Disclaimer: Owned and operated by Stephenie Meyer.

Dedication: Normally this would be to a person, like my beta reader. But since this story came about in a very off-the-wall way, I have to dedicate it to Studio (c) who makes blue liquid pens, since it is thanks to them that this thing ever got from my head to the paper.

AN: This was my entry for Het_Big_Bang over at LiveJournal. It clocked in at 43,000 words and change. Completely unintentionally, I promise you. This story really just did write itself. A chapter a day until it's all uploaded!

'How strange, I really went to Italy. Did you know I'd never been farther east than Albuquerque?'
~Bella, New Moon

Bella reached out her hand to stop the elevator doors as they slid shut, but at the last second her clumsiness appeared and she stumbled. Instead of throwing a hand between the closing doors, her instincts caused her to throw both arms out to prevent a headlong fall towards the ground. Her hands came to rest with a slap on either side of the now closed doors.

Bella let out a sob, pressing her forehead against the cold metal.

'Bella?' Jasper's voice spoke softly from just behind her shoulder.

She took a deep breath, struggling to hold back the tears that threatened to escape. She would never get away now. Edward would be there soon and Jasper and Alice wouldn't take their eyes off of her until then. And James...James would kill her mother when Bella didn't call. It wasn't her he wanted, but Bella didn't think for a second that that would matter to him if he was thirsty.

'Bella, where were you going?' Jasper's voice wasn't accusing, but he could feel the waves of despair flooding through her. It was nearly overwhelming his senses. He sent a wave of calm to her in response, but Bella was far too upset for it to do much good.

'Come on, Bella,' he said and put a cold hand on her arm. Bella openly flinched and Jasper recoiled immediately. 'Edward will be here soon,' he said instead, hoping that that would soothe her.

She took another forced breath before turning around to face him. 'Yes,' she agreed and headed back to where they had left Alice at the arrivals board.

The look on the pixie's face told Bella all she needed to know. The vision had changed. Alice rushed forward as soon as she caught sight of them. 'Bella! Bella, what happened? Didn't you find anything you liked?' It was an innocuous question, but since Alice didn't know that Bella knew about her previous vision, it was clear she was trying to be subtle.

'No,' Bella admitted, sidestepping the lie.

Jasper and Alice exchanged a significant look and a very hurried conversation. Bella couldn't make out a single word.

'Bella,' Alice started in a calming voice. 'Why did you try to leave? Were you –' but her voice stopped suddenly. It was clear that she had figured it out without having to ask. 'Bella, my vision changed. But only after your mom called. Bella, were you trying to go to her?'

Bella sighed heavily. She might as well come clean, since she wasn't going to be able to fulfil James' request. And maybe, just maybe, there was something they could do. Maybe James would leave Renée alone to continue on the hunt.

'It was James. He has my mom.' Alice gasped softly. 'He said if I didn't do what he wanted – get away from you – he'd kill her.' As Bella finished the rushed explanation, Alice started to frown.

'Bella, my vision just changed again. I don't see you in it anymore. But I haven't seen your mother at all. In any of the visions. Are you sure James has her?'

'Of course! I heard her calling me when he was on the phone! She came back early, to the house, and he found her there! That's where he called from.' The tears were creeping back again and Bella was having a harder time fighting them off.

On the arrivals board above them, the flight from Seattle popped up as ARRIVED. Bella didn't notice.

'Bella!' Alice's clear ringing voice cut through the hysteria that threatened to overwhelm her. Cold hands grasped her face until Bella had no choice but to look Alice in the eye. 'Bella, I need you to listen to me. I can see James. In the ballet studio and at your house. I could see you there too, but that's changed now. But I have not seen your mother.' She pronounced these last words as slowly and clearly as possible.

Bella blinked at her, confused. 'But I heard her on the phone; she was there.'

'No Bella,' Alice stated matter-of-factly. 'I don't know how James managed it, but he cannot have your mother. I would have seen her Bella. I've been looking! Your mother is safe. She's probably still in Jacksonville.'

Bella took a gasping breath and tried to calm herself, to give herself the chance to believe that Alice could be right. A wave of forced calm flowed through her and she cast a grateful look at Jasper, still standing quietly beside her. Her heart beat was slowing; her gasping breaths finally drawing air into her starved lungs.

And then, unlooked for, Edward was there. Bella's tears returned tenfold as she collapsed into his arms, sobbing so hard she could barely breathe again. Her feet moved of their own accord and then her legs hit a solid object and Edward pressed her down into a hard plastic seat, still holding her tightly. She clung to his shirt, unable to let go.

She had no idea how much time passed. When she came back to herself, Edward was still there, solidly holding her. Around them the ebb and flow of the busy airport continued. Alice, Emmett and Carlisle stood nearby, and Jasper arrived back as Bella was wiping the tears from her now red eyes.

'You need to go.' He flashed three pieces of paper that looked suspiciously like airline tickets. 'I've checked you in. The flight leaves in twenty minutes. They're already calling final boarding.'

'Bella,' Edward's soothing voice startled her. She had been focused on what Jasper was saying. 'Bella, we need to go.' His hand was under her arm, pulling her up on shaking legs, grabbing her bag and the tickets from Jasper. He kept her arm tightly locked in his. 'We need to hurry.'

There was no goodbye. No discussion. Perhaps they had gone through everything while she was breaking down in Edward's arms. He was tugging her along now, almost at a jog as they raced through the terminal to the escalators and down to the departure level. By some quirk of fate there was no back log at security. Edward dumped her bag on the scanner belt, bending down to tug her shoes off and then pushed her forward through the metal detector. She was half aware of Carlisle's presence behind her and wondered briefly where Emmett was. Hadn't he been supposed to come with them too?

And then they were through, no questions asked, tugging on shoes and speeding down the length of the terminal towards the gate. They arrived with seconds to spare. It looked like the attendant was just starting to close the doors.

'We've been calling final boarding for twenty minutes, sir,' she said to Edward. She sounded politely annoyed.

'My apologies,' Edward flashed her a dazzling smile and her annoyance dissolved instantly. 'One of those days; I'm sure you understand.'

'Yes, of course,' she stammered. 'Can I have your tickets?' Edward handed them over.

'All in order, sir,' she said after the briefest glance at the papers. 'On you go then and enjoy your flight!'

Edward spared her another half smile before they passed through the doors and down the ramp to the plane.

Bella found her voice at last. 'Edward, where are we going?'

He glanced at her as they neared the still open door of the plane at the end of the boarding ramp. 'Washington,' he said.

'Home?' Bella asked, confused.

'No,' Edward said, guiding her onto the plane in front of him. 'Washington, D.C.'

'Okay,' she responded. Another flight attendant had taken the tickets Edward held out to her and was showing them to their seats, only two rows down.

'Edward –' Bella started again.

'Last seats left,' he answered before she could finish, but he was smiling crookedly. She couldn't help but smile back.

It wasn't a small plane but Jasper had managed to get the seats together in a row: two along one side of the aisle and a single on the other. Edward shoved Bella's bag and another brown leather satchel she didn't recognise into the overhead bin and pushed Bella down into the window seat, taking the aisle himself.

Carlisle settled into the seat across the aisle. As the flight attendant walked passed them to check that everything was secure, Edward stopped her. 'A glass of juice as soon as you get the chance, please.' He flashed another significant look her way.

'Of course sir!' she exclaimed, and instead of continuing her check she turned back to the First Class kitchen to pour a glass of orange juice. Edward accepted it from her gratefully.

'Drink, Bella,' he said as he set the glass in her hand. She was still slightly shaken from the shock of everything, so he didn't let go of the glass until she had both hands wrapped around the cold crystal and the rim at her lips. The sudden rush of sugar helped, and it was at least something in her empty stomach. It had been too long since she had last eaten.

When the glass was empty, Edward took it from her. 'Better?' She nodded and then blushed red as her stomach rumbled. Apparently the juice had been just enough to remind her body how hungry it was.

'As soon as we are airborne we'll get you something to eat, Bella.' Carlisle's voice was strong and calming from across the aisle. Bella leaned around Edward to look at him. 'How are you feeling?' he asked.

It was such a normal question from Carlisle, even though Edward had just inquired the same thing.

She didn't have an answer for either of them. 'I don't know. Alice said he –' Bella stopped herself. They were on a crowded plane with too many people who might overhear. She pitched her voice as low as she could, knowing that even in the hubbub of the plane her two companions would be able to hear. 'He called me and he had her. I know her voice, but Alice said she can't be there; that she hasn't seen her in any of her visions.'

'I saw what she saw, Bella,' Edward whispered into her ear. 'When we land you can call her again. But Alice and Jasper are staying in Phoenix. If your mother shows up, they will keep her safe.'

Bella decided to let it go for the moment. 'Why are we going to Washington?' Bella asked, slightly louder this time. It seemed a safe enough question for their plane mates to overhear. She was suddenly exhausted and wanted to lie down.

'It was the next flight leaving that still had seats available,' Edward told her with a shrug she felt against her shoulder. Her eyes were starting to slide closed of their own accord. Below her she could feel the movement of the plane as it taxied onto the runway. 'We won't stay there, at least not for long.' Edward's voice softened above her head, which now rested on his shoulder. It wasn't the best pillow, but she needed the contact. She felt a soft pressure on her hair. He had kissed her head like he always did. 'You need to sleep, Bella. Alice said you've been awake since two this morning.'

'I went to bed at six yesterday,' she muttered in protest. It seemed important.

'I know,' he chuckled against her. 'But you've had a shock this morning and your body has been running on adrenaline since we left the baseball field. You need the rest. It's a long flight. At least try to get some sleep,' he pleaded.

'Okay,' she whispered back, giving up the fight. Bella was asleep before the plane even took off.

It turned out to be only a short nap, though it did help. The sound of a nearby coughing fit woke her just thirty minutes later. For a moment Bella wasn't sure where she was. She knew she was leaning against Edward, but it took a moment of confusion before she remembered the airport and then getting on the plane. Abruptly, she was wide awake.

'Hey,' Edward said beside her.

'How long?'

'Not long enough. Are you still hungry? I'd like you to try to eat.'

The flight attendant was just starting to hand out covered trays of food in First Class.

'Yeah.' She blinked a few times to clear the sleep from her eyes and sat up straight. Edward accepted a loaded tray from the attendant. Bella had never flown First Class before and was surprised to see the real china dishes and coffee cup. Edward held the tray with ease in one hand while unfolding the tray table from the armrest with the other.

Bella took a moment to admire the food, completely ignoring the rest of Edward's exchange with the server. A Coke appeared on the tray in place of the coffee cup, and then a glass of water.

Bella was just about to start eating when the man in the seat in front of them started coughing again. Edward looked unhappy.

'Drink both of those.' He gestured to the Coke and water. 'I don't want you dehydrated.'

After the first bite of chicken in mushroom sauce with rice, Bella dug in. It was surprisingly good for airline food, but even if it hadn't been she was now too hungry to care. There were some mixed veggies too, with a shrimp salad on the side and vanilla cake for dessert. Bella didn't stop until the last crumb was gone.

Edward was smiling at her, enthralled as usual by watching her eat. 'Better?' he asked again.

This time she answered, 'Yes. I didn't realise how hungry I was.'

'Not eating breakfast will do that.' He reached a hand up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. 'You should sleep again; we still have most of the flight left.'

'I can sleep when we get to D.C. Will you tell me what happened?' Her voice dropped to a whisper again. 'You said on the phone that you tracked James to Vancouver before he doubled back. Why? How did he know I'd gone to Phoenix?'

'Alice didn't tell you?' He seemed surprised. Bella shook her head. 'I think it was Victoria that tipped him off. Either way, it didn't take as long for him to realise he was on the wrong trail as we thought. Victoria broke into the school to find your records. As soon as James realised he was following a false lead, he remembered hearing you say you were going back to Phoenix. At first he hadn't believed it, but when he couldn't find you he took the chance. He wasn't positive though, until we caught the flight in Seattle. Then he knew for certain you were here. That's when he called you, right?' Bella nodded. 'It might be a while before he realises you aren't meeting him. That gives Alice and Jasper time to track him.'

'Noon,' she said.

'What?'

'He told me I had until noon or he'd –' Bella stumbled over the last words, trying to remind herself that Alice said they couldn't be true. Her mother was fine, probably still safe in Florida with Phil.

'That still gives them time. He might call again when you don't meet him. It will give Alice and Jasper a place to start. Don't worry, Bella; you're safe now. The others will take care of James and Victoria.'

'Is that why Emmett stayed behind instead of, um, Carlisle?' She looked across the aisle to find that he was watching her, listening to the whispered conversation too quiet for anyone else to hear.

'Yes, Bella,' Carlisle replied for Edward.

'Also,' Edward drew her focus back to him with a smile, 'considering what a trouble magnet you are, I thought it might be better to have Carlisle with us. Just in case.'

Bella glared at him, but the statement made Carlisle smile. 'Better safe than sorry,' he said, glancing in front of Bella to the first row and the man who was clearly sick. He was probably just suffering from a cold and she wasn't quite so delicate as to be a walking magnet for every cold virus in the world.

'I did fine with Alice and Jasper,' she argued, feeling the need to defend them.

'We're on the run now, Bella and I'll do anything I can to keep you safe,' Edward told her.

'And where will we run to? For how long? Sooner or later my mom's going to realise I'm not in Phoenix where I said I'd be. And Charlie knows I'm not in Forks. What happens then, Edward?' she demanded, annoyance and fear raising her voice louder than necessary.

'Quietly, Bella,' Edward cautioned her. It made her feel like a scolded child, but she dropped her voice anyway, knowing they shouldn't be overheard. 'It won't take that long. We'll get you back to Forks soon enough,' Edward went on.

'That's not what you said before,' she pointed out.

Edward was clearly losing patience with her. Suddenly he sighed. 'Carlisle's going to switch places with me. You need to stop asking questions and rest, and I need to plan. We can't stay in D.C.; it will be too easy for James to track us. I don't think it will be long before he realises you got on this plane. But I'm hoping that he doesn't know who is with you or how many.' Edward leaned away from her before rising. Within a second he was sitting down across the aisle and his father was beside her instead.

'Edward, I can sleep just fine with you here.' She motioned to Carlisle's occupied seat. 'Better, probably.'

Edward smiled sweetly at her and for a second she forgot how to breathe. 'Just sleep, Bella,' his voice broke the gaze and she drew a deep break. He exchanged a significant look with his father.

'Bella,' Carlisle started, 'your body needs rest. We may be moving quite a bit in the next few days and sleep will not be easy for you to come by. Please, see if you can rest for a few hours before we land. You will feel better for it.'

Objectively she knew they were right. She was still quite tired, but she also had a million questions she wanted answered as well. Still, it wasn't likely she was going to win an argument against two vampires.

'Wake me before we land?' she asked Carlisle. He nodded at her. Lacking Edward's cold shoulder to lean her head against she decided with some embarrassment, to use his father's instead. It felt almost the same.

Bella concentrated on slowing her breathing and focusing her still tense body to relax. It took a concerted effort, but before long exhaustion took hold and she fell back to sleep.