Chapter Twenty-Two - Nessie's POV

I stared hard at my cellphone, tapping my foot impatiently as I waited for it to ring. A russet-colored hand snatched it from view, and I turned to glare at Jacob, who just informed me, "If you'd held that thing any tighter, it would've broken."

Scoffing, I flipped my ringlets as I spun back to scan the crowded streets. Aunt Alice had promised to give us the signal once we could move out, and I was growing more antsy by the microsecond. Every passing moment was one in which Jay was missing. I had to start searching for him, even if -

"Don't even think about it."

Growling, I looked up at the man standing beside me and said, "You don't know what I'm thinking."

"You're thinking about running off to search for EJ before Alice calls."

Okay, so he did know what I was thinking. "It's taking too long. What if the Volturi sprang a trap? What if she and the others have been captured and need rescuing alongside Jay? Every second we waste standing here is a second my brother is in trouble, and he needs me - "

"Ness, slow down," Jake cut in, grabbing my quivering shoulders. "You're talking so fast I can't understand a word; just take a deep breath. Be calm."

"I can't!"

"You can. EJ needs you to be calm so that we can save him, alright? And we will save him."

"How do you know?" I asked desperately, struggling not to cry. "How can you possibly know that we will succeed?"

"Because he is a part of you, Nessie." Jake's brown eyes bored into my own as he fervently whispered, "And there is nothing I wouldn't do for you."

My fluttering heart trembled at his words, and I barely had a chance to form a reply when the phone is his hand began ringing. I immediately snatched it from his grip and answered, "Hello?"

"It's time. You have a window of at least three minutes before Aro figures out we're playing him and sends someone to check on EJ. After that the window narrows down to one minute and forty-two seconds. Is that enough time?"

"More than enough. How long until the window opens?"

"Four minutes and counting. Good luck."

"Be careful," I replied, pushing aside the fear for my aunt and the rest of my family as she hung up. I had to focus on finding Jay. Even though we were in the city, I couldn't sense his mind. Either he was buried deep underground, or he was too weak for me to sense - maybe both. Still, if I concentrated hard enough, I could find him.

The smells, the tastes, the sounds, the sights: all of my other four senses were filtered out as I focused on my mental touch. I followed the thread that connected my consciousness to that of my twin, struggling to hold on to it even as it kept threatening to slip from my grasp, trailing it around the city and down the streets until it reached the end. Jay!

I got no response, and quickly tried to remember the route to him as I came back to myself and told Jake, "I found him. How long has it been?"

"Almost three minutes."

"Then let's get moving." I lead him through the crowd as quickly as I possibly could without causing alarm to the surrounding humans. We ran down the streets of Volterra, turning corners as our path twisted, and I managed to keep us on track despite the blurry path I'd memorized. If I'd been able to use my other senses, remembering the route would be easy; however, Jay was too far away to come into contact with by any method other then our psychic link - and even that was nearly untraceable.

But it was growing stronger as we moved forwards, strong enough for me to trace it without the path I'd memorized. I moved faster as the streets emptied, noticing how my surroundings were becoming grimmer and dirtier in the short glance it took me to find out which was the shortest way to get to my brother. Jake kept pace, his own nose trying to track Jay and twitching as it picked up the scent at the same time I did. "Got him."

"Me, too. Time?"

"Six minutes have passed."

Damn! Less than three minutes left. Of course, Alice had estimated the time it'd take for Aro to notice and send someone, but that only meant we had to assume it'd be the minimum amount of time.

Before I could fret any further, the trail ended abruptly before us. I stopped and examined the door within a second, taking in the old wooden frame that hid the steel backbone and using my mind to feel for Jay's. I found him, conscious yet in pain. I inmediately slammed my body into the door, making it cave as a resounding bang echoed through the decrepit alley I was in, and told him, Sorry it took so long, Jay, but now I'm here.

M-Mei? he replied, his mental voice faint with fatigue. You...you're here?

Of course I am! I said fiercely, ripping the door from its hinges. Just hang tight for a moment more.

Okay... His mind drifted off from mine, and I turned to toss my phone at Jake. His deep brown eyes gazed into mine, and I shot him a brief smile in return before running in at top speed.

The staircase was long and dark, but I charged through as if it was a brightly sunlit path. And, for all intense and purposes, it was, because it was leading me to Jay. It took about half a minute for me to reach the end, which contained another door. I quickly barged through to find myself in a sparsely lit dungeon, and the sound of ragged breathing further ahead alerted me to a presence. "J-Jay?"

"...Mei?"

"Jay!" I shouted, running forwards to find him slumped against the wall of a cell. His glazed green eyes stated up at me as if he still wasn't able to believe I was real, and I ripped the bars apart to rush inside and hug the living daylight out of him. "Oh, Jay, I was so worried! Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

"Fine..." he said with a slow smile that made him look more like himself. Footsteps approached from where I just emerged, and I turned to see Jake heading towards us with a worried look on his face.

"Where's Ciel?"

"Ciel? Why would she be here?" If she had been, I'd have already decapitated her.

"Gone," Jay answered, the weakness in his voice holding back my bloodlust. "How'd...you know..."

"Alice texted me." Jake came forwards and picked my twin up out of my arms, responding to my protests with, "We have to get moving; our window's almost shut."

Gritting my teeth at how Jay was casually flung over his shoulder, I asked silently, Are you sure you're alright?

Just hungry, he told me, his eyes sliding shut as we ran back up the staircase. So hungry...

I was relieved the route we were taking back would insure we wouldn't come across any humans, though in Jay's weakened state, I wasn't sure he'd even have the strength to chase after one. As soon as we were out of the danger zone, I'd make sure he got a full meal. And once we got home, I would never let him out of my sight again.

Touching his cheek as I followed behind Jake, I thought to myself, You'll never be alone again, Jay. I promise.

~~~~~

The hiatus is officially over! Now that I've started writing it, the rest of Sunset shouldn't be too far behind. Fight scene in the next chapter, and then just two more before the epilogue! Can't wait to finish this - end has been a long time coming. If the next update isn't out sooner, it'll be done for sure (bidding no unforeseen circumstances) next Saturday! Thanks for sticking with me through all the chaos. You guys rock with a capital AWESOME. <3