Hiya All,

This chapter is Edward's POV that leads up to him getting to Bella and then beyond. Just letting you know so that there is no confusion.

Thanks for those of you who have reviewed – I love hearing your views. Please don't feel like you can't state your opinion on something. We don't all have to agree with the same things and I don't expect it. I know that when someone questions me about a particular thing it makes me think more about it before the next chapter. That's the point I guess.

Hope you enjoy and because I haven't really done it too often – you would all naturally know that these characters belong to SM and I do not mean any disrespect with what I do to them. I definitely do not own them!!!

Cheers

Michelle

Chapter Thirty Six

EPOV - Relief

At what point did I function again? At what point did I realize that I would get nothing in return if I retreated into myself and pretended that this was not happening? I am not sure. It might have been when Alice put her hand on my arm in silent support or it might have been when Emmett scrunched up the letter and threw it like a missile at the wall behind me. I had no idea really. All I was aware of was that Jasper was talking urgently to someone and I realized it was Grant. When he cursed at the phone and then stared at it uncomprehendingly, my attention was fully on him.

"What just happened," I croaked out, not sure I wanted to hear his answer.

"I don't know," Jasper answered with confusion. "Grant said that they were at a club and that he would take Bella home immediately, given the threat, but then he swore and hung up the phone without any explanation. I can't tell you any more than that."

The dread sitting in the bottom of my stomach did not ease at all with his words. Grant was obviously responding to some sort of emergency and given what we now knew, that emergency could only bode ill for Bella. I felt it in my guts that James had Bella, and the only way I was going to see her again was to fight tooth and nail against the creep. I was more than willing to do that but I couldn't do it from where I was.

"We need to get to Seattle," I was terrified of the outcome in all this but I needed to remain calm for Bella's sake.

"Alice is organizing flights now," Rosalie answered directing my attention to Alice who was on her mobile as we spoke.

The panic I was experiencing must have reached Rosalie because she grabbed my arms and placed her face directly in line with mine.

"She will be fine. Edward. Bella will not let that creep get her down. You know that right?" Rosalie's words were sincere but I couldn't help but notice the slight warble as she said what she thought I needed to hear. I didn't know what to say in return. I knew nothing of the sort.

Alice interrupted us with her organizational bossiness. "I have organised a private flight for an hour's time. Emmett and Rosalie. You go back to Edward's and get everything we need. We will meet you at the airport so that we can make sure there is no delay in getting us out of here."

On the way to the airport Jasper was constantly on the phone with men from security but he was never able to get through to the one we wanted; Grant.

"The phone seems to be constantly engaged now," Jasper said in frustration. Grant better get back to me soon or I am seriously considering firing his sorry…."

As if on cue the phone rang and I demanded Jasper put it on loud speaker so that I could hear what Grant had to say for himself. Jasper looked unsure for a moment but then relented and pushed the appropriate button.

"What the hell happened?" I rasped into the phone and Grant's clear voice came back at me.

"We have James," He stated woodenly and my moment of relief was replaced with a burning question.

"Bella? Is Bella alright?"

"Bella is on her way to the hospital Edward. I am sorry; she was hurt before I got to them but it appears to be not too serious. Seth is the problem. He has been hurt badly and I really can't tell you if he is going to make it. James cut him up pretty badly during the fight and he hasn't been conscious the whole time. Bella is with him in the ambulance."

My mind became a fuzz, yet again, and Jasper took over the conversation. James had got close enough to Bella to hurt her and he had almost killed Seth in the process. Anguish tore through my body like nothing I had ever experienced. I needed to see Bella to make sure she was ok. I needed to be there with her in case Seth was not. The ramifications of James' sick revenge had spread its tentacles to enclose even more of the people I cared about.

I tried to concentrate on the knowledge that James was now in custody and we could do something concrete to make sure he didn't threaten my family and loved ones again, but something told me that it would not be that easy. The main thing I needed was for both Bella and Seth to be ok when I finally got to them. The problem of James would have to wait until my head was clear enough to make a difference in what happened to him. I wouldn't get that until I had held Bella and knew without a doubt that she was alive and relatively unscathed.

Grant rang us back from the hospital once we had booked into our flight and were waiting for the departure time to come around. Rosalie and Emmett had now joined us and we were all silently contemplating how close Bella had come to being kidnapped or hurt badly.

"Edward. I know you want to speak to Bella but she is still with the doctor and they won't let me in to see her. The nurse said she is getting some stitches but she would be out soon."

"Grant, I need to speak to her. The plane trip will take hours and I need to hear her voice for myself."

"I don't think that's going to happen, Edward but as soon as she is out I will call you. Her mobile is back at the club. If you're not up in the air yet, you can speak to her then."

"Is her dad with her?"

"No-one is here yet. Not sure why not, considering I had Bella ring her dad straight away and I contacted Jacob myself, as soon as James was taken away."

I stopped myself from asking why Jacob was not with them through everything that had happened. I was already angry enough and didn't need to use the next few hours of flight time going over who I could blame for what had happened to Bella and Seth. It wasn't going to help anyone.

I didn't get to speak to Bella before the flight and it almost killed me to not hear that she was ok from her own mouth. The flight seemed to take forever to get to our destination and the ride to the hospital was full of nervous tension. I had no way of knowing what would greet us when we arrived. For all I knew Bella could be so angry with me, for what had happened to her, that she wouldn't let me near her, and I couldn't even think about the possibility that Seth had passed during our flight here. There were too many unknowns ahead of us and I had to brace myself for all the possibilities.

Entering the waiting room I felt the heavy weight of sadness and fear that was all so present amongst the people who sat there. Everyone looked up at our entrance; Charlie appeared agitated and angry, staring at me with unforgiving eyes, Sue looked at me blankly as if I was of no consequence to her in this moment and of course that was how it should be, Jacob's eyes only held guilt and I wondered at that briefly before my attention landed where I wanted it to be. Bella; even though she was sleeping calmly in the arms of my mother, I could see that the last few hours had been hard for her. The paleness of her face made it look drawn and it was quite obvious that she had been crying because I could still see the tracks made along her cheeks from the saltiness of her tears. She had her hand lightly placed against her side protectively and I knew that was where that bastard had cut her perfect skin. When I raised my eyes to find my mothers I knew she could see the absolute pain in them and she gave me a small smile of support. I strode over to the place where they sat and itched to get my hands on Bella; to actually feel that she was still here, that she hadn't been completely broken because of one man's monstrous plans, but I couldn't bring myself to interrupt the peace she had managed to find for herself amongst all the worry and confusion. I spoke to my mother instead.

"Did Carlisle check her?"

"Not yet, Edward," My mother answered quietly.

"What do you mean not yet?" There was no one I trusted more than my father to know that Bella was in actual fact alright. My tone was more accusatory than it needed to be.

My mother frowned at me. "Edward. Your father is with Seth. He needed him more than Bella did. She has been seen by the doctors and she is fine."

"Of course," I sighed and looked over at Sue and Charlie guiltily, hoping they hadn't heard my selfish questioning. As I did my gaze fell on Grant and the anger surfaced yet again.

"What the hell are we paying you for if you can't even protect the one person we ask you to? This shouldn't have happened. He shouldn't have got anywhere near either of them."

Grant's face did not register any kind of reaction to my hissed accusation. Instead he looked me in the eye and spoke calmly.

"I take full responsibility for what happened tonight Edward but I don't think now is the time to discuss this, do you?" He looked around at the other people in the room and although I understood what he was saying I was about to retort sharply to him anyway. Jasper put a close to our discussion.

"Grant, you can come with me and explain exactly what happened. Edward you need to be thinking of other things right now." He gave a significant look towards Bella's sleeping form and then guided Grant, Alice, Rosalie and Emmett out of the room. Always the calm one, Jasper had diverted a heated argument taking place in the most inappropriate place. I was angry but I knew deep down that I was just trying to take my frustrations out on somebody; anybody and Grant was my most likely target.

I scanned Bella's body for any other kind of trauma, but could find nothing except that she was filthy and parts of her clothes were torn. "I need her mum."

Understanding my need just to be close to Bella, Esme gently disentangled herself from Bella's grip and I took her place. As soon as her head was on my chest and I had my arms around her in a protective clasp I relaxed minutely and took in her scent. It wasn't until I could actually feel her steady breathing against my side and feel her pulse where my hand met her wrist that I could fully accept that she was ok and the sensation was too much for me. I buried my head in her hair and let it shield me from everyone else in the room as I let out the emotion I had been feeling for the past few hours. Bella was alive and she was where she should be; in my arms.

Relief spanned the rest of my time in that waiting room; relief when Bella woke up and looked at me with her warm, understanding eyes and I knew she didn't blame me; relief when Carlisle walked through the doors to let us know that Seth was going to live and that his mother could go in to see him; relief when Bella demonstrated her fighting spirit and put both Jacob and I in our places when we tried to take on the guilt of tonight's happening and the final relief of having Sue Clearwater take me by the arm and drag me in to see her son, face to face so that I could determine that he was not another casualty of this ridiculous vendetta I had against me.

Here I now sat watching the monitors show the signs needed to prove that Seth was living and making progress. Sue had left me to give me privacy with her son but I still had not broached any kind of speech with him. When I felt an arm slip around my shoulders I knew it was Bella and I looked up at her in torment. She was silent for a few moments and then began to speak as if she needed to explain.

"He stopped James from taking me. I fought, Edward. I truly did but he was going to take me one way or another and if it hadn't been for Seth…." Her voice trailed off as she drew in a quiet sob. "Seth tackled him and they fought and I couldn't stop James from hurting him; I watched as he sliced Seth's side open and there was nothing I could do." The terror in her eyes from the memory cut through my very core and I shuddered with the images she was describing. I pulled her against me and we held each other as we watched the steady rise and fall of Seth's chest.

"I am never going to be able to repay him for what he did for you tonight Bella; for what he did for us. How do I thank someone for something so profound? How do I make it up to him for the pain this has caused him?"

"Seth wouldn't expect anything, Edward. I can guarantee that, but we will think of something. He will know how much we appreciate him. I promise." She squeezed my hand and I brought her tiny fist up to my mouth for a light kiss across her knuckles.

Abruptly I stood up and placed my hand on Seth's shoulder, lightly squeezing it in the hope that there would be some kind of reaction. There was none.

"Words can't even begin to tell you how I feel about what you did last night Seth, but I do know this; for the moment the best thing I can do for you is make sure James is punished for hurting the two of you," I faced Bella and her eyes grew wide with understanding. "It's time to make him pay for this. Let's go and make sure they throw away the key."

Leaving Seth's room with a purpose made me feel so much better. I was keen to get to the police station and do everything in my power to make sure that James did not get away with last nights efforts. As we reentered the waiting room Charlie was on the phone and was looking worriedly at Bella. He hung up and spoke

"That was detective Lou Parker from Seattle police department. He needs you to come down to make a statement so that they can keep James from making bail. Are you up to it, sweetheart?"

Bella nodded her head in affirmation and took a step closer to me as if my nearness would help her through reliving this nightmare again.

"I'll be right beside you, Bella. It will be fine."

"Do you think that is such a good idea Edward?" Bella's father spoke to me harshly and I knew he did not think I was completely innocent of fault. I couldn't blame him but there was no way I was going to move from Bella's side now when she needed my support the most. He was going to have to deal with that pretty quickly.

"I have every intention of making sure James pays for what happened last night Charlie. He tried to hurt the person I love the most in the world and there needs to be something done about that. Bella is not alone in this. I WILL be with her. Hopefully you can understand that; I am not going anywhere."

Charlie gave me one last glare and shrugged his shoulders. "Just make sure you don't make it any worse than it already is Edward. I will not allow my daughter to be threatened again."

Turning towards Bella I expected to see her worried frown as she watched the two of us interact with such agitation but she was not concentrating on us at all, but rather a small, black haired girl who was sitting at the other end of the waiting room. She let go of my hand and hesitantly walked over to the girl before stopping in front of her. I had no idea what she was doing so I followed her with curiosity.

"Hi. Are you ok?" Bella queried softly and the girl jumped in fright, looking at Bella with doe like eyes before recognition crossed her face.

"Bella. Oh thank goodness you're ok," the girl stood up quickly and looked like she was about to throw her arms around Bella in relief but then she sat abruptly back down in her seat as if it was a ridiculous notion. "I am sorry. I don't know what my problem is. I just felt I needed to be here to check on you; on him. I tried to go home and pretend it didn't happen but it was eating away at me so I got dressed and headed here. Bizarre I know but …well… here I am." The girl looked at Bella waiting for her to be angry or condescending about the explanation. Of course Bella was neither.

"No, not bizarre at all. Thanks for caring enough to do so. Seth has made it through and the doctors said he will make a full recovery, although he will need lots of rest."

"Oh thank god. That is fantastic news. I've been so worried about him. I couldn't get the look on his face, when I told him I saw you leaving with that creepy guy, out of my head and then to see him bleeding and knowing that it was partly my fault. Shit." She placed her head in her hands and took a deep breath. I placed my hand on Bella's shoulder, silently requesting some type of explanation about the girl in front of us who appeared to be somehow connected to last night's debacle. The young woman looked up at me then and I saw the instant recognition flood her face. Shit; that was the last thing we needed.

"Edward Cullen?" Her voice was low and nervous and I felt myself tense up because I had no idea who she was and she could easily make our life even more complicated than it currently was. Bella felt my reaction and she slid her hand into mine to help me remain calm.

"Edward, this is…..um actually we didn't go into any niceties last night……. I am terribly sorry but I don't even know your name?"

"Ellie," she muttered in embarrassment and looked between the two of us as if she wanted the ground to open up and swallow her. It did a little to alleviate my concern but I was still at a loss as to why she was here.

Bella gave her a blindingly compassionate smile and my own heart swelled in response to it. Bella had to be the most giving person I knew and it made me proud to know that she was mine.

"Edward, this is Ellie. It is because of her that I was saved by Seth," My breath caught in my throat at the reminder, yet again, of why we were all here and the girl named Ellie blushed almost as readily as Bella always did. It was oddly endearing.

"James got to me outside the restrooms and Ellie here had the intuition to know that something was not right and went and let Seth know. The rest is history."

Would it be wrong of me to pick this girl up and smother her with kisses for saving the life of the woman I loved? A resounding yes, you moron, for more than one very good reason.

I held out my hand to the girl and she nervously took it. "Thank you Ellie, for having the presence of mind to act in that situation. So many people would have just ignored what was happening and told themselves it was none of their business. We appreciate that you didn't."

Ellie's face reddened even more and Bella tactfully asked a question to take the attention away from her embarrassment.

"How did you know to get Seth?"

"Um…. I…. well I had kinda been watching him all night and …..well for a while there I thought you were his girlfriend because he kept going back to the table to check up on you……. but then he started chatting to me and well… he was just so nice," Ellie's eyes found the ground in front of her. So much for making her feel less embarrassed Bella.

"and I knew that I had to find one of them, either Seth or the big burly guy who ended up having the gun," she gulped at that. "I couldn't find the gun guy so I told Seth. He went ballistic when he found out, before barging out of the club, and I wasn't sure I had done the right thing."

We spent the next few moments talking to Ellie. Bella was trying to convince her, with an explanation of James' agenda, that what had happened to Seth was not her fault and that now everything was going to be ok. I watched silently as the poor girl visibly relaxed as she realized that, yes Seth had been hurt but that it all could have been so much worse if she hadn't done what she had done. It seemed I owed all kinds of people for keeping Bella alive and out of harms way while I had been on the other side of the country. The guilt gnawed at me again.

"We need to get to the police station," Charlie's gruff voice splintered through my thoughts. "I think I should drive Bella, Edward and you can try and evade the press on your own time." I sighed with frustration at his words but knew he was right. It would only complicate matters if I was physically seen with Bella.

Bella was talking quietly to Ellie and I caught her last words. How did she always manage to keep her head in times of trouble.

"Ellie, Edward and I," she squeezed my hand before continuing "We don't really need any more attention at the moment so…."

Ellie held up her hands before Bella could make the request I knew was coming.

"Please Bella. I won't breath a word. In this instance I absolutely know that this is none of my business." Ellie smiled at Bella and Bella leant down to give her a quick thank you hug. Something Bella said into her ear brought a huge grin to Ellie's face.

As Charlie, Bella and I walked towards the exit of the hospital I asked Bella what she had said to warrant such happiness from Ellie. She smirked up at me. "I told her what every girl wants to hear Edward. I told her that her interest in Seth was reciprocated."

James stared at me balefully as I sat across from him. He looked a little worse for wear himself, which I thanked Seth for. Seth had obviously not gone down without putting a fair few strikes in of his own and that fact made me feel gratified in some sick sense. Charlie stood to my left, taking in every aspect of the creep who had attempted to use his daughter as a threat to me. I could see the veins on his forehead poking out as he tried to restrain himself from just flinging himself at James and causing him some type of damage. I fully understood his need. It was taking every bit of control I had, not to beat the man to a pulp. Both Charlie and I were being on our best behavior because we weren't the only ones in the room; Detective Parker had allowed this little visit against his own better judgement so he was ensuring we didn't do anything that we would later regret. Charlie might be his friend from way back but they were both cops and they had a code to follow.

Not a word had passed between any of us. I wasn't sure why I needed to see him so badly; what I could possibly say to make him stop this vengeful vendetta against me and my loved ones. I was so full of hatred and vengefulness towards this person that I didn't trust breaking the silence in case it sent me spiraling out of control and I threw caution to the wind and pummeled him like I wanted to. I remained still as a statue, forcing myself to think of Bella. She had already been through enough tonight and she certainly didn't need her boyfriend being thrown into jail because I couldn't stop myself from killing the son of a bitch.

"Did Bella give you my message," James uplifted snarly mouth needed to be punched right off his face. I clenched my fists so it wasn't me who did it. I didn't answer him.

"Ha. I will take that as a no. Not to worry. It is so much better that I can tell you myself. Something to the effect that your girlfriend is utterly delectable and the mere thought of having her alone, with the challenge of the fight I just know she is going to give me, makes me swoon in appreciation. It is almost better than knowing how much it is going to hurt YOU when I finally get to that point. Tell me, what does it feel like to hear her moan your name? How will it feel when it's me forcing your name from her throat because she is hurting so much?"

The rage that engulfed me was like nothing I had ever felt before and I felt myself close the distance between ourselves as I launched myself with superhuman speed at his body with the express intention of making him stop; making this all stop. He would not threaten Bella again; he would have to kill me first before I let him get anywhere near her again. Better still I could just kill him now. To hell with going to jail; it would be worth it just to keep Bella and the rest of my family safe.

The table and chair went skidding across the room as I felt my hands close in around his throat but it did not seem to stop his maniacal laughing in my face. I tightened my grip and hissed at him.

"You won't get the chance to be that close to her ever again, you sick fuck." My hands were now pressing so deeply into his throat that I could feel him gasping for breath, trying to draw air into his lungs.

"Edward, you need to let him go now," I tried to ignore the voice of reason, even as I acknowledged the anger that lay behind it. I had James where I wanted him. I could squeeze the life out of him and we would never have to worry about him again. A rough hand was pulling at my arms and the movement made me catch a glimpse of myself in the window behind James head. I looked like an animal; a completely enraged animal who knew no control. My eyes were narrow slits of rage and my face was suffused in an almost purple hue.

"Edward, Bella is waiting for you outside. Don't punish her anymore than she already has been."

Bella! I slowly loosened my grip, registering that I had gone way beyond any kind of sane behavior. I allowed my arms to be removed from James entirely and watched blankly as he lifted his hands to his throat to rub the red markings that I had left there. Charlie forcibly moved me to the opposite side of the room.

"You can't let him get away with that," James rasped out at the police officer who was now standing over him.

The detective shrugged his shoulders. "Get away with what? I didn't see anything out of place happen, did you Chief Swan?"

"Nothing at all Detective Parker," the anger was not far from the surface for Charlie and his words came out extremely harshly.

"In fact, all I did notice was that this scum here just threatened your daughter yet again Chief Swan. I do believe he actually stated that he was going to hurt her. Seems to me that that would warrant a no bail ruling, wouldn't you?"

James looked at Charlie in panic, finally understanding that he had chosen as his target, a police officer's daughter and that he was not going to get away with this too easily.

I felt the relief invade my body as it became apparent that these guys were going to do everything possible to ensure James did not get out of jail. Charlie walked over to James and leaned in so his face was right next to James.

"You chose the wrong man to screw with when you decided to harm my family. You won't get the opportunity to do so again. As far as I am concerned you can rot in jail. This is the end for you."

Charlie straightened himself up and motioned for me to follow him as he left the room. As soon as we were out he turned to me and spoke to me angrily.

"That had to be the single most stupid thing you could have possibly done Edward,"

I opened my mouth to protest. Surely he heard what James had been suggesting; how much he was going to hurt the girl that Charlie and I both loved beyond anything else. I never got the chance.

"But fully understandable." He added as he squeezed my shoulder and met my eyes directly so that I could see that his words were heart felt. "You've proven that you love my daughter Edward and I appreciate that devotion. Let me take care of putting James away now and you go and look after her. She has had the day from hell."

There were so many things I needed to say to him. Sorry for what had happened to Bella; let him know how much I loved her; how I wanted James to go down for this so he would leave us all alone. None of it came out though. I just looked at him steadily and then nodded my head. He told me to go to Bella.

I didn't need to be asked twice.