Hi...?

First of all, Happy belated Christmas and New Year, LOL!

Now for the serious shit…

I can't even tell you how sorry I am. I have been freaking out so badly about how much I've failed you, and the fact that this writers block that I had was the worst it's EVER been.

I also can't tell you how many times I've started this chapter. Three separate times… all of which have been meshed into one.

A bit of some news:

1. I have two facebook groups: A Choice and Bexie25 Fanfics. Please join.

Links

A Choice: facebook dot com / groups / 118639404965906 /

Bexie25 Fanfics: facebook dot com / groups / 327932867322639 /

2. I have a beta now, and she goes by the pen-name Chandrakanta. She's fuckawesome because she's helped me more than you could ever know with this chapter. I sent it to her when it was still unfinished and she beta'd it, gave suggestions on how to continue, and told me that it wasn't the absolute piece of shit I thought it was. She gave me the strength to carry on. Thank you Chandrakanta!

As I say below, I want to let you know that I'm back. I haven't much to say, but this chapter (Chapter 23, When All Hell Breaks Loose) will be posted in two parts on here and in the PDF, it'll be combined as one chapter as it should be.

Please enjoy this chapter. I hope it's enough to make up for my absence.

Read, review, enjoy!

As soon as I heard my mother's name from my father's lips, that was it. I looked into Edward's eyes, memorizing every feature of his face, just as he seemed to be doing with me. I could hear his gorgeous voice speaking in a low murmur to my father, but could not for the life of me comprehend what he was saying.

The first thing that happened was just a small second of… nothingness. And in that glimpse of a second, everything clicked into place. What was it that Eleazar had said? An unknown party that would think we were better off separated.

Of course it was my mother.

She would evoke her rights as the parent who had custody of me. My father never had, my mother convincing him otherwise and now I knew why.

Because, in the back of her mind, she knew there would be a day where I would be happy here. And she didn't want that. She didn't want anyone happy but for it to be me… it was as if that caused her possible death. It was the one thing in life that she seemed to have to make sure didn't happen.

Of course it was my mother!

And then, that small second passed, and my mind became frenzied, fraught with panic and fear. It was all I could feel, think and be. Scared and panicked. I was afraid that I would lose Edward, that my mother was coming here with the knowledge of my boyfriend—a forbidden person in my life, according to her—and take me away.

I was terrified of the pain we would feel if we were separated, but then I remembered what Eleazar and Carlisle had said… that our connection was preparing us for something… preparing us for separation?

One of them surely said that. Probably Eleazar.

I couldn't possibly tell anyone if he did or not. My thoughts were too unclear.

I could not speak. I could not think. I could not breathe.

And just as I thought those words, I looked into Edward's eyes. His brow furrowed and he looked at me for a moment before he stretched his body out, completely over mine. His lips were at my ear, his cheek against my cheek as he purred. His hands skimmed my sides before they wrapped around my waist and before I could blink, he was on his back, and I was lying on his chest.

It was then that I realized I was crying. I watched as tears fell from my eyes, and onto his pale skin. His eyes communicated so many things—pain, sorrow, worry, fear, and… determination and love.

It mesmerized me and so I simply, wordlessly, looked into Edward's eyes. My hands clenched into fists, my eyes wide as I searched his face for something. He looked at me, not even releasing a breath before he leaned in and kissed my forehead. He shifted slightly and I gasped, grabbing onto his arm with both of my hands. I looked into his eyes desperately, pleading silently…

Don't go.

His gaze softened instantly, and a soft, calming growl—my growl—resounded through him. He wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me closer to him and I clambered into his lap, wrapping my arms tightly around his neck as I rested my head on his chest.

The growl, his arms around me, and the way he hushed me told me what I had already known. He wasn't going to leave me; he loved me and needed me just as I loved and needed him. I calmed, my arms around his neck loosening just a little and I finally felt the result of my panic in my shoulders; the muscles protested and I grunted at the dull ache that was now present.

"Everything will be ok, my dear one," Edward purred softly in my ear, making me look up at him. "I love you."

I smiled up at him, swallowing back the lump in my throat and willing the tears in my eyes to go away. "I love you. I trust you."

He smiled. "I know, and I am forever grateful." With that, he lifted the phone back to his ear and I closed my eyes as I leaned back against him to listen to the conversation. I quickly realized, though, that Edward must have turned down the volume, because I could no longer hear what my father said. I would have been angry, but I trusted Edward, and I knew that he wouldn't keep anything from me; he just wanted to be able to tell me calmly himself, just the two of us. "Hello, Charlie… yes, everything is fine. Yes, thank you, that would be much appreciated. Has she arrived? Even better. Thank you. We shall be there shortly. Is half an hour agreeable? Good. Thank you. Yes… yes… of course… Yes, I agree. That is a good idea. However, perhaps the others should be close by? Alright, that is fine. Yes, we will see you then. Goodbye, sir."

Edward pressed a button on the phone, making it beep. He then looked into my eyes as he gently threw the phone onto the bed. It landed with a mute thud and was promptly forgotten as he grasped my face in his hands, holding it as if I were made of the finest china, as if I were the most precious thing to him in the world.

And I knew that I was. It was a fact that I would never take for granted, and would forever be thankful for.

I cleared my throat as quietly as possible, smiling up at him. Well, I thought it was a smile. "So… so my mother… she's..." I blew out a breath, unable to continue for a moment, and I looked down, swallowing. I closed my eyes, taking a deep, shaky breath as I futilely tried to calm myself down.

"My love, I need you to be still and calm for a moment," Edward murmured, his scent wafting over me, filling my nostrils and therefore, my senses. It calmed me down significantly, and I cocked my head to the side, lifting an eyebrow in question. He ignored it. "Bella, you are not going to like what I have to tell you—"

"She's here, and she's coming for me," I said, looking up at him. I studied him for a second before continuing. "Which means that she knows about you," I said slowly before letting out a harsh breath. I huffed out a laugh. "Well, shit. I'm in trouble, aren't I?" I laughed to myself, snorting. "This is great. Just fucking perfect… she's the force, right? The undetermined party that thinks I'm better off without you, right?" The laughter took on a hysterical edge and before I knew it, I was hyperventilating. "Edward," I tried to get out as I gripped the bed covers, "Oh, god, she's going to take me away from you?"

And there went my voice box.

Edward drew me into his arms and released the growl—my growl. I let out deep breaths, and closed my eyes as the calm and safe feeling came over me. Just like all the other times, I welcomed it, reveled in it. I had no idea how I was going to face my mother, but I knew that if I had Edward with me, then everything would be ok.

Most importantly, I knew we'd get through this.

"Hush, my mate," Edward purred. "I will never let her take you away from me; not if I can help it. I love you and you are mine. We just have to take some precautions, my love. That is all. Which is why, before we can do anything, we must go to main house and discuss this with our parents and siblings. We will need their help, love. Your mother may be human, but she is cunning, and I believe there is more than meets the eye."

"So do I," I agreed, nodding. I pushed on Edward's chest and he released all of me but my hand. I tugged on it, smiling a small, tight smile and he growled playfully, following me through to the wardrobe. We undressed each other and I was pleasantly surprised that Edward—and I—could control himself. We dressed with no mischief of cheeky touches… well, for the most part, and not five minutes later, I was in Edward's arms and he was speeding for the main house.

When we arrived, it seemed as though they were expected us. Every Cullen was waiting outside, with only Carmen and Eleazar of the Denalis present, too. My eyes narrowed at the obvious absence of the three Denali sisters and in my panicked—among other things—state, I wondered if at least one of them might have something to do with the sudden appearance of my mother.

My guess? Tanya, of course.

But then, a few seconds later, two of the three sisters appeared. And though I was still suspicious of Kate and Irina even now as they stood across from us, it just proved further that Tanya was the most likely culprit.

Edward ignored them all, his eyes landing immediately on Alice.

"You saw?" Edward asked, pulling me down and wrapping his arm around my waist. He was staring intently at Alice, and from the look on his face, I knew she was telling him more than she would out loud.

My guess was right. "Yes, I did. Edward, this is serious." Another pointed look made Edward growl under his breath and I shot a glare at Alice, instinctually telling her to quit it. She looked apologetic, but glanced at Jasper.

He nodded at her, smiling softly and kissing her cheek.

"I think it is best we go inside and talk. Now," he said.

"Yes," Carlisle said, nodding with his arm wrapped around Esme. She cuddled into him, but I could see her distress. She was a true mother, just what I needed right now.

"Mom," I gasped, running out of Edward's arms and into hers. She sighed when I wrapped my arms around her neck, wrapping her own arms around me, and I swallowed. I sniffled, breathing in deeply to take in her scent.

"Oh, dear," she sighed and I nearly laughed with relief. The sound of her motherly voice and the feeling of her comforting arms around my waist were exactly what the doctor ordered. When I leaned back, Esme took my face in her hands. "Everything will be ok. We will fix this."

I nodded, unable to really do anything else when she was telling me something this forcefully. "I hope so. Because I honestly don't think I'm strong enough to lose you, any of you."

"It's alright," Esme insisted with a small, loving, motherly smile. "We will take care of this. You won't lose us. Don't focus on that now, little one. Everything will be ok. For now, let us go inside and talk about this so we can orchestrate a plan, hmm?"

I looked at her for a long moment before taking a deep, shuddering breath. I nodded and she smiled, dropping one arm around my waist as she walked inside. The whole time, my eyes searched for Edward and when our eyes met, he smiled reassuringly, the love in his eyes shining.

When we entered the lounge room, Edward walked toward Esme and I. We sat down on the couch and Edward down beside me. As soon as he was comfortable, I reached for him and he placed me carefully on his lap. He wrapped both arms around my waist, hugging me tightly to his chest and I sighed in relief.

"I love you," he whispered.

I looked up at him. "I love you."

The discussion began. I didn't pay a lot of attention as it was all on Edward. I looked into his eyes, memorizing his features and trying to think of anything other than what was happening now. What we—or, the others—were talking about and what we were going to be facing soon.

It was only when I heard Edward talk about coming with me to Charlie's that my attention shifted to the conversation.

"Wait, what?" I interjected, looking at Edward. I was already shaking my head when our eyes met, brown and panicked to black and desperate. "Edward, no. No! You can't come with me. I have to go alone. You can't be there when she's there, Edward. You just can't. Please, just let me go myself."

He looked at me, alarmed. He, too, was shaking his head before I'd even finished. "Bella, my love, I am not letting you go there alone. Not when that… that witch is going to be there. She could hurt you, sweet girl. She could hurt you and I wouldn't be able to do anything."

His eyes were pleading with me to understand, to agree, to not shut him out. I shook my head, and when I spoke, the words shattered me. "I know, but, Edward, you can't come."

His face crumpled and he swallowed, squeezing his eyes shut. His face morphed into one of sheer agony and the desperation became more noticeable. "Why?"

I sighed and was about to look away when he caught my chin with his thumb and index finger. He raised an eyebrow and I sighed again. "Because… ok, you remember the first song I ever sung to you, right?"

He beamed a short-lived smile. "Yes, of course. It was Halo, and you played the piano. It was wonderful."

I blushed and muttered "thanks," before I remembered the point I was trying to make. "Yeah, that's right. And you remember that line about breaking the rules? How I was breaking all the rules?"

His brow furrowed in confusion, but I could already see in his eyes that he was beginning to understand what I was getting at here. He just refused to believe it. "Yes, I remember."

I nodded again, bracing myself for his reaction to what I was going to say. "Ok. Good. Um. Well, that wasn't just figurative speech, ok? I was actually breaking the rules—my mom's rule. Her golden one: no boyfriends. She doesn't know about you, Edward."

Many emotions flitted across his face; understanding, anger, pain, worry, fear… love… always love. He swallowed, pursing his lips for a moment, his brow furrowed. "What is she going to do?"

I let out a shaky laugh, sniffling, my breath hitching in odd places. "What is she going to do? She's… she's going to separate us, Edward. She's my legal guardian and I'm under eighteen. My father doesn't have custody; Mom refused. She can take me anywhere she wants, and once she finds out about you…" I let out a sob, squeezing my eyes shut. "She'll take me to Phoenix, Edward. As far away from you as she can. And then… I don't know what'll happen. But it won't be pretty."

The desperation was back in full force and he shook his head adamantly. "I can't just let you go. I won't. I will follow you."

I squeezed my eyes shut, holding back the sob that was threatening to shatter me again. I gritted my teeth and spoke between clenched teeth. "No. You can't. You can't do that."

He cupped my cheeks, his thumbs brushing over my cheeks, wiping away the constant tears. "Bella, I cannot just let you leave with her. I cannot just stand back and let her take you away from me. You're my mate, Isabella. You're mine."

My gaze softened and I smiled through the tears. "Yes. Yes, I am." I cupped his face in both my hands and pressed a firm kiss to his lips. "I am yours, my Edward."'

He smiled at me and nodded. "Mine."

We were interrupted by the sound of a throat clearing. Separating, we looked toward the sound.

Jasper looked at all of us individually before his eyes landed on the two of us. "I believe your mother is the threat your connection has been waiting for. I mean, I'd suggest filing for emancipation, but that wouldn't work."

"Why?"

"Bella would have to go down to Phoenix to file it anyway. And besides, it would be better if we didn't go to the police. Police means attention, which means the Volturi. We don't want or need that. What we do need, however, is a plan to combat this head on. Do y'all agree?"

I frowned. "How could my mother be the threat? She's human; any of you could easily overpower her."

Jasper shook his head. "You're wrong, for two reasons. First of all, yes, we could overpower her but her death would be something we'd have to cover up and we'd have to leave immediately; you'd have to leave your father behind." I frowned and swallowed, looking down. "See? You can't bear the thought; not yet. We all love you, Bella. We all consider you a part of this family. And Edward would never hurt you like that."

"I know," I murmured, peeking up at the gorgeous man in question. He smiled at me and nodded. I swallowed and looked back at Jasper and asked, "And the second reason?"

"I don't believe she's working alone. And I'm almost certain that she'll know the secret, given the circumstances."

I frowned. "Why would she?"

He smiled softly. "It comes back to the surety of her working with someone else. Think for a moment, the both of you. Who are the two people who cannot stand you two being together? And better yet, who is not here in this room that should be."

At that last statement, Irina hissed. "Are you suggesting that Tanya is part of this?"

He turned to her, unperturbed by her outburst. "Yes, I am. I believe that Bella's mother is merely a pawn in this game, a way to separate Edward and Bella so that Tanya and Jacob can get to them."

"Jacob?" I asked, frowning.

"Yes, my sweet girl," Edward interrupted, answering for his adopted brother. "He's right. Jacob must also be behind this. Think, sweet girl. Jacob wants you, and Tanya wants me."

I huffed at that, but had to admit that he was right.

"Yes," Jasper nodded, his hands clasped behind his back. "And we will have to play right into their hands if we want to defeat their purpose, which is to gain each of you as their own."

He ignored the angry shouts from Irina, and I was surprised that none of the other members of Tanya's coven was standing up to defend her. From the look on Irina's face, she was, too, and she hissed, turning back to her family before she flitted out of the room in a huff.

"Well, now that that's out of the way," Jasper drawled. "We have a plan to make."

~oOo~

"Edward," I said, swallowing as I looked over at him. He was driving the car, but watching me. His eyes held love, but I could see how nervous he was; it was in the way he gripped the steering wheel, the way his sat stone-stiff, the way his hand clenched around mine and the way his body gravitated toward mine.

After all, I was doing three of the four.

"Yes, sweetheart?" he asked, looking over at me.

I swallowed and took a deep breath to settle my stomach. Sadly, it didn't really work all that much. "I don't think I can do this."

His eyes softened, and when he spoke, his voice was like honey. "Yes, you can, sweet girl. You are the strongest, most brilliant, courageous woman I have ever met. You can most certainly do this. And besides, I am right here with you and I am not going anywhere. You know that. I will be here, with you, every step of the way."

I nodded, closing my eyes as my head fell back against the chair. I breathed deeply in and out again, chanting I will not be sick, in my head, over and over again. "I know that. But… but you heard Jasper. We have to play right into their hands. We have to go along with whatever they say…" I looked at him, a pang of panic hitting me. "What if they separate us?"

Immediately, Edward had parked the car and was pulling me over to him. He placed me on his lap and I wrapped my arms around his neck, straddling his thighs tightly. As usual, we were desperate as we tried to get as close as we could to one another, but this time, it was a whole different type of desperate.

"Calm down, sweet girl," Edward purred in my ear, his arms around my waist, the palm of his hand rubbing steadily up and down in a rhythmic circle. The electricity that always flowed between us jolted in sparks and, each time it happened, I jumped, which would result in Edward hushing me and crushing my body closer to him. I calmed as our chests and stomachs pressed against each other, and, slowly, our matched breathing began to slow.

"My love, as much as I wish I could hold you all day, I cannot," Edward whispered in my ear. I sniffled and pulled my head back to look into his eyes. "We must go."

I looked down and swallowed back the lump in my throat before nodding. "Ok," I whispered, withdrawing from all of him but his hand, which I kept tightly clenched in mine.

"Hey," Edward whispered, pulling me back to him for just a second. His eyes, black and fierce, burrowed into mine. "I will never let anything hurt you, sweet love. Surely you know that."

I nodded. "I do," I whispered, my voice hoarse from all the crying. "If there's anything I do know, it's that, Edward."

He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "I am glad."

And then he reached over and started the car, but not before telling me sweetly and anxiously—the worrier he was—to put my seatbelt on. I rolled my eyes, but did just as he asked and off we went.

Five minutes later, we had reached the house.

We sat there for a few moments after Edward had stopped the car.

"Is she there yet?" I whispered.

"No," he whispered back, glancing at me. "No, she has not arrived yet. And she is not in hearing range yet, either."

I nodded. "And where are the others?"

"Spread out in the woods surrounding your house," he said, glancing out the window as he hunched forward slightly. "Your father is worried. He knows we are here, and is watching us closely. He wants to know why we have not left the car yet." My gorgeous man turned back to me. "We should go inside, love."

I nodded and took a deep breath. "Ok. Let's do this."

Edward got out of the car and quickly ran around to my side in a fast jog. He opened my door and reached out for my hand, pulling me out of the car. We stood there for a moment, inches apart, until Edward slowly wound his arm around my waist. I sighed, my breath hitching, and I sniffled as the electricity sparked again.

We walked, with Edward's arm around my waist, to the door. The door was opened before we even set foot on the porch, and my father's anxious face came into view.

"Bella, Edward," he said and I frowned.

Yeah, he's nervous, I thought. He didn't even call me Bells.

"Dad," I said with a soft smile. Seconds later, I was standing in front of him and he pulled me into his arms. Edward ceased his hold on my waist, grabbing my hand instead. I sighed as my father's protective arms wrapped around my shoulders, and I closed my eyes as I laid my head on his chest for just a few moments.

"How are you feeling?"

I shrugged awkwardly. "The same, but worse; we think Mom's the threat to our connection that we've been waiting for."

He frowned and pulled back to look at me. "But, how? I mean… how could she do so much damage if she's only human?"

I looked at Edward, and he took that as a sign to continue for me. "We believe she is working with Jacob and Tanya. They both want to separate us to they can have us for their own."

"Well, what are you going to do about it?" Dad asked.

Edward looked around uncomfortably for a moment, and Dad immediately released me so I could wrap my arms around Edward's waist, trying to calm him down in any way I could. It seemed to work, as Edward spoke after that. "Perhaps we should take this inside?"

Charlie stared at him for a moment before nodding slowly. "Yeah… ok, right. Sorry, guys, I should have invited you in."

"It's fine," I said with a smile.

We quickly entered the house, making a beeline for the lounge room. When we were all seated, Edward continued. "We need to do whatever we can to make sure that doesn't happen, but at the same time, we cannot include any police or officials in this."

Charlie frowned and I could almost see the cogs turning inside his head. "Emancipation; Bella could apply for emancipation."

We shook our heads, but it as I who spoke. "Dad, I'd have to go to Phoenix to file the report, remember? You know this stuff… and they'd probably take me hostage or something anyway. It's a moot point."

Charlie sighed dejectedly, and nodded. "Yeah, you're right… I probably should have remembered. I'm sorry. I'm just trying to help. I had no idea she treated you so bad, Bells. I hate myself for letting you leave with her." He looked up at my quickly and fiercely then, desperation coloring his tone and expression. "Just… just promise me she didn't hit you. She didn't, did she?"

I shook my head and whispered, "No, she didn't. I would have told you if she did, I promise."

He nodded, seemingly consoled.

"Dad, just know that I'm probably going to be leaving today," I said, trying to keep myself calm and clinically composed. "And it most likely won't be pretty but… no matter what happens I need you to listen to Edward and his family, ok? If you want to help, you must talk to them before you do anything, ok?" I added in a piercing narrow-eyed look for good measure.

He sighed harshly, but nodded, reluctant though it was. "Ok. Supernatural things I think I'll leave to you guys."

I giggled and nodded. "Maybe that's a good idea."

Just then, Edward growled. I looked up at him and could tell immediately what was going on just from the look on his face.

"She's close, isn't she?" I asked, and he nodded gruffly, the growl still resonating in his chest roughly.

"Only two miles out now," he said quickly. "She's moving quickly, love. We'd best be ready now."

I nodded and got up, pulling him with me. I took him with me into the kitchen and turned back to look at him. "Kiss me, mark me… do whatever you need now."

That was all he needed. In the next half-second, he crashed his lips down on mine and I moaned, gripping his hair, my fingers threading through the thick, luscious locks of his beautiful bronze hair. His arms wrapped around my waist tightly, his hands wandering all over my body quickly, lightly, and teasingly.

"Please," I whimpered as he broke the kiss. His lips never left my skin as his hands flew down to my ass and he pulled me up, wrapping my legs around his waist. "Mark me, Edward."

And he proceeded to do just that.

But just as quickly as it started, it ended. The doorbell rang just a few seconds later, and I whined long and low in his ear as he put me down. Using his natural speed, he smoothed our clothes and hair, making sure we were perfectly presentable.

I flinched when I heard the front door slam. It seemed my mother really was angry as she shouted "Isabella!" not even caring to start with pleasantries with Charlie.

I looked up at Edward, who had taken to having half a yard between us since her arrival. I longed for his arms around me, feeling naked without them, but resigned myself with the knowledge that I could do nothing.

When we entered the room, I swallowed. There, standing across the room, was a woman I had not seen in months. A woman I had grown to fear.

"Mother," I whispered just loud enough for her to hear me.

Her eyes regarded me for just a moment.

"Isabella." The tone my mother used was level, calm, and normal, but from experience, I could detect the storm brewing behind the façade. I took a deep breath, unable to avert my eyes from her piercing gaze. Her eyes flickered to Edward and she raised an eyebrow at me that just said 'you're in trouble.' However, it was the particularly malicious glint in her eyes that separated that from the standard, normal motherly meaning of the words into something more… something dangerous. Something that was making me sick. "It seems there's something you've neglected to tell me about… or rather… someone," she said, her eyes flashing pointedly over to Edward's still form.

Even from where I was standing—nearly two yards away from my Edward—I could hear his growl. I glanced at Dad, swallowing, and realized that he, too, noticed Edward's reaction. I wanted desperately to say something, but under my mother's scrutinizing gaze, I felt nothing but fear.

It was like I was back to square one, back to fearing the one person in my life that I really shouldn't have to fear. My throat closed up as I thought of all the things she'd said to me over the years, and I realized that, while I would feel better away from her, I would probably never fully get over her verbal and emotional abuse. It rang volumes in the air whenever we were in the same room as it was.

"Isabella," my mother's low, warning voice sounded again. I flinched, and heard Edward's reaction to my fear as I looked up at her. "Answer me now or you will regret it."

"Yes, mother," I said, trying to keep my voice as level and calm as possible. "I have kept someone from you." I looked back over my shoulder at Edward, begging him with my eyes to just try to calm down. He swallowed, his eyes flickering between me and my mother, a woman I knew he felt was a threat to his mate's safety. Hell, she was a threat. I turned back to look at my mother slowly, my voice cautious when I spoke again. "Mom, this is my boyfriend, Edward."

I know, I know. I'm so sorry to stop it there, but with how I've been struggling with this chapter, I just had to. Don't worry though, part 2 of chapter 23 When All Hell Breaks Loose will be up in three weeks and in the PDF, they'll be combined as one chapter.

I'm back, guys. I may be treading water lightly and hesitantly, but at least I'm in that damned water. ;)

See you in three weeks, on the 26th of March.

Love you all and I'm sorry this chapter wasn't up to the usual standard (at least it wasn't in my opinion).

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