Please forgive me for how late this update is. I'm the third generation of a Mom & Pop small business where the 'Mom' and 'Pop' portion of the business have all bu retired, leaving me to run a very complicated business virtually on my own. I'm frazzled to say the least and alternate between crying and want to pull my hair out most of the time. If you quit reading, I won't blame you. If you do stick with me, please let me know you're still here. I'm holding on by a thread and positive feedback is my drug of choice.

So much appreciation to my team of Sazzledazzle and Edwardsfirstkiss. They're sticking with me and are absolute angels for donating their time and talents to The Devil's Plan.

SM owns Twilight. Devilward is mine.


The Devil's Plan

Chapter 29

Discoveries and Betrayals

"Dead? Tanya is dead?"

Devilward looked quizzically at the girl before him. Her mouth was open in surprise with her body pitched forward as if in anticipation of his answer.

"Yes." He answered with no expression on his face.

Bella slouched back in her chair, as her mind absorbed the news. How did she die? Why didn't he tell me? She wondered as she searched his face for any sign of grief. She was confused that she didn't find any.

"Edward, why didn't you tell me?"

"Why would I? She means nothing to me." Bella gasped at his statement. She knew that wasn't true. While she wasn't going to miss having that woman on the planet, she knew that Tanya's presence was still of consequence to the boy sitting before her. Edward's strange attitude must be a direct result of Tanya's death. He was protecting himself or deflecting. She wasn't sure as she'd not had any psychology classes yet, but his attitude change made sense.

Bella reached across the table and held his hand. "I'm sorry," she said sympathetically, squeezing his hand.

Devilward looked at their entwined hands and then looked at Bella's face. Her big brown eyes reflected concern and sympathy, two human emotions that were not part of his repertoire.

"I understand now why you've been acting like such a jer-I mean; understand why you haven't been your normal self." She flashed him a small smile.

Devilward wasn't sure what she was referencing, but he wasn't one to pass up an opportunity. Her attitude had softened towards him and he'd take full advantage of her new mindset.

"Yes. It was very dramatic." He said emotionless.

"Don't you mean traumatic?" She asked quizzically, pulling back slightly from his hold.

"No. I used the correct word. She didn't go easily." He said without thought to how that sounded out loud. No one else knew what he'd gone through to talk Tanya into ending her life. For someone who felt they'd lost everything and everyone, she hadn't accepted her fate easily. Her soul had been difficult to obtain.

Bella pondered his words with pursed lips and a furrowed brow. "Okay. Can you tell me what happened?" She asked, deciding to try to see if talking about it would trigger a normal reaction and bring her Edward back.

"She slit her wrists and bled out in the bath." Bella gasped, horrified at his words and deadpan delivery.

"That's horrible."

"It is the usual outcome for people like her." Devilward shrugged, looking bored.

"What does that mean?" Bella was astounded at his lack of sympathy. Sure in her book, Tanya had deserved a lot of terrible things to befall her for the way she'd used Edward, but suicide, that was truly horrible and Bella couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for the woman.

"It means that when you forfeit your soul, your body soon follows. It is the way of things."

"Edward, what she did was horrible, and she's certainly not someone I'd invite to dinner or want to be friends with, but you think she was soulless? You think she did those things to you with malice?" Bella had hated Tanya for how she'd used Edward. Tanya had acted selfishly and definitely made Bella question her morality, but deep down she'd never thought that Tanya had begun the affair with the intent to hurt Edward.

Devilward watched her with no understanding of why she'd be even slightly upset about the woman's death.

"What about her son?"

"He found her."

"Oh my god!" Bella's voice began to rise in distress.

The mist surrounding Edward was still thick and heavy yet, he thought he'd heard Bella call out. Surely it was his delusional and abused mind playing tricks on him. But suddenly he felt the need to fight through the blackness to find her.

"Dearest, why are we spending our time worrying about the soul of an insignificant woman, when we could be focusing our attention on more amusing pursuits?" His eyebrow lifted suggestively, taking her hand.

"Edward, no one is insignificant," she said pointedly. "I realize that you're trying to spare yourself the pain of what's happened. I'll let it go for now. But we're not done with this." She assured him as he huffed and rolled his eyes like a child. So unlike her Edward.

"How was Christmas?" She asked hoping to change the direction of their afternoon.

Devilward shrugged. "Esme made food. I ate it before retiring to my room." Bella shook her head as if trying to process his words. Esme? He's now calling his mother by her first name?

"Is that all? You didn't exchange gifts or watch movies or play games?" The Cullen familial relationship was strained but had been getting better. She guessed that perhaps Tanya's death had cast a damper over the whole family.

"No. There was talk about a vacation and then the fight-"

"-A fight? Who did you fight with and why?" Devilward huffed loudly as he resisted the urge to berate her for interrupting him.

"It doesn't matter." He saw no reason to rehash the trivial events that had taken place at the Cullen home.

"Edward, they're your family. You need them!" Bella exclaimed in dismay wondering why he couldn't understand that family was important.

Devilward cocked any eyebrow at her assumption that he needed those people, or anyone else. He'd been thrown from his family, left to rot in the pits of hell. Without help from any of his so-called family, he'd picked himself up and made a kingdom out of the barren wasteland he now lorded over. He couldn't help but inwardly smile at that thought because of this little girl before him, he'd soon have the means to turn the tables on his family and take their home for his own.

"The only person I need is you." He said, hoping to distract her from her current train of thought. Devilward kissed her hand while gauging her reaction through his long lashes.

Seeing that she was momentarily stunned by his kiss, he gently pulled her forward until they were both leaning over the table.

"You're the most important person in this world to me." Devilward murmured truthfully as Bella succumbed to his sweet manipulation.

Devilward pulled her closer, kissing her lips. Soon the discomfort of their position necessitated a move to the couch where they could continue their discussion.

Kissing Edward had been at the top of Bella's Favorite Things to Do list for a while now. And despite her concern over his behavior and Tanya's tragic death, she was happy to indulge in her favorite pasttime. Besides, when he kept his mouth shut, he was back to being her beautiful boyfriend.

Edward's efforts to pull himself from the dark place, were slowly succeeding. He was still blind but his hearing was getting better. The sounds of heavy breathing and moaning was alarming to him. He concentrated harder and slowly a hazy figure came into view. Whoever it was, was very close.

The sound of panting and what he thought was moaning became louder.

"Oh Edward," Bella gasped as Devilward's kisses intensified and he began to fondle her breasts under her shirt. Bella was overcome with feeling. She'd been waiting so long for him to take the initiative in their physical relationship. And now he was.

"Oh Edward." Edward knew that voice. Bella was moaning his name. NO! It wasn't his touches she was reacting too. It was the soulless monster that was using his body that she was panting after. Suddenly, Bella's face came into view. She was beneath the monster. Her blissful expression incensed him.

Nooooo! He screamed, delighting when he felt the monster wince.

"Edward? Bella asked concern was etched into her beautiful face.

"Nooo!" Edward screamed again, hating that she was showing concern for the vile creature on top of her.

Devilward reared back from her. His hands going to his head.

"Baby, what's wrong?" Edward's guts churned at her endearment for the monster pretending to be him.

"Don't touch her!" Edward's angry demand echoed loudly in his head.

Devilward, groaned, causing another look of concern from Bella.

"She's mine!" Edward could feel the Devil's pain and relished knowing that he was the cause.

Devilward moved away from Bella, sitting down on the couch with his aching head cradled in his head.

"Edward, what do you need?" She asked earnestly, softly touching his hand.

"Pain. So much pain!" Devilward uttered, rocking back and forth.

Bella jumped up from the couch and bolted out of the room in search of a pain reliever.

"Cease this!" Devilward hissed loudly, enraged that the child was able to affect him with such severity.

"I demand that you to leave here and never come back! You don't deserve to be in the same room as her!"

"You insolent bug! Dare you tell me what to-"

Realizing that he had only one recourse; Edward began screaming as loudly as he could.

"Fuck!" Devilward slid from the couch onto the floor as Bella came running back into the room.

"Oh my god! Here, take these." Through his haze of pain, Devilward recognized the blue pills lying in her palm as the same ones Ba'al had given him. While not perfect, they had managed to dull the pain. He swallowed the tablets and drank the water Bella offered.

Puzzled as to what had just overcome him, Bella sat down and began rubbing his back. Hoping to alleviate his pain.

Devilward stayed silent yet continued to rock as Edward kept up his screeching.

"Do I need to call your dad?" Bella asked, looking around for her phone. She'd left it in the kitchen. Reaching down she went to take Edward's out of his pocket.

Devilward pushed her hand away. Edward's squawking became louder as she got closer to him.

"Don't touch her!"

Bright bursts of light seemed to explode beneath Devilward's eyelids. White hot pain accompanied each explosion.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" Devilward yelled, hating that he was acquiescing to Edward's demand but was nearly powerless to ignore it.

Bella froze, pulling her hand back as if he'd burned her. He was in obvious pain but that didn't mean he could yell at her like that.

"What the hell is going on?" Bella demanded.

Devilward said nothing but continued to rock on the floor as Edward kept up his barrage.

Bella sat in absolute bewilderment as she watched Edward writhe in pain. This isn't normal, this isn't even close to being normal, she thought worriedly as she moved as close to him as she could without touching him. She hoped her presence would lend him some comfort.

Soon the drug started taking effect. While it didn't drown Edward out completely; he was definitely subdued and the pain began to lessen somewhat. He was able to stop rocking in pain. Devilward removed his hands and looked at Bella. The girl's face portrayed an array of emotions. She was obviously upset by seeing him in pain, yet he could also detect that she was angry at him too. Humans and their ever changing moods were such a weakness and so easily used to manipulate them.

As much as Devilward wanted to continue the seduction of his Swan, he reluctantly had to admit that the effects of the boy's tantrum were lingering and the only activity that he felt he could possibly handle was a nap. No wonder humans rarely accomplished anything of note, their bodies were highly inefficient.

"Edward, what was that?" Bella asked quietly.

"Nothing but an irritating ache." He answered with a wince as he felt another small jolt of pain. He would have to get to the bottom of how the boy was able to affect him like this. Through the pain, Edward was able to control his actions. He hated to admit it, but something had to have gone wrong with the incantation he'd been given. His fists clenched at the thought that he'd been double crossed by one of his minions.

Bella watched Edward's eyes darkened and his mouth twisted into an ugly hard line. "Um, right. No. That wasn't a run of the mill headache. You were acting as if your head was going to split open."

"Twas nothing." He retorted sternly.

"Whatever." Bella huffed, crossing her arms. She leaned back against the couch; her irritation clearly etched on her face.

Edward was also feeling the numbing effects of the painkiller. Knowing that the monster would be alone with his Bella, Edward fought the darkness that was threatening to pull him under.

"What do you want to do now?" Bella asked from her place on the floor.

Devilward could feel Edward's fight. He knew that if he continued with his planned seduction, Edward would continue his wailing. Truthfully, he wasn't sure he could withstand another tantrum.

"We should engage in an activity less taxing than before." Bella pursed her lips at his suggestion and nodded in understanding.

"Do you want to go through my book some more?" Devilward nodded thinking that a simple book would cause him little problem. Bella got up from the floor and walked out of the room. He closed his eyes and focused on what Edward was doing. He could feel the boy's unrest. Devilward found himself in a position he was unaccustomed to, he was at the mercy of the boy's temper. If Edward decided to begin screaming again, Devilward wasn't sure he would have the ability to withstand the boy's ultimatums to stay away from his Swan.

However, he couldn't allow Edward to think that he had the upper hand.

"Boy, you will mind your manners or your family will-"

"-Do. Not. Touch. Her!" Edward interrupted loudly.

Devilward swallowed his yelp of pain as Bella bounded into the room carrying a large book.

"So, I've been doing a little research on my own and I spoke to Charlie about what we have already found." She began, quickly opening up the book. "Look, I found where my mom had made notes; she also thought that there was some one or something working against the family." Bella excitedly explained, pointing towards a line of scribbling in the margin." Devilward, was still reeling from Edward's last shot and was barely paying attention to what she was saying.

"My mom thought that my grandmother was pregnant when she died and that the child was a boy. She didn't think their death was an accident but part of a plan to whittle the family down. For what, I don't know. But when you think about it, it kind of makes sense in a scary as hell kind of way." Bella chuckled, attempting to hide her own fear of what she was uncovering. "Especially when you take a look at dad's side of the family's history. I don't have a book for the Swan side but what I know follows the same pattern as mom's family. I just can't put it all together with concrete answers.

Bella's words drifted into Edward's consciousness at the same time that Devilward began to comprehend her words.

"What do you think it all means?" Bella asked, turning to look at the silent boy beside her.

"I think you need to stop this nonsense!" Devilward spat, pushing the repulsive book off her lap with such force that it skittered across the carpeted floor to lay several feet away from her.

Bella scrambled to pick up her book, clutching it tightly to her chest while shooting Devilward a scathing look. "What is wrong with you? Last week you encouraged me to investigate my history, urged me to figure out the dream."

Devilward absorbed her words for merely seconds before reacting. "You will cease delving into things you have no business with."

Both Bella and Edward were stunned by his mandate. Bella reacted with astonishment and anger, whereas Edward's was more of a loose understanding that somehow the Devil was connected to Bella's tragic family history.

"Get out!" Bella demanded, pointing to the door. "I don't want you here." Her last words were delivered through clenched teeth.

Devilward quickly stood up. He had no intention of changing her mind. Truthfully, he wasn't going to be able to further his goals at this time. Due to this recent development, he would need to remove this new obstacle to his goal.

Bella could never learn the truth.

Edward's mind, while still foggy from the pain medication, was churning furiously as he tried to connect the pieces. He hated to see the look of pain on Bella's face but was also proud of her for standing up to the monster. The fact that she was forcing him from her presence was a win. Edward longed to reach out to her. Somehow let her know he was there, fighting to keep her safe, but he was losing his battle against the fog.

Bella's anger pushed her to follow the infuriating boy to her front door. He'd caused her to lose her temper more in the last week than she'd ever remembered doing in her entire life. He'd also managed to hurt and confuse her in every interaction they'd had. Bella didn't know what was going on but she did understand that she needed to clear her mind of Edward.

Devilward strode purposefully towards the door, forcefully wrenching it open before striding out onto the front porch. He was angry with her persistence in looking into her history. Nothing good would come from it. He would need to address this development soon.

Bella followed Edward down the hall to the front door, intending to slam it on his face as she was sure he would turn and beg her forgiveness at the last minute. She was disappointed that he strode over to his car without turning back. Frustrated, she prepared to shut her door and once again attempt to deal with the emotions that Edward had forced upon her with his ever changing and provoking moods, when he turned to her and said, "Heed my words, Isabella, cease meddling into events you have no hope of understanding or changing."

Bella watched speechless as he got into his Volvo and roared off.

~~~TDP~~~

"Edward, is that you?" Devilward rolled his eyes at Esme Cullen's question. He'd managed to keep himself under control after leaving Bella. Edward had wisely kept to himself and caused no further problems. He would of course deal with the boy's interference as well as discover how it was even possible, but at the moment, he had bigger answers to find. And dealing with Esme Cullen would only slow him down.

Ignoring the woman's repeated call, he went into the kitchen to eat. He found that his appetite became increasingly harder to ignore after one of Edward's tantrums. Those aftershocks left him feeling ravenous and drained. Satan could feel the weariness throughout his body; his muscles and even his bones were tired. Yet another point in his argument for how much God had messed up with his creation.

Satan grabbed random items from the well-stocked refrigerator and moved to the large island. He'd just sat down and had begun eating the remnants of the Christmas dinner that Esme had prepared only to have it untouched by the family it was meant for, when Esme rounded the corner. She was dressed but not in the attire that most people would recognize as that of Esme Cullen. Her hair was brushed but not styled. Her legs were encased in old leggings, accompanied with an equally aged and frayed sweatshirt. She wore no makeup, deciding that there was no point in attempting to impress anyone when there was no one around to impress. The lines caused by sleepless nights and worry were not hidden by expensive concealers and powders, were easily detected under her eyes. Even her eyes lacked their usual brightness. The last forty-eight hours had taken quite a toll on the beauty and inner strength of Emse Anne Cullen.

Satan briefly lifted his eyes from his feast when she walked into the room. Esme sighed at the sight of her son devouring a roast chicken that she'd hoped would stand for another meal. Now she would have to put effort into making something new for dinner.

"Where have you been?" She asked, setting down a large glass of water in front of her son, worried he may choke on his meal. "Edward, please talk to me. Don't do this again."

Satan could feel Edward begin to waken at this mother's distressed plea. The thought of having to deal with more of the boy's shit, prompted him to give her an answer, hoping it would buy him a little time.

"I went to visit, Isabella."

"Bella, how is she? You didn't fight with her, did you?" Concern for the girl laced Esme's voice. She worried that her son's less than desirable attitude would prove difficult for that sweet girl to navigate.

"She's fine." He could feel Edward scratching at the wall that kept them separated.

"Fine? That doesn't sound very convincing." Satan grunted in response to her.

"Edward, we need to talk about happened to Tanya." Esme had expected to have this conversation sooner but her son's sudden change in attitude and the fact that he kept running off at every chance had gotten in the way.

"Why is everyone so worried about that woman?" First Bella and now Esme? Satan was perplexed at the constant infatuation over a dead woman.

"Edward, her death has to have had an impact on you."

Seriously? Satan thought to himself. He knew what had gone on between the boy and the woman. Their relationship meant nothing to him except for how it had presented him an opportunity to get close to his Swan. He was becoming tired of everyone demanding that he feel something. Satan did not feel.

However, perhaps he could use the situation to his advantage?

"If I were to express the distress you assume that I feel, would that explain and perhaps excuse my behavior?" Esme absorbed his statement with confusion. She could only nod in answer.

"Excellent. Then you may assume that Edwa-I've been adversely affected." He shoved a large chunk of chicken into his mouth and walked out of the kitchen leaving Esme staring wide-eyed at his back.

~~TDP~~

"Sire, may I assume that there is truth to what the girl has found?" Ba'al asked. He'd rushed over to the Cullen's after being summoned by Satan, who then briefly described his meeting with Bella, and his anger over discovering what she was doing.

"You may." Satan answered with a warning glance.

Ba'al pondered Satan's admittance. He knew that the Dark Lord had been manipulating events to his advantage, but he'd not considered just how far he'd gone. As arrogant as Ba'al had been in his previous life he wouldn't have ever thought to go as far as to eliminate generations of humans to further his plans. The thought made Ba'al's inhuman heart ache with the thought. Worse was that the Devil had been allowed to do it without consequence or interference from anyone.

The girl has stumbled upon information that could stop the Devil's plans. She only had to recognize it as fact and use it against him. Ba'al only had to find a way to make her aware of what she'd found, but he had to do it without alerting the being before him.

"I will speak to Astarte, we'll figure out-"

"There is a more insistent problem that must be dealt with first." Ba'al looked to his master, expectantly.

"I require you to return below and speak to Aro."

"Sire, what has he done?"

"I believe he has betrayed me."


More to come. I promise!

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~Ruinedbyrob