A/N: Sorry everyone. I went to Texas and forgot the all-important charger and therefore couldn't work on the computer too much. Then when I got back, things were a little crazy around here. However, I'm back and after a short bout of writer's block, am offering up another chapter. Enjoy!

Chapter 23 – Looking

Without hearing the words from Jasper, Bella knew that something was wrong… very wrong. The moment he stepped out of Carlisle's office, he had been stuck to her like glue, his countenance hard, eyes always scanning, waiting for something to attack; and this was worse than before the phone call he had received from Peter. He was keeping something from her and she had a feeling it had to do with her father. Her mind raced with thoughts about what it could be and what could have actually happened: death, kidnapped, mutilated, turned… her mine was awash with scenes from a suddenly very active imagination. The more she sat there thinking about it, the more her anxiety soared higher and higher until she felt trapped and unable to breathe.

Jasper could hear how her respiration had started to get shallower, how it was speeding up, and how her heart rate started to gain momentum. She was worried about her father. Even without knowing what happened, she thought about him, worried about him, wanted him to be safe; and Jasper was holding onto a secret he knew might destroy her and sending her anxiety and panic spiraling out of control. Yes, they were already increasing the more he kept his knowledge from her, he could feel it, but he didn't want to tell her without knowing more than blood was found in the kitchen and it is believed the tribe took him. How did he even explain the presence of the wolves? No, he had to wait and until then he would use his gift to give her a modicum of peace.

"Stop it," Bella growled.

"What's wrong darlin'?" Okay that probably wasn't the best question to ask, and he regretted it the moment the words sprung from his mouth, but they were out there now, hanging like a thick, oppressive blanket.

Giving him an incredulous glare, she demanded, "What's wrong? Peter called and you haven't told me shit! What did Peter have to say? You are sitting here and trying to use your gift to calm me down. I want you to stop and tell me what happened!"

"They went to your dad's house and that's about it."

"That isn't it. What did he say?"

Jasper ran a hand through his hair and sighed. He had to give her something, "A few minutes after they got there, James got there. They chased him, but somehow he evaded them."

"Evaded? What about my dad?"

"I'm sure he's fine," he tried to reassure her. If Charlie was with the wolves, and given his relationship with Billy Black, the parent was probably alright… he hoped. The fact that Billy had been unable to get in touch with Sam for several hours was troubling.

Stomping up to her mate, the brunette crossed her arms over her chest and snarled, "Tell me the fucking truth JW! If that was all, you wouldn't be trying to cover something up. I may be human and not as fast as you in the physical or mental department, but I'm not stupid!"

"I never said you were," his words contained a hard edge as he stared her in the eye.

It had become a battle of wills and neither side wanted to back down. Jasper wanted to protect his mate, to keep all danger and pain from her… or as much as he could given the circumstances. Bella wanted, no needed, to know what her mate was keeping from her. Was her father alright? Even if it would devastate her, she needed to know what was happening at her house, to her father. She may be a human, but she wasn't weak.

Another hand through the hair and Jasper broke eye contact first. He could stare down an enemy hell bent on ripping him apart. He could fight newborns and vampire armies, but upon seeing how stubborn his most precious was, he conceded defeat, unable to continue with the battle of wills. If he could spare her any pain or discomfort, he would; and yet, she demanded to know the truth, and he knew it could break her. It wasn't that he thought she was weak, well she was human, but he had seen it time and time again. Someone special to a human is hurt or killed and they break, are unable to function. He didn't want that for her.

"What is it that you aren't telling me?"

"Darlin', I really don't know what's goin' on with your dad. He wasn't there when Peter and the got there and the house looked like it had been ransacked. We are tryin' to figure it out."

"Gone? Not there…? What the hell is going on? Did James…? Maybe he is still at the station. Did you try calling?"

He quickly pulled her into his arms and sent a rush of calmness her way. The emotions were overtaking her and he needed her to remain level headed. Bending his head close to her ear, Jasper whispered, "No, he doesn't have your dad, and he isn't at the station any longer. We already tried that. They said he ran home for something. We didn't want to alert them, so we didn't tell them about the house. Peter and them are lookin' for him. We called Billy Black and are tryin' to find him. We will find him for you. I promise Bella."

The conviction in his voice was not missed by the woman in his arms and she forced herself to breathe. James had not gotten him, but someone had been through their house and now her father was missing. All of the many possibilities were alive and well once again in her imagination, and the only reason she wasn't completely losing it right now was two reasons: first, it wouldn't do anyone any good, she could fall apart later, and second, Jasper's gift thankfully worked on her.

What Jasper and the others did not know, there had been another set of eyes watching the house and had seen the small party of four chase after the blond stranger. Edward knew Bella wasn't at her house, and that meant his southern brother was hiding her somewhere, probably the Cullen house. How was he supposed to get to her if that was the case though? There had to be a way.

Deep in the woods…

"Damn that was close," James smirked as his feet touched the ground on what would now be his new campsite, "But not close enough." As soon as the scream echoed through the tops of the trees, he jumped higher and to the side; and then watched as his pursuers leaped the wrong way looking for him. Without sticking around for too long, the blond continued on his new path and escaped without being seen by the vampires on the ground or in the air.

It was more than apparent that the girl's house was being watched and guarded. There was no way he could miss the smell of dog and others of his kind, which meant James would not be able to get close to the house, but at least he had found it and from there could trace her scent around Forks. He would find Bella; and he had a feeling that when he found her, he would find the other petite woman he had been searching for.

Smiling wider, James thought of Alice. When she had been a human, he had found her at a mental ward and immediately knew she was different… she might even prove to be useful once she was transformed, if he allowed her to live. Oh but he wanted at least a tasted of her blood. He could still smell the sweet scent of the red liquid pumping through her veins. She wasn't his singer by any means, but her blood smelled so desirable. All blood had different notes and scents attached to them, and back then, once one could overcome the stench usually found on an unbathed body, a vampire could relish in the warm blood, picking a choosing like a fine wine. Today it was easier to smell the distinct flavors in the blood he drank. There were times, especially when he started to travel with Victoria and then Laurent, that he just drank any human that he happened across, happened to ensnare; however, when he was alone and did not have to think about his travelling partner, he would savor, pick carefully, and indulge to his heart's content. Blood gave him life and strength, and being alive as long as he had been, he liked to think of himself as a blood connoisseur.

Today, he no longer had the ability to drink the blood from the petite woman, now vampire like himself; and he could only imagine how sweet it had tasted. That being said, now was the time to end the game James began decades before. It may be true that she was an unknowing participant, but that wouldn't stop his fun. The fact that she had found a coven and had been there to stop him in the woods when Victoria and Laurent had been taken, he knew she would not be willing to help him "acquire" Bella, nor would she given in to carnal desires and stay with him for a time. He could just imagine burying his dick into both her and Bella as he bit the latter and turned her into the same superior being as himself; and then as Bella burned and slept on, he could imagine taking Alice over and over again just feet away from the brunette who was changing from fragile human to powerful inhuman. No, there was only one solution: death waited for Alice around the corner. She had to die.

Laughing as the images played through his mind, James unbuttoned his now tight jeans and pulled out his engorged member. He could clearly see Bella's mouth wrapped around the hardened appendage as he carefully drilled it into her still human throat. Alice's mouth would be busy sucking on his balls, each girl's hands would be rubbing their clits as they raced to orgasm. He squeezed a little harder and groaned, his breathing increasing, his hips moving of their own volition now. Faster and faster his hand rubbed as he thought about the way he would take Bella, of how she would scream in pain, fear, and pleasure. Hard and deep. Powerful and with purpose. Pressing his cold hard dick into her slick moist heat. He could almost feel it engulfing him. Alice would be sitting over Bella's mouth as the younger woman sucked her to orgasm; and once achieved, James would push the petite woman to the side and finish making Bella completely his. Ropes of white cream shot out into the air and over his hand as he came. Leaning his head back against a tree, he laughed again… even if Alice weren't there, he would still have Bella.

Reservation…

Billy desperately continued to try to get in touch with Sam or anyone else who ran with the pack, but no one would take his call. He even tried to call Emily, however, she had also been unable to get in touch with Sam. Now with Charlie missing… this situation kept getting worse and was not good.

If Jacob had gone through the change, Billy could have easily asked his son to locate the wolves, however, although it appeared that he was on the verge, there was no telling how long it would actually take. And he could not depend on it happening in the next hour or so. Continuing with his calls, he contacted the other elders to see if they had heard anything and to give them the latest development.

Elsewhere on Quileute land, Sam was conducting his own search as a wolf which prevented him from carrying a phone, much less answering one. One of his own had gone off and acted without a direct order from him, and something prevented Sam from communicating with Paul. Charlie had been taken and there was no telling what Paul planned to do with the police chief. The alpha only knew one thing, he and his pack had to get to Charlie before Paul acted on whatever half-baked planned he had concocted. Maybe it wasn't only the vampires that were dangerous. A wolf with a bad attitude and short fuse was proving to be just as troublesome, and when he found him…

Elsewhere…

Charlie slowly came back to consciousness, but did not open his eyes. He listened to the sounds around him in order to gather information… and in a vain attempt to get his head to stop throbbing. The roar of waves hitting the beach could be heard, as well as the cries of seagulls. There was someone else close by and they had to be in some sort of structure. Feet were stepping and scraping against wood. The sounds from outside were slightly dulled.

Slowly he cracked open his eyes and could just make out light peeking through cracks in the walls, presumably made out of wood. Charlie closed them again. His vision was fuzzy and his head was pounding. In trying to remember what happened, he recalled one of the teens from the reservation storming into his house and demanding… demanding something. A pain hit him in the head. He came to in a meadow and found a giant wolf snarling at him. He screamed and everything went black again. Who had come? What had happened? He couldn't remember. More scraping… a chair maybe? He wasn't sure and at this point, his head hurt to the point he wished oblivious would surround him again.

Paul had seen Charlie open his eyes and he knew the police chief was awake. He also knew the hit to the head was probably killing him. He had done what he could to stop the bleeding and to clean the wound, but it was possible that Charlie would still need stitches… something that could be considered and worried about later. There were other things that were more pressing now. He had to make Charlie see the danger of the Cullen's, he had to get the rogue to leave, and he had to do whatever it took to protect his tribe. The others didn't understand that sometimes that included sacrifices. He did.