Right before Emmett's Jeep even came to a full stop at the Cullen's house, Kit found herself unbuckled from the harness and tucked against Emmett's chest, as he ran through the front door.

They burst into the large white room and Kit was set on her feet; Edward, Bella and Alice at her side. At the sound of her approach, everyone had gotten to their feet, Laurent among them.

Emmett growled, pulling Kit to his side. She was trembling again and he was surprised that she hadn't broken down in the car. Maybe she was trying to stay strong.

"He's tracking us," Edward announced, his glare deadly.

Laurent's face was unhappy, "Yes. I was afraid of that."

Alice danced to Jasper's side and whispered in his ear; her lips quivered with the speed of her silent speech. They flew up the stairs together.

Rosalie watched them, and then moved quickly to Emmett's other side. Her beautiful eyes were intense and—when they flickered unwillingly to Kit's face—furious, even more so when she glanced at Bella.

"What's his plan?" Emmett demanded.

"James," Laurent said gravely. He jerked his head towards Bella, "I'm sorry. I was afraid, when your boy there defended her, that it would set him off," he looked at Kit, "And Victoria. You smell absolutely mouthwatering to her. It amazes me that she was able to control herself as well as she did in the field. Now that she has your scent, she will not stop and James will give her what she wants and he will get what he wants."

"Can you stop him?" Esme asked, desperate.

Laurent shook his head, "Nothing stops James once he gets started."

"We'll stop him," Emmett promised darkly.

"You cannot bring him down," Laurent said, just as confident as Emmett, "I've never seen anything like him in my three hundred years. He's absolutely lethal. That is why I joined his coven."

Kit brought her hand to her locket, trying to find comfort and the motion brought her to Laurent's attention again. He stared at her, at a loss, then at Bella.

He looked at Carlisle, "Human girls…" he muttered, "Are you sure they are worth it?"

'No,' Kit thought, depressingly.

Edward's enraged roar filled the room and Kit cringed, Emmett's arm tightening around her.

Carlisle looked gravely at Laurent. "I'm afraid you are going to have to make a choice, here."

Laurent understood. He deliberated for a moment. His eyes took in every face, and finally swept the bright room. He nodded to himself, "I am intrigued by the life you've created here, but I won't get in the middle of this. I bear none of you any enmity, but I won't go up against James. I think I will head north—to that clan in Denali," he hesitated, looking at Edward, "Don't underestimate James. He's got a brilliant mind and unparalleled senses. He's every bit as comfortable in the human world as you seem to be, and he won't come at you head on…I'm sorry for what's been unleashed here. Truly sorry."

Carlisle gestured to the door, "We are thankful for your help and you may go in peace."

Laurent took another long look around himself, before vanishing out the door.

The silence lasted less than a second.

"How close?" Carlisle looked to Edward.

Esme was already moving; her hand touched an inconspicuous keypad on the wall, and with a groan, huge metal shutters began sealing up the glass wall.

"About three miles out past the river," Edward said, "He's circling around to meet up with the female."

"Alice and Jazz are going to run them South," Emmett informed.

"We'll lead him off first," Edward's eyes grew dark, "And as soon and Kit and Bella are in the clear, we hunt him."

Carlisle clearly didn't like the idea, but he nodded, his face grim, "I guess there is no other choice."

"Rosalie, will you and Kit switch clothes?" Emmett asked, his arm falling back down to his side, "Esme, can switch with Bella."

Rosalie looked positively livid, staring back at him with disbelief, "Why should I?" she hissed, "What is she to me? She's a worthless human that means nothing," she glared at Kit, "You're nothing but a menace. A danger to us all. Just like her," she whipped her head around to glare at Bella.

'I know,' Kit thought, exhaling softly at the venom that laced Rosalie's voice.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, "I didn't mean-

"Rosalie, stop it!" Emmett growled, cutting Kit off, "That's enough. Just do it!"

"Kit is with Emmett and Bella is with Edward," Carlisle went forward to place a hand on Rosalie's shoulder, sighing when she shook it off, "They are a part of this family, now and we protect our family. Now, switch clothes with Kit. This is nonnegotiable," his voice was authoritative.

Before she knew it, Kit was in Rosalie's arms while the blonde dashed up the stairs, setting Kit down in a dark room somewhere off the second-story hall.

"Take your clothes off," Rosalie ordered sharply.

Kit did this as quickly and as silently as possible, kicking off her heels and pulling off her tights. While she stripped, Rosalie's clothes were thrown at her and Kit struggled to find them in the dark room, pulling on the pants clumsily before she proceeded to remove Emmett's jacket and unbutton her cardigan. She made sure to get her cellphone from the pocket before replacing it in the one in Rosalie's jeans before she put on Rosalie's shirt and shoved her feet back into her heels.

Not a second later, Rosalie was pulling her back towards the stairs, failing to be as gentle as she should have been.

"W-wait, Rosalie?" Kit pulled back on her arm.

"What!?" Rosalie snapped, whirling around to glare, "What do you want?"

"Not to be doing this," Kit answered honestly, "Indigo. She's my sister and she's eight. I get that you don't like me, okay? But please," she begged, "Protect my family. My sister…is everything to me."

Rosalie's glare softened considerably at the mention of Indigo and she looked ashamed for only a moment.

"Your family will be safe," was all she said before she took hold of Kit's arm again and led her down the stairs, more gently this time.

It appeared that everything had been settled downstairs in their absence. Edward and Emmett were ready to leave, Emmett carrying a heavy-looking backpack over his shoulder. Carlisle was handing something small to Esme who was now wearing Bella's clothes. Carlisle turned and handed Alice the same thing—it was a tiny silver cell phone.

As soon as Emmett spotted Rosalie, he burst into loud guffaws. His booming laughter caused everyone to look over, in shock, at the noise.

"Thank you, Rosalie," Kit mumbled, scrunching her nose, "I appreciate it."

"Whatever," Rosalie rolled her eyes.

"I think you look great, Rosie!" Emmett managed through his laughter.

"Shut up, Emmett!" Rosalie growled, "Is it my fault you date a girl who dresses like the food she consumes?"

Carlisle cleared his throat, getting back to the matter at hand, "Esme and Rosalie will be taking your truck, Bella," he told her, ignoring Rosalie's resentful glower, "Alice, Jasper—take the Mercedes. You'll need the dark tint in the south."

They nodded.

"We'll be taking the Jeep," he gestured to himself, Edward and Emmett.

Kit knew that Emmett would be in the hunting party, but still worried for him, showing it by digging her teeth into her lower lip.

"Will they take the bait, Alice?" Carlisle asked.

Everyone watched Alice as she closed her eyes and became incredibly still.

Finally her eyes opened and her voice was certain, "He'll track you. The woman will follow the truck. We should be able to leave after that."

"Let's go," Carlisle began to walk toward the kitchen, sending loving smiles in both Kit and Bella's direction.

But Emmett was at Kit's side, lifting her off the ground and crushing her to his chest in a bear hug.

"T-too hard," Kit gasped out, wincing, though she could tell he was still holding back.

Gasping, Emmett quickly set her down, checking her over for any injuries and gently touching her arms. When he found none, he ran his thumb over her bottom lip, asking silently for permission. However, it was Kit who hopped up onto one leg, her heel and the anglr giving her leverage to press her lips to Emmett's for just a moment before she went back down on both feet, face flushed. She bit her lip.

Chuckling, Emmett tilted her face up, staring into her emerald green eyes. His favorite color, he remembered telling her this when they had first eaten lunch together. Everything seemed so different then. He had changed. Kit had changed.

"I love you," he whispered to her, his face giving away every ounce of adoration he felt for her.

Kit's heart warmed in her chest and she felt it spread all over her body as she gazed into Emmett's eyes, feeling her cheeks pink. She was elated at the words (he said it, Emmett had actually said it!), though it was diluted with worry that this could possibly be the last time he would say them.

"I-I love you, too," she hugged him as tight as she could, "Be safe and come back."

"I promise," Emmett pecked her cheek…then, the corner of her mouth and he was gone.

She stood there, staring at the spot Emmett had once occupied. The others were looking away from Bella as she cried and Kit approached her, placing her hand on Bella's shoulder and squeezing.

"It will be okay," Kit mumbled, unsure herself, "You just have to think positive."

Bella sniffled, "It's that easy?"

"No," Kit chuckled humorlessly, "Let's see…at least in the end—" she gave up, "Well, sometimes, you just have to believe that everything will be okay and that it will all work out. For all you know it may not be true, but, hey," Kit shrugged, "What else can you do?"

Bella frowned, stumped, "I don't know."

"It was a rhetorical question, Bella. Something to think about," Kit turned to face Esme when her phone vibrated. It flashed to her ear.

"Now," she said.

Rosalie didn't miss a beat, stalking out the front door without looking at anyone, but Esme touched both their cheeks as she passed.

"Be safe," she whispered to them before she slipped out the front door.

Bella's truck started thunderously, filling the silence, the sound fading away while Alice and Jasper waited.

Alice's phone was at her ear before it buzzed, "Edward says the woman is on Esme's trail," she announced to them, "I'll go get the car," she vanished into the shadows.

The buzzing of Alice's phone, reminded Kit that she had yet to turn on her own phone. She hoped her parents hadn't tried to call, knowing that she should be on her way to Seattle...maybe she should have been there already. While Bella and Jasper spoke to each other, Kit fumbled to turn the device on. She hated that she had to have it with her. The cellphone felt like it weighed ten pounds in her hands. She was going all the way to Phoenix, Arizona—a whole other state, yet she still couldn't escape her tormentors from school.

"Does your number trace back to Washington?" Jasper asked, eyeing her phone.

"I think so?" Kit flipped her phone over, "At least…it's a Washington number."

Jasper held his hand out, "Can I see?"

Kit tossed her phone over and Jasper caught it easily.

Alice stepped through the front door and advanced toward Bella with her arms held out, "May I?" she asked.

Bella smiled wryly, "You're the first to ask permission."

"Jasper?" Alice asked sweetly, Bella secure in her slender arms, "You'll carry Kit?"

Jasper looked at Kit, "If she is all right with it?"

"I am," Kit consented.

He nodded, handing her the phone, "It should be safe," he lifted Kit into his arms.

They flew out the door, leaving the bright lights of the house behind them. The sleek black car they borrowed from Carlisle was beautiful. The glass in the windows darker than those on a limousine and the engine was almost silent, despite racing across the black freeways at more than twice the legal speed as soon as Jasper had pulled out of the large garage.

Bella sat in the back with Alice and Kit sat up front with Jasper, who drove one-handed. Bella's head was against Alice's granite neck, her cold cheek resting on the top of Bella's head, not seeming to mind the tears soaking her thin cotton shirt.

"Shh, Bella," Alice hushed, stroking her hair, "It's going to be fine. Like Kit said: you have to believe that everything is going to be okay. We won't let anyone hurt you. Isn't that right, Jasper?"

"Yes," Jasper said, his eyes beseeching, "You both will be perfectly safe, as will your families."

But Bella wasn't convinced, a small sob escaping.

"Oh, Bella," Kit said sadly, reaching back to hold her hand.

"Remember what I said?" Jasper asked, glancing at Bella, "You are worth it."

Slowly, thanks to Jasper's gift, Bella managed to calm down, her eyes closing to fall into a restless sleep. Five minutes later she woke up in another panic.

"Our stuff!" she cried, voice thick, "My clothes! They're in my truck!"

Kit let go of Bella's hand. The bag she had packed completely escaped her mind, "Oh no, I left my bag in Emmett's Jeep!"

"Don't worry about anything," Alice said, "We'll take care of it. Try to sleep. Both of you."

Bella complied easily, though her sleep was fretful, being soothed by both Alice and Jasper when she would wake up and start panicking, her breathing uneven.

Kit, stayed awake, however, clicking through her phone, her thoughts going a million miles a minute. That weight was back, heavy on her shoulders.

'Y do U think everyone hates U? It's because UR fat!'

'U R a loser, worthless, ugly.'

'Get some real clothes. No one's buying the innocent look. Skank.'

'Y R U still here? Nobody wants you.'

She exited the text messages one by one, not even bothering to read a majority of them, considering how repetitive they all were. It got old, but that didn't mean it hurt any less.

She bit her lip, finally closing the last text message, one that told her to jump off a building before she sent a quick text to her dad, telling him that she had fallen asleep and was going to get a manicure—she was having fun and they needed to make sure that they stayed safe.

Kit held back a sigh when another text came through. She had long ago been able to decipher who was who. Jessica and Lauren were more heartless and cruel. Ashley was the one who called her fat and worthless, and Katie was the one who told her that she sucked and had no friends.

Kit hadn't even gone through her emails, yet. Most of them weren't actually emails—everything was written in the subject line. She just needed to mark them 'unread' and put them in another folder to clear out her Inbox.

"Give me your phone."

Kit looked at Jasper, startled. He still had one hand on the wheel and was facing forward, but his other hand was extended towards her.

"W-what?" she whispered, eyebrows drawing together.

"Your phone," Jasper repeated stoically, "Give it. I'll let you know if your parents call or try to contact you. I promise, I won't look through it…I don't think you should, either."

Wordlessly, Kit placed her phone in Jasper's hand, watching him place it into his pants pocket. As soon as it was out of sight, she felt tiredness like never before sweep over her. Her eyelids felt heavy and no matter how hard she tried, Kit couldn't keep them open any longer.

"Kit? Kit, wake up!"

A cold hand shook Kit awake and she jolted; her hands going to rub her eyes.

"Wha…?" she rasped. She was still being jostled, "Stop, I'm awake! What's going on?"

She removed her hands and saw Alice peering at her, the passenger door wide open. Kit looked around in confusion.

"We're outside of L.A," Alice explained, reaching over to unbuckle Kit's seat belt, "In an underground parking garage. Come on, hurry up. You've been asleep for hours!"

Kit blinked, still a little groggy. When had she fallen asleep?

"Um…"

"Come on," Alice smiled, pulling Kit out of the car, "Let's go."

Once upright, Kit stretched her arms high above her head and yawned, rubbing the rest of the sleep out of her eyes when she relaxed. She looked at Bella, who was dead on her feet, her eyes swollen and red-rimmed.

"Stay with the car," Alice instructed Jasper.

"Are you sure?" Jasper sounded apprehensive.

"Yes," Alice kissed him quickly, "We're shopping for lady things. Besides, I don't see anyone here."

Jasper nodded, consenting.

Kit was kept close to Alice's side as the pixie-like vampire led her and Bella into the shopping mall, making sure to keep to the shadows. When they entered, the mall was crowded, many groups of shoppers passed, some of them turning their heads to watch the trio go by.

"Can we stop by the bathroom?" Kit asked, "Please?"

Alice changed directions and after Kit used the bathroom and washed her hands, she found herself standing in front of the bathroom mirror, cringing at her appearance. Rosalie's clothes fit her awkwardly and while Alice had said that Kit slept for hours, there were still bags under her eyes. Her hair was in disarray and Kit ran her hands under the sink faucet, using her wet fingers to smooth out her locks and cool herself down.

Bella's face was being wiped down by Alice, who had a cool paper towel in one of her hands.

"The circles under your eyes are worse than mine," Alice commented, blotting around Bella's red eyes, "Don't grumble at me, like that. You know Edward's going to read my mind when he gets here, and if he sees that I left you alone for even a second…" she trailed off, unwilling to reveal the dire consequences.

Kit moved aside after washing her face and hands, letting Bella do the same. She tried to help Bella comb her hair, like she had done with her own, but Bella quickly gave up, letting Alice drag them out of the bathroom and towards the food court.

"What do you guys want to eat?" she asked, her tone leaving no room for persuasion.

"A turkey sub," Bella mumbled, unenthusiastic.

"I'm not hungry," Kit bit her lip, dark thoughts in her mind, "I'll eat later."

Alice narrowed her eyes, "Get something. I can order for you. You're a vegetarian," her eyes scanned the menu.

In the end, Kit settled on a Cesar salad with no anchovies and dressing on the side. It was basically a small container of lettuce and croutons and Kit picked at it as she sipped on a bottle of raspberry flavored water.

It unnerved her that Alice was watching them eat, but her dark gold eyes went to Bella when the sound of a straw sucking at air broke the silence.

"I'll get you another," Alice said, standing. Her eyes fell on Kit's full container, but she didn't say anything as she went to fetch the drink, her eyes never leaving them.

"How are you feeling?" Kit asked, looking at Bella, "You look tired."

"A bit," Bella answered honestly, "I'm worried."

"Me too," Kit exhaled softly.

"You have to trust us," Alice returned with Bella's soda, "I'm watching their decisions and I'll know if anything's happened, okay? Drink up."

Bella sipped at the soda, and Kit, her water, continuing to push around her salad, gathering the croutons into a pile that she wouldn't touch.

She felt nauseous and her muscles were so tense that it hurt. The food court was crowded with strangers. There was a group of friends occupying the next table over. She felt…uneasy. What if she dropped salad on her shirt or got something on her mouth or stuck in her teeth? She could cause a huge and embarrassing scene if she choked on her food. What if she ate and people stared? Like Lauren and her friends…what if they laughed at her?

Kit couldn't eat in front of all these strangers.

Not only that, but her stomach still stuck out, the fat straining against the form-fitting clothes that she wore. She had seen it only twenty minutes ago when she had been trying to fix her appearance in the bathroom mirror. She was surprised that her massive thighs hadn't ripped right through Rosalie's expensive too tight jeans.

They were petty thoughts, considering everything that was happening and she was disgusted with herself for thinking of anything but her family...both of them.

"Kit, are you finished?"

Kit looked up, nodding mutely, placing her fork in the container and closing it. She followed Alice and Bella to throw her trash away, tossing the water in after it.

After they had thrown everything away, Alice grabbed their hands and Kit tried to keep up as she was led through the wide corridors of the mall, Alice faltering in her steps, eyes lit up when she saw something she wanted.

"We'll have to come back, one day," she said conversationally, "Kit, you don't really go shopping, do you?"

"Not really..." Kit said, her voice quieting when they entered an expensive boutique.

Alice purchased four pairs of expensive sunglasses, three woman's and one men's. The cashier gave them all a weird look when Alice handed over a clear credit card with gold lines across it.

"Thank you," Kit said to Alice when they left, a small bag in tow, "It's very kind of you."

"No problem," Alice grinned, her jaw tight, "Oh, let's go into this shop."

It was an accessory shop where she picked up two hairbrushes and some rubber bands.

"You're not going to be picky, are you?" Alice asked Kit, hauling them to another store, "I know Bella won't be, but you have a particular style. We won't be finding anything vintage in this shop."

Kit cracked a small smile, "I'm drowning in disappointment."

Alice laughed, a sound that turned heads, "I'll try to find something close. Bella, you're about a size two," she held up a shirt to Bella's front, "Yep! Here."

That's when Alice really got to work. Alice went from rack to rack, picking out clothes and loading the two girls down. Her eyes occasionally flicked to their faces, worry clear on her elfin face, but she didn't comment on it, only picking out more shoes or a pair of pants or a dress. Occasionally, Alice would pick out something for herself in an extra-small, adding to Kit or Bella's pile. A wide brimmed, black straw hat was added to Bella's and Kit realized that the sun was still out and whatever happened to vampires in the sun, Alice needed to cover as much as her skin as possible.

When they were finished clothes shopping, Kit staggered after Alice to the register where they were met with another weird look from the salesgirl, who immediately perked up when Alice handed over the credit card, a professional smile plastered on her face.

"Miss Rachel Lee, would you like anything while you wait?" the salesgirl asked, "We have some water or coffee."

"No, thank you," Alice declined politely, "Can you make sure you put these clothes and these ones in separate bags?"

"Of course, Miss!" the salesgirl chirped, beginning to separate Kit and Bella's clothes.

They spent more than fifteen minutes at checkout and when they were all loaded down with bags, Alice still somehow maintained a grip on Bella and Kit's hands.

"Rachel Lee?" Kit asked, confused, "Who's that?"

"Me, silly!" Alice said, "That's what the credit card says. We're going to be careful not to leave any kind of trail for the Tracker. Let's go back to the bathroom. You both need to get changed."

Kit was shocked by that revelation, noticing briefly how Bella seemed to get lost in thought. What had Alice meant by that? Could a Tracker do more than just track them physically? What kind of extent would this James go in order to find them?

"Kit, it's going to be okay," Alice said in a low voice, feeling Kit's pulse increase, "Emmett's one of the strongest vampires ever. No one is going to hurt him. No one is in any danger. Trust me."

Kit didn't respond to that, failing to find the proper way to do so. They were back in the bathroom now and Kit stepped back, letting Bella change first in the handicapped stall.

While Alice rummaged through the bags in search of something, Kit caught the clothes that Bella threw over the door.

"Throw them away," Alice said, slipping a pair of leather sandals under the stall.

Kit stuffed them into the trashcan and then it was her turn to change. She tugged off Rosalie's jeans and yanked off the blouse, tossing them over the door. She was left in her undergarments, her locket cool against her skin. She didn't dare look down at her body, keeping her gaze on the stall door.

A light yellow long-sleeve silk Jersey dress was tossed over the door and a pair of light tan soft caged heels that zipped up the back appeared under the stall. The dress was soft against her skin and fit perfectly, the shoes just as comfortable.

'Thank goodness I shaved,' Kit thought, adjusting the dress before she left the stall.

"Keep your other heels," Alice said when Kit came out.

Kit nodded and put her red heels on top of one of her bags, picking it up along with many others.

When they went back to the garage, Jasper was standing outside the car, arms folded across his chest. He gave Alice a sardonic look when he took the bags from Bella.

"I knew I should have gone," he muttered.

"Yes," Alice rolled her eyes, helping Kit with her bags, "By all means, they would have loved you in the women's bathroom."

Jasper didn't respond, accepting the pair of sunglasses that Alice handed him. He put them on his face and Kit did the same.

"Do you need help with anything?" Kit asked, taking the hairbrush Alice held out and pulling it through it hair.

"No," Alice yanked on a long-sleeved black shirt, leaving it open over her t-shirt, adding the straw hat to complete her look, "Get in the car, try to get some more sleep."

Kit obediently went back to the passenger seat, buckling her seat belt and drawing her knees up to her chest as best she could.

"You shouldn't have gotten me all those things," Bella mumbled from the backseat.

"Don't worry about it, Bella," Alice's voice was restful, "Sleep."

"Thank you," Bella's words slurred and she fell back into an uneasy slumber.

After a long while of driving in silence and sleep eluding her, Kit turned to Jasper.

"Can I have my phone?" she asked quietly, the question coming out awkward, "To call my parents?"

Jasper handed it over, much to Kit's surprise and she went through her contact list, calling her home phone.

It rang a few times and then the line clicked, Kit's eyes fluttering closed as she struggled to keep her composure. The fact that she had an audience, helped.

"Hello?"

"H-hi, mom," Kit cleared her throat, "Hey, it's me."

"Hi, honey!" Everly chirped, "We got your text…er, your father did—I think. Something about a manicure, right?"

It was Jasper's gift that kept her sadness at bay and Kit nodded, "Yes, that was the one. How are you? Are you guys all right?"

"Dandy," Everly said, "Indigo's driving me nuts," she chuckled, "You're not here to balance her out."

"What?" Kit laughed and she glanced at Jasper, thankful, "What do you mean?"

"She wants a dog," Everly dropped her voice to a low tone, "I told her I'd think about it and then—what's this about a midlife crisis?"

"Oh, that," Kit shook her head, "She doesn't know what she wants to do with her life. I told her to be patient—you know, dance to her own beat. Don't worry, she'll be okay, but I think she needs a hobby. A class or something."

"Yes, your father and I were talking about it," Everly agreed, "Indi's at that age, now," she sighed heavily, "My girls are growing up so fast, I can't take it."

"Aww, mom," another chuckle forced its way past Kit's lips, "I-I miss you."

"I miss you too," Everly promised, "Your father is out with Indigo taking pictures, but I'll-

"Wait, what?!" Kit interrupted, forgetting that Bella was trying to sleep in the back, "You're home alone?"

"I'm a big girl, honey," Everly said, unnerved by Kit's panic, "What's the matter?"

"What if-if they get mauled a-a bear or something?" Kit exclaimed, "Mom!"

"Ever the paranoid caretaker," Everly said lovingly, used to the volume of Kit's voice, "Honey, they go out and take pictures all the time. I doubt they're going to get mauled by a bear. They know how to be safe and I can handle being home by myself. I'm making a snack, right now. Do you know if we have any trail mix?"

Even with Jasper's influence, tears threatened to well-up in Kit's eyes and she pursed her lips, afraid that if she spoke she would start crying. She wasn't sure what to do or what to say in this situation. She was on her way to Phoenix. It's not like she could go back home and make sure her family was safe.

"Kit, let's go, we're going to be late!" Alice called, making sure her voice would be heard on the other end of the phone.

"Oh, it sounds like your busy," Everly said, "Why don't you call me back when you have a moment?"

"O-okay," Kit stuttered, "Sure."

"You sound sad," Everly's tone was unhappy, "Are you homesick?"

"Mhm," Kit hummed, a tear sliding down her face, "A bit," she squeaked.

"It's just a week in Seattle," Everly soothed, "You'll be home before you know it. Now go have fun."

"I will," Kit promised, clearing her throat, "I love you."

"I love you more," Everly said.

More tears and Kit wiped them quickly, "N-not possible," she managed.

"Yes, possible," Everly said, "Bye, Kit Kat."

"Bye," she hung up her phone and sniffed, rubbing her fists over her eyes, the glasses pushed up as she leaned over, resting her elbows on her knees.

"Are you okay?" Alice asked. So quietly that Kit struggled to hear her.

"I'm fine," Kit said absentmindedly. She wasn't going to lose it, "That was just…harder than I thought it would be. Rosalie can't keep an eye on them when they're separated like that."

"I'm watching," Alice said as if that was the solution to everything.

"Okay," Kit whispered. She sat up and handed her phone back to Jasper. She knew she wouldn't be able to look through anymore text messages or emails. Her hands were trembling fiercely and she could barely hold her phone.

She always made a point to try and control her emotions when she was around Jasper, but lately that had become more difficult and she failed to do so. Again, his gift worked its magic, calming her down and she relaxed, resting her arm on the car's windowsill.

.

.

.

.

"…Yeah, it's a lot of fun, Dad…"

Kit slowly came to awareness, groggy and disoriented from sleep. Her stomach rumbled, but she ignored it, though the feeling roused her further. She registered Bella talking on the phone to Chief Swan and sat up, removing her stiff arm from the windowsill.

The sun was just falling behind the horizon. The traffic was light and they appeared to be downtown. Was this Phoenix?

Alice was instructing Jasper to turn this way and that and eventually, he pulled into a valet parking lot under the shade of a ramada in front of a luxury hotel.

A group of bellhops immediately rushed over, opening their doors and waiting for them to step out of the car. Kit stumbled a little, still groggy, but she recovered easily and rubbed her eyes beneath the sunglasses to clear her vision and become more alert. She was stiff from the many hours in the car and being outside, she concluded that being in Phoenix was like stepping into an oven set to the highest temperature.

Jasper opened the trunk and the obsequious staff members quickly unloaded the shopping bags onto a shiny brass cart. They were very well trained and no odd looks were given.

Kit walked beside Alice who kept a careful arm around Bella, Jasper several steps ahead and walking confidently through the empty lobby, approaching the desk with his unconsciously regal air.

"Bower," he said curtly.

The information was quickly processed and they were led to the large hotel suite. There were two bedrooms, one for Kit, one for Bella and the bellhops unloaded the correct bags into each room efficiently.

While Bella sat on the sofa to settle, Kit went to her room and began to organize her clothes, wiping down surfaces with soap and water from the bathroom. She was unable to find Clorox wipes.

After she was satisfied with the state of her room, she took her sunglasses off and returned to the main room. Jasper was busy shutting all the curtains. She went to sit by Bella on the sofa, who looked completely devastated.

"Perk up, buttercup," she rubbed Bella shoulder, unsure of how else to offer comfort.

Bella leaned her head on Kit's shoulder, "Did you call your parents?"

"Yes," Kit sighed softly, "I talked to my mom. They seem to be okay…I'm really worried about them, but there's nothing I can do but trust Rosalie to keep them safe."

Alice came over and dropped a room service menu into their laps, "Order something."

"I'm fine," Bella replied dully, not lifting her head.

Kit said nothing, praying that her stomach wouldn't betray her by making more noise.

Alice shot them a dark look, huffing and snatching up the phone from its hook along with the menu. Kit thought she had caught Edward's name through her murmuring.

"Alice, really…" Bella started, but stopped mid-protest at Alice's look. She sighed, settling more against Kit's shoulder and closing her eyes.

Kit hummed softly to her, stroking Bella's arm. Alice was ordering food and she did her best not to pay attention. She hoped the rest of the Cullens were all right and was still worried about her sister and parents, despite already talking to her mother. Her hands were still shaking.

Alice hung up the phone, going to sit on the arm of the couch by Kit, "Do you want to find a movie to watch?"

"No," Kit shook her head. The news was currently on, "That's all right," she looked at Alice, "Do you think everyone's okay?"

"I do," Alice said, nodding, "If anything changes, Carlisle will call."

"Oh," she looked up, feeling bad for her uncaring response, "I'm sorry, I'm not contributing much to the conversation, am I?"

"That's all right," Alice patted Kit's head, "You seem to have a lot on your mind."

"Mhm," Kit hummed, her eyes losing focus for a moment.

"Anything you want to talk about?" Alice asked hopefully.

Kit shook her head with a terse smile, "No thank yo-

She was cut off by the sound of someone knocking on the door. Bella jumped awake, sliding off the couch and onto the floor, cracking her head on the coffee table.

Kit gasped, scrambling to help her and she looked up when Jasper laughed once, a hand over his mouth to smother the rest of his amusement. Apparently, she was the only one worried as even Alice had her lips pressed together, the corners twitching.

"Are you okay?" Kit helped Bella back to the couch.

"Ow," Bella blushed and rubbed at her head, burying it in her hands, "M'fine."

The smell of food filled the room and Kit dug her teeth into her lower lip as Alice carried over the trays, setting one in front of her and one in front of Bella.

"You need protein," she said before lifting the silver domes off the trays.

Bella's tray was filled with a large steak and a decorative potato sculpture. Kit's held a three cheese ravioli topped with a sun-dried tomato cream sauce and sautéed vegetables.

"No meat, Kit," Alice assured, handing them some napkins and silverware.

Bella began to eat quickly, but Kit hesitated. She felt sick again…self-conscious. Alice, Jasper, and Bella had never laughed at her for eating, had never called her fat, or stared at her with accusing eyes. There was no reason for them to start, but…she couldn't shake the feeling.

She picked at the vegetables on the top of the pasta, much like she had done back at the mall food court. Not once did the fork touch her mouth and she kept her gaze down, half-listening to the news and the blurred sounds of Jasper and Alice talking.

There was a second knock on the door and Kit startled when Bella jumped to her feet, dropping her fork onto the tray with a loud clatter.

"Bella, you need to calm down," Jasper said, as Alice answered the door.

A member of the housekeeping staff handed over two small bags with the hotel logo on it and left with a kind smile.

Kit accepted one of the bags and peered inside. Toothbrush, toothpaste and all kinds of toiletries that she had left in Emmett's Jeep were inside.

"You're so kind to me," Bella choked out, voice clogged with emotions. She looked to Jasper and Alice, then her head fell on Kit's shoulder.

Kit patted the side of Bella's head and smiled, "Thank you," she looked at Jasper, "Both of you."

She moved aside when Jasper went to approach Bella and watched as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You both are part of the coven, now," he teased, smiling warmly.

Kit watched, shocked as Bella's eyes began to droop, her body swaying.

"Very subtle, Jasper," Alice said wryly, picking up Bella and carrying her to the bedroom.

"She needs to relax," Jasper explained, turning to face Kit, "Alice is going to stay with her," he gestured to the couch, "Sit."

Kit shook her head, replacing the silver dome on the tray, "Thanks, Jasper, but I'm feeling a little tired. I think I'll try to get some more sleep," she gave him a small smile, "Oh, can you give me my phone? Please?" she felt weird asking, but didn't want to come off rude, by demanding that he hand it over.

He pursed his lips at her, staring intently. Finally, he nodded and handed over the device, sighing softly.

"Sleep well," he muttered.

Her lips quirked up a little, "Thanks," she paused, the smile falling. She tilted her head to the side, "How are you doing? Are you okay?"

Jasper chuckled and he nodded, knowing what she was implying, "It's not too bad. Thank you for asking, Kit."

"Of course. Just…be careful," she touched his shoulder as she passed, returning to the large bedroom that she would occupy while in Phoenix.

She sat on the edge of the king-sized bed. She missed Emmett terribly as well as the rest of the Cullens. She cared about them very much. All of them. What if Esme got hurt or Edward? What if Victoria ambushed Rosalie and then went after the others? Kit wouldn't be able to bear it.

With a slight shake of her head, Kit removed the high heels, going to nestle herself under the covers where she proceeded to to stare at the wall.

'It's going to be okay,' she thought, 'It just has to be…'