AN: When did I get over 300 reviews? That's crazy. Thank you; I really don't deserve it since I'm such crap at updating. Thanks for putting up with me. Despite my being crap I did get nominated for an award over at silent-tear-awards, it's a "dot yolasite dot com". I would be super grateful if you guys went and voted for me, only if you feel I deserve it.

"Questions are never indiscreet, answers sometimes are."

Oscar Wilde

Cupid's Chokehold; Chapter 28. Bella.

My breath stopped in my throat.

"Edward."

"Bella, I'll like to speak to you."

Silence.

"I can't come on to the Reservation. I know I'm breaking my promise. I am very sorry for that, but considering the circumstances I would very much like to talk to you. Would you be willing to meet me? Perhaps at the diner in Forks—in public—I will buy you lunch."

I couldn't think. My breathing was shallow, my heart was working over time, my hands were sweating and having a hard time gripping the phone

"Edward." My voice was barely above a whisper, but I knew he heard it. He mumbled under his breath and my weak human ears couldn't make out the words. My knees were quaking underneath me. I gripped the cold counter while my free hand but my palms couldn't grip it and I slipped to the floor. I laid the phone on the worn grey carpet and looked at the fibers. This couldn't be happening. I could Edward calling my name on the phone.

Jacob would not be happy. He would be angry and hurt, but sometimes it was easier to ask for forgiveness than permission. This was definitely one of those times. I had questions that only Edward could answer. I wanted to know he had come back; had Alice seen the fire? Why didn't he get there sooner? Why had he come back at all? What were his intentions now? And I could I get him to end this thing with Victoria? I felt far more comfortable letting Edward fight her than Jacob. I knew a vampire could a vampire down but I wasn't certain about a werewolf taking a vampire down. I couldn't be positive that Jacob wasn't all confidence and no skill.

I picked up the phone and held it to my ear. "Okay," it came out in a huff, "but at the school. On the football field, on the home side stadium."

"Okay," he seemed very grateful.

&

When I parked the car in the empty school parking lot I saw Edward sitting on the first bench of the stadium, dead center. He was just as beautiful as I remember. He sat hunched over. His arms were resting on his legs and his hands were on his face. And while I was too far away to see it clearly, I knew that he was probably pinching his nose. He was wearing jeans and a charcoal wool jacket. His bronze hair was wild, but glistening from the damp outside. I wondered how long he had been out there waiting for me.

He had to have known I was here, in the parking lot. Maybe he could even sense that I was looking at him. I wanted to know why he wasn't making any indication that he knew those things though. I wanted to know a lot of things. What was going to happen now that Edward was back? Did he want me back? Was he going to try and take me away? Did he change his mind? Was he here to stop Victoria? Did he even care about that? Did he even care about me? Did he just save me because it was the right thing to do?

I'd send myself in to a panic if I sat here anymore and thought about this, out of the frying pan and in to the fire. The spring cold hit me hard as I got out of the truck. When truck door slammed shut Edward looked up from his hunched over position and looked up at me. He had to have known I was there, right? I could hardly ever surprise Edward, and even when I did he rarely showed it.

I walked towards Edward; my shoes were slipping against the wet grass. I moved slow and steady as to not trip and eat grass in front of Edward. I grabbed the railing when I came to it and went to sit down next to Edward. He was stiff and immobile, like when I first sat down next to him in Biology last year.

I sighed, my breath coming out a little heavy and uneven. "Hey," was all said, all I could say. What could I say? I shifted around, scooting away from him. The ridges of the metal stand felt weird underneath me. Quickly, I said, "You said you wanted to talk."

Almost immediately, he responded, "When did you start seeing Jacob Black?" His voice was unemotional, like he was trying to cover up his rage.

"I don't know. He never formally asked me out. I'm starting to think I'm a little unorthodox when it comes to relationships," I attempted to lighten the situation. I didn't want to sit here for the undetermined amount of time with Edward sitting their stiff as a statue and speaking so monotonously, it would be draining on me emotionally.

"Unconventional and dangerous, do you have to work at that?" his mouth was up in that gorgeous half grin that used to make me melt in to a puddle of putty he could do whatever he wanted with. Now I just admired it for complimenting his unnaturally beautiful face.

"It just kind of comes naturally."

We sat in silence for a few moments. I just wanted to talk naturally. I didn't want to badger him with questions; I didn't want this to be interrogation.

"He's dangerous, you know," he said quietly. My mood dropped a little, I didn't want to take this.

"So were you. You having a relationship with me was more reckless than if you had a relationship with any other human. I know about danger," I held up my scarred wrist to remind him of the danger I had faced in the past.

"I left though, I wanted to keep you safe."

"It's different with me and Jake, I know that sounds cliché, but it's not as easy to just leave him for my own safety."

"It's that imprint thing," he half asked and half said.

"You know about it?" I was surprised. I wasn't even aware he knew about the Quiluetes being werewolves until now.

"I've heard about. I researched the legends the first time we were in this area, when we made the deal to stay off their land. I had thought that the imprinting was a myth, it seemed to supernatural."

"You're kidding, right? After everything, I wouldn't be surprised if you told me the Loch Ness Monster was real."

"At that time I was very jaded about love. I didn't really believe in it. My opinion has changed since then," he said in the way that I knew meant he wasn't telling me the whole thing. I was being a little silly thinking I could go to Edward for answers. If he ever had to take the SATs he would have a hard time with the written; he had a knack for answering questions as swiftly as possible.

"So, you get it right?"

"Get what?"

"That I love Jacob. I can't leave, I don't think I'll ever be able to."

"I get that," he said, awkwardly using the informal language, "It's hard to accept. I still care for you," he meant something else entirely but didn't want to say, "I don't want to see you get hurt. Jacob can hurt you but taking you away from him would also hurt you. I suppose I have to trust him."

"I do. Jacob would never hurt me, it's part of the imprint thing. It would hurt him too much. I'm not saying I don't tip toe around him and try not to get him upset. He's easily angered… I think anger triggers him to phase."

"Will he be very angry that you came and saw me?"

"What do you think, Edward? How would you feel if this situation was reversed?" I looked at him, trying not to think about what Jacob would have to say when I came back and told him where I had been. Perhaps if I arrived back at the house before he did I would never have to tell him.

"I would go to the ends of the earth to keep you away from him."

"I don't doubt Jake is the same way, he was meeting with some of the guys from the pack when you called. I guess I'm conveniently leaving him out of the loop."

He let out a frustrated noise, "I hope I am not causing you any trouble."

"I'll be fine. I can take care of myself."

He laughed and shook his head, "You've always been so sure of yourself."

I shrugged. There was silence again.

"Why'd you come back?"

"I couldn't take it. I needed to see you again. I was not as… lucky as you. When Alice called me and told me what she had seen, I rushed here."

"What'd she see?"

"A fire and then you're future disappeared," he smiled despite this, "Alice cannot see the wolves. When I pulled Jake out and he came too I was quite surprised at his thoughts and your… actions," he swallowed as if trying to hold back bile.

"Sorry, I wasn't trying to make you jealous," I wrapped my arms around myself, "I wasn't thinking very clearly," or was I thinking very clearly for the first time in the long while. It was hard to tell which.

"Alice also caught glimpses of Victoria. I caught up with her a few months ago. What she said—I thought she was just trying to scare me."

"I know. She told me."

"You've talked to her?" he was alert now.

"Yeah," I said hesitantly. I was fearful of what he would do when he found out Victoria was playing therapist at the high school here. "She's kind of working here."

"What?" His eyes darkened, he was furious.

"At the school, as a counselor," I said quietly. "Didn't Alice see that?"

"She hasn't been looking. I guess you've never been in any real danger until the other night. What has Victoria told you?"

"That she's going to make my life as miserable as possible before she kills me. She says that her gift is knowing what people want, that she was a people pleaser in her human life. She knows that you want me happy and safe, she's trying to stop that."

He was looking away, but I knew his eyes were dark and stormy and his face was stony.

"She'll be staying around the area then, if she has to come in to Forks every morning." He was far away now. "I'll take care of it."

And that's all he said about it. After a little more quiet he calmed down and asked me about school, college, Charlie and Renee. I answered the questions as efficiently as I could. School was going well even though I was missing so much of it. College was on of the farthest things from my mind. I hadn't even taken the SATs. I'd have to go to community college now if I planned to go to a four-year. College had always been a goal of mine; I was just making a little detour right now. Charlie was doing fine considering the circumstances and Renee…

"I actually haven't talked to her in ages. I don't know how that happened. She's busy traveling with Phil, I guess. I should probably talk to her soon; a lot's been going on. What about with your family?"

"Well, I've been wondering around a lot. Traveling, I guess. I'll be joining the family again after I leave Forks. We're in Alaska right now. Carlisle is volunteering at a non-profit clinic; Esmee is working with a charity that helps builds houses for poverty stricken families. She has coerced Jasper and Emmett to help as well. Rosalie is working at the clinic with Carlisle and Alice is working Dress for Success."

"Wow, that's very… charitable," for some reason I had expected them to set up the same situation they had in Forks.

"Bella, high school does get boring after awhile. We change it up every once in awhile and sometimes working with a charity is more rewarding than just giving money to it," sometimes I wasn't so sure he couldn't read my mind.

"I should be getting home," I said after checking my cell phone's clock.

"I'll walk you back to your truck." He held out his arm to me, like he was still human and it was still the early 20th century. Graciously, I took it. I held on tightly when we walked across the still wet grass.

"Are you going to be okay to drive home?"

I nodded. "I'll be fine, Edward." He looked at me. It was that weird face where he was trying to figure out what I was thinking, like if he just concentrated hard enough he could break through the barrier that my mind had created for itself. I restated my sentence, "I am fine." And I was.

He opened the truck door for me and for what would probably be the last time I grabbed his hand and allowed him to help me in.

"I'll do my very best to make sure that this is the last time you see me," he looked down at the asphalt for a moment before looking up at me, a smart half grin on his face, "You just have to work with me on this one and try not to get in to anymore trouble."

I couldn't help but let out a little laugh, "I haven't changed that much, Edward. Besides, I wouldn't mind seeing you guys every once in awhile. It'd be very nice to see Alice again."

"Alice would like that, it took a lot of convincing to get her to stay at our new house. She wasn't very happy with that."

"I could imagine. I hope she doesn't give you a hard time when you get back."

"I suspect she will."

I smiled, "Bye Edward."

"Good-bye Bella. I will make sure that Victoria no longer bothers you," he shut my door and walked backwards towards the fence, which he leaned against. I looked at him, feeling a little terrible for putting this situation on his shoulders. I really did feel like I should be able to take care of it by myself.

With a small smile and a little wave I backed the truck up and made my way back to Jake.

&

After perusing the fridge for something to make for dinner I picked up the phone to call Renee. I wanted to put off the lecture I was going to receive for ignoring her for so long. Of course, the last time I checked the phone line ran both ways. Before I hit TALK the phone rang.

"Black residence," I answered a little distractedly. I noticed that Charlie wasn't home.

"Bella, it's Sam. Where have you been? Where's Jacob?" He was using the voice that made him seem old and wise the whole time.

"He's not home yet, he must have just left your house."

"No, he's been out looking for you. He left my house almost an hour ago. When he gets back tell him to call me. I'm sending Quil and Embry over, stay in the house." I could tell he was ready to hang up.

"Sam, tell me what's wrong!" I yelled through the phone.

"Victoria's on the property. She killed Billy."

AN: Very hard chapter to write, dialogue that doesn't come naturally makes me want to give up. And I didn't particularly want that ending to come, sorry, but that is one of the few things that been in the outline since the very beginning. I hope to wrap this story up in the next five chapters so I can really get focused on my other stories. Any Morganville fans out there? Put me on author alert, I have a great story coming up that I'm sure you'll want to read! (If you haven't read the Morganville series, go out now and buy the first few books, you'll devour them!)

Remember to vote, link up at the top, you can vote as much as you want.