Disclaimer: No I don't own Twilight and I am fairly certain Stephenie Meyer's would have an issue to what I do to her characters. Oh the horror, no not really.

Thanks Dazzleglo for putting up with my manic writings! I love you lady!

The Third Wife

Chapter 9

Edward's POV

No one had been in these tunnels since we were kids. They were built back when the house was constructed and if you didn't know where you were going it would be easy to get lost in them. I knew because I held the only blue prints of them. The hardest part was getting Bella into them without being seen by James.

After I heard Carlisle's confession, I knew Bella was at risk. Whatever James' reason for preventing the pregnancies were, Bella was a threat to them now. I couldn't risk our unborn child or my Bella.

When Maxine deliberately caught James' attention I only had seconds to hide Bella and I used them to my advantage. With my hand cinched over Bella's mouth, we held our breath as James checked Maxine's room. He never knew about the cubby hole in her closet. Hidden in the dark, I held Bella flush against me until he left. Once we heard them heading downstairs, Bella followed me down the back stairs to the kitchen and into the pantry where the tunnel door was hidden.

"Edward, we have to go back. Maxine needs us," Bella whimpered, trying to tug away from me.

Pulling her into my arms, I whispered, "You heard Maxine. She is protecting the child you carry. It was her choice. I tried to get her to come with us, she refused."

"I'm scared." For the first time in days, her eyes were not hard when she looked at me.

Cupping her cheeks, I kissed her deeply before reassuring her, "I will protect you," I breathed across her face.

With closed eyes, she sighed and nodded, "I know, and I'm sorry…" before she could finish, I latched onto her lips again.

She had nothing to be sorry about. Now that we knew she was pregnant everything made more sense. Her moods were constantly in flux reacting to the situation. It was one of the things that had her doubting herself. Hormones can be a real bitch.

"Don't be. We'll talk about this when we get through the tunnels." Grabbing her hand, I dragged her faster down the ancient tunnels covered in cobwebs.

We ran down the mortar sided passageways with nothing but a single flashlight to light our way. Bella's job was to hold the light since the only hand not holding her held the rifle I refused to give up. It could be the difference between living and dying.

The light from the end of the tunnel was a welcomed sight. Dust drifted from above when I lifted the trap door that led to the old cottage at the back of the property. Poking my head out of the ground, I scanned the area for anyone. Once I was convinced it was clear, I jumped out and helped Bella up.

Her eyes were squinting as they tried adjusting to the daylight shinning in them. I quickly searched the four room cottage for any signs of life. That's when I found the disturbing evidence. Litter was covering the floor; there were blankets and pillows on the dusty floor as well. Someone was staying here.

"Edward?" Bella whispered, grabbing my hand tighter.

"We need to get out of here before they come back."

She didn't resist when I dragged her right out the door and through the woods headed away from the house.

Grabbing my phone, I called the police station first, and then I called Jacob. I needed to hide Bella before I went back to try and help my family. My thoughts went to Maxine. Brave as she was, I wish she had come with us instead. I had already almost lost my second wife once, and now I might lose her again.

"Bella, listen closely, you need to stay with Jacob and Victoria until I come get you. I love you, too much, to lose you and our child." I stroked her flat stomach.

"Edward, please, I need you. Don't go back. Let the police stop them. My dad is probably already on his way," she pleaded.

"I have to go back, Maxine needs me, too. Just take care of our baby, please?"

"What if you don't come back? How will we survive without you?" she sobbed.

"I'm not going anywhere, I have too much to live for," I reassured her, caressing her cheek.

By the hand, I resumed our trek through the forest. Jacob pulled up just as we exited the woods near the road. "Edward?" he called through the open window.

"Take Bella. I need to see if I can help back at the house."

"Edward, No!" Bella screamed and struggled, but I pushed her into the truck.

"You are going with him. He will protect you and our unborn child." Bella sobbed when Jacob nodded his agreement.

He couldn't hide that he was shocked to hear of Bella's pregnancy. He peeled out down the road as I stared at my wife and reason for existence fading away. I had to think of them first, Maxine and I would now take second place to her.

Rushing back the way I came, I pledged to myself that if we made it out of this we would be leaving the homestead. Too many things were threatening my family and I needed that to end.

Dropping back into tunnel, I headed back the way we had come just a short while ago. The closer I drew to the exit, the louder the voices became. There was a lot of chaos going on above me as I listened to the scurrying footsteps sounding off above. When the sounds grew clearer, I realized that it was James' voice that was growing closer.

"Hurry, Tanya. They're coming!"

"Here, the door is here."

"Move it, Doc. We're taking you for some insurance." I could hear the venom in James' voice.

I dashed into the first branch off I could find extinguishing the flashlight in my hand. Training the barrel of my gun back toward the entrance, I hid in the shadows. If an opening presented itself I would stop them, and as much as I hated my father at the moment, I wouldn't risk killing him. I would never kill for the sake of it, I wasn't James. I also knew it would break Esme's heart; she loved him like no other. I would never do that to my mother.

We would deal with his betrayal when this finally ended. I should have guessed he had been up to something. Now I had to wonder where it ended? How far had he gone?

"Move it, pops. I am not getting stoned." Tanya's sneer vibrated off the tight confines of the tunnel walls.

"Tanya, I think it's gone long past a stoning. You've both committed mass murders. When they find you, they will kill you on sight. You know that right?"

"This is all your fault. If you hadn't messed with the drugs, everything would have been fine."

"Shut it, Tanya." James threatened.

"Why? We're going to kill him when once we're free. Who cares if he knows about the counter you've been dosing the town with."

They had just come into view when James shoved Carlisle in my line of sight. My shot was ruined. Now I'd have no choice, but to follow them back out the way I'd just come.

I had just reached the intersection when a hand reached around and clamped around my mouth. "Let them get a little more ahead. Charlie is already headed to the other side of the property," Jasper whispered, "we'll push them right into his hands." I nodded my agreement.

I sighed as he released my mouth. For a moment there, I thought I was a goner. The man was seriously stealthy. Jasper flicked on his flashlight, and if as on cue, the sounds of their scampers increased and echoed down the old passageway.

We started running toward them; our fast footsteps hurried them along as planned.

Jasper's POV

I wanted nothing more than to rip the heads off of James and Tanya. Their Bonnie and Clyde routine needed to end. No one messes with my family and gets away with it. Even if Tanya was once Edward's first wife, the bitch needed to die. Their body count was already over ten people. People who were members of our community and had families that depended on them.

Carlisle as per our usual arranged for my first two wives. I had to be very careful about choosing my third wife. She had to be the one that completed me. Alice Brandon did just that. The tiny woman owned me after the first time I had seen her in church. When our eyes met, she looked at me as if she knew me and I couldn't look away.

Her and her parents had moved here from Louisiana. Eager to settle in and become a part of the community, they were easily convinced that I would be the best for their one and only daughter. They also knew the significance of her becoming my third wife.

I could understand Edward's lack of interest in his first two wives. He had been dreaming of Bella for years, only he had to wait until she was old enough for the arrangement to happen. As a precaution, I went with Carlisle when he talked to Charlie about the marriage. I couldn't let my brother continue to be miserable if Carlisle didn't make it work.

It was a good thing I did, too. Charlie was skittish about letting go of Isabella even though she would be a third wife. He was unsure if Edward would give her all she needed and deserved. He heard the rumors about Edward and his current wives, as well as not being blind to the way he acted toward them.

After three hours of talking, I convinced him to agree to it. However, Charlie drove a hard bargain. He insisted that at the one year mark of the marriage that Isabella's biological mother sit with her at their home to ensure that she was happy with Edward. If she wasn't, he would have the right to take her back home. He wasn't about to let his daughter just merely exist as a zombie. It was an unusual request, but before Carlisle could interject, I quickly agreed to it because I knew it would never happen.

Edward could hide his emotions from everyone, but me. He was my best friend and brother. I watched him at every church event. He was quite comical to watch. His face would scrunch up whenever a boy would approach Bella, but his boisterous laugh would ring out when she would run away from them. He loved her, plain and simple.

James' confession finally cleared up as to why I had been unable to give Alice and my other wives the children they wanted and deserved. Still the question remained, why did Carlisle have to slip the women fertility drugs in the first place. Had James already been dosing the community before?

"James, it's me you want, take me and leave them. I can get you money at the bank," Carlisle begged.

"That's an interesting thought, but I can't be seen and you know that. Back up against the wall. Now everyone turn around and face the wall," James once again demanded.

When we were lined up against the wall with our backs to James and Tanya, I prayed for my family. Though in the back of my mind, if I wasn't the first to fall I would turn and charge them. I just needed their attention diverted enough to buy me the time.

Looking to Emmett, I could see he had no intention of going down without a fight.

"Ready, sweetheart?" James cooed to Tanya.

It took me all of three seconds to figure out what the scuffling sounds behind me were. They were dragging Carlisle away. In a flash Emmett and I followed the noises to the kitchen. Shit! Tanya must have discovered the secret escape tunnel from back in the days when we feared the Feds coming in to haul us away. The men in the family knew these tunnels better than anyone. They had once been our playgrounds.

Emmett passed me Carlisle's .30-30 short. "I'll call Charlie and send him around back, you herd them toward him." Nodding I bolted through the door.

I was just about to race forward when Edward crept out in front of me. Cinching my hand over his mouth, I whispered the plan into his ear. With one nod he was on board. Flipping my flashlight on, we rushed forward.

A/N yeah I know you hate me. Next up good ole fashion shoot out! Who wins? Who loses? I won't tell.