MEANT TO BE

Authors note; warning: abuse, sexually and physical. Angst. Beta'd by Frannie my beta and friend.

.

.

.

The night fell quickly, its darkness eerily reaching for the tiny window I stood at with stealthy fingers until at last, it succumbed to the enviable absence of light.

My hope faded along with it.

I waited for Edward, although a vast part of me that didn't want him to come at all for fear of what evil, crazy plan Stuart had cooked up for him.

I was tormented by the many horrific outcomes my mind conjured up, I'd clearly read too much fiction and watched too many horror movies.

Stuart hadn't come back yet, and his 'rest' had left me in peace. I was frightfully hungry now and very thirsty, but I remained silent, determined not to call and ask for water because I was so scared of waking him. I unwillingly thought of my tiny baby, cradled so contently inside my body.

For some strange reason, I didn't want it harmed in any way.

It was the first time I'd felt so strongly about the baby itself, and the feeling shocked me.

But this baby was mine. It was also part of Edward and deserved the very best, not this cruel end.

I moved to the bed and curled up into a ball beneath the thin, dirty blanket. I was so cold, and the room offered little protection from the night's chill. My eyes remained glued to the door, my heart all at once terrified and hopeful.

Edward had never once let me down. Why would he start now?

The key turning in the lock had my heart beating frantically against my ribcage and my mouth as dry as a riverbed during the worst drought imaginable. I clutched the pathetic blanket to me like it was armour, as I sat upright and waited.

Stuart's pale, destroyed face appeared, and my heart plummeted.

"Did you rest well, beautiful Bella?" He asked grinning at me. "I did. It was just what I needed, in fact, I now feel capable of outwitting your fiancé."

I turned away from him without a word, deliberately ignoring his comment and him.

Stuart grabbed me and shook me until I looked at him, my flesh crawling with disgust as his fingers slid over my arms.

"Don't fucking ignore me, Bella!" He yelled right into my face. "Look at me!"

I forced myself to do as he commanded, bile rising in my throat at the sight of his insane face.

"That's right, beautiful, look at me...I can be nice to you if you're nice to me..." he whispered as he swayed towards me, his fingers holding my face as his lips descended towards mine.

I tired to turn my head away again but it was no use, even crazy, he was stronger than me.

His fetid breath touched my lips, and I tried to repress a very real urge to vomit.

"No!" I pleaded hoarsely. "Please don't do this...! I don't want you, I never did."

Stuart's fingers gripped my jaw harshly, nails digging deep into my skin. "You wanted me once. Do you remember? It was so good Bella. You felt so sweet wrapped around my dick. I think I should remind you."

He started shoving me backward onto the bed, and I fought him with all my strength, not giving up even when he eventually hit me, a stunning blow, which hit my face and resonated through my skull causing my ears to ring and my sight to disappear.

"I'm pregnant! " I sobbed. Hoping against hope that it would make him stop in disgust. "Please don't do this to me, don't hurt me."

A look of pure rage seeped across his face as he stared at me in horror.

"You let him knock you up?" Stuart snarled as his cruel fingers dug even deeper into my flesh.

My sight came back, white fuzzy spots dancing before my eyes. I felt a warm wetness dripping down my cheek and knew that they were tears. "He's my fiancé." I managed to croak out. "I have a life with him."

I sounded remarkably brave, but I was so scared.

I wanted Edward.

I wanted my dad.

Suddenly, the whole situation with my not wanting a baby didn't seem so important anymore, only the fact that I may never get a chance to see the child I'd created with Edward was of any importance.

An overwhelming sadness filled me as I now understood how stupid I'd been.

I wasn't my mother; I could never be like her and abandon my own child.

This fear I'd carried my whole life suddenly seemed insignificant compared to never seeing Edward again, never experiencing the absolute joy I felt when I touched him.

As Stuart's hands moved to my neck and he squeezed, I finally knew that I would never have had the heart to abandon my unborn child.

I had just been terrified of failure. Terrified that deep down inside I was like her.

I'd always wanted Edward to see me as perfect. I'd wanted our lives to be what I'd imagined.

Only, in my fear, I'd ignored the enormity of what we had done. We had created a life together, a little person who was part of both of us.

Part of our love.

I knew now, in this horrific moment, with my assailant's hands around my throat that I had everything I'd ever wanted.

Edward and our child.

Pain exploded through my abdomen as Stuart deliberately forced himself down on me, his knee on my stomach, trying to get the leverage he needed to strangle me. I could barely see him anymore, the white dots before my eyes blurring into one solid white light.

The fear I now felt was all for my baby.

I was going to lose my child.

"Edward..." I rasped, calling him, needing him.

My head swam, and I felt faint as I tried to drag air into my starved lungs. Stuart's hands tightened, his horrid breath on my lips as he watched me die.

And then, as if by magic, Edward was there, his face appearing behind Stuart.

His face manic in pure rage. Suddenly the pressure was gone, and I fell onto the bed too weak to move. I sucked in great gasps of air, my throat in agony, my lungs burning.

I watched through blurry eyes as Edward held Stuart and hit him over and over again. Blood flew in tiny droplets around them and splattered Edward's clothing and face.

I felt detached as I gripped my still flat belly, pain moving in waves through me.

I felt nothing, even as I saw my father appear, gun in hand, his face grim.

Tears sparkled in his solemn gaze as he looked at me and I felt my lips lift slightly in a minute smile.

My men had come for me.

Edward's face was so enraged I barely recognised him; his normally messy hair, now chaotic. His eyes glittered murder as he pummeled Stuart mercilessly.

"Stop Edward!" I heard my father say his voice carrying an edge I had never heard before. "Not for his sake, for Bella. This will be murder."

"He fucking nearly killed her, he deserves to die," Edward said through gritted teeth. "I'll never forgive myself if I allow him to live. You know as well as I do that he won't get what he deserves behind bars. They will release him one day, and he'll come for her again, I don't want Bella living in fear, Charlie."

Dad said no more, not even trying to change Edward's mind.

I didn't care that Edward was going to kill Stuart. I wanted him dead and gone from my life forever.

Charlie lifted me against his chest, cradling me to him as though I were still a five year-old. White-hot pain exploded through my entire body as my abdomen was jostled.

Hot tears ran down my cheeks as I held my stomach and burrowed my head into Dad, my eyes glued to the scene before us.

Stuart was a mess of blood, his face unrecognisable as human; he hung limply where Edward held him against the wall, barely conscious.

Slowly, with cold, deliberate precision I watched Edward draw a gun from his leather jacket. With no hesitation, he pointed the short barrel at Stuart's face and then pulled the trigger. The shot was muffled; the result, instant.

Stuart's face exploded, a massive hole appearing between his eyes as he slid down the wall, lifeless.

Edward dropped him and came to me at once. He was covered in blood, but neither of us cared as I held onto him in a death grip.

"Edward...Edward...hold me." I whispered as I clung to him.

Relief flooded me, and I felt whole, despite the pain.

"God, Bella. I'm so fucking sorry. I never thought he'd come back for you, or I would have finished him sooner." Edward said fiercely, face buried in my hair.

I didn't reply, my throat too painful and raw. I simply tightened my hold on him.

"Edward we have to move fast. We have to dump the bodies and set fire to the house. Give Bella to me and I'll put her into the car."

I was lifted into my dad's arms as Edward pressed a kiss to my forehead and then my hair, his hand stroking along my jaw gingerly to touch the soreness on my cheek.

I gazed up at him, our eyes locked, communicating without words.

He had just killed a man for me and I'd never been more grateful to him in my life.

This would be a secret between the three of us, a terrible memory; a nightmarish dream, which would always remain with us.

Edward finally turned away and I was carried to the waiting vehicle. It was Edward's sleek sports car parked in the shadows, along the side of the house. Dad placed me in the back seat. Every movement was pure agony as the waves of pain radiated across my entire body. Tears squeezed out from between my tightly shut eyes as I concentrated on getting through this nightmare.

Dad drove the car towards a small cluster of trees a few hundred yards away from the house and parked there, the car idling while we waited.

"Bella, are you okay?" Dad asked, reaching back and touching my arm.

I shook my head, biting my lip.

"Don't worry; we'll get you to a hospital soon. Edward is just getting rid of the evidence. We'll make this all go away, Bella, it's over now."

I nodded again as I stared at my father. "Thank you for coming to find me," I whispered hoarsely.

"Bella I couldn't do anything else, you're my little girl, I'm meant to protect you. I'm only sorry it took us so long to get here. Edward figured out what had happened to you, but it took a while to find out where Stuart's family had houses and then, which one it was."

"You came." I said. "That's all that matters."

Ten minutes went by, and I wondered what was taking so long.

I breathed through the pain, each one wracking my body cruelly.

Suddenly, I heard a loud explosion as the house was engulfed in flames, the upstairs windows shattering with the heat. I waited with bated breath for Edward to appear.

And then, out of the flames came Edward, his jacket missing, his t-shirt torn, his face covered in soot and dried blood.

He had never looked better to me.

I wondered for a moment what he had done with the bodies, but decided not to ask right now. As a lawyer, he would know how to dispose of them and any incriminating evidence too.

I just wanted to get to a hospital as soon as I could to save my baby.

Edward got into the car, and Dad gunned the engine taking us away from the crime scene.

We stopped briefly at home so that Edward could clean up and change his clothes. Then we drove to the hospital.

I was feeling frail by this stage, my limbs leaden and immobile.

I didn't move at all, it hurt too much; each breath was torture.

As soon as we arrived, I was rushed to the exam room.

Edward didn't leave my side; our hands were clasped the entire time.

The prognosis was badI could lose the baby. The doctor said he would do his best to stabilise the fetus, but he would promise us nothing. As my pregnancy was at such an early stage it would take a miracle to stop a miscarriage.

I felt numb inside and out, as I realised that I would probably get my original wish.

My neck was agony, the nurse dressed the nail marks and put a dressing on it, but there was little else they could do.

Then the pain medication took hold and I felt nothing as I drifted off to sleep.

I vaguely heard Edward explain to the doctor that I'd fallen at home, explaining the bruise on my cheek and neck. Although the doctor sounded dubious, he accepted Edwards explanation. What else could he do? Edward was a very influential man and there was little he could do.

I felt myself floating and then it all went black.

.

.

.

A constant beep woke me; it was insistent and annoying, disturbing my non-dreams, for I'd been floating in a comfortable black void.

I opened my eyes to find Edward asleep beside my bed, his face strained.

Suddenly everything came crashing back into my mind, and I half sat up in fear.

My baby!

Was it gone?

Or had my little fighter beaten all the odds?

"Edward!" I hissed. "Edward, what happened?" My voice sounded husky with misuse and the half strangulation I'd received.

His head shot up immediately at the sound of my voice, his eyes bloodshot with fatigue.

Part of me felt sorry that I'd woken him when he had clearly been keeping vigil beside me, but I had to know.

"Bella, you're awake." He said groggily as he leaned in, face close to mine, his fingers covering mine completely.

"Edward, what happened to my...our...baby?"

An odd look crossed his face, at my terminology. "The baby is fine, Bella. It's a little fighter, just like its mom. The doctor said if you both held on until morning, our baby should make it."

Relief flooded me, so intense that I felt faint.

Joy swiftly followed, and I smiled widely at Edward.

"Why the change of heart, Cricket?" He asked eyes concerned.

I winced at Edwards question. Of course, he couldn't know the epiphany I'd had while I'd been at Stuart's mercy.

I shook my head as my throat swelled with emotion. "I realised something while I was...there...with Stuart."

Edward cocked his head and waited. "Yes?"

" I'm not my mother," I stated. I was needlessly worrying because my only role model for parenthood was Dad. But then I understood that if I'm half the parent he was, this baby will be very lucky."

A slow, sexy grin spread across his face as his fingers stroked the back of my hand. "I always knew that. You are one hundred percent your father's daughter, I knew that you would understand that eventually."

I felt a warm wetness on my cheeks, and I smiled up at him.

"Are we going to be okay?" I asked softly, needing reassurance from this man who meant everything to me, my reason for being.

"Of course, Bella. Do you think I'd allow anything less?"

"I love you, Edward," I said.

He smiled at me, his handsome face filled with pride. God, I love you, Cricket." He replied his voice fervent.

"So what happens now?" I asked, dropping my eyes from his and concentrating on our intertwined fingers.

"We live our lives and raise our child, Bella. Together."

I grinned up at him, "Do you know, I always believed that we were meant to be together?"

Edward lifted our joined hands and pressed a long lingering kiss to my hand, his stubble scratching the skin deliciously. "I think that you are right. It's always been us, Bella; the two of us against the world."

I nodded and pulled Edward's face down to mine, our lips melding together instantly; perfection in every movement.

Memories forced their way to the surface as we kissed, ugly, dirty memories of fear and pain at Stuart's hands. But with each touch of Edward's tongue and hands, they began to fade, and I knew that nothing would ever come between us.

THE END.

Author Note; there with be several future takes, epilogue's if you like. No promised update shedule whatsoever. Thoughts?