Sigh … I wish this were mine, but alas it is not. It belongs to Stephenie Meyer.

To answer a few questions in the first chapter's reviews … this story is loosely based on Into the Storm. Granted, I made some changes to the plot, improving it as it were. Adding romance (citrus!) and finding out what happened after the tornado.

Funnel clouds usually last less than 10 minutes before dissipating, and many only last several seconds. On rare occasion, cyclones can last for over an hour.

Thursday, May 27th, 2021
12:04pm
Downtown Elgin, Oklahoma

Edward was driving the van and he was trying to contain his grin, despite the situation. His hypothesis had proved to be true and they'd tracked at least two different tornadoes through Elgin, Oklahoma. Things had calmed down a bit, but the weather was still highly unstable. There was a break in the super cells and they were trying to get onto open highway. Paul was leading the caravan of vehicles through the abandoned town.

"Whoa, look at that SUV. It's moving awfully erratically," Seth said from behind his camera. It came to an abrupt stop.

"They've got a flat tire," Edward said, pulling up to the SUV. He hopped out of the van, checking on the driver. "Hey, you need to get inside. The weather is really bad."

A woman looked up at him, her brown eyes wild and her hands shaking. She was dressed professionally, but her clothes were damp. "Do you have a car? I need to get to the paper mill. My son …"

"He's right next to you," Edward said.

"My other son," the woman snapped, tears welling in her eyes. "We were at the high school at the commencement ceremony and we got hit by a tornado. My older son is at the old paper mill, filled with equipment that could kill my child. I can't get there. I got a flat and I can't change the tire. I'm not strong enough …" Her eyes watered, tears splashing on to her cheeks and she clenched her hands on the steering wheel. "Can you get me there? I'll do anything. Please?"

"No, we can't," Jacob said coldly from his spot behind the wheel of the Titan. He leaned out of the window; his nose wrinkled. "We're here to film the tornadoes, not rescue damsels in distress. Get inside, lady. We just drove past the paper mill and it was leveled. Besides, it's the opposite direction of where we need to go."

"Jacob, you can go and we'll catch up with you," Edward said. "I'll help …" He blinked to the woman, who was in tears, crying hysterically. "What's your name?"

"I'm Bella Whitlock. This is my son, Riley," she muttered as she tried to calm down, picking up her phone and purse. "Thank you so much."

"I'm Edward and this is Seth," Edward grinned as the air grew still.

"Riley, were you filming when the tornado hit?" Jacob asked, gesturing to the camera in Riley's hand.

"Really, Jacob?" Edward snarled.

"We need the footage," Jacob shrugged. "Come with me, kid."

"No, we're not going to be separated," Bella said, shaking her head. "Riley, you're staying with me."

The sirens went off and then there were three tornados that appeared seemingly out of nowhere. "Fuck!" Jacob snarled. "Everyone, in the Titan!"

"It's too close. We need to get inside," Edward commanded, taking Bella's hand and tugging her out of her car. He started to lead her toward a nearby bank.

"The Titan is fucking tank," Jacob snapped back, gesturing to the vehicle.

"He's going to get killed," Bella said, blinking to the three tornadoes, destroying the downtown area of Elgin. There was an updraft and Bella, who was pretty small, was easily lifted off the ground. Edward caught her arm, wrapping his other arm around a lamp post. She was screaming, clinging to Edward's hand. "Help! Oh, GOD! Please! Please! Don't let go."

"I've got you, Bella," Edward yelled, straining his muscles to pull her closer to his body. The wind was brutal, but he managed to keep a hold on her. It took a herculean effort, but Edward managed to get her back on the ground and he huddled around her, practically pushing her into the building. He wrapped his arms around both Bella and Riley as windows imploded from the wind.

"Holy shit," Jacob said over the radio. "The three smaller tornadoes just became a big one."

"Keep your heads down," Edward commanded, trying to protect the petite woman and her son. He could feel Bella's body tremble, almost uncontrollably against his. Riley was also curled around his mom, looking a bit shell-shocked. Almost as soon as the sirens went off and the winds descended, it grew quiet. "Are you okay?"

"I think so," Riley nodded. "Mom?"

Edward backed up and took a visual inspection of both Riley and his gorgeous mother. He noticed that Bella was cradling her arm that he'd held onto, preventing her from being swept up by the updrafts and microbursts. "Bella? Did I hurt you? I'm so sorry."

"You saved me, Edward," Bella said, turning around and throwing her good arm around his neck. She choked out a sob. "You saved me and my son. Which is more than I can say for that douche in the tank."

Edward barked out a laugh, returning her hug and rubbed her back. "Let me check your arm, Bella. I'm a doctor, but of meteorology. I do know some basic first aid," he said, stepping back and guiding her to a bench.

"Dr. Cullen," Seth murmured. "Jacob is raising holy hell. He wants to go and he wants the kid with the camera."

"No," Bella said fiercely. "Give me that headset. I'm going to give Jacob a piece of my mind." Seth took off the headset and the radio. She tried to put it on with one hand, but Edward helped her pushing it over her curling hair and adjusting the mouth piece for her. She blushed, smiling shyly. "Thank you. How do I work this?"

"Press this button," Edward said, pointing to the button on the side.

"Is this Jacob?" Bella snapped. Before he could respond, she continued. "My son is not going with you in that monstrosity. I'm certain that he can give you the memory card from his camera once everything is done, but he's not getting into that thing. I lost my husband a couple years ago and my older son is buried under that paper mill that you said was destroyed. So, you can kindly fuck off!"

"Mom!" Riley laughed, grinning at his mother.

"What? I'm not letting you out of my sight, kiddo," Bella smirked. She grimaced, listening to Jacob spout off some bullshit. "Jacob's leaving without you."

"Well, I'm fired. It doesn't matter to me," Edward sighed, taking the walkie talkie off Bella. He slipped it on, pressing the button. "Jacob, we're not leaving her. You've made your thoughts clear about my future with the project …"

"Whatever," Jacob muttered.

Through the broken, shattered windows, Bella, Edward, Riley and Seth watched as the Titan barreled away.

"That guy is a first-class asshole," Riley snorted.

"Language," Bella chided, with very little power behind, scowling at the retreating Titan. She went to hug Riley, but cried out. "Damn it."

"Can you help her, Dr. Cullen?" Riley asked.

"Like I said, I'm not a medical doctor, but I can try," Edward said. "Come on, Bella. Let's go over here." He offered her a hand, leading her to an open office for some privacy. "Have a seat."

"We should get going. What about your van?" Bella asked as Edward gently manipulated her shoulder.

"It's also tank-like. Not as indestructible as the Titan, but pretty damn awesome," Edward chuckled. "You look very nice for someone who's driving in a post-apocalyptic landscape."

She blushed, shifting on the seat. She was uncomfortable, but flattered by the young, handsome doctor's attention. "I'm the assistant principal at Elgin High School. We were having our commencement ceremony when the storm barreled through," Bella answered as Edward manipulated her arm gently. "Ouch! Son of a bitch!"

"Sorry," Edward frowned. "I may have dislocated your shoulder when I pulled you back. I'm so sorry."

"Uh, if you hadn't pulled me back, I'd be in Oz, hanging out with some Munchkins and the Wicked Witch of the West," Bella quipped. "Do you know how to pop it in?"

"No, I don't. I really don't want to cause more damage to your shoulder, Bella. My doctorate is in meteorology," Edward said, giving her a crooked grin. "I can immobilize it until we can get you some proper medical attention." Bella nodded. He fashioned a sling out of his plaid button-down, strapping her arm to her chest. She shivered as his fingers gently grazed her neck as he adjusted the sling. "Are you cold? I have a jacket in the van."

"A little," she breathed. "But, I need to find my son."

Edward offered her his hand, gently pulling her to her feet. "Let's go find him," Edward said. They walked out of the bank, shocked at the destruction. The van was still okay, but Bella's car was inside one of the abandoned storefronts. Upside down, missing two tires. "If you weren't sure about your car before …"

"Thankfully, I've got good insurance," Bella sighed, frowning slightly. "Or, we could move."

"I'm okay with that," Riley snorted. "One request … no tornadoes?"

"I like the way you think, kiddo," Bella smiled, sliding into the passenger seat with Edward's assistance. Despite the situation, she really liked how he doted on her, even if it was under the guise of helping her. She'd missed the protection of a man …

Not that her husband protected her or anything.

He just broke her heart, in more ways than two.

A/N: So, Bella and Edward have finally met. He's the epitome of kindness while Jacob is a cold-hearted, bag of douche. We also saw some tornadic action … what do you think?

Pictures from this chapter are on my blog. You can find a link for that on my profile. I'm also on FB: Tufano79's Twilight Fanfiction Appreciation. I'm on twitter, too: tufano79. Thank you for reading and leave me your thoughts!