I am soooo sorry it's been so long since I updated. I've been really busy with family stuff and getting ready for college. Anyway, this chapter will probably seem a little out of character, but it is my story and I didn't want it to be like all the other ones so this is how it's going down. Thanks for ready and please, please, please review. I'd like to at least hit 210 . Oh and by the way, a lot of people have commented that Bella's shield should protect her but it'll explain in this chapter that though she is a shield against mental things, this is purely physical, she can still think and everything, it's just her body that is frozen. Hope that clears things up. Thanks

CHAPTER 25

I wasn't surprised that we ran the whole day and into the next morning. But I began to wonder if Leon's power would work with us so far away, if he was capable of unfreezing the Cullens from this distance. When we finally stopped, Leon dropped me unceremoniously onto the ground, my dress poofing up, obscuring my view of Victoria. I was still frozen, which didn't surprise me really, though I'd hoped they'd slip up and I'd be able to escape. I was pretty confident that I was faster than either of them, and stronger, since I was a much newer vampire than them.

As I lay there, unable to move, Victoria crouched down beside me, smoothing my dress down so we could look at each other. "You know, this dress, it really is spectacular. Don't you agree Leon?" she asked optimistically.

"Indeed, it is among the finest dresses I've ever seen, though I suppose it helps that such a beauty is the one wearing it…" he replied with what was to my eyes a purely evil grin.

"Leon, is it possible for you to be able to unfreeze Bella's mouth, so she can talk, but keep the rest of her frozen?" Victoria asked as though she were purely curious.

"Of course, that is as simple as one, two, three." And as he said these last three words my mouth did indeed come unglued.

"Why, why are you doing this?" I asked quietly.

"Come on Bella, I know you didn't finish school but I did think you were smarter than this. You and I had a deal, remember? I would turn you and you would get revenge on Edward. But what is this I hear when I come back to check on things? You've cozened up to his brother and left him to be happy with his brother's ex-wife? That doesn't seem like a fair deal to me Bella."

"But he's not happy! Ever since you changed me he's been trying to get me back and I won't take him, so he's miserable!" I replied, hoping that this would sway her.

Her eye brows did go up at this news but she didn't immediately release me as I prayed she would, though I knew she wouldn't. "Indeed? He's unhappy?" she asked.

"From what I can tell, very. I can't do anything for you, there's no reason for me to be here. Please, just let me go?" I asked softly.

Victoria appeared to be considering my words. "Well, if I were to take you back I would need to take someone in your place. Perhaps Emmett's ex-wife, do you think me taking her will hurt Edward greatly?" she asked.

I looked down at the ground, unable to look at this malicious woman while I thought about my predicament. Rosalie. Even if I was willing to see Edward get hurt, I was not willing to send Rose to this woman in my place. I saw now that there was no getting out of this, no way for me to negotiate with this crazy vampire.

"No," I said resignedly. "I don't think taking her will hurt him that much. From what I've seen they're just convenient for each other." Saying these words hurt me, because I knew that on Rose's part at least, Edward was not just convenient, he was important to her. "If you are bent on having a prisoner, there is no one but me that would be as logical. Especially since you have a grudge against me."

"No Bella, my grudge is not against you," she replied, sounding almost surprised that I thought this.

"Then why are you doing this to me? If we have no problems between us then I would not be here, frozen on the ground, in my WEDDING DRESS!" I shouted, more angry than I could account for.

"Someone has to pay for James, Bella. Someone has to suffer like I suffered," she replied almost as if she didn't even care about what she was saying, just as long as someone paid.

"Why? Why can't you just let it go? You didn't love James Victoria. I know, because if you had, you would have been with him when he came after me in Phoenix. You would have come to get Edward the minute you knew he had killed James. You know I'm right."

"And why do you think I didn't love him? Why are you so sure I wasn't just following orders?" she demanded.

I looked at her straight in the eyes, "because when I was with Edward, or now that I'm with Emmett, if James had killed him, I would have stopped at nothing to get back at him. Because if Edward had died, when I loved him, it would have ripped my heart out and nothing could have stopped me from killing the one who caused me that pain, and the same would happen now, if someone killed Emmett. See, because you did not immediately try to do something about Edward, it tells me that you were not in love with James. If you had been, nothing could have stopped you from ripping Edward apart."

Victoria was considering me from her crouched position. It was only as I lay there unmoving that I noticed that it seemed as though she had tamed her hair a bit, changed her clothes…

"Besides, think about it Victoria. Imagine yourself in my place. Imagine that you're being chased by a crazed vampire and the man you love will do anything to save you, even if that means killing that vampire, who may or may not have a love of his own. Would you really care that he had a love, as long as yours was safe? Edward didn't kill James to spite you or to cause you pain. He did it because…well at the time I'd like to hope he loved me, and he couldn't let me die. Victoria, look inside yourself and you will find out whether what you are doing is right or wrong."

Victoria was still looking at me. Finally, and abruptly she got to her feet and walked away. "Leon," was all she said. I tried to protest because I knew what was coming but I couldn't even open my mouth before I was frozen again. I lay in that awkward position all night long, wherever we were seemed to be a secure place because it didn't look like Victoria and Leon had any intention of running again, unless the Cullens were still frozen. And this thought brought me full circle back to Emmett. I remembered how handsome he'd looked in his black tux and silver vest. I remembered the happiness that radiated from his being as we stood linking hands in front of the priest as we said our vows. And I remembered the feel of his arm around my waist as we meandered through the crowd of people, saying hello and thanking them for coming. His arm had been comforting, familiar, perfect right where it was. And if I couldn't convince Victoria to release me, I might never see him again.

By the time the sun came up I could feel that I was in withdrawal, I hadn't fed in almost a week and this lack was wearing on me. It seemed that Victoria was thinking of this because she and Leon walked over to me, a small bottle filled with red liquid clutched in Leon's hand.

"We figured you were probably hungry…" Victoria explained as though she couldn't come up with something else to say and so just threw it out there. Since I couldn't move I just stared at her. She sighed as if exasperated, "Leon!" she said sharply, rolling her eyes. He started, as if he hadn't been paying any attention and looked at Victoria inquiringly. "Well unfreeze her enough so she can eat, and hand her the bottle for god's sake!" she said.

I felt my head unfreeze and my throat and the other parts of me needed to take in the blood. Then I watched as Victoria snatched the bottle of blood from Leon and held it carefully to my mouth. The taste was oddly salty, and it didn't seem as thick as the deer blood I'm partial too. And then I realized…they were giving me human blood. This was the first time I'd ever had human blood and I was glad I didn't need it to survive; I did not like the taste at all, though I noticed almost immediately that it gave me more strength than animal blood did. I drank it all, careful to not let any drip onto my white dress.

When the bottle was empty Victoria took it from my mouth and handed it roughly to Leon. "Thank you," I said quietly. Victoria seemed surprised that I would say something like this, since her eyes widened slightly. "Could…I know this might be out of line, since I'm your prisoner and all, but could I possibly have something else to wear? Or at least take off my dress? I'm afraid it will get ruined." I couldn't believe that here I was thinking about my stupid wedding dress when I was being held hostage by a vampire that didn't seem to really know what she wanted.

This time Victoria actually smiled a little, not a malicious evil smile, but a normal, genuine smile, and I had to admit she looked much prettier that way. "I'm sorry I didn't think of it before. No matter my grievances it would be a shame to see such a phenomenal dress ruined or soiled. Leon! Run to town as quickly as possible and pick up some jeans and a shirt for Bella…size 6?" she said, looking at me for confirmation. I nodded and watched as Leon disappeared from my sight. I did not miss the fact that I was still partially unfrozen as I moved my head around to see my surroundings. And then I remembered something I'd wanted to ask Victoria for a while.

"Victoria, why did you go after my dad?" I inquired almost silently.

Victoria's head came up from where she was sitting on a log, looking at something I couldn't make out from my position. Her eyes bore into mine before she looked back down. "Do you want the truth?" she asked.

For a moment I thought about being a smart ass, but decided against it. If she was willing to tell me I wanted to know. "Yes." Victoria seemed to have forgotten that she was going to tell me, she sat still so long, but suddenly she began talking.

"The truth is that I had no intention of going after your father Bella. Leon and I had just gotten back in the area when he car came down the road toward us. Of course I knew his smell so I mentioned something Leon about him being your dad, and I don't know, he freaked out and started attacking the car. I couldn't…I didn't do anything to Charlie, but I didn't try to stop Leon either. Every so often he has these odd surges, like he can't control himself, like back there, I have to remind him about what he's doing a lot. If I'd known he was like that I wouldn't have brought him back with me, no matter how useful his power is."

"So you didn't even want to hurt Charlie? His accident was because of Leon?" I asked.

Victoria nodded. And then out of the woods came Leon, a murderous look on his face. "You said you weren't going to tell anyone!" he shouted. As he advanced on Victoria I felt my whole body become unfrozen.