Traditional. [Jasper Hale]

vi. The Chase

Florence, Jasper, Carlisle, and Rosalie ran all the way to the treaty line where the trio disappeared behind the trees.

"Dammit," Florence muttered out, "What now?"

Jasper sighed, "Now, we go back to the house and meet Edward and Bella there."

Florence's enhanced hearing picks up on the crunches the vampires made when their feet connected with twigs, snapping them effectively in half. It took upwards of two minutes to make it back to the Cullen's house which was effectively hidden from the outside world by the trees that towered over the modern house.

The quartet entered the garage just as Laurent was exiting. Florence's protective side snapped in as she crouched in a ready-to-attack position. Jasper held her back as soon as he read Laurent's emotions and saw that he had no malicious thoughts in mind. He held both of her hands behind her back, "He's apologetic, Flor. He's not here to harm."

Laurent nodded viciously, "I was just leaving."

Florence put her spread legs back together, standing up to her full height once more. She nodded to the garage door, "As you were."

Laurent nodded and cautiously passed by Florence as he made his way back to the wooded area.

As Florence, Jasper, Carlisle, and Rosalie fully stepped into the garage, they caught the very end of Edward's declaration, "I'm going to run Bella south, and then lead the tracker away from here."

"What?" Florence scoffed, "So James can follow you? Edward, James is a tracker, and you have made this the funnest hunting experience with your ardent passion for Bella. He will know that you won't want to leave her side. You will just be giving him two people to track instead of one. Why don't we make his job easier, huh?"

Alice spoke up from behind Florence, "I'll go with Bella. Jasper and I will drive her south."

Florence tried to contain the feeling of jealousy that started bubbling up in her stomach, but it was still there and very present. She wasn't idiotic, she had discovered Jasper's pathokinesis ability quite quickly, so she was very aware that he could easily read how she felt. Because of this, she tried to suppress them, but that was easier said than done. 

Jasper smirked, knowing that Florence had become jealous over nothing. Alice was his best friend, nothing more, nothing less. Alice had even predicted Florence's arrival, and she told Jasper of her importance in his life. 

Edward still looked unconvinced, so Alice spoke up in reassurance, "I'll keep her safe, Edward."

"Can you keep your thoughts to yourself?" Edward snarled, alluding to her visions of the future.

Alice rolled her eyes. She was odd, not dumb, "Yes."

Jasper and Alice began readying the car they were going to take as Bella still stood by Edward.

Edward began pulling shirts and jackets out of Bella's overnight bag, "Rosalie, Esme, and Florence - could you put these on so that the tracker will pick up Bella's scent?"

Florence got tossed a puffy white snow coat just as Rosalie scoffed, "Why? What is she to me?"

"Rosalie," Esme began in a chastising manner, "Bella is with Edward. She is a part of this family now."

Carlisle spoke up from his spot beside his wife, "And we protect family."

Rosalie surrenders as she picks up the jacket she threw on the floor, shoving her arms through it. With that, Carlisle opened the garage doors. The massive white metal doors squeaked as they opened up to reveal the nature that resided just twenty feet away. Carlisle squeezed Edward's shoulders in a reassuring way before leading his wife towards the SUV they were going to be taking. 

The rest of the family, including Florence, climbed into separate cars. Florence ended up in the backseat of Emmett's Jeep with Rosalie riding shotgun as Edward and Bella spoke before departing.

Florence was eavesdropping with her above average hearing, and she heard Bella speak her worries, "If any of you get hurt because of me -"

Edward cut her off, "We won't. There are six of us and only two of them."

After a moment of uncertain silence, Edward spoke up again, "When all this is done, I'll come get you."

Bella nodded, unsure of what to say, before Edward pulled her even closer than she was, their chests touching, "Bella - you are my life now."

"Well, that's a bit intense for the first date, huh?" Florence spoke up, causing the car's passengers to chuckle at the comedic relief. 

Edward playfully glared at her before allowing Bella to sit in the back of Jasper's Mercedes. He closed the door just as the rest of the cars peeled out of the garage.

Emmett pulled the car to the edge of the road as the passengers got out. Florence playfully began stretching. 

Rosalie laughed, "What the hell are you doing?"

"Oh!" Florence began in mock surprise, "Well, you know, I figured if I was going to endanger my life for a girl I just met, I might as well stretch first. Get that lactic acid moving, y'know?"

Edward has learned not to take what Florence says to heart, so he brushes it off with a small chuckle, "Are you guys ready?"

"Hell yea!" Emmett yells.

"Race 'ya to the finish line, Bear," Florence snorted to Emmett as all four vampires got in their running position. 

"You're on, Twig," Emmett bantered back.

With that, all four began running through the woods they tracked James to. Edward was far ahead of the other three with his unusually quick speed. Rosalie and Florence occasionally stopped to rip pieces of Bella's sweaters off and hang them in random places around the area to keep her smell lingering in the area. Emmett barrelled through the woods as Edward paused trying to read James's thoughts.

They continued to barrel further into the forest, hoping that their ploy would be successful in tricking their opponent. 

James's blonde hair was pulled back as he followed Bella's scent into the forest the quartet was running through. He passed by a billowing maple tree, pleased by smelling Bella's strong scent, knowing he was going the right way. He was about twenty feet away from the tree when he lost her scent. Backtracking, he walked slowly back to the maple tree. 

He saw a grey piece of torn fabric hanging from the second branch. Scrunching his face up in anger, he changed his course to go back towards the south. 

Nice effort, Cullens.

***

(UNEDITED)

(1,054 WORDS)