A/N: Due to the encouragement I have received, I am continuing this story. At this point, I have no idea how many chapters it will be—I plan to see where it takes me.

A special thanks to one of my regulars, who always supports and encourages my writing, for sharing and discussing a very personal experience with me. I had my own close call years ago and I am amazed by the sheer number of women who have been violated and face the future with an exceptional amount of hope, courage and strength. This story is dedicated to all of you.

Thanks and love as always to my beta Ashley (Ms. Skittles) for her unfailing support and encouragement.

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Previously

"Tanya."

"Edward! To what do I owe the pleasure?" Tanya sounded pleased.

"Just giving you a head start."

"I'm sorry?" she sounded confused.

"Well, you always wanted the men after you. Now you have two."

"Ooh, sounds intriguing! Tell me more..." Tanya purred.

"Well, there's me. Then there is the shapeshifter that you sent to rape my Bella."

"What are you babbling about, Edward?" She tried to sound nonchalant, but I could hear the fear in her voice.

"Run, Tanya, run. I'm coming for you and I'm going to rip you apart and burn the pieces..."

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Chapter Two

~Strange Alliances~

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Edward's POV

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I slammed the phone shut so hard that it crumbled to pieces in my hand, little shards of plastic and electronics spewing every which way. I closed my eyes and tried to reign in my anger, knowing it would do no good to expend it here. Bella needed my love and support right now, not my rage. That would come later, when I found Tanya. I knew my phone call would send Tanya on the run, warn her that I was coming—but I expect that her wretched shapeshifter would have the same effect. Either he would warn her, or he would go after her himself and deny me my revenge. Neither option was palatable to me, so I decided to set things in motion.

Pinching the bridge of my nose, I breathed deeply and tried to calm myself. Bella's warm little hand found my cheek and I would have cried if I could. Here she was, just brutally raped—trying to comfort me.

"Bella," I sighed, taking her hand in mine and kissing her palm gently.

"Edward, I know you're angry and you want to go after Tanya, but I need you," Bella whispered, fear evident in her eyes. "I c-can't do this w-without you. Please, p-promise me—you won't leave me."

"No, Bella, I won't leave you. I promise that no matter how angry I am, no matter how badly I want to hurt Tanya—I will always put you first, love." I pulled her to me gently, leaning into the couch cushions. "But she will not get away with what she's done and neither will he," I spat.

Alice stood still as a statue by the living room window, not breathing, thoughts running rapid-fire through her mind. She was wondering how we should handle this; how Charlie would react; if we should let the wolf pack in on it; if Bella would heal; how it would affect Bella's change; if this would put a strain on our relations with the Denali clan; if my relationship with Bella would be able to survive this...

At that last thought a low growl issued from my throat. "Alice."

"Sorry, Edward. Do you want me to go?" Alice's eyes were glistening with venom and I know she would have wept if she were able.

"No," I sighed deeply, shaking my head. "This is hard on all of us. But Bella has to be our priority right now and I think she needs you."

Bella lifted her head from my chest, looking up at me curiously. "What's going on? What are you guys talking about?"

"Shh...nothing to worry over, Bella. Listen, love—you need to think about what you are going to say to Charlie," I prodded gently, tipping her chin up until her eyes met mine.

Panic immediately set in and tears spilled over, running down her face. "N-n-no! I don't want Ch-Charlie to know about this!" Bella shook her head back and forth vehemently. Although I couldn't read her mind, it was easy to pluck the thoughts that were running through her mind as they flitted through her eyes.

"Bella, sweetheart, we have to tell him. How would you be able to keep something like this from him and why would you want to? He loves you, he will support you." Smoothing back her hair, I placed a chaste kiss on her forehead.

"No. If Charlie finds out about this, he is going to react as a policeman, not just a father. He will insist that I go to the hospital and have a rape kit done—but I have already bathed! I am a police chief's daughter, I know better than that. There are just too many things that won't add up. The evidence won't add up."

"She's right, Edward," Alice said softly turning from the window. "We need to handle this ourselves. No law enforcement and definitely no Charlie."

Bella was right, but this was not going to be easy to keep from Charlie. Sighing, I pulled Bella back to my chest gently, stroking her hair and gradually her heart rate returned to normal. How she was able to sit here and think strategy right after being attacked was beyond me. We were the vampires; strong, invincible, fast, immortal—but Bella was truly remarkable. Strength comes in many different packages and Bella was living, breathing proof of that. Pride swelled in my long dead heart for the fragile little human I held in my arms, that I failed to protect. Perhaps I shouldn't have been so stubborn about changing her—she could be a vampire right now and this would never have happened. My breath caught as I realized this could have been avoided.

"Edward Cullen...please tell me you are not trying to find some way to make this whole thing your fault." Bella looked up at me, eyes blazing. My mouth opened and then closed again as I stared down at her. How did she know? "I just know you," she sighed deeply with a shake of her head, placing it back on my chest.

Alice snorted and I glared at her. "What, Edward? She's got you pegged! You have to admit it. Oh! Bella, are you sure about this? I don't know if that's such a grand idea..." Alice trailed off.

Slowly, Bella pulled away from me, looking nervous. "Yes, I'm sure, Alice. But h-how do I tell- " Bella looked over at me.

"Someone want to fill me in?" I asked, slightly annoyed.

"Bella?" Alice offered, reciting a poem in her head. This couldn't be good.

"Edward, I want to talk to Sam and Jacob about this, they will--" Bella began carefully.

"What—no! No way! You want those dogs to know about this? It was one of them that did this to you, Bella—or have you forgotten?" My temper flared and I was unable to keep it in check.

Bella flung herself back from me, eyes ablaze with anger, looking incredulous. "NO, I most certainly have not forgotten a single moment. Remember this Edward—it happened to me, not to you. It was my body that was violated. My innocence that was stolen. We are going to do this my way. If you can't handle that, I'm sorry. But I refuse to let anyone dictate what I do about the most helpless moment of my existence." Speech over, Bella's body crumpled to the floor next to the couch, spent—the tears flowing.

If I thought I could not feel more awful—I had been wrong. It was difficult for me to relinquish control, to realize that I was not always the one with the correct answers. Instead of realizing that Bella needed to be the one in charge, that she needed to feel strong—I was running all over her, making her feel helpless just like that beast that attacked her.

Kneeling on the floor beside her, I took her warm little hands in my large cold ones. "Bella," I whispered, "I am so sorry. I never want to be the one to hurt you, or cause you pain. I wasn't thinking. The need to protect you from everything is so strong in me that I sometimes forget that you should be free to make your own decisions. Things were much different when I was turned—it's hard for me to accept more modern practices, but I am trying."

"It's okay, old man. I will keep you in line," she smiled through her tears. Would she never stop amazing me?

Alice smiled, coming closer. "Bella, I understand the way you want to do this, but you understand that we will need to tell our whole family what happened right?" she inquired gently.

"Y-yes, I know. Here's the thing—I don't want to be there. I want you to tell them what happened and let them know that while I appreciate their concern—I don't want to talk about this. Just with you two, okay? At least for now. It's how I can remain strong enough to move forward. It's bad enough that I will have to discuss any of it with Sam a-and J-Jacob."

Biting back my initial reaction to her words, fighting the urge to sneer about Jacob Black—I simply nodded, as did Alice. "Whatever you want, love. We will do this your way."

Bella turned her face up to mine, her eyes filled with gratefulness. "Do you mean that, Edward? Because I need to know that I can count on that—on you."

"Yes, Bella. I will do anything—be anything—for you. Even if it means turning upside down one hundred years worth of habits." I grinned crookedly at her.

"Alright then, it's time to call Sam and Jacob." Bella's voice held strong.

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Jacob's POV

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The water swirled below me, crashing against the rocks...spraying...ebbing...flowing. Just like the tides of life ebbed and flowed, things changed, morphed. What was yesterday appeared different today, the same exact pattern never to be repeated—but a similar motif might present itself that reminds one of what has come before.

The yells and catcalls of my brothers tickled at the periphery of my senses as though trying to draw me out of my cocoon. The self imposed shell I had been sporting since Bella firmly chose Edward—although they would say that had never been in question at all—was comfortable and familiar. I didn't want to come out of it, to relinquish the hardened structure I worked so hard to construct—and leave my tender, vulnerable, inner self open to be hurt, bludgeoned, injured. I liked it in here.

"WOO HOO!!" Paul whooped as he raced past me barefoot, wearing only his cutoff shorts—and flung himself off the cliff, arms held out, legs pumping in the air.

From my perch on the large boulder, which was on the edge of the cliff, yet off to the side, I could observe everyone easily. Sam stood with his arms crossed, a slight smile playing about his lips, watching over his flock. He was across from me, on the other side of the cliff edge, also at a surreptitious vantage point.

The guys went over the side one by one—Jared, Quil, Embry—leaving Seth the lone wolf. This was Seth's first time cliff jumping and I could see his throat work as he swallowed hard, puffing up his chest, trying to look brave. He was the most tender amongst us in all ways—tender footed, tender hearted.

"It'll be better for you if you go on your own, Seth," Sam spoke quietly. "If I throw you off, you won't live it down. If I let you chicken out, you won't live it down and they will find a way to make your life hell. Isn't jumping starting to sound more appetizing?"

"Uh huh." Seth nodded. He ran as fast as he could and flung himself into the air, screwing his eyes shut tight. He arched his body into a dive that would make any swim coach proud.

When it was just the two of us left, Sam sauntered over to me slowly. He looked me directly in the eye, searchingly, not speaking. Staring back impassively, I continued to sit back on my heels. I wasn't sure what Sam's game was, but I wasn't playing. I knew that I wasn't "right", that things were strange. But I also knew that I wasn't harming anyone by maintaining my self-made shelter.

The salty air blew across my face harshly, causing my eyes to tear and squint, the heat that I put off abating any chill in the air. Breathing in deeply, I tasted the salt on the air and it brought me back in time to days gone by—to when I was a young Quileute boy frolicking on the beach...wolves and cold ones just legends talked about around the bonfire.

Sam continued to stand there with his arms crossed, gazing up at me fixedly, an unreadable expression on his face. What he might not have realized was that I could sit here all day—that if he was looking to win a staring contest, he had already lost. I was comfortably ensconced in my shell and outside influences didn't penetrate here. The emotional numbness was becoming...pleasant...preferable to the twisted up mass of hatred I had become.

Our competition was interrupted by the screeching of a hawk. It flew past the edge of the cliff, wings unfurled, gliding in the updraft. It looked directly at us, with an intelligence that was...unnerving. It was larger than any hawk I had ever encountered and its humongous beak opened up as it stared me in the eye and it let out a screech that sounded as though it was screaming in pain. It threw its head back, mid air, letting out another ear piercing shriek—and then it was gone—huge wings flapping, using the air currents to best advantage, rising higher and higher, racing out over the water. An involuntary shiver ran through me.

"Jacob," Sam called to me softly.

"Yes?" I returned my gaze to his, forgetting the strange hawk.

"How long is this going to go on?" His voice remained gentle, concerned. He wasn't trying to go all Alpha on me and that was something I appreciated.

"How long is what going to go on?" That didn't mean I would make things easy for him.

Sam graced me with a sardonic look. "Let's not be coy. You know exactly what I'm referring to. I have to say this, Jacob—it deeply disturbs me that you are letting things go this far, for someone that you did not imprint on. Even if Bella were to leave Edward for you...what would the end result be? What if you met your imprint a month from then...a year from then?" Pain laced Sam's voice and I knew that he was thinking of Leah and Emily.

I sighed deeply, knowing he was right, hating the fact. "Sam, I know what you say is correct factually, but it doesn't translate emotionally. This-this protection I wear, it keeps me sane. I don't know how to feel any more and I'm not sure I ever will."

"I hear you, brother. I need to know...that you're not..." Sam trailed off, looking down at his feet for the first time.

"That I'm not what?" My eyes narrowed.

"Suicidal, Jake." Sam's eye snapped back up to meet mine.

I barked out a laugh, rubbing some of the salt air from my stinging eyes. "Suicidal? Are you kidding me? No. That is one thing you don't have to worry over with me."

"You're being straight with me?"

"As an arrow, Sam. I'm hurt. I'm broken. I'm not suicidal." Jumping down from the boulder, I landed softly next to Sam, placing my hand on his shoulder for reassurance.

He nodded his head. "I'm sorry, I had to ask. It's just...sometimes the way you look out over this cliff, as though longing for something in those waters..."

"Oh that," I answered, my voice flat. "When I'm looking into the water, I'm thinking about Bella—about when she jumped and how it set so much in motion. It was the beginning of the need for me to construct this shell around myself. When that bloodsucking psychic saw her jump and came running. If she hadn't jumped, if they hadn't come back...I just – "

"It's okay, Jake. You don't have to go into it. I just want to be clear on what's happening with you. I won't bother you about this again; you will come around in your own time." Sam clapped me on the back.

We looked at each other sideways and with complete understanding ran full force, whooping and hollering in tandem off the end of the cliff into a graceful swan dive. What a rush.

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"Yo, Jacob!" Quil yelled as I came out of the waves onto the beach. "Your phone has been ringing—it's Bella!"

My heart hit the ground and bounced back up, beating hard. Why was Bella calling? We hadn't exactly been on good terms since she punched me in the face for kissing her (well worth it) and announced she would be marrying the leech in a few weeks.

When I listened to the voicemail, it was Edward's voice I heard and an icy cold hand of fear ran up my spine and wrapped around my heart. "Jacob, this is Edward. Something has happened and we need to speak with yourself and Sam as soon as possible. It's extremely important that this remain between us...for Bella's sake."

"Sam! Listen to this!" I said frantically, waving him over. After hearing the message, Sam sent the rest of the guys on their way and we called Bella's phone back together.

"Hello," Edward's soft voice, laced with tightness and pain answered.

"Edward, this is Sam. I have Jacob here with me." Sam took control. I knew it had more to do with support for me, than his desire to be in charge.

"Thank you for calling back so quickly. We need to meet with the two of you. Something has happened...I can't discuss it over the phone." Edward sounded...tired.

"Is Bella okay?" Sam asked.

"That depends on your definition of okay, Sam. But she is intact, yes." Edward's voice was devoid of color and the cold hand of fear squeezed tighter.

I was unable to control myself any longer and I jumped in. "What does that mean? Did you hurt her leech? Because if you did –"

"Jacob!" Sam broke in, shooting me a warning glance.

Edward sighed deeply. "No, Jacob. On this score, both of our kinds were to blame in one way or another. Please, we need to meet in person—Bella has insisted it's the way she wants it."

"Where?" asked Sam.

"For Bella's sake, let us forget treaty lines. Please, if the two of you would come to our home. It will be myself, Alice and Bella. The others will be out."

"This is serious, isn't it, Edward?" Sam looked pale under his russet skin.

"Yes. Yes it is," he whispered, pain evident in his voice.

"Jacob and I will be right over."

Sam looked at me, not speaking. A feeling of trepidation ran through me. Something was about to change in a very dramatic way—I could feel it in the very air as we phased and sprinted full speed towards the Cullen's.

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A/N: Would love to hear thoughts on where you would like to see this story go. I have a lot of ideas floating around right now, but have not decided yet in what direction I am going to take it. I am definitely open to hearing ideas and, of course, will give credit where it is due.

There is a link to an awesome banner for this story on my profile—check it out!

Just a reminder that I will be concentrating mainly on my other fic ISYC until it is finished, so updates on this one will not be as frequent. Patience is appreciated. :-)