Runaway by Kibibe

Stuck

It was the day before Christmas, and Bella was struggling to maneuver her 1965 Ford Mustang down the icy road up to Massena. At least she hoped that this still was the right road. Her roommate had invited her to spend Christmas with her and her family since she hadn't had anywhere else to go to. And although she hadn't really wanted to go, Roxie was pretty hard to say no to. The petite whirlwind sometimes reminded her of someone else she was once very found of. But those memories stung and she tried really hard not to think about her former life too much.

Instead she focused her concentration on the road, trying to make out its course in all the white on white mess before her. The weather was getting worse by the minute. By now she could hardly see anything but white. Maybe she was getting snow blind.

This ought to be a freaking blizzard! Bella groaned in frustration. If she'd just checked the weather report before her departure, but she had been in too much of a hurry. And she couldn't even listen to it now because her radio had died on her just a few days ago. The clock on the dashboard read almost 11 p.m. - already two hours behind her schedule. She frowned. Maybe she should have stopped at that last motel. There hadn't been any sign of civilization for miles now and the snow covering the roads got deeper and deeper.

Finally she could make out a street sign and she stopped right next to it to try and find out where the hell she was. But it was half covered in snow. So she grabbed her coat from the back seat and got out. Her foot completely vanished in the white mush along with half of her lower leg. The snow next to the road was even deeper as she fought her way up to the sign. She used her arms to wipe the white cover away and groaned. The right road, all right. But still hours from her destination.

Bella got back into her car, hoping that shed come across a motel or at least a gas station to sit this thing out. She turned the key in the ignition and the old engine roared to life but the car didn't move foreward. "What the hell?" She muttered and nudged the gas pedal again, but it wouldn't budge. "Oh no. Please not that too!" she exclaimed, and tears of frustration sprung in her eyes. She was stuck. Stuck in the middle of nowhere during a snow storm. Typical Bella type luck. The universe was just never going to cut her a break. Someone up there must have some seriously sick kind of humor.

She looked around frantic, but there was really nothing there. Nothing but snow and trees. So she grabbed her purse from the passenger seat and rummaged through it to find her mobile. One short look at it and that last string of hope was gone too. No Service. Great, she thought and threw herself back in her seat sinking her fingers into her hair.

"What am I supposed to do now? I'm gonna freeze to death out here!" Bella mumbled to herself. When would anybody ever find her out here? Shed probably be long dead by then. How long could she keep the car warm? Would it be better to turn the heaters on full force until the fuel was out so that it would take longer for the heat to evaporate afterwards, or would that just mean that the fuel wouldn't last as long? How many hours could she possibly stay alive in these conditions? The thoughts raced through her head.

Bella ultimately decided to turn the heaters on as high as they would go, and wait in the still warm car for someone to find her, or, if that didn't happen, for the weather situation to improve before she'd go and try to reach the next motel, or whatever token of civilization happened to be nearest, by foot. Of course no one came, the weather only got worse if anything and after a while the engine died. Then the heat in the car quickly faded. Soon she was shivering in her coat.

So she stuffed her phone and her purse into her over sized sports bag, pulled the hood of her coat over her head and stepped out of the car, hoping and praying to find some way out of this predicament.

The storm outside was terrible and the road was burried under a deep cover of snow - not that it would bother him. If it weren't for the need to keep up appearances, he could just run through it. His shift had ended late and he was on his way back home for the hollidays, the Jeep moving much to slow for his liking, when he spotted a tiny figure in the distance waddling through the snow on the edge of the road.

He frowned. She was bound to freeze to death out in that weather. There wasn't any civilization for miles to come. He knew he needed to help her. So he rolled down his window and slowly pulled up beside her. "Hey there, can I take you anywhere?"

After what felt like hours of stumbling through the freezing cold, Bella was vaguely aware of a car pulling up beside her. She'd been hoping for someone to find her, but she'd imagined it to be someone more official, someone with a snowplow or a police car or something. She debated internally whether she should try to run or ask whoever it was to help her out. Riding with strangers in the middle of nowhere usually wouldn't seem to be a good idea. But with her options here it certainly seemed like the best way to faire, even if he'd mean her harm. At least it would be over sooner and hopefully less agonizing than freezing to death. So she finally turned around wearily.

He wasn't sure at first if she'd even heard him and was about to make himself known again as she finally turned to look at him. Once he saw her face, he stopped dead in his tracks as did she. Both of them completely caught off guard.

"Bella?" He finally managed to gasp. She stared at him confused and squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head. When she opened them again, she groaned in frustration grabbing her head with her sleeve covered hands. "Great, now I'm hallucinating!" And with that she turned back around and started trudging through the snow again.

He was still staring at her baffled and it took him a moment to understand what she was saying. "What? No, Bella you're not!" He quickly cut the engine and got out of the car to catch up with her. "You're not hallucinating Bella. I'm really here." He grabbed her shoulders and turned her around to face him, taking in her appearance. Her lips were blue, she was shaking furiously, her breathing was quick and shallow and she looked exhausted. She seemed to have been out in the cold for some time now.

"What happened?" he whispered concerned. She stilled looked at him skeptically, and shook her head again but answered none the less. "Mmm c-car g-g-got st-stuck." He nodded and put an arm around her to navigate her to the Jeep. "Get in." He ordered holding open the passenger side door for her and taking her bag from her shoulder.

Bella hesitated a moment before she realized that she didn't have much of a choice here. If she really was hallucinating, she might as well embrace it and make her death just a tiny little bit more bearable. But if he really was here and not just a product of her imagination, he was probably the best thing that could have come at her. Well honestly the second best, which made the possibility that he really was here that much more likely because her imagination would surely have made her see someone else. And so she did as he told her and struggled to get into the car.

He noticed her struggles and lifted her into the seat before throwing her bag in the back seat and retrieving a thermal blanket. Then he got back behind the steering wheel, turned on the heat and the seat heating system, while tucking the blanked over her shivering form. When he caught her gaze he stopped in his tracks.

She looked so tiny, fragile and tired. It made his unbeating heart sting in his chest. Her head rested against the seat and she gazed in his direction, a small smile forming on her lips. "A-a-always w-w-wondered if I w-w-would ever see one of y-you again." she whispered almost inaudible and he returned her smile.

"Where were you going?" he asked.

Her gaze wandered off to the distance. "W-was s-supposed to spend Chri-chri- christmas with my r-r-roommate and her f-f-family up in M-m-massena, b-b-but c-c-car ..." She took a deep breath. Talking so much was pretty exhausting. "F-f-figured I'd w-w-walk ... next m-motel or s-s-something." She sighed and looked at him apologetically. "S-s-sorry to b-b-bother you. J-just d-drop me off at s-some m-motel." she finished.

He didn't wanna argue with her right now and the way she looked she would soon be asleep anyways, so he let that slide. But there was now way he would drop her off at some motel at Christmas eve after he finally found her again.

He parked the car in the garage and turned to look at the sleeping form beside him. He reached out to brush away the bangs that had fallen in her face. She was still slightly hypothermic. Then he got out of the car, walked over to the passenger side door and scooped her tiny frame up in his arms.

As he stepped into the living room with her in his arms Rosalie and Emmet turned to stare at him in disbelieve. The lights were dimmed and they were snuggled up on the couch watching a movie. "What ... ah ...?" Emmet stammered.

He walked past them up the stairs while explaining. "I found her out on the road. We need to warm her up." When he reached the top of the stairs Esme was standing in the doorway of their bedroom, gazing at him in shocked confusion. "Put her in our bed. I'll get some extra blankets." She ordered and was already on her way.

He laid her down on the bed and brushed the hair from her face absentmindedly. Then Rosalie was standing beside him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Esme and I will put some dry clothes on her." She stated. He nodded and left the room to give them some privacy and to retrieve Bella's bag from the car.

Esme also brought some of Alice's clothes. Bella looked almost as tiny as her now. After they had changed and covered her with some extra blankets, they left her to rest and retreaded to the living room where Emmet and Carlisle were waiting.

"Where are the others?" Carlisle spoke up embracing Esme.

"Out hunting." Rosalie answered. "But I'm sure they'll be back any minute now. Alice ought to have seen."

He nodded. "What's gonna happen now?" Esme asked looking up at him.

"I don't know."

"Did she say anything? How did she react?" Emmet demanded.

"Not much. She was going to spend Christmas with her roommate's family in Massena, but her car got stuck in the snow somewhere. That's all I know so far. I think she was glad to see me. Or maybe she was just relieved that she didn't have to die out there. I'm not sure." Carlisle explained.

"Well, I guess we'll just have to wait for her to wake up then." Rosalie concluded.

Then suddenly the front door flew open and Edward was standing in the living room, looking around frantically. "Where is she?" he demanded. Rosalie smirked. Like she had predicted. "Up in our room." Carlisle answered as Alice and Jasper stormed through the door and Edward raced upstairs. "But she's asleep and she needs to rest." Edward turned around looking at them exasperated. "Give her some time to rest, Edward." Esme chided him. He nodded and entered the room quietly trying to suppress his excitement. He could wait a few more hours.

Alice faced her family beaming. "She won't wake up till the morning. We can make her hot chocolate and some cinnamon rolls for breakfast. You know that recipe from the cooking show we saw yesterday? Im sure shell love it." she squealed almost bouncing.

As Carlisle glanced around he noted that it had been years since he had seen his family in such a light mood.

A/N: Revised again.