Lunar Love Chapter 10

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Previously:

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Hermione waited with bated breath as she heard Charlie yell for a few minutes, the hushed whispers of Edward, a sob from Bella, the door quietly closing downstairs, then finally Bella's growing footsteps their shared door opening and then Bella's taller body crashing into her own as she wrapped her arms around her cousin and let her cry out the sorrow that was radiating off of her.

Bella didn't hesitate when she saw Edward's form walk towards the door never once looking at her. Not even to spare an apologetic glance her way. It was fine. She didn't need it. She didn't want it. Bella flew up the stairs as fast as she could. It was no short of a miracle that she did so without falling or tripping a few times, but she managed. And in doing so she allowed herself to fall into the awaiting arms of her cousin.

She definitely wasn't some cuddly kitten, but for now she would make this exception.

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Now:

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'Look at her. Damn it. I'm so sorry Bella.' thought Edward as he couldn't turn his eyes away from her bruised body.

'How the hell could I let myself get so out of control? I can't hurt her like this any more. She might never be able to forgive me but maybe she could learn to hate me and move on.' he thought to himself. His thoughts leading him to gain a disgusted look on his face the more he thinks about how he harmed Bella.

As if sensing his thoughts Bella recoiled away from him in dejection and fear. Edward raising his hand up to meet her face halfway, couldn't bring himself to touch her. He let out an audible sigh to himself then rubbed the back of his neck. A headache in the making, he could feel it already. It would no doubt be Alice's doing. As of now he officially made up his mind. And Alice wouldn't be able to see it until after he brought Bella home. She already decided the day before she wouldn't be checking in on him until after Bella left. She wouldn't tell him why then but he had a pretty good idea of why now. Stupid pixie vampire.

"You should have been home hours ago." he muttered already standing with his pants on in the process of righting his shirt before his words sunk into Bella's mind and she too stood to get dressed, albeit slower than her supernatural lover.

Edward stared at her, frustrated that even after everything they've been through he still could not read her. So he settled for staring at her glazed over eyes as she robotically found her clothes and dressed.

He followed lightly behind her as she stepped out of his room, down the stairs and finally out of the front door. When she almost fell yet righted herself Edward temporarily forgotten with his disgust with himself placed his arm around her shoulders leading her to the rest of the way to his car. He silently cursed himself as he realized what he did when she relaxed her body against his.

Edward opened the door at his normal speed, fast in Bella's eyes, and even in his rushed state managed to gently push her into his Volvo. In less than a second he was behind the wheel and speeding of towards her house.

He felt Bella's gaze on him as soon as he heard her body shift to face his own. Just staring searching his eyes for something anything. He knew what he didn't know is what he should tell her.

'Maybe an explanation to what you're about to do to her.' an angry voice in his head shouted back. 'Maybe I should.' he agreed finally in his mind.

"Bella…" he spoke five minutes later yet before he could tell her he stopped in front of her house and her soft lips were atop his cold hard ones. Edward could do nothing but kiss back, giving in everything he had. Just like he did the day she woke up from the night he sucked James' venom out of her blood. Despite the kiss being very passionate it was also very held back.

Edward might have loved her but he couldn't risk turning her. Bella surprisingly was the first to pull back. Tears filled her eyes yet not one spilled. Edward didn't even think she knew she was producing them the emotions in her eyes changing within seconds. Fast enough to have even him lost within them.

Edward opened his mouth yet before he could utter her name, Bella was already opening her door, he had to rush to meet her halfway and help her out the door which she refused and stepped out.

Edward heard her sigh quietly before she was engulfed in a hug by her father after stepping through the door. Edward couldn't help but smile at the familiar hug. Charlie swiftly, for a human, Edward added silently, and held Bella at arm's length away from him. Before composing himself in his fatherly duties.

"Isabella Marie Swan! Where the hell have you been?" screamed Charlie as Edward felt immense guilt at hearing Hermione's wince from upstairs. However the feeling only grew when Charlie turned to him and began his rant anew. Edward barely paid attention the scolding sounding so much like the first one after the baseball match.

"I'm sorry Chief Swan, but Alice and Bella fell asleep downstairs while Jasper, Esme and myself watched movies with them. I fell asleep shortly after Jasper left to take Alice to her room upstairs and Esme take a call from Carlisle. It's my fault-"

"You're damned right it is." spoke Charlie harshly as Bella let out a sob. The dam officially broken Edward decided.

"I-I'll be leaving Chief Swan. Not just me but my entire family." Edward spoke never looking at Bella knowing if he did the lie he was so easily inventing would crumble and he would rush Bella into his arms and soothe all of her pain away. "That was what the phone call was about. We are going to visit Rose and Emmet before leaving for Italy where we shall be living with his family there. Indefinitely. We won't be returning. I'm sorry. Bella. Chief Swan. I'll take my leave now." he finished walking out faster when another sob reached his ears.

He was definitely going to get yelled at when he got home. But it was for Bella's own good. Nothing Alice would say could change that.

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Hermione had taken it upon herself to take Renee's place. Not like Renee had much experience with Bella and boys. But still the point was the same. Without her mother here Hermione was the only womanly comfort Bella had around here. And while it wouldn't seem like much, without anyone there Bella would have been likely to enter a depression, just like her. Hermione wasn't about to let that happen.

So despite the pain she went through at touching Bella, she felt it was a sacrifice well worth it.

Bella was still doing pretty badly she really only talked to Hermione, Charlie, Renee (when she called) and Jacob. It was as if Edward not only stole her heart but a part of her soul as well. It was as if they were more than soul mates. Sacred Bonded. At the time Hermione had read about it she thought it was absolute rubbish. But after seeing Bella's reaction maybe it wasn't such utter crap. Bella's now screaming unconscious body solidifying her newfound epiphany.

"Bella! Bella!" Hermione yelled while shaking her older cousin's crying form.

"Edward…no please, don't leave. Don't leave. Don't leave!" she screamed bolting upward in her bed almost knocking Hermione over.

"Shh, Bella. It's alright. Everything's fine it was just a dream." Hermione soothed.

"No. It's not. It can't be. He's not here. It hurts. It hurts so bad."

"I know. It'll get better though." she whispered out

"How?" Bella's voice sounded so harsh even to her own ears. "Nothing will ever be the same! Nothing. How can I go on after being surrounded by his perfection. His beauty. His grace. His Edward-ness."

"Edward-ness?" asked Hermione.

"Shut up. I'm depressed." she muttered before jumping out of her bed and knocking Hermione off running towards the bathroom.

As soon as Bella's retching reached her ears, Hermione's humor completely vanished and instead was replaced by her mothering prowess, (as Ron liked to call it), "Apparently you're nauseas as well." she spoke quietly holding Bella's hair back.

After Bella was finished she just sat there after flushing the toilet, head leaning against the back of the wall. Hermione's eyes searching her own closed ones. Then as if by magic spoke what Bella was thinking.

"How long?" asked Hermione in a neutral voice to where Bella could not decipher her own feelings about her situation.

After debating whether or not she should play stupid or not the words left her mouth before she could stop them. "Since my birthday."

Hermione merely moved to sit next to Bella and held her elder cousin while she cried.

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"What is our next move sir?" asked a cloaked figure kneeling before an obscure throne.

"The mudblood is a mudblood. Which means she is the kin of muggles. Find them. Kill them." spoke an eerily velvet voice.

"Yes milord." spoke the figure standing up and turning a raised hand from his master however stops him from leaving.

"I advise you. Drag it out."

"Yes milord." spoke the servant his hood falling to reveal a crooked smile filled with fanged canines.

"As you wish."

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"So asked her out yet?" questioned Seth as he flopped onto the couch of Emily and Sam's home.

"No. I actually haven't gotten that time alone with her since after the day at the beach. I reckon I won't get another anytime soon either." answered Jacob shoving Seth off the seat as he, Embry and Quil took up the space Seth had left free.

"No fair." he pouted, before standing and seating in one of the many recliners, "Why wouldn't you?" asked the youth

"Dude leave him alone." answered Quil.

"Yeah." chimed Embry, "Didn't you hear what happened to Bella?"

With a blank face and a raised eyebrow giving away Seth's ignorance to the subject graced the other three with sweat drops.

"The leech left Bella." Jacob finally sighed out.

"What! No way!" shouted Seth.

"Way." argued Sam entering the room, with Emily by his side and Paul and Jared behind them.

"How would you know?" questioned Seth curiously.

"Bella and Charlie hadn't been down here lately. I was with Jake on patrol when Harry and Billy asked us to go check on them." Sam clarified.

"Hermione was the one who answered the door." continued Jacob. "I was really worried. Had dark circles under her eyes and looked a little thinner than usual. When I asked she just laughed and said Bella was worse. She's been having nightmares of the leech leaving her. Waking up screaming at night, Hermione's kinda taken Renee's role while she's not with Bella, ya' know."

"Maybe we should invite them over here one day when Bella's feeling better. I'd really like to meet Jake's imprint. Not to mention the Vampire Girl." said Emily with a smile on her face.

"That's not a bad idea." said Sam

"Please your just agreeing cause she's your imprint." scolded Paul however Jacob spoke before Sam could say something smart back.

"Actually it really isn't such a bad idea." Jake agreed.

"Kay. So we'll talk more later. We have patrol." said Sam standing up along with the other wolves they all left the house but not before Sam kissed Emily's face all over.

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"Feel better?" asked Hermione as Bella rose up.

"Yeah. A lot actually. What happened?" she asked.

"You tired yourself into a dreamless sleep." Hermione answered standing before looking down at Bella.

"Charlie's gonna be pissed huh?" asked Bella as a hand was placed in her vision.

"Yes. But I have an idea that will make him more upset at me than you. I guarantee that once you tell him he'll be livid. I tell him and he'll probably faint." said Hermione as she helped lift Bella off of the floor.

"What could be worse than me being pregnant?" asked Bella through her tears.

"Want to take a walk?" asked Hermione as she led Bella out of the bathroom and into the forest.

'Merlin help us.' thought Hermione as she envisioned Charlie's face when the two cousins told him their own little secrets.

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Summary: Hermione could not believe how she got conned into going to visit her relatives in the states after the war. There were only three things she knew for sure. First she was a very tired and exhausted warrior from war not yet ready to move on like her parents were forcing her to do. Second she was not allowed to use any of her magic. And third Hermione knew irrevocably and without a doubt that if nothing interesting would happen in Forks, Washington something or someone is going to get blown up.

Pairings: Hermione Granger x Jacob Black

Rated: M+

Edited: 07/08/12

Dark Wolf Love