~A/N First, I will have Bella's viewpoint and the next chapter will be Jacob's. Probably several nail-biters for the next few updates. Everyone likes scary, uncertain drama, right?

Copyright disclaimer: Twilight and all recognizable characters are sole property of Stephenie Meyer.

Chapter 19: Improbable Alliances

She first saw slivers of light blocked out by lashes. Her eyelids were so heavy, she could barely lift them. Her eyes continued to barely open then close for periods of time. Eventually, she held them open wider and longer. As Bella's brain shifted into consciousness, she was slowly becoming aware of other things. All her muscles worked in unison, but there was very little movement. She was in restraints, hands and feet.

Stupid Edward.

Bella moved her jaw. At least, she wasn't gagged. If he wasn't worried about her screaming or making noise, he'd succeeded in getting her far away from anyone else. She gave it her all despite what she believed. Her voice didn't work so great at first. He mouth was dry, her throat felt scratchy, but she screamed. Bella took breaks and then screamed again. She called him every name in the book but mainly she shrieked.

It finally got to him. He stood in the doorway with a pained expression. Edward approached the bed. He placed his hand over her forehead and attempted to calm her. She flinched at the chill. It had been so long since she'd felt that icy touch.

"Don't touch me."

"I'm sorry. I know it's too soon. We'll get there again."

She was thinking get where, but she only had one thing she wanted to know.

"Where are my babies? I know you Edward." Bella knew that wasn't truly the case, but she had to hold out hope for her last bit of sanity. "You are not a baby killer. I see your eyes. You still don't take human life."

"No, I do not. You're right. I knew you would be displeased if I changed my diet. It wasn't easy considering my companions these past few years."

"The children?" she asked again.

"The dogs were close. I'm sure they handled that."

"You fucking monster. You set my house on fire and just left them? How could you?" Bella was fully awake by then. She remembered heat and smoke. She also saw Linx in her mind, butchered beside their lake. Edward didn't drink from humans but he was definitely a murderer.

"That wasn't me. I only wanted you. I was on a mission, and we know collateral damage is inevitable."

"Fuck you... my children, that young man are not collateral damage. I hate you. Linx. Avery. I know what you've done. You stand there looking self-righteous just because you don't have the eyes of a demon, but that's exactly what you are. Your hands have murdered the innocent. So help me, if my children..." Bella couldn't even utter the words. The pack had to be close enough to get to them out. There would be no way for Brooke to escape her crib without assistance.

Bella told him to let her arms and legs free. They bands were cutting off her circulation. He stared at her like he was mesmerized. "I can't believe it. You're just like when I met you all those years ago. It's a miracle."

She wasn't his miracle. Bella's new body was only meant for Jacob. She looked away from him.

"I know you're angry with me, but in time, I hope you grow to love me again. We are still the same people. It will happen and we know how to do it right. We won't make the same mistakes again."

He meant Renesmee. She knew that's when things started to crumble for them. If Edward viewed his own child as a mistake, what might he think of her children with Jacob? She wasn't believing anything he said about them, that it wasn't his fault. She had to draw upon her faith in Jacob because there was no way she could imagine them trapped in their rooms while the house went up in flames. He had saved them. She would feel it if they were no longer in her world. Bella believed that, but she still felt the ache that she couldn't see them with her own eyes.

He wiped tears from her cheeks.

She shouted again for him not to touch her.

"Let me up. I said I have to pee and I need water."

One by one, he released her restraints. Bella took her time sitting up. She surveyed the room he had her in. She was looking for a way out. There was a window, but she was sure there was a catch. It wouldn't be that easy. There was a camera but it seemed to only point at the bed. She wasn't in some run down shack or cave. That wasn't Edward's style. Bella was in a very nice suite. Her hand ran across the expensive Egyptian cotton sheets which made her think of Jacob and their honeymoon. Her heart ached, but she knew he had the assurance she was alright. Their hearts still beat in pefect synchronization no matter where they were.

Edward held his arms out like he intended to help her up, but she shot him a look again. Don't touch me. He babbled on about all the amenities. He showed her into the ensuite bathroom. He opened up a closet and bragged how he had everything she needed. He even bought her favorite fragrances for the bath. The room was decorated in deep plum with steely gray accents. It belonged on the pages of a home design book. What the hell was he trying to pull? Was he that demented that he thought she'd ever feel at home anywhere besides her true home with Jacob?

"And I have casual clothes in this chest and more formal things hanging here. I knew you'd be the same size."

She looked at him and shook her head. "I'm not playing house with you. Stop it, Edward. It's over. Why have you held on all these years, done terrible things when you knew I'd never leave Jake? You failed at killing him, framing him for murder and you'll fail at this, but you won't escape this time."

"Please, Bella. I had to make undesirable choices to get us here, but I told you vampires mate for life."

She pulled her top off in front of him to prove another point. She was wearing a cami over her bra so she didn't feel too exposed. "You see this. This is for life, not the fantasy world you've created. I know you can smell him all over me, inside me. He's ingrained in my skin, imprinted on my soul even before I got this second chance as a human. I can never be with you. We are nothing but a memory, most of it bad."

Edward pinched his nose and made a face at the picture she created. Bella let down her shield to show how Jacob would cover her body with his and bathe his mark with his tongue.

"That looks positively ghastly. The miserable beast marred your delicate skin. I'm going to look into having it removed. I'm sure there's a plastic surgeon that can restore you," he backed out of the bathroom and she heard a click. Bella tried the door, but she was locked inside, backwards from most bathroom doors. Edward's voice echoed from a small black speaker on the wall. "Press the button when you're done, your food tray will be in your room."

She held her bladder as long as possible, she hurried to toilet to relieve herself. She looked around for any source of time, but there were no clocks. She was pretty sure there wasn't anything but a little unnatural light coming through her window. It was dark outside. She'd been out for several hours obviously. Edward would think her mark was ghastly because of his hatred and jealousy of Jacob. She knew it was beautiful. Bella stood in front of the vanity to admire her connection to her husband. She knew it gave her strength and healing over the years.

Bella couldn't believe it. She leaned closer to the mirror. The scarred over impression had a bit a redness to it. She hadn't seen it like that since the very first day he marked her. She touched it and felt heat and tenderness. Oh no, it was getting infected. How? Why? She'd been away from Jacob for days at a time occasionally and that never happened before. Could Edward's presence be the reason? He repulsed her for many reasons and it appeared it was also physical not only mental and emotional.

She really wanted the scent of smoke out of her hair. That reminded her of the peril her children were in, but she still kept believing. Their father rescued them. Bella remembered like it was yesterday when Renesmee's spirit slipped from her tiny body. She would feel something different, a great loss and emptiness if she lost her babies and it wasn't there. Edward was willing to let them die, her rage against him was growing stronger by the second. She knew she'd need that fueled rage to have the strength to outsmart him. He had her imprisoned and she had no idea what she was up against just yet, but Bella would return to her family. She truly believed it.

The tub filled quickly with hot water. She slipped all her clothes off and climbed in the water. It was a few degrees too hot but she didn't care. Bella wanted to feel the sort of warmth that reminded her of Jacob. The mark had her concerned. What if it got worse? She was on a short timetable most likely. Depending on how far Edward escaped with her, she considered he'd be moving them even further away, but she didn't know when.

She couldn't get sick. She had to be in top form. Bella sank further into the water. Top form, but you're only human now. It was the one time, she missed being immortal. It would feel so euphoric to rip him apart with her bare hands. She wanted to keep a positive outlook but visions of Linx kept coming back to her. Bella was curious what happened to Embry as well. The pack would be in such emotional turmoil. She knew how it was when one of them was in pain. Jacob would absorb all that pain and trauma and it would extend outward to all of them. Embry had to be safe.

They couldn't handle two losses. She knew she couldn't. Just thinking about that precious boy, she'd grown to love with her whole heart was unbearable. She saw his eyes and witnessed his last breath as he tried to protect her even with his dying breath. Her thoughts went to his unborn daughter. What would become of her? Her mother was not much more than a manipulative skank. She wasn't going to be able to handle her even with Linx in the picture, so being a single parent was out of the question. Bella made a promise out loud to him. After what she experienced with Taha Aki and Renesmee, she had assurance her vow would be known to him. "I'll make sure she's happy, healthy and safe. She'll know how special her father was. I swear it. You took care of me and I'll will take care of her like she's one of my own." She cried a little bit longer before she attempted to do anything else.

Bella washed herself thoroughly. Her heavy breasts reminded her of one other problem. She'd missed a feeding, soon to be a second one. Brooke must be miserable. Bella had stored up milk. All that was in the lake house would be lost, but she saved a lot in her dad's freezer because that was usually the only place she left the kids unless they were with Aunt Rachel.

Brooke was picky when she was tired or fussy. She wouldn't want the bottle. Her heart broke again thinking of her daughter's discomfort. She needed to relieve herself or she was going to be in a lot of pain in a few more hours. Hand expression was all she could do at the moment. The hot water helped some with the let down. Bella cried as drops of milk mixed with the tub water.

Damn him to Hell for taking one more thing from her. She relished those times with her baby. If she was apart from her too many days, the milk would start to diminish and eventually dry up. She sat in the water for a long time. Her stomach growled. Bella was so thirsty, she cupped some cool water from the faucet and drank from her hand.

She despised having to press that button and ask him for a damn thing, but she couldn't live in the bathroom. She needed to keep her strength up. She worried if exhaustion or illness overcame her, Jacob might feel the ill effects too. She wanted him strong and determined for her rescue.

She grabbed soft, stretchy pants and a Henley from the closet. She couldn't stand the fact that Edward still knew things about her. He'd copied her previous wardrobe down to the kind of socks she wore. Her hatred grew exponentially.

Her finger held the button. "Let me out," was all she said. She waited several minutes before she heard the click again. Bella twisted the knob. She was primed to give him another piece of her mind now that she was fully lucid.

She stepped inside the bedroom. A tantalizing aroma filled the room. She had a large feast of mainly breakfast foods which sounded so good to her at the moment. She only thought she was starting to get hungry but seeing and smelling the food proved she was starving. She never got around to feeding them all lunch and only had a protein drink at breakfast.

Bella grabbed the water pitcher first. She poured a glass and tossed it back without a break. She picked up a Belgium waffle, dipped it in maple syrup and took a bite. She picked up a berry next, but stopped before she consumed it. She didn't notice Edward when she exited the bathroom, so she thought he'd chicken out and got out of there quickly like the coward that he was. She heard a noise and turned to the corner of the room nearest the exit.

She jumped. There was a man. Bella grabbed her butter knife and pointed it at him.

"Who the fuck are you?" He was tall, muscular with fair skin, and dark wavy hair. He had very unique eyes, but he was not a vampire. Bella was certain of that. She'd been around far too many immortals and she could spot them in an instant. She stared into his liquid crystal blue eyes and knew that he also was not human. She didn't know what he was or why he was with Edward, but he must be bad. He looked handsome and pleasant but that was a camouflage. Edward said he didn't start the fire or kill Linx. He could be lying, but if this creature was his accomplice then she hated him just as much.

He remained speechless.

"You... you burned my house," she instantly accused.

Finally, he spoke with a distinct Irish accent, "No, no Miss. I promise. Master Caius cleanses with fire. I didn't." Master Caius? She couldn't believe it, Edward had aligned himself with that freak from Volterra. "Is there anything else Miss? Master Edward said I'm to attend to your needs."

What the hell was wrong with this guy? He acted like he was their Igor. Physically, he looked young, vibrant and strong, but he spoke almost child-like. She stepped closer to him and he backed up towards the door. Bella examined every inch of him. She noticed deep, wretched scars all over his exposed skin. He'd been tortured, maybe had his brain scrambled.

"So is that it for now? Make a list if you require anything else. Paper's in the desk. I'll be going to the pharmacy tomorrow early. Master Edward requested antibiotics."

He put his hand on the door. "Hold up. You mean you can leave and go to town? Where? What city are we near?"

He shook his head. "Oh no, I can't say," he pointed up over his head. No doubt they were being recorded.

This guy/creature, whatever he was seemed beyond petrified. He'd been whipped into submission. If he was allowed outside the walls, she had to gain him as an ally. Bella wasn't sure how she could accomplish such a feat with Edward monitoring her room, but she was going to try.

He tried to leave again. "No wait, do you have a name?"

His head shrunk down as his shoulders came up. It was like he was trying to hide himself from her close scrutiny. "Please, tell me. I'm Bella, but you probably know that. What's your name. Did Edward tell you not to tell me?"

He shook his head and he seemed to relax slightly. Bella extended her hand. He accepted it, but only gently shook it with his fingertips. He was warm, much warmer than normal but not as warm as Jake. She stared into his eyes a little deeper. Bella had never seen eyes like that.

"Gabriel," he barely whispered.

"You swear you didn't kill my friend or try to burn my children." He shivered when she asked the question.

"No, I wasn't there."

Bella believed him for some reason. "Okay, I can tell you're being honest. It's nice to meet you Gabriel. Are you the only other one here besides Edward and Caius?"

Edward's voice came through a speaker in the bedroom. "That's enough Bella. Gabriel has work to do. Let him leave. No more questions."

She held up her left hand with her middle finger extended. He was spying on them.

"Goodnight Miss. You can leave your tray next to the door and a note with anything else you need."

"Please, one more question. I swear, you can tell me. What are you, Gabriel? I'm curious."

Edward didn't interrupt them, but Gabriel turned his back and opened the door. As it was closing it, she heard him say, "We're called Children of the Moon."

Bella realized he'd answered the other question Edward didn't want her to know. We're.

There were more and Gabriel sneaked that answer to her. Her hope grew, he could most definitely be her ticket out of captivity and back to her family. She didn't know him and he didn't know her, but Bella learned something from being around Jacob and the pack. Gabriel connected with her. She felt it. He only worked for Edward or Caius because he had to. He was also a prisoner, but she needed to convince him, he had other options. He was currently her only option and after witnessing the condition of his skin and his mental status, she was probably his only chance as well.

~Thanks for reading.