This chap: Basically I was working with the phone call in Phoenix to piece together this chapter. Thanks for the floods of info, Steph...not. Anyway, I digress...There is a bit of coarse language in this chap.
Reviews: I know it's not full of super-exciting fight scenes but remember a) Victoria and James like to avoid combat and b) the Cullens kinda suck at fighting and I can't drastically injure any of them just yet - I mean come on, we have to leave some climax room for Eclipse and BD! That in mind, how did I do?
Disclaimer: I do not own twilight. If I did, I would've put more C+E into it, wouldn't I?
Chapter Sixteen: Change of PlanEsme:
"There," I whispered, pointing into the trees. The flash of red was there and gone. Rose and I skidded to a halt, sending up a spray of leaves and twigs, all manner of greens and browns. Victoria's brilliant red hair was hard to miss as it swept past again.
Suddenly, Rose was ripped from my side. With a yelp of surprise and a hiss of anger, she viciously fought the redhead who had tackled her to the ground. No sooner had I registered her presence than Victoria turned from my daughter to me, and swiftly kicked my legs out from underneath me. She screeched with rage as Rose lunged forward, but then disappeared like a puff of smoke.
"AHH!" Rosalie crashed down on top of me just as I was getting back to my feet. The two of us slid several yards through the undergrowth until we were stopped by a large tree.
"Bitch!" Rosalie cursed, spitting dirt and panting with rage as Victoria disappeared into the forest, headed back the way we had come. Our chase had been full of these moments: it seemed Victoria was reluctant to engage in combat. She only wanted to distract us and get away. Rose's eyes narrowed, determined not to let Victoria slip away again.
"What's the plan?" I asked. I could already see one formulating in her mind.
"Victoria's not after Charlie; she's searching for signs of Bella," Rosalie explained. "Charlie is still at risk here, though, and the last thing we need is for Edward's stupid obsession to wind up with someone dead and the family being uprooted again. The second last thing we need is for Edward's plan to be exposed and for the redhead to figure out where Bella actually is – I don't want to lose my sister and waste that girl's life because Edward is too selfish to leave her. You keep watch over Charlie, and I'll go try and track down this redhead. Stop her finding anything. She might find you first, though, so be ready…God, if she hurts you over Edward's stupidity, I swear I'll tan both their miserable hides."
Shaking her head, Rosalie disappeared into the darkness before I could say a word, leaving me to continue to the Swan house alone.
...
When I heard Charlie's truck rumble into the drive a moment later, I took more care in my approach towards the house. I climbed a tree and watched through the window as Charlie micro-waved something from the fridge and sat down at the table, alone, to eat it. I felt a pang of pity as I stared at him through the gray rain that was pattering down between us: he looked so lonely. All of a sudden, I felt very lonely too.
I put my hand into my pocket and felt the cell Carlisle had given me. Should I call? No; the redhead might still be too close. She might hear me. Still…someone had to know what was going on. I slipped the silver cell out of my pocket and speed-dialed Carlisle's number.
"Esme," he breathed, sounding distinctly relieved. "How are you?"
"I'm fine. Victoria doubled back, though. We're back in Forks. I'm watching Charlie now. The redhead is gone."
"Why are you whispering if she's gone?"
"Well…I don't know how far she's gone. She was just at the Swan house – she beat us here – but Charlie was at work. He's just got home: he's making dinner. Rosalie's tracking the redhead. She told me to stay back."
"Does Rose have a phone?"
"No; both of ours are back at the house."
"Stay with Charlie. Promise me."
"He won't leave my sight."
"Got to go, honey. Love you."
Click.
...
Carlisle:
I put the cell phone back in my pocket and raced to catch up with Edward as he veered onto a different course. I recounted the phone call to him, and he nodded.
"I really appreciate this, you know," Edward said. "I wish I hadn't been so foolish. But I can't regret it. I can't regret letting myself fall in love with her. Part of me wished I could; then at least I could hate myself for making you do this."
"You're not making me do anything," I replied. "Where's he headed?"
"Up there, into the pass." Edward gestured to it with a tilt of his head, and we ran off in that direction. Emmett ran a few hundred yards behind us, to make sure James didn't double back.
We paused when we reached the top of a ridge, but I couldn't see any signs of movement.
"Where is he?" I asked Edward, still scanning the forest. Edward shook his head.
"I don't know…I can't hear him. He must have slipped out of range somehow."
"Hey, Ed, what happened to the running?" Emmett asked, appearing behind us.
"He's slipped us," I explained.
There was a scent trail leading us on, but after half a mile it dropped off at an airport. We watched with hopeless dismay as a plane lifted its gear off the runway.
"He's gone," Edward breathed.
"Where do you think he's headed?" Emmett asked, throwing a pebble through the fence and across the runway.
"I don't know," I replied. "He was on the plane, though. But without knowing his full name – the one he bought the ticket under – we can't get information on the flight he was on." Maybe he's gone back to Forks. Maybe Esme isn't as safe as I thought she'd be. I whipped out my cell and pressed speed-dial for Alice's.
"I should have called earlier, but we were too close…now we're too far behind!" I blurted, as soon as Alice picked up.
"How's Bella?" Edward asked.
"How's Bella?" I repeated for him. "Edward wants to talk to her."
"Carlisle..." Alice started. She sounded a little frightened. Maybe she had seen something.
"Make sure Bella is safe," Edward growled.
"James slipped us," I said. "Can you be sure to keep an extra eye on Bella?"
"Yes," she replied.
"I don't know how it happened…none of us can figure it out…" I ran through the events of the morning, finishing with how we had followed the trail until it dropped and decided to call her for any leads.
"I just saw him," Alice replied. "He was in a room full of mirrors first, then I saw him running a VCR in a dark room…a different room…Whatever made him get on that plane, it was leading him to those rooms."
"I need to talk to Bella," Edward said.
"Is Bella available?" I asked.
"Yes," Alice replied. Then; "Bella?" and the sound of footsteps. I handed the cell to Edward, and then filled Emmett in on what he had missed.
"So, what do we do?" he asked, once Edward had joined the conversation.
"I say we head back to Forks, just in case," Edward replied.
I sighed, and we took off again at full pace. Just outside of Seattle, the cell buzzed.
"Alice?" I asked, flicking it open.
"Carlisle! This is serious…we need to do something, fast." I clicked it onto speaker, and Edward and Emmett crowded in closer. "My vision…the room with the VCR? It's here. In Phoenix. It's Bella's mother's house."
"We're coming," Edward said. "We're right outside Seattle. We'll take the first flight over. We'll hide Bella."
"Edward, we can't just leave like that! What about Rose!" Emmett cried. "The redhead is feral, man. Across the state I can handle. But Phoenix? And what about the sun? We aren't equipped for that! The Volturi will be on our asses for it!"
"I don't want to leave Esme that far behind, either," I said. "Not with Victoria hanging around. But we have to, Emmett. They'll be safe. We'll buy extra clothes in Seattle, and take the next plane to Phoenix, then we'll come straight back."
"Alice? Tell Bella we're coming for her," Edward repeated. Without a word, Alice hung up.
...
It was mid-morning when at last we landed in Phoenix, having left the Jeep in Seattle. Alice and Jasper were waiting for us, a few shades paler than usual. They looked frightened and guilty.
And they were alone.
"Where's Bella?" Edward demanded, looking from one to the other.
"Oh, Edward, I'm so sorry," Alice gasped, throwing her arms around his neck. "Bella called her mother, but she wasn't home, and then her mother called, and Bella was acting all weird and then we got here and she went to get breakfast and she ran off!" Edward pulled Alice's arms away and let her drop to the floor.
"What?" he demanded through clenched teeth.
"It's my fault, Edward," Jasper said, hanging his head. "She said she needed to go to the bathroom…that bathroom has two exits…I'm sorry."
Before Edward could shout at him, Alice meekly held a letter in front of her mate.
"She asked me to give this to you," she said quickly. Edward plucked the letter from his sister's hand and held it out so we could all read it:
I love you. I am so sorry. He has my mum, and I have to try. I know it may not work. I am so very, very sorry.
Don't be angry with Alice and Jasper. If I get away from them it will be a miracle. Tell them thank you for me. Alice especially, please.
And please, please don't come after him. That's what he wants. I think. I can't bear it if anyone has to be hurt because of me, especially you. Please, this is the only thing I can ask you now. For me.
I love you. Forgive me.
Bella.
"Where would she go?" Emmett asked.
"The room full of mirrors…" I started, thinking about it.
"Of course," Alice breathed. She and Jasper shared a glance.
"The ballet studio," they said together.