A/N: Here goes…
Apology number 1: The delay… I KNOW, I KNOW… its inexcusable (it kind of isn't, I've been working a lot and drinking out with my friends a lot but still...) I should have used my time a little wiser and done more typing, but I had some worrying writers block!! (This chapter is the second version, the first one, once I got to page 6 sucked!!)
Apology number 2: Sorry if this sucks!! After a mega writers block, things aren't flowing too smoothly in the imagination process!
Apology number 3: Sorry if there will be some more delay… (I'm not sure where I'm headed with this story next. I've got a sketchy idea of the next chapter, which might very well be my last!! And also, it's my (and the twin's) birthday on the 26th of June, and were having a 5 day house party to celebrate- don't expect anything much posted till well into July!! Haha)
Threats, Declarations and Debates.
(Bella POV)
"See, that wasn't so bad" Alice stated in her chirpy tone as she loosened her death grip on my arm and took a step onto the dance floor.
"Piece of cake Bells… piece of cake" Rose added as she let her arm fall from around my waist and followed Alice "Come on" she called over her shoulder at me, waving her hand in a beckoning motion "do you want me to have to carry you again" she added with a laugh.
"You didn't carry me…" I whined at her retreating form as I took a careful step after her and Alice "You just helped me down… better than what gravity would have… stupid stairs" I mumbled under my breath as I followed after her into the throng of pulsing bodies, knowing that no one would be able to hear me over the deafening music.
I found them (two jabs to the side, one elbow to the face and a dangerous slip of my crutch later) dancing gracefully together with a gaggle of men gawping around them from every direction.
"Bella! At last!" Alice mouthed; her light voice was lost by the beats of the music which drowned her out.
I shrugged as I pointed from my foot to the crutch and lastly to myself, indicating that the broken leg slowed me down and of course me being klutz Bella was always a hazard.
Alice just rolled her eyes, shook her head and smiled in response.
'DANCE' Rose mouthed to me, making sure I understood her miming before she continued with 'WITH US' waved her finger between herself and Alice as she mouthed the words, giving me a thumbs up once she was done.
It was my turn to roll my eyes as I winced, I was never a good dancer even with two fully functioning legs, so how was I supposed to survive with one leg in a cast and a seemingly third leg in a form of a crutch, which in turn meant I lost and arm by having to hold onto it?
'COME ON' Alice mouthed as she bounced beside me, her eyes glowing different colours as the clubs lights passed over her tiny frame.
I huffed as I stood stationary on the dance floor, knowing that an attempt at escaping would be futile. Staying put would benefit me more when it came to Alice and Rose's wrath.
My mind wandered, as it usually did when it wasn't clouded by worries of falling over, to Edward. 'What's he doing… thinking… is he thinking of rescuing me?' I wondered, slightly optimistically in all honesty, but what was I supposed to be hoping for while I was stood on a dance floor with a busted leg?
One song finally came to a close, and before another could take its place, Alice's voice filled my ringing ears "Shit…it…all" I turned to look at her, seeing her eyebrows pulled together into a frown. Has someone accessorised badly with a nice dress?
"Total… bloody… prick on legs" Rose added with a scowl as she joined Alice's cursing at some object that wasn't privy to my eyes yet, seeing as the both of them had moved so that they stood before me, like my own personal misfit bodyguards.
"Guys, what the…" I started, trying my best to peek over Rose's shoulder and around Alice's bobbing head, only to finally have my eyes settle on no other that Mike Newton himself.
"Bella!" he called, just as a new song started up, giving him an excuse to come closer "What a nice surprise to see you here" he smiled with a glint in his eyes, which made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end, had he been following me or something? "Do you wana dance?" he asked, his eyes hopeful and a cocky smile plastered on his lips.
"Umm…" I mumbled, trying to thing of a quick resort, the quicker the better in this case. I simply shrugged and pointed at my leg, giving him a weak smile, hopefully he'd be idiotic enough to take my motion as a sympathetic 'I can't because I unfortunately have a broken leg'.
"Oh… that's too bad" I managed to pick up by reading his thin, shiver inspiring lips "I'll get you a drink then" he added as his eyes slowly trailed up my body from what he could catch between Rose and Alice's figures, from my leg, to my waist, to my bust and finally back to my face. I feel so violated!
"I can't drink!" I shouted to him, having to strain my vocal chords in hope he'd be able to hear me over the pounding music, and also in hope it'd reach him as Alice and Rose were acting as physical barriers so that Mike couldn't come too close. "I'm on meds" I added, pointing to my leg, for once grateful that the klutz in me was coming in handy.
"Erm… well… go… th-…b- talk lit-?" I managed to catch, guessing he wanted me to go with him to the bar to talk from the way he pointed in the bar's direction.
"No" I heard a quiet, deep voice behind me, making me quiver from the menacing threat that dripped within the two lettered word.
Alice and Rose turned around, blinding smiles on each of their faces, quickly turning into smug smiles before they turned back to Mike, and air of confidence and superiority in their stance.
Confused by their change I turned around, only to have my breath stolen away from me by Edward's form, mostly because of his handsomeness, but also because the look on his face. Never had I been afraid of him, but by the strain that appeared at his jaw, and the pitch blackness of his eyes scared the crap out of me!
I looked past him, only to be met by three men with the exact same expressions. Emmett stood beside my war like Adonis, his arms hanging by his sides, their bulk almost as big as an average body, his hands flexing into fists every now and again.
Jasper was next to Emmett, his forehead burrowed with creases by the severity of his frown. His hands were both planted in his trouser pockets, which seemed carefree enough, but not on this lethal looking Jasper. For once, I couldn't be sure if Jasper was calm enough to not kill, I wouldn't have been surprised if he'd pulled a blade or military like gun out of his pockets and blasted a bullet into Mike's head, at least he'd have something in there other than idiocy.
The last man, who stood by Edward's side matched Edward, Jasper and Emmett's threatening stance and fierce expressions. Duncan's eyes were locked, unwavering on Mike. One fist balled up as the other ran across its knuckles, as if consoling it that it would soon be hurling into contact with Mike's face.
Now I knew why Alice and Rose were so smug.
And so was I.
Mike looked pityingly like a lost child as he stood, mouth agape, staring at the four warrior like men before him, each with a wish of a slow and painful death written across their features. My smile grew wider as I watched him begin to take a few small shaky steps back in retreat. The sight reminded me of how one would expect someone to react if they'd come face to face with a fierce, wild, starving Lion.
"Mike… a word?" Jasper's always cool voice came out restrained, controlled. I turned to see his face poker straight, not giving away to any surrender of a truce or forgiveness on his part.
Mike merely nodded in response, having lost his voice along with his courage and cockiness.
Jasper strode forward, placing a hand on his shoulder and leading him into the throng of bodies around us, which I'd forgotten entirely about during the event. Once out of sight, Edward, Emmett and Duncan stepped away from us girls, walking after Jasper and Mike as if they were stalking their pray. Like wild cats in the wilderness.
Emmett stopped before Rose, simply pointed up, toward the bar where we'd been sat earlier, his eyes locked on hers as he did so. She gave him a simple response of a nod and continued to grab a hold of Alice's arm and then mine, leading us back toward the stairs.
Once we'd managed to get me safely up the stairs and seated I asked "What was all that about?" gaining identical shrugs from Alice and Rose.
"Think they'll kill him?" Rose asked minutes later, piercing the silence that had settled between us.
"Maybe" Alice whispered back, her eyes glazed as she starred at an unknown object.
I stayed silent, not bothering to answer what was more rhetorical than anything; just Rose speaking what was on her mind. Although her question did match with what was running through my muddled mind. Four, dangerous looking men leading a weak Mike off did have its suspicions.
(Edward POV)
Go back and kill him, just go back and finish it… no one would miss the weasel… kill him!
I shook my head quickly, hoping to shake away the voice that rang in my head; my own voice. The urge to go back and throttle the living day lights out of Mike was tempting… worryingly a little bit too tempting as I thought of my self as a good, pure person, not the raving murderer want to be that I felt like at the moment.
The four of us made our way back to where we knew the girls were sat; they'd have to have been as idiotic as Mike if they hadn't followed our order and gone there. I mentally kicked myself as I thought of how we'd reacted. I felt ashamed. We hadn't given either one of them an explanation of our actions; merely let them deal with it and not question us. I knew the questions were sure to come… I'd have to be the stupid one to not be expecting that.
"Can't I just go back and punch him… just the once?" Emmett pleaded as he squirmed within Jasper and Duncan's restraining hold on him. I sighed; Emmett was only voicing what was running through my mind.
"Pull yourself together Em, preferably before we get back to the girls" Jaspers voice sounded monotone as he spoke, I knew it must be because he was fighting the urge himself to run back to the restroom and finish Mike off.
"I'll get you three some drinks… and take my break…"Duncan's low voice followed me up the stairs. I took a deep breath, hoping that I was back to some kind of normality after my rage.
Duncan headed off toward the bar as we reached the top, letting go of his grip on Emmett. Jasper loosened his hold, but I noticed that he walked a step behind Emmett, probably to make sure he'd be able to tackle Emmett to the ground if he tried to head back.
My stomach began to feel as if it were doing summersaults. Would Bella forget what I'd looked like earlier, when I'd let my fury take over me? The look of her shocked face filled my mind again as we neared where the girls were sat. She looked as if she were in a nightmare as she looked at me, and then to Emmett, Jasper and Duncan. Would she see me as a monster?
"Hey sweetie" Alice's voice punctured my gloomy thoughts, the cheeriness of it uplifting my black mood somewhat. Didn't anything get her down? I wondered as I watched her hop up from her chair and jump into Jaspers arms.
"Hey yourself" I heard him mutter as he secured his arms around his treasured goods and sit himself on the chair that she had just vacated, his expression back to being relaxed and neutral.
"Shove up and make some room Bambi" Emmett spoke in a gruff voice, causing me to look his way. His brow was furrowed as he stood next to the small sofa that Rose was stretched across, gaining him a hellish glare from her.
"Shove yourself Peaches!" she called out defiantly, crossing her arms "Stupid pig headed bull" she added as she turned her face away from him to look at the floor.
"Oh for the love of…" Emmett cursed under his breath before he knelt down before Rose, taking her face into his hands and reluctantly gaining her to look at him "You can punch me now" he smiled as he let go of her face and braced himself for her punch.
Rose rolled her eyes, playfully punched him before she scooted up "Come here you fool" she smiled as she took hold of his hand and hauled him next to her.
Finally I looked at my Bella, watching her as she watched me. I smiled and watched, my heart thundering in my chest as she smiled back. I gave her a weak wave and received one back from her. I chuckled as I thought of her mirroring my actions.
I walked silently over to her, lifting her from her chair effortlessly and sitting down myself, holding her in my embrace. I wrapped my arms as tightly as I could around her and buried my nose in her hair, breathing in her scent of mouth-watering strawberries. I almost exclaimed out loud as I realised how calm and content I felt now that Bella was in my arms, the mere touch of her skin against mine cured me of my erratic emotions.
"Missed you" Bella murmured against my neck, squeezing her arms tighter around me as she spoke.
"Missed you too" I whispered into the top of her head before I closed my eyes and pressed a long kiss on her forehead.
"Oi!! Get out the way or you'll be barred… you too" Duncan's voice rang over the bar and I felt my lips turn into a smile as they rested against Bella's forehead still. "Alight amigos, some much earned drinks" he announced once he'd reached the six of us.
I pulled away and gave Duncan a nod in appreciation, but not before I placed a soft kiss on Bella's luscious, soft lips.
"What did you four do?" Rose voiced the question that I could sense Bella was almost bursting to ask herself.
"They didn't tell you?" Duncan asked amused, "What have you been up to for so long that you haven't gotten around to telling them?" Duncan laughed as he sat himself down on a chair between Rose and Jasper, who was holding Alice to him.
"Anyway…" Duncan continued as soon as he realised he had three pairs of beautiful eyes trained on him which were waiting for him to answer the question "Well we took Mike to the gents… to have a little chat…"
My mind went back, to remember what the four of us men had done about an hour ago. I felt the anger return to me as I thought of how I watched Mike slither through the crowd to get to our girls, how he dared to speak to my Bella, when he knew full well that I would be with her. Although from the way he'd spoken once we'd gotten him into the contained room, I wasn't so sure.
Bella rubbed circles over my back as she listened to Duncan speaking, her eyes were fixed on him but she must have noticed how I'd stiffened as my anger grew. She was responding to my reaction on reflex I realised with a smile.
I pushed my mind back to remember what Mike had said when we four had finally gotten him alone in the gents, Duncan being a member of staff was able to lock the door after us so that Mike had no way of escape, and no one would be able to walk in and interrupt our little 'talk'.
"You leave Bella alone. I don't want you so much as thinking about her ever again, do you hear me?" I remember saying as I stood opposite him, with a foot or two of distance between us so that I wouldn't be tempted to wrap my hands around his neck and strangle him at that very second.
"Just try and stop me" Mike had smirked at me, adding "You can't stop me of the thoughts I have of her, the one's I've had since the first time I met her… thoughts of her have had me very… distracted… from time to time…" a smirk on his face as he casually leant back against the wall behind him.
"Why you f-" I'd lunged at him after that remark, stunned that he had the gall to speak such words when he was evidently in no position to pester either one of us. Jasper and Duncan had obviously restrained me from banging his useless head against the wall. Emmett I had noticed hadn't moved an inch in trying to block my actions.
"I know she thinks about me… I can see it in her eyes. She's only pretending to be with you to make me jealous…" he added, nodding his head as he spoke as if he was trying to convince himself, or was speaking to himself and was agreeing with the words he'd spoken. "She'll come to me soon…I'll tell her that I don't want her as a rebound… but then she'll tell me how she loves me… I might add a little argument too" he went on, nodding his head again and smirking, his eyes locked on mine as he spoke the next words "because you know make-up sex is the best, and with Bella, how could it not be?"
"Fuck it" those two words rang out like a rehearsed chorus as Duncan, Emmett and Jasper spoke them. Emmett took the three footsteps that divided his hands and Mike's feeble body while Jasper and Duncan's restraining hold on me evaporated as they too closed the distance.
"No, n-n-n-no…. no!! Not again!" Mike's voice echoed within the stall like a child's voice, pitiful on a grown man.
Mike's protests were drowned out for a few seconds by the sound of the toilet flushing and some splashing and spluttering.
"No… don't… let me go!" he called before his words were drowned out yet again in the same way.
I took the time to try and collect myself; calm the unbelievable force of rage that I swore was boiling my blood and pounding against my skull.
Two or three drunks later and I stood looking at what could only be described as a drowned weasel.
Mike stood before me, red eyed, spluttering, sobbing and cursing.
"You're going to leave her alone aren't you" I said simply, letting him get away by answering with a simple yes. Letting him damn himself with a simple no.
"Your all talk… you just let them three do all your dirty work for you… scum" He spat out as he looked at the floor.
I snapped.
My hand clenched around his throat before he could even summon up a puff of breath in his lungs to shout. "You listen, and you listen good weasel, you won't come near Bella again, because if you do, it won't be threats that you'll get. It'll be the end of you, and I'll do it with my own bare hands. You hear me?" I asked, pressing my thumb and forefinger a little tighter on his windpipe so that the seriousness of the situation would sink in. "Oh, and don't try and go to the cops and turn this around, I have witnesses on my side for my defence and also…" I paused, a smile tugging at my lips as I thought of what I was about to say next "Bella's own father is a cop… a chief no less…" I let my words trail off as I let go of his throat, watching him bent double as he gasped for breath.
I clenched my hands into fists at my side, to try and restrain myself from wrapping them back around his neck.
"I think he understands" Jasper muttered "Lets get cleaned up and head back to our girls" he added as he turned the taps on and lathered his hands with soap.
The feeling of Bella's pink lips against my jaw bought me out of my mind and back to revel in the feeling of her in my arms. I turned to her, seeing her eyes glimmering "Thank you" she whispered softly, running her tempting lips across my jaw and up to my ear "My big strong man" she added as she nibbled at my lobe, driving me wild.
"You're not mad?" I asked her hesitantly, wondering when she'd realise that I'd acted like a monster, like a caveman "I snapped Bella… I turned into a monster and I'm sorry you had to see me like that… it wont happe-" my words got lost as she pressed her mouth against mine in a demanding kiss. I reacted without hesitation, capturing her mouth with vigour, plunging my tongue into her mouth, our tongues stroking until I felt myself begin to feel pained by the restraint I was having to control… in the middle of a club.
"You have nothing to be sorry for" Bella spoke, out of breath from our maddening kiss "It was…" she trailed her finger from my jaw, down my throat, to my chest to rest on the buckle of my belt "sexy" she added, moving her hips slightly, but enough for her to get a reaction out of me. I groaned as the temptress on my lap moved again. I looked in her eyes, only to find her eyes glowing with lust and a new fierce emotion that I couldn't distinguish, but matched what I was feeling.
I closed my eyes as I rested my head on top of Bella's, feeling utterly content. I have Bella, in my arms, all to myself and I love her. I smiled wider as the thoughts ran through my mind, only to pause as I thought over the last piece… I love Bella?
"Edward?" Bella asked, pulling away from my chest to look at me "What is it?" she asked, a slight panic filling her eyes.
"I love you" I whispered, feeling as if some weight had been lifted off my entire body by my declaration.
Bella was as still as a statue in my arms as she starred at me, tears filling her eyes.
Shit… I shouldn't have said it so soon… does she think I'm over possessive now? Drunk?
She nuzzled her faceinto the crook of my neck, her breath sweeping over my skin, raising goose bumps "I" she spoke into my skin, giving me a soft kiss before whispering the next word "love" she said, planting another kiss on my neck "you" again followed by a kiss "too" which she followed by a full kiss to my tingling lips, conveying to me what she had just said, letting our love be expressed by our lips.
"Jasper, marry me" Alice's voice broke through my Bella filled vision as soon as we'd pulled away from our drugging kisses. The tone of Alice's voice shocked me, as if someone had thrown a bucket of ice water over my head, she sounded so flippant… blasé as she spoke… as if she were telling him which kind of coffee she'd like him to get her.
Jasper, stunned as he was replied under three seconds, "Kay" he spoke, with a faint, dreamlike smile on his lips.
"Oh what the…" Emmett fairly bellowed in exasperation as he watched mine and Bella's declaration of love and Alice and Jaspers marriage proposal "Screw it… I'm not gona be outdone by them two Romeo's" he mumbled before he turned to Rose "Bambi, lets have kids yeah?" he spoke quickly and, from the smile on his face, he already thought that Rose had accepted his rather ruff proposition.
"Fine, but no more than six" Rose said in a borderline monotone voice as she swirled her drink, seeming more interested in the slice of lemon that was spinning within the glass than Emmett's announcement of kids.
"Beat that" Emmett smiled as he pulled Rose closer to him, placing a kiss on her cheek with a proud smile on his face.
Bella, Alice, Jasper, and I laughed at his comment.
"You guys always like this?" a different voice broke into our bubble, and I ashamedly remembered that Duncan was still sat with us, having witnessed the turn of events.
"Umm… yes?" I hedged, wondering if he'd run away screaming or just call us freaks.
"That's cool" He said with a shrug, taking a healthy gulp of his beer. The look on my face must have been confusion, at why he'd reacted so calmly, and so he continued to explain himself "at least you all know what page you're all on".
I nodded my head slowly, seeming surprised that an 'outsider' would consider the friendship and relationships between the six of us so calmly and understandingly.
Emmett broke our quietened mood in a way only he knew how, and only he could pull off "So I bet you're kickin' yourself black and blue on how you missed out on our Bells" he laughed, sending an over dramatised wink Duncan's way.
"My heart may never recover from such heart brake, but fear not dear fellow, for I shall survive!" Duncan added, one hand resting over his heart while the other rested on his forehead, just like a theatre actor.
"That's my boy" Emmett chuckled, along with the rest of us.
The night ended with the six of us staggering to our feet, us men having to carry our women from the taxi to the house, up the stairs and into bed… our beds. Their deafening snores spread wide smiles on each of us men's faces, which resulted in us having a debate about who was cuter when sleeping, who had the cutest snore and who we thought would suffer the most in the morning.
A/N: So… the verdict??
Iamvamp :)
(Remember to give BookMe a happy birthday on the 26th of June!!)
