Notes: As always, thanks to my betas Sunflower Fanfiction, Jules, and AshesAshes. I couldn't do this without you!

And thank you for the well wishes. My husband I are both feeling much better.

Chapter 13

"So what? He's vanished again?" Edward said, frowning at Emmett. "I mean, you've found him before, why can't you find him now?"

Emmett sighed. "Honestly, I'm not sure. He's very, very good at what he does. I think your best bet is to continue to carry on as you have been, and he'll come out of the woodwork again. We'll be ready for him when he does."

Bella shifted on Edward's lap and pressed her back more tightly against his chest. He ran a hand down her arm, feeling how agitated she was, though she hid it well. Emmett's eyes tracked the movement, and Edward could practically see the question there, but he didn't respond. Edward might not have promised Bella forever, but he was staying until she was safe. Let Emmett think whatever he wanted; this was between the two of them.

They had come to Emmett and Rosalie's place once he called to let them know that he had located Bella's maker. Tracking down the vampire's exact location, however, was proving difficult.

"So, we're using Bella as bait?" Edward asked flatly.

Emmett grimaced. "In a manner of speaking, yes."

Edward's fingers dug into Bella's arm, and it wasn't until she flinched and pried at them that he loosened his grip. "Sorry," he muttered and then turned back to face the vampire in front of him. "This is ridiculous. We have to be able to do better than to just dangle Bella in front of him and hope for the best."

"Look, I went through all the channels I normally do. The problem is he's been doing this for a very long time. He knows how to cover his trail."

Edward frowned. "You're looking for a paper trail, finances, and things like that, right?"

Emmett nodded. "Of course."

"Why the fuck are we doing that?" Edward asked bluntly. "We're fucking vampires. Shouldn't we be using our senses? We have better than human scent and sight, why not use that?"

Blinking in surprise, Emmett nodded thoughtfully. "That's an excellent approach. Sometimes I get so bogged down in using new technology that I forget to use the physical skills I have." He grimaced. "Maybe I've gotten soft."

Bella shot Edward an approving glance and reached up, resting her arm on his shoulder as her fingertips grazed the back of his neck. For a moment, Edward felt a brief flash of pride at Emmett's praise and Bella's approval. It gave him a strange sense of belonging.

"I still think Bella is going to have to be the one to draw him out, though," Emmett said.

Bella shivered, and Edward's arm tightened around her. His voice was sharp and flinty. "What exactly are you suggesting?"

"You'll be with her, Edward," Emmett said, his tone soft as if trying to reassure him. "In fact, you're crucial to this. What he wants more than anything else is Bella. Seeing the two of you together should bring him out of hiding."

Relieved that he would be with her, Edward cocked his head. "Okay, so what's the plan then?"

"You and Bella will be conspicuous, but not enough to draw the attention of humans. Go to the park, feed, and out to the woods to run. I think it's safe to say that the sight of you two together will piss him off. So force his hand a little. Be … affectionate. The more you act like a mated pair the more enraged he'll become. Your scents won't fool him-he'll know that you haven't actually completed the mating process—but he's never been the most rational of creatures. Just the idea of Bella with another vampire should be enough to send him over the edge. Rosalie and I will be close enough that we can intervene if you need help. That'll make it four against one."

"There's no sign of her?" Bella asked. For a moment, Edward was puzzled about who Bella was referring to, and then it occurred to him that she meant her maker's companion-mate, or whatever she was.

Emmett shook his head. "No, no sign of her. Last I found, she was in Italy."

Bella nodded. "I guess that makes sense. If he's after me, she'll be pissed."

"Are you okay with this plan, Bella?" Edward asked.

She shifted on his lap, turning to face him. Her forehead wrinkled, but the smile she gave him was soft. "You care?"

"Bella …" Edward sighed. "Yes, I care. I know you're terrified of him, and I don't want you to feel like we're using you as bait. We can come up with something else if you think it's too much."

She cupped his cheek in her hand and smiled at him. "Despite what you think, Edward, you're a good man."

His lips twisted in a wry smile. "Good vampire?"

She shrugged. "You're still a man, not human, but a man."

He nodded. "Fair enough."

Her thumb brushed against his cheekbone. "And yes, Edward, I am okay with it. I am scared, but I have you, at least for now, and I'm not going to let him rule my life again. I want this over. I want him done." She bared her teeth in a feral grin. "I want him dead, and I want to watch him burn."

"Then we'll kill him, Bella. You can light the match," he promised.

~Dreaming~

For days, Bella and Edward made themselves conspicuous as they hunted, with Emmett and Rosalie as their constant shadows. Although it felt awkward at first, Edward slowly got used to the idea of being affectionate with Bella. Holding hands, kissing in public, they were all foreign to him. He'd never done that with anyone before, and yet, after a while it ceased to be strange. In fact, there was a thought nibbling at the edge of his mind that it felt normal.

Too normal.

On the fourth evening, they'd just finished hunting and Edward had Bella pinned up against a tree. They were kissing roughly, not out of control, but with a desperate heat. If they'd both been human, he would have already been inside of her. Edward pulled away and buried his face in her neck. "I have to stop, I have to stop," Edward chanted to himself. But he didn't want to stop.

He wanted to continue.

He wanted her.

Acknowledging to himself that he cared about Bella meant he wasn't willing to risk it though. Her past with her maker was distressing enough, but Edward couldn't stand the thought of using her then abandoning her, leaving her broken and damaged. He smiled wryly to himself; clearly becoming a vampire had changed him. Thinking back, his human life felt strange now. It had been so lonely, so isolated. Imagining his existence with Bella beside him was starting to feel natural. A part of him still wanted to run in the other direction as far and as fast as possible, but it wasn't the majority of his feelings.

Not even close.

Not anymore.

Edward realized he'd been licking Bella's neck, lapping at the skin, his teeth just barely grazing the spot where he could smell the aevum most strongly. "You want to bite, don't you?" Bella asked. It wasn't challenging or suggestive, merely factual.

Edward sighed and nodded, pressing an apologetic kiss to her neck.

"I want that, too," she said, her voice soft and wistful. "I know I shouldn't. I promised myself I wouldn't pressure you. That I'll let you go when this is all over, but it's so hard. You don't know what it feels like, Edward. Wanting you … not being able to have you … it hurts. My muscles, my skin, every molecule in me aches for you. It was lonely before, when I spent decades searching for my mate, but having you in front of me, having tasted your blood and turned you, is so much worse. I spend every minute of every day fighting myself and the urge to make you mine."

"Bella, "he whispered helplessly, not sure how to respond. He closed his eyes, letting his nose drag up her jaw and over her cheek, until their foreheads were pressed together and his lips were mere millimeters from hers. This conversation was far too intimate for them to be having at the moment. Her maker might overhear-hell, he was sure Rosalie and Emmett could-and yet, he couldn't find it in himself to stop her. Hearing her words, feeling the longing in them and the desperate hunger she had for him, made him feel guilty, but he knew he deserved it. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I wish I could give you what you need. I just don't understand any of this, and it scares me."

"I know." Her soft fingertips brushed his jaw. Edward sighed; perversely, her understanding made it that much more difficult.

"I don't recognize myself these days," he said, pulling back. "I don't know who I am anymore."

She smiled sadly at him, but didn't respond. Edward looked at her for a long time, his eyes tracing her features. He thought that even if he walked away from her right that moment, he'd never forget the way she looked. They way her eyes stared up into his with so much longing he could feel it. He'd never forget the way her body fit against his and the way that something inside of him just felt right when she was in his arms.

"What do we do, Bella?" Edward asked, his voice coming out far more melancholy sounding than he'd intended. His thumb traced her cheekbone before sliding to her lower lip.

He waited for her to answer, to have some magical solution for how to fix things, but she merely shook her head. Her voice was a tired-sounding whisper. "I don't know."

Edward felt a sharp stab of disappointment. It mingled with something else, something even more unfamiliar, something tender. Lacking words to respond, and feeling uncomfortable, Edward bent his head again to kiss her. This time the kiss was slower, deeper, and his head spun at the taste of her, and he lost himself.

Abruptly, Bella stiffened in his arms, wrenching her lips from his. "Fuck."

Edward frowned, every instinct in his body going on alert. "Is he close?" He mouthed silently.

Bella nodded and then frowned at him in confusion before leaning in to hiss in his ear. "You really can't smell that?"

"Smell, what?" Edward said, bewildered. "I smell you, Emmett, and Rosalie; that's all."

She pulled back to look at him, worry mingling with the confusion on her face. "We need to go back to Emmett's place, right now."

Edward didn't argue. The look on her face was too serious for him to question. She grabbed his hand and pulled him after her. He didn't fight the tight grip she held him with, although he tried to soothe her by running his thumb along the back of her hand.

Once they were out of the park, Emmett and Rosalie materialized behind them. Edward glanced back, and, at that moment, he became rather unnerved by how inhuman they both appeared. They were both feral and predatory looking. The humans who passed gave them a wide berth and Edward had to admit that he felt better having the mated pair there. As unused to relying on anyone as he was, it was reassuring to know that the two, fierce creatures behind him were there to protect Bella, as well.

At Emmett and Rosalie's apartment, Edward paced the room while Bella explained what had happened at the park. She and Emmett spoke in angry, hushed tones, arguing about something. The two of them almost seemed to have some sort of language between them that he couldn't grasp. He struggled to keep up with their half-sentences and vague references to people and things he couldn't identify

"You don't have any other choice, Bella," Emmett argued, facing her. She was so small beside him and yet Edward could see the fierceness in her eyes as she glared up at the much larger vampire. "He's the only one who can answer your questions."

"Fuck," she swore, turning away from Emmett. Edward could see the trembling in her body and the worry on her face. He got up and went over to her, drawing her close.

Emmett's voice was gentle but firm. "You know I'm right."

She tucked herself against Edward and let out a long, shuddering sigh.

"Bella? Who are you talking about?" Edward asked tightly.

She chewed at her lip for a moment before speaking quietly. "The doctor I met during the war. He'll have the answers we're looking for."

"What?" Edward roared, his hands grabbing at her upper arms and spinning her to face him. "You can't be serious. No way in fucking hell, are you meeting with him."

Bella wrenched herself away from him and scowled. "Who are you to tell me what I can and can't do?"

"I'm your—" he bit off the words, stopping abruptly. I'm your mate, he thought. Despite the fact that he wasn't human, he felt an unusually human-like lurch in his stomach at the thought.

The scowl on Bella's face deepened and Edward backed off, afraid of angering her further. His hands dropped to his sides. She's right, he thought bleakly. He had no right to demand anything of her. Unless he claimed her as his mate, he didn't have a say in what she did.

"Why, Bella?" He finally asked gruffly. "Why him?"

Bella sighed, and the anger seemed to drain out of her. He glanced around and noticed that Rosalie and Emmett had disappeared. They were still in the apartment, so they were really only giving him and Bella the illusion of privacy, but it made things slightly less awkward. Edward walked over to the sleek, black leather couch and dropped on it. Bella perched on the chair across from him, wrapping her arms around her up-drawn knees.

"Because something is going on that is not right."

"Something more than our failed mating, and you being stalked by your Maker?" Edward asked dryly.

Her lips twisted in a sad smile. "Yes."

He leaned forward, puzzled. Bella drew in a deep breath and looked him in the eye. "Edward … you should have been able to smell my maker. I don't know why you can't, and we need answers. We need to know why."

Edward nodded grudgingly. "Fine. But why do we have to go to the doctor?"

"He's the only vampire I know who can answer those questions." She looked down at her knees for a long moment before glancing up at him with a pleading expression. "I've thought about going to see him for a while. There are actually a lot of things I want to ask him. Like why you won't accept me as your mate, for one. I need to know what I did wrong."

"There's no one else?" Edward asked reluctantly, knowing he was going to cave. He couldn't stand the look on Bella's face, simultaneously stricken and hopeful.

"No. As far as either Emmett or I know, he's the only vampire who is also a doctor. He studies us, Edward. I know you don't like the idea of going to him—although I have no idea why—" she added with a puzzled frown— "but, Edward, all of that research you've done, all of the questions you have about the origins of vampires, about our biology, he could answer."

Edward sighed. He wasn't about to admit to Bella that he was jealous of the doctor. It irked him, knowing he was the only one they could go to for help. "Fine," he said through gritted teeth. "Where do we have to go?"

~Dreaming~

While Emmett searched for the doctor and his wife, Edward and Bella tried to kill the time. No longer trying to draw Bella's maker out of hiding, they stayed holed up in the apartment as much as possible. They only left to hunt, and they made the trips brief, always guarded by Rosalie and Emmett.

Knowing they were, for all intents and purposes, trapped in the apartment made Edward restless. Tension between the two vampires thickened as the days passed. With very little to do, he was bored and restless. He paced the apartment until Bella snapped at him to stop. He continued to read and do research, but it was half-hearted, and did little to help the time pass.

"What the hell did you do before I showed up?" He snarled at her.

Bella didn't even look up from the book she was reading. "This, in between searching for you."

He snorted derisively. "Yeah, that's a really fulfilling life."

"Like yours was any better," she spat as her angry gaze met his. "You don't get to judge me for this, Edward. You have no idea what it was like to be alone. Besides, I hardly think your life was any more fulfilling."

Edward crossed his arms and scowled at her. "You know, I was happy with my life before I met you. Maybe you don't think much of my career or my life, but I never minded it."

"I don't suppose I have to worry about hunting for a mate anymore. I've found mine, he just wants nothing to do with me. Once you leave me, I can go back to living my meaningless life. Alone."

The stinging barb of Bella's words made Edward pause. Slightly ashamed, he looked away and resumed pacing. Bella sighed heavily, and he felt a twinge of regret. Maybe he was being too harsh with her.

Edward had been standing in front of the window for several long moments, staring blankly, before Bella spoke again, her voice softening. "You have to understand, Edward, I was raised in a different time. I might not have been typical of the girls then, but I was a product of my upbringing just like any other. I was groomed to be a wife, to find a man and settle down. I've learned to adapt to the new times, and in many ways I think they're better, but that doesn't mean I can just forget it all either."

Edward sighed and leaned his forehead against the window. "I'm sorry, that was cruel of me."

She came up behind him, laying a hand on his back and then resting her cheek beside her hand. She didn't respond verbally, but the gesture said far more than words ever could. Bella had been remarkably patient with his bad moods and nasty comments. Sure, he had every reason to be pissed at her, but it wasn't fair for him to continue to drag it out. At some point, he was going to have to forgive her for changing him.

He straightened, and Bella stepped back, but when she moved as if to walk away, he gently grabbed her arm. She turned to look at him in surprise as he sank down onto the narrow window seat, drawing her close to him. She stood between his parted legs, her head tilted curiously to the side. She opened her mouth to ask what he was doing, but he didn't have an answer. Instead, he drew his thumb down over her lips, gently tugging the lower one down into a pout. Something about it made him smile, and for several long moments, they just stared at each other, Bella with a quizzical look of amusement on her face, as if she couldn't quite figure out what had gotten into him.

Words crowded Edward's head and thickened his tongue. Unable to speak the words he knew he should say-that he wasn't actually angry with her anymore for changing him-he struggled to say anything at all. Finally, he shook his head and leaned forward, sliding his thumb to her jaw as he pressed his lips to hers. As always, Bella seemed to melt into him, softening as she wound her arms around his neck and pressed closer. It was awkward with her still standing, so he lifted her, coaxing her to settle her knees on either side of his hips. And when their torsos were flush, pressed tightly together, he let his hands roam her narrow back, deepening the kiss.

He'd missed this, he realized. They hadn't touched like this since Emmett's phone call interrupted them, and he'd been too irritated by the claustrophobic tension of being forced to stay inside the apartment, to reach out to her. But now … he couldn't get enough. From her surprising strength hidden beneath the delicate vulnerability of her body to the way she always smelled like everything good in the world to him, he wanted her. The glide of her tongue seeking his made him moan, as did the feeling of her fingers combing through his hair.

Edward was nearly shaking when he pulled his lips away, but it was only to touch them to her jaw, kissing the soft skin there as he made his way to her ear. Her grip tightened, pulling his hair hard enough to sting. "Why didn't we spend all week doing this instead of alternately arguing and ignoring each other?" Edward whispered in her ear, his voice rough and raspy.

Bella chuckled, gripping his head more tightly in her hands and leaning down to nip playfully at his neck. "Because you're too stubborn and hot headed."

Edward bristled immediately and then realized that he was only proving her right. He let out a rueful chuckle and pulled back far enough to look her in the eye. "You might have a point there."

Rather than waste his time talking about what an asshole he was, he leaned in to kiss her again. This time the kiss was deep and hungry, and he growled against her lips when her nails scored his scalp. He suddenly felt desperate, out of control, and he stood, lifting Bella up with him. She felt weightless in his arms, and she didn't stop kissing him even as he carried her across the apartment into the bedroom.

The heavy, down comforter sank beneath their combined weight as he pressed her down over the bed, settling on top of her body. He paused, looking down at her, taking in her full, red lips and seeing the contentment in her half-closed eyes. She looked happy, he realized with a jolt.

He must have spoken aloud because her lips curved further up into a smile. "I am."

Edward knew it had to be because of him, but he had a hard time understanding how something so simple as him touching her, kissing her, made her happy. Then again, wasn't there a feeling of contentment inside him that he hadn't felt in a very long time?

Once again, he had no words, so he let his touch do the talking for him. His lips met Bella's again, his tongue tasting hers, learning the shape and texture of her mouth. The velvet of her skin seemed especially soft as his stubble brushed her cheek and jaw. He pressed his nose to the fluttering pulse in her neck, breathing her in until his head swam and all he could do was want.

Her soft, needy little cries accompanied the restless movements her body made under his, desperation leading her to clutch at his arms and wind her lower body around his legs. He lapped at her neck, licking his way down to her collarbone and tasting her there. She shivered under him, her hips rising to meet his, and he slid a hand under her to pull her more tightly to him.

Remembering her riding him, and the way her hips had moved, made him groan. He wanted that again, wanted to feel her surrounding him. But Emmett's warnings lingered in his mind, and he was afraid he'd never be able to control himself, stop himself from biting her, claiming her as his mate. Even if he did manage to refrain from biting and claiming, could he really truly walk away after he had sex with her again? Could he pretend as if she wasn't quickly becoming his whole world?

Edward pulled away with a shuddering groan and buried his head in the pillow. Damn him for having developed a conscience all of a sudden. Life had been much easier when he was just fucking women for sport. Christ, it hadn't been this way even when he was a teenager. He'd lost his virginity to his best friend's seventeen-year-old sister when he was fifteen. That had started a string of casual encounters that had lasted until Bella. It sent a strange jolt through him to realize that this was the only time he'd ever had any kind of intimacy with a woman, and certainly the only time he'd had a sexual encounter of any sort that lasted more than a single night.

After he pulled himself together, Edward propped himself up on his elbow and looked down at her, absent-mindedly brushing his fingers across her hairline. She let out a low purr of contentment before rolling over and burying her head against his chest. He wrapped an arm around her and pressed a kiss to the top of her head before he could think twice.

He pushed all thoughts of his aching hard-on aside.

Right now, this was all he wanted.

Notes: What do you think? Are you eager to meet the doctor?