Disclaimer: All recognizable characters and the Twilight Saga belong to Stephenie Meyer. The story and any new characters belong to me.

Beta'd by Marshmellow007

A/N: I know I said in my chapter 10 A/N, that chapter 11 would include Edward's birthday, but this chapter took on a life of its own so I've decided to go with it – it's a short one. Edward's birthday will now be a couple of chapters away – sorry.

This chapter includes an assault scene that may be distressing to any reader that has experienced assault before. There is no rape. I have included the underlined word start where the scene begins if you wish to skip that section.

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Chapter 11 – Fear

I held my mom's jewelery in the palm of my hand idly looking them over. I had them for over a week but I hadn't looked at them, until now. The rings Phil gave my mom, weren't really my taste at all but Mom loved them and she picked them out with Phil after he proposed to her. The rings from my dad were more precious to me because Dad gave them to Mom and the engagement ring in particular was more my taste than the ring from Phil. Mom's first engagement ring was a single white gold band with a brilliant cut diamond in the Tiffany style.

I noticed that the rings from Dad needed to be cleaned and I resolved to drop them off at a jewelers later when I went into town. I tried them on the ring finger of my left hand; they were a perfect fit – I must have Renee's hands. I took them off and tried them on the ring finger of my right hand – they were a little tight but I think my fingers were still a little swollen from punching Edward in the nose. I wanted to feel closer to my parents so I was toying with the idea of wearing the rings on my right hand.

I picked up Mom's gold cross that had a tiny diamond in the center where the two pieces intersected to form the cross. It was dull and tarnished from disuse and would need to be cleaned before I could wear it. I wanted to get a new chain for it as well because the clasp was broken on the existing one. The necklace had belonged to my grandmother – Mom's mother, but I never knew her because she died before I was born. My grandmothers dainty wrist watch wasn't something I thought I'd ever wear (well not on a daily basis anyway) because it was a little old fashioned having been made sometime in the late 1950's. The gold link bracelet with a heart charm was a gift to Mom from Phil and I thought I might wear that more often than I would the watch.

I put aside Mom's rings from my dad, as well as the gold cross and put the rest of the jewelery back in the black satin bag they'd been stored in when I got them from Jenks. I tucked it back into my underwear drawer for safekeeping as my thoughts drifted to Edward and his birthday present.

I'd had an idea last night about the gift I wanted to give Edward for his birthday but I needed a bit of help from Carlisle and Esme to make it possible; they said they had what I needed and Esme would get them to me before lunch today. I was rather nervous that they'd be upset about what I asked for but they weren't and they really loved the idea. I wanted to give Edward some framed photographs to hang over his bed to replace the images he already had of partially naked women. They were art pieces, but it didn't mean I had to like them, especially hanging over my boyfriend's bed!

I know from my conversation with Alice that Edward doesn't want a big fuss made about his birthday, but I wanted to mark the day with him by giving him something that I hoped would find a special place in his heart like the CD he'd made of his piano music, had for me.

Edward was a bit broody today and he'd gone surfing with his brothers since the sun was shining again – it was just as well because I'd be busy all day with his gift and I didn't want him catching wind of it or become suspicious about what I was doing. The guys didn't ask any of the girls along to the beach but none of us where upset about it. We all knew that Edward needed some alone time this close to his birthday which he could get out on the waves. His brothers would be there to make sure he didn't descend too much into a quagmire of depression and irritation, which is probably what would happen if left to his own devices.

I'd asked Jasper this morning (the computer geek of the house) whether I could use his computer and we downloaded some software before he went surfing. I had similar software on my laptop but my stuff hadn't arrived yet from Florida, so I had to improvise a bit. I asked Jasper not to say anything to Edward and he said it was okay to use his room since that's were his laptop, printer and laser scanner were.

While I was waiting for the photographs from Esme, I decided to take the bus into Forks, go to the jewelers, find a photo shop and then be home around lunchtime. I found a bus timetable using Jasper's computer and noted a stop about one hundred yards down the road from the Cullen's driveway. The bus was due in thirty minutes, so I decided to head out now because the Cullen's had a long driveway and it would take me awhile to walk its length to the road. There was no one about when I went down stairs, so I left a note on the fridge and headed off.

I made the walk to the bus stop in the sparkling sunshine and only had to wait for five minutes before the bus came. I bought a ticket and found a seat in the middle section of the bus. I enjoyed the leisurely trip into town; the slower pace of the bus and its frequent stops making it possible to take note of the scenery and any landmarks of interest.

The bus arrived on the outskirts of town and two young men in their early twenties sauntered down the aisle of the bus to get off. The tall blond guy in the pair slowed as he passed me and turned around to stare at me licking his lips lasciviously. He didn't touch me but his appraisal of me made me nervous and gave me the creeps. I turned my head away to look out the window and he blew me a kiss as he passed by on the outside.

The elderly lady beside me muttered something about 'lazy-no-account youths up to no good' and patted my hand sympathetically. I smiled wanly at her and sat silently until the bus arrived in the town center and I could get off, somewhat relieved that the pair had gotten off the bus earlier. I forgot about them as I wandered down the street to find a jeweler.

Forks wasn't a very large town with a population of around 3,500 people and a sole traffic light at the only major intersection in town. Forks had everything you needed though for everyday living needs, and a few extra's as well like a jeweler, a photo shop, a picture framer, a cinema and the public pool. If I had time, I decided to drop by the Aquatic center on my way home and pick up a brochure about their swimming and exercise program. I found the jeweler and pushed the glass door open making the bell on the top of the door tinkle, announcing my arrival.

"Hi," I greeted the middle aged woman behind the counter.

"Can I help you?" she asked with a pleasant smile.

"Yes. I'd like to have some jewelery cleaned please. Can you do that for me?"

"Sure, Honey. What have you got?"

I pulled the folded handkerchief I'd wrapped around the jewelery from my shoulder bags inside pocket and placed it on the counter to unfold it.

"I have my mother's wedding rings and a gold cross," I told her.

The saleswoman picked up the engagement ring and held a magnifying eye-piece up to her eye to inspect the ring. She did the same with the wedding band and the gold cross.

"The diamond ring is lovely, Dear, but the stone needs to be reset otherwise you're going to lose it. Would you like us to take care of that for you as well?"

"How much will it cost" I asked her, "to have that done and have all of the items cleaned? I also want to buy a new chain for the cross," I told her so she'd calculate the correct price for me.

She tallied up the total charge which was within my budget so I said yes and she told me to come back on Saturday to pick the jewelery up. I spent ten minutes choosing a new gold chain paying for it in total, as well as leaving a deposit on the cleaning and reset of the diamond. I asked her to thread the cross onto the chain for me once it was cleaned and she gave me a receipt. I left the store and wandered down the street looking for a photo shop when I happened across a bookstore. They had an interesting display in the front window so I went inside to have a look around.

Time passed far too quickly in the bookstore, like it always does for me in one of the only two shops I ever liked to browse in, the other one being a kitchenware store. I became lost in the narrow aisles of books, shelved floor to ceiling and I gravitated toward the classic literature section at the back of the store. It was nearing 11 o'clock by the time I paid for the books I'd selected and left the store. I bought a new copy of Pride and Prejudice in order to preserve the disintegrating copy my dad gave me, as well as the first book in a contemporary series of four volumes, called 'Twilight'. It was about a human girl who falls in love with a vampire – I scoffed at the premise, but I remembered most of my friends raving about the book series and subsequent movies a couple of years ago. I decided to expand my literary horizons and read something that wasn't written by an author who died two hundred years ago.

I spotted the photo shop across the street and waited for a gap in the traffic so I could cross safely. I purchased some photographic paper (the best they had available) but they didn't have any white gloves for handling the photographs so I looked around for a lingerie store. I found one a few doors down from the photo shop and I bought their last pair of gloves, and then went into the small hardware store on the corner for a soft brush which I found in the artists supply section.

I was heading to the bus stop nearest the Aquatic center to return home with my bag of books and photographic supplies when I found myself in an unfamiliar area. I'd been somewhat preoccupied by my task for the afternoon, eagerly anticipating the photos Esme and Carlisle would have found for me by now. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going and because of that I found myself in an alleyway that I'd never seen before. I looked around in all directions trying to get my bearings by catching sight of a recognizable landmark but nothing looked familiar to me; I was completely lost.

The weather had changed about thirty minutes ago when ominous clouds rolled in from the west threatening to dump rain at any minute. It had grown colder and darker because of it, making the alleyway seem even more isolated and creepy than it actually was. I could see occasional traffic passing at the other end of the alleyway so I decided to keep walking forward and find my way to the bus stop once I came back out onto the street. I was about half way down the alleyway when the two guys I'd seen on the bus turned into the alleyway in front of me; they halted and stared at me and I think the blond guy recognized me because he blew me another kiss. I gulped nervously and looked around but there was no one about. I debated whether to keep walking forward and brazen it out or turn back and try to retrace my steps to where I came into the alleyway in the first place but I wasn't sure where I was and my nervousness was making me hesitant.

Instead I turned down another alleyway, a narrow lane, which intersected with the one I was in, walking as fast as I could. I shoved the shopping bag of purchases into my roomy shoulder bag and zipped it up. If by the Grace of God I got out of this situation unharmed I didn't want to have to repurchase the items I needed for Edward's gift.

It's strange isn't it, the stupid things we think and do when we find ourselves in a threatening situation. Most of you are probably yelling at me right now to, 'drop the effing bag and run you silly bitch', but that's not what I did.

I heard their footsteps about twenty feet behind me as the western-style boots they wore (I noticed them on the bus) clattered ominously against the uneven road surface which also served to slow me down because I was afraid of tripping. I was being followed and I felt my breaths start to come in rapid gasps in the classic fight or flight reaction.

'Don't panic, don't hyperventilate; don't panic, don't hyperventilate,' I chanted silently. I hurried as fast as I could toward a group of buildings I could see behind a high chain-link fence and I realized a little too late that I wasn't in a particularly 'nice' area of Forks anymore. I eventually exited after what felt like a life-time of hurried walking, but the lane dead ended into a deserted car park at the rear of a small group of abandoned factories.

'Shit!'

It was getting darker and colder with every passing second and the icy wind blew down the lane swirling around the barren car park like a small tornado catching at my clothes and blowing up the skirt of the sundress I'd worn because it was such a lovely day when I left home this morning. I whimpered and vowed silently that today would be the last time I ever wore a dress – I mean, I probably would, but it made me feel better to make a vow at a time like this and it was the only thing I could think of. I shivered but it wasn't entirely from the cold wind. There was a huge dose of fear and panic thrown into the mix because there was no discernible escape from the situation I was in, and nowhere to run to. I was trapped!

Start:

I felt the large hand of one of my aggressors take hold of my left shoulder from behind and grasp it firmly, his thick fingers pressing against my collarbone and halting my forward movement. I wheeled around and backed up against the chain-link fence, my shoulder bag swinging against my side as I did so. I gulped and felt the sudden urge to pee because I was so scared. I'd never been so afraid for my physical well-being before, not even in the accident, because that was something I had no control over and I wasn't being threatened by two thugs who probably wanted to rape me.

I screamed silently for Edward and fought back tears of fear and frustration that I'd gotten myself into this situation by not paying attention. I wouldn't give these two assholes the pleasure of knowing how very afraid of them I was … yet.

"What do you want?" I gasped out. "Leave me alone!"

"Now don't be like that, Sweetheart," said the blond guy, and raucous laughter erupted from him and his friend standing beside him. Blond guy smirked viciously and reached out his hand to stroke a dirty finger down my face from my temple to my jaw. I closed my eyes and prayed that someone would come along.

"We just wanna have a little fun with you," he said, leaning closer to inhale my scent. His breath was rancid with the smell of unwashed teeth and stale beer and I wanted to gag. His hand stroked my hair which I'd left unbound but held back from my face with a tortoiseshell headband. I cringed involuntarily and whimpered; I couldn't help it.

"Oh, the little girl's afraid of me, Laurent. Did you hear that?" blond guy gloated to the darker skinned man with long black dreadlocks who was now standing on my other side. They'd managed to herd me against the fence like a wild animal and place themselves into positions of power over me, ensuring I had no hope of escaping, and I knew I couldn't run let alone walk fast enough to get away from them.

Blond guy suddenly fisted my flying hair and yanked my head back bringing his free hand up to grab hold of my jaw, trying to prying it open by applying pressure. He pressed his mouth against mine viciously trying to force his way inside but I refused to open my mouth. Blond guy bit down hard on my lips to make me open my mouth and I gasped in pain, but that small sound was enough of an opening for him to shove his tongue inside. I gagged, struggling uselessly against his powerful hold on me. I used the only defensive weapon I had – my teeth, biting down hard on his tongue until he screamed and let go of me, only to deliver a vicious backhand across my face causing me to stumble.

"Hmm," Dreadlocks guy murmured, circling around blond guy to my other side. Blond guy moved into the position that dreadlocks guy had stood in a moment ago; blood was trickling from the corner of his mouth and I was horrified that I might have swallowed some when I bit his tongue. Nausea roiled in my gut but I fought it down, 'Not now!' My heart was pounding in my chest and my breaths were coming in rapid gasps as fear overtook me and my body's natural instincts took control.

"Ouais, James, she does seem to be a little skittish," agreed dreadlocks guy, answering Blond guys earlier question with what sounded to me like a French accent, and given his name and the brief amount of French he spoke, I thought it likely that he was in fact, French!

'Fuuuck! Who cares if the asshole's French; it isn't gonna make any difference while I'm being raped. Focus on that, Bella and think of a way out of this!'

"Um, my fr...friends will be lo...looking f..f...for m...me," I stuttered out through my swelling mouth where Blond guy had hit me. I squeezed my eyes shut – 'Shit!' – and tears of frustration and fear seeped from beneath my lids.

"Oh look, James, the little girl is crying. Boo hoo," Dreadlocks guy crowed, and then they both laughed nastily, circling around each other again until they were back in their original positions on either side of and in front of me. I tried to follow their movements with an eye on each of them but I just ended up cross-eyed and it made my head hurt. I knew their names but I refused to acknowledge them by using them, even in my own head.

"Your friends aren't here, Honey," sneered blond guy as he wiped the blood from his mouth. We saw you on the bus, remember. You're all alone in Forks today with no one to get you … except us!" he cackled.

I could hardly breathe now and I felt myself getting a lightheaded because I was expelling too much carbon dioxide and my blood was saturated with oxygen (Yay for health class!). I knew I was hyperventilating and if I passed out, I had no hope of getting out of this situation without being raped or worse. I desperately wanted to pee and I tried to subtly squeeze my legs together in the hope they wouldn't notice.

Dreadlocks guy reached out his hand and flicked at the neckline of my sweater. I recoiled against the chain-link fence until I felt the hard diamond shapes of the metal pressing along my shoulders and spine. He grinned evilly and trailed his fingers across my upper chest and down into the neckline of my dress. I stiffened in terror, afraid to move but desperately wanting to flee at the same time. He slid two fingers beneath my bra homing in on my nipple and flicking it with the edge of his sharp nails. My nipple hardened involuntarily in reaction to the despicable sensation but I couldn't stop my body's reactions to stimuli as much as I wanted to.

Dreadlocks guy leered at me and licked his lips, then pinched and twisted the nipple of my right breast hard, causing pain to shoot through the sensitive nerve endings. I whimpered, losing control of my bladder until I felt the hot pee trickling down the inside of my leg.

'Oh, God! Oh, God! This is it – this is how I'll meet my end! The Grim Reaper didn't get me in the crash, so he was going to get me this way. It didn't make any difference to him; as long as I succumbed.'

'NO!'

I stiffened my resolve and somehow found the strength to tighten my kegel muscles to stop the flow. I would not be found raped and murdered lying in a pool of my own urine! I looked around me frantically, looking for a weapon, anything that I could use to defend myself, but there was nothing that wasn't locked behind the chain-link fence. 'Shit!'

"My turn!" yipped Blond guy excitedly, pushing Dreadlocks guy away from me.

Blond guy grabbed hold of my injured hand which was still strapped over the thumb and tightened his grip until I screamed in agony and fell to my knees on the hard ground. Black flashing auras, warning of an imminent faint, flashed in front of my eyes blinding me temporarily. My shoulder bag fell from my shoulder and I heard it skittering across the ground coming to a stop when it collided with something stationary. It must have been Dreadlocks guy, because I heard the sound of a boot kicking it aside.

Dreadlocks guy crouched down in front of me and stared me in the eyes. His intense gaze was almost hypnotic but my eyes wouldn't focus properly through the barely diminishing black auras and the flood of my tears. I was suddenly more afraid of Dreadlocks guy than I was Blond guy.

A flash of lightening reflected off a painted sign making his eyes appear blood red for a long moment. I gulped and fought down the rising nausea again recognizing with utter clarity, one ugly truth at that very moment – Dreadlocks guy was the personification of evil, the likes of which I've never know before and hoped to never find again.

"BOO!" Dreadlocks guy yelled without warning. I jumped and gasped in terror, scraping my knees over the rough road.

Then I understood what they were doing – they weren't just going to rape me and get it over with – they were playing with me like a cat torments a mouse; predator and prey, and I wouldn't be free until they were done.

'I love you, Edward,' I told him silently, and prepared to die.

…

A/N: Please review, please! I've got lots of favorite and story alert notifications, so I know you're all reading but very few reviews, though the ones I do have are fantastic and very complimentary.

French to English translation: Ouais = Yeah

Chapter 11 photos (nothing too terrible) are on my blog – the link to the website is on my profile.