A/N – Well I am glad to report that I survived – even with all the threats if I didn't update soon – LMAO! Glad y'all enjoyed the last chapter and hope that I haven't stressed you out too much!

Thanks to my doll beta, changedbyEdward, for returning this chap to me so early so I could stop the death threats – although she has made it quite clear to me that she feels they may be far from over! LOL

Stephenie Meyer is the sole proprietor of the Twilight world and I am just happy to be playing in it! Six more days...WOOHOO!

Chapter 35


(Carlisle's POV)

So many lives lost. And for what reason? Hatred? Revenge? Disgusted, I shook my head as I glanced around the meadow, grateful that my family had survived the day's events, yet bitter that we were in this place at all.

The pyre still burned at full force as Jasper, Rose and Emmett piled the final few remains of the newborn army on the fire. I watched the lavender smoke trail up into the dimming sky and replayed the events of the day in my mind.

Victoria had been clever, knowing exactly how to taunt Bella into reacting. I cringed as I remembered her words, knowing how they must have hurt Edward; re-opening barely healed wounds. Her twisted mind had taken something sacred and mutilated it into a vicious exaggeration. There was no denying the bond between a vampire and his or her sire, but it was not what she had insinuated. I only hoped that Edward would see her comments for what they were – vicious barbs meant to provoke.

We had no chance to follow Bella as she reacted; the newborns had been on us far too quickly. I will be eternally grateful to Jasper for all the training and preparation; I fear without that we may have suffered much loss.

Yet we had suffered loss. Bella was missing. I stared off into the forest, haunted by the vision of Bella running off with Mike. The devastation on my son's face had been heart wrenching, yet he had managed to pull himself together enough to save Angela. Edward had given her a new life, albeit not the one we had hoped she would live, but she would see another day. I knew that Edward was strong. I had witnessed his restraint when he saved Bella's life in Phoenix that day. However, I have never been more proud than after watching him today. His heart breaking, he still had taken care of another before himself and that for a vampire is unheard of. When I had reached them at the tree, he had already bitten Angela in each of her wrists, her ankles and her neck, sealing each of the bites with his venom.

He had held her close to his body as she began to convulse, the burn already beginning as his venom surged through her system, healing her internal wounds before her transformation could begin. Esme and Alice had stepped in then, taking her from his embrace and running towards our home to make her as comfortable as possible for what she had already began to suffer.

"We're done here, Carlisle." I nodded as Jasper threw the final body onto the pyre. Victoria. I watched as the last remnants of our nightmare turned to ash before my eyes. I had thought that Edward would at least want to be the one to see her remains burn, but he had not moved from the tree where I had found him with Angela earlier.

"Jasper, why don't you, Emmett and Rosalie go ahead back to the house. Perhaps Alice has seen something that will give us a lead on Bella's whereabouts. Edward and I will follow once the fire has burned away." I watched as the three of them disappeared into the trees.

"We will find her, Edward." I played that thought over and over in my mind as I watched the last few embers die away. Content that the fire was out, I made my way over to where he sat, his body like a stone. I sat beside him quietly, waiting for some reaction, but there was nothing.

"You know that she only left to save Angela's life." Not expecting an answer, I was startled when he finally spoke.

"I know," he responded; his voice morose. "Her words, Carlisle. It was what I told her that day in the forest. I realize now how much I must have hurt her."

"What do you mean?" I was unsure what he was thinking. If he knows why she left, what is upsetting him so?

"She told me she didn't want me. That I wasn't good for her. How much could I have hurt her if she carried those memories through the burn? How do I ever make it up to her? What if I don't get the chance?" He stood suddenly, smashing his fist against the trunk of the oak he had been leaning against. The impact was enough to knock the tree into one behind it, dirt flying everywhere.

"Edward, you did hurt her. There is no denying that. But I also know that the two of you were working past it. I'm sorry she still carries that hurt with her as well, but I believe that Bella had her reasons for saying those words to you. But standing here, worrying about what is in the past is not going to find her now."

His eyes met mine instantly. "How do I even begin? I can't hear either one of them? I feel so useless. Blind."

"We will find them, Edward. You are not alone in this. Alice can't see Mike, but she can see Bella."

"Why can't Alice see Mike? Why can't I hear him?" His frustration was obvious and it aggravated me that I was unable to give him the answers he so needed.

"That I don't know. It certainly gives him strengths that many of our kind would be interested in, but we can't worry about it now. All we can do is use what we have and find Bella quickly. We also have Angela to take care of now."

"I know." Edward stood and moved towards the direction of home. "I couldn't let her go, Carlisle. Bella loved her too much and I just couldn't let her lose her life to that monster."

"Edward, am I hearing you correctly? It would almost seem that you believed this existence is a way of life and not eternal damnation." I fought to keep a small smile in check.

His jaw set, he glanced back at me before entering the forest leading home. "I believe the jury is still out on that, Carlisle."

Nodding in acceptance, I moved to join him. He may not have given me the exact answer I had wanted, but I had hope that my son would eventually find his way to true happiness in this life. Rescuing Bella was the key to that.


(Bella's POV)

The minute I smelled it, I inhaled deeply and held my breath, the sweet cinnamon fragrance burning as it mixed with the venom in my throat. I knew I wouldn't have long, only moments before Mike lost control. I had to sway his thoughts away from Angela – no matter what the cost.

At first I wasn't sure it had been enough, my hand pressed against his cheek as I told him in as few words as possible that I wanted to run away with him. He had stared at me for a few moments and I saw the hope and belief in his eyes and prayed that it would be enough to make him leave with me immediately. But I had another matter to deal with first.

My eyes locked with Edward's and I saw first hand the hurt I had inflicted. And I wasn't done. I had to be sure that Mike believed me and the only way would be to aim directly for Edward's heart. I only hoped he would understand what I was truly saying to him and realize that it was the biggest lie I had ever told.

"Don't follow us, Edward. I want you to stay away. I don't want to be with you. You aren't good for me." Each sentence was like a shard of glass piercing his skin. All I wanted to do was run to him, but I couldn't. I looked up at Mike, plastering what I hoped was a believable smile on my face. With the last of the oxygen in my lungs, I whispered, "Take me away."

Mike buried his face into my neck as he hugged me tightly to him and then we ran for the trees. For a while, he continued to hold me to him as he simply ran. With each step he took, I felt my stone cold heart break a little more, but knew that I was going to have to put on the best acting job I could until I had Mike's complete trust.

I felt him slow to a jog, his body gliding across the landscape effortlessly. "Bella, let's stop here for a bit." He sat me on a large stone, crawling onto it beside me.

I stared off into the distance, ignoring my surroundings at first. His marble fingers grazed with mine and I sensed him watching me. Swallowing back the pain, I looked at him, a tentative smile on my lips. "Thank you."

A grin lit up his face and for a moment I was taken back to Forks High, before all this happened. He was just a boy and I was just a girl, meeting for the first time on a basketball court. Although I wouldn't trade Edward for anything, a part of me longed for that simple time.

His hand squeezed mine. "I knew it, Bella. I knew that once you saw me as Edward's equal, you would choose me." He brought my hand to his lips, his eyes staring into mine as I fought to keep myself calm. He had to believe me. Had to believe that I was committed to him at least until I could find a way to reason with him.

"What now, Mike? Where do you want to go? What will we do?" I hoped he would at least give me some clues so that I could come up with a plan.

"That's what's so great, Bella! We can do whatever we want! No one to answer to, no rules to follow! We will take whatever we need. No one can stop us!"

With each comment I became a little more afraid. I remembered Edward's words, that Mike had been sired by Victoria and thus had learned her ways. What if he decided to hunt before I got away? I would never be able to resist human blood if I were that close to it. I couldn't allow myself to become that monster again. "Mike, I have one condition to going away with you," I began.

His eyes darkened a bit as his grip tightened. "You said you wanted to be with me."

"I do. I really do. But Mike," I brought my hand to his cheek again, hoping to calm him, "I won't take a human's life. I need to be able to hunt wildlife. Wherever we go and whatever we do, I need to know that I won't be forced to do something I don't believe in."

He stared at me for a moment, incredulous. "But Bella, do you even know what you're missing? It can be so much better, Bella. This is what we're meant to do, meant to be!" He reached up, taking my hands in his. "You don't have to be good, Bella. I don't want you to follow any rules. I just want you to be happy."

"But Mike, I can't be happy knowing I'm taking someone else's life to survive. Please don't make me into more of a monster than I already am." I wished for the tears I could not cry.

"It's ok, Bella. We don't have to talk about this now. You'll see how happy we are going to be together and I promise, you won't regret it once you get used to the idea."

Pulling me into an embrace, I felt his hands running against my back and I fought the revulsion. I patted his back and pulled away, finally taking notice of my surroundings. "Why did you bring us here?" My eyes scanned the landscape, taking in each tree, each flower.

"Because it's special to you." Mike turned and looked around the meadow. "Victoria wanted to bring you here to kill you. She said it was your favourite place."

I swallowed, venom rising along with my panic. "She told you that?" She hadn't wanted to bring me here because it was my favourite place. It was for one reason, and one reason alone – to make Edward suffer. Not only would she have destroyed his mate, but in a spot that was sacred to both of us.

Mike nodded. "I would never have let her, Bella. I only went along with her plans so I could get to you. You have to believe me!" His hands gripped my shoulders tightly and I stared up into his face, his eyes dark and foreboding. "I love you. We were meant to be." His face moved closer to mine. "Tell me you love me too!" His hold on me tightened even more.

"Mike," I began, only to be cut off by a sharp growl from behind me. Turning towards the sound, I was overcome by a familiar and overpowering stench. Things had just gone from bad to worse as I stared into the dark eyes of a giant russet wolf.


End of chapter – oops! Another cliffy! Sorry – LOL!