I don't own Twilight or any of its franchise.


Unbetaed for now, but not for long, I'm working on it. So if you want to wait for the betaed version, be my guest.


A/N I'm going on vacation, (actually, I'm already on it) so I don't know when I'll manage the next update, but I really wanted to give you kind people something in return for the lovely reviews you've given me. Thank you all so much! …cough…keep 'em coming…cough, cough(:


CHAPTER SIX

Remember the weird, oddly pretty girl, Alice that as the only other student in school lived in my dorm with me? Yeah, well, she was a lot crazier than I'd originally thought.

Why? Well for starters, she excelled in popping up in the most unexpected manners and places. See, just last night after I'd awkwardly wished Edward goodnight as he pushed the table with my evening snack towards the door in silence, Alice had somehow materialized right next to me on my bed.

"What's up, Newbie?" Her voice had chirped cheerfully as if her very presence wasn't causing me to yelp with fear and jump to my feet.

I didn't get a chance to really say much of anything because next thing I knew, her butler had appeared out of nowhere too and sat down next to her with a quiet smile and they had both started munching on the plate of delicious sandwiches that Edward had prepared for me as if I'd invited them or something. Evidently, Alice's butler was just as crazy as she was.

"Miss Bella," Edward appeared by my side, his obvious distaste for our so called guests had been clearly readable in his green eyes, "shall I see out your visitors?" It was clear to me then from the look in his eyes that if I had said yes, some kind of manhandling would have been involved, so I had merely sighed and told him that Alice was welcome to stay.

"Oh thank you!" she had cheered loudly, bits of sandwiches flying out of her mouth and onto everything around her, including me. Yuck. "I knew from the first time I saw you that we were gonna become great friends!"

"Miss Alice, please remember your manners. Miss Bella does not need to see your non-digested food, she's got her own." Edward's tone was acidic, but unflinchingly polite at the same time. I kinda wished I had the ability to mimic that, because there was no doubt that with classmates like Rosalie I'd need it in the near future.

Anyway, Alice had simply grinned cheekily up at Edward and grabbed the last sandwich on the plate, which I'd just been reaching for and began chomping on it like a starved animal. Then I had started violently, when I realized that her butler, whom I know knew to be named Jasper and not Jazz, was standing in the shadowy corner next to us and was just as busy consuming my food.

What was it with these people?

But, I digress, my point being that Alice was weird, but I kinda liked her…in small doses. At least having her around proved that I wasn't the only loser at St. Lucia. People tended to look at us as if we were something to be scraped off of their very expensive shoes.

Which kinda brings me to why I brought up Alice in the first place.

I'd been walking alongside the tiny black-haired oddity to my first class of the new week, grumbling a bit at the sun, which was shining way to bright for my still sleep addled brain to find it in any way charming. We were just minding our own business; Alice somehow entangled up in one of her usual life or death matches with the silent Jasper behind her and I scowling at Edward whenever I saw his lips twitch even the slightest bit at my predicament.

The next thing I knew, I was suddenly surrounded by numerous familiar and unfamiliar girls and their blank faced butlers. Lauren was standing in the front with the slightly unfocused Jessica, who was busy sending adoring looks at her butler, Mike. There were others, but I didn't really know them yet and before I could get more than a glimpse around, Lauren spoke up.

"So Swan; you just don't learn do you?" Lauren's tone was saccharine sweet and it didn't really suit her to be honest. "I can deal with the fact that you're polluting this lovely school, but not that you're dragging your fellow, Losier girl down with you. Alice really can't afford more bad things happening to her. And truth be told," She nodded to Tyler and suddenly all the butlers seemed to stand at attention, "isn't it enough that your being here hurts your butler? Which reminds me, we've forgotten to do one little thing since you showed up…"

"What are you-?" I began, but I was cut off by the butlers all but attacking Edward at Lauren's nod and removing his flawless black jacket with a ferociousness that frankly scared me a little.

"There." Lauren oozed smugness as she looked at me and then at Edward's now only white shirt clad upper body. "That's more like it."

"I thought you people were rich enough to afford your own fabric," I yelled, grabbing frantically at the torn jacket in Tyler's hands. Inwardly, I was wondering why the usually so competent Edward had just taken the attack like a docile dog, but outwardly I kept trying to regain his jacket. After a few more tries I stopped the fruitless attempts and refocused on Lauren and the other girls. "You're pathetic."

"No, you're the pathetic one. Just like Alice. No," Lauren shook her head with mock sweetness in her voice, looking briefly at Alice, who didn't seem to be paying attention to her at all, busy as she was throwing what looked like small, sharp, needles in Jasper's direction "at least she accepted the reality gracefully."

"What reality? What are you even talking about?"

Lauren and the other girls giggled mockingly. "She's a weirdo, whose dad put her away here to avoid scandal; her and that stupid butler of hers, who's been ruined by her. He was one of the best, before he chose to remain by Alice's side and now he's just as big a loser as you two are."

I saw Alice stiffen a little in my peripheral vision, but didn't really take much notice of her until she suddenly stood right in front of me, her pale face inches away from Laurens.

"I'm up at a 99 percent accuracy level when it comes to hitting people or targets as it were with my knives or whatever comes in handy." She chirped with her usual bubbly voice. Usually it just annoyed me that she was always so…well, her, but this time it kinda freaked me out a little bit, because even though she was smiling widely, Alice's eyes were cold as ice, which I noticed when she shot me a quick look over her shoulder.

Lauren didn't seem to catch any of that; instead, acting as if she was still the one holding all the cards so to speak, she merely raised her chin and looked down her no doubt fake nose at the tiny Alice.

"So what? Your freaky ways doesn't belong in St. Lucia's exclusive family and you know it."

"I feel up to a little target practice right now," Alice merely kept speaking as if the other girl hadn't said a word. "Maybe I'll see if I can hit your pretty bracelet with my new set of senbons. Yeah, that's bound to be funny."

And without further ado, Alice's hands were suddenly filled with the small, needle looking weapons and wearing a deadly expression on her face as she simply told the blonde to run to make it more interesting.

"You're such a freak, Alice Brandon!" Lauren shrieked and hastily turned to flee without sending me one of her patented glares. At least I think so; I didn't really notice her departure being way too busy laughing my butt off.

It was Edward's voice that brought me back to the cold reality, and I quickly straightened up and walked up to him with concern brimming from the inside out. "Are you okay Edward? They didn't harm you did they?"

Edward glanced down at his slightly ruffled white shirt before answering me with a small crooked smile on his lips, "I'm perfectly all right Miss Bella."

"But…your status…" I began, only to be gently interrupted by the still softly smiling Edward..

"Is intact, Miss Bella. Besides," he dusted off one spec of dirt from his right sleeve before continuing quietly, "it does not matter what happens as long as I remain by your side."

I felt a rush of something unfamiliar at his sincerity, warm and frightening at the same time. I don't know how long we stood there staring into each other's eyes, tense silence nearly choking me, before Alice reminded me of her presence by roughly pushing me aside when Jasper's return fire of knives dove towards me.

"Thanks Alice," I grinned, relieved to be out from under Edward's spell for the time being. "And congrats for scaring the crap out of Lauren, I don't think she'll bother you again."

Alice turned serious for a split-second, looking over at Jasper, who was somehow managing to look completely serene, now busy sharpening some deadly looking knives while talking quietly with Edward, who in turn was picking up what looked like a little gold emblem, that I knew had been on his jacket, from the muddy ground.

"They can all say what they want about me, but she went too far when she attacked Jazz. He's only one of two in the whole world, who's never betrayed me and I'll do anything to make sure he's not hurt…especially by that new-money plastic looking female. If she's not careful I'm challenging her to a duel and nobody can beat Jazzy when he's fighting."

Oookay…I decided to count my lucky stars that Alice hadn't tested that theory on my butler and just sent her an awkward smile that I hoped wasn't as see through as I suspected before grabbing Edward's arm and all but dragging him into the building where my first class of the day was going to be.

Yeah, Alice really was weird, but as already stated, I kinda liked her…even if she scared the bejeebus out of me from time to time.

0o0o0

Naively I thought that Alice scaring off Lauren would mean some much needed peace and quiet for little ol' me, but I really should have known better, or paid a little more attention when she'd mentioned dueling.

Later that day, I was sitting in the armchair that had been assigned to me in class, and was furiously trying to comprehend the major equation that one of my fellow classmates had solved in a split second on the blackboard. I was brought out of my self-induced stupor when suddenly, a shadow fell over me, and I looked up into Lauren's angry face.

"Hi there, Lauren. Not to sound rude, but you're in the way. I'm trying to follow this very exciting class." I greeted her, knowing I was only rocking the boat so to speak, but something inside of me seemed to respond irrationally whenever the annoying girl was around me.

"Be quiet!" Lauren ordered harshly, before she morphed her features into a fake, sugary expression that was as artificial as the nose on her face. "According to St. Lucia's laws, I hereby challenge you to a duel, Losier Girl."

Immediately, I burst out laughing. It took me a moment to realize that the other students had gone deathly quiet. I gradually stopped chuckling, and looked at the only one I knew who would explain stuff to me without insults being thrown in: Edward.

I didn't even have a chance to ask, before he was bending down to my level, answering my unspoken question.

"Miss Lauren is not jesting, Miss Bella. She's acting according to St. Lucia's rules and regulations. All you have to do now is choose whether it shall be fought with swords, pistols or hand to hand combat."

"I don't know how to use any of those." Even I could hear the panicked tone in my voice, and I took a deep breath to try and keep it together. Lauren's and a few of the other girls' laughter at my reaction helped me to do that somewhat quickly.

Edward's special crooked smile was absent as he glanced over at Lauren's tall butler, Tyler, and looked back at me with soft eyes. "You won't have to worry about that, Miss Bella. I shall be the one fighting your duel."

"WHAT!"

It took several minutes, and Edward actually removing me from the classroom, and the snotty girls and their butlers, before he managed to fill me in on how things truly worked at St. Lucia. Evidently, when issued a challenge, the butlers wound up doing all the fighting for their mistress' and even though I was very relieved not to have to fight someone like Lauren, who probably knew a lot more about playing dirty than me, I was horrified too.

"So basically whenever one of the girls gets into a grudge match or something, their butlers has to do all the actual fighting for honor and crap?" I muttered after a long moment of silence, where Edward stood beside me with his usual air of patience for my dramatic personality about him.

"Yes, Miss Bella. Although," he added with a casual shrug he somehow managed to make dignified and elegant at the same time, "we do take pride in procuring victories for our young ladies."

Young lady. There was those words again, I cringed a little, but decided not to speak against the term seeing as Edward would soon be fighting a battle for me.

"So what do I do now?" I asked instead, running a hand through my long, brown hair that had gotten pretty messy when Edward had carried me out of the classroom earlier.

"You go back inside, and make the choice of which type of duel it's going to be, and leave the rest up to me." Edward answered seriously.

I bit my lip, and turned to do as he said. The entire time, I tried picturing what kind of fight I'd prefer. In the end, I couldn't quite keep my mind from wincing in sympathy at the upcoming bloodiness, and finally turned to look up at Edward's calm face.

"Which kind of duel would you prefer?"

Edward's eyes lit up, apparently pleasantly surprised that I was willing to ask for his opinion. It made me wonder, not for the first time, just how little these Super Butlers were allowed to actually feel and choose for themselves. I mean, if the guys fighting can't even choose their preferred weapons or fighting style then the chances of them winning decreases, right?

Edward's voice brought me out of my head, and I gave a small jolt of surprise. "Given my higher rank, I'm more than proficient in several different weaponries and combating techniques," his lips twitched a little when he saw the impatient look on my face, and he added gently, "I do, however, find myself rather partial to the swords. It was my preferred training style growing up, and my father managed to pass on his love of the blade to me, I suppose."

Edward had a father? I gawped briefly, before shaking it out of my head and promising myself to return to that subject at another, more suitable, time.

"Swords it is then." I stated quietly, and then, with a huge sigh, I walked back into my classroom and announced my choice to the still annoyingly smug looking Lauren.

Forty minutes later, I was grinding my teeth so hard that I vaguely worried about cracking them, but I was just so angry about everything. After I'd told Lauren and her minions about my choice, they'd delighted in telling me what I still needed to do to present myself with the St. Lucia honor. I needed to show up in the assembly hall wearing a ball gown of all things.

I mean, just picture that for a second; quite possibly the clumsiest girl on the planet, or at least in America, wearing a ball-gown and therefore heels to a fight. Not the best image, right?

Of course, it turns out that Alice thought it was absolutely wonderful, and with a solemn nod to Jasper, she officially paused their …err, game of death or whatever it was she called it, to make sure we both looked fabulous. Her words, not mine.

It seemed like no matter what Alice was involved in, it had some kind of deathly spin on it, and let me tell you, her idea of getting ready is more or less the most painful experience of my life thus far.

There was waxing, there was hair pulling…err; I believe Alice called it braiding. There were tons and tons of silk, which Edward and Jasper somehow swooped in and transformed into a beautiful, sea green dress that admittedly did look great on me. Last, but nowhere near least, there was makeup; lots and lots of makeup.

It honestly felt like I'd been through war, when Alice, Jasper and Edward all stepped back, and pronounced that I looked like a proper challenged duelist of St. Lucia. I was more than happy to sit down on the chair Edward pulled behind me, gasping for breath while eying the clock.

Since I'd decided the weapons of the duel, then Lauren as the challenger had set the time and date for our little fight. It was going to start at eight o'clock that very evening. Even after all the torture that the other three called primping, there was still twenty minutes left, before I had to show my face at the Assembly.

"Miss Bella?" Edward brought me back from my brief moment of peace, and I looked over at him. He was standing in his usual uniform, sans the jacket that Lauren had so viciously gotten ripped to shreds. I tried not to ogle at the way his muscular physique caused the white shirt to tighten around his chest, and nodded for him to speak, before I made an ass of myself.

"May I speak with you privately for a moment, please?"

Glancing at the obviously eavesdropping Alice, who was being restrained from coming any closer by a weary looking Jasper, I agreed, and awkwardly got back on my feet.

A few moments later, Edward had saved me from falling head first into the ground three times, and was now leading me towards my "beloved" helicopter. "What's up, Edward?" I asked when we'd stood in front of it for a long, tense minute without anything being said.

The tall butler took a deep breath, looking slightly uncomfortable, which was something I definitely wasn't used to seeing. "I…I would like for you to know that I consider it a great pleasure to be fighting for you, Miss Bella. I shall do my utmost to insure that you shall not have any more run-ins with Miss Lauren. Trust me."

"Uhm…Right." I swallowed, not really sure what to say. Judging from the way Edward's eyes dimmed at my response, I hadn't exactly lived up to his expectations either. Before I got a chance to say something else, anything else, Edward bowed courteously to me, and held out a hand for me to help me up into the helicopter.

Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Alice being lifted into her own helicopter; a black, skull painted monstrosity that kinda made me think of Pirates of the Caribbean for some reason. Next thing I knew, we were all in the air and I'd missed my chance to say something worthwhile to Edward.

Instead, I just leaned back, and closed my eyes, praying that whatever happened wouldn't end up in disaster. Also, a small part of me frantically prayed for Edward's safety, because without really admitting it out loud, I knew the beautiful butler had somehow managed to worm his way into my heart and I really didn't want him to get hurt…or worse.

TBC


A/N Thanks for reading. I'd appreciate a comment if you've managed to come this far. Now that there's this new review feature thingie, it's not even that time consuming, right?

Until Next Time