Charlie

I paced my office floor as I shouted into the phone. "What do you mean he escaped? What the hell are you running down there, a convenience store where criminals come and go as they please? The scum you lost tried to kill my granddaughter and was stalking my daughter!"

No excuse would appease me.

I collapsed in my chair, worried about Bella and thanking God she was tucked away safely in the Cullen estate on another continent.

There was no reason to scare her.

I would take care of this before it became an issue.

She wasn't due back until the holidays and I would have hunted James down by then.

Bella

I surprised Jasper by getting myself a ticket home to Forks instead of coming back to New York with him.

I didn't let anyone know I'd returned. I went to my house and hid out in my room.

I just wanted to disappear.

I was home for a week when I heard someone come in my front door.

I was scared but not enough to move, to hide, to yell or to call for help.

I had already given up so I lay sprawled and unmoving on my bed, waiting eagerly for whatever fate had sent to come and finish destroying me.

I heard the knob turn on my door and closed my eyes, not wanting to look death in the eyes. I was surprised when a warm body crawled next to me, calling out to me in a panicked voice.

"Bells? God, Bells, please tell me you're alright."

I screwed up my face from the jarring Jake had given me and then cracked my eyes open at him.

"Oh, thank God, Bella, are you alright?"

I wiggled out of his grasp and walked out of the room not saying a word, leaving him dumbfounded.

He chased after me upset. "Damn it, Bella, what the hell is wrong with you? You scare me half to death and then don't say a word, all pissed off at me. I thought we'd gotten past this?"

I turned around and the look on my face made him stop in his tracks but only for half a second.

He quickly rushed me, picking me up in his arms and hugged me tightly. "I'm here, Bells, you know I'll always be here."

I sobbed openly and he carried me back to my room and held me until I cried myself to sleep.

He hesitantly left me in the morning but he had to open the store. When he mentioned it to me, I nodded my head yes, eagerly wanting him to go take care of my store.

I lay back down alone on my bed and curled into a ball.

I was too dehydrated to cry anymore.

I heard the creak of the front door and assumed it was just Jake coming back.

I pulled the blanket over my head and closed my eyes so it would look like I was resting.

I didn't want Jake to worry about me.

I heard my bedroom door open and the footsteps drew near to me.

I recognized his musky smell at once, the complete memories of him hitting me full force.

No matter where I moved to, or how far I ran, he always managed to find me.

I had kept running, but he was never very far behind. He always escaped anywhere they put him, and he always would.

As far as he was concerned, I belonged to him and had since we were little.

I had to be careful what I said until I could determine his state of mind. I took a deep breath and became what I needed to be to survive.

"Jamie!" I said sitting up acting surprised, knowing he would not be denied.

"My Bella," he said reaching out to me. He wiped my tear stained cheeks. "You've been crying," he said as he kneeled down next to my bed. "What's wrong, Bella?"

I shook my head in response and he pulled me into his lap. I tucked my face into his neck like I did when we were little. That always calmed him down.

"I'm sorry if I made you cry, Bella. I really didn't mean to hurt your Beth, you know you're my girl and she is too, now. I just wanted to take her and show you that she would like me and that I would be good with her."

His words were slowly sinking into my mind. I knew Elizabeth getting hurt was an accident but I also knew he most likely shot Edward on purpose.

"You shouldn't have shot them, Jamie; you're in trouble now, aren't you," I said carefully.

"They're alright aren't they?"

"Yes, they're fine," I said sucking back another sob.

"Oh, my Bella, what did he do?" His hand ran down my tummy. "Where's your baby?"

I sobbed again.

"Did he take them from away you?" James said angrily. "Doesn't he know you're the best mommy ever? He shouldn't take you away from them!"

I got up and grabbed either side of James's face like I had many times when we were growing up. "Jamie, he didn't take them, I left them with him because I was sad and I didn't want them to see me sad. I only want them to have happy memories."

James looked at me worried. Being a severely abused foster child, he knew how much it hurt to be abandoned. "But you'll go back, right? You'll get them back, you won't leave them, right?" he asked panicked.

"Yes, I'll get them soon. I was just upset and I didn't want the kids to see me like that. It made you sad to see me cry, didn't it? I didn't want them to be sad, too," I said brushing the worry lines from his forehead.

We were interrupted by my stomach growling.

"You need to eat; you need to take care of yourself so you can take care of them," James insisted.

I nodded my head. "Are you hungry, too? Come on, I'll make us some food," I said taking his hand and leading him to the kitchen.

We sat quietly eating lunch when I finally asked something that was bothering me.

"Jamie, why didn't you help me remember you? All those times you came into the store, you never said anything."

He looked down shamefully. "I hurt you, Bella, but I didn't mean to. You didn't remember and I didn't want you to remember. I just wanted to be near you and I could as long as you didn't remember. You could be with me as long as you didn't remember that I hurt you. I'm so sorry I hurt you, Bella."

I let out a sigh. "Jamie, I know you didn't mean to hurt me. It was just an accident, wasn't it? Did you forget to take your pills?" I asked carefully, suspecting that was why he was so volatile.

I knew if he was off his meds, then he could be very dangerous and needed to be handled gently.

"I forgot. I forgot that day, too. I didn't mean to hurt you, Bella," he started getting upset.

"Hey, hey," I said calming him. "It's alright, I know you didn't mean to. I just need you to make sure and take them when you hang out with me. You want me to be safe don't you?"

He nodded his head yes eagerly.

"Did you take them today?" I asked.

He shrugged his shoulders.

I got up and walked over to him, running my fingers through his blonde hair like I knew he liked. "Jamie, it's okay if you forgot again, you know that right? I won't be mad."

He let out a sigh.

"Do you have your pills?" I asked.

He looked up at me with sad eyes and nodded his head yes.

I stuck out my hand for the bottle.

He pulled it out of his pocket slowly.

I smiled widely, pushing his cup of water toward him.

"They upset my stomach and make me sleepy, Bella; I don't like them," he complained.

"Would you like me to lay down with you like we used to?" I asked softly.

He looked up at me with hopeful eyes. "Yes, please."

"Okay, you take your pill and we'll go lay down for a nap," I said handing him the pill.

He popped it into his mouth and chugged the water down.

I took his hand smiling. "Okay, let's go rest so your tummy doesn't feel so upset."

He followed me timidly. "You always take such good care of me. Thank you, Bella."

I squeezed his hand and pulled him closer. "Time to rest."

James rested his head on my arm and was curled into a ball with his nose pressed into my sleeve. My scent always relaxed him and helped him get some much needed sleep.

How was I going to get myself out of it this time?

(Disclaimer From Original Author)A/N: So, are you all amazingly freaked out? I am! What the hell, Bella? More explanation of her relationship with James will be coming up next chapter. Thanks for reading and please review!