A/N: You guys are great! Thanks for all the support. I know some of you questioned Edward's leaving Bella to look for Tanya, again. But he's not going to get over years of guilt in a few months. Some habits are hard to break. And here we go…

SM owns twilight

Chapter 29 – Insecurities and Intrusion

I walked into the office an hour early. Sitting in the empty cottage with Rio was causing my anxiety to mount. Edward and Charlie had left only thirty minutes ago, but I already felt abandoned. Logically I knew that he could drive to Seattle and back, even before I finished work. But emotionally, I couldn't understand his determination to go.

Will he ever truly be over her?

I fought back my jealous insecurities and attempted to use techniques of deep breathing to calm down. His resolve to find her was based only on his need to achieve closure. It was nothing more.

Deep breath in.

He promised he'd return, and that he loved me. Our relationship was growing stronger every day.

Deep breath out.

I needed to remain calm, and busy. Acting like a clingy sophomoric girlfriend would only push him away.

Deep breath in.

Edward had this compelling need to fix her, and to fix everything. It clouded his judgment and reason. Those needs would take time to change.

Deep breath out.

The most difficult part was that I didn't know how much time it would take. First and foremost, Tanya needed to be found. Until then, Edward's compulsion would continue. And now it was contagious. Charlie had become just as overzealous to find her.

"Dr. Swan?" One of the administrative staff knocked lightly on my door.

"Yes, Dan?"

"I have several messages that were left for you since yesterday afternoon. I'm not sure why they weren't given to you." He walked over to my desk and handed me three slips of paper.

"Thanks," I mumbled, still deep in thought.

When I looked down at the name which was written on the pink and white messages, my breath hitched.

James.

"Dan?" I called out abruptly, hoping he hadn't gone too far from the room.

"Yes, Dr. Swan?" He popped his head back into the doorway.

"Did you take these calls?"

"No, I wasn't here yesterday. I found them waiting when I arrived this morning. Camilla was in charge of the phones. She's down in the break room getting coffee. You want me to get her?" he offered.

"No, I'll go. Thanks." I left my office brusquely, holding the messages tight in my grip.

Why was he calling me? And why three times in a row? I reached the break room slightly out of breath. Camilla was sitting at the table and eating a bowl of yogurt with granola. "Good morning, Camilla."

"Good morning, Bella," she garbled, mid bite.

"Did you take these messages yesterday? From James ?" My harsh tone caused her pause.

Her eyes widened as she swallowed in a loud gulp. She apparently thought I was angry for not getting the messages. "I meant to give them to you before I left, but the answering system went haywire and I forgot. I'm sorry."

"No, Camilla, it's fine. I just wanted to ask you about what he said, when he called," I clarified.

"Oh." She smacked her lips and nodded.

Must be good yogurt.

"Yeah, the first time he called, he just left a number. But the last two times he tried to turn on the charm. He wanted me to page you, overhead." She huffed and rolled her eyes. "I told him that his flirtations were wasted on me, as usual."

Her attitude made me grin. Camilla was always a direct woman, and strong in her values. I could imagine how the conversation with James had fell flat with her.

"Did he say what he wanted, exactly? Other than for me to call?" I needed more details.

"He said you had some of his medical books, and that he needed to follow-up with you from your last conversation. He sounded as full of it as ever," she concluded.

I laughed out loud. "Thanks, Camilla."

"Oh – he also said that the number was to his cell, since you didn't have it."

Of course he did.

My mind raced. I may have borrowed two of his medical texts, but I could certainly have mailed those to a forwarding address. He was up to something, as usual. When I reached my desk again, my fingers had balled the messages into a crumpled mess. I looked up and saw a blurry figure of black whiz by. It was whistling and carrying a large Coach bag on one shoulder.

"Alice!" I called. The sound of her skidding to a stop echoed in the hall.

Her spiky brown hair popped back into the doorway. "Morning, Bella!" She sauntered in and dropped her bag on the couch, propping herself up on my desk. "What's up?"

After one large cup of java, and twenty minutes of Q&A, I had filled Alice in on the morning's events. From the 'Tanya Teaser', to the 'Creepo Calls', my morning had been one long series of unfortunate events.

"Well, as for Tanya, let's not get spastic, ok?" She raised one eyebrow.

Moi?

"Why would I get spastic?" I asked in mocked aggravation.

"Because I know you, Bella. And you need to take some deep breaths."

Been there. Done that.

"Your Dad is with him, and he'll be back today. It's not like he's leaving you again," she continued.

I nodded in agreement, praying she was right.

"But James! Ugh! Are you going to call him?" she grumbled.

"That's why I brought you in here. I want to call him, but I also wanted a witness. I'm sure he has some scheme in mind, hoping I'll drop the charges." My fingers tapped the desk rapidly as I re-read his cell number. I plugged the digits into my cell and was about to press call.

"Wait! He'd have your number then!" She warned.

"You're right. Wow, how stupid of me." I felt like an idiot.

"You're stressed and tired, Bella! " She shut the door in excitement and shuffled over. "Just use the office line. Now, let's do it."

Ring.

Ring.

"Hello?" James' voice oozed through the speaker phone.

"Hello, James. It's Bella."

"Bella! Thanks so much for calling me back. I know I'm the last person you wanted to talk to, I'm sure." His words caused me to roll my eyes. Alice joined me and added a silent gagging sign with her finger down her throat.

"I can forward you the medical texts, James. What else did you need?" My tone was clipped.

"I just wanted to give you my number, Bella. And to let you know that I would like to do more than just pay for the damage I did to your car."

"Why don't we let the judge decide that, James." I responded. I knew he was attempting to get out of the charges.

"Sure, of course. But I mean beyond that. I'm truly sorry, Bells. If there's ever anything I can do, please feel free to call me. I'm still in the outpatient Recovering Professionals Program here in Kirkland, and I plan to stay here until all the legal things are handled."

Does he think I'm going to ask him to mow my lawn?

"Um, ok, James. I'll keep that in mind."

"I mean it, Bella. If there's anything you need. I owe it to you." His words were ingratiating.

"Ok. I'll send you the books. Goodbye, James."

"Bye, Bells."

Click.

"What a weirdo!" Alice exclaimed.

"Is that your professional diagnosis?" I teased.

Alice laughed and nodded. "It most definitely is. Are we on for lunch?"

"Lunch? Sure," I answered weakly.

"Bella, you are not going to hide in your office all day. If I don't see you there at lunchtime, I will grab Rose and we'll hunt you down."

"I'll be there," I promised.

The day crept by. Landie's session was first, and I managed to maintain focus. She looked a little stronger every day. The remainder of rounds was not as successful. I checked the clock so often that my patients started to notice. My concentration was shot. After the third mistake and rewrite in a patient note, I stopped for the morning.

Lunchtime with Alice was a nice distraction, that was, until Jasper arrived. Once he served her the Panini pasta and vegetables, she couldn't keep her hands off of him. The fact that she was fondling him under the table wasn't subtle. It would have been comical on an ordinary day. But I missed Edward too much to enjoy it. I pushed the salad around on my plate for a reasonable amount of time, unable to eat for my lack of appetite.

Carlisle walked me back to my office after lunch. I told him about the news from Edward's phone trace and he listened intently. His composed demeanor helped calm my nerves. "Well, I'm glad Charlie went with him. Have you heard from him, yet?"

"No," I answered.

"Well, he'll call." Carlisle placed a hand on my shoulder. "This has been a long ordeal for Edward. And we can only hope it's over soon. But I'm glad he has you. You're more important to him than you realize, Bella."

"Thanks." At the moment I found that hard to believe.

"There's no need to thank me for the truth," he added. "He'll check in soon." As if he were prophetic, my cell phone buzzed.

"It's Edward!" I exclaimed and answered the call. "Edward?"

Carlisle smoothly stepped out of the office and closed my door, giving me privacy.

"Hey, Beautiful," Edward's voice rang out.

"Hey, Blue Eyes. Is everything ok?" I couldn't hide my anxiety.

"Yeah, baby. Everything is fine. We've talked to several neighbors but no one has seen her. Well, Mr. Richards said he thought he saw a young girl wandering around, but he's also known to speak to aliens and have mild cognitive impairment." Edward laughed.

I giggled in return. "Is he old?"

"Yep. An old geezer. But he still gets the ladies somehow. I hope I live to be his age. Gero –sex is where it's at."

"Gero-sex? That's an interest to you now?" I teased.

"Of course. But only if we can be together. We'll have to look for co-ed assisted living." His imagination was running wild, I could tell.

"Men are hot commodities in those places, since women live longer. I'll have to fight the other blue-hairs off with a stick!"

"Well, I bet you'd win. Plus I can only imagine your talent with a cane." Edward chuckled out loud.

"Stop it! You're making me spit my Dr. Pepper!" I grinned. "Do you realize that you always make me smile?"

"Good. You're beautiful when you smile. Hey – I miss you," he suddenly whispered. Charlie must have walked nearby.

"Yeah? Well I miss you more," I countered.

"Always so competitive, Dr. Swan." Edward sounded relaxed, which made my insecurities vanish.

"What can I say, I like to win. And speaking of prizes, when are you coming home?" I hoped he was on the way.

"We haven't eaten yet, so we're gonna grab a bite. Then we'll be heading back. I should be home before you get off of work, baby." His words were like the dessert I skipped at lunch.

"Good," I admitted. "You better be. It's my turn to make dinner. And enjoy your lunch." I couldn't wait for them to be home. "Oh – don't order a salad, Dad will think that's weak." Edward and Charlie sharing a meal together made me grin.

Edward gasped in mocked surprise. "Even if it's organic? Wow, any other pointers?"

"No." I smiled. "I know you've already won him over."

"We'll see about that." My Dad had the ability to crack even Edward's confidence.

"You have, baby. Now, hurry home! I love you, Edward."

"Ditto," he said quietly.

Ditto?

The call ended.

I knew my Dad was likely within earshot, but it hurt that Edward didn't say that he loved me in return. One slight detail made my insecurity rear its ugly head in an instant. I hung up the phone in full pout mode, wondering how I should punish him for not requiting my declaration.

The afternoon was much more bearable with me knowing that Edward would be back in three to four hours. I caught up on paperwork and replied to emails which had mounted throughout the day. My comfort level in being the main psychiatrist for the Retreat had grown since James' debacle. Carlisle offered to recruit another part time physician or locum tenens to help with the cases, but I asked him to wait. Even thought the workload was more, I was gaining the trust of the staff and instituting new protocols. I didn't want another doctor in the mix, until things were running smoothly. In addition, I couldn't get the fact that Edward was a psychiatrist out of my mind. He wasn't completely happy in his position as music therapist. I knew that from the comments he had made to Tyler the other night. If he was able to work through his issues with Tanya, maybe Edward would choose to practice his calling.

I was daydreaming of Edward, in full doctor attire, when my phone buzzed. It was a text from Blue Eyes.

[E: Are you still seeing patients? I'm home!]

Yes!

I looked at the clock and realized it was four thirty. His text made my adrenaline rise.

[B: Just finishing up paperwork. I should be there soon. *kiss*]

[E: Hurry up, damn it! Just kidding, I'll take Rio for a walk. See you soon.]

[B: Thanks, Blue Eyes.]

[E: Hey – I love you!]

[B: Ditto.]

Payback is a bitch.

[E: Blah!]

[B: *Giggle* Bye!]

[E: Bye, beautiful.]

I performed a little happy dance in my chair and started to shuffle my papers into organized piles for the next day. Edward was home!

Before my excitement caused me to spontaneously combust, my desk phone rang. The caller ID displayed the Affective Disorders Unit. When I picked up the call, Jessica's voice immediately piped through. "Bella?"

"Yes, Jessica?"

"I'm so glad you haven't left yet. Can you come back to the unit? Landie is agitated and screaming. We can't get her to calm down." Jessica sounded distraught.

"I'll be right there." She had been doing great this morning. I started thinking back through our session, hoping I hadn't missed something due to my worries over Edward.

By the time I reached the unit, I could hear Landie screaming from her room. Jessica and three other technicians were standing over her, trying to place her arms into soft restraints. One of the nurses held a needle, which was filled with a sedative for acute agitation.

"Wait!" I ordered, not wanting her too sedated before I could try and assess her. "Landie? Landie, can you hear me?"

She was lying on the bed, her arms now restrained with soft straps to her sides. Jessica and another nurse tech. were holding her legs. Landie's eyes were wild as she screamed out, "Not again!"

"Landie!" I tried once more, finally reaching the bedside.

She stopped screaming, but her breathing was labored. Her lips trembled as she made eye contact. "Not again, Dr. Swan."

"Shh," I soothed, "It's going to be okay." I hoped that was true since I had no idea what had happened.

"I don't want to be crazy," she cried.

"You're not crazy, Landie."

"Then why did Satan send her? She found me!" She struggled against her restraints.

"Who, Landie? Who found you?" My mind raced on what this could mean. It had been weeks since she hallucinated, or admitted delusions. Something had caused an abrupt change.

"One of his demons. She found me. She said I was a whore that should be punished." Her voice shrieked in confusion. "I didn't want him to touch me! I didn't want that!" She started yelling again, the memories of the rape spilling out.

"I know, I know, Landie." I brushed her hair from her face and nodded for Jessica to give the injection. The conversation was only upsetting her more. "It's going to be alright. I want you to rest. We're giving you some medicine to rest."

Landie continued to tremble and cry, but within a few minutes she was calmer. I stayed by her side as the sedative took effect. "You're going to be okay, Landie. I'm here for you."

Landie's eyes met mine again, nodding. I held one of her hands with my own and squeezed it slightly. She was starting to slur her words from the medication, but she strained to stay awake.

"She said I was a whore, Dr. Swan. A flaming whore – just like you." Landie's eyes closed in sleep.

Like me?

Her words pounded in my head. I walked out of the room and found Jessica waiting. "What has Landie been doing this afternoon, Jessica?"

"She ate lunch, and went to activities as normal. Then she asked to visit the garden, where the two of you had walked before. There were a group of other residents out there. I thought it would be fine, but then one of the staff heard her scream out after about fifteen minutes. She was standing by the wading pool, off by herself. We don't know what happened." Jessica shook her head.

"Did she say anything else, anything you could make sense of?" I pried, my apprehension growing.

"She mentioned the messenger from Satan. And said it was a woman in black who had found her. It was total gibberish, talk of Satan, and a woman full of hate. She also said something about scars on her arms. But I don't know who she was talking about." Jessica's confusion was obvious.

Tanya.

"Did any of the staff see anyone? Or notice anyone talking to her?" I started to panic.

"What? No. You mean you don't think this is part of her delusion, or psychosis?" She was shocked.

"Remove the restraints. She's sleeping now. I want her on one-to-one observation for the night. I need to find Carlisle," I rattled off the orders while I grabbed the phone.

"Is everything ok, Bella?" Jessica questioned me. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"I'm not sure. I think someone may have been on the grounds. Keep the residents inside, ok?" I asked, while dialing Carlisle's number.

"You think its James, or Ramona?" Jessica continued to pry.

"Jessica! I need to think! Please, just help with Landie." I barked at her, unable to hide my anxiety.

Jessica nodded and went back to the room while I reached Carlisle. When I told him what had happened, he agreed that it could be Tanya. I told him Edward was home, and that I was heading there immediately.

Carlisle was going to alert security and to have the video of the grounds reviewed. "Stay with Edward, Bella. I'll call you both once we know something. I'll also call Charlie."

"Thanks, Carlisle." I hurried to my office and grabbed my coat.

Security escorted me to the car and checked it before I got in. I looked out across the vast lawn. Although it was empty, there was a gnawing feeling in the pit of my stomach. It was a survival reaction I had felt many times before with my patients. I always trusted that feeling.

Tanya had been on the grounds. I felt it. She had confronted Landie, somehow knowing she was my patient. How long had she been watching me? Why hadn't she been seen?

I pulled into the drive at the cottage and saw Edward's light on. I knew that this news was going to set him off. Would he want us to leave? Would he want me to leave? I didn't know how I would tell him.

I jumped from the car quickly and ran straight to his door.

Knock.

There was no answer.

Knock.

Still nothing.

I turned the knob slowly, realizing it was open. When I stepped inside, my breath stopped.

Edward was sitting in the armchair of his living room. His mouth was covered with duct tape, and a frail woman was standing like a statue by his side. She was holding a gun against his head, and her hands were shaking violently.

Tanya.

A/N: So who need's saving? Bella, or Edward? Let me know you're still with me!