A/N: Well I have good news and bad news...the good news: here is chapter 12!! YAY! I think you will all like it and I'm going to give fair warning now...this fic is rated M for a reason. Some vulgar language is in the chapter below!! Just a warning!! The bad news: I have family coming in and out over the next two weeks and Chapter 13 is no where near being done!! That being said it might take me more than a week to update for the next chapter! I know that's horrible for some of you and I truly am sorry, but sometimes RL deals us stuff we have to handle before delving into the world of fanfic! Trust me I would much rather be here writing than doing what I'm going to be doing for the next several days!! :|

I want to thank each and every one of you all that reviewed for the last chapter! Each review made me completely giddy and happy! You all have no idea how nice it is to read reviews even if they are to flame me! I truly appreciate each and every word you all have to say! I always mean to say this too, but I constantly forget...if anyone has any questions on this story please feel free to PM me! I'm happy to answer whatever I can without giving the story away!

OK...on with it!! YYYEEEEEHHHHAAAAAWWWWWW....

Disclaimer: I own nothing Twilight related! No copyright infringement intended!


Chapter 12 ~ Wrath

I'm sorry for being a douche earlier babe. I really hope you reconsider going. I think we will have fun. Please call me back when you get this.

I hit number seven on the keypad of my cell to delete the eighth message from Jude. I rolled my eyes and continued my perusal down the checklist I had made for hurricane preparation. I had just finished stacking all of the patio furniture from my deck and Edward's deck in the garage. I grabbed two bottles of cold water and headed to the deck where Edward was working on the generators.

I stepped out into the muggy afternoon air and sucked in a sharp breath. My heart raced at the enticing scene laid out before me. Edward, clad in a pair of holy, dirty carpenter jeans, a white wife beater with greasy hand prints littered across the material and beads of sweat dripping down his back were almost too much to take in. I raked my eyes appreciatively over his rippling muscles as I watched him turn a wrench to get the spark plug out of my generator. The dim sunlight glinted off his hair causing the bronze and copper colors to look like facets of diamonds sparkling in his shiny mane.

He turned and caught me staring. His lips immediately twisted into a crooked smirk. "Like what you see?" He asked smugly.

"Bite me," I snarled. "I am only human after all. What woman wouldn't appreciate a well oiled machine at work?" I snickered knowing this would drop him down a peg or two.

"Where would you like me to do it?" He asked as he raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"To bite you? Where would you like me to bite you?" His smirk grew.

I rolled my eyes and tossed him the bottle of water. "I think I got everything else done on the list. We have enough food for a while. Now we just have to sit and wait." I opened my bottle and downed several gulps before looking back up.

Edward's mouth was open slightly and he was staring at me with hooded eyes and a smoldering expression. I furrowed my brow in curiosity as he shook his head and turned his attention back to the generator. "Yeah, just sit and wait. Have you checked the weather lately?"

"No, but I will go grab my laptop. I should try to get some writing done anyway. If I sit out here are you going to try and distract me?"

He chuckled and shook his head. I rolled my eyes and headed back into the house just as my cell phone started ringing. I flipped it open without mentally preparing myself for Jude's onslaught of sorrow and guilt.

"Hey, babe."

"Jude," I replied curtly.

"Have you changed your mind yet?" He sounded equally full of hope and remorse.

"No, Jude, I'm not going. There isn't anything you can do to change my mind." I wasn't in the mood to argue with him about this. I was getting so tired of defending every position on everything in my life from him.

"Well can I at least bring dinner over tonight? We could watch a movie and hang out or something."

"I don't think that's a good idea. I told you before I have a lot of writing to catch up on and I need time to think. Just give me a call on Sunday sometime. Maybe we can have dinner together on Monday night."

The silence was deafening as I waited for his response. "Fine, but I better not find out that Edward was there all weekend. I won't hold my fist back from connecting with his jaw if he finds a way to worm himself into your time this weekend."

"Edward won't be bothering me this weekend, Jude. I told you I have writing to do and I need to be alone to do that." Jude didn't know that I did most of my writing with Edward by my side, but what he didn't know wouldn't hurt him. Right? I had intended on telling Edward that I needed some alone time this weekend anyway.

"Fine I'll talk to you later then," he spat out and ended the call without saying goodbye. His temper was really starting to get under my skin. I tossed my phone on the counter half tempted to just turn it off, but decided to ignore it for now. I grabbed my laptop and went back outside to plop on the floor of the deck against the sliding glass door. Since the patio furniture was put away I didn't have a lot of seating options.

I opened my laptop and clicked the web browser and immediately went to the weather channel's website. "They've upgraded it to a category three," I called out to Edward. "It looks like it's going to come ashore right below us maybe even only a few miles below us."

"This is going to be a bad storm," Edward mused as he straightened his lengthy frame and looked to the sky.

"They are projecting the first bands of rain to hit us as early as ten tonight, but the warning doesn't start until tomorrow morning. I agree, I think this is going to be bad. It looks huge." I bit my lip nervously as Edward came to sit next to me on the floor of the deck. "Do you think we should leave? Head to Williamsburg or something?"

He shook his head. "I think we will be fine. I know we are close to the beach and the storm surge will probably be high, but our houses here are built up onto a hill for this exact reason. Plus the only thing below us is the garage. If we do flood it's not going to make it up to the living levels of the houses."

I nodded silently as I read the storm warning and the site's hurricane preparedness list. We had done everything on the list and I was thankful for that. I would be lying if I said I wasn't glad that Edward and I would be right next door to each other during what was shaping to be the storm of the century.

"Yeah, so...uh...Edward?" I stuttered. He tore his gaze from the screen of the laptop and stared directly into my eyes. I felt a heat radiate through my body from his gaze. His eyes burned into mine as he waited for me to continue. "I need alone time this weekend, ok?" I silently prayed that he got what I was saying. I didn't want to explain further.

"I understand, Bella." He sighed and stood up to get back to work on the generators. "I'm just going to finish up here and get the storm shutters up on all of our windows."

I nodded and tried not to take in his slumped posture and dejected demeanor. Something inside of me tugged on the hope that he would fight me harder. Push me to give in to his pressure of staying with me. Truth be told I was petrified of being alone in my townhouse during this storm. I didn't mind summer thunderstorms, but hurricanes scared the shit right out of me, and after looking at how big it was and how close it was going to come ashore I was even more scared. "Um...we...uh...we still have to eat dinner tonight though. Do you want to get a pizza or something? We can eat and after we go our separate ways." I didn't look up at him, but gazed at the blank document on my laptop instead.

"We do need to eat," he said quietly. "Are you sure that's what you want, Bella? I don't want to push myself on you, doll."

I lifted my eyes from the computer screen and bit my lip as I spoke. "Can I be honest, Edward?"

He nodded his head and knitted his brows together before I went on. I was so tired of having this internal battle with myself. "I'm scared as hell of this storm. I don't mind thunderstorms they don't bother me, but I am petrified of what's coming our way. I don't want to be alone, but I need time. I have so much thinking to do and I'm never alone long enough to do it. I...guh...I sound so childish." I shook my head and let my hair fall around my face hiding my blush. "Just forget I asked," I mumbled.

"Bella," he called out to me in a firm tone. I lifted my head slightly to see his expression. "You are not being childish. This is a huge storm and it's going to be fierce there is no doubt in my mind about that. I would be lying if I didn't say that I was even a little scared. We will be fine, but we have to stick together to keep each other calm. Panicking in the middle of a monster storm isn't going to help either one of us. I don't really know what you are asking me for though, but whatever it is I will give it to you. What...whatever you need, Bella." He finished in a stuttered whisper as he wiped his hands on a rag.

I stared at his profile, sighing internally as the light played on the hard lines of his jaw. He was breathtaking. How could I not just run and jump into his arms? He cast a sideways glance at me and smiled peacefully. "I'm going to start the storm shutters. Do you think you could give me a hand?"

I nodded and stood quickly before we both went into the house. I set my laptop on the dining room table and slipped my flip flops on before we went out the front door and down the steps to the garage. We gathered the storm shutters and had them in place within an hour.

"I'm going to go shower," Edward told me as he put the last of the tools away and shut the garage door.

"Yeah, me too," I replied as he walked towards me. "Then we can order pizza?"

He nodded as the wind picked up violently. I grabbed the railing on the stairs trying to steady myself before I fell again. I looked to the now dark sky as several rain drops started to fall heavily on my face. "Well so much for it waiting until tonight to rain," I called out as Edward chuckled and bounded up the stairs to his front door.

"I'll be over in twenty," he called before he slipped into his house. I wasted no time in getting into my own house and hurried upstairs to shower.

Thirty minutes later I stepped out of my shower and wrapped my hair and my body in fluffy towels. I didn't realize how long I let the warm water cascade over my skin. I was lost in thought about the two men fighting for my heart. I resolved to give things a real shot with Jude. All of his faults aside he really was a great guy. I know he was a little possessive and his fuse was a little short, but everyone has their faults.

I came to the conclusion that I didn't really fit with Edward as his girlfriend. He was my best friend and I didn't want to chance ruining our relationship to be a rebound girl for him. What would happen to me when the next beautiful girl came waltzing into his life? I couldn't take it if he wasn't in my life even as a friend. I would crumble mentally if he wasn't around. Jude would just have to accept Edward for who he was, my best friend, and get over it.

I jumped and squealed slightly as a clap of thunder sounded overhead. My heart raced as I applied moisturizer to my face and hurried through my nightly routine. I squeezed my hair into the towel on top of my head before dropping it to the floor. I quickly combed through my tangled tresses and bunched it all on top of my head and out of my face.

Another clap of thunder rolled over the house as the lights dimmed and came back full force. I squeaked and hurried into my room to find clothes to put on. I grabbed a tank top, some cotton shorts and white cotton panties before I dropped the towel from around my body. I slipped the panties and the tank top on right before Edward appeared at the top of my stairs in my bedroom.

I turned quickly after I heard the sharp intake of breath and stared at his beautiful figure in the dim light of my bedroom. "Edward," I whispered as another clap of thunder shook the house. My body trembled with fear and anticipation as he quickly crossed the room and stood before me. "What are you doing?" I whispered again.

"Are you alright? I heard you squeal and I wanted to make sure you didn't hurt yourself or something." His eyes roamed up and down my body and I watched his expression change from worry to desire as he made his way back up to my face.

"I'm fine," I said as I slipped my shorts on. "Let's go downstairs and watch the weather channel." I slipped past him and headed down the stairs to the main level. I found two wine glasses in the living room and the television was already on the weather channel. I let a small smile play at the corners of my mouth as I plopped onto the couch and picked up the full wine glass that was waiting for me. "Thank you," I said quietly as Edward sat next to me.

"Welcome," he replied with a beaming smile. "I already ordered the pizza. It will be ready in another five or ten minutes. I'm just going to run down there and get it. We were the last order that they took before closing."

"Oh, good."

We didn't say anything for several moments as we watched forecasters standing on the beach in North Carolina getting battered with wind and seaspray. I looked past Edward out the sliding glass doors and realized it was already pouring rain and really windy. The sky was pitch black even though it was only six in the evening.

"Wait, you are going to get the pizza?"

"Yes, it's only down at the corner. I will be fine. Actually I should get going now. I will be back in ten minutes."

"Please be careful, Edward."

He nodded and disappeared out the front door. I got up from the couch and headed to the sliding glass door to inspect the weather closer. The rain drops trailing down the glass entranced me and I lost track of time while staring. The front door opened and I glanced at the clock noticing Edward had been gone for over twenty minutes.

"That wasn't ten minutes," I said playfully as I turned around to face a soaking, angry Jude. "Jude, what are you doing here?" I furrowed my brows and narrowed my eyes as he came closer to me. Once he got closer a trickle of panic rose up from the pit of my stomach. The look in his eyes was one of pure venom.

"You fucking lied to me," he spat out angrily.

"Wha...what are you talking about?" I stuttered as I backed into the kitchen.

"You said Edward wouldn't be here. You said you needed time alone this weekend. You fucking lied," he roared.

"We were just having pizza together, Jude. Then he was going home. I do need time alone and that's exactly what I asked you for so why are you here?" I tried to keep the sheer panic out of my voice, but it was becoming increasingly hard.

"Are you fucking him?" His nostrils flared as the anger flowed across his features.

"Wha..what?" I squeaked out. "NO."

"I don't believe you. You fucking whore. Do you like being a slut? Do you like whoring yourself around? You've been fucking him since we got together haven't you? How dare you fucking string me along. Stupid fucking bitch."

I cried out as he lunged at me, but twisted out of the way before he could get his hands around me.

"Please, Jude. You have to believe me. I haven't done anything with Edward, he's just my friend. I swear I haven't been stringing you along."

He lunged for me again, but I had no where to go as my back was closer to the front door. He grabbed me around the waist and shoved me into the living room.

"There," he pointed to the two wine glasses. "Proof. You don't drink wine with a guy that's just your friend. You are fucking lying. You have to pay, Isabella. I don't tolerate shit like this in my life."

He reached out and grabbed my wrist to pull me into his chest. He lowered his face to my ear and whispered, "Now, for one last good fucking and I will be on my way. How about you show me what a fucking whore you are."

"No," I cried out as the tears started streaming down my face. He forced me to walk backwards until I hit the wall.

"Look at me, babe." He said and blew a hot breath over my down turned face. I gagged at the stench of alcohol on his breath. Of course he was drunk. I didn't look up so he grabbed a fistful of hair and pulled. I cried out again as the searing pain came back to my skull from earlier. "I SAID FUCKING LOOK AT ME."

"Please don't do this. I am not cheating on you, Jude. You have to believe me. Edward and I are just friends."

"Shut the fuck up you stupid whore." He slapped me hard across the face. A fresh wave of tears poured down my face as I cried out again. His large, clumsy hand fumbled around under my shirt while he swayed slightly. I cried out as he groped my breast and lowered his chapped lips to my neck. He left slobbery kisses all over my neck as his lips traveled down to my collarbone.

"Please...don't..." I whispered again. My voice sounded so broken and defeated even to my own ears.

He wrapped both of his hands around my neck and shook me violently. My head flopped around like a rag doll. I closed my eyes and tried to numb the terror that was coursing through my body.

"I said shut the fuck up." He growled and spit in my face. "You will learn your lesson tonight you bitch. This will never happen to us again. By the time I'm done you will know that I am the only man in your life. From now on."

I let a sob escape that bubbled up from my throat as he squeezed his hands around my neck tighter and slammed my head against the wall behind me. Stars entered my gaze, but blackness did not take over my vision as I heard the front door open again.

"What the fuck do you think you are doing? Let her go," Edward demanded.

"Oh look, babe, it's your lover boy. He's here to save you. Well isn't that just dashing of him."

I cracked my eye open and could see Edward standing in the doorway holding the pizza. I had never seen such pure rage in his features. I felt a small ray of hope shine through to the surface as Edward placed the pizza on the entry table and stalked towards us.

"I said LET. HER. GO." Edward growled and his upper lip lifted slightly. I could feel the waves of furious energy rolling off of him. "I do not have a problem rearranging your fucking face you asshole. If you don't let her go now I will put you in the hospital."

Jude snickered and let his gaze flicker to me. I'm sure the alcohol coursing through his system didn't help his reaction time, but he didn't have a prayer as Edward struck the side of his jaw with a force that knocked him over. I fell in a crumpled heap to the floor and I watched Edward pounce on Jude.

"I knew this would fucking happen. I just fucking knew it from the moment I met you. You are such a fucking asshole. How could you do this to her? She is the best thing that ever happened to your shit stain existence and you go and fuck it up like this?" Edward was sitting on Jude's chest screaming into his face. "Call the cops, Isabella," he called out to me. "It's time for this fucker to go to jail." Edward snarled and his lips twisted into an evil grin.

I crawled into the kitchen and retrieved my cell phone and dialed the police station. I explained what happened to the operator and she sent three cars out immediately along with an ambulance. I curled into a ball on the floor as Edward delivered a staggering blow to Jude's face. I whimpered as my skull ached, but I was completely coherent. Surprisingly nothing else on my body hurt.

"Bella, baby," Edward crawled towards me on his hands and knees. "I'm so sorry, angel," he whispered as he pulled me into his lap and stroked my hair. Tears leaked from the corners of my eyes as he shushed and rocked me. "It's alright now. He's not going to hurt you ever again."

Jude groaned from his position on the floor and Edward growled. "Don't fucking move you piece of shit." Jude rolled to his side, but made no other move to get up.

A loud bang broke the silence in the room as a voice boomed, "VIRGINIA BEACH POLICE."

"Come in," Edward yelled towards the front door. The door swung open and several officers strode into my house.

"Isabella Swan?" One man called.

"She's right here," Edward called out as two officers approached us.

"What happened here?" One questioned as I heard the siren from the ambulance in the distance. I explained my story and then Edward explained his before the EMT's rushed in with their bags.

"Let's get you checked out, baby," Edward whispered as he lifted me from the floor, carried me to the couch and set me down gently. The EMT took my blood pressure and checked me over quickly before assuring me that I was alright. I was thankful that I didn't have to make a trip to the hospital. They strapped Jude to a stretcher and carried him out to the ambulance. I was surprised he never attempted to correct any version of our stories. I thought he would at least try to defend himself with his skewed version of the truth, but he wouldn't even look in our direction.

"Miss Swan," one officer started, "Do you want to press charges?"

"I do, he is completely terrifying and I don't want this to happen to anyone else."

He nodded solemnly and said, "You will have to sign some paperwork, but let's wait until this storm passes. It's getting too dangerous out there to have you come down to the station now. I will head back and get everything started and when the weather has calmed you call me and we can set up and appointment to meet and get everything squared away."

"Thank you," I whispered as I looked over at Edward who was speaking with one of the EMT's. The officer nodded again and handed me his card before heading back to his car. The EMT waved and exited the house as well. Edward followed him, shut and locked the front door before coming back to sit with me on the couch.

"Are you ok?" What a loaded question that was.

"I don't know," I whispered as I tried to fully absorb what had just happened to me. My neck was starting to hurt slightly and my head was pounding. Edward stood again and grabbed the pizza and headed into the kitchen. I could hear him pressing random buttons on the oven then opening the door. I assumed he was reheating the pizza. I laid on the couch and curled into a ball trying to let my mind catch up with the events of the last couple of hours. I closed my eyes briefly before Edward was at my side again with a glass of water and Ibuprofen.

"Take these," he said as he held my hand in his to drop the pills into my palm. I closed my fingers around them and let them drop into my mouth before swallowing several gulps of water. "You need to eat. I'm sure it's the last thing on your mind, but you need to eat something." I nodded and sat up. Edward sat next to me and flipped through the channels on the television before landing on a mindless sitcom.

Edward saved me. Edward was right. Jude was a fuck up and he hurt me mentally and physically. How did he know these things? How could he sense these things? I suddenly realized that I hadn't thanked him. My stomach dropped as I turned and saw the dejected gaze painting his features.

"Thank you," I whispered.

"Anything for you," he whispered back staring deep into my eyes.

"I'm sorry," I started slowly. "For not believing you and just shrugging your concerns off. I'm sorry...I'm...s...sorry," I said as tears started rolling down my cheeks. I lowered my gaze to my hands which were nervously wringing each other to death.

Edward sighed and pulled my chin up to look him in the eye. "Please don't apologize. I'm just glad I got here in time. If the pizza place hadn't screwed up our order I would have been here from the time he got here and you wouldn't be hurt right now. I should have had it delivered."

My jaw slackened as my lips parted in astonishment. I couldn't believe he was blaming himself for this. If it was anyone's fault it was mine for not seeing Jude for what he was in the first place. "Please don't blame yourself," I said quietly while looking into his eyes. "This is NOT your fault. You were here when it counted. You saved me and I couldn't be more thankful. I don't know how I will ever repay you. You have been there for me in so many ways in such a short time I don't know that it is possible to ever repay you fully."

"Bella, you've more than repaid me. You offered your help with Jordan when I knew it was a lost cause. You were there for me when I found out she cheated on me. You've have been with me through the toughest time of my life. I've never gone through anything like this." His green orbs burned with such sincerity I couldn't help the tears the escaped their confines again. "I'm sorry if my actions with Jude earlier scared you. You have no idea the rage that consumed my body the moment I realized what he was doing."

"You didn't scare me. I was so happy that you were back. I was so worried something happened to you," I sobbed. "I don't know what I would do if something happened to you."

"The feeling is mutual, baby." He took my hand in his and squeezed it right as the timer for the oven went off. He offered a small smile and stood to retrieve our pizza. Moments later he brought in two plates with pizza. I smiled and offered my thanks before devouring the food that was in front of me. Edward chuckled and ate his pizza much slower.

Edward cleaned up our dishes and returned to sit next to me on the couch. He made no move to be closer to me and I was longing for him to just wrap me up in his arms. The thought lingered in my head as my eyes drooped from the sheer exhaustion that swept over my body.

"Why don't you go upstairs and lay down sweetheart?" Edward whispered as he brushed several strands of hair from my forehead, tucking them behind my ear. I nodded and stood to make my way to the stairs. I stumbled and started to fall as the muscles in my legs protested and quivered. "Let me help you," Edward said and lifted me effortlessly into his arms. He carried me upstairs and laid me in the middle of the bed. "Sweet dreams my sweet, Isabella." He placed a soft, lingering kiss against my forehead and made his way back towards the stairs.

"Edward," I croaked out before he started his decent to the lower level.

"Hmmmm?" He called as he turned to face me.

"C...can you p...please stay with me?" I stuttered as a clap of thunder rang out overhead again. "P...please," I added, desperation ringing through my tone.

He nodded and kicked his shoes off before crawling into bed with me. I snuggled into his side and he wrapped his arms around me before I drifted off into a peaceful slumber. I swore I heard a whispered I love you before I gave into unconsciousness, but I couldn't be sure.


A/N: Well I told ya the tides were changing and the storm was a brewing! Boy what a nasty strike that was! Bella is ok though-she will have no lasting effects from Jude's idiot behavior! Also...I'm not a cop or EMT so I have no idea if anything I wrote pertaining to any of them was true, but I tried! A review would be fantastic! I love to read your words and maybe...just maybe it will help me get the next chapter written faster amisdt family upheaval!! :)