The Curse of Destiny

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. I wish I did, but I don't. I own this plot line (originally it was a short story I wrote for a college class and I decided to turn it into a longer fanfiction story). I hope you all like it.

Description: The doctors threw around the term "Stockholm's Syndrome." All Bella knew was that she missed her kidnapper and wasn't sure how to function without him anymore. She needed him and she had to get back to him…somehow. Could she love Edward, the man who had both abducted her and stolen her heart? Could she live without him? Time will tell…

Author's Note: Thank you for the wonderful reviews! Many of you guessed correctly that Bella will not get very far. Well done! I hope you like this chapter. Please review and let me know. Love you all!

Chapter 8 – Looking for an Escape

"BELLA!" He calls out to her as he winces in pain curled onto the ground in agony.

Bella doesn't stop as she tears through the trees. She stumbles and falls, ignoring the pain she rights herself and keeps running. Her flip flops fall off her feet, but she doesn't stop for them. She just has to get away. Fleeing is the only thing she can think of at the moment. The tree limbs scratch her face and pull at her clothes, still she pushes onward. When she feel she is a safe distance away she powers on her phone, but keeps running. The phone slowly comes to life and she notices with relief that there is a single bar indicating service. Just as she goes to dial the screen goes black…the battery is dead. Bella cries out in rage as she throws the phone as far as she can in the opposite direction she is running…hoping that anything will throw this maniac off track…not likely. Bella's ankle turns inward causing her to cry out in pain, but she runs through the pain. She doesn't dare stop.

She runs until her lungs burn and her vision blurs. Finally after what seems like hours she collapses on the ground and tries to catch her breath. Her ankle is throbbing painfully and is swollen to twice its normal size already. Bella knows she won't be able to walk on it much longer, much less run. She desperately looks around and sees a large branch. She limps over to it and tries to use it to help her hurry through the trees and brush. It helps for a little while, but the pain in her ankle becomes too great and she knows it won't work for long.

In the distance she hears running water. If she can get to the water maybe she can float away from Edward and this dreadful place. She limps carefully closer and closer to the water.

"BELLA!" She hears Edward's voice as it slices through the trees and causes fear to overwhelm her heart. She hobbles along and suddenly she is on a cliff looking down into the water. Her heart sinks as she realizes the fall into the water will kill her. Tears course down her cheeks as she hears Edward advancing closer. She pulls herself together and limps to some nearby bushes and tries to hide among them. She peers out of the thicket of branches in time to see Edward run into view.

He looks beautiful she finds herself thinking as she looks at him. His shirt is full of rips and is missing one sleeve. His jeans are covered in dirt and leaves are stuck to his out of control hair. He stops and peers over the edge of the cliff into the water. He looks all around the area, but doesn't seem to believe she fell. How would he know?

Suddenly he is on the ground looking at the grass. Bella freezes. He has been tracking her. Her leg would make that easier for him because she has had to drag it around. He stands up and looks in her direction. Bella doesn't move and tries to quiet her breathing. He is going to find her.

"Bella, please come out. I'm not angry with you love. I couldn't be. I understand why you ran away from me."

Bella remains absolutely still as the tears fall down her cheeks. The pain in her ankle has become unbearable and small specks of white are appearing in her vision. She shakes her head slightly to clear it and it only causes more white to consume her vision.

"There you are." His soft voice whispered in her ear. He looks down at her ankle. "Bella! What happened to you? How have you been walking around on that?" He asks in astonishment and concern.

Bella manages to find her voice. She wants it to be strong, but it is shaky and weak. "Please just leave me alone."

Edward looks at her with concern. "Never." He whispers and that is all she can process before she succumbs to the blackness, giving in to the pain that is tearing her apart from the inside out.

Edward picks Bella up gingerly to carry her back to the house. She hadn't really gotten far from the house. She had been going in circles. He had been tracking her for the last hour. He hadn't been concerned she would escape him, only that she would hurt herself. He wanted to keep her safe. He had failed her this time, but never again he promised himself.

Edward was concerned about her ankle. It was nearly three times the size of her other ankle. It was clear she had broken it or at the very least had a very bad sprain. He was able to treat either. His uncle had taught him many things before his death and he had adored him. He walked into the house and fastened the dead bolt behind him. He carried her down the hallway and into her bedroom. He laid her gently on her bed. He wanted to change her clothes but he knew she would freak out and he didn't want her to think he would take advantage of her.

He went to his room and fetched his two pillows to prop her foot up. He cleaned ankle as gently as he could and then he started an IV with pain medication in it. It would make her drowsy, but it would alleviate a majority of the pain. Next her brought baggies filled with ice into the room and placed them against her swollen ankle before wrapping it up in gauze. He pinned the gauze in place and sat back to watch her sleep. He had water and soup ready for her when she woke up. He knew she would need fluids and nourishment after her brush with the outside world. She had worn herself out. She was a fighter. Bella was a fighter and this pleased him. He knew he had to tell her what he knew soon. He could not risk her trying to escape again and damaging herself further. She needed to know the truth about what her parents had planned for her future. Would she have accepted it or run away? Edward wants to believe she would have run screaming in the other direction, but he had not been positive so he had decided to take her…he wanted to give her a choice. Edward shook his head at his convoluted thinking. He had kidnapped her to give her a choice? All he knew was that Bella Swan belonged to HIM. He wanted to make her fall in love with him and when he got his inheritance they could live a long and happy life together. Would she ever be able to see that? Would the truth help her? He could only hope and pray…

Thoughts on this chapter? What secret about Bella's parents does Edward plan to reveal? How does Edward know about it? What do you think Bella will say? I would love to hear your thoughts, please review! Please and thank you all so very much!