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

A/N: I'm sorry that I have been away from my stories for so long. Real life has caught up with me and had me running around like a chicken without a head for the past few weeks. But I'm back now and ready to continue with my stories! I apologize to anyone who has been kept waiting. Here's my next chapter and I hope ya'll like it…

Chapter 27
(Bella's POV)

I knew that she hadn't seen Lilly and I in the mirror room with James until I'd made the decision to meet him there. It made me hopeful that I will be able to convince Lilly to come with me there to save my Mom's life. I tried not to think about what else she might have seen. I didn't want my panic to make Jasper more suspicious than I knew he already was. They would be watching me twice as carefully now, anyway, after Alice's vision. This was going to be impossible. I also knew that Jasper would never forgive me for putting his mate in direct danger with James. That is…if we manage to get out of this alive.

We got to the airport and luck was with me, or maybe it was just good odds. Edward's plane was landing in terminal four, the largest terminal, where most flights landed – so it wasn't surprising that his was. But it was the terminal I needed: the biggest, most confusing. And there was a door on level three that might be the only chance.

We parked on the fourth floor of the huge garage. I led the way, for once more knowledgeable about my surroundings than they were. We took the elevator down to level three, where the passengers unloaded. Alice, Jasper and Lilly spent a long time looking at the departing flights board. I could hear them discussing the pros and cons of New York, Atlanta, Chicago, Quebec, and Ontario. Places I'd never seen and would probably never see.

I waited for my opportunity, impatiently, unable to stop my toe from tapping. We sat in the long rows of chairs by the metal detectors, Jasper and Alice pretending to people watch- but really watching me- while Lilly sat with a sketch pad that she had been using a lot since we had been stuck in the hotel room. I noticed that she was a rather good artist, but what wasn't she good at these days? Every inch I shifted in my seat was followed by a quick glance out of the corner or each of their eyes. It was hopeless. Should I run? Would they dare to stop me physically in this public place? Forget about Lilly and tell James that I couldn't get her to come with me and escape at the same time? Or would they all simply follow?

I pulled the unmarked envelope out of my pocket and set it a top of Alice's black leather bag. She looked at me.

"My letter," I explained and she nodded, tucking it under the top flap. He would find it soon enough. I had told Alice that the letter was to my mother, but it was really written to Edward along with another to Jasper.

The minutes passed and Edward's arrival grew closer. It was amazing how every cell in my body seemed to know he was coming, to long for his coming. That made it very hard. I found myself trying to think of excuses to stay, to see him first and then make the escape. But I knew that was impossible if I was going to have a chance to get Lilly and myself away from them.

Several times Alice offered to go get breakfast with me. Later, I told her, not yet. I stared at the arrival board, watching as flight after flight arrived on time. The flight from Seattle crept closer to the top of the board.

And then, when I had only thirty minutes to make our escape, the numbers changed. His plane was ten minutes early. I had no more time.

"I think I'll eat now," I said quickly.

Alice stood. "I'll come with you."

"Do you mind if Lilly comes instead?" I asked.

Jasper gave me a skeptical look, but didn't say anything as Lilly stood up. Alice's eyes were confused, but – I saw to my relief- not suspicious. She must be attributing the change in her vision to some maneuver of the tracker's rather than a betrayal by me.

Lilly walked silently beside me, her arm looped through my own. I pretended a lack of interest in the first few airport cafes, my head scanning for what I really wanted. And there it was, around the corner, out of Alice's sharp sight: the level-three ladies' room.

"Do you mind?" I asked Lilly as we passed.

"No, not at all." She smiled and followed me inside.

(Lilly's POV)

As soon as we made it inside to where the stalls were, she turned to me with a look of determination. She reached in to her pocket and pulled out a piece of paper, and then handed it to me. I unfolded it, only looking up at her with a skeptical, confused expression, but her eyes were pleading with me, so I didn't say anything as I looked down to read the writing on the piece of paper.

Lilly,

I am writing this to you instead of saying any of this out loud, because I didn't
want Alice to see this conversation. So please, do not say anything or ask
any questions until you have completed reading this.

James called me earlier, making me pretend that I was speaking with my mom.
He has her. I heard her voice on the phone, calling for me in a panic.
He said that the only way he would let her go was if you and I came to meet him.
I am so sorry that I have to ask this of you, but I can't ignore this and let anything
happen to my mom. I understand if you refuse, but at least I will have tried.

I have a plan that will hopefully get all of us out of this alive, but I will need
you to come with me and use your gift on him in order for it to work.
Please, I wouldn't ask this of you unless there was no other way.

Bella

I looked up at her with wide eyes, but I knew that I had to act fast if I agreed to go along with this. I knew that there was no way that I would let my best friend go to her death without a fighting chance, so I just nodded my head.

"Thank you," Bella said before she grabbed my hand and began to pull me to the other side of the bathroom where there appeared to be another exit to the bathroom. "Alice will have seen you make that decision and will be on to us any second now, so we have to move!"

I nodded as we ran out the door. Outside the far door it was only a short sprint to the elevators, and if Jasper and Alice just got up now, we would never be in their line of sight. We didn't look behind us as we ran. This was our only chance, and if they even saw us, we had to keep going. People stared, but we ignored them. Around the corner the elevators were waiting, and we dashed forward, throwing my hand between the closing doors of a full elevator headed down. We squeezed in beside the irritated passengers, and Bella checked to make sure that the button for level one had been pushed. It was already lit, and the doors closed.

As soon as the door opened we were off again, to the sound of annoyed murmurs behind us. We slowed ourselves as we passed the security guards by the luggage carousels, only to break into a run again as the exit doors came in to view. We had no way of knowing if Alice and Jasper were looking for us yet.

We would have only seconds if they were following our scent, or in Jasper's case, following the mating pull. We jumped out the automatic doors, nearly smacking into the glass when they opened too slowly.

Along the crowded curb there wasn't a cab in sight.

We had no time. Alice and Jasper were either about to realize that we were gone, or they already had. They would find us in a heard beat. I could already feel the mating pull begin to affect me, and if I noticed it, then Jasper did.

A shuttle to the Hyatt was just closing its doors a few feet behind us.

"Wait!" Bella called, grabbing my arm and running, waving at the driver.

"This is the shuttle to the Hyatt," the driver said in confusion as he opened the doors.

"Yes," she huffed, "that's where we're going." We hurried up the steps.

He looked askance at our luggage-less state, but then shrugged, not caring enough to ask.

Most of the seats were empty. We sat as far from the other travelers as possible, and watched out the window as first the sidewalk, and then the airport, drifted away. I couldn't help imagining Jasper where he would stand at the edge of the road when he found the end of our trail. I couldn't cry yet, I told myself. We still had a long way to go.

(Jasper's POV)

Something wasn't right. Alice had gotten up, saying that she just wanted to check something as her emotions showed panic and worry. She told me to remain seated and watch our things as she got up to do whatever she was doing.

I started to panic myself when I realized that I was starting to feel the mating pull, and the only way that was possible was if…

Shit!

I stood up from my seat and began looking around for Alice, only to find her walking towards me in a fast paced walk with a look of complete worry and fear.

"What is it, Alice? What's wrong? I am beginning to feel the pull!" I rushed out as she stopped in front of me.

"They're gone." She answered.

"What do you mean they're gone?" I asked gripping her upper arms as I tried to hold the Major at bay. "Where are they, Alice?"

"They went to meet James." I searched her face and emotions for any detection that she was joking or lying, no matter how cruel it would be to joke about, but I couldn't find any trace of dishonesty.

"Why would they do that?" I growled out, feeling as if I was about to collapse. "Where are they supposed to meet him? I need to get there!"

"I think they are meeting him at the ballet studio that I saw in my vision, but I see them making a stop first to Bella's mother's house. We need to wait for Edward, Emmett and Carlisle first though." She said.

"Alice, I don't know if I can do that." I sighed running a hand through my curly blond locks. "I'm having a hard time as it is trying to keep the Major at bay, but if he gets out, I can guarantee that he will not be a patient man."

It was then that my phone beeped with a text message. I pulled it out of my pocket and clicked the button to read it. It was from Peter.

'You need to wait for the others or one of the two of them will die. Read the letter! - *All-Knowing Yoda*

"What letter?" I asked out loud before showing the text message to Alice.

"Letter…the letter!" Alice yelled as she riffled through her black leather bag for the letter that Bella had written to her mother. She ripped it open and found that there were two folded up pieces of paper as she unfolded the first one. It was a letter to Edward.

Edward,

Don't be angry with Alice and Jasper. If I manage to get Lilly and I away from them it
will be a miracle. Tell them thank you for me. Alice especially, please.
I am sorry that it had to come to this, but he has my mother and will kill her unless I
somehow manage to escape from all of you and bring Lilly with me to meet him.
God only knows why he wants her, but please apologize to everyone, namely Jasper,
for handing Lilly over to him. Words can't even express how sorry I am.
I have a plan that we are going to try to put in to action if she agrees to come, so
I can only pray that hope is not lost and I will be able to return to you. But
if it fails, then know that we tried and that it was for a good cause.
And please, please, don't come after him. That's what he wants. The same with Jasper.
I can't bear it if anyone has to be hurt because of me, especially you.
Please, this is the only thing I can ask of you now. For me.

I love you. Forgive me.
Bella

"He has her mother?" I asked Alice and watched as she searched through visions of the future.

"No," she shook her head. "It has to be a trick. I don't see her mother anywhere in any of these visions of him."

"Fuck!" I growled and began to pace, running my hands over my face in exasperation. "What about the other piece of paper? What does it say?" I asked.

She unfolded the paper and began to scan it, her eyes widening before she let out a long sigh. "Here, it's for you from Bella." She said as she held out the paper towards me. I took it from here and began to read.

Jasper,

I know that you probably hate me by now and could care less what this letter has to say,
but I knew that I had to at least give you an explanation of my actions; if Lilly
agrees to come with me, that is.
He has my mother, Jasper, and he will kill her unless I can manage to get Lilly to
come with me to meet him. I am so sorry, from the bottom of my heart, I'm sorry.
I wish that I had another choice, but I don't. She is my best friend and it hurts me that
I even have to ask this of her and if I know her like I think I do, she won't hesitate to help.
I have a plan that I will be putting in to action with her help, so pray that hope is not lost.
But if it somehow fails and we are not able to return, then I again, I am so sorry.
Since she has no knowledge of any of this until we have to leave, she wouldn't
have had the time to write to you as I have written to Edward.
She would want you to know how much she loves you and how you completed her soul.
She would want you to know that no matter what happens to her, that she will
always have you in her thoughts and in her heart. She would apologize
for having to leave you and that it wasn't something she could avoid.
And lastly, she would tell you not to give in to James's plan.
As I told Edward, he wants you both to seek revenge so that he could
kill you both. Don't do it. She wouldn't want your life
to be forfeited in her name.

Again, I am so sorry. Forgive me.
Bella

I let out a long sigh before collapsing in to a chair and putting my head in my hands. What are we going to do? What are we supposed to tell Edward when he arrives and finds that Bella and Lilly aren't here? Fuck, fuck, fuck! Please, God, let them be okay!

(Lilly's POV)

Our luck held. In front of the Hyatt, a tired-looking couple was getting their last suitcase out of the truck of a cab. We jumped out of the shuttle and ran to the cab, sliding into the back seats. The tired couple and the shuttle driver stared at us.

Bella told the surprised cabbie an address before saying, "We need to get there as soon as possible."

"That's in Scottsdale," he complained.

I threw four twenties over the seat.

"Will that be enough?" I growled at him impatiently to Bella's surprise.

"Sure, kid, no problem."

I sat back against the seat, pressing a hand against my heart, trying to suppress the pain from the mating bond. It was getting worse.

"Are you alright?" Bella asked in concern as she eyed my hand against my chest.

"Yeah," I nodded. "it's the mating bond." I murmured, eyeing the cabbie who was blaring Spanish music in the front seat.

"Mating bond?" She asked confused, tilting her head to the side.

I discretely explained Jasper and I's mating bond, paying mind to the driver in the front seat. She seemed very interested in what I had to say about how Jasper and I have a stronger bond than most. I also explained that since the pain it still getting worse, then they must not have left the airport yet, or they're getting ready to. She sighed at that information before turning to look out the window at the city rushing around us. I closed my eyes and spent the rest of the twenty minute ride in silence, thinking about Jasper and how we could get out of this mess without any casualties.

I was so involved in my own thoughts, that I lost track of the seconds racing by.

"Hey, what was the number?" The cabbie's question brought me back to the present.

"Fifty-eight twenty-one." Bella's voice sounded strangled. The cabbie looked back and forth between the two of us, nervous that she was having an episode or something.

I grabbed Bella's hand in mine and gave her a comforting squeeze. She replied by giving me a small smile in return before looking back out the window.

"Here we are, then." He was anxious to get us out of his car, probably hoping I wouldn't ask for my change.

"Thank you," I whispered.

The house was empty and that confused me. I looked to Bella for an explanation as she hurried to the door, reaching up automatically to grab the key under the eave.

"He left a number for us to call him on so he can tell us where to meet him, though I have a sneaking suspicion of where we will end up." She explained as she unlocked the door.

It was dark inside, empty, normal. She ran to the phone and I followed after her as I looked around. It looked exactly like the drawing that Alice sketched of the place.

Bella flicked on the light as we turned in to the kitchen. There, on the whiteboard, was a ten-digit number written in a small, neat hand. Her fingers stumbled over the keypad, making mistakes. She had to hang up and start again. She concentrated on the buttons, carefully pressing each one in turn. She was successful. She held the phone to her ear with a shaking hand. It rang only once.

"Hello, Bella," that easy voice answered. "That was very quick. I'm impressed."

"Is my mom alright?" She immediately asked.

"She's perfectly fine. Don't worry, Bella, I have no quarrel with her. Unless you and Lilly didn't come alone, of course." Light, amused.

"We're alone." I'd never been more alone in my entire life.

"Very good. Now, do you know the ballet studio just around the corner from your home?"

"Yes, I know how to get there."

"Well, then, I'll see you both very soon."

She hung up and began to head to the door.

"Wait, wait, Bella!" I stopped her as I grabbed on to her elbow. "What's the plan?"

She sighed and began to switch her weight from foot to foot. "Your gift; If you can manage to get him to look at you, then you can use your gift on him and have him release my mom before you keep him frozen in place so that we can kill him or have him kill himself."

I nodded to myself, knowing that it would work. "Ok, let's go." I said before we ran from the room, through the door, out into the baking heat.

A/N: So what did you think? Read and review! Next up will be the confrontation with James! Any guesses on what is going to happen? Remember, it's not the same as the book!

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

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. I am also now excepting Phantom of the Opera FanFictions that include Erik! PM me for details!
- Bella'Xo
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