19 | PROMISE |

"WHAT THE HELL is going on?" Rory hissed under her breath as action seemed to overtake everyone. She could see the Cullen's mouths were moving, but they were talking so fast she couldn't hear what they were saying.

At her side, Jasper held her hand protectively, but not too tightly otherwise he would crush it with his strength.

"Emmett, Esme, go to the house just in case." The patriarch looked to Jasper and Rosalie. "We'll follow them." Carlisle glanced at the direction the nomads had taken.

"Get Bella and Rory out of here. Take them home." Carlisle commanded Edward. Rory frowned deeply as Edward grabbed both her and Bella's arms, her gaze set on Jasper in confusion.

Before Edward could rush them towards the jeep, Jasper stopped him, grabbing the arm the gripped Rory's firmly. Edward let her go at once, understanding his brother's thoughts.

"What's wrong, Jasper?" Carlisle questioned with a frown.

The blond shook his head. "Rory can't go home with them—if the nomads follow them, they'll see Rory and realize she's human without my scent masking her." Jasper looked at Edward with knowing eyes. "Edward will be focused on Bella, not Rory, and I am sorry, but I won't risk that. I refuse to leave her vulnerable."

Rory felt completely terrified of vampires for once, the scarlet gaze of the nomads burned into her retina. Yet, the thought that she was in possible danger didn't deter her from her true fear. The nomad, James specifically, was after her best friend.

Rory cupped Jasper's cheek. "You have to help Bella," she said simply.

Around her, the Cullen's were struck by Rory's unfailing loyalty and protectiveness of Bella, the girl herself gaping at the selfless words of her closest friend.

"I promised that I would always protect you," Jasper looked at Rory pleadingly. "Can you please stay at the house with Emmett and Esme?"

"He's right. It'll be easier for Bella and Edward to get away if they're not worrying about Rory. You'll be safer with us, Rory," Esme came up behind Rory, placing a hand on her shoulder comfortingly. Esme met everyone's gaze. "We'll run her to the house."

Emmett nodded in affirmation.

Rory sighed deeply, holding his sculpted cheek gently. "Jasper..."

"Rory, I love you too much to leave you," Jasper said quietly. Rory felt everyone's eyes on them and instead of feeling embarrassed or awkward, her heart warmed.

After a moment, Rory nodded much to Jasper's gratitude.

"Alright, but you two—" Carlisle said, turning to Edward and Bella, "Go."

The couple ran to the jeep while Alice, Carlisle, and Rosalie headed into the woods after the nomads. Jasper glanced at Rory worriedly before taking off with them, wanting to find the nomads and keep his family safe—Rory most of all.

Esme gathered the baseball equipment while Rory jumped onto Emmett's back. In minutes, they were back at the Cullen house.

Emmett headed to Bella's house after receiving a call from Alice that James had indeed followed Bella and Edward to Charlie's house, leaving Rory and Esme alone to wait inside the house.

Rory looked out to the dark forest for the eightieth time in the last ten minutes. She was worried for everyone, Jasper the most, but she didn't want any harm to come to the other Cullens or Bella.

"Everyone will be fine, Rory," Esme said as she grabbed something from the cabinet. "I expect they'll be coming back soon."

Rory frowned. "What if the nomads come here? You couldn't possibly take them if they attacked all at once."

"They won't come after you. Did you realize that they hardly noticed you on the field?" Esme asked softly as she handed the teenager a glass of water.

Rory pursed her lips and nodded. She didn't want to mention that the redhead knew, but for some reason, hadn't gone after her.

"I don't know how or why," Rory shook her head. "Maybe I'm just lucky."

She had been thinking about the odd phenomenon for a while now, since Jasper had told her of the times he's almost killed her yet couldn't bring himself to, and none of the other Cullens had showed any interest in her blood beside it smelling good up close according to Alice.

"Maybe we'll know when you become a vampire, if it's a special ability," Esme suggested optimistically, not knowing Rory had no desire to become a vampire.

It wasn't the time to clarify that fact.

"Who knows..." Rory murmured as she sipped her water.

"I'm glad you're safe at least," Esme sighed, brushing Rory's hair affectionately. "Bella, however...James looked very determined..."

"You haven't known her for long, but you'll soon realize that Bella is a magnet for trouble," Rory let out a short bitter laugh. "James is going after her. Is it so bad that I wish it was me? Bella's like my sister and now she's the target."

"It's not your fault," Esme said, "Don't worry, all of us together outnumber them, but—" The motherly caramel haired vampire paused abruptly and stood up, her eyes trained to the forest.

"They're here," Esme declared as Rosalie, Jasper, Carlisle and Laurent trailed into the room.

Esme Rory both stood, but the former in front of the latter wary of the red-eyed nomad in her home.  Jasper was instantly at Rory's side, his arm wrapped around her waist. "He came to warn us about James," he muttered to clear up the confusion and ease the tension. "The others are on their way."

"This isn't my fight," Laurent then he paused, setting his red eyes on Rory. "You're human?" he tilted his head in complete confusion as he heard her heartbeat loud and clear now.

He was clearly astonished by her existence, in fact, the Olympic coven's strangeness intrigued him. With their golden eyes, he really shouldn't have been surprised the bronze haired boy's mate wasn't the only human the Cullens were bonded with, even if the human girl was beautiful enough to have passed for a vampire back at the baseball field amongst the chaos.

Rory raised her brow. "Obviously." Slightly in front of her in a protective shield, Jasper glared at the crimson-eyed vampire.

Laurent arched his brow, ignoring the dangerous blond vampire. "A fortunate mistake, then. If James had noticed you on the field, you'd be in as much danger as your friend, madam," he shrugged as Jasper growled slightly. "I'm simply speaking the truth."

"Then get on with it," Jasper gritted out. Rory rubbed his back placatingly.

"Please, help us," Esme stepped forward with Carlisle at her side now. "Any information would be of great help, Laurent."

"James is a tracker...one of the best and most dedicated of his sort," Laurent said, "I've grown tired of his games, but he's got unparalleled senses, absolutely lethal. I've never seen anything like him in my three hundred years. And the woman, Victoria...don't underestimate her."

Rory remembered how the woman had stared at her, how Victoria had realized she was human on the field. The woman's vicious crimson gaze haunted her...Rory had a feeling it wouldn't be the last time she saw Victoria, especially if their plan succeeds.

When the others finally arrived, Rory sighed in relief. She held Jasper's hand in comfort as they followed everyone to the large garage full of different vehicles. Rory briefly spotted Jasper's silver motorcycle behind Emmett's jeep. It seemed the plans had changed, they all had to leave Forks now.

"I've had to fight our kind before. We're not easy to kill," Jasper's voice took a tone of authority, the only one who had any experience in fighting other vampires. He opened a white cabinet filled with extra clothes, stored especially for emergencies. He handed Rory a leather jacket to put on while he put on another over his baseball tee.

Emmett gritted his teeth. "But not impossible."

"We'll rip him apart and burn the pieces." Jasper turned to Rory again, their eyes meeting in a wordless exchange. She understood that he needed her, understood that he didn't want to be that killing machine again yet he would to protect his family, to protect her. He leaned into her, bending to inhale her calming scent deeply, so he could manage his emotions.

Carlisle sighed deeply. "I don't relish the thought of killing another creature. Even a sadistic one like James."

Rosalie sat on the counter, leaning back as people shuffled around her. "What if he kills one of us first?"

Everyone in the garage exchanged meaningful glances but no words were said.

Edward pursed his lips. "I'm gonna run Bella south and then lead the tracker away from here."

"No, Edward," Carlisle said immediately. "James knows you'd never leave Bella. He'll follow you."

Alice dropped a few bags filled with spare clothes and food for the humans in the trunk of Carlisle's car. She turned to Edward. "I'll go with Bella. The four of us will drive south."

Edward said nothing, his jaw clenched as he thought over the plan reluctantly.

"I'll keep her safe, Edward." Alice promised sincerely. Edward appeared to read her mind before nodded swiftly. Alice threw the bags into the trunk of Carlisle's car before getting in the backseat.

In the mean time, Edward faced the others, his hands rapidly grabbing jackets from the duffle bag he carried and tossing some to Esme and Rosalie. "Rosalie... Esme...Could you put these on so the tracker will pick up Bella's scent?"

Rosalie clenched her jaw, not bothering to move. "Why? What is she to me?" Rosalie shifted her gaze to Rory. "She isn't even a target," she scoffed, her tone insinuating Rory's presence was useless.

Jasper glared and pulled Rory to his side firmly. Rory met the eyes of each person around her. "If we're going south, it'll be sunny. Someone will bound to notice sparkling vampires. Jasper and Alice will attract too much attention if we aren't stopping. I will...drive when the time comes."

Rory didn't meet Jasper's surprised gaze, knowing he knew the significance of her promise. Edward's eyes widened in surprise, realizing how big of a deal Rory's words meant.

"Rosalie, please," Carlisle stepped up, handing her the jacket. "Bella and Rory are a part of this family now. And we protect our family."

Jasper opened the passenger door of Carlisle's black Mercedes for Rory to climb in, shutting it with a thud and appearing in the drivers seat next to her in a flash. Bella resolved to the back seat next to Alice, waiting to say her goodbyes to Edward that they all pretended not to hear.

Only half an hour ago the entire family was happily playing a game of vampire baseball, now they were all splitting up in a game of lives no one asked to play in. Rory looked at Jasper with anxious eyes, her hands shaking in her lap. He wordlessly reached across the console with one hand to assure her that everything would be okay.

A few minutes later, they all officially took off, leaving the Cullen home and naivety Forks provided. Jasper drove past the streets of Forks, right past the diner where Rory and Bella's friend's were walking out of completely unaware of the danger the town now had, carefree and laughing. Rory vaguely remembered she had been invited to the outing and declined because of the baseball game. Rory pulled away from the sight and glanced in the mirror to meet Bella's gaze, she had the same look on her face as Rory. The two humans shared the burden of knowledge beyond their world.

"Get some sleep, sweetheart," Jasper murmured as the sky darkened and they neared out of the state. "It's going to be a long ride." His pale hand reached to her to stroke her cheek. She nodded and kissed his hand before settling over to close her eyes and pretend her entire world wasn't at stake for a few more hours.

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A.N short but sweet :) finished w most of my finals so i should be back to updating twice a week! also to those who had seen the (now deleted) authors note; i am not changing rory's name thanks to yalls support...sometimes i feel so insecure as a writer and you guys fr boost a girls morale!