20 | COURAGE |

"MAMA, BELLA AND I will be fine," Rory insisted in rapid Spanish for the umpteenth time as she leaned against the shiny side of the car.

By the next morning they were somewhere between Oregon and Nevada at an ancient gas station off the highway they were taking south to Arizona, the decided destination in the south. Rory had been to Phoenix a few times before growing up and was familiar with the hot desert city, but she definitely wasn't going back for vacation.

Jasper had been driving nearly three times the legal limit in his haste to get them far away from Forks. She demanded it was time for her to switch out with Jasper as he filled up the tank, fearing any unwanted attention if he continued the drive. The window tint was dark, but with the blazing southern sun, it would only do so much.

Jasper slid his arm around her waist as he waited for her to finish the phone call.

"Aurora, I will get on the next plane to Arizona—I don't care if you and Bella are almost adults, you cannot be completely unsupervised in one of the murder capitals in America!"

"Didn't you trust me in Forks by myself?"

"Yes, because Forks has barely 3000 citizens and hardly any trouble—you're a magnet for danger and in a city with millions—nothing good is bound to happen, Rory! This was so irresponsible!"

"Mama, I need you to trust me that everything will be okay. I thought you would understand why I couldn't let Bella go by herself, driving thousands of miles alone..." It hurt Rory to lie to her mother so blatantly, to intentionally pull on her mother's moral compass...It was for the better. It was safer this way.

"Mija, I get it. I do. Just...come back safe, okay? I can't lose you, we've already lost so much," Stella sniffed over the phone. Rory could hear the distinct shuffling of the tell-tale movement of her mother running an exhausted and worried hand over her face.

"I know, mama. I have to go."

"Alright. I'll see you later, mi vida. Be safe. I love you," Stella said, sounding like it was getting difficult for her to hold back tears.

"Love you. Goodbye, mama."

Rory couldn't promise that she would see her mother any time soon. There was no telling if they would have to go on the run or if Rory would even escape unscathed in the small possibility that James and Victoria got to her and Bella. For there was no way in hell that Rory would allow Bella to be alone if the time came.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," Jasper murmured, pulling her into a tight, well-needed embrace. She tucked herself into his chest perfectly, his awkward bent over position due to his extreme height only made the hug ever so sweet. All her worries and problems seemed to fade in importance as they wrapped into each other.

She had him and that was all she needed to push through.

The lucky thing about driving south was the lack of traffic. Hardly anyone was on the long, endless road besides truckers and large cars that passed by.

It was weird to be behind the wheel for the first time in months. Rory expected she would feel beyond anxious and nervous as she had following the accident earlier that year, yet with Jasper's hand on her thigh, she felt she could do anything. He had a soothing effect on her, she hardly felt anxious anymore since spending more time with the blond vampire. However, the whole hunt thing was refuting this progression and Rory had been internally freaking out ever since the nomads stepped on the baseball field.

Rory was glad she come along because when at the sun was at it's highest peak, the beams got past the dark tint and sent Jasper and Alice's skin glimmering in the backseat where they had no choice but to take refuge, switching with Bella for the hours of sun. By that time, she had grown more comfortable driving the car, but sensing her slight discomfort, the other passengers had all helped to distract her with stories and chatter.

When they arrived in Phoenix, Rory was exhausted. They quickly made their way through the parking garage and hotel lobby, as Alice thought to check in advance over the phone the previous night, and they entered the a decent, but obviously temporary hotel room—Rory hoped so at least. She had AP exams coming up.

It was difficult to sleep when Bella and Rory were reluctantly sent to bed by their babysitters. Rory didn't dare ask Jasper to cuddle with her, knowing how unfair it was that she had him while Bella was apart from Edward.

"What did your parents say?" Rory asked in the darkness, her eyes trained on the white ceiling.

In the twin bed beside hers, Bella brushed away tears. "Mom still hasn't picked up."

"Probably a good thing—Reneé is kind of extra, once she gets ahold of this, she'll freak out completely, no offense," Rory added while Bella smiled in agreement. Rory glanced at the bundle of sheets that was Bella. "And your dad?"

"I hurt him. Really bad. He wouldn't let me go," Bella whispered in a haunted voice. "So I told him what my mother said when she left him."

"Ouch." Rory winced.

She was very familiar with harsh, ugly separations. At least Bella's parents had somewhat reconciled and were on speaking terms. Rory hadn't seen her father nor heard from him in months. And she wasn't sure she cared anymore.

"It was the only way he let me go," Bella said scornfully.

Rory knew that feeling all too well, the guilt of having to lie to those you loved to protect them.

"My mom will tell Charlie how I'm with you, making sure you get to Phoenix safely," Rory muttered the last word mockingly, knowing they were nothing close to it. She pursed her lips, withdrawing her tone to a more reassuring one. "Don't worry too much, Bella. Just watch, next week we'll be at prom dancing our feet off—yours probably literally because you can't dance for shit."

Both girls laughed half-heartedly.

"Do you think he'll forgive me?"

Rory nodded and remembered Bella couldn't see her. "Yeah," she whispered, "that's the things about families—no matter how much you've hurt each other or are apart, blood is blood."

"What if I don't get that chance?" Bella's fearful question went unanswered for a prolonged moment.

"You'll get that chance." Rory closed her eyes. "I'll make sure of it."

There were no more words left to be said.

Rory had never thought she would ever be able to form a bond with any semblance to the one she had once had with her deceased sister; especially in the small town of Forks. Yet, Bella was the one to break past Rory's walls, to see past her facade and push her towards happiness. Rory couldn't fathom the thought of losing another sister. Not again.

It was a long five hours of restlessness, both girls unable to fully fall into the arms of slumber as worry laid at the forefront of their minds.

The next morning, Rory sat next to Jasper and Alice on the couch as Bella awkwardly paced back and forth on her phone again, trying to contact her mother. Jasper relieved Bella's state of anxiety with his ability, but there wasn't much he could do for Rory's except hold her in his arms.

Rory wished she had brought her sketchbook, at least then she'd be distracted from her increasing anxiety. She resolved to sketching on the hotel notepad instead, filling it with random doodles of her mind. Jasper chuckled at a particular caricature of Edward, overly exaggerated his broody expression and messy hair.

Eventually, Bella had retreated back to the bedroom for a nap to distract her worried mind. There wasn't much to do besides mindlessly watch television and wait for news, ignoring phone calls from Forks and panic over the situation. Alice had gone into the room as well and the couple on the couch could hear the  muffled conversation between the two.

"How are you feeling?" Jasper asked as he softly stroked the soft, warm skin of her hand.

"Scared, except I know better because you and Alice are here," Rory sighed deeply. "But I can't stop thinking that something's going to go wrong. Maybe I should have stayed in Forks, so you and Alice could focus on protecting Bella."

"Rory," he said in a soothing voice. "You have nothing to worry about. We are completely safe here. Besides, I couldn't have left you alone, not knowing if the redhead had decided to go after you." Jasper wasn't surprised by the fact Victoria had realized Rory was also human when Rory admitted it over the drive.

"You heard what Laurent said." Her voice had gone up in pitch in paranoid terror, "James and Victoria are dangerous, absolutely lethal. They aren't like you or your family. I saw their crimson eyes—They won't stop until they get Bella and they don't care who they'll have to go through to get her. If—if they were to hurt Bella...Esme..Emmett...Carlisle...Rosalie...Alice ...you," she swallowed roughly. "I'd lose almost everything I love. And I can't go through that excruciating pain again, I refuse to. I'd rather sacrifice myself if it meant all of you would see another day—"

"Rory, sweetheart," he interrupted me, his words pouring out so quickly they were hard to understand. "You're worrying about all the wrong things. Don't be scared," he assured her comfortingly.

Rory crossed her arms and shrugged. "I just feel helpless. I'm a human—I can't fight vampires or do anything useful."

"You are the most courageous person I've ever met, sweetheart, and I mean both humans and vampires over my 200 years. Trust me on this—none of us are in jeopardy. We'll be back home before you know it. In a few days, we'll be back in Forks and I'll be taking you to prom, then you'll be graduating and then the rest of our life will be—" He stopped suddenly, his sculpted profile jerking towards the bedroom. He quickly pulled Rory to her feet and tugged her to the door that separated the front room from the bedroom just as Bella pushed it open with a panicked expression to reveal a frozen Alice in mid step, her dark eyes glazed over.

"What is it? What did you see?" Jasper asked adeptly, his tone commanding and pushing through Alice's vision. He had felt the rapid shift in emotions emanating from the room.

Alice's face twisted, but her eyes were still far away, still searching the vision. "He figured it out."

Jasper glanced at Bella and Rory and moved Alice to sit on the couch, her eyes distant and unfocused, barely cognizant of what was happening around her.

"The tracker. He just changed course." Alice reached out towards Rory and without question, Rory all but shoved the notepad and pen she had been holding into the vampire's hand.

"Where will it take him, Alice?" Rory questioned as Alice's hand began moving quickly.

"Mirrors..." she said dully, "A room full of mirrors." Her pale hand moved too quickly for Rory's eyes to catch, but the dark image formed within seconds.

Bella frowned. "Edward said the visions weren't always certain."

Jasper nodded, well experienced with his best friend's ability over the many decades. "She sees the course people are on while they're on it. If they change their minds, the vision changes."

Bella stepped closer to the couch, her eyes trained on the sketch Alice had made. Rory could tell it was a room of some sort, but the creepy thing was the black silhouette figure repeated in several places. She wondered if the tracker might've recruited more vampires or something—more potential threats to her newfound family.

"So, the course that the tracker's on

now is gonna lead him to..." Bella's eyes narrowed with insight. "A ballet studio?

"You've been here?" They all stared at the girl.

Bella awkwardly nodded. "I took lessons as a kid. The school I went to had an arch just like that." She pointed to part of Alice's sketch.

Rory stared at her friend as things began to connect. "And your school was here in Phoenix?" Please say no.

"Yeah."

Shit. Rory didn't voice the thought they all shared in that moment. Somehow and sometime soon, a decision was going to be made that would lead Bella to her old ballet studio where the tracker waited.

RING, RING, RING

They all flinched at the unexpected sound that broke the tense silence that had taken over the hotel room.

Bella answered the phone with a happy sigh. "Edward, are you okay?..." She walked back to the bedroom, leaving the trio in the sitting room in shock.

"We aren't staying here, are we?" Rory asked the two vampires knowingly.

Alice and Jasper shook their heads in a firm no.

Well, so for making it back to Forks in time for exams.

➖

As Rory and Bella waited in the lobby as Alice and Jasper checked out, Rory took a moment to eye her friend. Ever since Bella walked back into the room after speaking to Edward, the girl was a mess of emotions, panicked and worried and completely and utterly terrified of what was to come.

Before Rory could speak a word, Bella's phone rang once more.

At first, Bella sounded relieved at whoever was on the other end of the phone. "Hey, mom! I'm glad you got my message. What are you doing home?"

Rory watched her friend, knowing just how difficult it was to tell her mother what had happened, or at least, the censored version of it. Rory snuck a glance back to Jasper and Alice who seemed to be having some difficulty with checking out. Sometimes good looks didn't work on everyone.

"Calm down, everything's fine...I'll explain everything later..." Bella said reassuringly. Her brows furrowed in confusion. "Mom, are you alright?" Then, her pale face—so easy to read by the simple twist of her expression or small quirk—dropped in horror.

"Don't touch her! Don't..!" Bella looked over to Rory with wild, terrified eyes. "He has my mom."

That's when Rory took over. "What do you want? What did you do?" she hissed into the phone, not thinking to get the attention of her boyfriend or Alice. Bella pressed her ear against Rory's where the device was held, desperate to hear the phone call.

A cold voice answered, full of arrogance and danger, "You aren't Bella Swan..." James chuckled, unsurprised by the turn of events. "No, you must be the elusive Miss Aurora Adens, the other human on the field. I knew there was something else in the air—something richer but meant for a more distinguished palette. I've always liked a challenge."

"Yes," Rory answered stiffly. "Guess those superior abilities failed you for once," she said mockingly. She held herself back from egging the vampire on further on risk of Bella's mother's life.

"Careful, doll face," James threatened with a tsk. "We don't want to accidentally hurt Bella's mommy, do we? Now, I assume the two of you are away from your friends, right?"

"What do you want?" Rory demanded again, not in the mood to play games.

"You and Bella can still save her," James offered languidly, already knowing what the humans would choose.

Bella switched the phone towards her, her voice devoid of emotion and driven to the point of no return. "Where should I meet you?"

"How about your old ballet studio? Bring your pretty friend, I'd like us all to get well-acquainted," James said, his tone unchallenging.

"It's me you want," Bella tried to protect Rory, the latter grabbed Bella's trembling hand with a calm shake of her head.

Rory knew her voice would carry over. "We'll be there," she stated firmly. Internally, a plan was quickly forming.

A life for a life.

Rory could accept this fate.

James chuckled triumphantly. "And if either of you decide to snitch before we can have some proper fun...Poor mommy will pay the price for that mistake."

His line went blank.

Rory and Bella traded looks of deference.

The cab ride to the ballet studio was all too silent and too suspenseful for Rory. She had turned off her phone as it had blown up the second they got into the cab, Alice and Jasper realizing they had run off.

It was all too easy for Bella and Rory to jump into a cab the moment the phone call ended. She didn't even have a chance to say goodbye. The knowledge of what Rory was going to do to Jasper, to her friends...to her mother...It devastated her but Rory had no choice.

Bella and Rory had arrived in Forks alone, but over the course of a few months, they had become each others confidants, they both met the love of their lives, they were sisters of all but blood. Rory refused to let Bella go alone.

They walked into the old, decadent building with hands held, head highs, and hearts heavy. Bella clutched onto her pepper spray as if it would be a suitable defense against a vampire. On the other hand, Rory held a rusty crowbar she had found in the ally next to the studio the cab had dropped them off at.

"Bella! Bella, Bella?! Where are you?" The frantic voice of Bella's mother echoed through the halls.

"Mom," Bella ran into the main studio with Rory following close behind.

"Bella?" The voice emanated from behind a closet door. Rory slowed her pace, her head tilted confusedly as she observed the seemingly empty ballet studio. She gripped onto the crowbar tightly. She looked around them, searching in the distorted mirrors for any sign.

"Mom!"

"Here you are! What are you doing in here?"

Bella yanked the doors open to reveal a small tv screen playing a decade old home video.

"Everyone makes fun of me." A young girl in a pink leotard said to Reneé with her knees folded to her chest.

"You are a wonderful dancer." Reneé assured an 8-year old Bella Swan.

Young Bella scoffed. "Mom, I suck!"

Reneé hugged her daughter. "You do not suck."

"That's my favorite part." Both girls whipped their heads around to face James had been standing behind them with crossed arms and a victorious smirk. "You were a stubborn child, weren't you Bella?"

Bella blinked in confusion, her face filled with stark realization of the truth. "She's not even here..."

"Oh shit," Rory cursed, backing away from the vampire who was only a few feet away from her. She stepped in front of Bella protectively, raising the crowbar up to her shoulder in preparation to swing. "This is the last time I listen to a white man."

James shrugged with a false frown. "Sorry, but you really made it too easy."

"That's what you think," Rory snapped, a deep rage suddenly fueling her. "My boyfriend's going to rip you apart with his bare hands, asswipe."

"Rory, maybe don't antagonize him," Bella hissed behind Rory's shoulder. She looked towards the exit that James stood in the way of.

"Ah, you belong to the blond one, the one covered in scars. He'll certainly make it even more fun when he sees what I've done to you," James put two and two together as he corned them against the wall, Rory still posed before Bella with a glare. "No matter, it's too late. Your entire coven will want to avenge you two. So...To make things more entertaining, we are gonna make a little film of our time together. I borrowed this from your house, Bella. I hope you don't mind."

"Okay..." He clicked the switch on to record and flipped the camcorder screen, the tiny red light blinked as the camera focused on the girls. "And...Action!"

"You sick freak," Rory spat at him as she twisted her torso and swung the crowbar straight for James gut the same moment Bella sprayed her can of pepper spray at his eyes. The bar clattered to the floor as he doubled over with an angry hiss, barely damaged but taken off guard.

Rory ignored the red-hot pain the shot throughout her body, radiating from her shoulder. She knew it wouldn't be smart to go against vampires with their marble like bodies, but it was worth a shot. "Go!"

The two girls made a break for the exit, Rory clutching her injured arm as Bella sprinted beside her. They didn't reach the doors. They had barely made it halfway across the studio when James appeared in front of them, he had leaped across the room with a whoosh.

He glowered at the humans, pissed at their feeble attempt to escape. James snatched the back of Rory's head and threw her across the room. "That's enough of you, little bitch."

Rory crashed into the mirror, her arms covered her face from the shattering shards landing around her. Her left arm was shot with pain and she could feel various wounds all around her body, her crimson blood painted her body, flowing out from her shoulder which took the brunt of the collision. She could tell her shoulder had been dislocated and her arm had been broken.

She felt all this pain, but what she wanted more than ever was Jasper.

C'mon, baby. Hurry up and save us.

Rory pulled herself to a sitting position, leaning against the wall as she panted heavily desperately forcing herself to find the strength she needed to beat the motherfucker up with all she had. She watched with barely opened eyes as James torment Bella. She heard the agonized scream and the disturbingly loud crunch when James broke Bella's leg.

"Beautiful...Very visually dynamic." James said happily as he filmed Bella scream. "Tell him to avenge you. Tell him to avenge you! Tell him!"

"Edward, don't!" Bella choked out.

This wasn't how this was supposed to go. Rory meant to sacrifice herself, she meant for Bella to get away. Rory was the sacrificial lamb, but she had already been slaughtered before the ritual. She was helpless. All she could do was pray for a miracle, for a savior to come help them.

"Tell him!"

Unexpectedly, James was knocked away from Bella as Edward threw himself at him with a furious growl. Edward kicked James into a mirror. He ran to Bella's body and lifted her up. He glanced at Rory with conflicted eyes and she shook her pounding head, both knowing it wasn't possible for him to carry both of the. There was no time, only hope for the others to arrive.

"Take her and go!" Rory cried out desperately as she eyed James getting up. She slumped over, lying on her injured side as the icy darkness pulled at her consciousness. She fought to keep her eyes open.

"I'm sorry," Edward said to Rory as he jumped up to the loft, despite Bella's protests for Edward to save Rory first.

The next moments were a blur. One second Edward was bringing Bella to safety, the next, Bella was back on the ground as Edward and James fought each other. Pillars fell and more glass broke. Rory drifted in and out of it.

She could hear a distant blood-curdling scream and her eyes somewhat caught onto James crouched over Bella with her wrist in his mouth.

Her eyes shut again.

Then she was in the presence of an angel.

Help had indeed arrived.

Shouts and crashes loomed in the background as the angel kneeled next to Rory's body. His hair was like a halo of gold and his face was twisted into a beautiful expression of despair.

Rory felt herself frown.

It wasn't right for him to be so upset.

The angel stroked her hair with an anguished expression and turned back to face the actions occurring behind him. He kissed her forehead.

"Stay here, sweetheart. I have to do something."

In her jumbled thoughts, Rory rolled her eyes inwardly. It wasn't as if she could exactly get up.

As her avenging angel ripped James's body apart like Rory promised, she felt herself slip away.

She felt herself smile.

If this was the end, she was happy to have seen her Jasper Hale one last beautiful time.

With her broken body painted in crimson splendor, Rory Aden sank into the cold, dark abyss.

➖

AN OMFG YALL 10K!!??? i was gonna update this tmr (monday) but im so happy like wow yall!! only last tuesday we reached 7K and in less than a week 10k? im in such awe at yall wowww so much love rn and ive had such a shitty week at school like some boy grabbed my ass so theres that unnecessary tidbit of my life bc jasper hale would never treat me like that 😤😤😤

anyways im so grateful for all you readers who enjoy this story thank u so much for the support

me @ yall:

alsooooo would anyone be interested in reading either a bill skarsgård sm fanfic OR a roman godfrey (bill skarsgård in hemlock grove) fanfic let me know in the comments