Greetings and salutations! I hope you all have had a great week and if anyone was in the path of Hurricane Matthew, I hope you escaped its wrath.
I've been sick all this week with one of the worst cold/flu bugs I can remember having. Reading your reviews and were the absolute highlight to my week.
Virtual kisses to my whole team; SazzleDazzled, Mullet86 (pre-readers), Edwardsfirstkiss (Beta) and 2brown-eyes (banner artist). You guys are wonderful and I appreciate all of your help.
Disclaimer: SM owns Twilight and I own 3 empty boxes of kleenexes, 2 boxes of various cold medicines and a half bottle of NyQuil. If she's interested, I'm open to a trade.
The Devil's Plan
Chapter 4
Fall to Pieces
"I think it would be nice if you waited and rode to school with your brother." Edward halted on the staircase, holding his breath as he awaited his brother's answer. Despite the fact that the two boys had day and night personalities, they'd always been close and Edward still harbored a shred of hope that they would find a way back to each other.
"Nice?! Well I think it might have been nice to finish my last year of football with the top three Class I team in the state. You, know the one I've been playing with for the last five years? Instead I've been sentenced to this shitty- podunk town and its fucked up Class III team. But we don't always get what we want. Not since your precious Edward had to go and stick his dick-"
The sound of Esme's hand making contact with her eldest son's face, echoed throughout the large house.
Edward could count on one hand the number of times he'd ever been struck by his parents. Carlisle and Esme preferred time outs and the removing of privileges instead of physical punishment when it came to disciplining their children. The fact that she had resorted to slapping Emmett, bespoke of just how at the end of her rope she was.
"Don't you dare speak to me like that! I don't deserve your anger." Her voice shook with her frustration.
Edward's head hung low. He knew he was the one who deserved his brother's anger.
"I'm sorry, mom. I'm just so… I hate this place! It's not fair!"
"I know it's not fair." Esme sighed. "But everyone makes mistakes and a family supports one another. Always." She reminded her son. "Just remember that you're not the only one that life has been unfair to." Her quiet words didn't have the effect she'd hoped.
"You don't think I know? Dad had to give up a job that he worked his ass off to finally get. You had to close your business, I lost my friends and probably my shot at a football scholarship! We all lost in this deal!" Emmett's voice had once again taken on an angry tone.
It was dark in the stairwell. The morning sun hadn't quite reached in with its warming rays. But even in full sunlight, the shadow that hovered over Edward wouldn't have diminished. He was a soul in turmoil and hearing his mother and brother fight over their respective losses broke him just a little bit more.
"Yes! We all lost something in this whole thing. But don't you see? Edward lost the most. He lost his heart, his innocence..." Esme's heart broke a little more as she thought about what had befallen her son. He was broken, and their family was breaking, yet here she was pleading with her eldest son to have a little sympathy for his younger brother.
"Mom, I love you. But it's not happening. He ruined our lives." The back door slammed, signaling Emmett's departure. Edward silently counted to twenty and cautiously finished his walk into the kitchen.
Upon seeing her baby, Esme quickly attempted to dry the tears that had escaped during her conversation with Emmett. "Good morning, sweetheart," she said with desperate cheerfulness.
"Good morning, mom." He returned with a forced smile, before sitting down in front of a bowl of cooled oatmeal.
"Oh, let me get you a fresh bowl." His mother offered. "I thought you would be down sooner." She reached over to take the bowl, silently berating herself for almost sending her son to school with a belly full of congealed oatmeal.
Edward stopped her. "Don't worry about it mom. I'll just grab a Pop Tart. No big deal." He walked to the cupboard where his mother kept the processed, salty snack foods that were apparently necessary to keep Emmett alive.
"No!" Edward's hand stilled on the cupboard handle at his mother's loud demand. Sensing his shock, her voice quickly softened. "Please, let me get you something warm to eat. I need to feel as though I'm doing something right."
Edward quickly nodded and sat back down at the table. He knew that his mother harbored guilt over what had happened. Emmett's anger, his father's disappointment- he understood those emotions. But the fact that his mother carried so much guilt ate at him.
"Thank you, mom." He whispered when a fresh bowl of cinnamon and raisin oatmeal was placed in front of him.
Edward finished his breakfast in silence while his mother bustled around the kitchen.
"Here's your lunch, sweetheart. Turkey and Swiss on rye. Your favorite." Esme handed him the brown bag lunch she'd packed.
As much as he detested himself for the reason she no longer had a job to go to each morning, he couldn't deny how much it meant to him to have her here. He left his house every morning knowing that despite the things he'd done, the hurt he'd caused, someone still loved him.
Overcome with emotion, Edward leaned down and hugged his mother. "I love you mom," he said quietly into her ear before grabbing his back pack and rushing out of the house.
As Esme Cullen watched her baby drive away, the morning's events crashed down onto her and she allowed the tears she's been holding in, to spill out onto the crisply ironed tablecloth.
~~TDP~~
"Do you believe in love at first sight?" Charlie Swan dropped the piece of toast he'd been enjoying and wiped a buttery hand across his lips as his daughter stared expectantly at him from the other end of the table. He'd been raising Bella by himself since his wife ran off thirteen years ago. He knew from experience that the seemingly innocent question could potentially be a trap. She may have inherited her smile and perpetually pale skin from her mother's side of the family, but her ability to ask a leading question complete with a stare that would have all but the most hardened criminals confessing to whatever crime she chose, was all his influence. Bella raised an eyebrow as he raised his coffee cup for a sip of courage disguised as morning caffeine.
"No." Charlie Swan was a man of few words.
Bella shifted in her seat, placing her elbows on the table and narrowed her deep brown eyes knowing full well that her father's tactic of giving one word answers was his way of throwing her off.
"Uh, uh. I need more than that." She demanded with a frown.
Knowing he was caught, Charlie took a deep breath and gave her what she wanted.
"Love is something that develops over time as two people learn each other's likes, dislikes, faults…It's not immediate." Satisfied with his answer, Charlie resumed his breakfast.
"Alice says she's in love and she just met the guy Monday." Releasing a deep breath, Charlie got ready for round two.
"Alice is a flake; she's always saying things like that. Remember when you two watched that wizard movie where the guy died and you two lost your minds-"
"That was Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire!" Bella interrupted loudly. "And the guy was Robert Pattinson, only the hottest and most popular movie star in the world!" Bella huffed, crossing her arms over her chest with undisguised contempt at her father's willingness to overlook the supreme hotness of the one idol his daughter held dear.
Having grown accustomed to his teenage daughter's outbursts of indignation, he simply rolled his eyes and continued with his explanation. "Okay, whatever. My point is that after watching that movie, Alice decided she wanted to be a wizard. For a whole week the two of you ran around here trying to turn spiders into cats. And then she was on to something else. Let her have her fun. In a week, she'll be in love with space and will proclaim she's going to be an astronaut."
Charlie was silent as he waited to see if she would accept his answer and allow him to finish his now cold cup of coffee and stale toast. Satisfied that her silence meant that he had indeed given her an answer she would accept, he resumed eating his breakfast.
"I don't know, "she said soberly. "This is different. She says that he's the one and that they're going to get married. She says that his will is hers and that nothing else matters but him. Dad, he kind of creeps me out. There's something not right about him."
Charlie put down his coffee cup. His training in law enforcement had done little to assist him in the role of caregiver to a teen daughter, however his investigative training had been quite helpful when interrogating a suspect, especially when it came to using his instincts. He'd long ago taught his daughter not to take her instincts lightly. If she thought something was off about that boy, then he wasn't going to ignore her.
"What bothers you about this boy?" He asked sternly, letting her know that he was serious.
"Um, maybe I'm making a big deal out of nothing?"
"Tell me. I'll be the judge." Charlie gently urged.
Bella hadn't set out to make a big deal out of her feelings of uneasiness about Jasper, but she couldn't ignore them either. "He asks questions that are really intrusive and he acts as if he knows things about me. He's always staring at me like he's trying to look into my soul, plus he speaks in an old fashioned way that's odd."
"I think anytime someone asks you questions that you feel are disturbing it's a good idea to take a step back. What do you mean by he's trying to look into your soul?" Nothing his daughter was saying was too alarming, but his honed police instincts told him that a little due diligence wasn't a bad idea.
"I don't know, he just stares at me as if he's waiting for me to agree to something. He looks at Alice in the same way and she goes into this blank trance. It's just weird." An unintentional shudder ran through her body as she remembered the last few lunches she'd shared with Jasper and Alice.
"What's this boy's name?" Charlie pulled out the stereotypical cop's notebook.
"Jasper Hale, but Dad, do you really think that's necessary?" Even though it was her fears that started the whole conversation, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was opening a can of worms that she'd rather leave closed.
"Bella, there's no harm in finding out a little more information about the boy. I didn't realize the Hale's had children." Charlie's moustache twitched in irritation, he prided himself on being up to date on all of his community member's lives, this information didn't make sense.
"They don't. Apparently he and his sister are their niece and nephew. They just showed up from Texas. No one has ever seen them before. They appeared out of thin air."
"Hmmm, from Texas? Things get a little weird down there. I'll make some inquiries."
"Fine," Bella said in mock exasperation. In truth she was glad her father would be looking into Jasper Hale.
~~TDP~~
"Hello, Edward, may I share your table?" Edward swallowed the bite of sandwich he'd been chewing and looked up at the blond stranger. His eyes quickly darted around the empty library.
Not waiting for Edward's invitation, Jasper pulled out the seat opposite of the bewildered boy and sat down.
"Do I know you?" Edward asked, slightly taken aback at the way the other boy decided to sit down without his answer.
"Allow me to introduce myself, I'm Jasper Hale." Not wanting to appear rude, Edward wiped his sugar cookie covered hands on his pant leg and shook the strange boy's hand.
"So, this is where you've been hiding? You've caused me quite a bit of trouble this week."
"Um, I'm sorry?" Edward didn't know why he should be sorry that he apparently had put this Jasper kid out, but he lowered his head in apology and took another bite of his sandwich, silently hoping this Jasper person would go on his way and leave him to his turkey sandwich and English homework.
"You're sorry? I have a feeling you utter those words a lot in a day."
A cold chill swept down Edward's spine. "What- what do you mean?" He asked looking straight across the table into the other boy's eyes.
A sly smile spread across Jasper's face. "Oh, my friend, you have the look of someone who has done very bad things in their young life. Your guilt Edward, it shines like a beacon."
The sandwich his mother had lovingly prepared for him dropped soundlessly to the table as Edward's body seized with fear.
"Never fear. What you have done is of no consequence to me. I only wish to-"
"Stay away from me." Edward demanded with as much as force as he could muster. With shaking hands, he gathered his books, preparing to flee. His heartrate sped up as he fought to decipher what the boy's words meant and why he's said them.
"Edward, wait. I know someone who can make things better." Jasper yelled out into the quiet library as Edward rushed out the door.
Jasper fell back into his chair, silently cursing himself for not achieving his objective. He'd scared the boy and now he would have to start over. His mistake had just made his task ten times harder.
"That didn't appear to go as planned." Jasper groaned at Astarte's observation.
"I'll handle it." He promised. He didn't know how, but failure was not an option.
"I believe I can be of some help." Surprised, Jasper looked up at his sister, the fertility goddess. She'd never offered her help for anything.
"How can you help?"
Her bright red lips formed a wide smile. "We need him to be on edge, correct? We need the boy to be as miserable as possible? Willing to do anything to escape the daily recrimination from his family and the guilt he harbors in his soul?"
"Yes and just how do you propose to do that?" He asked sarcastically.
"Well, anyone can see the boy's soul is already cracked, we just need someone to finish breaking it. To put it simply, dear brother, we need to use a bigger hammer."
~~TDP~~
Edward ran out of the library with his mind racing from his conversation with Jasper. "How?" Edward muttered to the empty hallway as he slumped against the cold brick wall. Anxiety rushed through his body. "What had he meant? Why did he say those things to me? How could he have possibly known what I did?" His book bag fell to the ground at his feet as his lungs filled with gulps of stale air.
"All I said was that she needed to check the expiration date on that yogurt. I don't know how anyone can blame me for her vomit- Edward? Are you okay?" Bella moved rapidly towards the shaking mass huddled against the hallway wall.
"Alice, go get the nurse!" Bella ordered. Alice's heels clicked on the floors as she hurried towards the office. Bella took in the boy before her. His back was damp with sweat, his hair lay in wet strings across his forehead and his book bag lay forgotten at his feet. He was murmuring to himself while rocking back and forth with his arms crossed over his middle. Bella wanted to hug him tightly to her but was afraid of his reaction, so she settled for rubbing what she hoped were soothing circles on his back.
"It's okay Edward." She repeated to the beautiful boy at her side, patting his arm in what she hoped was a comforting manner. Bella was beside herself with worry for the boy she'd met only four days earlier. After their interaction in gym class that first day, they'd settled into a timid routine. Bella would stare at Edward and Edward would smile shyly while sneaking looks at the embarrassed girl. Their verbal interactions were quick one word exchanges across their lab table. Currently here were no shy smiles or embarrassed looks, just a concerned girl caring for a troubled boy.
"I've got him, honey." The nurse knelt down and gently pushed Bella to the side, taking her place next to Edward. "Edward, let's get you into the office." The nurse began leading the still silent and shaking Edward away. Bella's heart broke as she watched Edward and Nurse Westbrook walk away.
"What do you think that was about?" Alice asked.
Bella shook her head. "I don't know. But I hope he's okay."
The bell rang out in the hallway, signaling the end of the lunch period. Students began filling the hallway on their way to the next class of the day.
"We'd better get to class." Alice tugged on Bella's sleeve. Bella nodded absently and followed her friend towards their shared English classroom, but not before she picked up Edward's discarded book bag.
As Bella followed Alice down the hallway, her concern for Edward was etched deeply onto her face and was not missed by the watchful eyes of Rosalie Hale. She had observed the aftermath of Edward's meeting with Jasper in the library and had followed the clearly distressed boy down to the first floor hallway where he'd proceeded to break down. Her initial plan had been to offer him comfort, thus gaining his trust and then using her skills to bend him to her will. However, the meddling of the Swan girl had thwarted her plan and now Rosalie was left without a course of action.
As she stood in the empty hallway, contemplating her next move and inwardly cursing the very girl that was the path to her reward, she caught sight of Emmett Cullen and a few of the other children gathered around his locker, a smile appeared on her red lips. If she could not depend on Ba'al to force the boy to jump off the cliff, she would have to do it.
And she knew just the person to assist her in pushing him to the edge.
"Oh, Emmett." The eyes of every male within hearing distance shot in her direction as she swiveled her hips in their direction and walked seductively towards them. Human males had always been easy for her to seduce, but she was finding these high school boys easier than most.
"Yeah, babe?" Astarte swallowed down the bile in her mouth at being referred to as "babe" and allowed the big child to put his sweaty hands around her waist while casting possessive glances at his jealous cronies.
Astarte ran the tip of a shiny, red nail down the front of Emmett's muscular chest, delighting in the shiver he tried to hide.
"I would like to meet your parents tonight. I think you should have me over for dinner."
"Um, I'm not sure that would be a good idea." Emmett lifted one of his hands away from her waist to rub the back of his neck as he contemplated the thought of her meeting his family. Sure, he was all about showing her off. Snagging the hottest girl in school within the first week of classes had to be some kind of record, but his family was fucked up and he wasn't keen on letting the rest of Forks in on just how much fucked up they were.
"Why? Are you embarrassed by me?" She asked, pulling away from him with a look of mock hurt. Emmett immediately felt bad, as had been her plan and pulled her close to him, ignoring the stares of the other boys.
"No, babe. Never! I just, I just don't know what my mom has planned. She might not appreciate me bringing a guest to the house."
"Emmie, I'm not some stranger you pulled off the streets, I'm your girlfriend. And as such I should be welcomed into your home at any time. Don't you agree?"
Emmett found himself transfixed by her stare. Her brilliant blue eyes seemed to bore right into his soul, he was powerless against her plea. All he could do was nod in agreement, even though he knew in his heart it wasn't a good idea. He simply couldn't tell her no.
"Good. After practice, you'll come to my house and pick me up. I'll expect you no later than five-thirty." With a chaste kiss on his cheek, she turned away in search of her failed partner. Leaving a numb looking Emmett in her wake.
"Dude, you're fucking whipped!" The boys all laughed in agreement.
In a flash, Emmett's hand shot out, grasping the boy who had spoken by the neck, pushing him up against the nearest locker.
"What did you say, Crowley?" He demanded as the boy tried to escape his grasp.
"Nothing." Tyler sputtered, red-faced in embarrassment.
"That's what I thought!" Emmett let go and watched as Tyler gasped for air, attempting to regain his breath. Emmett turned from the group and stomped off to the school weight room, hoping that a little extra work out would calm him. He wasn't normally so quick to violence, in fact, he was more often than not the one who sought to make peace between friends at odds. But the events of the past months had hardened him, and though he hated to admit it, ever since Rosalie had entered his life he'd found that his temper had a hair trigger and he was much more likely to respond with force than ever before. He would need to release a lot of aggression on the field this afternoon if he was going to be able to get through a meal with his brother in attendance.
As the door to the weight room slammed shut behind Emmett, Astarte turned from the alcove she'd been observing Emmett and smiled gloatingly towards Ba'al.
"Leave it to me. After tonight Edward will crack completely. All you'll have to do is pick up the pieces."
Ba'al glared at her, hating that he'd failed this afternoon, but grudgingly accepting that had indeed failed.
"Let's hope you are successful." He uttered through clenched teeth.
Astarte chuckled at his pouty expression. Men are such children, be they human or demigods, she thought. "What could go wrong?"
A/N I'm loving everyone's theories! Keep em' coming!
Have a safe and healthy week. To those who were impacted by Hurricane Matthew, you're in my thoughts and prayers.
ruinedbyrob
