A/N: Hello, everyone! How have you been? I've been busy as I've started getting my master's in Creative Writing. Hopefully, it'll lead to a big improvement in my writing. As a result, I'll be experimenting more on my writing. Don't be surprised if my writing changes along the way.

There will be regular updates. It won't be as frequent as I would like but hopefully, it won't take me a year in order to get them. Fanfiction is my playground so it's nice to write something fun while I am trying to figure out how to write my graded novel. Getting my master's means that I have 8-24 pages of write up and 400 pages of reading due every week.

This chapter had been ready since three weeks ago but I wasn't able to post it because the class just started and I wasn't able to take a breather. I'm working on a new chapter with added experiments. It'll be longer but hopefully, the chapter will flow better.

Chapter 26:

James was a blond vampire with a piercing glare. Jane said that he was the Volturi's tracker, long before Demetri became their main one. Looking at James unnerved me. He stared at me as if he could know everything about me with one glance. I could see why Jane had deep respect for this man.

I didn't know what I should make of him. He was the man who killed my best friend. The man who was the reason why I hunt vampires. And yet, a lot had changed since then. This was before Edward. Before I understood the world that the vampire lived in. Before my father became one. If I were to have faced him a couple of years ago, I would've ran away. If I met him last year, I would've stabbed his heart. Now that I was looking at a different looking glass, I am withholding my judgment for him.

"So, you are Edward's mate," James said to me. "The entire vampire world was on a frenzy after one of the most influential vampire clans had fallen in love with a vampire hunter."

In that instant, I became more aware of my surroundings. I needed to prepare in case we get into a fight.

"And what's that to you?" I asked.

"I'm offering a trade, if you will. A protection from the Volturi while I lend you my talents," James said.

"Why?" I asked.

That was when Jane cut in and explained everything. "Bella, James was the most wanted being by the Volturi after you come along. He 'left' the Volturi to be with the woman he loved. The Volturi had been after him ever since. Victoria had a knack for escaping. If I wasn't mistaken, Victoria had died about a year or two ago. With Victoria being dead, his time away from the Volturi is running out. They would want him to find you."

"I see," I said. "James, can you help us find Edward and Demetri?"

"I can. However, ever since you have escaped, Edward and Demetri volunteered as guards with the Volturi to protect their clans who are being held hostage. That being said, it's better to free the rest of your family first before we look for them," James explained.

I massaged my head from the headache of hearing from James. I wanted to free Edward and Demetri. However, why would they want to escape when they were being threatened with the lives of Esme, Carlisle, Rosalie, Alice, Jasper, and the rest of our family? I didn't want to be responsible for their deaths.

I gathered some supplies-stake and other weapons. With something that would require a long journey, we would also need cash. Getting money from the bank would be difficult-the tight security from the current banking institutions meant that I couldn't just walk into banks without any form of identification even though the money rightfully belonged to me. With ID's, it meant that everything would be easier to track. It would only take one computer proficient Volturi to come here and trace us. Once they trace us, they'd likely freeze the Cullen's bank account. I had half the mind to introduce myself as I was.

Thankfully, Edward had thought about that. He had collected jewelry so that he could trade them for cash. I grabbed a handful of rings, necklaces, watches, and bracelets. Each of them made with genuine gold, silver, or platinum. If there were gems decorating them, those were real too. I didn't know the value of the jewelry I was carrying. Hopefully, it would last us throughout our journey.

James were able to track people with their scent. Once he got your scent, he would be able to find you anywhere in the world. Now, I just needed to get some of their possessions. That way, James had a scent to track. It would require going back to Seattle and getting some of the things they use everyday.

James, Jane, and I went to a pawn shop. I pawned a pocket watch. Who uses pocket watches nowadays?

"So, who are we going to find first?" I asked.

"Your in-laws," James said.

"That makes sense," I said. Esme and Carlisle were the biggest leverage the Volturi have toward Edward and the rest of the Cullens. If we were to set them free, these Italian vampires would no longer have any hold on our mates.

End Notes: James working with Bella. Who would've thought about getting them to work together?