A/N:

Last chapter ended on a dark note, and while there's more drama to the story, this is certainly a lot lighter reading material!

Title: The Death of a Prince

Author: MarieCarro

Beta: Alice's White Rabbit

Pre-reader: brierlynn03, AgoodWITCH, LunaEclipse17

Genre: Crime/Family/Drama

Rating: NC-17

Summary: At age 7, Edward Cullen witnesses his father's death. Traumatized and terrified, he blames himself and runs away.

Two minor league criminals stumble upon him when he wanders the streets at night, freezing and starving, and they decide to take him in.

Years later, Edward is confronted by his past and must decide if he'll take his rightful place as the head of the Irish Mob, or remain with those who raised him. Based on the plot for The Lion King, which belongs to Disney.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

CHAPTER 20

"We have to show people that you're alive before we challenge Caius," Bella said as she observed Edward acclimating himself with the many parts of a gun. He'd made remarkable progress since he'd decided to return home with her. He no longer broke into a sweat when in the presence of a firearm, and they trained hard to get him used to the sound. He could mostly control his panic attacks by using breathing exercises and differentiating between memory and reality, but they all knew he would most likely always struggle with the remains of what could only be PTSD.

"We do?" Edward asked, his brows set low over his eyes in confusion. "Wouldn't that take away our advantage?"

"I don't mean to tell the entire family. My parents should be told, and so should your mom. She'll be in the mansion when we go there, and we can't have her accidentally caught in the crossfire because she's paralyzed by the shock of seeing you."

Edward squirmed in his seat. He could already feel his nerves grow at the thought of meeting his mom again. How would she react when she realized he'd stayed away of his own volition? How angry would she be when she found out he'd left his dad's body in the street and ran away?

Realistically, he knew she would mostly feel happy to have her son back, but he was certain she'd feel some disappointment as well. There would definitely be a lot of tears and questions he wasn't sure he'd be able to answer.

He sighed. "I know you're right, but it'll be an unpleasant day to get through."

"It will," she agreed as she was under no guise that Esme would handle it well to see her son again for the first time in fourteen years. "So we should plan for it to take place several days before we attack."

"When's our absolute latest deadline again?"

"As of today? Eight weeks and looming closer every day."

Edward started to assemble the gun—something Bella had taught him fairly quickly—and then placed it back on the table with a muted thud. "I'm not learning fast enough. At this pace, I won't be ready in time."

"Don't beat yourself up," Bella said and gave his bicep an encouraging squeeze. "I'm pushing a lifetime of knowledge down your throat and expecting you to know it all after just a few months. It's not fair of me to put this on your shoulders, and I wish I could give you more time."

"Yeah, but we don't have more time, do we?" he said and stood up from his seat as he worked on pushing down his frustrations with himself.

"I know it's easy to become impatient, but you don't see what I see. The headway you've made is nothing short of amazing. You hold yourself with confidence, the way you move around a room reminds me more of Uncle Carl every day, you listen to those around you, and the determination with which you speak makes one want to hear what you have to say. Those are just a few of the things on the long list that already make you a better leader than Caius could ever be."

He looked at her over his shoulder and gave her a small smile. "I appreciate you trying to make me feel better about myself, but how far could I possibly make it as the boss of one of Boston's largest crime families on confidence alone? How humiliating would it be for us all if I never learned how to handle guns?"

Bella snickered and got up from the couch as well to join him where he stood. "You'd be surprised how many mob bosses there are out there without any skills whatsoever. The only reason they have so many people doing their bidding is because they're charismatic, not particularly smart or cunning or skilled. It's why people like me are needed." She winked at him, and he snorted.

"True as that may be, I aspire to be the kind of boss Dad was. I want to be involved and have my people know they can rely on me. That I always want what's best for them. Not constantly send others on my behalf while I sit behind a desk believing in my own pseudo power."

She held on to his upper arms and leaned over his back so she could speak closer to his ear, her chin resting on his shoulder. "And that right there is why I already know you'll be the best kind of boss."

Edward straightened up and turned around, causing Bella to let her hands fall from his arms and down until they found his hands, their fingers weaving together. His eyes traveled between meeting hers and down to her lips, making it very clear what was on his mind.

She couldn't deny it was also on hers.

Whenever her mind took her back to the night they'd found each other again, and the amazing sex they'd had, pleasant shivers buzzed all over her skin and made her heart pound against her rib cage. Despite the agreement they'd come to, she knew she wouldn't have minded a repeat of that night, but there were too many emotions between them now, and Bella didn't do emotions. Not the romantic ones anyway, hence why every man she'd been with after Shaw to reclaim herself, her lust, and her sexuality had been nothing more complicated than regular one-night stands.

"I want to kiss you so badly I barely know what to do with myself," he said and looked at her lips again. His eyes were brimming with much more than just lust, and Bella had to look away. He sighed in disappointment. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course," she immediately said. She had promised herself that she would never keep secrets from Edward, and that included answering whatever questions he had.

"When we agreed to not complicate our situation by pursuing a relationship, did you mean for the time being or indefinitely?"

"Edward ..."

"Because I got it at the time. We moved way too fast that night, and we didn't really know each other, and there were so many uncertainties about everything, but now, it's been almost two months, and we're still avoiding the subject." He held his gaze locked on her and waited for her to turn her head back and meet his eyes. "I don't want to pretend I don't feel something for you."

She retracted her hands from his and buried them in her back pockets. She hadn't felt that insecure or vulnerable about anything since she was sixteen, and she hated that it was Edward who brought it out of her. With anyone else, she could have easily deflected them, changed the subject, and they would move on, but it was physically impossible for her to do that with him. He had always been able to read her much too well.

"You shouldn't," she said quietly and abruptly left the common area to head for her bedroom. It was a cowardly move, but hiding was the only solution her mind could conjure up. However, Edward followed her without missing a beat.

"I shouldn't pretend or I shouldn't feel something for you?" he asked, and she momentarily froze.

"You shouldn't feel something for me," she replied with her back still turned to him and quickly started walking again.

"Why not?" he pressed. He wouldn't be satisfied until he had a real answer. "Unless you're already in a very open relationship with someone else, I don't see why you and I would be such a bad idea. It's what our parents always predicted after all." She tried to close her door, but he stopped her by placing his flat hand on it and holding it open. "Or are you just trying to let me down easy without having to tell me you don't find me attractive?"

She sighed and stopped her attempt at closing her door. "Please, don't play the insecurity card. You're a very attractive man, Edward. More so than I could ever have imagined before we met again. And you're still my best friend. There's no one I trust as unfailingly as I trust you. It would be too easy to fall in love with you," she said, and his heart skipped a beat in anticipation, but he kept his mouth shut because her expression told him she wasn't done. "Which is exactly why I can't go there."

He took a step into the bedroom, but she remained blocking the entrance with her own body. "Bella, talk to me," he pleaded, and his eyes were filled with sincerity. He wasn't pushing for selfish reasons only. He genuinely wanted to know why she struggled. "Why are you running from this?"

"I don't do love," she finally confessed, but he just looked more confused. "Love gives a person power over you, so I stay away from it. At least, the romantic kind. And I definitely can't consider it with you." She left the doorway and walked farther into the room while Edward's body went lax with surprise.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked.

She crossed her arms over her body and shook her head. "Nothing. It means nothing," she said, but it was too late. He wouldn't let it go now.

"It didn't sound like nothing."

Bella grimaced. "I don't want to hurt you."

Edward scoffed. "Well, you're doing a swell job of it," he said sarcastically.

"The plan to bring down Caius has been in the works for years and—"

"Oh, for fuck's sake!" he exclaimed angrily. "This has nothing to do with my shithead of an uncle. This is about you and me."

"It has everything to do with your uncle," Bella insisted and sat down heavily on the edge of her bed. "I have a thousand scenarios swirling around in my head of what can happen when we go home. Only a few of those end with our complete victory and Caius dead on the floor. Too many are of us failing and what the hell we're supposed to do if I give everybody hope by bringing you home, only to miscalculate something that leads to your death, which is more than a plausible outcome, Edward, and you know it."

He shrugged. "Maybe, but what does that have to do with us?"

"Don't you get it?" she asked. "I was there, at the mansion, when they brought Uncle Carl's body home. I saw your mom crumble to pieces on the doorstep and how broken she was, and still is years after it happened. Her love for your dad almost killed her."

Edward shuffled his feet and lowered his eyes to the floor at the thought of his mother's pain the day she not only lost her husband but also her son.

"If I allow myself to fall in love with you, we can just throw all the planning to hell. I can't afford too many emotions right now because I wouldn't be able to function while we take Caius down because I would be preoccupied with worry for you. Maybe once all of this is said and done, I could consider it, but—"

"Love isn't something you plan, Bella," he said and lifted his eyes to her. They were filled with longing and disappointment, but the most prominent emotion was defeat. "But I get your reasoning. I just wish I could switch it off like you can."

He regretted his words as soon as they left his mouth, and he could see that Bella didn't appreciate them much either. Her temper immediately flared, and she glared at him.

"Fuck you, Cullen." She rose from the bed with a huff to reach for her pack of cigarettes. She then pushed past him and went for the terrace, hoping the nicotine would calm her down just enough to keep her from slapping the shit out of him.

However, she should have known he wouldn't let her stew, and he opened the glass door behind her when she'd barely had the time to take the first puff.

"Don't push me, Edward," she said, still defensive and the words left her more harshly than she'd intended. "Do you have any idea how fucking unfair you are when you do that?" She looked at him over her shoulder, and he at least had the decency to look contrite. "I've walked on glass around you since I learned about your past. I've done everything to make things as easy for you as possible, but the second I set a boundary, you can't take it and start acting like a wounded little puppy."

"I'm sorry," he said and genuinely meant it. "I shouldn't have said it."

"No, you definitely shouldn't have," she agreed and turned back to look at the city rooftops. "But I could forgive your words if you hadn't meant them."

"Bella—" he started, but she didn't want to hear it.

"No, Edward. This conversation is done. Until Caius is dead, there is no us. We train, we plan, and we can talk about everything else. Just not this." She exhaled sharply, and then stubbed out the cigarette even though it wasn't finished. "Please," she said and directed her eyes at him. "I'm begging you … not now."

His chest tightened, and it felt as if his heart sank to the bottom of his stomach, but he nodded anyway.

"Thank you," she said and moved to go back inside.

"Could I have one of your smokes?" he asked before she closed the door, and she handed him her pack and lighter. He immediately lit one and laid down on one of the wooden sun loungers Bella had on the terrace. The sky was mockingly clear blue, and he blew the smoke up to ruin the illusion even if only for a second.

He knew he had fucked up. He also knew that if he didn't do anything and just let the issue fade into obscurity, everything would eventually go back to normal, but he didn't want prolonged tension between him and Bella. What he wanted was clearly something he couldn't have at the moment, but it killed him to think they might not get the chance in the future either. It all depended on the outcome of the upcoming fight with Caius.

To Edward, it was logical to make use of the time they knew they had together, but he couldn't deny the truth of Bella's statements either. He wouldn't have a reason to fear for Bella's safety because she wouldn't be the one in danger in a fight, but the thought of indirectly distracting her with his own inexperience caused him to shudder.

With a frustrated groan, Edward finished his cigarette and went back inside with his head spinning with questions about how to fix the situation he'd created with Bella.

—{(DP)}—

"You okay, dude?"

Edward turned his head toward the sound of Emmett's voice and saw his brother giving him a concerned look.

"I've been better," he said honestly and let out an exhale as he directed his eyes back at the ceiling.

"What happened?" Emmett sat down on the edge of the couch where Edward had parked himself. "Tension's so thick in the apartment, Jasper and I felt it the second we came back from Dimitri's." Emmett and Jasper were well on their way to becoming experts with their firearms, and they spent every day at the shooting range. Dimitri had proudly reported back that they hit their targets seventy-five percent of the time, and that he looked forward to sending his bill to the new head of the Cullen Family. "Did you and Bella fight?"

"You could say that." He pulled his elbows under himself so he was halfway sitting up. "I acted like a complete idiot and forced my feelings on her. Now I'm terrified I've ruined everything."

"I doubt that," Emmett said and tried giving him a reassuring smile. "Girls love it when guys talk about feelings and stuff. It's what gets them going."

Edward gave him an exasperated glare. "Yeah? Does it look like Bella loved it? What other brilliant statements have you got?"

Emmett rolled his eyes at him, not at all taking his quips at him personally. "I'm just saying that even if she wasn't ready to hear it today, a part of her will be relieved to know where you stand. She'll be able to focus on herself without the stress of wondering 'does he' or 'doesn't he'." He shrugged as if what he said wasn't a big deal, but Edward stared at him as if he'd grown a second head.

"Where the hell did that come from?" he asked. "My brother isn't usually that wise."

A chuckle left Emmett, and he winked at him. "Oh, don't say that. I've always been wise. Except when hot girls are around. It gets strangely difficult to think straight when a beautiful creature looks at you. But I'm self-aware enough to know I become an idiot."

"Who the fuck are you?" Edward had an exceptionally hard time wrapping his head around the new version of Emmett. He appreciated everything he said, but he was also freaking out a little.

"I've always been here," he said and patted Edward's leg. "I was just in Jasper's shadow." He got up from the couch and left Edward alone.

He hadn't considered it before, but suddenly, it was crystal clear how often Emmett had allowed Jasper to be the talking one between the two. Edward was reeling from the sudden realization that he'd underestimated Emmett's intelligence too many times simply because he was more quiet than their older brother. And he also realized with a start that Emmett was right. It wasn't a bad thing that he'd laid down his cards on the table for Bella. Her reaction wasn't the one he'd wanted, but she hadn't outright rejected him either. All she'd said was "not now", and he had to be okay with that.

With so much going on and with so many things about to happen in the near future, Bella was well in her right to put a stop to him and requested they halt the conversation until Caius was dealt with.

Edward didn't need to fix that. He just had to accept it and respect her decision.

With that knowledge, he rose from the couch to find Bella—which wasn't particularly difficult since she was still in her bedroom. He tentatively knocked on the door and opened it to find her in some sort of advanced yoga pose with her entire weight supported on her hands only.

She got out of the pose and stood up to face him. Edward was mesmerized by a small droplet of sweat that ran down her throat and into her cleavage, but he quickly cleared his head and gave her an apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry," he said and continued before she could reply. "I shouldn't have pushed you, and you're right. We have other, more important things to focus on right now, and I don't want this to take away from that. I don't want to disrespect your boundaries, so when this is all over, we can talk about this then. Completely on your terms, of course."

Bella gave him a small, but still tense, smile. "You're so sweet, Edward. Thank you." She went up to him and placed a gentle hand on his cheek. "Don't mistake me, I like your assertive side, and I would actually like to see more of it, but I'm glad you can see it's not the time or place right now." Her hand traced down from his cheek until it settled on his chest. "Let's get your crown first, and then we'll talk, okay?"

He nodded. "I'll hold you to that," he said with a small smirk, playing into the side of him that Bella liked. The one who took charge.

"Please do."

A/N:

This conversation was sorely needed. Their meeting and the speed with which they had sex has been hanging over them without actually being talked about, and while Bella has no issues with showing her true emotions around Edward, she's naturally a very guarded person when matters get dangerously close to the heart.

She's grieved him once before, and then it was only as a friend and what-could-have-been. Acknowledging her feelings before a fight where it's a likely possibility for casualties, of course she'll be cautious.

Luckily, Edward understood that in the end.

As usual, next chapter is on Sunday. Have a good rest of your week, and I'll see you then ;-)

Stay Awesome!