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I turned to look at Alice. "There are no options," I howled.
To bring her back when that monster was hunting her ?C I just couldn't bare it if something were to happen. My brain was in limbo.
"I'm not leaving Charlie!" Bella yelled louder than I had ever heard but I ignored her.
"We have to take her back," Emmett said quietly.
"No," I said with authority.
"He's no match for us, Edward. He won't be able to touch her," Emmett promised.
"He'll wait," I explained.
We'll beat him at his own game then! "I can wait, too." Emmett said while grinning widely.
"You didn't see ?C you don't understand. Once he commits to a hunt, he's unshakeable. We'd have to kill him." I shouted.
And this is a problem because? "That's an option," he replied unperturbed.
I was becoming angrier because I knew I was going to lose this argument. "And the female. She's with him. If it turns into a fight, the leader will go with them, too."
Three against seven? Please! "There are enough of us."
"There's another option," Alice replied quietly.
She saw what Bella was planning in her head and the only way she saw this plan was if it was a possibility. This made me angrier than before. "There ?C is ?C no ?C other ?C option!" I shouted.
I could see the shock on Bella and Emmett's face in the mirror. I turned to look at Alice. She has a good plan and you know it! Alice barked in her head.
I continued to stare at her with deepest dislike.
If she doesn't convince James that she is no longer in Forks than he will let Victoria kill Charlie. You can't let that happen. What would Carlisle say?
I continued to glare at her and her logic.
"Does anyone want to hear my plan?" Bella asked.
"No," I growled because I already knew her plan and disagreed with it.
I've had enough of this! Alice glared at me so menacingly I almost thought she was going to burn holes through me.
"Listen," Bella pleaded desperately. "You take me back."
"No," I cut in.
I turned to look at her and now she was glaring at me. "You take me back," she continued anyway. "I tell my dad I want to go home to Phoenix. I pack my bags. We wait till this tracker is watching, and then we run. He'll follow us and leave Charlie alone. Charlie won't call the FBI on your family. Then you can take me any damned place you want."
Wow! I like her style. She fights dirty! Emmett looked surprised.
Just let her do this, Edward. Alice continued to glare at me.
"It's not a bad idea, really." Emmett allowed.
"It might work ?C and we simply can't leave her father unprotected. You know that," Alice replied in a I told you so tone.
Everyone's eyes were on me. I took in a deep breath. "It's too dangerous ?C I don't want him within a hundred miles of her."
"Edward, he's not getting through us," Emmett said confidently.
I wish I were as confident as he was. I looked at Alice because she started flitting through the future again. Ah, yes, the future is getting clearer. I see... "I don't see him attacking. He'll try to wait for us to leave her alone."
"It won't take long for him to realize that's not going to happen," Emmett said.
"I demand that you take me home." Bella said firmly.
My brain was swelling with the onslaught of information ?C the past events, the present and the future. Bringing my fingers to my temples and squeezing my eyes shut while trying to dispel all thoughts was useless but I tried anyway.
"Please," Bella whispered a cry.
I knew I had to do what was best for Bella all around, not what was just best for me. I decided a compromise would be the best I could deal with.
"You're leaving tonight, whether the tracker sees or not. You tell Charlie that you can't stand another minute in Forks. Tell him whatever story works. Pack the first things your hands touch, and then get in your truck. I don't care what he says to you. You have fifteen minutes. Do you hear me? Fifteen minutes from the time you cross the doorstep." I conceded.
The engine roared to life as I turned the key. I whipped the truck around while listening to everyone's thoughts.
I knew this was going to happen, Alice thought smugly.
Yes! We get to fight! Hell yes! Emmett rejoiced.
"Emmett?" Bella said. I looked in the mirror and she was looking down at her hands.
"Oh, sorry." Emmett said while letting go of her wrists.
This is the most exciting thing since mine and Jasper's trip to Africa. I hope Edward always keeps Bella around, everything is always so interesting! Emmett continued to think happy thoughts the whole way back to Forks.
While everyone else was silent I was working plans in my head. "This is how it's going to happen," I began to explain our strategy. "When we get to the house, if the tracker is not there, I will walk her to the door. Then she has fifteen minutes." I gave Bella a dark look in the mirror to let her know I wasn't going to change my mind on this point. "Emmett, you take the outside of the house. Alice, you get the truck. I'll be inside as long as she is. After she's out, you two can take the Jeep home and tell Carlisle."
What? No fight! "No way," Emmett interrupted. "I'm with you."
I sighed. "Think it through, Emmett. I don't know how long I'll be gone." I explained.
You aren't going to ruin this for me. "Until we know how far this is going to go, I'm with you," Emmett said with authority.
A growl almost escaped my lips. "If the tracker is there," I frowned, "we keep driving."
No worries! "We're going to make it there before him," Alice said with confidence. Oh no you don't, Edward, I'm staying with her. She thought when I planned to send her home."What are we going to do with the Jeep?" Alice asked to provoke me.
I gritted my teeth as I spoke. "You're driving it home."
No way! "No, I'm not!" she said coolly.
Tonight I just couldn't help myself, a stream of profanities come through my lips, but low enough I was sure Bella couldn't hear them. Would she think of me as a gentleman after this? What a dumb thing to be thinking about in such a crucial moment, I thought to myself.
"We can all fit in my truck," Bella said quietly.
I ignored her, she wasn't helping my cause.
"I think you should let me go alone," Bella said even more quietly, purposely provoking me.
I clenched my teeth and breathed through them slowly. "Bella, please just do this my way, just this once."
"Listen, Charlie's not an imbecile," she continued like she hadn't heard me. "If you're not in town tomorrow, he's going to get suspicious."
Why does she continually worry about me when she should be worried about herself? Beautiful, selfless, warm, trusting human...why do you do this to me? I roared internally. "That's irrelevant. We'll make sure he's safe, and that's all that matters." I told her.
I could see her rebuttal churning in her eyes before she spoke. "Then what about this tracker? He saw the way you acted tonight. He's going to think you're with me, wherever you are."
Where on earth did this creature come from? Emmett wondered. "Edward, listen to her," he urged. "I think she's right," Emmett said, positively delighted.
Hum, she has a point. "Yes, she is," Alice agreed.
They already convinced me to come back to Forks and bring her back to the vampire who hunted her and now they expect me to stay behind! "I can't do that." I barked.
It was true, it was almost physically impossible for me to leave her now.
"Emmett should stay, too. He definitely got an eyeful of Emmett." She continued.
You have got to be kidding me! She's turning on me now! "What?" Emmett's eyes narrowed in her direction.
I'll placate him. Don't worry. "You'll get a better crack at him if you stay," Alice suggested.
The way they were planning was driving me insane. I had to put my foot down at some point. "You think I should let her go alone?" I said incredulously.
Do you think I'm an idiot? "Of course not. Jasper and I will take her." Duh.
I felt like I was being beaten down. They were making sense and I knew it, but I just couldn't stand the pain if something was to happen to her and I wasn't there to protect her. "I can't do that." I repeated.
Bella spoke up, "Hang out here for a week ?C" I looked at her in the mirror and she could see my I don't think so expression and amended "- a few days. Let Charlie see you haven't kidnapped me, and lead this James on a wild-goose chase. Make sure he's completely off my trail. Then come and meet me. Take a roundabout route, of course, and then Jasper and Alice can go home."
It will work. Really. Alice thought to me.
"Meet you where?" I conceded, curiosity getting the best of me.
"Phoenix." She said matter-of-factly.
"No. He'll hear that's where you're going," I said impatiently.
Oh! Great plan...Alice thought seeing what Bella would say before she spoke again.
"And you'll make it look like that's a ruse, obviously. He'll know that we'll know that he's listening. He'll never believe I'm actually going where I say I am going."
Interesting, always interesting. "She's diabolical," Emmett began to chuckle and I ignored him.
"And if that doesn't work?" I muttered.
"There are several million people in Phoenix," she informed me like that settled it.
How did our conversation end up like this ?C here, in Forks embracing danger? We should be a hundred miles away by now! "It's not that hard to find a phone book," I said grimly.
"I won't go home," she said happily.
This is entertaining, really. Emmett thought with another chuckle in his head.
I wanted to roll my eyes at her or shake some sense into her. Maybe she had lost her mind with the stress of the ordeal. "Oh?" I asked, utterly perplexed.
"I'm quite old enough to get my own place," she smiled at me in the mirror.
It won't come to that. Don't worry. "Edward, we'll be with her," Alice winked at me.
Everyone had lost their minds. A sadistic vampire was hunting Bella and everyone had turned it into a big joke! "What are you going to do in Phoenix?" I rebuked.
If I have time, shop. She thought but pretended that she didn't think that when she looked at me and replied, "Stay indoors."
I threw her a disgruntled look.
With Jasper gone Edward and I can track this James down and kill him! "I kind of like it." Emmett grinned stupidly.
I glared at him. "Shut up, Emmett," I commanded and I meant that for his thoughts too. It didn't stop him.
"Look, if we try to take him down while she's still around, there's a much better chance that someone will get hurt ?C she'll get hurt, or you will, trying to protect her. Now, if we get him alone..." we can hack him up into little pieces and burn him! Emmett finished in his thoughts with another wide grin spreading across his face at the thought.
I saw the bright orange streetlights as they grew brighter and larger as Forks loomed into view. We had finally arrived back in town and I was suddenly anxious that our plan won't work. The streets were empty and it felt like it was an ominous sign. Alice could see the grim expression on my face.
She'll be fine, Edward, I've seen it. Alice thought calmy.
"Bella," I began while Alice and Emmett became alert immediately, gazing raptly out the windows. "If you let anything happen to yourself ?C anything at all ?C I'm holding you personally responsible. Do you understand that?" I said softly.
I heard her loud gulp. "Yes," she whispered.
I looked at Alice who turned back to me. "Can Jasper handle this?"
He cares for Bella, too. "Give him some credit, Edward. He's been doing very, very well, all things considered."
I raised an eyebrow. "Can you handle this?" I asked.
I have fewer problems handling it then you do. I'd never hurt Bella. How dare you. Alice thought while a growl ripped up her throat and she pulled back her lips to show her gleaming teeth.
Coming from Alice, the very tiny Alice, made me smile despite the events of this evening. "But keep your opinions to yourself," I said harshly, knowing that the knowledge of her visions would be too much for Bella to handle.
You mean the one where I think you should change her into a vampire so she can live with us forever? She thought with great smugness.
I grimaced while pulling into Bella's driveway, looking out at the dark grounds surrounding her house. A lump formed in my throat at the thought of what had to happen next.
