Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight, I just enjoy borrowing her characters for a while.

AN:

It's been a very long time and I'm truly sorry about that. So much life in my way but I also have so much desire to actually finish this story too. I had to reread before I started writing again and I was frustrated when it stopped. Sorry to everyone who has invested in this story, been kept waiting and feels as frustrated as me. Thank you for not giving up on me. I will finish Slips Away eventually. I've learned to make no promises on timescales but I've written much further ahead than usual rather than just a chapter at a time. Part 2 is almost finished and Part 3 is much shorter and written in draft. I hope that means I will keep going until complete with no more long breaks. I will do my best.

No beta again I'm afraid, so all mistakes are mine.

Recap: When Bella dived off the cliff, Victoria saved her life but believed she had been trying to kill herself. She was furious and decided to punish Bella by changing her into a vampire and making her misery and loneliness permanent. Bella spent her first month changed completely alone and that's when Garrett found her. It's now nine months later. Garrett has been teaching Bella how to fight, be inconspicuous amongst humans and control her thirst so she can safely interact with them. Bella and Garrett were hunting when Jake's pack came across them. They were just relieved to find her. Embry revealed that Victoria has continued to be a problem for them. She has been attacking the wolves and told them she had killed Bella which they'd believed until now. She also attacked Charlie and he was saved by Brady who was sadly killed in front of him. Charlie now knows that all the legends are true but he also believes Bella was killed by Victoria. Jake is worried that if Bella and Garrett return to Forks, Sam's pack will attack them and no matter the outcome, people he cares about will be killed. He wants Bella to contact Charlie remotely, but Bella is desperate to see him. During the course of this tense conversation, Garrett realised that he hasn't told Bella how he feels about her and there is a chance that Bella might feel the same way.

Last paragraph of previous chapter:

"Bella and I will decide together how to proceed," I bit out. Jake's jaw clenched and we stared at each other for a long time. Bella regarded the wolves with warring emotions. I could tell she was furious that they wanted to stop her going to Forks despite her relief at seeing them again. Without warning, Jake turned back into his wolf form as he spun and stalked away. The others fell in behind him without hesitation, following his silent command with disciplined efficiency.

My World

I held onto Bella as we watched the wolves skulk away. I didn't want to talk while there was a chance they could still hear me and it was likely that their hearing was exceptional. Bella was still like a statue, probably due to the stress of all the revelations. I wanted to give her the time to process everything that had happened but I was also desperate to talk to her.

I knew there were important decisions to be made and that Bella needed my support more than anything right now but I was finding it difficult not to be distracted by her feelings about our relationship. She had introduced me to Jake and his pack as "everything" and I really wanted to find out exactly what she meant by that.

I'd been holding back my feelings for her, worried about pressuring her or taking advantage of her and fully believing that the main reason for her sadness was Edward Cullen. I was furious with myself for letting my insecurities cloud my judgement. It was now abundantly clear that so much of her worry and concern had been focused on her other friends and family. Her relief when the wolves had not rejected her…you could almost see the stress evaporate from her. Her intense reaction to news about the pack and Charlie proved how strongly she felt about them. I hadn't even considered that trappings from her human life were the source of her melancholy. Most of our kind shrugged off our previous life with ease. Memories of our human lives were burned away in our change and our humanity was eroded during the violence of our newborn years. Bella hadn't had a normal transition experience. She knew what she was becoming and held tightly to her humanity to stave off the bloodlust. I'd been too close to the situation to consider what else that might mean for her and recently too preoccupied with jealously of Edward Cullen. I wished I could shake myself. To try and unpick Bella's feelings in this moment and define our relationship would be insensitive and inappropriate so I quashed my desire. Bella needed me. She needed to focus on her father and how to deal with her pack of friends and I would always try my best to give her what she needed.

Bella stirred in my arms and I listened for the wolves. I could no longer hear their heartbeats and I'd take the risk that their hearing was not better than mine.

The look on Bella's face when she turned to me was terrifying. Her eyes were a turmoil of emotion and her face was a controlled mask. I had such a doomed sense of foreboding…something in her was breaking and I had no idea how to hold us together.

"Thank you Garrett, for everything you have done for me," her tone was almost formal, "I can't imagine how much more difficult things would have been without you and I'll miss you so much…"

"What are you talking about Bella?" I demanded, agitated in my confusion. Why was she trying to tell me goodbye?

Bella looked mystified. "I have to go back to Forks, Garrett," she told me with distressed patience. "I need to see my Dad. Jake seems to think Sam's pack will be a problem but even if they hate me, I have to try and protect them from Victoria. I was staying away…for so many selfish reasons but also because I thought I was keeping them safe by not leading her back there, but it didn't stop her going after them. She tried to kill Charlie! No matter how much I love being with you, I can't abandon them to her."

"I would never expect you to Bella…but we can go back to Forks together. I would never ask you to choose between me and your family."

"Garrett, I know you feel a sense of obligation to me but I can't ask you to run with me into this nightmare. It's so dangerous. Between Sam's pack and Victoria…I would never forgive myself if something happened to you because of me. You told me we could travel together while our alliance was mutually convenient. It's not in your best interests to come with me Garrett. I am so grateful for everything you have done for me and I wish we could continue as we are but I have no choice and you do."

"My choice is you Bella. Wherever you are is where I want to be."

"It's too dangerous, Garrett. I won't let you risk your life for me." Bella's tone was resolute.

"Please don't send me away Bella. The only thing that can hurt me is being away from you." It was the absolute truth.

Bella looked confused and uncertain. "I don't understand Garrett. You said that you don't form attachments. That you were too free spirited to attach yourself to anyone."

I was so stupid. How could I have allowed her to doubt my commitment to her?

"When I said those things to you Bella, I honestly believed them. I could never have imagined what you would come to mean to me. You are embedded under my skin, in my heart and in my soul. I love you Bella and I never want us to be apart."

Hope in her eyes warred with doubt on her face. "You never said anything like that," she said, a bewildered waiver in her voice.

"I'd hoped I showed you. I thought it was impossible that you wouldn't know. I didn't want to pressure you to feel the same. You are so new to this life and it is brutal and volatile. I thought we'd have eternity for me to earn your trust and love."

She reached tentatively for my face and I grabbed her hand, pressing a firm kiss to her knuckles, never breaking eye contact.

"I don't deserve any of that Garrett. How could I ever ask you to risk your life for me?"

"You would never have to ask. I would always put myself between you and danger." Anything else was unthinkable.

Bella's eyes flashed furiously. "No Garrett. Absolutely not. I will not allow you to be hurt because of me. When it's over, I'll come find you. I promise"

Panic consumed me momentarily. I had obviously grossly underestimated her feelings for me. I should be elated how desperately she wanted to protect me but I knew I was losing her. I could almost feel her slipping away. How to make her see?

"Bella, if there was something in my past that was coming back to haunt me. Something dangerous that might kill me and I asked you to wait for me while I faced it alone, how would you feel?" I asked her.

Horror and denial twisted her face and she slowly shook her head. "I'd never allow it."

"Then please don't ask me to allow it. I would rather live a few hours in your company than live eternity without you. Life alone would be meaningless and unbearable now. You are my mate. I've known it for a while and I deeply regret not telling you the instant I realised it. I am yours, always. We live or die together, I would do anything you ask, except leave. If you don't want this Bella, I will respect your wishes but I will never, ever be far away from you." I pulled her to me. Kissing her gently was impossible self-restraint on my part.

She pulled away from me and it hurt to let her but what she wanted would always be the most important consideration. She gently touched my face. "I am yours too Garrett," she breathed. "We'll live or die together."

I could feel the power of the mating bond, bright and vibrant, pulsing between us as we made our pledges. No ceremony was needed. No rings. No witnesses. The only things that mattered were our promises to each other. We clashed together, unable to contain the force that was throbbing between us. We ripped at each other's clothes. Every touch of our skin was like fire. It burned like venom but was deliciously addictive. It could never be enough but it was everything at once.