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 24
(Bella's POV)
Charlie was waiting up for me. All the house lights were on. My mind was blank as I tried to think of a way to make him let me go. Could I get Lilly to use her gift? No, that wouldn't be fair. Ugh, this wasn't going to be pleasant.
Edward pulled up slowly, staying well back from my truck. All four of them were acutely alert, ramrod straight in their seats, listening to every sound of the wood, looking through every shadow, catching every scent, searching for something out of place. The engine cut off, and I sat, motionless, as they continued to listen.
"He's not here," Edward said tensely.
"Let's go," Emmett reached over to help me get out of the harness. "Lilly, make sure you stay with me. Jasper would kill me if you got hurt because I wasn't there to protect you when I promised I would be."
"Okay," she quietly replied.
"Don't worry, Bella," he said in a low, but cheerful voice as he turned his attention back to me, "we'll take care of things here quickly."
I felt moisture filling up my eyes as I looked at Emmett. I barely knew him, and yet, somehow, not knowing when I would see him again after tonight was anguishing. I knew this was just a faint taste of the goodbyes I would have to survive within the next hour, and the thought made the tears begin to spill.
"Alice, Lilly, Emmett." Edward's voice was a command. They slithered soundlessly into the darkness, instantly disappearing. Edward opened my door and took my hand, then drew me into the protecting enclosure of his arms.
He walked me swiftly toward the house eyes always roving through the night.
"Fifteen minutes," he warned under his breath.
"I can do this." I sniffled. My tears had given me an inspiration.
I stopped on the porch and took hold of his face in my hands. I looked fiercely into his eyes.
"I love you," I said in a low, intense voice. "I will always love you, no matter what happens now."
"Nothing is going to happen to you, Bella," he said just a fiercely.
"Just follow the plan, okay? Keep Charlie safe for me. He's not going to like me very much after this, and I want to have the chance to apologize later."
"Get inside, Bella. We have to hurry." His voice was urgent.
"One more thing," I whispered passionately. "Don't listen to another word I say tonight!" He was leaning in, and so all I had to do was stretch up on my toes to kiss his surprised, frozen lips with as much force as I was capable of. Then I turned and kicked the door open.
"Go away, Edward!" I yelled at him, running inside and slamming the door shut in his still-shocked face.
"Bella?" Charlie had been hovering in the living room, and he was already on his feet.
"Leave me alone!" I screamed at him through my tears, which were flowing relentlessly now. I ran up the stairs to my room, throwing the door shut and locking it. I ran to my bed, flinging myself on the floor to retrieve my duffel bag. I reached swiftly between the mattress and box spring to grab the knotted old sock that contained my secret cash hoard.
Charlie was pounding on my door.
"Bella, are you okay? What's going on?" His voice was frightened.
"I'm going borne," I shouted, my voice breaking in the perfect spot.
(Lilly's POV)
I stood next to Emmett in the shadows by the tree line in silence.
A twig snapped causing us to whip around and brought our attention to the woods.
"Ahh…home sweet home." James chuckled sinisterly as he appeared about fifteen feet away from Emmett and I.
"What do you want?" I growled to him.
"I think you all know exactly what I want and why I'm here." He smirked.
"Good luck trying to get past all of us." Emmett snarled.
"Oh, that won't be a problem." He answered.
Edward appeared next to us before either of us could say anything else.
"You stay away from her!" Edward snarled.
"You know, you are all really making this way too easy." James mocked.
Edward didn't say anything in return as he stayed in his crouch, reading everything that appears in James's thoughts.
"I mean what's the point?" He went on. "She's nothing but a measly little human. Why are you all so admit on protecting her, huh? They are nothing but food for us; they sustain us."
Still…none of us said anything as we just watched him.
"It doesn't matter; you don't have to say anything." James smirked. "I got what I wanted."
He began backing up, but then stopped and looked straight in to my eyes.
"Je serai de retourpour vous etvous serez à moi. Je peuxvous promettre ceci." (I will be back for you and you will be mine. I can promise you this.) Was all he said before he disappeared into the darkness.
(Bella's POV)
"Did he hurt you?" His tone edged toward anger.
"No!" I shrieked a few octaves higher. I turned to my dresser, and Edward was already there, silently yanking out armfuls of random clothes, which he proceeded to throw at me.
"Did he break up with you?" Charlie was perplexed.
"No!" I yelled, slightly more breathless as I shoved everything in to the bag. Edward threw another drawer's contents at me.
The bag was pretty much full now.
"What happened, Bella?" Charlie shouted through the door, pounding again.
"I broke up with him!" I shouted back, jerking on the zipper of my bag. Edward's capable hands pushed mine away and zipped it smoothly. He put the strap carefully over my arm.
"I'll be in the truck – go!" he whispered, and pushed me toward the door. He vanished out the window.
I unlocked the door and pushed past Charlie roughly, struggling with my heavy bag as I ran down the stairs.
"What happened?" he yelled. He was right behind me. "I thought you liked him."
He caught my elbow in the kitchen. Though he was still bewildered, his grip was firm.
He spun me around to look at him, and I could see in his face that he had no intention of letting me leave. I could think of only one way to escape, and it involved hurting him so much that I hated myself for even considering it. But I had no time, and I had to keep him safe.
I glared up at my father, fresh tears in my eyes for what I was about to do.
"I do like him – that's the problem. I can't do this anymore I can't put down any more roots here! I don't want to end up trapped in this stupid, boring town like Mom! I'm not going to make the same dumb mistake she did. I hate it - I can't stay here another minute!"
His hand dropped from my arm like I'd electrocuted him. I turned away from his shocked, wounded face and headed for the door.
"Bella, you can't leave now. It's nighttime," he whispered behind me.
I didn't turn around. "I'll sleep in the truck if I get tired."
"Just wait another week," he pled, still shell-shocked. "Renee will be back by then."
This completely derailed me.
"What?"
Charlie continued eagerly, almost babbling with relief as I hesitated. "She called while you were out. Things aren't going so well in Florida, and if Phil doesn't get signed by the end of the week, they're going back to Arizona. The assistant coach of the Sidewinders said that they might have a spot for another shortstop."
I shook my head, trying to reassemble my now-confused thoughts. Every passing second put Charlie in more danger.
"I have a key," I muttered, turning the knob. He was too close, one hand extended toward me, his face dazed. I couldn't lose any more time arguing with him. I was going to have to hurt him further.
"Just let me go, Charlie." I repeated my mother's last words as she'd walked out this same door so many years ago. I said them as angrily as I could manage, and I threw the door open. "It didn't work out, okay? I really, really hate Forks!"
My cruel words did their job – Charlie stayed there frozen on the doorstep, stunned, while I ran into the night. I was hideously frightened of the empty yard. I ran wildly for the truck, visualizing a dark shadow behind me. I threw my bag in the bed and wrenched the door open. The key was waiting in the ignition.
"I'll call you tomorrow!" I yelled wishing more than anything that I could explain everything to him right then, knowing I would never be able to.
I gunned the engine and peeled out.
Edward reached for my hand.
"Pull over," he said as the house, and Charlie, disappeared behind us.
"I can drive," I said through the tears pouring down my cheeks. His long hands unexpectedly gripped my waist, and his foot pushed mine off the gas pedal. He pulled me across his lap, wrenching my hands free of the wheel, and suddenly he was in the driver's seat. The truck didn't swerve an inch.
"You wouldn't be able to find the house," he explained.
Lights flared suddenly behind us. I stared out the back window, eyes wide with horror.
"It's just Alice and Lilly," he reassured me. He took my hand again.
My mind was filled with the image of Charlie in the doorway. "The tracker?"
"He heard the end of your performance and then he threatened Lilly. " Edward said grimly.
"He threatened Lilly?" I asked incredulously.
"Yes," he growled our between clenched teeth. "He threatened her in French. How he knew that she even knew French is a mystery."
I shivered at the thought of that before I thought about my dad again.
"Charlie?" I asked in dread.
"The tracker followed us. He's running behind us now."
My body went cold.
"Can we outrun him?"
"No." But he sped up as he spoke. The truck's engine whined in protest. My plan suddenly didn't feel so brilliant anymore.
I was staring back at Alice's headlights when the truck shuddered and a dark shadow sprung up outside the window.
My bloodcurdling scream lasted a fraction of a second before Edward's hand clamped down on my mouth.
"It's Emmett!"
He released my mouth, and wound his arm around my waist.
"It's okay, Bella," he promised. "You're going to be safe."
We raced through the quiet town toward the north highway.
"I didn't realize you were still so bored with small-town life," he said conversationally, and I knew he was trying to distract me. "It seemed like you were adjusting fairly well – especially recently. Maybe I was just flattering myself that I was making life more interesting for you."
"I wasn't being nice," I confessed, ignoring his attempt at diversion, looking down at my knees. "That was the same thing my mom said when she life him. You could say I was hitting below the belt."
"Don't worry. He'll forgive you." He smiled a little, though it didn't touch his eyes.
I stared at him desperately, and he saw the naked panic in my eyes.
"Bella, it's going to be all right."
"But it won't be all right when I'm not with you." I whispered.
"We'll be together again in a few days," he said, tightening his arm around me. "Don't forget that this was your idea."
"It was the best idea – of course it was mine."
His answering smile was bleak and disappeared immediately.
"Why did this happen?" I asked, my voice catching. "Why me?"
He stared blackly at the road ahead. "It's my fault – I was a fool to expose you like that." The rage in his voice was directed internally.
"That's not what I meant," I insisted. "I was there, big deal. It didn't bother the other two. Why did this James decide to kill me? There's people all over the place, why me?"
He hesitated, thinking before he answered.
"I got a good look at his mind tonight," he began in a low voice. "I'm not sure if there's anything I could have done to avoid this, once he saw you. It is partially your fault. Lilly is the other reason." His voice was wry. "If she didn't draw people or my kind to her so strongly or if you didn't smell so appallingly luscious, he might not have bothered. But when I defended you…well, that made it a lot worse. He's not used to being thwarted, no matter how insignificant the object. He thinks of himself as a hunter and nothing else. His existence is consumed with tracking, and a challenge is all he asks of life.
"Suddenly, we've presented him with a beautiful challenge – a large clan of strong fighters all bent on protecting the one vulnerable element. You wouldn't believe how euphoric he is now. It is his favorite game, and we've just made it his most exciting game ever. He considers Lilly as his reward for getting you. He plans to share you with her as some symbolic meaning or something or other." His tone was full of disgust.
He paused for a moment.
"But if I had stood by, he would have killed you right then and then came back for Lilly later." He said with hopeless frustration.
"I thought…I didn't smell the same to the others…as I do to you," I said hesitantly.
"You don't. But that doesn't mean that you aren't still at temptation to every one of them. You do spell appalling sweet. If you had appealed to the tracker – or any of them – the same way you appeal to me, it would have meant a fight right there."
I shuttered.
"I don't think I have any choice but to kill him now," he muttered. "Carlisle won't like it."
I could hear the tires cross the bridge, though I couldn't see the river in the dark. I knew we were getting close. I had to ask him now.
"How can you kill a vampire?"
He glanced at me with unreadable eyes and his voice was suddenly harsh. "The only way to be sure is to hear him to shreds, and then burn the pieces."
"And the other two will fight with him?"
"The woman will. I'm not sure about Laurent. They don't have a very strong bond – he's only with them for convenience. He was embarrassed by James in the meadow…"
"But James and the woman – they'll try to kill you?" I asked, my voice raw.
"Bella, don't you dare waste time worrying about me. Your only concern is keeping yourself safe and – please, please- trying not to be reckless."
"Is he still following?"
"Yes. He won't attack the house, though. Not tonight."
He turned off onto the invisible drive, with Alice and Lilly following behind.
(Lilly's POV)
I could feel the worry and stress coming from Jasper through the mating bond. I knew it was because I never called him on our way back here, because the tracker was following us and I didn't want to get distracted.
We drove right up to the house. The lights inside were bright and I noticed Jasper on the front porch pacing back and forth.
As soon as the Jeep came to a stop, he was at my door, ripping it open and engulfing me in his arms tightly. We both breathed a sigh of relief as the ache in my chest went away.
"I was so worried about you." He whispered.
"I know," I nodded into his chest. "I'm so sorry I didn't call. He was following us and I couldn't afford to be sidetracked."
"I know baby, it's okay; Alice texted me." He assured me as we turned to walk towards the house just in time to see Emmett pulling Bella out of her seat, tucking her like a football into his vast chest, and run her into the house with Alice and Edward at their sides.
We caught up with them quickly and entered the house. All of them were there; they were already on their feet at the sound of our approach. Laurent stood in their midst. Low growls rumbled deep in Emmett's throat as he set Bella down next to Edward. I looked at Jasper confused about why he would still be here.
"It's okay," he whispered quietly so that only I could hear, as always. "He stayed to warn us."
"He's tracking us," Edward announced, glaring balefully at Laurent.
Laurent's face was unhappy. "I was afraid of that."
Jasper looked at me and sent me his confusion, so I leaned up and my lips quivered with the speed of my silent speech, letting him know everything that we discovered and what our plans were and why he had to pack a bag for us both.
Rosalie flitted to Emmett's side. Her beautiful eyes were intense as the unwillingly flickered to Bella's face furiously.
"What will he do?" Carlisle asked Laurent in chilling tones.
"I'm sorry," he answered. "I was afraid, when your boy there defended her, that it would set him off. Not to mention he was enthralled with Lilly here. I could tell that the moment he laid eyes on her that he wanted her; to possess her."
Edward and Jasper growled at this information.
"Can you stop him?" Jasper asked.
Laurent shook his head. "Nothing stops James when he gets started going after something he wants."
"We'll stop him," Emmett promised. There was no doubt what he meant.
"You can't bring him down. I've never seen anything like him in my three hundred years. He's absolutely lethal. That's why I joined his coven."
His coven, I thought, of course. The show of leadership in the clearing was merely that, a show.
Jasper must have been thinking the same thing that I was because he looked at me a nodded, as did Edward as he read my thoughts.
Laurent was shaking his head. He glanced at Bella and then me, perplexed, and back to Carlisle. "Are you sure it's worth it?"
Edward and Jasper's enraged roars filled the room as Jasper pulled me behind him, pressed firmly against his body; Laurent cringed back.
Carlisle looked gravely at Laurent. "I'm afraid you're going to have to make a choice."
Laurent understood. He deliberated for a moment. His eyes took in every face, and finally swept the bright room.
"I'm intrigued by the life you've created here. But I won't get in the middle of this. I bear none of you any enmity, but I won't go up against James. I think I will head north – to that clan in Denali." He hesitated. "Don't underestimate James. He's got a brilliant mind and unparalleled senses. He's every bit as comfortable in the human world as you seem to be, and he won't come at you head on…I'm sorry for what's been unleashed here. Truly sorry." He bowed his head, but I saw him flicker another puzzled look at Bella specifically.
"Go in peace," was Carlisle's formal answer.
Laurent took another long look around himself, and then he hurried out the door.
The silence lasted less than a second.
"How close?" Carlisle looked to Edward.
Esme was already moving; her hand touched an inconspicuous keypad on the wall and with a groan, huge metal shutters began sealing up the glass wall. Bella and I gaped in surprise.
"About three miles out past the river; he's circling around to meet up with the female."
"What's the plan?"
"We'll lead him of, and then Jasper, Lilly and Alice will run her south."
"And then?"
Edward's tone was deadly. "As soon as Bella and Lilly are clear, we hunt him."
"I guess there's no other choice," Carlisle agreed, his face grim.
Edward turned to Rosalie.
"Get her upstairs and trade clothes," Edward commanded. She stared back at him with livid disbelief.
"Why should I?" she hissed. "What is she to me? Except a menace – a danger you've chosen to inflict on all of us and now Lilly is being threatened!"
I noticed Bella flinch back from the venom in her voice.
"Rose…" Emmett murmured, putting one hand on her shoulder. She shook it off.
But I was watching Edward carefully, as was Bella, knowing his temper, worried about his reaction.
He surprised us both when he looked away from Rosalie as if she hadn't spoken, as if she didn't exist.
"Esme?" he asked calmly.
"Of course," Esme murmured.
Esme was at Bella's side in half a heartbeat, swinging her up easily into her arms, and dashing up the stairs.
"Alright, well, let's get our stuff together and in the car." Jasper said, picking up our bags.
Alice picked up her's and Bella's as well and I followed them out in to the garage. We loaded the bags in to the car and by the time we finished, Bella was back down stairs, dressed in Esme's clothes. Edward and Emmett were ready to leave as Emmett was carrying a heavy-looking backpack over his shoulder. Carlisle was handing something small to Esme. He turned and handed Alice the same thing – it was a tiny silver cell phone.
"Esme and Rosalie will be taking your truck, Bella," he told Bella as he passed. She nodded, glancing warily at Rosalie. She was glowering at Carlisle with a resentful expression.
"Alice, Lilly, Jasper – take the Mercedes. You'll need the dark tint in the south."
We nodded as well.
"We're taking the Jeep."
"Alice," Carlisle asked, "will they take the bait?"
Everyone watched as Alice as she closed her eyes and became incredibly still. I wrapped my arm around Bella's shoulder for support as we waited for her to answer.
Finally her eyes opened. "He'll track you. The woman will follow the truck. We should be able to leave after that." He voice was certain.
"Let's go." Carlisle began to walk towards the kitchen.
Edward was at Bella's side at once and wrapped him in his iron grip, crushing her to him as Jasper came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist as he tucked his face into my shoulder, breathing in my scent. I turned my head to catch his lips with mine. He turned me around to face him and wrapped me tightly in to his embrace. He deepened the kiss as his tongue danced with mine. This was my heaven, here in my mate's arms. He lifted me up and my feet came off the floor. Then it was over. He set me down, still holding my face, his glorious eyes burning into mine. He leaned down and gave me one more chaste kiss before pulling back and wrapping his arms around me.
I looked over at Bella and Edward and noticed that they were doing the same thing. It was less passionate, but still filled with just as much love.
Then he turned away, his eyes went black, curiously dead.
And they were gone; him, Carlisle and Emmett.
We stood there; the other's looking away from us. I looked to Bella and noticed that she was crying noiselessly with tears streaming down her face.
I reached over and pulled her to me in a hug as I let her cry it out.
The silence dragged on, and then Esme's phone vibrated in her hand. It flashed to her ear.
"Now," she said. Rosalie stalked out the front door without another glance in Bella's direction, but Esme touched her cheek as she passed us.
"Be safe." Her whisper lingered behind them as they slipped out the door. I heard Bella's truck start thunderously, and then fade away.
Jasper, Alice and I waited. Alice's phone seemed to be at her ear before it buzzed.
"Edward says the woman is on Esme's trail. I'll get the car." She vanished into the shadows the way Edward had gone.
Bella, Jasper and I looked at each other. He stood across the length of the entryway from us…being careful of Bella.
"You're wrong, you know," he said quietly.
"What?" Bella gasped.
I looked between the two of them confused until Jasper continued.
"I can feel what you're feeling now – and you are worth it."
"I'm not," she mumbled. "If anything happens to them, it will be for nothing."
"You're wrong," I repeated for Jasper, as he smiled kindly at her.\
Alice stepped through the door and came towards us with her arms held out for Bella.
"May I?" she asked.
"You're the first one to ask permission." Bella smiled wryly.
She lifted her in her slender arms as easily as Emmett had, shielding her protectively, and then we flew out the door right along with them, leaving the bright lights from the house behind us.
A/N: So they are getting ready to go on the run to get away from James and Victoria. What did everyone think? Read and Review and let me know!
If you have any questions or comments, post them in my reviews and I will answer them in my next Author's Note…
Ta1ia: Oh please I'm so flicking sick of vICKY, can we please kill her when we kill James? Let laurant lead the newborn army in vengeance instead but I really really wa-need vICKY to die when James does. For the love of all that is Stephanie Meyers Twilight please kill the dumb** off.
I'm sorry to say that I am going to stick with Victoria leading the newborn army. It wouldn't really make sense for Laurent to be the one to do that, because he is more of a neutral party at this point in time. I'm really sorry to disappoint you.
Check out my other stories!
'Attempting to Covet'
'Dhampir'
'Far Fetched Realities'
'Mirror Image'
'Other Worldly Beauty'
'Perplexing Revelations'
'Pretexting'
'The Heart's Desire' NEW!
'The Major'
'Twilight ReVAMPed'
If you enjoyed this story so far, check out some of my other stories on my FanFiction page! Also, I am still accepting Twilight stories that involve Jasper/any female leads or Bella/selected male leads if anyone is looking for a Beta Reader. I will make exceptions on the characters depending on the plot. PM me for details!
- Bella'Xo
Xo BellaItalia oX