This story doesn't seem to be getting a lot of attention so I'm probably going to finish it and not continue through with the other books - which is unfortunate, it was going to be very different. Oh well, life goes on. Anyway, thanks to Angel of the Night Watchers for being awesome and fixing up the chapter. As always :)

Enjoy!

Chapter Nineteen - Goodbyes

Charlie had waited up for me. He had left all the house lights on like a beacon of warning to Edward that a man bigger than him – not that Charlie was taller than Edward - was ready to take the trash out at any time and catch him kissing me on the doorstep. I had no idea how I would manage to shake off my subtly-protective father, but I knew it would be unpleasant and excessively painful for us both.

Edward pulled up slowly, staying well back from my truck. All three of them were listening and watching, using more senses than I probably possessed and paying attention to things I would never see. The engine cut off and I sat motionlessly as they continued to listen.

"He's not here," Edward sighed with relief. "Let's go."

I was still glued to the seat, more petrified of how I was going to get away than what I was actually getting away from. I was about to hurt Charlie just as much as this vampire could - I just knew it...

"Don't worry, Liv," Emmett said in a low and cheerful voice, "we'll take care of things here quickly."

"Quick," I repeated like a robot.

"Alice, Emmett," Edward's voice was a command and I was surprised that both seemed to know what it meant as they slithered into the shadows outside of my house. Edward opened the door and took my hand, squeezing it as I came out.

"You're in a cold sweat," he noted in pain.

"I'm terrified." I informed.

"We're not going to let him get to you." Tears filled my vision. "Fifteen minutes."

"What makes you think it's me I feel any worry over?" I sniffed, but the tears held themselves at bay. I did not need them right now. I took his face in my hands, looking at him seriously and he gazed back, waiting for my inspiration to hit me. I was a terrible liar, I needed the most realistic and vague reasoning I could find. I needed something that had happened before so I could pretend that I was back in the past – use the same words, work off the same emotions...

"Got it," I whispered softly. "If I survive this, I'm totally going to get caught in this lie."

"Nothing is going to happen to you, Vivienne," he said fiercely. I closed my eyes and nodded.

"Just follow the plan, okay? Keep Charlie safe for me. He's going to be really, really mad."

"Get inside, Liv. We have to hurry." His voice was urgent. I nodded and slinked in the door. I took a deep breath.

"Dad!" I called loudly, slamming the door behind me, when I dared to take another look, Edward had already gone.

"Liv?" Charlie had been hovering in the living room and was already on his feet. I charged past him towards my bedroom. "Liv, are you okay? What's going on?"

"I'm going home," I shouted, hoping that whatever lies I was about to tell would be hidden by my breaking voice and thick lump in my throat.

"What-" he paused. "Did he hurt you?"

"No!" I shrieked, the idea of it was ridiculous by any measure. I was stomping up the stairs now and he was following me closely.

"Did he break up with you?"

"No," I almost rolled my eyes again. "I told him it wouldn't work out."

"What happened?" He asked as I made it to my door. He could tell that I wasn't being honest - how could I lie about Edward and make it believable? I slammed it in his face and locked it with my strap of leather, nail, and string. "I thought you liked him."

"I have more important things to worry about - things at home." Edward was in my room, packing my things already. Two duffle bags were full, one of clothes the other of necessities he thought I would need. I barely looked at what he had in there, but I did notice he had found my stash of money from inside of an old lamp.

"Viv," he said painfully through the door. "This is your home now, remember?"

"No, it's not." I hissed, my voice breaking dramatically. Katie would have been so proud of me. "I need to go back - you don't understand what's happened..."

"Tell me and we can figure something out." Edward shoved in my stuffed animal and a picture of Arie, Asher, Ty, Jenn, and I into the last bag and zipped it shut. He put the bag of clothes over my shoulder and squeezed it.

"I'll be in the truck - go!" he whispered fiercely, pushing me towards the door. I didn't need to look to know he was gone. I opened the door and Dad caught my elbow before I could fly down the stairs.

"I can't do this anymore! Not with what's happening at home-" or what was about to. "If you knew what was happening, you would let me go like that. I can't stay here, putting down roots and getting trapped like Mom! Look at how happy she is now," my words hurt even me.

His hand dropped from my arm like I had stung him. I turned away from his face, aghast with myself and headed down the stairs and towards the door.

"Viva, you can't leave now. It's nighttime," he whispered. I closed my eyes, Viva was an old nickname that I had given myself at a young age when the Spice Girls had made the song Viva Forever and I realized it really was a short form of my name. He had not used it since the last time I had stayed here for Christmas however many years before.

"I'll find somewhere to sleep on the way. Get coffee. I'll drive farther if I can just leave now, I have to get to her fast."

"Who is 'her'? Tell me what's going on. I can help," he pleaded. "Just wait another week," he pled. "Everyone will be back by then."

I was derailed from my act. "What?"

"Your mother called last night, I was waiting for her to call tonight to give you the news but you were out...Katie got a big audition in LA, they're taking a bit of a vacation for a week to go with her."

I almost fell to my knees in relief. They would not be in Phoenix; they would not be there when the hunter could possibly find me and by the time he was there, I would ensure that there was a reason for them to leave again, whether I would have to tell them to leave or if I had to burn my own house down. I would do it. Tears prickled my eyes.

"Good. More time with the people who need my help," I was so glad I hadn't lied much to him, it wasn't obvious what I was talking about and I knew I was confusing him. It would be easier this way, him thinking that I was doing something important. He'd probably assume I was helping Arie - I would have to be sure to text her.

"Bye, Dad." I went to turn the handle but he was right at my back, grabbing onto my shoulder which made his hand seem so much heavier with significance, though I knew it was my clothing bag.

"Don't leave, Viv-"

"Let me go, Charlie." The use of his name startled him enough to let me go, or perhaps it was how much I sounded like my mother. "I have more important things to worry about right now."

My cruel words did their job - Charlie stayed frozen on the doorstep, stunned into silence and submission as I dashed out into a yard that had never been quite as terrifying as it was this night. By the time I got there, I was shaking so much that I thought maybe the monster had already been started by Edward, tears blurred my vision as I trembled and started my truck.

I peeled out, nearly hitting the curb before I exited, my hands were white-knuckled against the steering wheel as my truck jerked in correlation with my tremors. I could barely look at Edward beside me, even when he put a hand on my cheek. I did notice him cringe.

"Pull over," he whispered as the house disappeared into the darkness.

"No." I whispered, keeping my eyes on the road and my hands strangling the wheel. I needed this distraction, even if I ended up killing myself and possibly scathing Edward while I shook. A single tear poured down my face - a sign of me falling apart. I wiped it away viciously.

As my arm went to go back on the steering wheel, one long hand gripped my waist and the other grabbed the steering wheel. He pulled me over his body, taking his foot on the gas the second mine left and nestled me on his lap in the fetal position I had so proudly fallen into. Another tear fell.

"You won't be able to find the house," he explained. Lights flared behind us, Edward could no doubt hear as my heart stuttered nervously.

"It's just Alice." his voice was assuring. He pressed his cheek against the top of my head.

"The tracker?" I asked and was surprised by how dry my throat sounded, but at the same time how tinny. Mechanical.

"He heard the end of your performance," Edward sounded grim.

"My Dad?"

"The tracker followed us. He's running behind us now." I squeezed my eyes together and pushed more into him. His one arm wrapped around me.

"Can we outrun him?"

"No." But as he spoke, he sped up. The truck was basically screaming in protest. He was going over sixty, just like Jacob had said not to and it was as if the truck were shuttering with me.

As I cuddled into Edward, gathering warmth from his cold chest, my plan suddenly seemed stupid. I closed my eyes and breathed him in, a third tear escaping.

"Oh God, I don't think I can do this..." I whispered in French. He squeezed me and harshly pushed his lips against the top of my head, taking a deep, shaky breath. He was scared, too. The truck shuttered, and I cringed out a dry sob as my eyes slammed themselves shut, ready for my impending death.

"Shh, it's Emmett." He coaxed, now stroking through my hair, still left down from the disastrous baseball game. "It's okay, Vivienne," he promised. "You're going to be safe."

"At what cost?" I felt more comfortable, speaking in French. He didn't seem to mind, he had switched to French when I had and I was impressed with his flawless pronunciation.

"Viva, it's another wonderful name." He smiled, trying to distract me. "Would you mind if I called you that every now and then?"

"You could call me Coca-Cola and I'd just be happy you were addressing me."

"I didn't realize you were still so bored with small-town life," he said conversationally again. "It seemed like you were adjusting fairly well - especially recently. Maybe I was just flattering myself that thinking I was making life more interesting for you."

"I was so cruel," I said, choked again.

"Don't worry, he'll forgive you." He smiled a little, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Viva, it's going to be all right."

"I can't do this without you." I whispered it very quietly and still in French, not knowing how much of what we were saying could be heard, but he didn't whisper as harshly as I did, so I knew we were safe.

"We'll be together again in a few days." He said firmly, his French so spectacular that I could barely believe he wasn't raised in it. "Don't forget this was your idea."

"It was a stupid idea. Who actuallylistens to my ideas?" He smiled, knowing that in the past, he never had. I nuzzled my cheek into him and he did the same with his cheek to my hair.

"Why did this happen?" I whispered in English, knowing that none of this was as. "Why me?"

"It's my fault," I hated how he sounded so disgusted with himself. "I was a fool to expose you like that."

"That's not what I meant," I insisted. "I was there, big deal. Why did this James decide to kill me? He must come across thousands of smart-asses."

He hesitated. "I got a good look at his mind tonight," his voice was low. "I'm not sure if there's anything I could have done to avoid this, once he saw you. It is partially your fault." His voice was wry. "You fascinate him. You're strong and your scent is so appallingly luscious, he might not have bothered. But when I defended you...well, that made it a lot worse. He's not used to being thwarted, no matter how insignificant the object. He thinks of himself as a hunter and nothing else. His existence is consumed with tracking, and a challenge is all he asks of life. Suddenly we've presented him with a beautiful challenge - a larger clan of strong fighters all bent on protecting the one vulnerable element. You wouldn't believe how euphoric he is now. It's his favourite game and we just made it the most exciting turn."

"He'd have killed me," I whispered.

"Yes, if I would have stood by, he would have killed you right then."

"I thought I was your brand of heroin..." I whispered hesitantly.

"You are. But that doesn't mean you aren't still a temptation to every one of them. If you had appealed to that tracker - or any of them - the same way you appeal to me, it would have been a fight right there."

I shuttered.

"I don't think I have a choice but to kill him now," he sighed. "Carlisle won't like it."

We were getting close to his house, I could just feel it. I looked up at him, realizing I needed to get up and be ready to move anyway. I needed to pull myself out of the fetal position while I could, because I knew myself and knew I could stay like that for hours.

"How do you kill a vampire?"

His voice was harsh. "The only way to be sure is to tear him apart and burn the pieces."

I tried not to let him notice how much the visual of seeing him torn apart made me nauseous. I had to turn away and close my eyes. "And the other two will fight with him?"

"The woman will. I'm not sure about Laurent. They don't have a very strong bond - he's only with them for convenience. He was embarrassed by James in the meadow..."

"Were I a vampire who felt little remorse for human life, I may have felt embarrassed too." I said sarcastically, upset with the word choice. I tried to swallow down my fear as I realized that his word choices were the least of our problems. "They'll try to kill you, won't they?"

"Vivienne, don't you dare waste any time worry about me. Your only concern is keeping yourself safe and - please, please - trying not to be reckless."

"Hmph," I scoffed. I was far too scared to be any kind of reckless right now. "Is he still there?"

"Yes, he won't attack the house, though. Not tonight." I tried not to think about what could happen tomorrow as he turned off onto the invisible driveway, the giant jeep lagging behind.

We drove right up to the house, which suddenly looked more daunting like when I had been expecting a vampire's lair. All the lights were on but they weren't enough to drive away the shadows of the forest, they all seemed to reach out to me. Emmett had opened my door before my truck was even stopped. He pulled me out of the seat, tucked me toward him like a football and ran me through the door. Suddenly piggybacking didn't seem so terrible.

In the large white room, with Edward and Alice at our sides, I saw that all of them were there. They were on their feet having heard our approach and Laurent was standing beside them - Emmett giving a disturbing growl as he set me beside Edward.

"He's tracking us," Edward announced loudly. He gave a glare that Laurent frowned to.

"I was afraid of that."

Alice danced towards Jasper and whispered in his ear, I could not hear what she said and for some reason I had a feeling she was trying to make it so Laurent couldn't either. By the time she was done Jasper had already grabbed her hand and rushed up the stairs with her. Rosalie watched them go before she moved toward Emmett - her eyes were intense and vicious when they looked upon me.

"What will he do?" Carlisle asked the olive-pallored vampire.

"I'm sorry," he answered grimly. "I was afraid, when your boy defended her, that it would set him off."

"Can you stop him?"

"Nothing stops James when he gets started." The shaking of his head was like he was mourning something that was already lost. I couldn't help but shiver and turn closer to Edward, he wrapped a protective arm around me.

"We'll stop him," Emmett promised the room. There was no doubt what connotations were hidden in his words.

"You can't bring him down," he argued. "I've never seen anything like him in my three hundred years. He's absolutely lethal. That's why I joined his coven."

His coven? Had I completely misinterpreted what I had seen in the meadow? No. Emmett looked a little surprised too. I took that to be a sign that it was staged - something for us to leave our guard down on his decisions.

"Are you sure it's worth it?" There was no doubt what he meant as his eyes turned towards me and a part of me wanted to answer him and assure him that I wasn't, but the enraged snarl that ripped from Edward's chest stopped any comments from me - he was livid and I would not encourage his rage.

Carlisle looked at Laurent with grave expectation. "I'm afraid you're going to have to make a choice."

"I'm intrigued by the life you've created here. But I won't get in the middle of this. I bear none of you any enmity, but I won't go up against James. I think I will head north - to that clan in Denali." He looked at me quickly, a frown on his lips. "Don't underestimate James. He's got a brilliant mind and unparalleled senses. He's every bit as comfortable in the human world as you seem to be, and he won't come at you head on...I'm sorry for what's been unleashed here. Truly sorry."

"Go in peace," was Carlisle's former answer.

And suddenly, Laurent was gone.

The silence lasted under a second.

"How close?" Carlisle asked Edward. Esme was already moving, her hand touched an inconspicuous keypad on the wall and metal shutters groaned as they began to seal up the glass wall. For some reason, this did not surprise me. They began to talk as if they were used to speaking in these kinds of military tactics.

"About three miles out past the river; he's circling around to meet up with the female."

"What's the plan?"

"We'll lead him off, then Jasper and Alice will run her south."

"And then?"

"As soon as Liv is clear, we hunt him."

"I guess there is no other choice." Carlisle looked a tad disappointed, his face was grim but determined as he seemed to realize that it was kill or be killed - well, at least I would be.

Edward turned to Rosalie. "Get her upstairs and trade clothes."

"Why should I?" She sneered in disbelief. "What is she to me? Except a menace - a danger you've chosen to inflict on us all."

"Rose..." Emmett whispered, trying to calm her down. She shook off the hand he tried to lay on her shoulder.

I closed my eyes a moment. "She's right, I'm sor-"

"Esme?" Edward hadn't missed a moment and hadn't seemed to listen to a word spoken. Esme mumbled some sort of acknowledgement before she was at my side. She gave me a quick look that almost seemed to say 'trust me' before she gathered me in her arms - cradling me like a baby - before dashing up the stairs. I didn't have time to gasp.

"What are we doing?" I asked as she set me down in a dark bedroom that I couldn't identify.

"Trying to confuse the smell. It won't work for long but it might help get you out." I could hear her clothes falling to the floor and all I could think was how I was not as thin as this pretty woman and how her clothes would burst in comparison to my curves.

"This isn't going to-" but her hands were already pulling my clothes off, one by one, and tugging on things that seemed to be restricting my breathing. When she realized that her high-necked collar was a little too snug she gave it a little tear. It was comfortable enough to move my head and try to see what she was doing, but it was so dark I could barely see her hands on my own skin. The pants were far too tight and wouldn't do up - I couldn't help self consciously pulling the top down to cover that. I hope Edward didn't see...

When she pulled me back to the stairs I was disturbed to see my clothes swimming on her. Alice stood where she stopped with a small leather bag in one hand. Each grabbed an elbow and helped fly me down the stairs. I was glad I'd never known movement sickness.

I noticed that everyone downstairs seemed ready. Edward and Emmett were standing by the door, Emmett carrying a heavy looking backpack over his shoulder. Carlisle was handing small silver cell phones to both Alice and Esme.

"Esme and Rosalie will be taking your truck, Liv," he told me quickly. "Alice, Jasper - take the Mercedes. You'll need the dark tint in the south. We are taking the jeep."

Everyone nodded at their orders and I felt a pang of guilt ring through me. I did not like knowing that Carlisle was joining Emmett and Edward's hunting party.

"Alice," Carlisle asked softly. "Will they take the bait?"

Everyone watched the little pixie as she closed her eyes a moment.

"He'll track you. The woman will follow the truck. We should be able to leave after that." Though her words didn't seem certain, her voice was characteristically assured.

"Let's go." Carlisle began to walk toward the kitchen, Emmett following him and the others watching them go. There was a terrifying moment where I thought that they were going to leave without another word, but Edward was at my side, looking into my eyes as deeply as he could. As if trying to read my mind, as if trying to see into my soul.

He pulled my face up to his, lifting me to my toes. For the shortest second his lips were hard on mine, urgent. I reacted in the same way, not taking it further than letting him know my fear for him. Then it was over. He set me upright, still holding my face.

His eyes were blank and curiously dead as he turned away.

"Be safe," I whispered, sending the message to him but meaning it for everyone. He didn't stop walking and after another moment, I knew they were gone.

We all stood there, the others looking away from me as my breathing became laboured. The silence dragged on as I watched the door as if I could see everything that Edward was doing through it. I heard a rustle behind me.

"Now," Esme whispered. Rosalie stalked out the front door without a glance back, Esme touched my cheek as she passed me. "You too."

It took me a moment to figure out what she meant - that I should be safe as well - but as soon as I had thought of it the two were already gone, the sound of my truck thundering and fading away.

Jasper and Alice waited, far more patient and calm than I. Alice's phone was at her ear before it buzzed. She did not speak, but listened and then shut it with a snap.

"Edward says the woman is on Esme's trail. I'll get the car." I closed my eyes as she vanished, trying to keep all my panic from showing in front of Jasper and Alice, both so calm about everything that was happening, as if rabid vampires stalking the group of them were a common day occurrence.

But I knew it wasn't. This was because of me. Why had I spoken in the meadow? Why had I even said yes to going - I hated baseball. But I didn't hate Edward, and Edward had wanted me there. How could I have said no then? How could I have known that this could very well be the last time I ever see his glorious face, or worse, that he ever sees members of his family?

"You're wrong, you know." Jasper's voice rang from the corner o the room. It made me jump a moment and look at him in shock, watching as he stood a careful distance away. "I can feel what you're feeling now - and you are worth it."

"You're wrong," I mumbled quietly. "If anything happens to them, this will all be for nothing."

"You're not nothing," he said quietly, with a kind smile.

I stood there, trying to arrange my face to look somewhat grateful for his assurance before Alice stepped through the front door, her arms held towards me.

"May I?"

"Well, you may just be my new favourite," I informed with a watery smile. I went up towards her and let her lift me into her arms, let her shield me as easily and protectively as Emmett had. "You're the first one to ask."

Hope you liked it, the next few chapters will be a lot more dramatic - we'll see what you guys think. Anyway, thanks to my reviewer who is also my Beta...

Angel of the Night Watchers - you're amazing and everything sounds so exciting! I love everything you told me about it - I even looked up the dress, it's stunning! Is it getting easier now that it's getting closer, or does that make it more stressful?

Please Review!

-Egypt