"Bells. Did he hurt you?" Charlie asked in concern.
"No, Dad." Bella said.
"Then what? Did he break up with you?" Charlie is now very confused at why his daughter is acting this way.
"I broke up with him." Bella admits.
"I thought you liked him?" Charlie said. Why couldn't he just get a straight forward answer from his eldest child like he could his youngest.
Why was being a father to his eldest teenage daughter harder than being a father to his youngest teenage daughter? What was the difference?
"That's why I have to leave. I don't want this. I want to go home." Bella said.
Charlie was confused. She was leaving because she liked the Cullen boy too much?
What did that even mean?
"I'll be in the truck." Edward whispered to Bella.
And he disappears out the window. Bella gathers strength to continue her performance. She opens the door to reveal Charlie.
He follows as she carries her duffle and truck keys.
Bella charges down the stairs -- Charlie follows.
"Your mother's not even in Phoenix." Charlie tries to remind his daughter.
"She'll come home. I'll call her from the road." Bella said, having no intention of getting her involved besides maybe a phone call telling her that she was traveling.
"You can't drive home now. I'll take you to the airport in the morning." Charlie said hoping that by having her stay the night he could get her to eventually change her mind about leaving and decide to stay. Or maybe Josie could get her to stay.
"I want to drive. I need time to think. I'll pull into a motel in a few hours. I promise." Bella said.
She heads down the stairs. Charlie follows..
Bella reaches the ground floor with Charlie on her heels.
She's almost to the door but Charlie blocks her.
"Bells, I know I'm not around much, but I can change that. We can do more things together." Charlie pleads with his daughter. He had just got her back, he didn't want her to leave so soon.
She takes a breath, hating herself for what she's about to say...
"Like watch more baseball on the flat screen? Or go to the Coffee Shop? Same people, same steak, same berry cobbler every night? That's you, Dad, Not me." Bella said.
This hits Charlie hard. She can barely stand it, heading down the stairs, as he takes a second to recover...
"Bella... I just got you girls back." Charlie said. The pain in his voice stops her.
Which breaks Bella's heart... and forces her to deliver the final blow.
"And if I don't get out now, I'm going to get stuck here like mom did."
"What about your sister? Josie." Charlie said, delivering his last and final plea. Bella pauses, which gives Charlie a bit of hope.
"Josie seems to like Forks, she's happier than I've ever seen her, she's fallen in love and I think it'll last. She'd never want to leave. She's a lot like you in that regard." Bella said.
Charlie is stunned, wounded. She takes advantage of his shock, pushing past him out the door.
Bella exits, heads to her truck. Fresh tears spring to her eyes.
ANGLE ON THE WOODS
Trees, branches... and a pair of DEADLY EYES. James. He watches from a distance as Bella pulls out. The truck moves off... and
so does James, leaving Charlie alone with his pain, staring out the window.
Not seeing the vicious and deadly giant wolf following him as he leaves.
The wolf seems pissed, not only at the rogue vampire, but also at her twin sister for causing their father pain.
She gets that Bella had to leave for Charlie's sake, but did she have to break his heart by using the exact same words their mother did when she asked for a divorce and then took them away from their father and left the state?
Josie decided to follow the rogue nomad targeting her sister.
Her sense of smell and hearing heightened to the max as she raced across the forest following him.
Bella drives, wiping tears away. Suddenly Edward is outside the car, near Bella's window.
"He'll forgive you." Edward said.
He sees Bella's startled look at his appearance and slides over.
Bella slides over to the passenger side as Edward opens the door, sliding in, and takes the wheel. Bella slumps.
"His face... I said the same words my mother had used when she left him." Bella admits. Upset with herself and what she had said to her father, already regretting them.
"It was the only way he'd let you go." Edward said, trying to make Bella happier, not liking how upset she was.
Edward floors it.
"Your father's safe now, Bella. The tracker is following us."
Suddenly, BOOM! - a dark figure LEAPS onto the bed of the truck. Bella SCREAMS.
"It's alright. It's just Emmett. Alice is in the car behind us." Edward tells the human after seeing just how startled she was.
She catches her breath. It kills him to see her so frightened.
She looks out the window as they drive through town.
The small, insulated town passes by in SLOW MOTION... INSIDE we SEE Mike, Jessica, Eric and Angela laughing, flirting, innocent, hopeful... Not knowing all the drama that happens in the small town.
The supernatural drama that is.
Edward, Emmett and Alice rush Bella from the truck to the house... but they froze when the door opens and Laurent exits. They immediately take defensive positions but Dr. Cullen appears.
"He came to warn us. About James." Carlisle explained. Trying to calm them down, knowing that his children were willing to tear him apart right now with how much tension was surrounding the group.
They back down slightly. Laurent address Dr. Cullen.
"I've grown tired of his games. But he's got unparalleled senses. Absolutely lethal. I've never seen anything like him in three hundred years ... And the woman, Victoria,
will back him. Don't underestimate her." Laurent said.
Edward seems angry at this but suddenly a figure zooms in and Edward smirked upon seeing their ace in the hole of a power player.
Josie was suddenly in front of Edward growling upon seeing Laurent.
Edward smirks upon hearing the man's scared thoughts.
"Don't underestimate us." Josie said her voice was deeper than usual, more animal-like.
The girl is suddenly beside Carlisle before Laurent can think another thought.
Laurent finally gets a good whiff of her and can place her scent not only all over all the other vampires, but also the house and the human girl.
Laurent frowns, this girl seems the most like a vampire with her very possessive nature and marking her territory than these animal feeders. He ponders about what makes her seem the most dangerous to his inner beast.
Dr. Cullen nods thanks. Laurent looks at Edward, apologetic.
"I'm truly sorry for what's been unleashed here." Laurent said with remorse in his voice and on his face.
And he moves off, disappearing into the woods.
The side door BURSTS OPEN as Edward and the Cullens enter, followed by Bella. The lights flip on to reveal a pristine garage; the Volvo, the red BMW, a black Mercedes sedan, Josie's own car, and an SUV.
Everyone but Rosalie and Josie springs into action, opening cupboards for supplies - cell phones, extra batteries, maps, portable GPS units, changes of clothes, cans of gasoline, etc. As they load up the vehicles.
Josie is quickly pulled into Rosalie's arms, the blond vampire scenting the brunette hybrid.
"I've had to fight our kind before. We're hard to kill." Jasper admits.
"But not impossible. We'll tear him up." Edward said, sounding assured.
"We'll rip him apart with our hands, then burn the pieces." Emmett said.
"I don't relish killing another creature. Even a sadistic one like James." Carlisle said with a frown.
"It has to be done, I don't like him threatening us or those close to us." Caroline said, a scowl on her face. Not necessarily worried for Bella, but more so Josie, since Josie is Bella's twin and this could affect the hybrid badly if her twin suddenly dies.
"If he doesn't get to one of us first." Rosalie is the first to bring up the possibility.
"This is insane. You can't put yourselves in danger like this - for me." Bella said horrified. The situation finally hitting her as they speak about getting rid of James.
Her life was in danger.
"Too late." Rosalie snarks.
Josie sent a look at her and Rosalie backs down.
Edward shoots Rosalie a look, but he grabs two sets of keys off a hook, throwing one set, lightning fast, to Dr. Cullen
"I'll run Bella south, while you lead the tracker away." Edward said.
"No, Edward -- the tracker thinks you won't leave Bella. He'll follow you." Carlisle said, coming up with his own plan.
"I'll go with Bella. Jasper and I will drive her south." Alice said. It seems like the best plan for the rest of the coven as they nod towards her.
"I'll keep her safe, Edward." Alice promised her brother.
Edward agonizes. Frustrated. Alice steps forward.
Edward studies her, torn. Should he agree with the plan or hide Bella away himself.
"Can you keep your thoughts to yourself?" Edward asked with a glare.
Not liking her thoughts of turning the girl. He didn't want her to become a soulless monster like him.
Josie rolls her eyes, the longer this takes, the more likely her twin will die.
She nods. An unspoken agreement. Edward finally surrenders his keys to Alice. Then he opens one of Bella's suitcases, pulling out clothes, tossing them to his mother and sister.
"Esme, Rosalie, put these on so the tracker will pick up Bella's scent." Edward demands.
Josie snarls at his demanding tone, stepping forward, her inner wolf demanding her to put down this boy for disrespecting her mate.
Edward backs up, a bit scared.
Esme sets a calming hand on the girl's chest and Josie snaps out of her brief feral stare, shaking her head.
She really needed to get control of her vampire and wolf sides.
"Why should I? What is she to me? Just a danger you've inflicted on us." Rosalie said dropping the clothes onto the ground.
Carlisle spins towards her with a disapproving frown.
"Rosalie. Bella is with Edward. She's a part of this family now. And we protect our family. Plus she is Josie's twin." Carlisle said, trying to reason with the blond girl.
"Fine, but I'm doing this for Josie, not her." Rosalie said, making it clear once again that she didn't care for the other Swan girl.
She glowers, but picks up the clothes. Dr. Cullen hits the door opener and the massive METAL DOORS roll open. Dr. Cullen squeezes Edward's shoulder before he and Esme climb into the SUV. Everyone finishes loading up, climbing in cars.
Amid this, Edward and Bella take a moment together.
If any of you get hurt because of me, god forbid Josie or you get hurt..." Bella trails off thinking of all the possibilities that could happen.
"We won't, there are eight of us, two of them. When it's done, I'll come get you." Edward promises.
He pulls her closer, looking into her eyes.
"You're my life now." Edward whispers.
They drink each other in, possibly for the last time... as the SUV PEELS out, WIPING THE FRAME.
The sun begins to rise on the empty road as a sleek, black mercedes sedan with dark tinted windows BLASTS through frame.
Jasper drives, Alice in the passenger seat. Bella is in the back, her eyes were red from crying. She talks on her cell phone.
"Mom, it's me again. You must have let your phone die. Anyway, I'm not in Forks anymore but I'm okay. I'll explain when you call." Bella promises as she gets the voicemail once again.
She hangs up, then faces back out the window, watching the green, misty Olympic Peninsula speed past. Off Bella's face -
A SERIES OF DISSOLVES THROUGHOUT THE DAY, THEN THE NIGHT
-- show us the landscape as it changes from dark green forests to stretches of grassy hillsides, to drier, browner
surroundings, until night falls and headlights lights flash
by us. Finally, we landed in...
We switch back to Josie's pov
Trees blow past us at a blinding speed as we track Edward, Rosalie, and Emmett who dart in and out of frame, blasting through the misty woods, Edward, the fastest, in the lead.
Edward stops, trying to read his enemy's thoughts. Rosalie tears a tiny swatch of her shirt, leaves it on a flowering
maple tree. And then they're gone.
Esme and Dr. Cullen crouch atop a hill, looking down at the river. In the distance, below, they SEE
-
THEIR POV - ON THE LAKE - Victoria jogs into view. She then looks in their direction. Once Dr. Cullen and Esme are assured she has their scent, they continue over the hill's crest.
James blasts past the flowering maple -- then stops, backtracks to the tree, finds the tiny swatch of fabric. He starts off again...
but stops, smells the fabric. Something's not right. He runs back in the opposite direction... Uh oh...
Switch to Bella's pov
Her eyes pop open. She's lying atop a bed, fully clothed. She rises, reorienting.
INT. Scottsdale HOTEL - LIVING ROOM - LATE AFTERNOON
The blinds are pulled. Alice and Jasper stare blankly at a T.V. set. Several plates of food crowd a table. Alice looks up as Bella enters, looking at her cell phone.
"I wish he'd call." Bella said with a frown on her face.
"You should eat." Alice said trying to distract her.
But Bella ignores the food. She sits heavily.
"They could get hurt. It's not worth it." Bella said.
She was scared of all the possibilities that could happen.
One of Edward's family members could die and it would be all her fault.
Edward would resent her forever if this happened.
Or Josie could die, she'd lose her twin, the person who's been at her side her whole life. They may not get along all the time, but if Bella were to lose Josie, she's not sure what she'd do.
Losing Josie would break her.
"Yes. It is." Jasper says insistent
She's taken aback. It's the first time he's engaged with her.
"Edward's changed since he found you. And none of us want to look into his eyes for the next hundred years if he loses you." Jasper said he looks forward again.
"It's worth it." Jasper said again.
Suddenly, Alice REELS. Jasper goes to her, Bella follows.
"What do you see?" Jasper asked his mate.
"The tracker. He just changed course." Alice said worriedly.
Jasper quickly sets a pad of paper and pencil in front of her.
"Where will it take him, Alice?" Jasper asked.
PUSH IN ON Alice's face as we- FLASH POP TO - JAMES
A disorienting vision of him standing in a room full of...
"Mirrors. It's a room of mirrors." Alice said as she finally got the full picture.
Alice begins to draw at HYPER SPEED, closing her eyes, trying to see it clearly.
"How do the visions work? Edward said they weren't always certain." Bella said remembering her talk with Edward on all the gifts in the coven.
Only half of them really had one.
"She sees the course people are on, while they're on it. If they change their minds, the visions change." Jasper explained his wife's ability.
Bella looks over Alice's shoulder to see the drawing.
"So the course James is on now will lead him to... a ballet studio?" Bella asked, knowing where the studio was.
Alice looks up at her.
"You've been here?" Alice asked.
"No. I don't know. Josie and I used to take ballet lessons as a kid. The school had an arch like that. Josie did it for far longer than I did before she got into soccer and horseback riding. It helped her with ice skating." Bella admits.
"Was your school here in Phoenix?" Jasper asked, a hundred thoughts going through his brain on what James could be planning.
"Yeah, around the corner from my house. But I haven't been there in ten years. Josie hasn't for like five. I don't know why he'd pick there." Bella said.
"Do you have any reason to go now?" Jasper asked.
"No. Hell, no. I hated the place." Bella admitted to the pair.
Alice and Jasper share a look, trying to figure this out.
Suddenly, Bella JUMPS as her cell phone RINGS. She picks it up. Sees the caller I.D. and exhales relief. She answers..
"Edward. Are you alright?" Bella asked worriedly.
Edward's pov
Dr. Cullen drives the Jeep, fast, Emmett in the back, Edward in the passengers set on his phone.
"I'm coming to get you. (hates having to say
this) We lost the tracker. The woman is still in the area. Rosalie and Esme are protecting your father. Josie is still trying to follow his scent, she has the best senses and speed so maybe she can catch up to him." Edward said.
"This is my fault. You warned me, but I didn't think. I just—" Bella said.
Edward cuts her off.
"Bella, we're in too deep. We can't change how we feel..." Edward said.
"No... we can't." Bella said resignation in her voice.
She pauses and takes the time to think.
"When will you get here?" She asked.
In a couple hours. Then you and I will go somewhere. Together. The others will keep hunting." Edward said.
"Bella, I swear to you, I'll do whatever it takes to make you safe again." Edward promises.
Switches to Bella, her eyes welling with tears at how sincere he sounds and knowing that Josie is also caught up in this mess... It pains her to think of how this will end. Someone will have to die either way.
We see Alice in the lobby, settling the bill. Jasper loads up the car out front.
Bella gathers her things, then her phone RINGS again.
INSERT CALLER I.D. -It reads “HOME.” Bella answers -
"Mom, I'm so glad you got my—" Bella is cut off.
Renee (O.S.)
"Bella? Bella? Where are you?" She sounded panicked.
"Calm down, Mom. Everything is fine, okay? I'll explain every—" Bella once again is cut off.
HEAR RUSTLING on the line, as if Renee dropped the phone.
"... Mom? Are you there?" Bella asked.
Then Bella HEARS a voice that sends a chill down her spine.
JAMES (O.S.)
"Nice house you have here. Not the best on the block, but comfortable." James said taunting her.
We switch to see James.
VERY CLOSE ON JAMES, his sinister eyes and vicious smile.
"I was prepared to wait for you. But then Mom came home after she received a very worried call from your Dad. It all worked out quite well." James said with a smirk.
Bella's eyes are wild with fear.
"I must say, Forks High School doesn't protect its students' privacy very well, it was just too easy for Victoria to find your previous address." James said with a smirk.