I had a little freak out after the least chapter – you guys put me over 1000 reviews! You have no idea how much that made me smile! Thank you so much for the amazing feedback on my little story – if I could hug every single one of you I would!

As always this story would be nothing without my pre-readers MrsK1981 and SparklyMeg, and my beta's Marly 580 and Mauigirl60.

So here we go….enjoy!

EPOV

The rest of the journey is spent in near silence. The sights of L.A. pass as we head out of the city and toward the motel where Lauren is. The fact that she's staying this far out of the city—and in some dive—has my nerves in tatters.

We turn off the highway, coming to an abrupt stop outside a run-down building. Several of the windows are missing and have been boarded up, and the sign is flashing "otel" above the reception area. The rooms all face the parking lot, which should make it easier to find Lauren. It fits every stereotype of a bad neighborhood you can think of, and it confirms my thoughts that Lauren picked this exact place for a reason.

I only hope we're not too late.

I wait for the cops to let me out, and frown when they tell me to stay in the car instead. Apparently, they need to speak with the manager and gain entry to the room first.

I survey the building as Angela sobs quietly next to me. Is Bella in there? What has Lauren done to her?

I bounce my leg anxiously as we wait for the cops to return. I need to see Bella. I need to know that she's okay, and that Lauren hasn't hurt her.

I'll never forgive myself if she has.

Another two cop cars arrive and park next to ours. I watch as they ignore us completely and head into the building.

"This is ridiculous. What's taking so long?"

Angela looks out her window. "They'll need to decide the best way to go in."

"We need to be doing something! Lauren could have done anything to her by now."

As soon as the words are out of my mouth, the cops are back outside, this time being followed by a short, older man. He has a bunch of keys attached to his pants, and is followed by two of the cops as he heads left out of the reception door.

Liam separates from the group, heading back to the car instead. He opens my door and I rush out, ready for my instructions.

"What's going on? What's the plan?" I ask.

"Well, we've explained everything to the manager, and he's cooperating with us. He's taking two of my colleagues to her room now, where they're waiting for us. We're going to need you to come with us. You clearly . . . uh . . . have a calming presence on Ms. Mallory, and we think it might be best for Ms. Swan if you're there until we can apprehend Ms. Mallory." He looks at Angela. "Would you like to wait here or come with us?"

"I . . . uh . . . I think I'd just like to wait here." She leans against the car, and I worry that she's actually going to pass out. "To be honest, I think I'd just get in the way."

"You've been great so far, Angela," I compliment her. I don't know what I would have done if she hadn't been at the villa earlier.

She smiles weakly and moves to get back in the car. Liam stops her. "You can wait in the motel reception." He grimaces. "It isn't much, but it'll be better than in the car. We'll come and get you when we're ready to leave."

She nods and walks toward the motel. Before she reaches it, she turns. "Edward?"

I look up.

"Be careful, okay? And bring her back to us."

I smile weakly and nod, unable to speak. I'm hanging on by a thread here, and words like that are close to tipping me over the edge.

With a heavy stomach, I blink back the tears and follow Liam as we make our way to what I assume is Lauren's room.

"Is Lauren in?"

Liam shakes his head. "The manager doesn't know. Evidently, the guest paid in advance with cash and asked not to be disturbed."

"So, what do I need to do? I mean, how does this go?" My voice is shaky as the emotions plow through me. I'm so close to Bella, I can almost feel it. I need to make sure everything goes as it should so that I can have Bella back in my arms and have Lauren—hopefully—locked away.

"Well, from what I heard of your call and what you've said of Ms. Mallory, I don't think she's going to be armed. We'll be taking precautions, of course, but I think you'll be safe. Since Ms. Mallory thinks you're showing up for your date, I would recommend that we let her continue thinking that." He gestures to one of his colleagues, who steps forward. "He's is going to put a wire underneath your shirt. We need you to keep Ms. Mallory talking. The more she says on tape, the easier things will be for us once we have her."

I nod as I'm wired up. "Keep her talking," I say quietly to myself. "Okay, I can do that."

Liam claps my shoulder. "You'll be fine, Edward. Just keep in mind that she's not quite there. Try not to say anything to set her off, and keep the attention off Ms. Swan." He guides me toward the room. "We'll be standing outside, and my guys will all have their eyes on the door; if you need us, just say so and we'll come in, okay?"

I nod again, trying to focus on everything he's saying. Our main focus is to get Bella out safely.

Once we're close to the door, he stops. "We'll be waiting outside. You got this?"

"Yeah . . ." I stare up at the door, wondering what's waiting for me on the other side. "Yeah, I got it."

I can feel all eyes on me as I walk toward the room. With each step I take, my heart pounds faster. My hands begin to sweat and I rub them on my pants leg before knocking on the door.

It takes a while for anyone to answer, which automatically has me panicking. Before I can knock again, I hear some scuffling and a quiet moan before Lauren opens the door.

I bite back a gasp as soon as I see her. Her blonde hair is gone and has been replaced with long brunette locks. The Lauren standing in front of me is not the same girl I'm used to seeing. Gone is the perfect makeup, perfect nails, and matching perfect outfit. Instead, a crazy person stands in front of me.

Her eyes have a dazed look to them and she's constantly glancing around the room – from me, to the bed, to the door, back to the bed and me again. It's like she can't stay focused on anything. Her once-immaculate hair is now dirty, matted and sticking out in each direction.

When I was told Lauren had dyed her hair, I assumed it might have been a wig that she'd gotten purely for the purpose of the photos, but she's had this done professionally. Up close, she doesn't look like Bella, but dressed in the right outfit and in a blurry picture, it would be difficult to tell the difference.

Unaware of my shocked expression, Lauren smiles, looking like the cat that got the canary.

"Edward," she gushes. "You look . . ." She looks me up and down, frowning as she takes in my attire. Since I got off the plane, I haven't had time to change, and judging from the look on Lauren's face, I don't look like date material.

"I . . . uh . . . I have a suit in the car," I ramble. "I came straight here when I got off the phone. I just wanted to see you, baby."

She beams at me. "Oh, that's so cute, Edward," she squeals.

She opens the door wider and gestures for me to follow her. "I'm just finishing getting ready, and then we can go."

I glance around the room and my heart clenches when I can't see Bella.

"Where's Bella?" I ask, trying to keep my voice neutral.

Lauren's grimaces. "Why do you only care about her? You haven't even told me how good I look."

"Um . . . you look great as always, Lauren." She giggles and twirls. "Really . . . beautiful." I narrow my eyes as I take in her outfit. Clearly inspired by Bella, she's wearing a black knee-length skirt and a red shirt. My heart plummets as I recognize it as the shirt stolen from Bella's apartment.

She takes my hand in hers and squeezes it softly. I flinch at the contact, which she thankfully doesn't notice.

"Thank you." She giggles again. "So, do we have a big night planned? Since we're announcing the engagement soon and all, it would be nice just to have a night together before we get pulled into the wedding mayhem."

Words fail me as I try to focus on Lauren and not rush around looking for Bella. It's only a small room, so she has to be hidden somewhere.

I refuse to think that Lauren's gotten rid of her already.

"Edward, what do you have planned?" I can see doubt in Lauren's eyes, something I can't afford to see.

I know I have to have something impressive up my sleeve that will make her forget about the pretty brunette she has hiding somewhere in here.

I smile, praying it looks genuine. "It's a surprise, baby."

"Oh! You remembered how much I love surprises." She smiles and tightens her hold on my hand.

"Of course I did. We'll go as soon as I see that nothing's happened to Bella."

She frowns, but nods and takes me further into the room. In the back corner, I see a closed door, which must lead to the bathroom.

Lauren guides me over and pauses outside. I hold my breath, bracing myself for what's inside as she opens the door.

A small sob escapes me as the door opens, and a scared-looking Bella, tied to a chair, is revealed. She has a bruise forming over one of her eyes, and what looks to be a fresh red mark above it, no doubt a result of the moan I heard earlier. Her face is blotchy, and her eye makeup has smudged.

She glances warily from me to Lauren and then back again.

"Edward," she whispers, causing my heart to crumble.

I refrain from answering her, knowing that if I do, it could give me away. I have to do what Liam said and keep Lauren's focus off Bella and on me.

I close my eyes and turn away from Bella. I look at Lauren, who is watching Bella with disdain.

"We need to get her out of here. If she's hurt, then she could go to the cops about you."

She snorts. "She won't be saying anything. Right, Bella?" She emphasizes her question with a swift kick to the chair, causing Bella to yelp in surprise and me to flinch.

"We don't know that, Lauren—"

"We do." She turns and wraps her arms around my waist. "Because she won't be around to say anything."

I unravel her arms and step back from her. "What do you mean?"

"It's perfect, don't you see?" She walks over to Bella and stands behind her. I make myself stay in place as she pulls on her hair, forcing Bella to look up at the ceiling. "Just a quick little shove off a cliff. By the time anyone even notices she's missing, we'll be long gone." A gasp escapes me as Lauren reveals her plans for Bella. She glances at me, and I think I might have blown my cover, but she looks away just as quickly. The last thing I want—or need—is for Lauren to realize she's being played.

"Edward . . . she's crazy . . . please . . ."

"Don't! You don't get to speak to him!" Lauren tugs on Bella's hair again, this time with enough force to cause her to whimper in pain.

Instinctively, I reach out toward her, desperate to protect her, I reach out instinctively but then step back, remembering what Liam told me.

"Lauren." I wait until she looks at me.

"We can't do that. People are already looking for her. If you . . . we . . . go through with this, then the cops will be all over us."

She pouts and releases her hold on Bella. "But Edward, the money we have can get us out of it."

My stomach turns, and I fight the urge to throw up as I take her hand and pull her toward me. I take both arms and wrap them around me, keeping them there until she relaxes against me. She sighs. "I just want us to be together." Her voice is muffled against my shirt, but I can still make it out.

I use the opportunity to look at Bella. Her eyes are filled with unshed tears, and she's shaking. I nod to her, silently asking if she's okay, and breathe a sigh of relief when she nods back.

"Let's go, Lauren." She looks up at me with a serene smile on her face. "We can call Bella a cab and have her wait at reception, and then we can go on our date and just forget everything happened."

"That sounds magical," she breathes. "Let me get my purse and we can go."

I follow her into the bedroom and wait while she gathers her things. "Okay. I'm ready." She gestures to the bathroom. "Let's get her, and then we can leave."

Bella watches us cautiously as we approach, never taking her eyes off Lauren. A few cries escape her as Lauren pulls at the ropes, not caring if they hurt Bella or not. I lock my gaze on Bella to make sure she isn't in too much pain.

"There," Lauren mutters. "Be grateful that Edward called when he did. If it weren't for him, you'd be sitting at the bottom of those cliffs outside."

Bella visibly shudders and mutters quiet thanks.

I long to put my arms around her, to be able to comfort her in some way, but my main focus right now is getting us all out of the bedroom. As soon as we're out, the cops can have Lauren, and then I can turn my attention solely to Bella.

The girls walk in front of me, Bella speeding ahead as I close the door behind us. Lauren stays back a little, taking my hand in hers as we head toward the reception area.

As soon as we're clear of the room, we're surrounded. Numerous voices yell at us, telling us to get down and stay put. Bella crumbles to the ground, her sobs clear as she hides her face in her hands. Lauren starts to panic and tightens her grip on me.

I fall to my knees, taking Lauren with me.

"Edward?" Lauren turns to face me. "What's going on?" She panics and tries to keep hold of me.

Liam approaches, grabbing my shoulder and pulling Lauren away from me. As quickly as I can, I untangle myself from her hold and stand to the side, watching as he handcuffs Lauren.

"Edward?" Lauren asks again, a dazed look on her face. She stops resisting the cops, instead allowing them to lead her away. I watch as Liam's partner reads Lauren her rights before putting her into the back of one of the cars.

The second I know she's under control, I turn and run in the direction of Bella. She's no longer on the ground, but on a sofa in the reception area of the motel. Angela has her arms wrapped around her, whispering soothing words to try to calm her.

"Bella?" I ask, slowly approaching them.

"Edward?" She turns in Angela's arms, and the sight almost breaks my heart. The bruise above her eye is darkening, as is the fresh mark on her head. Her hair has been pulled out of the ponytail and is falling in messy waves around her shoulders. On closer inspection, I can see her clothes are worn and tattered, and I check her body looking for other injuries.

I sit down next to her, unsure if my presence is welcome.

"Bella? Are you okay? Did she hurt you?" I touch her shoulder, breathing a sigh of relief when she doesn't move away from me.

She lets out a strangled sob. "She was going to kill me, Edward."

I close my eyes and sigh. "I know she was."

"So, do you think I'm even close to being okay?" Her tears fall freely, and it takes all the strength I have not to pull her into my arms.

"No . . . I . . ."

Angela stands, smiling sadly at me. "I'm just going to wait outside."

Both Bella and I nod and watch as she leaves. I appreciate the gesture, but for the first time ever, I'm nervous about being left alone with Bella. I'm very aware that she's not my girlfriend anymore; as much as I want to change that fact, I can't rush into it.

Silence falls over us, with neither of us knowing where or how to start.

I decide to break the silence first. "God, Bella. I'm so sorry."

She nods and slides over to me. Hesitating slightly, she wraps an arm around my waist, resting her head on my shoulder. "Neither of us could know, Edward. There's having a stalker ex, and then there's Lauren—she took it to a whole different level."

"I should have been here sooner, then maybe I could have stopped her—"

She places her free hand on my chest. "Don't. Even if you did come earlier, it wouldn't have mattered. She would have found another way, and we both know it."

I don't say anything but hug her closer to me. I breathe in as her body fits against mine, thankful that I got to her on time.

"Thank you," she murmurs against my chest.

She doesn't say what for, but I already know. "You're welcome." I kiss her forehead softly, enjoying the time I have with her now, aware of the fact that this might change the minute we land back in Seattle.

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Once the cops have finished with the bedroom, they tell us we need to go to the station. Although they know everything from my viewpoint, I have to make an official statement, as does Bella. She refuses to go to the hospital for her injuries, but there are still paramedics waiting to see her when we arrive at the police station.

She's whisked away to get checked over, and the cops take Angela in for questioning. I use the time to call Emmett.

"Edward? About time . . . what the hell is going on?"

I sigh and sit down, running a hand over my face. "It was bad, Em. Lauren was behind it all like we thought, but she's crazy, man. She kidnapped Bella and planned to get rid of her so we could be together."

There's silence on the other end of the phone. "Emmett?"

"Sorry. Sorry. I'm here. God, are you okay? How's Bella?"

"She's okay. I mean, she's shaken up, but I got to her in time. The cops have Lauren in for questioning."

He huffs and the silence falls between us again. "Are you okay, Edward? Do you want me to come out there?"

I smile. "Thanks, but I should be good. I'm giving my statement and then I'll be coming home. I just want to get out of here."

"Okay. Well, let me know when your flight gets in. I'll come and get you from the airport."

"I'd appreciate that." I look up as a cop approaches. "Look, I gotta go. I think I have to give my statement now."

"Okay, let me know if there's anything else you need."

We say goodbye quickly, and I follow the cop down a corridor. He opens a door, letting me enter first, and I find myself in a small room with a table and three chairs.

"Can we get you anything, Mr. Cullen? Tea? Coffee?"

"No, thanks. I just want to get this done and go, if that's okay?"

He nods. "I understand. Take a seat." He gestures to the seat on the other side of the table. "We're just waiting for my partner to arrive, and then we can get started."

His partner joins us a few moments later and they get straight to it. It feels like I'm in there for hours. They ask me about my relationship with Lauren, my relationship with Bella, and how Lauren came into our lives again. I'm asked to give a detailed description of what brought me to L.A. and what happened today. I give them all the details I can, eager for them to have as much information as possible to put Lauren away.

Finally, when I've told them everything I can think of, they tell me I can go home.

"What's going to happen to Lauren?" I ask as I get my stuff together.

"I can't tell you too much at the moment. Her parents have been called, and they're on their way. We'll go from there."

I nod; of course her parents will be coming. My only hope is that their money doesn't buy her way out of this.

I shake hands with the cop. "Can you tell me if Bella . . . Ms. Swan is still here?"

He gestures down the corridor. "She's giving her statement now, son. She'll be done shortly." He smiles softly. "You're welcome to wait for her, if you'd like."

I take a seat and wait for her. Angela comes out of one room, looking shaken and completely drained. I wave her over, and she takes a seat next to me.

"How're you coping?" I ask, turning to face her.

She shrugs. "It still feels a bit surreal, you know? I mean, I was here for work and on my last day, I wind up in a police station giving a statement about someone I hardly know."

"Yeah. It's definitely been a day I won't forget for a while."

"Do they know what's going to happen to Lauren?"

I shake my head. "I asked, but they said they couldn't tell us much right now."

"Yeah," she murmurs. "That makes sense, I suppose."

Closing my eyes, I lean back in my seat, my thoughts overrun with everything that happened today. A visit to L.A. to speak to my girl turned out to be so much more than that.

I almost lost her.

And it's definitely helped me see things in a new light.

A door opens down the corridor, and a disheveled-looking Bella steps out. I'm on my feet in an instant, waiting for her to approach. She's smiling nervously, but looks a lot better than when I last saw her.

"How're you feeling?" I ask as she walks closer.

She smiles softly and runs her fingers through her hair. "Ready to go home."

"Well, let's go back to your villa, grab your things, and then we can go."

She stiffens as I grasp her arm, and I drop it like it's on fire. "What?"

She glances behind me to Angela and then back again. "I . . . uh . . . I'm going back with Angela."

"Oh." My heart drops to my stomach. "Of course. Sorry, I just assumed . . ." I trail off. We both know what I assumed.

"It's just, she's been on the phone with Alec, and our flights have already been booked . . ."

I wave her off. "You don't need to explain yourself to me. I shouldn't have just assumed you were coming with me, after everything."

She takes my hand, squeezing it slightly. "I just need a little time, Edward. We already had things to work through; now with everything that's happened, I just need to get my head straight."

"I understand." I smile weakly, knowing good and well it doesn't look like a real smile.

She steps around me and into Angela's waiting arms. The girls huddle close together as they make their way out of the station.

"Bella?" I call just before the walk through the doors.

She turns, the nervous smile still on her face. "Yeah?"

"Will you . . . will you at least text me to let me know you landed safely?"

Her smile widens. "I'll call you."

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As you can tell, we're almost at the end!

Since I'll be wrapping this soon, I'm already thinking of another story. I'm not sure how many of you read my "flashes" which I post on my profile, but I am thinking of extending one. I would love for you to let me know your thoughts! It will be E/B, it will be a HEA and it'll be a "Friends to Lovers" story!

So…I'd love to know your thoughts on this chapter?

xo