Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does. I do however own Alfie, and sadly Jack too.

A/N: Thank you this week to my awesome stand in beta 1MrsECullen for betaing this for me at short notice last night! You are awesome, thank you so much! My usual beta 4StringQueen is still awesome but has RL stuff at the moment so I'm giving her the week off lol. Love you chica! 3

Thank you to Weezy for allll her help with this chapter and basically every chapter. Seriously, if you like this story, thank her, because I would have given up on it months ago if she didn't keep stopping me! Her stories are amazing, go read. Pen-name Nostalgicmiss.

This chapter is dedicated to NewMoonaholic my new forum pal who is going to protect me from pitchforks and flaming logs when you've all read this chapter.


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Chapter 29

Hello, I love you
Won't you tell me your name?
Hello, I love you
Let me jump in your game

She holds her head so high
Like a statue in the sky
Her arms are wicked, and her legs are long
When she moves my brain screams out this song

Sidewalk crouches at her feet
Like a dog that begs for something sweet
Do you hope to make her see, you fool?
Do you hope to pluck this dusky jewel?

Hello, I love You - The Doors

Bella POV

I woke up feeling lighter, the cool arms that made me feel so safe were still wrapped tightly around me, and I knew he was just waiting for me to say something - anything. It was amazing how he was able to ease my worries in one conversation. His selflessness seemed to know no bounds when it came to me, and sometimes I felt as though I took advantage of that.

I rolled in his arms, the familiar smell of him surrounding me as my head lay against his chest. The silence there eased the panic that rolled through me involuntarily every morning regardless of who I was with.

"I'm sorry, did I wake you?" he asked his satin voice gentle in the otherwise silent room.

I shook my head and looked up at him as his fingers found the edges of my hair. He twirled the strands gently between his fingers as his charcoal eyes watched me with their endless patience.

"Why would you think that?" I asked my voice muted from sleep.

"Alice called; I thought I may have spoken too loud."

"Why? What happened?" I asked rolling to my knees as my body pushed into red alert before my mind caught up with it. Had Alice finally seen something? Was what we were waiting for about to happen?

His hand moved from my hair to cradle my cheek before I could even comprehend the movement, his thumb dusted under my eyes, cooling the skin there as he tried to calm me. "Don't be anxious, there's not any news. They just want to come and visit. They miss you already."

"When you say they?" I asked, the corners of my lips turning up slightly now that the danger had passed.

"Alice, Jasper, Rose and Emmett."

"When?"

"Sometime after breakfast."

Happiness filled me as I tried to think of the things we could do together while they were here. It had only been a couple of days since I had seen them last but it didn't stop me from longing to see their faces either. My mind went to Alfie and I was happy he could finally put faces to some of the stories I had told him.

For the first time in a long time, I felt like Bella Swan, the naive girl that had moved to Forks to live with her father. The clumsy, obtuse child that fell in love with a vampire and refused to let go. The newer history melted away for a while as my mind moved to the summer of my Junior year, before my birthday, before - everything.

Edward could see it too. The flat black around his pupil seemed to shift, coiling around the dark amber strands that seemed to show his happiness. I missed that, I missed noticing the little things that made me love him so much more.

"If I'd known it would cheer you up that much I would have told them to come sooner."

"It's not that," I grinned, leaning forward to press my lips against his. His cool skin felt refreshing against mine. "I feel like me, I feel alive. Do you remember that lake you took me to, up in the mountains? The summer bef . . . our junior year?"

I didn't miss the flash as I reminded him of my birthday, but I pushed on, hopeful he would reflect on the day I was referring to rather than the weeks after that. I focused on one particular memory. A day with just him and me as he allowed himself to just be Edward. He always did that for me, he always managed to filter out the bad and let in the light. Now I was awake I could see why, I could see where my joy was coming from.

"It was one of those rare sunny days, I was laying on the rock you'd towed me to in the middle of the lake and the sun was shining directly on me, and I said to you . . ."

"I remember," he smiled, his lips brushing over the apple of my cheeks.

"That's how I feel today, and it's because of you."

"Someone's coming," he breathed, before disappearing, leaving a trail of goose flesh on my arm as his fingers trailed up it in his haste to hide.

"Morning, Isabella," the nurse smiled gently, her eyes lighting up a little more as she took in my appearance. "You're looking bright this morning?"

"Good dreams," I smiled, knowing how Edward would interpret the statement.

"Alfie's looking for you, he's hungry. I caught him on his way down here."

"Would you tell him I'll be right there?"

"I will," she laughed, backing out of the room. "Shouldn't be hard to find him, he's standing at the end of the hall."

Edward reappeared the moment she pulled the door closed behind her, his eyes alight and dancing as he stepped toward me. "Leaving me so soon?"

I wound my arms around his waist and pushed myself into him, squeezing him with everything I had. I was hungry, my stomach seemed to yawn and stretch as I thought about it. "If I don't my stomach may take off without me."

His frame seemed to tense and relax around me as the inflection of my words sunk in.

"You should eat," he said quietly, the smile evident in his voice. "I'll go and meet the others; it'll give you a chance to get ready after your breakfast."

Edward left shortly after and I threw on some jeans and a t-shirt to meet Alfie now that I knew he was waiting. I could shower after breakfast rather than making him wait any longer.

He noticed my mood immediately, his smile mirroring mine as I looped my arm through his and guided him to where the smell of food was making my stomach growl impatiently. He didn't say a word for a while; he just basked in the good mood that seemed to emanate from me.

"Ok, spill, you're glowing."

"I just woke up feeling good this morning."

"It's more than that." His eyes searched my face, looking for something to indicate what had put the beaming smile on my face.

"Can I help it if I'm engaged to the best man on the planet?" I teased. "That will tend to put a smile on your face, my friend." I finished, tapping his cheek patronizingly and winking at him. He glowered at me, his face a mask of fake disgust.

"Yeah, you women steal all the good ones, it's so unfair," he whined back at me, the wicked grin on his face lighting up his eyes and belying the tone of his voice.

I wanted to ask him how he was feeling, I wanted to hug the hell out of him after his breakdown the previous day, but we were at the table by now and the no issues at the table rule was still very much in effect so instead I introduced a more pleasant topic.

"Alfie, Edward's brothers and sisters are coming to visit today, I know they'd love to meet you... if you want to" I trailed off, uncertainly. Alfie's face had taken on an almost maniacal expression and he was bouncing slightly in his seat.

"I'd love to meet them, B. Of course I would. Now then," his face contorted into a mischievous smirk, "these brothers of his..."

"Straight and taken." I finished for him, smiling, knowing that I would have to explain the whole family situation to him so he didn't get freaked out by what would otherwise look disturbingly like incest to him when the family arrived.

I explained the usual cover story about Dr. and Mrs. Cullen fostering all the kids separately while we finished breakfast and he just nodded along, completely unfazed by the story. When we were finished eating he rushed off to get a shower and change and I did the same.

On the way to meet Alfie in our usual spot under the fir tree on the grounds I grabbed the guitar that Carlisle and Esme had given to me for Christmas wanting to show Alfie and hoping for a quick lesson before the others arrived.

The lesson we managed to fit in was a short one since Alfie spent so long drooling over the guitar, turning it over and over in his careful hands, admiring the quality of the wood, the finish and the tone of the strings.

"May I?" he questioned, as his fingers hovered over the strings hungrily. I nodded enthusiastically then lay back on the soft grass as his fingers started to expertly coax beautiful music out of the apparently "perfect" instrument that so far I hadn't managed to get more than a few simple chords out of.

I lay there in the grass, the soft breeze caressing my cheeks as the music floated around me, the peace, which had filled me since my conversation with Edward remained as every muscle in my body relaxed into the soft earth beneath me. I didn't recognisze the music he was playing, I suspected he was simply improvising but the notes fell over one another in perfect sequence like poetry, each one revealing another part of Alfie's thoughts to the breeze. His love for the music echoed from every string he plucked as his slender fingers told what his words could not. His soul, his beautiful soul shone from every note, his heartbreak at the loss of his friend and his sense of failure for how she was lost, his capacity for love and friendship and his sweet and caring nature were all there in the melody, which flowed from the instrument. I just lay and listened, enjoying the opportunity to get to know my friend a little better through his music where he appeared to find his emotions impossible to hide.

I let out a piercing scream as the earth disappeared from underneath me and a pair of solid arms closed around my torso and I was thrown over a broad set of shoulders. I kicked and flailed about uselessly, my eyes darting around desperately until they landed on Edward's irate face and my ears tuned into Emmett's bellowing laugh.

"Jesus, Emmett, put her the hell down, can't you tell you're scaring the life out of her?" Rosalie's voice was stern and I heard the familiar sound of her smacking him around the head as the strong arms that held me began to lower me to the ground.

I took in a deep stuttering breath as my body adapted to the idea of not being in life threatening danger as it had instantly assumed. Despite being happier than I had ever been, I was constantly on edge, waiting for the bubble to burst and for all the perfection to come crashing down around me. I was convinced that it would do that eventually, I knew Jack well enough for that by now. But for now there was no danger, only my family and they were all looking at me with concern when there was really no need.

"I'm sorry, baby sister, I didn't think." Emmett's face was devastated and I hated that I made it that way. I folded my arms around him and rested my cheek against his huge chest.

"Don't be silly, Emmett. I'm happy to see you." I spoke into his chest; my big brother's arms making me feel almost as safe as Edward's did.

I heard Rosalie mutter "doofus" under her breath, good naturedly before punching him in the arm. He kissed the top of my head lightly before releasing me from his arms.

I turned to where Alfie was still sitting, the guitar now silent in his arms and his face turned up towards us, watching the gentle banter with a smile playing at his lips.

"Everybody, this is Alfie." I gestured towards him and introduced him to each member of the family individually. I noticed that Jasper kept his distance at first, Alfie's scent was new to him and I watched with interest, as he appeared to work to find his control. Alice's hand remained in his, her thumb subtly soothing his as he relaxed more and more by the minute. In no time at all he and Alfie were bonding over their Texan roots and taking turns to entertain us on the guitar. I never knew that Jasper could play, but apparently, like all the other Cullen's he was stupidly good at everything he turned his hand to and music was no exception.

Alice squealed loudly when he started playing a lively tune I recognized and Alfie beamed in recognition as Jasper's voice rung out singing Hello, I Love You by The Doors.

"It's our song," she mouthed to me, then their eyes met and he didn't release her from his loving gaze until the song had finished. I felt Edward's arms weave around me from behind and he pulled me gently against his chest swaying lightly in time to the music, his cool breath on my neck sent shivers down my spine. He chuckled to himself at my body's involuntary response to his touch and pushing my hair aside, he planted soft kisses on my neck. The feel of his cool lips against my skin made my heart hammer in my chest and my breathing become erratic as my skin broke out in goose flesh.

"Yo, Edward, put her down. No PDAs allowed this is family time!" Emmett grabbed Edward in a headlock and pulled him away, rubbing the top of his head, not using half the gusto he would normally since he had a human audience.

I watched with an affectionate smile as they wrestled each other to the ground rolling over and over, as they each refused to back down. And he called me stubborn! I felt an arm link through mine and Alfie's face, lit up with a huge grin.

"So, Edward's family seems nice," he commented, his eyes focused on the happy scene in front of him.

"Yeah, they're the best," I replied, my love for my new family slightly overwhelming.

"You gonna play them the spider song?" He joked, nudging me in the side playfully.

"What spider song?" Emmett asked from across the lawn, looking up from where he was pummeling Edward. Alfie started at the distance that Emmett had heard him from and everybody stiffened. Alfie couldn't have missed the tension that suddenly filled the air; you could have cut it with a knife as half the Cullens glared at Emmett and the other half watched Alfie carefully. After a moment however, he seemed to recover himself, shaking off whatever had gone through his mind at the mistake Emmett had made.

"There is no song, go back to beating my fiancée up, by all means," I attempted, internally chuckling at the thought of playing the one and only song I had mastered so far on the guitar to my apparently super talented in-laws-to-be.

"Nice try, baby sister," Emmett teased, coming over and ruffling my hair light-heartedly then dragging me towards the guitar. I attempted to resist him, but failed miserably, my strength no match for a human male let alone an enormous vampire like Emmett. "Whatever the hell the "spider song" is," he started, making the quotation marks in the air, "you're playing it. No arguments."

He pushed the guitar into my hands forcefully, a goofy grin plastered over his face and a glint in his eye that told me I wasn't getting out of this.

"Starts on a D chord, B," Alfie heckled, the laugh he was fighting to suppress bubbling over in his throat and bursting out of his mouth in a wave of mirth.

"Yes, thank you, Alfie. That's very helpful," I chided, rolling my eyes at his fake bullying. "Well, Emmett, you asked for it. But I'm warning you, once you've heard The Spider Song you'll never look back. Never again will you be able to listen to that classic rock you love so much. Led Zeppelin in all their glory will pale in comparison to the wonder that is The Spider Song. Don't say I didn't warn you." Emmett nodded solemnly in response, his eyes bright with fun as he pulled Rosalie into his lap to listen. The others all gathered around as well as I found the right spaces for my fingers on the right strings and started to play the silly children's song that Alfie had taught me.

"I can see a nasty spider, creeping up on me,

He says he's going to gobble me up and eat me for his tea.

He says he will but he won't.

He says he will but he won't I knoooooow.

'Cos my daddy says so!"

They all laughed and clapped at the end, as I looked at Emmett mustering my best "I told you so" expression as he clapped whole-heartedly.

"Well played, B. Well played." Alfie smiled at me and patted me on the back patronizingly. I took a swipe at him but he dodged it easily and laughed as I fell backwards, my co-ordination no better sitting than it was standing. I remained where I was, lay back on the grass again, sighing contentedly as I watched Alfie drift back towards Jasper who he seemed to have really hit it off with and take the guitar with him.

My favorite face in the world suddenly loomed above me and I took in his peaceful and loving expression. My eyes met his and I frowned noticing how dark they had grown.

"Edward, you need to hunt," I whispered, though Alfie was several feet away and playing the guitar again with Jasper while Alice watched on smiling.

"Taking him tonight, baby sister," Emmett smiled from behind Rosalie who was still perched on his lap comfortably.

"But..." Edward started.

"No buts, Edward," I interrupted. "I've told you before, I won't have you lecturing me about my dietary habits and then neglecting your own. You're going. End of." I crossed my arms over my chest in a gesture of finality.

"What about Jack? Victoria?" He questioned his voice full of concern.

"I don't need a babysitter twenty-four hours a day, Edward. Alice can watch out, she'll see if anybody is coming. I'll be fine. Go. I'll hang with Alfie; we still have the last Lord of the Rings film to watch."

He looked for just a moment like he was going to argue with me, but seeing the stern look on my face he relented and agreed to go.

The rest of the morning was spent happily lazing around outside, Alfie and Jasper continued to entertain us all with songs on the guitar. Emmett whined a little about the fact that he couldn't join in because drums just aren't portable. Rosalie told him to stop being a brat and he shut up and sulked for maybe a full minute before he got his signature grin back and begged me to teach him to play The Spider Song on the guitar.

When the nurse came out to call Alfie and me inside for lunch they took off. Alice and Jasper went back home and Emmett and Rosalie took Edward with them to go hunting.

"I'll be back before you know it," his fingers tangled in my loose hair as he planted soft kisses on my forehead. My fingers were fisted tightly into his t-shirt reluctant to let go. It was ironic that I was the one who had nagged him to go hunting, practically blackmailed him into leaving me, but now that the time had come to actually put it into practice my heart was tugging painfully at the thought of being apart from him for even the shortest length of time. "Alice will be watching you, she would stay but I know you have a session with Doctor Moore this afternoon and you should spend some time with Alfie, he's good for you, you light up when he's around."

"I light up when you're around," I countered, smiling into his chest as he pulled me into his arms tightly.

"I'll be back soon, and I won't be far, I promise," his finger looped under my chin and brought my face up to his and pressed his smooth lips against mine, the sensation sending sparks flying through my entire body and buckling my knees beneath me. His strong arm snaked around my waist, holding me up despite what gravity and my legs had to say on the matter.

"My God man, you're gonna see her again in a few hours, it's just a freaking lunch break, put her down!" Emmett's booming voice held a smile, but he was right. We were saying goodbye as though we were never going to see each other again and it was ridiculous. He planted one more soft kiss on the end of my nose before turning and walking away from me as I made my way to the dining room to have lunch with Alfie.


"I think I liked the first one best," I stated after careful consideration.

"No way, B. The first one is great and all, but the battles in the second and third are epic and the guy who plays Faramir is hot," he countered, as we dissected The Lord of the Rings having finally watched the final film of the trilogy.

"It's all about the story with you isn't it, Alfie?" I joked, lunging across the bed we were sitting on to punch him in the shoulder, but missing entirely and falling off the bed, landing on the floor with a bump.

Alfie's body shook with laughter as I clambered back onto the bed, finally successfully punching him in the original intended destination for his amusement at my lack of co-ordination.

"Yeah you laugh now, Draycott, but just you wait till I fall over when I'm carrying that guitar you love so much." I giggled, pointing at the instrument in his hands, which he was unknowingly caressing affectionately.

His eyes widened in mock horror and he turned his body away from me creating a shield between me and his pride and joy.

"Touch my baby, feel my wrath, Swan," he winked at me, the smile on his face wider than I had ever seen it.

I held up both hands beside my face in a gesture of surrender and he laughed and turned back to face me.

"So, Edward's family liked the spider song," we both burst into fits of giggles once more, remembering my epic performance to the others.

Our giggles stopped only when three solid knocks burst out on my bedroom door. I looked up at the clock on the wall in surprise, the time couldn't possibly have flown by so fast that it was dinnertime already, and neither of us were expecting visitors or had appointments with Doctor Moore.

"Come in," I called out, trying to suppress the giggles, which kept bubbling up in my chest.

The handle twisted downwards slowly, too slowly. An involuntary shiver ran down my spine as a cold sense of dread caught my heart in its grip.

'Calm the hell down, Bella,' I thought to myself. 'It's just one of the nurses coming to check on us or something.'

It wasn't a nurse.

Of course it wasn't.

When first the fingers and then the face appeared around the doorway I knew that it was over.

The eyes, once the color of hazelnuts, now blood red, fixed on mine, a maniacal, wide-eyed sneer freezing the blood in my veins and almost stopping my heart.

"Hello, Isabella." His cold, hard voice - barely changed in immortality - filled the room, echoing off the bare white walls. Alfie had jumped off the bed and was facing him, his face was a blanket of recognition as he took in the form of the man who killed his best friend and was now here to kill me.

My body reacted to him the way that it always did. My heart pounded in my chest as though it were trying to break free of its imprisonment, my vision blurred as I went too long without blinking. Blinking was dangerous. Blink and he could be on you. That had always been the case, but now more than ever, I knew how fast he could move. I clenched my hands into fists at my side in a futile attempt to control the violent trembling that had seized my body.

"Alife, run," I choked out, hoping against hope that Jack would let my friend go without hurting him.

Jack's crimson eyes turned on Alfie where he remained, unmoving, a murderous look on his face as he took in the killer who stood in the small room with us.

"Little Alfie Draycott," he crooned, mockingly, advancing one step in his direction. I silently screamed at Alfie to move away from him, to get as far away from him as possible, but he held his ground. He knew what Jack was capable of, and yet in that moment he had no idea just how dangerous he was.

Jack's hand was on Alfie's shoulder pressing down hard enough to buckle his knees.

"You fucking bastard!" Alfie's cry rang out around the room as he aimed a punch at Jack's stone hard face. He dodged the ill-fated blow easily, instead grabbing hold of Alfie's hand and squeezing it painfully in his until Alfie cried out in pain.

"Now then, Isabella. You need to tell your friend here the rules. Are we allowed to try to punch Uncle Jack?" I could do nothing but stare in horror at Alfie's proximity to the monster that could kill him with a simple flick of his wrist.

"Well come on," he demanded, his voice like a thousand nails down a chalkboard in my ears. "Alfie doesn't know the rules as well as you do, he needs your help to know what is and isn't allowed."

My mind was whirling with all the memories of each and every time that he had hurt me. They played in my head like a montage, my body protesting his proximity with everything it had. I struggled to my feet, knowing that it was pointless, but thinking almost wishfully that maybe I could somehow get between Alfie and Jack and protect my friend. After all, it was me that he came for.

"Stay where you fucking are, Isabella. I don't remember telling you to get up," he spat at me, demonstrating his point by squeezing Alfie's hand a little tighter. Alfie's anguished cry brought tears to my eyes, as the sound of his bones breaking was all too clear. "Now then," he spoke, calmly and deceptively sweetly. "I believe you are supposed to be telling Little Lord Fauntleroy here the rules about fighting back."

"Y-you don't," I whispered, remembering the one and only time I had tried to get away when he was hurting me, and cringing at the thought of the "punishment" for fighting back.

"And what's it like if you do?" he coaxed, the mock gentleness in his tone belying the repulsive violence that simmered under the surface.

"It-it hurts more," I stammered out, looking down at my feet, unable to bear the look of agony on Alfie's face any more.

"Very good, Isabella, I taught you well."

He turned his back to me once again; his attention focused on Alfie as he released his hand and pushed his shoulder down forcefully, bringing him crashing to his knees.

"PLEASE!" I cried out, rushing forwards, not above begging when it came to my friend's life.

"Bella, no!" Alfie's good hand shot out towards me, stopping me in my tracks. "Get out of here. GO!"

"Oh Isabella's not going anywhere. Not yet anyway," he winked conspiratorially at me, as though we were both privy to some private joke, and then turned back to Alfie at his feet. "You, on the other hand. You're not going anywhere. Ever again."

"NO!" I screamed out as I saw his mouth clamp down on Alfie's carotid artery, his venomous teeth sinking into his precious blood supply and draining him of his life. "No!" I sobbed once more as I fell to my knees in grief, unable to turn away as I watched Jack thrust Alfie's lifeless body against the wall as though he were no more than an unwanted item of rubbish, and not the amazing human being that he was. Had been.

I counted the steps as he advanced on me. One. Two. Three. Four. My eyes trained on Alfie's form slumped against the wall. I watched him carefully; praying to any God that may have been listening for some sign of life, anything at all to suggest that maybe he wasn't dead, just changed. Changed I could live with, I would take Alfie as a vampire over dead any day. Then Jack's rough hand was gripping my chin and pulling it up fiercely.

"Get up," he barked, his breath in my face no longer the familiar alcohol smell I was used to. "NOW!" he shouted when I didn't respond. I jumped to my feet quickly, knowing the price I would pay for not immediately doing as he asked.

I started to back away from him; the cruel grin that twisted his face told me everything I needed to know about how much he was enjoying my grief and my fear.

"Alone at last," he sneered, matching each of my steps backwards with a larger one of his own until I was trapped against the wall with nowhere to run, if running had even been possible. My eyes closed subconsciously as I saw his hands reach out towards me and gasped as they landed one on each hip, not painfully, but sickeningly.

"Aah little Isabella, I missed you." I felt his stone cold hands working their way from my hips up my body, his fingers caressing the contours of my body, pressing hard enough to leave bruises. My entire body was shaking, the fear causing my legs to freeze and lock in place. His eyes were a piercing blood red, but they were still the same eyes that haunted me. They glared at me now, filled with malicious intent as I cowered against the wall, trapped in place by both physical and mental barriers. Where the hell was Alice? Surely, she must have seen him here with me, why hadn't she come?

"You know, Isabella, I didn't like it in prison. It kinda sucked, and that was all your fault wasn't it?" I stared wide-eyed at him, waiting for something, anything to erupt within him and pull away the façade of a gentle reunion he was presenting. I gasped out in pain as the volcano spilt over shattering the eerie silence that had fallen over the room after Alife's body had slumped to the floor. His long, thick fingers had contracted tightly around my upper arms, the searing pain that shot up and down the limbs suggesting that he may have broken the bones there.

"WASN'T IT?" he spat at me, his face only inches from mine and his grip on my arms not loosening in the slightest.

"Y-yes sir." I hastily replied, hoping for some respite from the pain he was inflicting on me, but coming up disappointed when his grip instead increased and he shook me viciously, my head banging slightly against the wall behind me and making my eyes swim dizzily.

"And you thought you'd what? Sail off into the sunset with lover boy and leave me rotting in that fucking hellhole? Like he would want you anyway. You're mine and you always will be he could never want somebody like you. He's one of those pure types; you can tell that by looking at him, he's got a rod thrust so far up his arse that you can practically see it in his mouth when he talks. Why would he want to be associated with a dirty little whore like you?"

All the physical pain in the world paled in the shadow of the words he was speaking. All those times in the past he had beaten me, hurt me so badly that sometimes I couldn't walk straight the following day, but nothing had ever hurt me as badly as the truth behind what he was saying to me.

"Well?" He shook me once again, pulling me from my despairing thoughts and slamming my entire body up against the hard wall, knocking the wind out of me. The extra strength he had gained in his transformation was not lost on my aching body as he used as much of it as he could without killing me. No, evidently he wanted me alive, at least for now. Maybe Victoria wanted to do that particular job herself.

My whirling brain searched for an answer to his question but could come up with nothing, not even able to truly remember what the question was, but knowing that if I wanted to survive the next six seconds without major bodily damage an answer was required.

"Answer the fucking question, Isabella." he said, quietly yet menacingly and through gritted teeth. "Why would he want you?"

"He... he wouldn't." I stammered out, feeling my heart about to burst out of my chest it was pumping so hard.

"He wouldn't, what?" he demanded, punctuating each word with a shake of my aching body.

"Sir," I whispered in response, the required word no longer habit to me.

"Damn fucking straight," he sneered at me, the red where the hazel used to be lit up in enjoyment of the pain he was inflicting.

He released my left arm, his hand straying instead to my hair, brushing his fingers through it in mock affection.

"You were always my favorite you know, you were much harder to break than the others, but once you did..." He left the sentence hanging in the air, the sinister overtones dripping from every syllable as he continued to leer at me with his crimson eyes. His breath was cool on my cheeks, his face only centimeters from mine now.

I flinched back as he started to run his hand down my cheek, his fingers pressing just hard enough to cause pain, his expression daring me to make a sound. I choked back the yelp that threatened to escape me when his hand cupped around my neck and pressed down painfully on my collarbone.

"Well, well, well Isabella we have put weight on haven't we?" His words cut through me like a knife, he seemed to know more than ever which buttons to press, and he was pressing them relentlessly and enjoying every minute of it.

"I didn't hear an answer again, Isabella. It hasn't been that long; surely you haven't forgotten all your manners already."

I tried to force out the words that he wanted to hear through the fear that was choking me and clouding my vision, but they caught in my throat coming out as something between a whimper and a scream.

"Now now, you don't want to be doing that. Wouldn't want any more of your little friends getting hurt now would you?" His lips were by my ear as he spoke, his breath sending shivers of fear and disgust down my spine as I caught sight of Alfie's body slumped against the door where he had died trying to protect me from my monster.

My friend. My only human friend in the world, killed because of danger I had brought to him.

"Now then, I have a friend who is a little bit peeved at you, and frankly the woman is mental. You think you're afraid now; you wait until you see what she has planned for you. You will be begging for me back by the time she's done with you."

An image of flaming red hair surrounding a deathly pale face with crimson eyes leering at me maliciously flashed through my mind, bringing me to my knees in terror. I felt his hand pulling my hair back from my face and yanking it back painfully so that I was forced to look at him again.

"Yeah, you should be scared. Really fucking scared."

My head felt like it was splitting in two as he pulled me to my feet once more by my hair, the malevolent grin never leaving his lips as he enjoyed the yelp of pain that I couldn't suppress.

"Now are you going to come quietly or do I need to stuff up that pretty mouth with something to keep you silent?" I couldn't speak; the abject terror that had seized my entire body had paralyzed my vocal chords and rendered me able only to stand in front of him with one of his huge hands around both of my wrists and pinning them above my head.

"Answer the fucking question, Isabella," he almost shouted, small droplets of spittle probably comprised of venom, leaving his mouth with the force behind his words and landing on his chin. I tried to force an answer out of my mouth but all that came out was a strangled cry. "Jesus, that psycho bitch can come collect her own projects in future, you're way too much like hard work these days. I'm bored now." His hand released my wrists, allowing them to drop like lead weights down to my sides sending arrows of agony shooting through my upper arms where he had already done damage with his grip earlier.

Both his hands closed around my neck, pressing down tightly on my windpipe completely cutting off my air supply. I tried to fight against his hands but my pathetic strength was no match for his. After only a few moments my head began to swim with black spots dancing in my vision, the perfect tempting darkness that I had fallen into so many times in the past when he had been hurting me called out to me, beckoning me with it's comforting embrace as I allowed myself to fall. This was the end. He would kill me here. I would never see Edward again.


I'm gonna go hide now... Sorry! :-S

Recommendation for the chapter, if you all still love me: The Mocking Moon by NewMoonaholic. It's a fairly new story so easy to catch up on and I love it. Plus she's a sweetheart! Go, read!

Thank you for reading!