So sorry for the wait, but, as always, thank you to everyone for your support and your kind words! I hope you enjoy this new chapter!

Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Twilight, only the OC's.

Chapter Sixteen

Danielle sat quietly in the front seat of Rosalie's red convertible, her eyes trained on the trees that flew past her window as Emmett drove her home. She glanced over at him, noticing that his shoulders were hunched slightly so that his head wouldn't hit the roof of the car, which they had wisely left up for security purposes. Emmett was far too big for the fancy convertible when the top wasn't down, and if it had not been such a crappy, depressing night, Danielle might have found his current position quite comical. She didn't laugh, though, nor did she even have it in her to tease him about it. Instead, she just let out a long exhale through her nose and turned her eyes back to the window, trying hard not to think about the fact that the distance between her and Jasper was growing larger and larger with each passing second.

Her fingers itched to grab her phone and call him already, but she resisted the urge. Jasper hadn't even been gone for half an hour yet. She doubted anything had happened – calling him so soon when their goodbye had been so difficult would probably only make things worse for the both of them.

As they pulled onto her street, Emmett stopped the car several houses down from the one she lived in. He kept his foot on the brake but didn't put the car in park, his eyes narrowing as he glanced around quickly, obviously searching the area for any signs of unfriendly vampires. Danielle had to guess that he didn't see anything because he finally pulled forward, only stopping again once they were in front of Danielle's house.

Emmett put the car in park, but didn't cut the engine or take the keys out of the ignition. "I'm going to get out and have a look around," he said, dropping his voice so low that she almost had to strain to hear him. She assumed he was talking so quietly in an attempt to prevent any eavesdroppers of the murderous, immortal kind from hearing what he was saying. "If I'm not back in one minute, you get the hell out of here. Drive as fast as you can back to my place and call Carlisle," he instructed. "For now, just…stay down and stay quiet. You got it?"

It probably should have been comforting, the fact that Emmett was taking this so seriously and taking so many precautions to make sure she was absolutely safe. But, to be honest, the fact that Emmett – goofy, obnoxious, sarcastic Emmett – was being so serious was only serving to freak her out even more than she already was. It proved just how dangerous all of this was, which had her feeling uneasy enough to wonder if maybe she had made a mistake in choosing not to go to Phoenix with Jasper, Alice, and Bella.

Danielle sucked in a breath and pushed that thought away, telling herself to calm down and ignore her mounting anxiety. "I got it," she whispered with a nod to Emmett.

He gave her shoulder a quick pat, then opened the driver's side door and slunk out into the night, moving so quickly and quietly that he seemed to just evaporate into the air. Once he was gone, Danielle wiggled her way, quite ungracefully, over the center console and sat in Emmett's abandoned seat, one hand clutching the wheel tightly, the other hovering over the gear stick, ready to throw the car into drive and take off if need be. Danielle waited, her eyes jumping around wildly, trying to catch a glimpse of Emmett if possible. She couldn't see him, though. All she saw was her usual, familiar street looking as quiet and normal as it always did.

Just as she was beginning to wonder if a minute had gone by or not, Emmett appeared by the window, making jump out of momentary fear. She relaxed quickly, however, and cut the engine of the car before getting out so that she could stand next to him.

"Everything's good?" she asked, just to hear him say it aloud.

Emmett nodded, but frowned in the direction of Bella's house. "James was definitely there at some point. I could smell him. He's gone now, though," he said. "He didn't go to your house, either. I didn't pick up his scent anywhere, inside or out."

Danielle eyebrows jumped up in surprise. "You went into my house?" she asked, unsure what impressed her more – that he had covered so much ground in less than a minute, or that he had actually been able to go through her house without her mother noticing his presence.

"Wasn't gonna let you go in without checking for monsters under the bed," he said with a slight smirk, looking more relaxed now that he was convinced there was no immediate danger nearby.

Danielle smiled a bit and patted his rock hard shoulder. "Thanks, Em."

He nodded, then lifted a brow and glanced pointedly toward her house. "Charlie's in there, just to give you a heads up," he revealed. "He doesn't sound like he's doing so great," he added with a cringe.

Danielle sighed, having fully expected that Charlie might still be with her mother when she returned. "Can't say I'm surprised," she said with resignation, knowing that whatever awaited her inside likely wasn't going to be anything good. "Thanks for the warning, though."

Emmett smiled supportively, then gently pushed her in the direction of her house. "Go inside while I move the car somewhere else," he instructed.

"You'll come back when you're done?" Danielle asked.

After Emmett nodded to assure her he would return, she started up the path that led to her front door. Emmett drove the convertible away just as she reached her porch, and once Danielle was certain both he and Rosalie's red convertible were out of sight, she sucked in a deep breath and went inside.

Danielle had never considered Charlie Swan to be a very expressive man – she thought him quiet and reserved, someone who did not wear his emotions on his sleeve and certainly not someone who was easy to read. But the moment she walked into her living room and saw him sitting on the couch with her mother, she knew in an instant exactly what he was feeling, because it was written all over his face. He was completely torn up, his expression a heartbreaking combination of pain, helplessness, and guilt. He sat with a mug of what smelled like coffee clutched tightly in his hands, his eyes staring blankly at the table in front of him while Lynne rubbed his back and spoke quiet, comforting words to him. When they realized Danielle was there, however, he finally came out of his trance. Charlie surged to his feet at the sight of her, some of the coffee in his mug spilling over the side in his haste.

"Did you get through to Bella?" he asked at once. "Did you talk to her?"

Danielle bit her lip, uncertain what she could say that wouldn't make things even worse for him. "I talked to her. She's alright," she finally said, thinking that was the answer that would cause the least amount of panic at the moment.

Charlie blinked at her, then heaved and dropped heavily onto the couch, setting his coffee on the coffee table on front of him and dropping his face into his hands. Danielle couldn't tell if he was relieved or not. She shared a brief look with her mother, who was frowning with worry, before shifting her attention back to Charlie as he lifted his head to look at Danielle again.

"What happened, Dani?" he asked with confusion, looking desperate for answers. "What went wrong? How did things change so fast?"

She cursed internally, wishing she had taken the time to conjure up some kind of believable story with Bella before she had left. "I don't know what happened. It was a perfectly normal night. We were all having a good time. And then…things just started getting messy," she said, which was, technically, the truth. "She and Edward started arguing and things just kept escalating. Before anyone could try to intervene, she demanded Edward take her home and they left."

Charlie stared at her as he processed her words. "I just…I can't understand how one fight with her boyfriend could result in this, though," he said in confusion. "There has to be something more, something that happened before that," he mused aloud, his eyebrows creasing together. He seemed lost in thought for a moment or two, before looking to Danielle again. "You're her best friend, Dani. Has she said anything to you? Anything at all?"

Danielle shifted on her feet and glanced toward Lynne, who gave her a look that clearly told her to speak up if she knew anything. Danielle sighed, trying to wrack her brain for a way out of this conversation.

"Maybe she just got overwhelmed," she blurted out. "School has been stressing her out lately, and I know she worries about her mom being so far away. Plus things with Edward have kind of gotten serious way faster than she thought it would." When Charlie's eyes went wide and flashed with anger, she knew he had taken what she had just said the wrong way. "Not like that!" Danielle corrected quickly. "He's not like, trying to pressure her in to doing anything. She's just never been in a relationship before and she's still trying to figure all this out."

She decided it was time to stop talking before she did more damage than good. Danielle pressed her lips together, cursing herself for coming up with such lame excuses but still hoping they would be enough to make Charlie stop questioning her.

"Is it something…something I did?" Charlie asked quietly.

"No," Danielle said at once, shaking her head vehemently.

Charlie didn't look like he believed her. He rubbed his eyes, another heavy sigh escaping him, before he rose to his feet yet again. "I need to go after her," he said with newfound determination. "She's upset. The last thing she needs to be doing is driving. I'm gonna go out there and find her."

"Charlie," Lynne interjected, getting to her feet and stopping him with a gentle hand on his arm. "You're just as upset as she is. I don't think you need to be behind the wheel of a car, either."

"Then I'll put out an APB on her truck to every police station from here to Phoenix," he said fiercely. "Someone will find her. Someone will stop her."

Danielle took a step forward and shook her head. "I don't think that's a good idea," she said, knowing that if anyone actually did find Bella's truck, they would not find Bella with it, which would result in questions that would be hard to answer. "She sounded alright on the phone. She told me she just wants some space right now, some time to herself to think things over. I think we should let her have that."

"I kinda agree with Dani on this one," Lynne admitted carefully. "If Bella wants space and you take that away from her, it might do more damage than good. Maybe you should just…let this play out. Let her figure it out on her own."

Charlie gave Lynne a disbelieving look. "And that's what you would do if Dani suddenly decided to run away back to Texas?" he asked, his tone betraying his skepticism.

Lynne said nothing in response to that, but she didn't need to – everyone in the room knew she would have taken on heaven and hell to find Danielle and bring her back if she had tried to pull anything like this. "The point is," Lynne said, dodging Charlie's question, "Bella is alright. She's a smart girl, Charlie. She won't do anything to hurt herself," she reassured. "And at least now Dani is in contact with her. I'm sure she'll stay in contact with her to make sure nothing's happened to her, too."

"Absolutely," Danielle confirmed, nodding quickly. "I'll keep you updated on everything she does. I promise."

Charlie looked between Danielle and Lynne a few times, before easing back down onto the couch. He sighed heavily with defeat, reaching for his mug to take a sip of coffee. He then looked up at Lynne, his brows raising. "Got anything stronger than coffee?" he asked.

Lynne nodded and took his coffee mug. Sensing that the conversation was over, Danielle started toward the stairs to make her escape, wanting to get away from Charlie and all of his questions before she said something that might expose her lies. "I'm, uh…gonna go upstairs," she announced.

Charlie said nothing in response, but Lynne nodded and moved around the coffee table, walking closer to Danielle. She placed a hand on Danielle's shoulder and guided her toward the stairs, casting a quick look at Charlie over her shoulder before leaning closer. "How are you holding up?" she asked with concern. "Are you okay?"

Danielle sucked in a deep breath, then shrugged. "I'm worried about Bella," she admitted honestly. "But…at least she's safe," she said, knowing fully well that Jasper and Alice would take good care of her. "I just hope she comes back soon."

Lynne quirked a brow. "You think she's gonna come back?" she asked.

Danielle nodded. "I do," she said confidently. "This Phoenix thing…I don't think it's permanent. I didn't wanna tell Charlie that, though. I didn't wanna get his hopes up, just in case."

Lynne made a sound of understanding. "Well, I hope you're right," she said. Lynne glanced at Charlie again, then turned back to Danielle with a long sigh. "Why don't you go ahead and go to your room now?" she suggested gently. "I'm gonna stay here with Charlie for as long as he needs me."

Danielle nodded, smiling a bit when Lynne squeezed her shoulder and kissed her on the temple. After shooting one last look at Charlie, Danielle went upstairs and stepped into her bedroom, happy to leave the uncomfortable atmosphere in the living room. She couldn't help but to lean back against the bedroom door once it was shut behind her, her eyes sliding closed and a sigh of weariness escaping her lips.

"You handled that pretty well," a familiar voice complimented, making her eyes open again.

Emmett was leaning against the wall right next to her bedroom window, which he had apparently opened and crawled through sometime while she had been downstairs. She sighed and shrugged a shoulder, crossing her arms over her chest. "Yeah, I guess," she agreed halfheartedly. "I feel really bad for Charlie," she admitted, shaking her head. "And I hate how much I just had to lie to him and my mom."

Emmett offered a sympathetic smile. "It's for the best," he reminded her. "The less they know, the less we have to worry about their safety."

Danielle just nodded in response. Her eyes slid over to the clock on her nightstand, which read that it was nearing eleven o'clock. It was later than she had realized, and as she took a moment to really think about all that had happened that evening, she suddenly and swiftly felt exhaustion begin to creep into her bones. She pushed away from the door and took a few steps closer to her bed.

"It's been a rough night. I think I need some sleep," she said to Emmett.

Emmett nodded in understanding, moving away from the wall and stepping close enough to put a strong, freezing cold hand on her shoulder. "Get some rest. I'll post myself up on the roof and keep an eye on things. You don't have to worry. I won't let anything bad happen to anyone," he promised.

Danielle smiled, then stepped forward to hug Emmett. He did not hesitate to hug her back, patting her gently between the shoulder blades. "Thanks, Em," she said, pulling away from him again. "I owe you one."

"You don't owe me anything," he denied with a firm shake of his head. "You're my best friend, and this is what friends do for each other. They help each other and protect each other. No questions asked."

Maybe it was because so much had happened that night or maybe it was because of stress, but Emmett's words had her feeling such a strong rush of affection that it made tears spring to her eyes. She coughed a bit, trying to keep a handle on herself. "Yeah, I guess they do," she agreed with a nod and a fond smile.

Emmett inclined his head to her, bumped his fist against hers, then turned and started to climb his way back through the window. "Goodnight, Dani. If you need me, I'll be close by," he said in parting. He hesitated with one leg through the open window, however, and turned back with a smirk. "Oh, but before I go, I gotta ask…did you really hiss at those nomads?" he asked with obvious amusement.

Danielle flushed with embarrassment. "I didn't really think about it. It just…came out," she said with a sheepish shrug.

Emmett's smirk widened. "Can I hear it?" he asked.

Danielle gave him a sharp look. "Absolutely not," she said firmly, knowing Emmett would make fun of her for the rest of her life if she did so.

Emmett frowned regretfully, though the amusement never left his features. "C'mon. Just a little hiss," he taunted.

"Goodnight, Emmett," Danielle countered patiently, sticking firm to her resolve.

Emmett heaved and rolled his eyes to the ceiling. "Fine. Party pooper." He disappeared through the window after that, leaving Danielle alone in her bedroom.

She shook her head to herself, before sighing heavily and raking hand through her hair. With the need to sleep slowly beginning to consume her, she stepped into her bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth, then went back into the bedroom to change. Once she was finally in bed, Danielle closed her eyes and allowed her body a moment to relax into the mattress. She could hear the sounds of insects and rustling leaves outside through the window, which she had decided to leave open for Emmett in case of emergency. She could also hear the faint, muffled voices of her mother and Charlie, who were apparently still downstairs in the same place she had left them.

Rolling onto her side, Danielle reached for her cell phone, which she had placed on the nightstand. She flipped open the phone and quickly scrolled to Jasper's name in her contact list, only hesitating for a nanosecond before dialing out. Danielle was not overly surprised when he answered on the first ring.

"Hey, darlin'," he said, the sound of his deep voice immediately soothing her frazzled nerves.

"Hi," Danielle said in return. "I waited as long as I could to call you, but I couldn't hold out any longer. I needed to hear your voice," she added earnestly.

"It seems you and I are on the same page, then. I was just about to call you for the exact same reason," he said, which made her smile. "Is everything alright over there?" he asked with a hint of concern.

"Could be better, could be worse," Danielle admitted. "Charlie's over here. He's pretty torn up. He had a lot of questions for me when I got home, too, but I covered for y'all as best as I could," she said.

Jasper hummed in understanding. "What about Emmett? Is he with you?" he asked next.

"Up on the roof, probably eavesdropping on our conversation," she said. She heard a distinct thump from up above her head in response, which made her smirk. "Definitely eavesdropping," she confirmed.

"For once, I don't mind him eavesdropping. If he's able to listen to us it means he's close to you, which means you have protection. And if I can't be there to protect you myself, there's no one I'd rather be there to do it in my place than Emmett," Jasper said seriously.

Danielle rolled onto her back with a sigh. "I still don't think anything's gonna happen, but I do feel better knowing Em's here," she confessed.

"You and me both," Jasper agreed.

Another thump from Emmett overhead made her smile again.

"Where are y'all right now?" Danielle asked after a small beat of silence.

"We're in Oregon," Jasper answered.

Danielle's eyes went wide. "Already?" she asked incredulously. They hadn't even been gone for that long. "Exactly how fast as you driving, Jasper Hale?" she couldn't help but ask with a hint of scolding.

"As fast as the situation necessitates," he answered back patiently.

Danielle frowned. Knowing he had managed to put so much distance between them already made a hollow feeling enter her body, but she supposed it was good that Bella was well away from the nomads. "I hate that you're so far away already," she said with a sigh.

"Me too. But like we said, it's only temporary," Jasper said soothingly.

Danielle nodded, even though he couldn't see her do it. "Any word on James and Victoria?" she asked. "Has Alice seen anything?"

"They haven't left Forks yet, but they're both on the hunt," he said, which made her tense a little. "But they will fall for the fake trail that Edward and the others have laid out," Jasper told her. "They'll be gone soon, then you won't have anything to worry about."

"Good," Danielle said with relief, knowing she'd rest a lot easier once she knew that the nomads had left Forks. "How about Bella? Is she alright?"

Jasper hesitated before answering. "She's…struggling," he answered truthfully, lowering his tone so as not to be overheard. "I can feel a lot of fear and a lot of guilt from her."

Danielle frowned deeply with concern. It was to be expected, of course, that Bella would be having a hard time – she was being hunted and had been forced to leave her home, her friends, her family, and Edward behind in order to save her own life. Anyone in her shoes would have a hard time with something like that. Still, it made Danielle feel useless to know that her friend was struggling so much and there was nothing she could do about it.

"I wish there was something I could do to help," she sighed.

"Alice is doing her best to keep her calm," Jasper reassured. "Once we're in Phoenix and once Bella gets some rest, hopefully she will start to feel better."

"Yeah, hopefully."

There was a momentary lull in their conversation, which was just enough time for Danielle to remember exactly how tired she actually was. Acknowledging her own exhaustion immediately made her body feel heavier and had a yawn sneaking its way past her lips. "You should get some sleep, darlin'. I can practically feel how tired you are through the phone," Jasper suggested.

She didn't want to get off the phone. In fact, she would have happily talked to Jasper for the rest of the night if she'd had the energy to. She didn't have the energy, though, and found herself nodding in agreement. "Sleep sounds good. It's been a rough night. It's left me feeling pretty drained." Danielle yawned again. "You'll call me if anything happens?" she asked.

"Yes, I will," he promised.

"Okay," Danielle said, her limbs feeling heavier by the moment. "I'll talk to you soon."

"You will," Jasper confirmed. "I love you, Danielle," he then said.

Her heart clenched at the words. "I love you, too, Jasper."

He hesitated, then said, "Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

Danielle ended the call, then pulled the phone back to look at the screen. Finally, with a sigh, she clicked the flip phone shut and put it back on the nightstand. She then reached over to turn off the bedside lamp, before settling in to finally get some sleep.

A knock on the door was what woke her the next morning. Danielle's head popped off the pillow at the sound, her eyes blinking rapidly as she tried to adjust to both the brightness of her bedroom and the sudden jerk back to alertness. Her bleary eyes found the clock on her nightstand, which read ten-twenty three in the morning. When she heard the bedroom door open, she blinked and looked at her mother, who had just popped her head into the room.

"Dani? It's time to wake up," Lynne said gently.

Danielle nodded and sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes to get the sleep out of them. Between missing Jasper terribly, her worry for Bella, and the troubling dreams that had plagued her sleep, she hadn't gotten a very good sleep the night before. She felt heavy and exhausted and wished she could just curl right back up and get back to bed. When she looked at her mother again, Danielle quickly realized that she was not the only one who'd been struggling the night before. It was hard to miss the bags beneath Lynne's eyes and the stress that was written all over her face. Lynne had obviously been up late with Charlie. Danielle couldn't help but wonder if Charlie had stayed overnight. She didn't recall hearing him leave at any point.

"How's Charlie?" Danielle asked.

"He's…hanging in there," Lynne answered with a heavy sigh. "He stayed over last night. I didn't want him to be by himself," she went on to say, answering the question that had been floating around Danielle's mind. "He just went back home, but I convinced him to take a personal day."

Danielle nodded. "Probably for the best," she said. She didn't think Charlie would be of much use to anyone at work given everything that was going on. Danielle rubbed her face one last time, then finally pushed off the covers and stood from her bed. "I'll start getting ready for work," she said, seeing as it was Sunday and Lynne would undoubtedly be expecting her to go in for a shift at the bookshop.

"Actually," Lynne said, which made Danielle pause, "I was thinking it might be better for you to stay home, too. I know last night was hard for you, too. And no offence, but you're looking a little like a zombie today," Lynne said with a small smile.

Danielle's eyebrows shot upward. "Are you sure?"

Lynne nodded and stepped closer, so that she could rest her hands on Danielle's shoulders. "I'm sure. Stay here. Take some time to yourself. Patricia and I can handle the bookshop today," she said with a firm nod.

Danielle finally nodded in agreement. "Alright," she said.

Lynne smiled, then pulled her in for a tight hug. Danielle hugged her back, flashing a small smile when Lynne kissed her on the temple. Finally, her mother pulled away. "I'm gonna go start getting ready. There's breakfast downstairs if you're hungry."

"Thanks, Mom," Danielle said gratefully.

Lynne left the room after that, leaving the bedroom door open as she went. Once she was alone, Danielle went to the open window and braced her hands on the sill, leaning out far enough to be able to look up at the roof. "Em?" she said. "You there?"

When there was no response, she took that to mean that Emmett was either off doing a perimeter check or that he had been relieved of his body-guard duties. Danielle frowned, her eyes turning toward the Swan house. Briefly, she wondered where Jasper, Alice, and Bella were now, and whether or not her friend was doing any better. Finally, she pulled her gaze away and ducked back into her bedroom, then went back over to her nightstand to grab her cell phone so that she could call Jasper. As she picked up the phone, she noticed a piece of paper that had been tucked underneath it. She had looked at his school notes enough times to recognize the handwriting to be Emmett's.

Dani –
J & V are gone. Left to go and help the others. Jasper told me not to wake you up and let you get your rest. If you need anything, just call. All of this will be over soon.
- E
P.S. You were drooling in your sleep. Gross.

Danielle couldn't help but roll her eyes at his post script as she finished reading the note he had left. She still smiled, though, feeling a huge weight lift off of her shoulders. Though she was still worried about the Cullen's and what they were going to have to do to put an end to all of this, to at least know that James and Victoria were out of Forks was definitely a massive relief. Danielle shoved the note into her nightstand drawer, then grabbed her phone and quickly opened it. She had missed one call from Jasper while she had been sleeping, but he hadn't left a voicemail. Instead, he had sent a text telling her to call him whenever she woke up.

Danielle dialed his number, unsurprised when, once again, he answered on the first ring. "Morning, darlin'," he said in greeting, sounding relieved to be hearing from her.

"Morning," she said back, smiling at the sound of his voice. "How's everything going?"

"Everything is going fine. Or, at least, going to plan," Jasper said. "We're more than halfway to Phoenix by now. We should be arriving sometime tonight. As for the nomads, they followed the false trail out of Forks early this morning. They are no concern of yours anymore."

Danielle sighed in relief. "Good," she said. "What about Bella? Any changes?"

"She's asleep, but she's still having a difficult time," Jasper informed.

Danielle made a sound of understanding. "Well, with the nomads gone, we're one step closer to all this mess being over with," she said optimistically.

"That we are," Jasper agreed. "Are you going to work today?"

"No, my mom told me to stay home," Danielle said. "I guess she thinks work would be too stressful with everything that's going on."

"I'm actually a little relieved to hear that you're staying home," Jasper admitted, indeed sounding rather pleased. "Even though the nomads are gone, I still think it's a good idea for you to stay put and keep a low profile. Any chance you can convince her to let you stay home from school tomorrow as well?"

Danielle made a sound of skepticism. "I dunno. That might be pushing it," she said. "I don't really see any reason to skip school anyway. In fact, it's probably better if I go to school. With Edward and the others dealing with James and you two whisking Bella off to Phoenix, people might talk if I go M.I.A. too."

"I suppose you are right," Jasper agreed with a sigh. "Just…be careful. Alice said you will be fine, but I still think we need to be cautious, just in case."

"I know," Danielle reassured. "I'll be surrounded by people at school, which is a good thing. If it'll make you feel better, I won't even come home after school tomorrow. I'll go straight to my mom's bookshop so that I won't be alone."

"Sounds like a good idea," Jasper said approvingly. They talked for a few more minutes after that, until Jasper's end of the conversation started to sound a little fuzzy. "I'm going to go ahead and let you go now, darlin'. The reception here is getting spotty," he eventually said, his voice cutting in an out a few times. "I'll call you back in a little while, alright?"

"Okay. Be safe. And tell Alice and Bella I'm thinking about them," she instructed.

"I will," Jasper promised.

"I love you. I'll talk to you soon," Danielle told him.

"I love you, too."

The call ended after that, which had Danielle pulling the phone away to look at it. Sighing, she set the phone back on her nightstand and plugged it in to keep the battery fully charged. Then she went into her bathroom to start getting ready for the day.

It ended up being a long and very uneventful day. Her mother left for the bookshop a little after eleven, promising that she would be home before six and making Danielle promise to call if she needed anything. Once she was gone, Danielle proceeded to spend the majority of the day lounging on the couch and watching various, mind-numbing reality shows in an attempt to keep herself preoccupied. She kept her phone close by, however, and ended up talking to Jasper twice, once around noon and then again around three. There weren't any new developments to report either time, but talking to him made her feel better, so she certainly wasn't going to complain.

Around four, as she was munching on chips and scrolling through the television guide, her phone began to vibrate again. Thinking it was likely just Jasper calling again, she muted the television and reached for her phone. When she saw Bella's name on the caller ID however, her heart jumped in her chest and she quickly yanked the phone open, finding herself up and on her feet without a second thought.

"Bella?" she asked as she answered.

"Hey, Dani," a tired voice said back.

Danielle frowned deeply at the weariness she could hear in her friend's voice. "Oh, Bella. You sound awful," she commented worriedly.

"I feel awful," Bella responded. "It's been…pretty rough."

"Yeah, I know," Danielle sympathized. "Have you talked to Edward?"

"No," Bella answered, sounding even more forlorn now. "Alice and Jasper said he's fine, that he's with the rest of the Cullen's. He's so busy with James and Victoria, though, that we haven't been able to talk yet."

"I'm sure you'll hear from him soon," Danielle told her optimistically.

"I hope so." Bella paused, then sighed heavily. "God, I feel so horrible about all of this, Dani," she said, her voice dropping lower. It seemed like she's was trying not to be overheard, but considering the fact that she had two vampires with super hearing in the car, the attempt was a futile one. "This is such a mess, and it's all my fault."

"No it's not," Danielle countered firmly. "There's only one person to blame for this, and it's James. He's the psychopath that decided to hunt you. If he had just left you alone like the Cullen's told him to, this situation would have never happened. So don't blame yourself, because you haven't done anything wrong."

"But the Cullen's – " Bella started to counter.

"Are perfectly capable of handling this situation," Danielle interrupted. "They chose to help, Bella. They want to help. Not because of obligation, but because they care. So stop trying to find ways to make yourself feel guilty, because that's not gonna help anything. Okay?"

Bella hesitated, then sighed again. "Okay," she agreed. There was another pause. "How's my dad?" she asked to change the subject.

Danielle found herself walking toward the window in the front room to push the curtain aside and look at the Swan house. Charlie's police cruiser was still in the driveway, but she couldn't see any movement in any of the windows. She wondered what he had been doing all day and whether or not he was alright.

"I haven't seen him today, but he wasn't doing so well last night," she said truthfully. "He was at my house when Emmett brought me home," she began to explain, unsure just how much Jasper had relayed to Bella but wanting to make sure her friend was up to date regardless. "He had a lot of questions for me, but I think I managed to keep him from getting suspicious about anything. He ended up staying the night over here. My mom didn't want him to be alone."

"Is he…" Bella cleared her throat, but her voice still sounded shaky and full of emotion when she spoke again. "Is he mad at me?"

"I wouldn't say he's mad, but he's definitely worried and definitely confused. Maybe a little scared, too," Danielle said.

Bella made a noise of understanding. "I'll have a lot to make up for when I come back," she said sadly. "Assuming he lets me come back."

"He will," Danielle said with confidence. "He loves you, Bella. He'll be thrilled to have you back home when all of this is over."

"I hope you're right," Bella said. "I'm gonna go now. I just wanted to check in and see what was going on back home. If, uh…if you see my dad, can you just tell him I'm safe? And also that I'm…sorry?"

"Of course I can," Danielle said. "Try not to worry, okay? Everything's gonna be fine. You'll see."

"Yeah," Bella agreed, though it sounded halfhearted. "Take care of yourself, okay?"

"I will," Danielle promised. "Call me whenever you want, alright?"

"Alright. Bye, Dani."

"Bye, Bella."

Danielle sighed as she ended the call, unable to help frowning with worry. Jasper had said Bella was having a hard time, but to hear firsthand just how tired and completely beat down Bella sounded made her feel even more concerned for her friend than she already had. There was nothing to be done, though, that she knew already. Bella wouldn't be her normal self again until the nomads were dead and she was back in Forks. Until then, all Danielle could do was be as optimistic and supportive as possible and try her best to keep her friend from spiraling any more than she already had.

Danielle tapped her phone against her hand, her eyes turning back to the window to peer at the Swan house again. Admittedly, she was worried about Charlie, too. It was likely her mother had been checking in on him, but the fact that he had been alone all day with no word from Bella and no clues as to what was going on didn't sit well with her.

Danielle stared at the house for one more moment, then finally came to a decision. She was going to see Charlie and make sure he was alright. Yes, Jasper had told her to stay away from the Swan house, and yes, she had promised him she would not go. But considering the nomads were gone and she was no longer in danger, she really didn't see the harm in going next door anymore. So after slipping her phone into her back pocket, she went into the kitchen to locate a Tupperware full of leftovers to take to Charlie, just in case he hadn't been eating. Then she headed for the front door and left the house.

It was drizzling when she stepped outside and made her way across the street, but she was so used to it by now that she barely noticed. Once she had reached the front door of the Swan house, she shifted the Tupperware to one hand and rang the doorbell. It took longer than usual for Charlie to answer the door, so much so that Danielle rang the bell again, beginning to doubt whether he would answer at all. Eventually, though, she heard the lock on the door slide out of place before the door itself slowly creaked open.

Charlie peered down at her, looking ragged and disheveled. He was wearing the same clothes as the day before, which were beyond wrinkled by now. There were bags under his eyes and more stubble than usual on his face, and he smelled of beer. Danielle tried not to look as alarmed as she felt at how bad he looked, offering a sympathetic smile instead. "Hi, Charlie."

"Dani," he said back, his voice gravelly.

She hesitated, then extended the leftovers to him. "For you. I was worried you weren't eating."

Charlie looked at the Tupperware, then reluctantly reached out to take it. "Thanks," he said, setting it on the table next to the door. Danielle had a feeling that it might end up staying there, too. "Is that all you came for?" he asked as he faced her again, his tone dull and lifeless.

"No," she said with a shake of her head. "I, uh…spoke to Bella," she revealed, which made him stand a little straighter. "She wanted me to let you know that she's safe. And that she's sorry for everything."

Charlie stared at her, then pursed his lips with dissatisfaction. "She could've told me that herself if she'd just answer her phone when I call her," he asked with frustration. "She seems pretty set on ignoring me, though."

Danielle pressed her lips together, unsure what to say at first. "She just…thinks it'd be too hard to talk to you right now," she said, giving the first excuse that came to mind. "But she is thinking about you. And she really is sorry."

Charlie heaved, then finally nodded his head in acceptance. He was quiet for a moment, his eyes turning elsewhere as his brows furrowed together. He looked deep in thought for a moment, before he shook himself out of it and looked back to her. "Thank you for the food," he told her. "And thank you for delivering Bella's message. At least I know she's alright," he said, inclining his head to her.

Danielle took that to mean that their conversation was over and that Charlie wanted to be left alone. "You're welcome. If I hear from her again, I'll be sure to let you know."

Charlie didn't say anything, just nodded in understanding. With a small smile and an awkward wave, Danielle said goodbye and turned to leave, not wanting to intrude any longer. She made her way across the yard, glancing over her shoulder when she heard the door click shut behind her, then shifted her gaze forward again as she reached the street.

Suddenly she froze, her eyes doing a double take toward a patch of trees on the other side of the street. For a few seconds she stood right where she was, her brows stitched together with uncertainty as she eyed the trees. Danielle could have sworn she had just seen something over there when she had turned her eyes forward again, but now that she was really looking, there was nothing to see but green foliage. Was her own paranoid mind playing tricks on her, or had something been there?

Before she could decide which one it was, a loud BOOM of thunder overhead made her jump nearly out of her skin. Danielle cursed, her heart thumping hard against her ribs and eyes glaring at the sky as she recovered from her momentary fright. Finally, when the light drizzle began to turn into much heavier rain, she wrapped her arms around herself and hurried back across the street to her house, forgetting all about whatever she had – or hadn't – seen in the trees in her haste to avoid getting soaked.

Lynne came home around five fifteen, but she didn't stay for long. She changed out of her work clothes and sat down to eat dinner with Danielle, but once they had finished eating it wasn't long at all before she was filling another Tupperware with their leftovers and going across the street to check in on Charlie. Left alone again, Danielle went upstairs to finish up the two homework assignments that she had put off doing in light of recent events, knowing she needed to finish it before school the next day or she would get in trouble with her teachers. She called Jasper once she had finished and spent the next half hour talking with him. She was told that the rest of the Cullen's were still leading James and Victoria on a wild goose chase, and that he, Alice, and Bella were nearly to Phoenix now, where they planned to find a hotel close to the airport and hole up until everything was safe again. By the time they were saying their goodbye's for the night, Lynne had returned home. Tired and worn out from a tumultuous few days, Lynne called out a weary goodnight from the first floor and went to bed. Danielle, feeling equally in need of a decent sleep after her crummy sleep the night before, soon went to bed herself.

The next morning, Danielle woke up to a surprisingly sunny day. She went to the window, smiling to herself when she was actually able to see blue skies overhead and feel the warmth of the sun on her skin. This was good – the Cullen's were notorious for skipping school when the weather was nice, which meant none of their classmates would ask questions when they didn't show up today.

Danielle got dressed for school, then went downstairs to get some breakfast when she heard her mother moving around in the kitchen. Lynne was pouring coffee into a travel mug when she entered, and though Danielle didn't normally drink coffee herself, she felt like she needed some today if she was going to make it through school. She grabbed a mug and took the coffee pot from her mother, smiling a bit as she met Lynne's surprised gaze.

"You too, huh?" Lynne asked. She didn't look quite as worn out as she had the day before, but there were still bags under her eyes.

"One of those days," Danielle answered with a shrug.

Lynne nodded, then took a long drink of coffee. "Any more news from Bella?" she asked.

Danielle shook her head. "Not yet. I'll try calling her before I leave for school, though."

Lynne nodded, then frowned and tilted her head curiously. "Is Jasper taking you to school?" she asked.

Danielle stiffened, then realized she had no idea how she was getting to school. With both Bella and Jasper gone, she had no one to pick her up, and as far as she knew Emmett had taken Rosalie's car when he had left. Not that she wanted to drive Rosalie's car anyway – she didn't particularly feel like making Rosalie's hatred for her worsen anymore by wrecking her convertible or scratching it. She decided that the best course of action was to call Jessica and beg for a ride, which wasn't really ideal, but it was more or less her only option.

"Uh, Jasper's picking me up," she lied, thinking her mother might get suspicious if she knew Jasper wasn't around either. "He should be here soon."

Lynne nodded, then smiled gently and moved to kiss Danielle on the temple. "I'm gonna go ahead and go," she said. "I didn't bother with any of the closing duties last night so that I could get home quickly and check on Charlie. I need to go in early and get everything organized or today's gonna be a mess."

Danielle nodded in understanding. "I'll come by after school today," she said. "I'll help out a little since I didn't come in yesterday."

Lynne smiled. "Thank you, sweetie, that'd be nice." Lynne turned to locate the top to her travel mug and fixed it on. Then she went to grab her purse and her keys. "I'll see you this afternoon. Have a good day at school," she called over her shoulder as she went.

"Bye," Danielle called back.

Once Lynne was gone, Danielle grabbed her coffee and a breakfast bar and went back upstairs. She made quick work of eating the bar, washing it down with the strong, bitter coffee. Then she grabbed her cell phone and called Jasper.

"Morning, darlin'," Jasper greeted.

"Hey. Finally in Phoenix?" she asked, moving to the window and pushing the curtains open even wider so that she could get as much warmth as possible into her room.

"Yes. We arrived late last night," Jasper confirmed. "Bella is resting, and Alice is doing her best to keep tabs on James' movements. As of right now, he's still following the trail the others laid out."

"That's good," she said. She didn't bother asking about Victoria's whereabouts – she assumed that wherever James was, Victoria was likely there, too. "You'll be happy to hear that it's a very bright and sunny day here today," she informed him as she sat on the window sill. "Thanks to your habit of skipping school on pretty days, nobody should suspect anything when y'all don't show up today."

"That is fortunate indeed," Jasper agreed.

"See? Things are starting to look up already," Danielle said with a smile. "Though I do have a small problem in regards to how I'm getting to school today considering both my rides are in Phoenix at the moment."

Jasper clicked his tongue in disapproval. "I did not even think about that. I should have left you one of our cars to drive to school."

"And how, exactly, would I have explained my sudden possession of a Cullen vehicle to my mother?" Danielle countered pointedly.

"True," Jasper admitted. "That would have roused some suspicion."

"Just a bit, yeah," Danielle agreed. "Don't worry," she continued. "I'm gonna call Jess as soon as we hang up and bribe her into picking me up."

"Good idea," Jasper said. "I don't want you walking all the way to school. It isn't safe."

"James and Victoria are miles away from here, Jazz," she reminded him. "I'm in the clear. Besides, if they were coming for me for some reason, Alice would have seen it, right?"

"Yes," Jasper said a bit reluctantly. "I'm sorry. I'm just worried."

"I know, but like I've said a dozen times, everything's totally fine here. Okay?" Danielle patiently reminded him.

"Okay," Jasper said back.

Danielle glanced at the clock, then turned to start packing up her school things. "I should go. I need to call Jess now before she can get to school, otherwise I will end up walking," she said. "I'll call you during lunch, okay?"

"Looking forward to it," Jasper said. "Have a good day. I love you, Danielle."

"I love you, too."

Danielle ended the call after that, then set the phone down to finish packing her backpack. She couldn't help but smile to herself as she glanced outside again, taking the bright sunshine as a sign of good things to come. Jasper, Alice, and Bella were officially safe in Phoenix, and James and Victoria were getting further away by the moment. If everything kept going their way, the nomads would be finished soon and she would be reunited with Jasper and Bella before she knew it. And she could hardly wait to see Jasper again – whenever he finally came home, the first thing she was going to do was hug and kiss him senseless.

Danielle zipped up her backpack once she had finished packing it, then reached for her phone to call Jessica. Just as she flipped the phone open, however, a strong, undeniable feeling of being watched suddenly crashed into her, making her freeze and her muscles go tense. She couldn't possible explain how, but suddenly she just knew – she was not as alone in her bedroom as she had thought she was.

Slowly, Danielle turned toward her bathroom. And what she saw when she did so made the air in her lungs freeze and had a shiver of fear shooting down her spine.

Victoria was there. She was leaning casually against the doorframe, dressed in the same clothes she had worn in the field, her bright red eyes locked on her and a smirk of pure evil stretched across her lips.

"Hello, Danielle," she greeted, the sound of her voice making fear shoot through her veins again. "Or do you prefer Dani?"

Danielle gulped, then glanced toward the door. She knew she would never be able to outrun a vampire, but the instinct to flee and at least try to get away was too strong to ignore. In a split-second decision, Danielle made a rush for the door, hoping to at least get out in public where people could see her and help her. She barely made it a step, however, before Victoria had a hand around her neck and was slamming her back against the wall next to her window, effectively keeping her from going anywhere.

"Now, now. Don't be stupid, little girl," Victoria hissed, her eyes flashing.

The ice cold hand she had locked around Danielle's neck wasn't gripping her hard enough to suffocate, but it was tight enough to make breathing harder than normal. Danielle reached up, trying to pry at the fingers around her throat, but it was no use. Victoria was far too strong. Victoria sneered at her attempt to free herself and shook her head, everything on her face betraying exactly how pathetic she seemed to think Danielle was.

"Look at you. So weak. So vulnerable. Just like your little friend Bella," she hissed, red eyes unblinking and full of malice.

Victoria stared at her for a moment, then released Danielle with a sound of disgust. Danielle immediately held her neck, sucking in air greedily now that her airways were unhindered. She watched as Victoria turned and walked around a bit, her eyes taking in her surroundings. Suddenly, she was flooded with confusion – why was Victoria here? How had Alice not seen the nomad coming for her? Also, what exactly did Victoria know? Did she know that Danielle had been there on the field that night, or had she and James simply figured out the trail they were following was fake and caused Victoria to come to try to interrogate her for information?

"What do you want?" Danielle asked, her voice shaking with fear.

Victoria turned and gave her a wicked smile. Instead of answering, however, she ignored the question and began to speak.

"That night on the field, I just knew another human had been there," she said, which made Danielle's heart seize with fear. Victoria did know she had been there. She did know that she was linked to the Cullen's. "I could smell it. I could smell you. Only…I didn't know it was you. Because your scent that night…it was confusing. I could smell you while Laurent and Carlisle were talking, and I didn't know what to make of you. Not quite human. Not quite vampire. I tried to see your eyes, tried to look for anything that would tell me what you were. But you were skillful in hiding the truth. You acted like one of them. You tricked us all."

Victoria moved to Danielle's dresser and picked up a picture frame that contained a photograph of Danielle and Tom from the year before. She gazed at the photo for a moment, then set it down and moved to inspect the next photo, which was of Danielle and her mother. "After we left, I could not stop thinking about that scent I smelled in the field," she continued without looking at Danielle. "My confusion and curiosity was driving me to madness. Eventually, I could resist no longer. While James went off to begin his hunt for Bella, I began my hunt for something else. The truth about who that scent belonged to," she said. "I went back to the field to find your scent. The human scent. Then I followed it everywhere that it went. The Cullen house. The high school. A bookshop in town. Until, eventually, it brought me back here."

Victoria turned around to face her now. "There truly was a part of me that believed you might be a vampire. Or, at the very least, some sort of hybrid creature unlike anything I had ever met before. But then I saw you speaking with Bella's father," she continued, slowing moving closer to Danielle one step at a time. Once they were standing less than a foot apart, Victoria reached up to touch Danielle's cheek. Danielle couldn't help but flinch as her ice cold fingers caressed her cheekbone. "I saw your lovely blue eyes and smelled that delicious scent that I had been following all over town. And I knew. You were nothing special at all. Just a silly little human pretending to be something she wasn't to trick the bad, scary vampires," she said with a smirk. "Another pet for those pathetic little Cullen's."

Danielle's vision began to blur a little as tears started to fill her eyes. She could not stop herself from trembling, her heart beating erratically as her mind raced with all the things that Victoria might do. "What do you want?" she asked for the second time, her voice coming out stronger than she felt.

"There are a number of things I want from you, Danielle," Victoria answered. "And you'll do well to cooperate if you want to live to see your precious Jasper again."

Danielle whimpered, even though she tried not to. She wasn't sure what frightened her more – the thought of Victoria killing her, or the thought of Victoria using her to get to Bella and the Cullen's. She certainly didn't want to die, but how would she ever live with herself if something happened to Bella, Jasper, or any of the Cullen's because of her? "I won't do anything to help you," she heard herself spit out before she could stop herself.

Victoria smirked even wider, as if overjoyed with her response. "I thought you might say that."

Suddenly Victoria had her spun around and had her arm twisted at a horribly painful angle. Danielle cried out, her eyes slammed closed as she fought through the pain. Any moment now her arm would break. She just knew it. "Agree to cooperate, or I'll break your arm off, little girl," Victoria hissed in her ear, twisted her arm even more. "And that'll be just the start of our fun," she threatened.

Danielle cried out again, then, unable to stand the pain any longer, she caved. "Okay! Okay!" she agreed. "I'll cooperate."

"Good choice." Victoria released her, and almost immediately Danielle crumbled to the floor. She sat there cradling her arm while Victoria went to the desk. She watched as the vampire retrieved a piece of paper and a pen, before turning expectant eyes on her. "First, you will write a note to your mother explaining that you received a very disconcerting phone call from Bella before school and that you've gone to Phoenix to help her. Make it believable, too," Victoria instructed.

Danielle hesitated, then dragged herself up off the floor and went to the desk. She took the pen that Victoria offered, then leaned over the desk to write the note as Victoria had instructed, sniffling to herself as tears slid down her cheeks.

Mom,
Bella called me. She isn't doing well. She sounded like she was in a really bad place. I'm sorry, but I can't sit by and do nothing anymore. I have to help her. I called Jasper, and he's agreed to go with me to meet with Bella and make sure that she's alright. I should be back in a few days. Don't worry, Dr. Cullen is going to come with us as well, so we'll have supervision. I love you. Please forgive me for this.
- Danielle.

As soon as she was finished writing, Victoria snatched the note up from the desk and took a moment to read it over. When she was done reading, she nodded in approval. "Very good," Victoria said, smirking as she handed the note back to Danielle. "Now that that's finished, you're going to pack a bag. And keep it light. You won't be needing much," she ordered.

Danielle gulped, then turned to do as she had been told. While she packed clothes to get her through a few days, her mind raced a million miles a minute. How had this happened? How could Alice have not seen this? And where was Victoria going to take her? Somewhere in the back of her mind, though, she knew. If Victoria was taking her away, she was likely taking her to James. And once James knew what was going on, once he knew who she was and what they would be able to use her for, the next logical place would be Phoenix. She found herself thinking about James and about Phoenix extra hard, hoping beyond hope that somehow Alice would see it and know that things had changed. She was scared it wouldn't do any good, though – Jasper had said Alice's visions weren't exact, and if she hadn't been able to see Victoria coming for her, how would she be able to see Danielle leaving Forks?

After she was packed, Victoria made her grab her phone and take the note she had written for her mother downstairs, where it would be easy to find. Without further ado, Victoria led her out of her house and around the corner, where a beat up car was waiting. Victoria all but forced her into the passenger seat, before moving around to the driver's seat and settling behind the wheel. As she started the engine with a loud roar, Danielle gave her a wary look.

"Where are we going?" she had to ask.

Victoria looked at her and smirked wickedly. "To James, of course," she said, before putting the car in drive and tearing off down the road.

It took them twenty tense, awful minutes to get to where they were going. It was in front of some old, unoccupied looking warehouse that Victoria finally brought the car to a halt. Danielle peered up at the warehouse, her heart racing and her stomach twisting with fear, knowing that things were only going to get worse once they were inside. Suddenly Victoria was yanking the passenger side door open and hauling her out of the car, leaving Danielle with no choice but to go with Victoria into the warehouse.

It was dimly lit and musty with neglect inside. Victoria led her past dusty work stations that obviously hadn't seen use in quite some time, past abandoned boxes filled with only God knew what, all the way to the back of the warehouse. There was an uncovered window toward the back that allowed a bright beam of light to shine inside. Standing before that window, his skin sparkling in the sun and making glittering light reflecting off the walls around him, was James.

He turned at their approach, one brow quirking upward as he looked Danielle up and down. The fear within grew to impossible heights, which had her digging her heels into the ground in an attempt to stop Victoria from dragging her any closer to him. It didn't work. Victoria continued to force her along with ease, until she finally gave Danielle one last massive shove, which made her stumbling to a halt only feet away from James.

"This is her?" James asked, his hands clasped together behind his back.

Victoria nodded in confirmation. "This is the one I told you about. The other Cullen pet."

James smiled and moved closer to Victoria so that he could caress her cheek. "You did very well, my love," he said, which made Victoria beam with pride.

Danielle stood there, completely frozen with fear. James lowered his hand away from Victoria's cheek and turned back to Danielle, smirking as he closed the distance between them. He stopped less than a foot away, his eyes staring intently into her own, before he leaned in even closer and inhaled deeply. His eyes closed for a moment, and when they reopened, they were darker than they had been before. Danielle had seen that darkness before, and knew what it meant. He was hungry. Hungry for her blood.

"It's a wonder I missed your scent, human," he mused aloud. "You do not smell quite as delectable as your friend, but you would certainly still make for a very tasty meal."

Danielle said nothing, just fought against the strong urge to cry as James walked a slow circle around her. When he was in front of her again, he tilted his head curiously. "As I understand it, two of the Cullen's have taken Bella to Phoenix, yes?" James asked.

Danielle pressed her lips together tightly, too afraid to say anything. "They have," Victoria confirmed. "I overheard her talking about it with her vampire lover on the phone."

James held a hand up to silence Victoria, but his eyes didn't stray away from Danielle's face. Once Victoria was quiet again, James clicked his tongue in disappointment. "Come now, human," he said, the words coming out more as a hiss. His expression was beginning to change. The curiosity was starting to turn into impatience, his eyes beginning to gleam with a threat of danger that made her blood run cold. "There is no need to make things difficult for yourself. It's a simple yes or no question." When she still didn't answer, he grabbed her chin roughly, making her whimper with fear. "You do realize I could crush your jaw with a mere flick of my fingers right now?" Danielle trembled fiercely as he flashed a malicious smirk. "I could, but I won't. You humans have provided me with way too good of a sport to ruin it all right now."

With that said he withdrew his hand, only to rear back and backhand her across the face. Danielle fell to the ground, pain flaring up in her cheek, one hand flying up to cover the abused area. She looked up at James with fear as he hovered over her, knowing he could have done a lot worse if he really wanted to. Knowing he would do a lot worse if she continued to be uncooperative.

"How about we try a different approach?" James asked, leaning over so that his eyes were level with hers. "You will tell me what I want to know, or I will gather up an army to slowly and surely destroy everyone you hold dear. Your little friend Bella will be the first to go, then your precious Cullen's, your family…and last, but certainly not least, your lover. What was his name again?"

"Jasper," Victoria answered.

Danielle suddenly glared at him, feeling a surge of anger at his threats against Jasper. "He has nothing to do with this! He has nothing to do with your sick games!" she growled.

"He took Bella way from me," James reminded her. "He has everything to do with this. And he will die a very slow, very painful death if you do not start telling me what I want to know."

Danielle glared up at him a moment longer, then looked away, shaking her head viciously. She sniffled loudly and wiped away her tears, feelings conflicted and confused. She didn't want to tell James anything, but what if he was telling the truth? Was he really capable of building an army to go after the Cullen's, to go after her mother and Bella? And if he was, could she really gamble with the lives of the people she loved most?

She decided she couldn't risk it. Maybe if she led James to Phoenix, she could somehow warn Jasper and Alice. Maybe the Cullen's could still take care of him and Victoria. It wasn't what she wanted to do, it felt downright wrong, but it sounded a hell of a lot better than a damned army coming for them.

"Yes," she finally said. "They're in Phoenix."

James grinned with satisfaction. "That's all I needed to know. Was that so difficult?" he asked in what could almost be considered a friendly tone. Danielle heard Victoria start snickering to herself. "Well, then. It looks like you and I have a plane to catch, don't we?" he asked. "We can't risk driving. The others might catch up to us, and then that would spoil the fun." James turned to Victoria and raised his brows. "You've purchased the tickets?"

Victoria nodded. "You only need to pick them up at the airport," she said. She then looked to Danielle, one brows raising. "Before you go, though, I overheard her say something that sounded interesting," she continued, eyes narrowed. "The one named Alice. You said she sees things?" she asked.

As James' brows rose with interest, Danielle's stomach twisted again as she remembered mentioning Alice's visions while on the phone with Jasper. Damnit. Why couldn't she have just kept her big mouth shut?

When she took too long to answer, James raised his eyes to the ceiling with impatience. "We've gone through this already, haven't we?" he asked in pure annoyance. Suddenly he had a hand locked around her wrist, which he began to twist painfully. "Answer the question or suffer the consequences."

Danielle cried out with pain again. "Alice has visions of the future!" she blurted out before she could stop herself.

James shared a look with Victoria, his hand still locked around her wrist. "Does she now?" he said with interest. "So she'll know we're coming to Phoenix?" he asked next.

Danielle nodded. "If she doesn't yet. She will. Her visions change based on your decisions, and she's been keeping a close eye on you."

James stared at her a moment longer, then released her. "Well, then we'll have to be very careful about what we think of, won't we?" he asked.

Danielle just whimpered in answer, cradling her wrist to her chest protectively.

James stepped back away from her and turned to Victoria. "We need to leave now while the Cullen's are still unaware of our plans," he said. "I'd like you to stay here and monitor the others until I return. Notify me if anything of interest happens."

After Victoria nodded in agreement, James locked a hand around the back of Victoria's neck and gave her a long, passionate kiss. Danielle turned her eyes elsewhere, tears sliding down her cheeks. It was not the pain in her wrist making her cry, however. No. It was the cold, hard fact that she had just sold Jasper, Alice, and Bella out to James and Victoria, had told the nomads things that she never should have. The Cullen's had been so good to her, had done so much to help her and protect her, and how had she repaid them? By betraying them. They had trusted her, and she had let them down.

She was jerked back to reality as James grabbed her by the arm and yanked her up, pulling her along with him until they were outside and getting back into the same car Victoria had driven. All too soon they were on the road, heading in the direction of the airport. And all Danielle could do was cry, unable to handle the feelings of fear, guilt, and self-loathing that were consuming her.

Oh lord. Here we go, guys!