Well. It has been quite the hiatus and I am so sorry! I had such terrible writer's block and just fell out of wanting to write anything. And I'm not sure why or how, but I somehow found my way back to this story and I just had to finish it. I couldn't leave it or anyone else who still reads my story hanging. And don't worry, I'm already into the next chapter. 3

Enjoy xxx

Chapter Fourteen: Tough Cookie

I smacked my hands against the stone door of my dark cell.

"Let me out!" I screamed. "You're all monsters, every single one of you!"

I had been trying to get their attention for what felt like hours. I tried to think of every insult I could scream that would get their attention without me becoming food.

Aro was foul.

He enjoyed toying with Edward's mind and his gleeful smile made it even more unbearable. I couldn't stand it.

I slid down the wall, staring up into the darkness of the room and shivered.

How was I ever going to help Edward? How was I the Sugar Swan Princess?

I pulled my knees up to my face, using them as a rest for my cold cheek. I would do anything to get Edward out of here. I just had to think of a plan.

My mind wandered to Alice and what she must be doing right now. I never got the chance to say goodbye. I missed my little pixie.

Eventually, light filtered across the stone floor and I hesitantly looked up to see a guilty looking Jacob standing over me. His huge shadow reached the other side of my cell and I scowled at him.

"Ah, there's the hero of the hour," I said snidely. "You're no better than they are, you know."

Jacob wouldn't look at me, his face pointed towards his toes. "I know, Bella. I'm sorry."

I was on my feet in an instant, the cold suddenly forgotten.

"No you're not!" I could feel hot, angry tears building up behind my eyes, but I didn't care. "I knew not to trust you! Edward knew it from the beginning, even before I did! This is just some sick game to you!"

His jaw clenched and unclenched, his fists balled up at his sides.

"No," he murmured, his eyes cautiously rising to meet mine. "I meant what I said in the woods, Bella. I don't want to be the bad guy anymore. I'm here to help you."

His words caused me to laugh. "Then why am I not thanking you right now, Jacob? Why am I stuck in here like some prisoner and Edward is…" I trailed off, suddenly feeling a sense of hopelessness for everything. His eyes were wide and he was staring at me worriedly.

I felt my fists ball up, my scrapes from earlier long forgotten. "Edward is innocent."

He rushed towards me, his voice rushing out in a hushed tone. "Bella, please, you have to listen to me," he whispered.

I backed up immediately, wanting him as far away as possible.

"Stay away from me Jacob." My voice surprised me with its sternness, but I was proud of it. It didn't shake and it didn't waver; Nor would I.

His hands rose out in front of him as if I were a wild animal he was trying to calm. The only wild animal here was him.

I quickly glanced to the open door behind him. Could I make it? Was there someone else waiting for him out there? I felt like it was a chance I was willing to take.

I slowly started walking in a circle towards the door; the shoes Edward have given me felt slick against the hard floor. Jacob mirrored my movements by staying across from me, slowly turning as I did. The closer I got to the door, the further away he got.

Was he really this dense? Could he not see what I was doing?

He continued in that hushed tone, his words quick to fall out from behind his lips. "Bella, you have to listen. James… James would have killed you; he had orders to bring you both back but he has no self control. He wanted you and I saved you!"

I frowned. "That's the biggest pile of crap I've heard you say yet, Jacob. Do I really look saved to you?"

He growled. "Bella! Listen! Please!"

But unfortunately for him, I had finally crept my way to the door and I ran.

My heart pounded in my chest and as turned the corner of the door, I ran straight into a hot, solid wall that grabbed my elbows.

"What the…?" I looked up. "Seth?"

He smiled sadly. "Hey, girl."

I backed away, betrayal clouding my face. "Why… what are you doing here, Seth?"

I could feel Jacob's presence behind me although he never tried to grab or say anything. Seth continued to smile sadly at me. "He's telling the truth, Bells. James would have hurt you."

I felt the angry tears from before finally leak down my face, unable to contain them anymore. Seth was in on it too?

I took a moment to take in my surroundings. I was back in the grand hallway with all the pictures from before. It made me feel like I was in a castle. I probably was.

"Seth, please, you have to help Edward," I begged. "He needs to get out of here before Aro does something to him."

"Bella," Jacob said from behind me. For what felt like the one hundredth time, I scowled. I didn't turn around.

"Please, Seth," I implored. "I know you were on our side."

Seth nodded. "Yes, and I still am." He glanced behind me to Jacob, his eyes wary. "Maybe we shouldn't be discussing this so openly. Jake, stay out here this time. Bella, come on." He grabbed my arm and pulled me back into the room I ran out of.

Fantastic.

I spun around to face him as he pushed me through and took in his appearance. He looked rattled.

"Bells," he breathed. "Edward is in a cell but he's heavily guarded. Jasper is hiding out near this place with some others, awaiting orders." Jasper was here? He had come to help!

"I'm going to have to ask something of you," Seth continued, "and it is not something that will be easy."

I couldn't help it. I rushed forward to hug him. This was the best news I could have hoped for. He had been in touch with Jasper. Maybe there was hope after all.

"Anything," I answered.

"You're going to have to trust Jacob."

My head shot back from him chest. "Seth, he brought me here. He was the evil werewolf in my house that night! Why would he help us now?"

Seth sighed. "I know it's hard, girl, but he's on our side. It was all an act. He knew Aro would read Edward's mind once he was brought back here and he had to put on a show. I didn't believe it at first either, but I have confidence in him now. He didn't want Aro to see that Edward trusted him or knew his motives."

My mouth was gaping like a fish. This was the most serious I had ever seen him. "What?" I asked dumbly.

"Aro…he can read the minds of those he comes in physical contact with," Seth said. "He can read every thought you've ever had, see your world through your own eyes." He tilted his head. "He wasn't able to read yours though, so I hear."

"Okay…" I said slowly. "So… Jacob couldn't let on to Edward what he was doing because then Aro would have known?"

He nodded eagerly. "Yes, Bella. That's exactly it."

"But why?" I was so confused. "Why would he go behind Aro's back?"

A large shadow appeared on the wall next to me as Jacob chose that moment to reappear.

"Because Aro must be stopped, Bella," Jacob urged. He slowly walked closer to me as he spoke. "I had known it for quite some time. But the night he had the prince turned, I knew I couldn't just stand by and watch anymore."

He swallowed loudly and gently grabbed my hand. His eyes showed bright in the dimly lit area. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to show my true self sooner, Princess. Your vampire wasn't exactly cooperative and it was probably for the best that you hadn't known just yet."

"Why did you bring me here? To this place? Can't Aro read your mind too?" I asked.

He let out a breath. "I knew James would bring Edward here and we wouldn't have been able to get to him from the outside. We needed you here to help us infiltrate. As for Aro, he can't read the minds of his werewolves. It's fairly satisfying for us."

He could tell I wasn't fully won over.

"Please, Bella. We need you for this."

He sounded so sincere. I remembered Seth's request. "You're going to have to trust Jacob."

Would I be able to do that? What if it only worsened Edward's situation?

I pulled my hand away from him and stared down at my dark blue shoes. They held such a strong contrast to the dull ground. How long ago it seemed since that wonderful day. Edward had been so happy, so free.

I would do anything to see him like that again.

"Jacob."

I noticed his head flash up to meet me, but I was still looking at my precious gifts from the prince.

"If for one moment I doubt your motives, if for one instance I feel suspicious of you and I am indeed this Sugar Swan Princess that you speak of…" I raised my head to look him hard in the eyes. "I will destroy you," I threatened.

His mouth fell open. I heard Seth snicker next to me.

"I am no longer playing games, Jacob Black. Understand?" Where had this tough Bella come from? I liked her.

He looked eternally grateful. "Yes, of course, Bella. We have to move fast."

I nodded, ignoring the shiver that ran across my bare shoulders. "What's the plan? How are you in touch with Jasper?"

Seth smiled. "Alice," he winked. "She can fly through the tiniest of places. We've been in touch."

I couldn't help the grin from forming. "I love her," I replied fondly.

"Aro thinks I am in here to get more information from you regarding the whereabouts of those helping you and Edward," said Jacob. "But if we move fast, we might be able to get to Edward before he notices."

"Okay," I agreed.

Seth turned to nod to Jacob and they both turned to lead the way out of the room. Seth waited to walk beside me and locked his hand securely around my upper arm.

"For staging purposes," he said sheepishly.

The corridor wasn't as spectacular this time around. I knew what horrible people it now accommodated and it made the scenery ridiculous.

Jacob led the way down many different halls and I was surprised to see no one in sight.

"Where is everybody?" I asked.

Seth scoffed beside me. "King Aro is holding a celebration. It is in honor of his grand accomplishment of capturing the Prince of Forksvia and the ever so threatening Sugar Swan Princess."

I almost gagged. What a joke. "Hopefully it will keep them entertained for a while?" I was nervous.

Jacob nodded in front. "Yes, it will last quite some time. You'll find these vampires never seem to get tired of gloating about themselves."

The longer we walked, the more stale the air seemed to become. I watched as the highly decorated walls and paintings slowly vanished and became bare stone. It dawned on me that this only meant we were getting closer to where Edward was being kept.

Just when I thought our walk might continue forever, we rounded a corner and spotted two vampires. Their glowing red eyes looked us up and down warily. I noticed them as being the ones to carry Edward in and out of Aro's showroom earlier.

It didn't go unnoticed by me that the larger one stared a little longer than what would be deemed as polite.

"What do you want, mutts?" The smaller one asked. He had light colored hair and like Edward, held a certain beauty about him.

"We've been sent to watch the prince," Jacob remarked, sounding irritated.

The smaller one looked disbelieving. "Is that so?"

"Yes," Jacob barked. "It seems we weren't invited to your little extravaganza up top. Must be nice to take credit for work you didn't do," he grumbled. "So it would seem you're relieved for the time being," he spit out.

"Hmm…" the smaller vampire pondered.

The bigger one took a step closer to me. He was so muscular; he barely fit in his robes. They looked about to pop from the seams. Seth's fingers gripped my arm a little tighter than before.

"Easy, Felix," Jacob warned. "She's a prisoner for a reason."

Felix smirked. He had dark, cropped hair and looked ready to pounce. "Why did you bring her? You know its taunting." His muscles flexed under his robes and I had to look away. He was frightening.

Seth bared his teeth and Felix raised an eyebrow. The smaller vampire looked bored.

"We both figured if we're going to have to be down here watching them both, we might as well be in one place, am I right, Seth?"

Seth didn't look away from Felix, his teeth still bared. "Agreed," he grunted.

There was way too much testosterone going on around me.

"Well then." Felix bent down in an attempt to capture my attention again and winked. I jerked back, but Seth's grip held me in place. "We might as well join the fun, right Demetri?"

Gross. Stop looking at me.

"Wait," said Demetri. "I need to discuss something with you, Jacob," he said in disgust. He turned to look meaningfully at me. "Without human ears."

Jacob shrugged. "Fine. Seth, toss her in there with the prince. They won't be able to go anywhere."

Seth walked me forward, making a show to roughly push me inside the room as Demetri opened it.

As expected, I tripped and fell on the hard floor, wincing as the cold penetrated through my dress.

The last thing I saw before the door encased me back into total darkness was Seth's apologetic eyes.

"Ugh," I grumbled. I looked around to take in my surroundings and could see absolutely nothing.

"Edward?" I called.

No response.

I walked forward until I hit something that felt like a glass wall. "Edward?"

I ran my hand along the glass and found that it went straight across the room, the sides attaching to the stone walls.

Was there a glass divider in between us?

I tried banging my hands against the glass but to no avail. Not that I expected anything to happen.

"How am I supposed to be the hero in all this?" I muttered to myself, one of my hands pressed flat against the glass. "I can't even get to Edward and I'm in the same room as him."

Just then, the door opened and I could see. Seth and Jacob walked in, glancing around the room just as I did with my own eyes. It was empty.

I looked down to my hand and was surprised to see that it was pressed against what looked like thin air.

It was as if nothing was between us at all, but I could feel it.

"Where's Edward?" asked Seth.

I turned to look behind me, questions in my eyes.

"What are you doing?" wondered Jacob. "Why do you have your hand in the air like that?"

I turned back around, seeing nothing in front of me, but feeling the divider. I was done with these games. I knew Felix and Demetri wouldn't have been down here guarding a vacant room.

I closed my eyes and concentrated all my willpower to break the glass into the palm of my hand. There had to be some perk to being the Sugar Swan Princess.

I opened my eyes to see that nothing had changed.

"No, no, no," I whispered to myself. "He's here."

Jacob walked up to me, worry on his face. "What are you doing, Bella?"

I gestured to me hand. "See this? There's something separating us. He has to be here."

I turned back around and placed both hands on the barrier.

"It must be a spell," I heard Seth say.

Instead of closing my eyes this time, I looked straight in front of me. I willed myself to see past the block, to see Edward.

Again, nothing.

"Bella…" Jacob tried to say.

"No!" I shouted. "He's behind this wall, I know it."

I stared hard down at my hands, applying more pressure than before.

I'm the freaking Sugar Swan Princess. If I'm the supposed to save Edward and Forksvia from the evil tyrant Aro, then I can break this fake glass, dammit.

I imagined Edward, happy. I imagined Alice and Jasper and Seth. I imagined Rosalie and her unfortunate love, Emmett. I imagined how things should have been, how they will be once Aro is defeated. I pressed a little harder and fell forward.

Only this time, I didn't reach the floor. I fell straight into stone cold arms and felt all the air leave my body at the impact.

I looked up.

"Bella," Edward breathed.

I LOVE YOU GUYS!

-Natasha