternoon engaged in the poorest surveillance ever kept; especially by a vampire. It was not extremely dark under the shade of the trees.

I was so furious that I sat there completely frozen and utterly motionless. I ached to go back and track down Lonnie to instill the pain and suffering on to him that he had inflicted on to all of those girls. His identification would remain a mystery by the time I was done with him. But once again, that would entail leaving Bella alone, unprotected in the dark night.

"Bella?" I asked through my clenched teeth.

"Yes?" She responded in a husky tone, but quickly cleared her throat.

"Are you all right?" That was my top priority. Retribution and vengeance were secondary. My head knew this, but my body was having trouble agreeing.

"Yes." She replied, her voice still think with what was most likely fear.

That answered the question that I was battling. I could not leave her. Even if she wasn't at constant risk for some infuriating reason – some joke the universe insisted on playing on me – even if I could be sure that she would be perfectly safe in my absence, I could no leave her alone in the dark.

God, she must be so scared.

If I don't calm myself down and soon, I would end up frightening her even more. I needed to think about something else…anything else.

"Distract me, please?" I pleaded with her.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" She asked surprised by my question.

"Just prattle on about something unimportant and meaningless until I calm down." I instructed, having a hard time doing even that. My jaw was still locked shut and I could still hear the man's thoughts; his disappointment, his anger. I knew where to find him.

I closed my eyes, taking in deep unnecessary breaths as I tried to block everything except for Bella out of my head.

"Um…" She hesitated as she tried to think of something to talk about. "I'm going to run over Tyler Crowley tomorrow before school?" She said this like a question.

I chuckled internally. Only Bella could come up with something as unexpected as this. Like I thought earlier, hearing the threat of violence was hilarious coming from her lips. If I was not in such a violent mood, I would have laughed.

"Why?" I snapped, trying to force her to speak again.

"He's telling everyone that he's taking me to prom." She said in outrage. She reminded me of an angry kitten. "Either he's insane, hit his head too hard during the accident, or he's still trying to make up for almost killing me last…well, you remember it," she inserted dryly, "and he thinks prom is somehow the correct way to do this. So I figure if I endanger his life, then we're even, and he can't keep trying to make amends. I don't need enemies and maybe Lauren would back off if he just left me alone. I might have to total his Sentra though," she when on in a thoughtful tone. "If he doesn't have a ride, then he can't take anyone to prom…"

Ah, it was working. The baffling processes of her mind were always so engrossing. I could feel myself beginning to gain control over my body once again.

"Oh yeah, I heard about that." I told her. I still needed her talking.

"You did?" She asked incredulously. He voice became angrier than before. "If he's paralyzed from the neck down, he can't go to prom either."

A moment of silence passed between us as I thought only on her and what she was saying.

I sighed and opened my eyes.

"Better?" she timidly asked.

"Not really."

No, I was definitely calmer, but not better in the least. Because I'd just realized that as much as I wanted to end the monster named Lonnie's life, I couldn't. Even though I could not have Bella, just the dream of having her made it impossible for me to go on a killing spree tonight. She deserved much better than a killer. I'd spent seven decades trying to be something other than that; anything other than a killer. I was trying to be good enough for her, but it was an impossible goal. However, I'd keep trying.

"What's wrong?" she whispered.

Her breath filled my nose, and I was reminded why I could not deserve her. After all of this, even with as much I loved her…she still made my mouth water. I would give her as much honesty as I could. I owed her that much.

"Sometimes I have a problem with my temper, Bella." I answered as I stared straight ahead through the front windshield and into the blackness of the night. "But it wouldn't be helpful for me to turn around and hunt down those…" I stopped that thought short, not wanting to let my thoughts go down that path again. "At least, that's what I'm trying to convince myself."

"Oh."

She said nothing else. How much had she heard in my words? I glanced at her face, but it remained unreadable. Was she in shock? Well, she wasn't screaming. Not yet.

"Jessica and Angela will be worried," she said quietly. Her voice was as calm as could be and it confused me that she could still be so calm after everything she had just been through tonight. Maybe the events just haven't sunk in yet. "I was supposed to meet them."

I didn't answer her, but started the car and took her back.

I pulled in front of the Italian restaurant that I traced them to earlier on and shut off the car.

"How did you know where…" Her unfinished question made me realize that I had made yet another slip. I'd been too distracted with my own thoughts that I forgot to ask her where she was supposed to meet her friends. But instead of pressing the matter further, she just shook her head and gave me a half smile.

What was that supposed to mean?

I didn't have time to puzzle over her strange acceptance of my knowledge. I opened my door and walked around the car to where she was now standing outside of the car.

"What are you doing?" She asked, sounding abet startled.

Not wanting to let her out of my sight and not allowing myself to be alone at the present time, I gave her my answer.

"I'm taking you to dinner."

(Bella's POV)

*Time lapse*

"Burned by the sun?"

"Myth."

"Sleeping in coffins?"

"Myth." He hesitated for a moment, and a peculiar tone entered his voice. "I can't sleep."

It took me a minute to absorb that.

"At all?" I asked incredulously.

"Never." He answered his voice nearly inaudible. He turned to look at me with a wistful expression. His golden eyes held mine and I lost all train of thought. I continued to hold his gaze until he looked away and broke the spell.

"You haven't asked me the most important question, yet." His voice turned hard and when he turned to look at me to see my expression, I saw that his eyes had also turned cold.

I blinked, still dazed from our staring contest. "Which one is that?"

"You aren't concerned about my diet?" he asked sarcastically.

"Oh," I murmured, "that."

"Yes, that." His voice was bleak. "Don't you want to know if I drink blood?"

I flinched. "Well, Jacob said something about that."

"What did Jacob say?" He asked with his voice void of emotion.

"He said you didn't…hunt people. He said your family wasn't supposed to be dangerous, because you only hunted animals."

"He said we weren't dangerous?" His voice was deeply skeptical.

"Not exactly. He said that you weren't supposed to be dangerous. But the Quileute's still didn't want you on their land, just in case. Except, he said that they were still deliberating about allowing the newest member to your coven onto the rez." I paused and looked up at him. His eyes remained forward, but I couldn't tell if he was watching the road or not. "So, was he right? About not hunting people?" I tried to keep my voice as even as possible.

"The Quileutes have a long memory," He whispered. "But they didn't tell you the whole truth."

"So you do hunt humans." I mumbled.

"No, I don't." He paused and looked at me quickly before turning his attention back on the road. He seemed to be debating on whether or not to say something.

"But some of your family does." It wasn't a question.

"In a way." He confirmed.

I gave him a puzzled look.

"That doesn't make any sense." I shook my head confused.

He let out a long sigh in an exasperated manner. "Two members of my family have very complicated gifts. They require a lot of strength and power." He answered cryptically.

"Animals aren't enough?"

He paused. "I can't be sure, of course, but I'd compare it to living on tofu and soy milk; we call ourselves vegetarians, our little inside joke. It doesn't completely satiate the hunger – or rather thirst. But it keeps us strong enough to resist, most of the time." His tone turned ominous. "Sometimes it's more difficult than others."

"Is it very difficult for you now?" I asked.

He sighed. "Yes."

"But you're not hungry now," I said confidently – stating, not asking.

"Why do you think that?"

"Your eyes. I told you I had a theory. I've noticed that people – men in particular – are crabbier when they're hungry."

He chuckled. "You are observant, aren't you?"

I didn't answer, but waited for him to continue my question from earlier. He seemed to notice this and went on to continue with his explanation.

"Animal blood doesn't keep us at our strongest. Compared to human drinkers, we are weaker and if you add a powerful gift to the mix, it makes us even weaker, but strong enough to survive.

"One of our family members has a very powerful gift and was strictly a human drinker until very recently when she joined our family. But in order for her to keep her strength and gift from draining her, she has to drink human blood at least once a month. We are able to get her donated blood instead of hunting straight from the source and the rest of the time she drinks animal blood, so you have no reason to fear her."

"And the other member?" I asked, remembering that he said there was one other family member that shared that diet.

"The other one that drinks donated blood once a month is an empath, meaning he can feel and control the emotions of others."

"Wow." I said in astonishment.

"You see, the thing about vampires is that blood lust is an emotion as well. When he is living with seven other vampires, he can feel their blood lust on top of his own. He needs to keep his gift as strong as he can so that he can block out the blood lust around him when he needs to so he doesn't slip. The donated blood allows him to keep his gift strong enough to accomplish this. Understand?"

"Yes." I nodded. "Can I ask who they are? These family members that drink human blood?"

He didn't answer for a moment and kept looking at me out of the side of his eyes.

"Lilly and Jasper." He answered.

I gasped. "I knew she was one of you." He nodded. "Did you guys change her? Did -"

"Bella," He interrupted, and then paused and took a deep breath, backtracking. "People's stories are just that, their stories. I think that it would be best if they were the ones who told you."

I nodded in understanding. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

I decided that it would probably be best if I change the subject.

"Were you hunting this weekend, with your family?" I asked.

"Yes." He paused for a second, as if deciding whether or not to say something. "I didn't want to leave, but it was necessary. It's a bit easier to be around you when I'm not thirsty."

"Why didn't you want to leave?"

"It makes me…anxious…to be away from you." His eyes were gentle but intense and I felt like my whole body was melting under his gaze. "I wasn't joking when I asked you to try not to fall in to the ocean or get run over last Friday. I was distracted all weekend, worrying about you. After what happened tonight, I'm surprised that you did make it through a whole weekend unscathed." He shook his head amused. "It was a very long three days. I really got on some of their nerves." He smiled ruefully at me.

"Three days? Did you just get back today?"

"No, we got back Sunday."

"Then why weren't any of you in school?" I was frustrated, almost angry as I thought of how much disappointment I had suffered because of his absence. I didn't even have my best friend to keep me company.

"Well, you asked if the sun can hurt me, and it doesn't. But I can't go out in the sunlight – at least, not where anyone can see."

"Why?"

"I'll show you sometime," He promised.

I thought about it for a moment.

"You might have called me," I decided.

He was puzzled. "But I knew you were safe. Lilly spoke to you every night as well."

"But I didn't know where you were. I –" I hesitated, dropping my eyes.

"What?" His velvety voice was compelling.

"I didn't like it; not seeing you. It makes me anxious, too." I blushed, not believing that I was saying this to him out loud. Lilly was the only one who knew the extent of my feelings for Edward.

"Ah," he groaned quietly. "This is wrong."

I couldn't understand what he was saying. "What did I say?"

"Don't you see, Bella? It's one thing for me to make myself miserable, but a wholly other thing for you to be so involved." He turned his anguished eyes to the road, his words flowing almost too fast for me to make sense of. "I don't want to hear that you feel that way." His voice was low but urgent. His words cut through me. "It's wrong. It's not safe. I'm dangerous, Bella – please, grasp that."

"No." I tried very hard not to look like a sulking child.

"I'm serious." He growled at me.

"So am I. I told you, it doesn't matter what you are! It's too late!"

His voice whipped out, low and harsh. "Never say that."

I bit my lip and was glad that he couldn't know how much that hurt. I stared out at the road. We must be close now. He was driving way too fast.

"What are you thinking?" he asked, his voice still raw.

I just shook my head, doubting that I could speak. I could feel that he was watching me, but I ignored him and kept my eyes forwards.

"Are you crying?" He sounded appalled. I hadn't realized the moisture that was falling from my eyes. I used the back of my sleeve to wipe my eyes to try and hide my traitorous tears.

"No." I tried to answer confidently, but I failed when I heard my voice crack.

"I'm sorry." His voice burned with regret. I knew that his apology wasn't just for the words that upset me.

Moments passed in silence and after several quiet moments, he broke it.

"Tell me something," he asked after another minute of organizing his thoughts.

"Yes?"

"What were you thinking tonight, just before I came around the corner? I couldn't understand your expression. You didn't look that scared; you looked like you were trying to concentrate very hard on something."

"I was trying to remember how to incapacitate an attacker – you know, self-defense? I was going to smash his nose into his brain." I thought of the dark haired man with a surge of hate.

"You were going to fight them?" He asked appalled. "Didn't you think of running?" I could tell my answer had all upset him.

"I fall down a lot when I run." I admitted sheepishly.

"What about screaming for help?"

"I was getting to that part."

He shook his head. "You were right – I'm definitely trying to fight fate keeping you alive."

I sighed. We were slowing, passing into the boundaries of Forks. It had taken less than twenty minutes.

"Will I see you tomorrow?" I demanded, rather than asked.

"Yes – I have a paper due, too." He smirked. "I'll save you a seat at lunch, again."

It was amazing that after everything that we had been through tonight, that that little promise set butterflies through my stomach and unable to speak.

We were now in front of Charlie's house. The lights were on and my truck was in its place. Everything looked normal, almost like waking from a dream. He stopped the car, but I didn't move.

"Do you promise to be there tomorrow?" I raised an eyebrow in challenge.

"I promise."

I considered his answer for a moment, and then nodded. I pulled his jacket off and took one last whiff of his sweet scent.

"You can keep it – you don't have a jacket for tomorrow." He reminded me.

I still handed it back to him. "I don't want to have to explain it to Charlie."

"Oh, right." He grinned. "I could bring you one of Lilly's or mine tomorrow?"

I smiled and nodded my acceptance. I hesitated, my hand on the door handle, trying to prolong our departure.

"Bella?" he asked in a different tone – serious, but hesitant.

"Yes?" I turned back and looked at him eagerly.

"Will you promise me something?"

"Yes," I said, and instantly regretted it. What if he asked me to stay away from him? I knew that there was no way I could comply.

"Don't go into the woods alone."

"Why?"

He frowned and his eyes were tight as he stared past me and out the window.

"I'm not always the most dangerous thing out there. Let's just leave it at that."

I shuttered slightly at the bleakness of his voice, but I was relieved. This was, at least, an easy promise for me to keep. "Whatever you say."

"I'll see you tomorrow," he sighed, and I knew he wanted me to leave now.

"Tomorrow, then." I unwillingly opened my door.

"Bella?" I turned and he was leaning towards me, his pale, glorious face just inches from mine. My heart stopped beating.

"Sleep well."

A/N: Well this chapter was just Bella and Edward getting their relationship started. Bella learned that Lilly and the Cullen's are, in fact, vampires, but has yet to learn the whole truth about Lilly.

If you have any questions or comments, post them in my reviews for the chapter and I will answer them in my next Author's Note!

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