Chapter 13: Revenge

A/N: I own nothing. Characters are all Stephenie Meyers' creations. This is unbeta'd so apologies for any & all mistakes. Please take the time to leave some words if you really loved it or really hated it!

*****

Jacob threw his suitcase into the back of my Volvo and climbed into the passenger seat. I wasn't sure what to say to him and I could tell by his thoughts he felt the same. It was odd sitting so close to someone whom I despised for so many reasons but had invited to stay with the love of my life.

I heard Jake wondering how best to find out how bad Bella's injuries were.

"It's bad. But she's conscious again at least. She's through the worst of it. The biggest risk now is infections."

I saw him narrow his eyes. I thought I told you to stay out of my head.

"Sorry, it just saves time," I chuckled.

He shook his head, "Doesn't mean I have to like it. Why do you do it?"

"I can't help it. I hear everyone's thoughts all the time. I could hear every thought and insignificant worry of every single person at the airport."

"Seriously?" That must be annoying.

I chuckled, "I can hear every individual voice. But I can work to make it become a general hum most of the time with all of the voices talking over one another. But individual voices, particularly familiar voices, make themselves heard. And my mind naturally listens to certain thing, like my name or Bella's." I stopped. Saying her name reminded me of how bad she was. How broken she had looked when I left this morning after our conversation. I tuned into the nurses thoughts right as I was leaving the hospital to come to the airport. I couldn't wait to see her again, which would be later this afternoon during visiting hours and then tonight I would sit in her room wrapped around her all night. But tomorrow was Monday and that meant I needed to go to school. Alice said she couldn't see when Bella would wake up next, I figured it was because Jacob would be in the room with her.

"What's wrong with her?" Jacob's question cut through my thoughts.

"She's very bruised, and cut, she has a broken cheekbone and clavicle. Carlisle had to remove her spleen..." I took a deep breath.

Jacob released his breath in a long exhale through his teeth. "I want to see her."

I expected as much. "I'll take you straight to the hospital. I can drop your suitcase at Bella's for you."

"Edward?"

I nodded.

"Thanks - for calling me I mean. It does mean a lot that I can be here for her."

I chuckled darkly, "I just hope she feels the same way."

"She doesn't know that I'm coming?"

"No, it didn't come up when she was awake."

He nodded but I could tell he was worried about her reaction.

"She cares about you Jacob."

That must hurt to admit.

"Only the fact that it is my fault you hurt her so much."

How on earth do you figure that?

"If I'd never left, you two would never have gotten close and you would never have been in a position to hurt her with your imprint."

I heard him wince internally at the reminder but I heard how much he already missed Harriett. I was surprised at the depth and complexity of the emotions he felt towards her. It was pure, simple and unconditional love. He shook his head, "You can't blame yourself for everything that happens to Bella. Sometimes bad stuff just happens."

I laughed – he sounded exactly like Bella had after her eighteenth birthday party.

It wasn't a joke, geez.

"I know it wasn't a joke – you just sound like Bella that's all."

He shrugged but was smugly thinking that he had a lot in common with her.

The rest of the drive continued in a mix of silence and discussions about Bella's time here. Perhaps the most surprising thing about the journey was that by the time I dropped Jacob off at the hospital neither of us had issued any threats or attempted bodily harm on each other.

"Jake?" I asked as he climbed out of the car.

He nodded.

"Thank you for coming, I know how hard it is for you to be away from Harriett."

He nodded and smiled at me before heading into the hospital.

I drove back to Bella's house and dropped off Jacob's suitcase into her spare room. I made up the bed and dusted the house. Then I felt useless. Bella was being taken looked after by Jacob and I wouldn't be able to go back for another three hours when the afternoon visiting hours started. I drove back to my house instead. I wanted to talk to Carlisle about the possibility of Bella moving in with us, although as much as I wanted to do it I knew it would complicate our plan of denial. There was a special favour I wanted to ask of Alice. I had promised Bella I wouldn't go after her attacker but I couldn't stop the burning rage that I felt every time I thought of him.

After I'd parked the car in the garage Alice came bounding over to me. "You're going to do some serious damage if you go through with your plan."

"I don't care. I need this Alice. If I don't..."

"You'll do it for real, yeah I know."

"So where do you see me doing this?"

"Your room – you can replace your own stuff if you break it and Esme will be upset if you if you break anything else. But it's also at least partially contained."

I nodded and stalked straight to my room. She positioned Emmett and Jasper outside my window and my door to ensure I didn't try to escape if it became too much.

Go for it, Edward.

I focused hard on Alice's mind, letting her vision become mine and decided, with every fibre of my being, that I would go against my promise to Bella and would get revenge on the monster that attacked Bella.

I stalked through the darkened streets towards the pub where he was drinking. I waited in the shadows out the front for him to stumble out and towards his car. I slid silently into step behind him pulling the rear driver's-side door open as he pulled his own door open. He was too drunk and I timed it too perfectly for him to notice, both the opening and closing. He started the engine and as soon as he was out of the lot I slipped my hand over his lock and pushed it – locking all the doors.

Once we were away from the other traffic I clipped the back of his head to render him unconscious. In the same instant I climbed over the seat, shifting him to the passenger seat and taking over control of the wheel. I drove the car out of the town limits as quickly as I could.

I drove into the forest, pushing the car as deep as it could possibly go. Then I worked on trying to rouse the creep. He needed to be awake for what I planned. I needed him to see my face and to explain everything to him so that when he arrived in hell he would know who sent him there and why.

I leaned him against his car so he could know what it felt like to be pinned by an attack. It took a while for him to come around. When he did he was the charming person I expected him to be.

"Who the fuck are you?"

"I am the one who is going to teach you a lesson about keeping your hands to yourself."

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

"Bella Swan."

"Who?"

I pushed my face right into his, starting deep into his eyes. "Ms Swan – the poor woman you beat the living hell out of." I pulled my lips back off my teeth, revealing their glistening white sharpness. "She happens to be a very dear friend of mine."

A slight shadow of fear crossed his face before being replaced by stubborn pride, "What the fuck do you think you are going to do about it? You're just a fucking kid."

I laughed at him, a dark laugh that sent a shiver down his spine, "You'll be surprised what I could do about it. But that's up to you."

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

"Turn yourself into the police. Admit that you were the one who attacked Bella Swan."

"And why the fuck would I do that – they've got nothing on me."

"You do it because it's the right thing to do."

He scoffed and went to stand. I put my hand on his collarbone and tightened my fingers until I heard the creak that indicated it was at its stress point. Just the smallest amount of extra pressure and it would snap. He screamed in agony and it was like music to my ears. I was going to make him scream once for every tear Bella shed since the attack, for every stitch she had and for every fragment of bone Carlisle had to brace back together.

Thoughts of trying to convince him to do the right thing flew out the window at the sound of his scream.

I squeezed my fingers together and felt the joy roll through me at the exquisite pitch his scream reached as his bone snapped in two. I knew this made me a monster. I knew it made me unworthy of Bella's love but I knew I wouldn't be able to stop now until my task was complete.

"You're fucking crazy,"

I pulled my lips back further, "You don't know how fucking crazy I can be."

I smashed my fist into his face, in exactly the same position as Bella's injury. I had to rein myself in so that I didn't kill him immediately.

Alice's vision progressed further and I saw myself duplicating every single one of Bella's injuries before finally pulling him apart piece by piece. I could almost feel him between my hands as I twisted and tugged and pulled, mimicking the moves I saw in Alice's vision. I saw myself working hard against the blood lust to ensure that I didn't take a single drop of his blood into me.

When Alice's vision had played out I looked around my room in shock.

Then I laughed. I guess Alice had warned me that I was going to make a mess. The couch that formerly sat towards the edge of my room now resided in tiny little pieces all over and the springs and stuffing clung to every surface, including my clothes and hair. I did get a little... carried away. But there were two benefits, one I had been able to get the anger I felt off my chest and two it was now time to get back to Bella.

I ran downstairs and straight to Alice. I shot her a smile and gave her a hug, "Thank-you."

Weirdo! But there was amusement in her thoughts. Esme's going to flip when she sees you room though.

"Then don't let her see it – please?"

Alice looked at me, as if wondering what to demand.

"If she sees it I might have to explain to her exactly what happened," I teased, "Including your involvement."

"Fine," Alice said. Then she added, "Jasper's going with you to the hospital this afternoon."

"Is that going to be -"

Alice cut across me, impatiently, "He'll be fine Edward, she's not got any open wounds anymore."

I nodded, "Sorry, I just -"

She rolled her eyes, "I know, but seriously you have to learn to trust him or else he'll never trust himself."

I nodded, then I flittered over and gave her a peck on the forehead, "When you're right, you're right. I'll go get him."

The drive down to the hospital was the best I'd had. I knew Jasper was calming me but I didn't care, I welcomed it. If I had peace and could smile it would help Bella more than if I was a sobbing mess by her bedside. So I did just that, walked towards her room beaming. But as it turned out it didn't matter what I looked like because she was asleep again.

Jacob nodded to me in welcome and then stood and walked to the chairs at the other end of the room. He was thinking about the fact that Bella had just drifted off about half hour ago. I sat in the chair next to her and her head shifted slightly in my direction. I started my usual ministrations of gently running my fingers over her injuries, exerting no pressure – just allowing their natural coolness to sooth her.

*****

I arrived for school in a foul mood. After spending the night with Bella I didn't want to leave again this morning. The night with her, lying beside her in bed while she'd mumbled and screamed in her sleep, had brought back every inch of my murderous rage. I wanted act out Alice's vision for real. I wanted to smell the tang of his blood as it covered the footpath. But I wouldn't. Because I promised Bella.

I changed my assessment of Mr Grossman. It wasn't that he was not as adequate a teacher as Bella it was that he was an utter moron. I couldn't understand how he had ever graduated and been given the opportunity to teach English to students. He didn't seem to grasp any of the basic premises of books. There may be books that I don't particularly like, but I at least make an effort to understand them. His butchering of the ideals and themes of Wuthering Heights had me clamping my jaw tightly shut for the entire English lesson. It didn't help that I knew it was one of Bella's favourite books, she was no doubt looking forward to getting the students to understand it – and now they probably never would.

My day didn't improve from there. Word had got out about Bella's attack. No-one knew exactly how bad it was so a few of them, those who automatically assume the guilt in people, thought she got what she deserved for messing around with school boys. It was incredibly hard not to throw those people against a wall. But somehow I managed.

I also managed not to kill the school boys whose fantasies of Bella had been slowly ramping up since they found out about the accusation and now included her in all manner of ungodly positions.

It was a constant struggle, more than any other day I had ever had to endure, and that include the first day in Bella arrived biology in Forks. I thought that had been the pinnacle of my self-control.

There was only one slip. Cain. I'd listened all though English to his guilt at what he'd told his father about Bella. I felt a little bit more charitable towards him about it – apparently he said something that he thought was innocent to his step-father who took it the wrong way and made a complaint. So it was a misunderstanding when Mr Anders had 'found out' about him and Bella.

It wasn't until I was passing him at lunchtime that I cracked. He was thinking about Bella's attack and I realised it was his step-father who had attacked her. I followed him out into the grounds and, as soon as we were alone, turned him around sharply to face me. I could see my black eyes reflected in his. He cowered away and slunk to the ground with his hands in front of him defensively.

His revulsion to my touch was disproportionate. Despite my anger I had barely touched him and yet he cowered away. I saw images running through his head of his step-father hitting him. It was enough to make me drop my hold and as soon as I had he ran away. I found myself halfway to my car before Alice and Jasper intercepted me.

"Edward – you promised Bella."

I clenched my jaw. Jasper tried to calm me. I tried to shake it off. He pushed harder to try to calm me and I shot him a murderous warning glance. I would not be calmed. Not now.

"If you leave now and continue on this course Bella won't forgive you," Alice said.

She was lying. But she also knew it was the one thing that would stop me from leaving. Bella would forgive me - I knew Bella would forgive me just about anything - but I wanted to deserve Bella. I wanted to be good enough for her and if I ripped Chris Markson apart piece by piece I wouldn't be.

"Two more periods and then you can go to the hospital."

"How is she Alice?"

I don't know – I can't see her with Jacob there remember.

I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose.

Two hours.

Just two short hours and I would be able to see Bella again.

*****

Jacob was curled up in a chair in the corner of the hospital room when I arrived. Bella was awake and her face broke into as wide a smile as she could manage pain-free when I opened the door. Alice had come with me today and she immediately took my usual position on the chair beside Bella's bed. I'd known it was going to be a mistake bringing her down.

My turn to spend some time with her. It's not all about you, you know.

I wanted to rip her from the seat and claim it but I didn't want to upset Bella. So I did the next best thing I could. I climbed in bed beside Bella. Alice poked her tongue out at me and Bella laughed.

Alice admonished me, "What if a nurse comes in and sees you there? I can't see what's going to happen in this room with the dog in the corner."

I heard Jacob chuckle and he thought, Good.

"Your talents might be limited, Alice. But fortunately mine are not. I'll know if someone is coming."

Bella laughed a little. I looked at her quizzically.

"Your talents are limited too," she said.

I smiled in response and kissed the tip of her nose. "But it takes a special person to mess with my talents. Whereas any old dog can muddle Alice."

Alice went to take a swipe at me but then thought better of it because I was so closely entwined with Bella.

"I'll get you later Edward," she warned.

"You'll try."

Bella laughed again. It was a good sound. I promised then and there that I would definitely work to be in a good mood when we came down in the future.

And then Alice spoiled it.

"The police are coming to speak to Bella tomorrow."

Great.

A/N – Okay I made it, I got this posted this weekend :) Thanks for sticking by me while I took so long to post

Hopefully Race Car Driver Edward will be patient and let sparkly vamp Edward have his turn too from now on. I have a few days off this week & am going to be working on chaps for Carlisle's Doctor & the final chap or two of Bella the Wild Rose.

I'm on twitter (I know I keep saying this but I always forget who I have/haven't told in my chapter notes so I want to make sure everyone knows). I love talking to my bb's on there – you know who you are but I also like to make new friends.

I've got a few really good fics I've been reading lately – they're all in my fav's if you want to check any of them out.