01 | dream, rosalie hale

21.

THE next morning, Bella and Elexia woke up within minutes of each other. Alice and Jasper were quietly speaking in the living room when Elexia turned to face the door. They sat up at the same time, quietly making their way into the other room.

It was two in the morning, according to the clock on the TV. Alice and Jasper were both sitting on the couch, but Alice was leaning onto the coffee table, sketching something again. Neither of them seemed to notice the two girls entering the room.

Bella walked to Alice's side to see the paper, while Elexia went to Jasper's.

"Did she see something new?" Elexia whispered, looking at the side of his face.

"Yes. Something's brought him back to the room with the VCR, but it's light now."

Alice was drawing a square room with paneled wood walls, the floor had a rug, and there was a large window. There was also a fireplace, the TV and VCR, a sofa and a coffee table. Elexia wondered if Bella recognized this.

"The phone goes there," Bella whispered, pointing at something on the page.

Everyone's eyes snapped to Bella.

"That's my mother's house."

Alice jumped off the couch at once, dialing a number into the phone. Elexia and Jasper both moved closer to Bella; he lightly placed his hand on her shoulder, comfortingly, while Elexia rubbed circles on her back.

Alice was speaking too fast into the phone for Elexia to understand her.

"Girls," Alice said. Bella looked at her with a far away expression on her face, Elexia looked at her with anxiety in her eyes.

"Girls, Edward is coming to get you. He and Emmett and Carlisle are going to take you somewhere, to hide you for a while."

"Edward is coming?"

"Yes, he's catching the first flight out of Seattle. We'll meet him at the airport, and you two will leave with him."

"What about Rosalie?" Elexia asked.

"Carlisle decided it'd be best if she stayed with Austin. She gets. . overwhelmed easily by things like this and. ." Alice couldn't quite put it into words. 

Elexia nodded quickly, knowing exactly how overstimulated her girlfriend got in high pressure situations. "I understand."

"But, my mother. . . he came here for my mother, Alice!" Even despite Jasper's gift, Bella exploded.

"Jasper and I will stay till she's safe."

"I can't win, Alice. You can't guard everyone I know forever. Don't you see what he's doing? He's not tracking me at all. He'll find someone, he'll hurt someone I love. . . Alice, I can't-"

"We'll catch him, Bella," she comforted her.

"And what if you get hurt, Alice? Do you think that's okay with me? Do you think it's only my human family he can hurt me with?"

Alice looked at Jasper and suddenly, Bella's eyes closed as she appeared fatigued now and unable to stay awake. Elexia knew it was Jasper's gift right away. She forced her eyes open and stepped away from Jasper and Elexia.

"I don't want to go back to sleep," she snapped at Jasper and walked into the bedroom and slammed the door.

Elexia turned to Jasper with raised hands, defensively. "Don't do that crap to me, too."

"Are you freaking out in hysterics?" Jasper bluntly responded to her. "Unless you start getting overwhelmed, I have no reason to touch you."

Elexia nodded and sat down on the couch next to him with a loud sigh. She understood he was just trying to help, but forcing Bella to be tired was a bit extreme in Elexia's book.