Grace left before rounds started that evening. Jake was nowhere in sight, but she didn't feel like waiting around for him to find out she and Paul had kissed. Sam gave her a hug before she left which was very out of character for him.

"What was that for?" she had said to him.

"For today. I felt what you did, we all did. So thank you." Sam had replied.

"You're welcome." she had smiled, completely grateful for this moment. Paul had hugged her tightly and whispered that he'd see her tomorrow in her ear before kissing the top of her head and releasing her to Charlie. She felt light, buoyant.

But when they pulled up to a still dark house, the sinking realization filled them both—Bella still wasn't back. Grace automatically checked her cell for texts, but there was nothing.

"Come on, Bells," Grace muttered under her breath. Charlie stared at the dark house for a little too long while clutching the steering wheel tightly. "She'll be back soon Charlie."

When she got up to her room to change, her phone beeped. She checked it anxiously. When Jake's name popped up on the text, she hesitated opening it.

SMS Text— 9:52 p.m: Jake

I'm so sorry, Grace.

Let me know when you want to talk.

She clapped her phone shut and chewed on her thumb nail, distracted. Then she shook her head, quickly undressed, and went to sleep before she could make a hasty decision.

The next morning, Grace got up for school and headed out the door before Charlie had even come out of his bedroom. She left a note saying she went to school early to catch up on some homework and worried that the process of finding a note might traumatize him further.

When she pulled up to the empty parking lot and made her way to the school's library that was usually opened early for students, she heard her phone beep again. Flipping it open, she was happy to see that it was a text from Paul:

SMS Text— 6:32 a.m.: Paul

Good morning.

SMS Text—6:33 a.m.: Grace

Hey, good morning :)

SMS Text—6:33 a.m.: Paul

Sleep okay?

SMS Text—6:34 a.m.: Grace

For the most part, yeah.

Bella still isn't back so that's scary.

You?

SMS Text—6:34 a.m.: Paul

I was up doing rounds for most of the night.

We'll keep an eye out for her and I'll call you if we get wind of her showing up.

SMS Text—6:36 a.m.: Grace

Thanks Paul. I really appreciate it.

I'm gonna get caught up on some homework, but can I text you later?

SMS Text—6:37 a.m.: Paul

Not if I don't text you first.

Have a good day 3

That morning during her classes, Grace tried to pay attention as much as possible to keep her mind off of Bella and off of...Jake. Everytime she thought of him the ache grew a little larger. She flipped open her phone during AP Chem and looked at the message he had sent to her last night.

I'm so sorry, Grace.

Let me know when you want to talk.

Did that offer still stand now that he probably knew she and Paul had kissed? Her fingers hovered over the keys to type a response but she opted to shut her phone and dig into her lab report instead with a huff. Seeing as her lab partner had been conveniently absent for 7 months and her teacher hadn't offered to replace him, Grace had to work twice as hard to keep up.

As the bell for lunch rang and Grace packed up her things, she heard her cell phone ring. Paul. Grace's eyes went wide as she stared at his name for a half second and frantically answered it, rushing out into the hallway among the throng of other students.

"Paul?"

"Grace, she's back. The Cullens are back on their property and she's on her way back home from the airport. The leech is with her." Paul said scathingly.

"Okay, I'm on my way." Grace shouldered her backpack and turned to move towards the front doors.

"I'm in the parking lot. I'll take you. I don't feel comfortable leaving you there alone." Paul said with an edge in his voice. She didn't have time to argue and his forerunner would be faster than the truck anyway.

"Okay, I'll be to you in just a second. Thanks Paul." She shut her phone and started jogging toward the front door, pulling her hood up to protect against the downpour of rain that had started. She skipped down the steps and landed too quickly in a deep puddle, causing her to slip and reach for the railing to catch herself. Paul jogged around his car, laughing and scooped her up, planting a short kiss on her lips that made her laugh a little too.

"Try to tone down the x-games mode, will you? I need you in one piece," he guided her toward the car and opened the door for her to slide in. When she was safely inside, she pulled down her hood and shook off the excess rain. So much for catching up on schoolwork.

"Thanks for coming to get me," Grace said a little breathless as Paul jumped into the driver's seat and started them off toward her house.

"I wasn't going to let you go alone," Paul said decidedly.

"Right, but you can't come inside, Paul." Grace retorted.

"We'll see about that," his voice was even, another edge.

"Paul, I'm serious. It will only cause conflict and I'm sure there's enough going on at the house. Edward isn't going to do anything, especially not with Charlie there. I need you to wait in the car." she stated this simply, sure of herself and glanced to Paul. His jaw was clenched and he was chewing the inside of his cheek.

"Paul?" Grace tested.

"I got it." he said through gritted teeth. Grace sighed and leaned back against her seat watching the rain pour in sheets. When he pulled up to her house she turned to him.

"I'll be okay, really. Hang out here and I'll text you, okay?" Paul only nodded, his eyes flickering toward the house.

Grace pushed open the passenger door and sprinted toward her front door. When she opened it, she heard Charlie's voice right away.

"—this again?!"

"Charlie, I think she needs to lie down." Edward said calmly. Grace rounded the corner as she saw Charlie raise his finger at Edward and start toward him.

"Woah!" Grace said as she stepped between Charlie and Edward who was holding up a deliriously tired Bella.

"DON'T YOU TELL ME ANYTHING. You took her away AGAIN!" Charlie moved his finger from Edward to Bella.

"I understand, Mr. Swan," Edward said reverting to fatherly respect, "And I'm happy to hear what you have to say about myself and my character, but right now I think it's very important I get Bella to bed."

"Dad," Bella groaned.

"Whats wrong with her?!" Charlie cried out.

"Okay, Charlie, I think she's honestly just tired. She's home, that's what matters," Grace said. Edward took this as a cue to start moving Bella toward the stairs.

"Not YOU!" Charlie bellowed. Bella moaned and Grace flinched.

"Oooookay, I'll do it." Grace went over to Bella and gently moved her arm under her left shoulder to transfer her weight onto her. Edward looked at her skeptically but let her so as to reduce Charlie's wrath. Grace clutched Bella's wrist to help leverage her up the stairs. "Jesus, Bells." Grace muttered as they slowly moved up the stairs. Charlie was right behind them, ferrying them up the stairs in case they stumbled. Grace got Bella into her bed and covered her up, pulling off her shoes and socks to make her more comfortable.

When she turned around, Charlie was standing in the doorway, his face pulled with worry.

"She's here. She's not going anywhere, at least not right now Charlie. She's okay." Grace offered. She didn't know if that was entirely true but she needed to offer it as consolation to Charlie anyway. At least it would hopefully help to keep Charlie from completely flaying Edward.

When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Edward was in the hallway, a full look of surrender on his face. Grace gazed at him critically. His black eyes were circled with dark purple bruises. His pale skin practically glowed in the late spring light.

Charlie let out an exasperated huff and Grace crossed her arms, motioning to the living room. Edward turned to move back into the living room but Charlie interjected.

"No." Grace looked up at him in surprise. "You get out." Oh, that makes sense. Grace thought. "You get out. You're not allowed to step foot in through that front door ever again, do you hear me?"

"Yes, sir," Edward said simply.

"And don't sir me! You're done mister. I'm not letting Bella anywhere near you either. She's grounded for the rest of her life." Charlie continued.

"Charlie," Grace sighed.

"She's eighteen, sir" Edward quipped. Grace's eyes shot up to Edward, bewildered.

"Damn, you really said that," Grace said some what impressed and somewhat disturbed.

"OUT!" Charlie bellowed.

"Charlie, keep your voice down, you're going to wake up Bella," Grace said as she crossed to the door and opened it for Edward. It quickly moved across the room and out the door. Something to Grace he'd be back. As she watched him move tensely toward his car, her eyes met with Paul's. He was leaning against the driver side door of Edward's Volvo, arms crossed. Edward stopped halfway on the lawn and glared at him.

"Can I leave?" Edward held out his hand toward his car.

"Sure, dude." Paul said. Pushing himself up off his car and moving toward the stairs to the porch to Grace. Edward got in his car and sped away.

"See, totally fine," Grace said sarcastically throwing her hands up in the air.

"Right," Paul said, a smile on his face. "Can I leave my car here? I need to run quick and let Sam know what happened."

"Yeah, of course. I should stay here with Bella anyway. Make sure Charlie cools off and doesn't grab his shotgun and go after him." Grace put her hands on her hips and let out a light laugh.

Paul climbed the two steps to meet her face and gave her a warm, long kiss. Her hands automatically moved up to cup his face and his hands gripped her waist. When he pulled back he glanced over toward the trees to the sound of a light growl.

"Gotta go," he smiled and kissed the tip of her nose, taking off toward the woods. Grace sighed and held a hand to her forehead before turning around and trudging back into the house.

Charlie was in the kitchen standing in front of the fridge and aggressively drinking a beer. Grace grabbed her backpack from the door and climbed the stairs and walked into their room and felt a coldness rush through her. At first, she was startled and then she realized what it was.

"Edward, I know you can hear me," Grace said dully. She dropped her bag on her desk and started digging in it for her homework. Another rush and he reappeared by Bella's window.

"It's fine, but I expect you to at least tell me what happened."

"That might be a little complicated," he responded, gently sitting on Bella's bed and running a hand across her face.

"The cliff notes version then," Grace said as she plopped on the edge of her bed and popped open her Chem book.

"Does this run in the family then?" Edward asked, evading her request for now.

"What? Being incredibly good looking and perceptive?"

"No. Blocking me out so I can't hear what you're thinking." Edward said nonchalantly. Grace dropped her pencil.

"Wait. You can read minds?!"

"I thought you said you knew!" Edward whispered back incredulous.

"Oh my god," Grace said, picking up her pencil again and writing out an answer on her chem lab worksheet. "So, wait you can't hear what I'm thinking?"

"Sort of, I can hear feelings with you, similar to Charlie. Though if I concentrate hard enough I can hear him more clearly, but never full sentences. I could feel what you meant when you said you knew I was here. An understanding."

"Hmm." Grace responded still trying to be interested in her worksheet. Her head was reeling and she was glad he couldn't hear her thoughts. Edward waited for a beat, his eyes trained on her and then followed up with:

"Hmmm? Is that all?"

"I'm waiting on you to tell me what happened." Grace pointed her pencil tip toward Bella, "And to figure out why my cousin is so exhausted that she could barely stand after coming and looking for you."

Edward watched her for a full minute, weighing his options and then began to tell the story. About how and why he left, looking down at Bella painfully when he explained, him thinking Bella dead when Jacob answered the phone and said Charlie was planning a funeral, the despair he felt when he thought Bella was dead because of him, and his decision to see the Volturi to end his life.

At some point during his explanation, Grace had set her pencil down to watch him intently.

"And Bella came to save me. From myself. If it wasn't for her, I'd be dead." Edward finished. His eyes jumped to their bedroom door suddenly and with another rush, he was gone. Charlie opened it a second later and stuck his head in, his eyes looking for Bella.

"She's still sleeping. I think she's gonna be out for awhile." Grace said trying to cover dead air.

"Right," Charlie looked from Bella to Grace a couple of times and then said, "Did you skip school?"

"What? No! I mean...I came home early because I heard Bella was home and I wanted to see her." Grace said tapping her pencil against her textbook. "I'll keep an eye on her, I promise. I just really need to get this homework done."

"Okay. I'll pick up dinner."

"No, I can make something later, it's fine." Grace responded. Charlie nodded and took one more look at Bella before closing the door and going downstairs. When Grace looked back over at Bella, Edward was there again.

Grace turned back to her work even though she was dying to know more. After about 15 minutes, Edward piped up again.

"How bad was she?" Pained was etched clearly in his voice. Grace looked up suddenly. She swallowed hard and nodded her head looking down again.

"Not great," she said, trying to spare him.

"Tell me," he pressed. Grace sighed, and looked up at him. His eyes were on her now.

"Really bad. She barely talked, ate, or moved for three months. Then she took to jumping off cliffs and running around on motorcycles for the thrill of it. She almost drowned. I didn't see her smile for five months. So, you can see why maybe Charlie isn't thrilled to see you again." Grace said a little annoyed.

"I'm sorry, Grace," Edward said sincerely. Her eyes checked him for any malice, any danger and still there was nothing. She shivered at what she thought was something forming between them: an alliance, an understanding as he put it.

"Apology accepted. But you could at least help me with this Chem work that you've skipped out on for nearly eight months," she held up her lab and shook it at him. He laughed and in a blink he was standing in front of her bed, reaching for the paper.

For the next hour or two, he helped her study and complete her backlog of homework. He sat cross legged on the floor while she perched up on her bed. Bella still slept soundly as they worked quietly, making light jokes to one another. Grace could see why Bella liked him. Once he let the impenetrable wall facade down, he became easy to talk to. Relaxing in his company became second nature.

At one point, Grace's phone buzzed once, twice, three times. Exasperated, she picked it up and mumbled an apology to open the flood of texts in her inbox.

SMS Text—5:01 p.m.: Paul

Is he still there?

Grace, answer me.

I need to know you're safe.

SMS Text—5:03 p.m.: Sam

Is Bella alright?

Remember, you're under specific orders not to share the pack's existence to anyone.

That includes "friendly" vampires.

Call me.

Grace clapped her phone shut and shook her head at the messages. One thing at a time. Edward posed no threat and she hadn't shared pack business with him so everything was fine.

"I got to go make dinner downstairs, are you going to be okay up here with her?" Grace said and then caught herself, "Of course you are, stupid question. I'll be back."

She left her phone on her bed and quickly went downstairs to start dinner. When Charlie was fed and she took a couple bites of spaghetti, she whisked back upstairs, half expecting them to both be gone. She was relieved to see Bella was still asleep and Edward was sitting on the edge of her bed at a picture in his hand.

"Your phone buzzed more while you were gone," Edward said quietly. Grace let out a groan and checked her phone again.

SMS Text—5:22 p.m.: Paul

I'm coming to get you if you don't answer me Grace.

You're not safe with him there.

SMS Text—5:28 p.m.: Quil

Paul's freaking Grace, can you text or call him?

Sam's going to send out a patrol soon if you don't answer.

"He wouldnt," Grace whispered annoyed under her breath.

SMS Text—6:12: Sam

We're having trouble keeping tabs on Paul.

I'm about to give the green light on patrol around your house.

Don't make us blow our cover.

"Jesus," Grace said and frantically typed to Sam:

SMS Text—6:33 p.m.: Grace

Everything is absolutely fine. I've been doing homework up in my room all afternoon and just got done with dinner with Charlie.

Chill out. No one's making you blow anything.

"Except yourself," Grace muttered. Then to Paul she wrote:

SMS Text—6:33 p.m.: Grace

I need you to chill and take a deep breath.

I'm 100% fine. He is still here. Nothing is happening.

I'm doing homework. I'll call you tomorrow.

Please just relax.

3

She realized belatedly that she threw that heart emoji in as an afterthought and it didn't sit well with her.

"Everything okay?" Edward asked.

"Just getting hounded," Grace shook her phone and threw it on her bed, laying back with a huff. She got back to work, sitting at her desk this time and typing up an English paper she'd been putting off.

Around midnight, just as Grace was wrapping up her homework, Bella began to stir. She stood up frantically and stayed by the desk. Edward was leaning over her, trying to console her. Grace couldn't hear much between their mumbled conversation except that Bella thought this was all a dream.

"The Volturi, they don't have a great concept of time. To them, soon could mean decades. You're safe and we don't have to rush anything." Edward placated her.

"No." Bella said. She suddenly got up stumbling to get her shoes on. Grace helped her as she almost fell into things.

"Bells, where are you going, it's midnight." Grace asked. Edward was on his feet trying to get Bella back to bed.

"I want to talk to Carlisle." Bella said, a little clearer now as she pulled on her jacket.

"Bella, please," Edward said trying to tug her back to bed.

"No! Edward. This is what I want and I don't want there to be a chance of you leaving again. I'm going. Come if you want, or not." Bella said firmly. Edward looked to Grace for help. Grace was currently blocking Bella's exit.

"Grace move." Bella said. "I need to do this." Grace considered this for a moment looking from Bella to Edward.

"Then I'm coming with you this time. No more secrets." Grace extended her hand to Bella and for just a moment, Bella hesitated. Then her eyes seemed to color in recognition and she smiled, nodding.

"Okay." Bella acknowledged.

"Uh, just one thing. The truck is in the school parking lot. Paul picked me up." Grace countered.

Bella quickly turned to Edward and held her hand expectantly for the keys. "Edward?" He looked at her for a moment, rolled his eyes almost imperceptibly when he realized she wouldn't stop and said, "Fine, but I'm driving."

So, she was walking into the vampire's den. The pack would be floored when they realized. She just hoped she wouldn't start a war over this. With Bella's hand in hers, she snuck easily down the stairs. And in the cool night air, they felt cloaked with the knowledge that somehow, despite the chaos of destinies colliding at this very moment around them, they'd be okay as long as they held onto each other.