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A/N: Because of the more than 100 reviews I received since my last update, SP has passed the 900 review mark. I am STUNNED and excited. And I've gotten tons of alerts and other such goodies. You guys are SO AWESOME!

Now, back to the action…

Chapter 32: Tanya

Bella's POV

I stared at Edward as if he'd just spoken to me in a foreign language. "Did you say Tanya?"

"Yes."

I looked at Kate, who was standing on the edge of the semicircle the Cullens and Denalis had formed around the car. "As in her sister?"

Edward nodded. "Yes."

"Tanya was here…with Charlie?"

"Yes," he said a third time.

"Why…when would…how…." My mouth just wouldn't work. "What?"

Edward tried to pull me closer as I pinched my nose. "Bella…"

I shrugged away from him and stalked toward the passenger's side of the cruiser, my anger rising with every step. "Do you smell her in here?"

Edward followed behind me. "No."

"Okay." I flung open the back door. "Here?"

"No."

I slammed the door and walked to the trunk. "Bella," Edward sighed.

"It's not like she needs to breathe, right?" I asked. "Somebody open this for me, please."

Edward folded his hands in front of his mouth while Rosalie stepped up and curled her fingers beneath the lid of the trunk. She shoved it quickly upward with minimal effort, nearly detaching it from the back of the car.

"Thank you, Rosalie." I rummaged through the contents of Charlie's trunk, tossing aside his fishing gear and old shirts. "I don't see any cute snowbunny clothes back here."

"She wasn't in the car, Love," Edward said. "Her scent is around the car."

"Well excuse me for not realizing that," I snapped as I slammed the trunk. "I don't have superhuman senses. All I have to go on is what I can prove. And I'm sorry, but it's a little far-fetched for me to believe that some Alaskan ice queen somehow stumbled upon my father and…what exactly?" I looked around at the group. "You're all so sure she was here. Any idea why?"

Eyes darted around the arc as the Cullens and Denalis tried to answer me. In the end, it was Esme who spoke. "We don't know why Tanya was here, Bella. But we are certain that she was."

I rubbed my eyes with a loud groan, my earlier mini-tantrum draining me. I soon felt Edward's arms around me and relaxed into his embrace. When I opened my eyes a few moments later, we were alone.

"Where did they all…"

"It's been a long day," Edward said as he smoothed my hair. "I thought you needed a moment to yourself."

"Thank you."

I practically purred as his lips met my temple, the cool, light pressure soothing my nerves. I don't know how long we stood there, but when I finally felt some sort of normal, I called for Kate.

"Why would Tanya be in Forks?" I asked her as the rest of the family approached. "Last I heard, no one knew where she'd gone. And it's not like Forks is some popular tourist attraction."

"I'm as baffled as you are," Kate confessed. "I had no clue where Tanya was until I smelled her here."

"Has she ever been to Forks?"

"Yes," Carlisle said. "She visited with the rest of the clan when we lived here decades ago."

"Before Alice and Jasper joined us," Esme added.

"Did she ever mention coming here again?" I asked Kate.

"In the past, yes. But not in recent years."

"I thought she was on some sort of manhunt right now."

"That was my assumption," Kate said. "But with Tanya, you never know."

"What does that mean?"

"She's a wild card," she explained. "Always was. It was nothing for her to disappear for months at a time."

"To do what?"

"Manhunt, as you said."

I shook my head. "So she really is some sort of vampiric…"

"Ho?" Rosalie offered. Esme gave her a sharp glance, but Rosalie shrugged. "I'm not knocking her."

Kate rolled her eyes, but her tone proved that she wasn't offended. "My sister and I are unmated women who have nothing but time on our hands. Why shouldn't we have multiple lovers if we choose? Vampire or otherwise?"

Carlisle folded his arms. "So you're thinking that Tanya and Charlie are…"

"Ew, no!" I cried. "My father is not doing that with anyone, let alone a vampire! Wouldn't it kill him?"

"You survived," Emmett quipped.

"Tanya has never even met Charlie," I said. "And with all the lonely, younger men between here and Alaska, I cannot believe that she would skip over them to get with my dad."

"Don't underestimate Charlie's appeal," Kate said warmly. "He is an interesting, handsome man who would make any woman a very good…"

I cringed and held up a hand. "Can you not finish that sentence?" Now that I knew what it was all about it, the last thing I wanted to imagine was my father anywhere near it.

"He did call the police station and say he was taking a vacation," Kate observed.

"So?"

"So maybe Tanya and Charlie met somehow and are using the vacation excuse to hide their affair from you."

"No," I insisted. "None of you had any idea that Tanya was in Forks which means that she hid her plans from Alice before she even met Charlie. She wouldn't do that if she was just here to…see him."

"And that is the salient point," Edward said as he drew closer to me.

"What are you thinking?" Jasper asked Edward.

"She must be here for another reason."

"And the phone call to the station?" Carlisle asked.

"Definitely an excuse," Edward said, "but to hide something else."

"Like what?" I asked.

Alice looked at Rosalie, and she dropped her gaze. "The Harvest Ball," Rosalie said.

"What about it?"

"Remember when we were buying your dress," Alice said, "and Kate called Esme looking for Tanya?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Rose suspected that Tanya's disappearance was about your relationship with Edward."

I stared at her. "Are you saying Tanya kidnapped Charlie because I'm with Edward?"

Alice looked down, and Jasper replied. "It could happen."

And now I wished we could return to the idea of a nauseating liaison. "But why would she do that?" I asked Kate. "Edward is one guy out of the thousands she could have! Why would she care so much? Was she delusional or just hard-up?"

Kate sighed, and the sound brought me up short.

"I'm sorry," I said with less anger. "I just…I get that she wanted Edward, and he didn't want her. But you suck it up and move on. I mean, it's just wanted him for his body."

Edward tensed beside me, and I realized how uncomfortable he must have been with this conversation. But before I could say anything to him, he shook his head and squeezed my hand.

"I don't know what to tell you," Kate said wearily. "I never saw Tanya react to Irina's news about you and Edward. But she did leave us shortly after finding out."

"I was right," Rosalie said with a sad look at me. "And now I wish I weren't."

"Carmen." She and her husband had been standing silently by, and I trusted her opinion. "You know Tanya. Honestly, would she do something like this?"

Carmen glanced at her husband, and her golden eyes were tender when she fixed them on me. "I would love to say 'no,' cara. But Katia is right. Tanya is so unpredictable." She blinked. "I wish I could answer differently."

"But…" I just could not accept it. "Edward doesn't love her! He never did. So why would she be crazy enough to think that kidnapping my father would change that?"

"I don't think she's thinking rationally," Esme said gently. "When I lost my little boy, that was more devastating than anything I could have imagined. And in that state of mind, throwing myself off a cliff seemed like the wise thing to do."

"You were a young mother grieving the loss of her beloved child." Esme's ability to see the best in everyone was truly remarkable. "Not some lonely, bitter vampire who's all pissed off about the one who got away."

"I think we might be underestimating the depth of Tanya's desire for Edward," Alice interjected, and I glared at her. "I'm not saying that her feelings are valid. But if we're going to figure this out, then we have to examine everything."

Edward flinched, and I realized that he could literally see the direction of Alice's thoughts. "No," he growled.

"Are you sure?" she asked, and his eyes hardened. "Sorry," she muttered. "But I had to ask."

"Out loud," I complained.

"Alice was trying to determine the full extent of my relationship with Tanya." Edward's tone revealed how little he'd enjoyed the trip down memory lane. "And I maintained, as I always have, that the romance was non-existent."

"And even if it were," I reminded her, "Edward is mine now. Anything he may have said or done before..."

"The only thing I ever did was deny her," Edward interjected crossly.

"…is irrelevant."

"So is this conversation," Emmett exclaimed in frustration. "Who cares about Tanya's thought-process?"

"I do," I said with a sudden realization. "Alice still can't see Charlie. And unless Tanya has developed the ability to block Alice's foresight, we need to know what she's thinking."

"I'm sorry, Bella," Emmett said. "I just didn't want to waste time in the past when we've finally got a solid lead on Charlie."

"You're both right," Carlisle said. "We do need to understand what we can about Tanya's motives, but more importantly, we need to find Charlie before she carries out her plan."

"Whatever that is," I muttered.

Edward turned me around in his arms and lifted my chin. "Nothing is going to happen to Charlie," he said firmly. "I promise you that."

"You can't," I smiled sadly. "I love that you want to, and I know you will do everything you can to save him. But you may not be able to stop Tanya from harming him, Edward, and I need to accept that."

His eyes agreed with me, but he only kissed my forehead in reply.

"Whatever Tanya might be," Eleazar said. "She is committed to our lifestyle and would never commit murder, no matter what her state of mind."

"Especially after what happened to our mother," Kate whispered, the grief in her voice making me feel like crap.

"Stop," Jasper said with a stern look at me. "Tanya's personal tragedies do not excuse her kidnapping Charlie. You have every right to think ill of the woman who did that."

"He's right," Kate said.

"Okay." I was weary of talking and wanted to see some action. "What do we do?"

The Cullens and Denalis were fanning out in the forest and facing different directions. "Tanya's scent is strongest in these locations," Carlisle said loudly for my benefit. "And it always leads back to the car."

"She was probably having second thoughts," Esme shouted. "That's a good sign."

"We need to search every trail," Jasper called, "and get the cruiser out of sight before someone sees it."

"I don't see any humans taking this road until nightfall," Alice added.

"All right, then," Carlisle said. "We'll need five teams to search the different trails."

As the Cullens and Denalis divided themselves, Edward turned to me. "Do you want me to stay or go?"

"I'd be happy to keep you company, if you'd like," Carmen smiled.

I was painfully torn. I did not want to let Edward out of my sight, especially not with some crazy wannabe lover out there. But if his gifts would help find my father that much sooner, then he needed to go.

But if something happened to him while he was gone…

"He should stay," Rosalie said as if she could hear my thoughts. "You should not have to miss your father and your husband at the same time."

I looked at her with all the gratitude I could muster and turned back to my husband. "Stay," I whispered.

"I only gave you a choice out of respect," he murmured as he kissed my cheek. "I would never leave you at a time like this."

"I know."

"Shit!" Alice exclaimed.

"What?" My heart lurched in my chest. "Did you finally see something?"

"No," she groused. "I totally forgot about school today!"

Emmett scoffed. "What, are you worried about your GPA?"

"No," she said firmly. "It's bad enough that Edward and Bella will be gone for the rest of the week. If I'm not there, too, it might draw unnecessary attention to us. And that's the last thing we need right now."

"I hadn't even thought of that," I said weakly.

"And you don't have to," Carlisle said as he pulled out his phone. "Joanne, it's Dr. Cullen. In light of my son's recent marriage…yes, I'll tell them, thank you…I'd like to take the rest of the family out of town until Monday. Is that…Great, thank you…Yes, have Dr. Leigh do that and please send a note of explanation to the high school for Bella, Edward, and Alice. She stayed home today to help me plan the trip…Thanks, Joanne… And Happy New Year to you, too." Carlisle closed the phone and put it back in his pocket. "Done."

"Thank you," I sighed with incredible relief. Somehow eliminating that minor problem had renewed my hope.

"Of course," Carlisle said, and then he addressed the family. "All right. Let's go." Everyone looked my way with various smiles of encouragement, and then, in the literal blink of an eye, they sped out of sight.

I watched them much longer than necessary, not wanting the day's emotions to crash upon me just yet. I looked up at Edward who was watching me warily.

"Okay, Hercules," I smiled. "Time to lift the cruiser."

I knew that Edward saw through my attempt to be lighthearted, but he smiled at me anyway. "Stand over there," he said gently.

I backed up into the grass, staying away from the sharp bend in the road. The only other time Edward had moved a car in front of me, I had been too scared to appreciate the spectacle. But now, with my father's life in danger and me in a position to do very little about it, watching my husband powerlift a police car seemed like the perfect way to spend the next few minutes.

Edward walked around to the front of the cruiser and raised his head to stare off into the trees. He did this a few times and then walked back to the trunk and gripped the car by its rear fender. With a brief grin at me, Edward was raised the car and soon disappeared. From the direction of his slower return, he must have stashed the car somewhere off to the right.

"Wow." I exhaled. "I don't even know what to say to that."

He shrugged. "Would you like to go sit in the cruiser? It's warmer than being out here."

"You're not cold," I said.

"But you are." He caressed my bare fingers, and I couldn't stop the shiver. "I didn't think it would be so chilly today," I said.

"You've had other things on your mind," he murmured as he took my frigid hand. "Let's warm you up."

He led me slowly up the gradual embankment, more out of concern than necessity. The ground was damp from the nightly drizzle for which Forks was notorious, but I had good traction in my boots. As we continued into the forest, the heavy canopy of conifers prevented the minimal sunlight from getting through, making it seem much later in the day than it really was.

We finally reached the car, and I was surprised at how well it had been concealed. Edward opened the backdoor to let me in and closed it behind him. He was soon up front turning on the heater and reaching for the knob on the radio. I didn't normally object to music, but it was bad enough that the car smelled like Charlie. If his classic rock station came through those speakers, I would not have been able to hold back the tears. Thankfully Edward bypassed the radio and opened the glove compartment. He stuffed something in his pocket before I could see it and exited the car. The trunk opened and closed, and with scarcely a sound, Edward returned to my side in the backseat.

"We've got snack bars and bottled juice from the glove compartment and a thick blanket from the trunk." He wrapped it around me as I unwrapped the chocolate chip granola bar. "I shook it out as best as I could, but it's still more soiled than I would like."

"It's perfect, just like you." I kissed him fully on the mouth. "Thank you."

"It's the least I can do after causing this mess."

"Edward…"

"I should have seen this coming, Bella," he said. "When Eleazar told me at the wedding that he hadn't seen Tanya in more than a month, I should have suspected that she was up to something. If I had, none of this would have happened."

"She hid her plans, Edward," I reminded him. He frowned, the motion creasing his forehead, and I reached up to smooth it. "And honestly, you had no real reason to suspect her of anything. Hindsight is twenty-twenty, you know."

"I guess," he shrugged. The motion and reply were both so unlike him that I knew something else was wrong. And as his golden eyes steadily avoided mine, I realized what it was. "It must be strange to think that she did all this for you."

He sighed loudly, the sweetness of his breath tainted with melancholy. "I don't believe it," he said eventually. "I'm certainly no one to go crazy over."

"I went crazy over you."

The corners of his mouth twitched. "There's always one exception to prove the rule."

"This is not your fault." I turned his face to mine, refusing to let him look away. "Tanya is the one to blame, and she will be the one to pay."

He sighed and pulled me closer. "I should be comforting you, not the other way around."

"You are comforting me."

He glanced sidelong at me. "By whining about my feelings?"

"By reminding me of how many people have been affected by Tanya's choices," I corrected. "I may not have vampiric gifts, but I know Kate is worried about her sister. Carmen and Eleazar are torn between sympathizing with me and consoling their friend. Carlisle and Esme are trying not to see the worst in Tanya without suggesting that they're on her side. Jasper is driving himself mad trying to keep everyone's emotions in check, to say nothing of Alice who feels useless without her foresight. Emmett just wants everyone to be happy again, and Rosalie is…"

"Almost as worried about you as I am," Edward observed. He shifted in the seat, holding me against his chest while he relaxed against the locked door. "I noticed the look she gave you when she arrived at this house this morning. The tattoo must have bonded you more than I thought."

"There was that."

"Was there more?"

I had promised Rosalie that I wouldn't tell anyone about her little visit in September. But I hadn't expected Edward to be my husband when he asked about our relationship. She would kill me if she knew that I told him, but I wouldn't lie to him either.

"Rosalie and I have come to an understanding," I said. "I've come to see that she's far more compassionate than she lets on, and she knows that she can trust me not to hurt her family."

"You mean Emmett?"

"I mean her entire family." I turned around to face him. "Including her favorite brother."

He rolled his eyes. "If I'm her favorite, it's only because Jasper can read her emotions, and those are even more sacred to Rose than her thoughts."

"Either way, Rosalie loves you, Edward, and that gives us something very special in common."

He smiled briefly, and then his eyes dropped to my mouth. His lips were cool and gentle as they met mine, and I sat up to get a better taste. The empty snack wrapper slipped to the floor as I reached for his neck, stroking the hair above his collar. His arms pulled me higher, and I pressed myself closer, nearly hitting my head on the low ceiling as I straddled his hips. I kissed him more deeply, a new appetite kindling in my belly.

It was illogical to want Edward this way, this much, at this moment. It was almost blasphemous considering our location. But in the face of what we were facing, I suddenly couldn't think about anything other than the sweet oblivion I could find in his arms.

And I desperately wanted to get lost.

I pulled back to gaze at him, and I watched with fascination as his eyes darkened with understanding. With a swift lick of his lips, he unzipped my jacket and hoodie, tossing them both to the floor. I shivered when his hands slid under my loose tank and up my back, and his lips reclaimed mine as I removed his jacket and unbuckled his belt. He lifted his hips so I could pull down his bottom layers, one hand slipping the blanket between his bare skin and the leather seat. As his tongue lapped lazily against mine, he undressed me from the neck down, leaving only my bra as he made good use of his vampiric speed. He watched me intently as I rose above him, holding my gaze as I joined my body to his.

Edward wrapped his arms around me as I groaned, and my body tensed as he filled me. I was hot and wet and in so much need, and he didn't leave me wanting. Although I was on top and had better leverage, his was the body in motion. He held me steady as he thrusted upward, starting slowly but gaining speed as I demanded more. My breasts were tingling, aching for his kiss, but I didn't want him to break stride long enough to address them. I was closer to unconsciousness with every swift stroke, and I begged him not to stop until he took me there. He growled in my ear as he pumped me harder, my eyes nearly crossing with pleasure.

I fisted my hands in his hair, and he suddenly flipped me onto my back and pressed me against the seat. I was at his mercy with this new angle, and my knees gladly fell away as he plunged deeper inside me. I could feel the telltale tightening between my legs as he moved faster still, my back arching with anticipation. And when he finally brought his lips to my nipple, I lost it all. He licked and suckled me as I came hard beneath him, his tongue making slick curlicues around my breast as I called his name. Edward rolled me again, settling me on top of him as he reached for the front and back seat. He destroyed them both as his climax overpowered him, our impassioned cries flooding the cabin as he took me over the edge again.

In a twinkling, I was pressed against his side, the blanket wrapped around us like the warmth of the afterglow. "Thank you," I whispered at length.

He kissed my cheek. "You are very welcome."

I looked around at the damage, smiling for the first time all day. "We destroyed the cruiser."

He chuckled. "So I'll buy Charlie a new one when he returns."

I would have expected that response to hurt, but I had a lingering hope that Edward was right about my father coming back. And I held on to that hope with all my might.

Edward held up my camisole. "I wouldn't want my family finding us in this state."

I shrugged it on and reached for my jeans. "With everything that's going on, I wouldn't even care."

"I would," he said seriously. "The last thing I need is Emmett seeing you in any state of undress."

We fixed our clothes quietly, no closer to an answer about Charlie but certainly closer to each other. And as the sensual fog around us began to evaporate, I realized that while Edward's family had been out looking for my father, I'd had a hot quickie in the backseat of his car.

Edward handed me my hoodie, and I took it with a sigh. "What is it, love?"

I looked down at my hands. "We shouldn't have done that."

Edward pulled me onto his lap and cupped my face. "We made love because you needed to feel loved," he said. "And as your husband, I will always give you whatever you need." He helped me into my hoodie and zipped it up. "You have nothing to be ashamed of."

He kissed me on the nose and mouth, and I nodded reluctantly, promptly closing the subject.

I was in the middle of lacing my boots a few moments later when Edward looked up sharply.

"What?"

"We need to go." He reached forward and turned off the car. "Now."

I climbed out of the backseat, and Edward hoisted me onto his back. As soon as my arms and legs were secure around him, he took off into the forest.

I knew better than to keep my eyes open, so I laid my head against the back of his neck as he ran and leapt beneath me. I couldn't tell how far we'd gone or even which direction, but I knew that we were getting one step closer to finding my father.

Edward eventually slowed his run to a walk and came to a complete stop. He patted my leg, signaling for me to get down, and I slid down his back, my view obstructed by his height. When I stepped around him, I was struck silent by what I saw.

The open clearing before me was nearly identical to our meadow in size and structure. And although I'd only seen it in spring and late summer, I could never imagine our perfect place looking as desolate and cold as this one. The trees lining the edge of the field were forbidding in their size, their thick green foliage nearly black against the pale gray sky. No flowers wanted to grow here, but I recognized several different species of weeds, stubborn hearty ones with roots that ran several feet deep. There were jagged rocks and fallen branches everywhere, the field more like a battle zone than a oasis.

Edward was standing in front of me, his hand flat and protective against my midsection. Rosalie soon came up on my immediate right, her posture reminding me of the heroine from that TV show about a warrior princess. The remaining Cullens and Denalis were also gathering nearby, Emmett showing restraint in not commenting on my recently-ravaged appearance. They seemed to be closing ranks around me, but I couldn't immediately tell what they were shielding me from.

But then, someone suddenly appeared in the middle of the clearing. I had never seen her before, but I knew enough about the Denali gene pool to make an educated guess. And although she was at least twenty yards away, I could tell she was staring at me.

The blonde bitch who kidnapped my father.

Anger snaked up my back from my heel to my head, and I felt myself springing forward with a shout. But for all of my considerable effort, I hadn't moved an inch.

And now I understood.

"Let me go," I snarled at Edward, all traces of passion erased by Tanya's presence.

"Bella," Edward's voice was tense as he held me back with one hand. "Please be still."

"Edward." I would break his arm if I had to or break my own trying. "That woman has my father. Let. Me. Go!"

"I can't do that."

I balled up my fists in anger and futility, wishing I could club him with them. "How can you just stand here not doing anything?"

"Bella…"

"And I see you, Tanya!" Edward could hold back my body, but he couldn't silence my voice. "I know you took my father! And as soon as they let me go, I am going to fucking kill you!"

"Bella…" She was still far ahead, but her unfamiliar voice was so clear that I thought she was behind me. I whipped my head around and met the startled eyes of her sister. I spared her a glare as I turned back around.

"Don't you dare say my name!" I jumped and got a foot off the ground before Edward wrapped an arm around my waist, suspending me in midair. "Don't you say another fucking word!" I screamed as my legs flailed, causing Rosalie and Emmett to back up. "You kidnapped my father, you sick, twisted bitch! And I don't give a damn how long they hold me back. As soon as I get free, I am going to rip you apart!"

"Bella, please!"

The sound of Tanya's voice threw me off. It was still lilting and sweet, like the music of a child's lullaby.

"I'm sorry," she continued. "I am so so sorry. But I had no choice. Please forgive me. I am so sorry…"

And as her senseless apologies floated to me like a regretful refrain, I also heard an emotion that didn't make any sense.

Terror.

I would expect Tanya to be nervous about what we would do when we found her, maybe even a little frightened. But her voice was trembling with absolute fear, as if she were not the aggressor but the victim.

I stopped struggling against Edward, and he set me on the ground. He turned around slowly, his dark amber eyes serious as Tanya's pleas for mercy continued to assault me.

"Charlie's not here, is he?"

His eyes softened. "No."

I swallowed, somehow expecting this. "But she's afraid."

"Yes." He looked around, his brow creased with anger as he took my hands. "But you don't have to worry. We will protect you."

"Me?" I frowned. "Why are you worried about me? My father is the one out there somewhere with no one to help him or make sure that he's okay."

"Bella…."

"No, Edward." I snatched my hands away. "I get the whole 'Protect-your-mate-at-all-costs' thing, but Charlie's safety is far more important than mine right now."

"Bella!" Edward had never spoken so harshly to me, and I shrank back on instinct. He closed his eyes and sighed, the tortured sound putting me on guard. "I'm sorry for yelling. But I promised to tell you the truth no matter what." I relaxed as I stepped toward him, searching his eyes for a comfort that wasn't there. "Right now, you are in far more danger than Charlie is."

"I don't understand." I glanced in Tanya's direction, and she was still quaking where she stood. "Tanya wouldn't hurt me with all of you here. And she looks more terrified than I am. What the hell is going on?"

"I can tell you!" The new beautiful sound came from Tanya's direction, and I looked to my left once more. And my face went blank with fear and confusion as a different woman stared back at me.

We had only met once, earlier this year at a baseball game, and I don't remember her speaking to me then. But I would never forget her two companions—especially the one who had tried to kill me—or the sight of her wavy red hair blowing around her face like wildfire.

"May I explain it to her, Edward?" Victoria asked with a wide smile. "Please?"

I have nothing to say right now. I only want to hear from you.