A/N: Sorry it's taken so long to get these chapters up, but I'm incredibly busy! This hasn't been edited yet, but I will update with the edited version on Saturday. So just sit tight and please ignore how ugly my writing is. :P

Edit: Got the edited chapter up. Thank you lipstickletter for beta-ing!

Disclaimer: As much as I'd like to say it, I'm not Stephenie Meyer, and anything in here you recognize is not mine.

Chapter Nine: Arizona

Rosalie and I flew into the house though the back door. Seconds after we arrived, Edward, Emmett, Bella, and Alice burst into the room. Anger and fear filled the area.

Edward was furious. "He's tracking us."

"I was afraid of that," Laurent said unhappily.

Alice ran to my side and I leaned down to hear what she had to say.

"James is after Bella and we're going to protect her by driving her to Phoenix while the others lead him away from us," she whispered at vampire speed. "We need to pack."

We both ran up the stairs and into our room. No words were spoken as we packed anything that would be needed on this trip. We were finished in two minutes flat. I took Alice in my arms, loving the way she seemed to fit perfectly against my chest. Silence filled the air and we just stayed like that, knowing how much danger we were in.

"I won't lose you," I murmured into her soft hair. "I would never allow that to happen. Not ever."

"I know," Alice sighed. "I'll protect you, too. I'm so sorry I let this slide. I should have-"

"Hush," I soothed, pulling her away and kneeling down so I was look up at her beautiful face. "No one blames you for this. I'll protect you and Bella while the rest kill off the tracker. It'll be simple, especially with the lessons I've been giving Emmett. Everything will be fine."

Alice bit her lip, not fully believing me. I put both my hands on either side of her face.

"I love you," I said earnestly. Even though they were only three simple words, we both knew they meant so much more to us. We hardly ever said them, for we already knew how in love. But, in situations like these, we would always express our passion to each other.

"I love you, too," Alice whispered, stroking my hair lovingly.

My eyes stung with tears that would never come tried to form. I blinked hard at the stinging, overcome with emotion. Alice gasped as I let the feeling sweep around the room.

"Oh, Jasper," she said before kissing my passionately. Our mouths moved against each other in a familiar pattern. Too soon, we broke apart. Alice kept her forehead pressed against mine as I continued planting kisses on her.

"We have to go," Alice whispered and I nodded, giving her one last kiss before heading downstairs.

Carlisle was grabbing the emergency cell phones we'd had made for specific situations like this. Alice and Esme flew to where we were, carrying Bella. Carlisle started passing out cell phones to everyone, describing how our plan would work out.

"Esme and Rosalie will be taking you truck, Bella," Carlisle said as he passed Bella. Rosalie glowered at him and I shuddered away from her emotion subconsciously.

"Alice, Jasper—take the Mercedes," he continued. "You'll need the dark tint in the south."

We both nodded.

"We're taking the Jeep. Alice, will they take the bait?"

Alice closed her eyes and become completely still. After ten seconds, she opened them again.

"He'll track you," she explained. "The woman will follow the truck. We should be able to leave after that."

"Let's go." Carlisle walked toward the kitchen as Edward pulled Bella into a kiss. It only lasted a second, but there was so much to it. Edward turned away, looking dead as he ran out of the house.

Alice and I looked at each other as Bella silently cried. We both were thinking the same thing: we had to protect them both. Otherwise, it would be like us loosing each other.

The silence was deafening, and it never seemed to end. Esme's phone vibrated finally and she put it up to her ear.

"Now," she announced before she and Rosalie left. Unlike Rosalie, who had stalked out of the room, Esme caressed Bella's cheek and told her to be safe.

The truck outside roared thunderously to life, and they were off.

There was another pregnant pause as we waited for our cue. Alice's hand flashed to her ear a second before the phone buzzed and she pressed send instantly.

"Edward says the woman is on Esme's trail. I'll get the car." Alice ran out of the room in one second.

Bella and I stared at each other awkwardly. I was standing as faraway as I could, wanting to still be careful. Even though the situation had me not thirsty, I still had to be cautious. Bella's guilt overwhelmed me, making me feel worthless as well. I had to cheer her up.

"You're wrong, you know," I said quietly.

"What?" she asked, bewildered.

"I can feel what you're feeling now—and you are worth it," I explained.

"I'm not," Bella mumbled. "If anything happens to them, it will be for nothing."

"You're wrong," I smiled kindly, assuring her of her importance.

Alice ran into the room again, letting me feel all her pride. Apparently she had heard our conversation. I ducked my head, not wanting attention for talking to Bella. Yet, I still smiled.

"May I?" Alice asked Bella, arms held out.

"You're the first one to ask permission," Bella joked halfheartedly.

Alice lifted her into her arms easily and we ran out to the car.

The ride didn't seem hard whatsoever, but I nearly died in that driver's seat. Not only did I have to sit in a car for a few hours with a human but also I had to feel all of her pain as she cried into Alice's cotton shirt. I knew that I shouldn't use my power on her. Not only because Edward had prohibited me from doing so—unless I desperately needed to—but because once my effect wore off, Bella would still need to cry after that and I'd still suffer. Eventually, she had fallen asleep in California, and Alice and I were left with some peace and quiet for a bit.

We didn't talk really, because we weren't sure how deep of a sleeper Bella was. Our whole conversation was basically Alice asking me if I was holding up, and me confessing that it was a bit hard for me. She quickly apologized and told me how proud she was, before Bella started talking. We weren't fully sure whether we had woken Bella or not, but she seemed to be asleep when we both quieted down. The rest of the drive was spent in silence.

We were in Arizona at the moment, Phoenix to be exact. Bella was awake now, both mildly confused and somewhat depressed. She was just gazing at the scenery that was around us. I figured she was emotionally stable, and decided I was able to talk to her.

"Which way to the airport, Bella?" I asked quietly, seeing her flinch in the rear view mirror. I built up some serenity, ready to release it into the car, but she seemed fine.

"Stay on the I-ten," Bella said. "We'll pass right by it."

I sped up a bit, now going at least three times as fast as the written speed limit.

"Are we flying somewhere?" Bella asked.

"No," Alice answered, "but it's better to be close, just in case."

We started to loop around Sky Harbor International, and Bella seemed to lull back to sleep. Finding a hotel wasn't very hard, especially when you were traveling with your psychic wife. She told me immediately where to go and we checked into a new room.

I focused on the television, making sure I heard everything and put it to memory. This was getting harder for me, avoiding Bella's scent. Alice was in her room right now, talking to Bella. We had ordered Bella some food, because Edward had instructed us to do so. Humans needed food more frequently than vampires needed blood, but sometimes when you were away from all the high school kids, you could forget. Edward didn't want us to starve Bella, though I doubt that'd happen.

I heard the girls get up and start to move toward the door and I held my breath, ready for the scent. My eyes didn't even flicker from the TV as they entered. Bella's heartbeat thundered throughout the room and I tensed, ready to spring at her. She stumbled to the food and ate a few measly bites, not seeming interested at all in it. Soon enough, she pushed her food away.

"What's wrong, Alice?" Bella asked.

"Nothing's wrong," Alice lied.

"What do we do now?"

"We wait for Carlisle to call."

"And should he have called by now?" Alice didn't answer, her guilt rising. "What does that mean? That he hasn't called yet?" Bella's voice was wavering, and her emotions were starting to get dangerously upset.

"It just means that they don't have anything to tell us," Alice assured her. Bella didn't believe her at all, and started to panic. Fear filled the room and I decided it was best to step in at this point. I flitted to Alice's side.

"Bella," I soothed. Talking normally worked best with my power, though I usually needed to just spread it silently for the recipients of the emotions would not be happy if they knew I was manipulating their feelings. "You have nothing to worry about. You are completely safe here."

"I know that," she stated.

"Then why are you frightened?" I asked, confused at her thoughts and emotions.

"You heard what Laurent said," she whispered. "He said James was lethal. What if something goes wrong, and they get separated? If something happens to any of them, Carlisle, Emmett . . . Edward . . . If that wild female hurts Esme . . ." Her voice was rising, hysteria creeping in with each word. "How could I live with myself when it's my fault? None of you should be risking your lives for me-"

"Bella, Bella, stop," I interrupted, worried I would break down at her emotions if I didn't comfort her soon enough. "You're worrying about all the wrong things, Bella. Trust me on this—none of us are in jeopardy. You are under too much strain as it is; don't add to it with wholly unnecessary worries." Her eyes ventured away from mine. "Listen to me! Our family is strong. Our only fear is loosing you."

"But why should you-"

Alice cut in this time, and brushed her fingers against Bella's cheek. "It's been almost a century that Edward's been alone. Now he's found you. You can't see the changes that we see, we who have been with him for so long. Do you think any of us want to look into his eyes for the next hundred years if he loses you?"

I silently spread calm to Bella as she looked into Alice's eyes, knowing that talking wouldn't work on her, just like everyone else. Maybe she should be a Cullen after all.

The day passed on with no event whatsoever and Bella eventually strayed from the room we had been sitting in for hours. Alice followed her into her bedroom and they began talking. I didn't listen too closely to the conversation as I read the only book in the hotel for the eighth time today. Soon, silence filled the air.

"Something's changed." Alice's horror filled the air and I leaped to my feet the same time she got off the bed. We both ran to the door, meeting each other at the same time. My wife's eyes were distant, and terrorized at whatever she was seeing. I gently put my hands on her shoulders and sat her on the bed, worried that she would topple over if she focused too much. Though that was highly unlikely, I still had to take extra precautions.

"What do you see?" I questioned intently, trying to stare through the fog that seemed to be covering her topaz eyes.

"I see a room. It's long, and there are mirrors everywhere." She continued looking into the future. "The floor is wooden. He's in the room, and he's waiting. There's gold . . . a gold stripe across the mirrors."

"Where is the room?" I asked.

"I don't know. Something is missing—another decision hasn't been made yet."

"How much time?" I didn't think too much about the questions I interrogated her with, because I had used them so many times before.

"It's soon. He'll be in the mirror room today, or maybe tomorrow. It all depends. He's waiting for something. And he's in the dark now."

"What is he doing?"

"He's watching TV . . . no, he's running a VCR, in the dark, in another place."

"Can you see where he is?"

"No, it's too dark."

"And the mirror room, what else is there?"

"Just the mirrors, and the gold. It's a band, around the room. And there's a black table with a big stereo, and a TV. He's touching the VCR there, but doesn't watch the way he does in the dark room. This is the room where he waits." Alice's eye finally came back to the present, and focused on my face.

"There's nothing else?" I asked and she shook her head. What was he doing there? What were his plans? And why hadn't she seen anything else? Neither of us knew the answer.

"What does it mean?" Bella asked, fearful.

Should we tell her the truth? I questioned with my eyes.

No, Alice's emotions told me so.

I quickly turned to Bella, trying my best to appear calm.

"It means the tracker's plans have changed. He's made a decision that will lead him to the mirror room, and the dark room." I explained.

"But we don't know where those rooms are?" Bella asked.

"No."

"But we do know that he won't be in the mountains north of Washington, being hunted. He'll elude them." Alice chimed in.

"Should we call?" Bella asked.

Alice and I looked at each other again. Should we let them know so we could figure out another plan? Or would calling disrupt their path? Before we could make a decision, the phone rang. Alice flew over to it and pushed a button, answering the call.

"Carlisle," she breathed. "Yes . . . I just saw him." Alice quickly described exactly what she had seen in the vision. "Whatever made him get on that plane . . . it was leading him to those rooms . . . Yes," Alice paused and turned to Bella. "Bella?"

She held the phone out, and Bella stumbled to it.

"Hello?" Bella answered the phone. Alice quickly ran to my side and I ducked my head, ready to hear the rest of the story.

"They lost him," she explained at vampire-speed. "He stayed far enough to make sure Edward couldn't read his thoughts and now they believe he got on a plane. The mirror room and the dark room have to be somewhere outside of Vancouver, and I highly doubt it's Washington. I would've recognized it then. And the female, she's been all around town. Rosalie and Esme have found her scent practically everywhere while they are watching over Chief Swan. Edward, Carlisle, and Emmett are heading back to Forks, and have alerted Esme and Rosalie."

"How can you be so sure that the mirror room and dark room aren't in Washington?" I questioned, dubious. "I've seen more of the state than you have; you might not recognize it. Can you draw the rooms for me?"

We flew to the table and Alice started sketching on the hotel stationary. Bella soon hung up the phone and wandered over to where we were, feeling depressed. So far, the room didn't spark any memory of mine at all.

"It's a ballet studio," Bella exclaimed and we both looked at her. How could she possibly recognize this room?

"Do you know this room?" I questioned, struggling to keep my voice calm as Alice sketched even faster.

"It looks like a place I used to go for dance lessons—when I was eight or nine. It was shaped just the same." Bella explained and touched the page where the square room jutted out into the narrowing part of the back. "That's where the bathrooms were—the doors were through the other dance floor. But the stereo was here"-Bella pointed to the left corner- "it was older, and there wasn't a TV. There was a window in the waiting room—you would see the room from this perspective if you looked through it."

Alice and I stared at each other, fear emanating from both of us. How on Earth could she know this room? And what exactly did that mean if she did?

"Are you sure it's the same room?" I asked, successfully keeping my voice steady.

"No, not at all—I suppose most dance studios would look the same—the mirrors, the bar." Bella absentmindedly traced the picture. "It's just the shape that looked familiar."

"Would you have any reason to go there now?" Alice asked.

"No, I haven't been there in almost ten years. I was a terrible dancer—they always put me in the back for recitals." Bella blushed lightly at the statement, but I didn't even notice my thirst. This was too dangerous and too shocking of a situation so bloodlust was the last thing on my mind.

"So there's no way it could be connected with you?" Alice asked intently. I stared at Bella as well. We needed exact answers, otherwise things could end terribly.

"No, I don't even think the same person owns it. I'm sure it's just another dance studio, somewhere."

"Where was the studio you went to?" I asked, the only one in this room really keeping my voice casual.

"It was just around the corner from my mom's house. I used to walk there after school . . ." Bella trailed off and Alice and I exchanged a look. This wasn't good. It wasn't good at all.

"Here in Phoenix, then?" I questioned.

"Yes," Bella whispered. "Fifty-eight Street and Cactus."

No one talked then, and we all studied the drawing more thoroughly.

"Alice, is the phone safe?" Bella asked after a while.

"Yes," Alice nodded. "The number would just trace back to Washington."

"Then I can use it to call my mom."

"I thought she was in Florida."

"She is—but she's coming home soon, and she can't come back to that house while . . ." Bella's voice trembled and she stopped talking.

"How will you reach her?" Alice asked, her sympathy rising.

"They don't have a permanent number except at the house—she's supposed to check her messages regularly."

"Jasper?"

I thought about it. It didn't seem harmful, seeing as the number would trace back to Washington. Though, James could hear it if he broke into Bella's old house. She'd just have to be careful about what she would say.

"I don't think there's any way it could hurt—be sure you don't say where you are, of course."

Bella grabbed the phone instantly and dialed the number. She started to leave a message and I politely ignored her, studying Alice's drawing of the dark room. Bella was soon finished with her message and sat around the room, nibbling occasionally on fruit. I was amazed at her calm mask that she held, for her emotions were insanely terrorized and depressed.

I decided to gently lull Bella to sleep with emotions. When Alice noticed Bella was unconscious, she picked her up and carried her off to bed

My love returned quickly and sat on the couch next to me kissing my nose.

"I'm so proud of you," she murmured and rested her head on my shoulder. I entangled my fingers with hers and kiss the top of her head, enjoying the peace she brought back into the room.

A/N: Hit or miss? Please review!

~Eclipse-Vamp :)