Chapter Four

Edward

My problems really started when the nomads appeared and James decided he wanted my Bella. It was Alice who suggested she and Jasper ran south with Bella to keep her safe although I was deeply unhappy about it. I couldn't argue with her reasons, in fact they were right, but still I wished she'd suggested Rose and Emmett instead. I guess as she could see what was likely to happen I couldn't really complain, however things didn't go as expected and I nearly lost her in Phoenix. The most galling part was that it was Jasper who saved her by sucking James venom from her blood stream and as it was my intention that she remain human I could hardly complain at his actions although the thought of his mouth on her skin made my skin crawl.

Bella

The crunch came after our encounter with James the nomad who had fixated on me. Alice and Jasper ran south with me while the others tried to lead James and his mate Victoria away and then kill them, It didn't work and he almost killed me. Luckily Jasper and Alice got to the Ballet Studio in time to save me from being changed into a vampire. Jasper sucked James venom out after he and Alice killed the nomad then Edward and the others appeared and he was livid to hear that Alice had let Jasper that close to me. Personally I thought he should have been thanking his brother, after all Edward didn't want me to become a vampire for some strange reason, but he didn't see it that way.

I spent two weeks in a Phoenix hospital as a result of my injuries and life was never the same was a subtle change at first, Edward was very solicitous but it soon turned into control. He wanted to know where I was and what I was doing whenever we weren't together which was more often than before as I was more or less permanently grounded for my trick in running away after my argument with Edward, which is how dad understood it. Especially as I ended up in hospital as a result. Charlie now had an acute dislike for my boyfriend and was only too happy to curtail his visits, I wasn't allowed to his place at all.

I went to school, came home, and stayed there with Edward allowed to visit for two hours night. The strange thing was that I didn't really care any longer. I wasn't scared by what had happened so much as scared Edward would shadow me for the rest of my life to make sure I was never in danger again. I missed the rest of the Cullen family however.

I spoke to Alice in class, those we shared, but the rest of the school day I was either with Edward or as soon as my class finished there he was waiting for me in the corridor. I wanted to thank Jasper for saving me but when I suggested this to Edward it was firmly vetoed with no possibility of discussion.

"He's been way too close to you once Bella, it's not safe and I'm making sure he keeps his distance now."

Alice promised to pass my thanks on and gave me a message from Jasper to say I was welcome and he hoped I was fully recovered. He wasn't in school any longer and when I asked Alice about this she just shook her head but wouldn't talk about it. I even tried a quick conversation with Emmett when I got out of class at the end of the day a few minutes ahead of Edward but he wouldn't talk about it much either.

"Edwards very concerned about you Bella. He doesn't like any of us too close. it's just his way I guess."

"Where is Jasper then? Why isn't he at school?"

"He's visiting friends."

I think Emmett might have been persuaded to say more but then his expression altered and he changed the subject,

"I'm not so keen on Dickens myself Bella so that's why I thought I'd ask your advice for my paper. Thanks."

It wasn't until I felt Edwards cold arms around me that I understood and covered for Em as best I could. It was apparent that Edward didn't fully believe us but I was getting tired of being watched and my very thoughts policed.

Jasper

I spent most of my time away thinking about Bella and what had led to this situation. My thoughts went back to when it had all begun, in Phoenix. Alice dragged me through to the room she'd drawn at the hotel. It was chaos, with broken glass and blood everywhere and in the centre knelt James, his teeth in Bella's arm. I could see the blood was pumping out through a wound in her thigh and her leg was at such an angle it was quite obviously broken. I ran forward and caught James before he could get away. We rolled across the floor crunching the broken glass under our weight and as we rolled I twisted his head, ripping it from his body before he could break free and threw it to Alice,

"Burn him, I'm going over to Bella,"

I knelt down and moved her head so her eyes looked into mine and could see that already his venom was starting its work so without speaking I put my lips to her arm and started to suck out the venom, spitting it to the floor mixed with her blood until it tasted clean. Her blood was the most intoxicating I had ever tasted and I understood how it called to Edward but I stopped myself from draining her using my years of experience at changing humans for Maria. Looking down I could see my pants were soaked with the blood still pumping from her leg. If I didn't do something she would bleed to death before help arrived. I ripped the leg of her jeans open and ran my venom coated tongue across the terrible gash, sealing it at least temporarily as the others arrived and Edward went crazy, dragging me off her before Alice could explain. Carlisle knelt at Bella's side and I saw him look at the gash that was at least bleeding less heavily. He put a belt around her thigh although why I couldn't tell. the bleeding wasn't heavy enough now to warrant a tourniquet.

Emmett and Alice finished burning James as Edward screamed in my face, it seemed he thought I was trying to change Bella, not stop it from happening and when Alice ran over to my rescue he wouldn't listen. Only Carlisle's presence and the need to get out fast destroying any evidence of what had happened stopped a fight to the death between Edward and myself. Alice took me back to the hotel, using the fire escape to avoid the humans seeing my blood soaked clothes and I cleaned up as she explained how things looked to Edward.

"He thinks you were trying to drink Bella's blood and he isn't likely to listen to the truth from you."

Later on the drive back to Forks I tried to understand exactly what had happened but Alice's words didn't clarify things at all.

"I'm so sorry Jazz for everything."

"It wasn't your fault Alice. I did what I had to do, what you told me to do but something is wrong, I can feel it. Why are you suddenly so distant?"

"You're wrong Jazz."

Yet I could feel she was pulling away from me, I took her hand but it no longer felt the same, something had come between us.

"I'm not my love, really I'm not."

She stroked my face but where once it would have soothed me now it merely agitated me.

"What's happening to us Alice?"

"I'm so sorry Jasper but I couldn't tell you at the time or you might have let Bella die and I couldn't allow that. It would have but a tragedy."

"I don't understand Alice"

"I know you don't Jazz but you will, very soon,"