We reached town in an astonishingly short time—less than half the time it'd taken to drive out. Edward put me down on a sidewalk a few streets over from the Forks's main street; luckily there was no one around to see me wheezing and spluttering like an old man. It took me several minutes to get my heart to stop thudding so aggressively, and even longer to sort out my thoughts. Alice, Emmett and Edward stood there patiently. Not even Alice said a word; that was when I knew there was real trouble.

"Okay," I said when I had finally caught my breath. "Why are we here? What's happening?"

"C'mon, we need to get moving," said Emmett. Alice slung her arm through mine and Edward took me by the other hand, and we started walking toward civilization, Emmett circling around us in what he probably thought was an inconspicuous manner.

"That was James," said Alice, keeping her voice low.

"Who's James?" I asked.

"Bad news, that's who," she said darkly. "You remember I told you I spent the first few decades of this life avoiding other vampires?"

I nodded, eyes riveted to her face which was set in an expression of regret.

"I exaggerated," she said. "I was avoiding James. Only James. He became obsessed with my scent when I was a human, as obsessed as Edward is with yours, but he doesn't have Edward's moral code, or his self-discipline. The only thing that ultimately saved me was my sire, who turned me before James could catch up. James was so furious he hunted down and murdered my sire, but by then he could no longer track me because I always saw him coming. Eventually I found Jas and everyone else, and he was forced to admit defeat. He may not be quite as brilliant as the Volturi tracker, but he's good enough. And he takes it personally. Tracking is...it's practically a religion for James."

"Smelling like you do, Bella," said Emmett agreeably, currently walking ahead of us, "I'm amazed this hasn't happened before." He grinned broadly at Alice. "Am I right, Ally?"

"You are kind of a beacon for trouble," allowed Alice, permitting Emmett's interruption to cheer her momentarily. But in another moment she was far away once more. "My brain is still hard-wired to James's frequency, because I spent so many years thinking of nothing else. As soon as he heard us playing baseball and made the decision to come check it out, I had a vision. There's nothing he could have done right then and there, of course, not with us all standing guard, but we really would prefer you two not to meet face to face. And I admit, I...I never want to see him again," she finished in a small voice.

"Oh," I said, holding her arm a little more tightly and wishing there were some way I could fix this for her. "So...this was a precaution, right?" Alice nodded. "And...did it work?" Alice shook her head glumly. "Well…" I said, trying not to panic. "How do you know? Maybe it worked! What's going to happen?" Calm down, Bella, I instructed myself, but I was beyond calming. The thought of strange vampires out for my blood brought home yet again to me just what risky friends the Cullens were. I trusted them, of course I did—but would this have happened if I'd never met them? Or would I have been in even more danger, devoid of their protection? Did I really even care, come right down to it?

"It didn't work," said Edward miserably, "because your scent is all over the clearing and the whole family. The fact that you are obviously a companion of Alice's cannot have helped, I'm sorry to say. We needed to get you away, and we're hoping that Jas and Carlisle can talk them out of tracking you, but..." He stopped talking and gripped my hand so tightly I felt the bones shift around.

"Don't be such a worrywort, Ed," said Emmett cheerfully. "If nothing else works, we'll just tell him we ate Bella. I mean, who'd even believe we could stand being around her without—"

"Emmett!" barked Edward. "Not helping!"

"Sorry," said Emmett with a sheepish smile. "Just trying to lighten the mood a little."

"Well, don't," snapped Edward. Emmett didn't seem to take offense; he just kept looking around, guiding us placidly through the moderately busy main street.

"So," I said, trying to take my mind off of the murderous, supernatural tracker who now had my scent, "Why are we here, exactly?"

"Safest place to be," said Edward between gritted teeth. "Nomads don't get near large groups of people like this, because they lack the self-control not to go on a rampage, and, well...you've already heard about the Volturi. Rampages are pretty off-limits. Even James won't dare attack you here."

"Okay," I said, my eyes floating blindly over the store-fronts and apartments we were passing. "So, what happens when it gets dark and everyone goes home?"

"Um…" said Edward.

"'Um'?" I repeated. "Don't you have a plan?"

"We're working on it, Bella!" said Alice. "I think you should leave the state. Immediately."

"Alice!" hissed Edward quellingly.

"Oh, what now?" I said, more irritably than I meant to. I was too frightened not to let some of my anxiety show, but I regretted it when I saw the sorrowful look Edward turned on me.

"I never wanted any of this for you, Bella," he said softly. "I don't want you to have to lose a single moment of normal life, just because of what I am. And now we have to leave the state, just because I dragged you along to some stupid—"

"You're spiraling, Eddy," said Emmett, still incredibly cheerful. I was beginning to wonder if he was always in a good mood, or if he was simply projecting a good mood to protect his brother and sister. It seemed to work, in a small way, because Edward sighed heavily and then said, "But we'll do whatever we need to, to keep you safe. I promise you that."

"Even if it means I have to leave the state?"

He nodded.

"Well, do I get any say in this?"

"Of course you do, Bella!" said Alice earnestly. "But we are way better planners than you, so, you know, keep that in mind. No offense."

"I'll do whatever you guys say," I said. "I'll leave the state, leave the country, whatever. I don't want to make trouble just because I reek, apparently. But...can I at least see my dad again, before I go? I mean, in case, you know, in case...in case he gets worried." I decided not to say what I was really thinking—in case I am horribly murdered and he winds up short one daughter—but everyone obviously knew what I had in mind, because they all started talking at once.

"Don't even think this is a permanent—"

"—be seeing him again in two days, after we've slapped James around a little bit—"

"Of course you can see your dad, Bella!"

"Alice!" remonstrated Edward and Emmett.

Alice shrugged. "The girl wants to give her dad a heads-up," she said. "I think we should let her!"

"And take her back to her house, so James can sniff out where Charlie lives? How about we don't."

"Oh," said Alice, waving Edward's protestations away with one breezy hand. "Don't be ridiculous, we'll go see him at the station right now."

"What am I supposed to tell him?" I asked nervously. "Are we actually leaving the state? Where are we going? How are we getting there? Is this really happening?"

"No, Bella," said Alice in echoing tones, gazing mesmerizingly into my eyes. "We're not real. It's time to wake up." Then she pinched my arm, and it hurt.

"Ow!" I yelped.

"Yes, it's happening, yes, we're real, and you're probably going to have to take a plane. And I have no idea what you should tell your dad, but you'd better think fast. We're almost there."

I looked up and realized we were nearly at the station. Alice and Emmett took out their cell phones and walked a few steps away to hold conversations that were too low and fast for me to make out. Edward squeezed my hand one last time—ouch—and then nodded. "I'll stay out here. It's probably best if he doesn't think it's anything to do with us. Best for him, I mean." I nodded mutely and pushed through the glass doors to the police station.

I hadn't been in this building since I was young, back when it had still seemed like an adventure to visit a police station. It looked like a dentist office, except there were no toys on the floor. It was drab and depressing in here. Or maybe I just thought that because of what I had to do next.

"Is my dad in?" I asked the receptionist. "Er, Chief Swan, I mean?"

"Sure," she said, sounding surprised. "Go on in, hon." She pressed a button and the door beside her unlocked. I walked through it, down the hall it opened onto, and then through the door with my father's name painted on the glass. I felt like I was in a dream. I felt alone, so terribly alone…

And suddenly I knew what I was going to say.

Charlie looked up as soon as he heard the door opening, and his smile was surprised but genuine.

"Hey, how's the grown-up?" he said jocularly. But his smile faded almost immediately; my face must have been a study. "What's wrong, Bells?" he asked, concern sweeping across his forehead. He walked around his desk toward me, and I forced a smile.

"Hey, Dad," I said. "I, um…" I trailed off.

"Okay, let's have it," he said, and I was surprised to hear a note of anger in his voice.

"Have what?" I asked, confused.

"This is not the first time you've come back from the Cullens' all weird, and I want to know why, and I want to know now." He leaned against his desk and folded his arms across his chest, and he looked very, very much the Chief of Police.

"Oh," I said, "it's not really about them. I mean, it sort of is, but not really. I was watching them play baseball and everything, and then I started thinking about how Mom and I used to go watch Phil play, and I just got really sad all of a sudden. I got so carried away with school and, and everything, and I haven't even thought about how much I miss her. I've saved enough money for a plane ticket down to Jacksonville, and I thought maybe I could go see her. Sort of a little Christmas present to myself. Only the last cheap flight down there leaves in four hours, and I still have to get to SeaTac first. So I'd have to go before you got home, and I wanted to at least say goodbye." He didn't look convinced. I was doing this no matter what he thought, and there was no way he could stop his eighteen-year-old daughter from leaving town if she wanted to, but I was really hoping to come home to a not-pissed-off dad in a few days. "Besides," I said, trying to look ingenuous as Alice had done that morning, "there is like, way better shopping in Jacksonville, and I am sick to death of these jeans."

"Bells—" he started to say, but I cut him off. If I let him talk he might try to talk me out of it, and I didn't know how well I could keep this up against that kind of opposition.

"I could just really use some sunlight," I said quickly. Then, for good measure, I added, "And some mom time. I'll call you when I get there. I'll be back before you've even noticed I'm gone." I realized as I said the words how much I hoped it would be safe for me to return on the sooner side of sooner or later. The thought of Charlie spending Christmas alone was enough to break my heart.

"You're sure this is just about your mom?" Charlie asked, concern etching lines over his eyebrows.

I nodded. "Well…" I said hesitantly. "It's also a little about the shopping."

My father laughed, and kissed the part in my hair, and wished me a safe trip.

A short time later I was sitting in the first class section of a flight to South America. I had no clear idea of where we were going, other than the general region of Brazil. Edward and I were alone on this trip, while the entire rest of the Cullen clan stayed behind to detain and decommission James. They would be six against three, and they were powerful. Still, I wished iI had a better grasp on the situation. Every time Edward started to explain the plan, he got distracted by the apparently overwhelming din of the thoughts of all the other passengers on the plane. But that didn't matter, because after I'd gotten settled in my seat beside him, I lost consciousness pretty much immediately. All the stress must have been wearing on me. Either that or my body knew that sleep was preferable to waking awareness of the nightmare I had so suddenly found myself in.

I didn't regain consciousness until we touched down in Brazil. Wordlessly Edward led the way off the plane. I used the restroom and tidied myself up as much as I could—I was still wearing the jeans and sweater I'd put on that morning—and called my dad to let him know I'd landed. He didn't pick up, but I left him a message, trying to sound casual and a little bored, like this was just another ordinary visit to my mom. After that, I met Edward just outside the bathroom. He hugged me briefly to his side before taking my hand and leading me outside.

It was late evening by this time, and the streets were packed with young and beautiful people going to parties. Edward hailed a cab and directed it some thirty minutes east, where we found a dock which rented boats.

"How far are we going?" I asked, trying not to sound whiny. I was so so tired of travelling. More than anything I wanted the buzzing feeling in my legs to go away.

"Not much further," said Edward, leading me to a small motorboat that was docked on a private pier. He turned it on with a key from his own keychain, and we were off, skimming and bouncing over the waves. "We're going to Isle Esme," he said, loud enough for me to hear over the roar of the engine. "Carlisle bought it for my mom after they got married. It's remote, and no one outside our family even knows about it. We thought it would be the safest place for you until things calm down."

"How are things going to calm down?" I asked. "You don't think James is going to give up, do you? You said—"

"We'll kill him," said Edward through a clenched jaw. "We'll tear his head off and burn the pieces. I heard what was in his head; Alice has been watching his decisions, and they're getting clearer. He won't give up the chase. He has to die."

I put my head in my hands and tried to breathe normally. "Will…will someone look out for my dad?" I asked. "Just in case?"

"Of course, Bella," said Edward. "And it goes without saying that I'll protect you while we're here. Not that James'll come here, but still. You need someone to keep you from tripping over a waterfall." He smiled, then, and I smiled back, grateful that for this moment, at least, we could still joke.

By the time we landed at Isle Esme, the sun was long gone and the moon was merely a sliver. But Edward, unhindered by the dark, tied up the boat and then swept me up in his arms to carry me up the hundred stone steps carved directly into the hillside, to higher ground. As much as I disliked being carried around like a baby, I wasn't sure if my calves could have handled all those steps just then. And then I saw the house, and I forgot about everything.

It was beautiful. Well, that stood to reason; wasn't everything Esme touched a work of art? The house was lit up from the inside, and golden light spilled out over a network of still pools and flower beds. The house seemed to be built of the same stone that had formed all those stairs.

There were so many windows, and they were so big and clean and open that stepping into the house was like stepping into another version of outside. As humid as tropical Brazil was, this house felt deliciously cool and fresh. The floors were a continuous mosaic of colored stone representing mythical godlike beings bestowing blessings on little tiny humans. There were white linen curtains fluttering at every window. Amazingly, there wasn't a single insect to be seen—not even mosquitos. But there were bowls of fresh, juicy-smelling fruit laid out everywhere, and low-lit, peaceful lamps, and vases upon vases of an exquisite tropical flower I'd never seen before. It somewhat resembled an orchid, but much more vibrant than the ethereal white ones I saw in shop windows. The purplish central petals were striped with vivid lines of blood-red filigree, cupping a heart of speckled gold; the pale outer petals, splayed like the five fingers of a hand, faded to pure white at the edges.

"Who did all this?" I asked in awe. "You were with me the whole time—"

"Esme called ahead," answered Edward. "There's a local woman who comes to clean a bit when we're on our way, so it's not too stuffy. She must have brought the fruit, too. And all these laelias."

"'Laelias,' I repeated, enjoying the taste of the word on my tongue. "Is that what those flowers are?"

Edward nodded. "They're a kind of orchid," he said. "The island is lousy with them. You'll be sick of them in two days." But I ignored him and ran over to the largest vase, burying my face in the flowers. They smelled even prettier than they looked. I plucked one from the vase and stuck it behind my ear.

"If I'm not careful," I said, "I might forget that we're not here for a vacation. I can't believe this place."

"Yes," said Edward, looking at me with a sad smile on his lips. "I don't think I've ever fully appreciated the island until now. You make everything wonderful, Bella." I was startled by the intensity in his voice and the expression on his face. I went over to him and entwined my fingers in his. I leaned my head against his chest and inhaled the heady scent of Edward combined with the sweetness of my laelia.

"I'm afraid," I told him in a whisper, and I felt his arm wrap around me tightly. "I don't know what's going on back there. But…I trust you. And I trust your family. And I'm scared but I'm going to try not to be."

"Even scared," said Edward, resting his cheek on top of my head, "you're still the bravest person I've ever known."

1. Remember how cruel Bella was to Charlie when she left town in the book, throwing every hurtful thing she could think of in his face? Listen. Bella. You are an independent, willful young woman. Your dad is used to not having you around, and he knows you take a great deal of responsibility for your own life choices. Why don't you just, I don't know, ask? If he puts up a fight, there are other ways to guilt him into letting you leave. I know she had to protect Charlie. She could have done it without without screeching at him about the heartbreak that ruined his life. I would be more willing to give her a pass, too, if this had been a one-time occurrence, but we all know she defaults to this behavior when Charlie won't give her her way. I would think, also, that it would be against her interests to tell him that she, a minor, is going to go live alone in an empty house where she is not expected, in a city where she has no family currently living. I have trouble believing Charlie would let her do that, guilt and heartbreak or not. He's still a damn cop.

2. In this story, Edward is personally escorting Bella to a safe place that has no previous association with her and to which James has certainly never been. This feels like a more reliable plan than Break the family into small groups and send Bella to HER FRIGGIN' HOMETOWN, along with two of the Cullens whose powers are most suited to tracking and trapping. Seriously. Jasper is by far the fighter with the most experience, and he can manipulate emotions! Alice can see the future! They didn't think those powers would be better used in the fight against James? Really?

As an aside, why wasn't more of a big deal made of Jasper's power? I would think that Aro would want him at least as much as he wanted Jane and Alec. Emotions govern basically everything everyone does, ever. And Smeyer limited him to...making Bella not feel nervous around her boyfriend's family. As always, Smeyer blesses us with a thoughtfully developed character, whose qualities and actions are meaningful and consistent. Or, you know, the opposite of that.