AN: Yes, I know it's been a couple of months. I am continuing to write as quickly as I can, but DiMD is definitely a priority for me. Oh, and my kids and husband too. LOL.

I know I totally suck at answering reviews for The Hive. I am reading every one, however, and your continued support keeps me going, so thank you so much.

Also, huuuuuge thank yous go to my wonderful pre-readers Melee03 and 6dlb5.

~xoxoxoxo~

Chapter 6:

We trailed back through corridors and tunnels, up steps and down more corridors. The place was a fucking maze and there was no way I was even going to find my way out if I got lost. . . or trapped. Bella held onto my hand while Emmett and Alice bickered in front of us. I kept wondering if they really got into a fight, who would win. He had to be two and half times her size, but she didn't look like she took any shit. Plus, she was armed.

We reached our apparent destination and Emmett yanked open a heavy door before stopping abruptly. I almost smacked into him, but Bella tugged me back.

"Hold on," he said, lifting up one of his hands.

"For what?"

"For me to do my job."

I felt Bella's grip tighten and looked down at her. A brief smile emerged and disappeared just as quickly.

"You okay?"

"Yes," she stated simply.

"Just pay attention," Emmett directed. "She's going to get extra attention today, because everyone's wondering whoyouare."

I could hear the slight disdain in his voice, but ignored it. I just nodded to indicate that I wouldn't let my guard down.

We began walking forward again into the large open room. There were tables and chairs all over the place and a delicious aroma permeating the air. People were laughing and talking. There also appeared to be families, children hanging off their mothers or chasing each other in circles. I watched them. Stared. It had been a long time since I'd seen a child, much less several of them in one place. I watched two little boys, who couldn't have been more than five, sword fighting with sticks. Nearby, a couple of older girls, maybe nine or ten, sat on the floor giggling, singing, and playing clapping games.

"Are you hungry?" Bella asked softly, shifting my attention back to her.

My stomach growled at the mention of food. It had to have been close to eleven at night. I was fucking starving. I nodded and pulled her closer. The room suddenly started getting quieter as people lifted and turned their heads towards us.

"Go sit down," Alice ordered flatly. "I'll get food."

Something told me I shouldn't mess with her, so I kept my smart-ass comment to myself and followed Emmett, who led us across the room to an empty round table. Bella sat down, never letting go of my hand, so I was pulled down beside her.

"Why is everyone eating so late?"

"It's hard to gauge time when you're hidden away in a mountain. During the week, things are much more stringent. We have alarms that sound telling us where we are to be and when, but on the weekends, they turn them off. We are free to be up and out as late as we want as long as there's no trouble."

Slowly, the people in the room went back to what they were doing, only occasionally stealing glances at us. It still made me uncomfortable, until I felt an overwhelming calm hit me. I turned my head to find my doll looking guilty.

"Relax," she whispered. "Let them be on guard. You just pay attention to me."

I leaned down and pressed my forehead against hers. "Like I have the ability to do otherwise."

Bella grinned and wet her lips.

"Uh-hem," a distinctly feminine throat cleared. I looked up to see Alice standing over us. Next to her was the other bodyguard, Jasper, who stayed silent and looming. His grey eyes probed me almost as if he could see through me. I didn't look away from him. Looking away was a sign of weakness, a sign of a submissive. That is something I was not.

They set down steaming bowls of what looked like stew, some bread, and a couple of spoons in front of us.

"Thank you," I mumbled.

Bella reached out and slid her fingers down Alice's forearm. Alice smiled at her.

I watched them sit down, close enough to protect if needed, but far enough away that Bella and I could have a private conversation.

"What did you just do?" I asked curiously.

"What do you mean?"

"With Alice? The touch?"

"Oh. Nothing." She laughed quietly. I didn't like it. I gripped her thigh under the table to get her attention as she lifted a dipped piece of bread to her mouth.

It wasn't hard, but she gasped loudly anyway. Jasper, Alice and Emmett all lifted their heads. I ignored them and tilted my head at Bella, widening my eyes expectantly.

"Alice and I have been friends for a very long time," she explained. "She's one of those who allowed me to test my abilities on her before I had any control at all." Bella set her bread back down and turned her whole body towards mine. This must have satisfied her guards that I wasn't going to hurt her so they went back to what they were doing. Jasper said something to Alice and she laughed, planting a kiss on his lips. Emmett shoveled food into his mouth. Bella continued. "When I know someone that intimately, I can gauge how much of something they need. Alice is expecting. She's been too uptight. I gave her a mix of calm and happy and love."

"She's expecting?"

"Newly, yes. No one else knows, other than Jasper and me, so I trust you'll keep it to yourself?"

I nodded. Who the hell was I gonna tell?

"Who are they, your friends? How did they get here?"

Bella hummed. "I can give you basics. Their stories are their own though." She took a bite of her stew and I did the same. It was actually really good, thick with potatoes, carrots, and other vegetables. There didn't appear to be any meat, however, which made sense, I guess, since I doubt they had access to cattle or livestock inside the mountain. Even outside, meat was a rarity. It was expensive and you didn't always know what you were getting.

Bella pointed her spoon across the table discreetly. "Emmett's twenty-two. He showed up here on his own about five years ago. His mother was murdered and his father taken into custody. He had a little sister who was taken in by a neighbor, but they disappeared. Emmett had to fend for himself. It took him like two months, but he made his way here."

I looked at Emmett who had joined the conversation between Jasper and Alice.

"Jasper's twenty-six, he was a soldier."

That took me off guard. About ten years prior, the military had gone sort of rouge. Soldiers turned on their commanders. Rules and guidelines were thrown out the window. People were forced into service without their permission. They became their own entity, influenced by no one, fighting against both government and civilians. No one left unless it was in a body bag.

"How?"

"Two years ago, his twin sister was dying. Bone cancer. Their parents had been killed in a raid. She had no one. His superiors wouldn't let him leave to take care of her, so he deserted and brought her here so that they couldn't trace him. She died about eight weeks later. He intended on returning, facing his punishment, but. . ."

Bella's eyes flashed towards Alice.

"Alice is twenty. She was born here, like me. You probably met her mother, Esme. She often greets new arrivals."

I thought back to the beautiful woman who had met me, but I hadn't looked closely enough to remember anything about her features.

"Esme is Charlie's cousin."

"And her daughter is his bodyguard?"

Bella grinned. "Alice is a dead shot and she's not afraid to pull the trigger. When she was ten, she shot a man who was attacking her mother from fifty yards away."

"Killed him?"

"No. Shot him in the balls. He lost both testicles. Now he's no good to anyone. "

I winced.

Bella laughed. "Told you she was a dead shot."

"Bet the fucker wishes he was dead."

"Her father is Carlisle. He's one of the doctors. Not formally trained. He was only nineteen when he came here, but what better way to learn than to be thrown into the fire? He's a good man."

I notice movement out of the corner of my eye and turn to see the tall blond, Rose, walking in, heading straight for Emmett with a smile on her face.

"That's Rose. She's twenty-one. She came here with her Dad and step-mom when she was fifteen. They had another baby a few years ago so they live in the family unit. Rose is a teacher there."

"And Rose is Emmett's. . ."

"Mate." She lowered her eyes as if embarrassed. "She's his wife," she corrected. "He found her shortly after our sexual relationship ended. They're hoping to have a baby, too, but it hasn't happened yet. I give them what I can, though, so maybe soon."

Lifting her chin, I tried to figure out what she was thinking.

She sighed. "I'm so used to focusing on the reproduction that I sometimes forget about the actual relationships. They're more than just animals trying to procreate. They love each other."

"Have you ever loved anyone?" I ask without thinking.

"I've loved lots of people." She sniffed, refusing to look at me.

"You know what I mean."

She shrugged. "I loved my mother. I love Alice. I love them all, in a way. But, I can't afford to love like they do, Edward. That's not my life. That's not my purpose."

I opened my mouth to respond, but nothing came out. I had no idea what to say.

"You must have loved, though. Your fiance?"

A heavy pressure hit my chest from the inside.

"Sofia," I grunted.

"Tell me about her? Please?"

"There's not much to tell. I'd known her my whole life. Our mother's were best friends. We were expected to get married."

"You must have loved her deeply then."

"I didn't think I had a choice."

"What happened?" she asked softly.

I didn't really want to talk about it, but it didn't really matter anymore. It was what it was. The past.

"We were living together. We woke up, had coffee, and then I left for a briefing with my superiors."

"You were an assassin?"

"I was trained to take out government dictators and high powered corporate officials."

"But you killed innocents as well," she stated.

"I killed whoever I was told to kill. It was either that or they tortured my family in front of me before putting a bullet in my skull."

"And Sofia? Was she a government dictator or a high powered corporate official?"

I know Bella doesn't actually believe that she was either and I hold back my agitation.

"She was feeding them secrets, things I'd told her in confidence. Hideouts of civilian forces and their families. Her betrayal took out one hundred and thirty-six people in one go."

"You were ordered to kill her."

I nodded.

"Did she know?"

"She did the moment I walked in the door with my second standing behind me. My orders were to kill her. His orders were to make sure I did it properly."

Bella frowned. "And your family?"

"They didn't believe me when I told them I found her that way. They turned their backs on me. I don't know what happened to them after that. I was sent away. I never went back."

Bella was silent. I hadn't even realized that the entire table was looking at me. Apparently, they could all hear our discussions better than they had previously let on. Emmett and Rose had looks of interest on their faces. Jasper, understanding. Alice's face was neutral, cautious.

I went back to eating. That was it. There was nothing more to tell. Did I love Sofia? Of course I did. Was I ever truly in love with her? Not really. I couldn't be. I was trained to be an emotionless killer from the time I was eighteen years old. The emotion that came along with something like that would have been a fatal flaw. I guess I understood Bella's situation better than I thought. Love had no place in either of our lives. It was not what we were programmed for.

I glanced around the room again. "Do you know everyone here?" I asked changing the subject.

"No," Bella answered, shaking her head. "I know a lot of faces, but I'm. . . sort of sheltered."

"No shit?" I asked sarcastically.

Bella laughed. "Don't let them get to you, Edward. They're just protective."

I nod and dip my bread into my bowl before stuffing it into my mouth.

"This is really good."

The rest of our meal was spent in idle chatter. Bella motioned for the rest of the table to move closer after I realized that our private conversation wasn't ever really private. I didn't mind. If I intended on keeping Bella, I needed them on my side. I listened to the banter between them and laughed under my breath as they teased Emmett about his inability to dance.

"I can move," he insisted.

"Yeah, like an elephant in a room full of glass," Rose teased.

Emmett looked offended for a minute before standing up. He pulled Rose up behind him and threw her over his shoulder.

"Let's go then, baby. I'll show you."

Rose started swearing, but it didn't look like she was fighting too hard.

Bella laughed. "You want to dance? It's the last night for the club until next weekend."

I hadn't danced in so long. In fact, I couldn't actually remember the last time I danced. I was pretty sure that even Emmett's elephant in a room full of glass impression would show me up, but the brightness in my doll's eyes was irresistible. I stood up.

"Let's go."

The club was already thumping when we approached it. I could feel the vibrations long before we actually reached the door and I found my body reacting to the beat.

"Will you be okay in there?" I asked Bella.

"Of course. They won't touch me. Especially not with you here. They won't have to." She reached up, brushing her thumb over my lower lip. "Besides, Emmett and Jasper won't be far."

"No, we won't," Jasper said from behind me, just before Emmett opened the door. A blast of heat and thick air hit us with force.

Walking in, I noticed that we were beside the bar. Rose headed straight for it. It seemed so out of place in this society.

"What do they serve at the bar?" I asked, watching people drinking out of metal cups.

"Alcohol." Bella deadpanned.

"Ha ha, doll. What kind?"

"Home brew and moonshine," she said cheerfully. "It's regulated though. It's really strong so no one is allowed more than two."

"Do you drink?"

"Nope. It diminishes my control."

"It diminishes everyone's control." I chuckled. "That's the fun of it."

"In my case, that could cause all sorts of problems. I have a hard enough controlling certain things as it is. And having you around makes it sooooo much worse."

I winked at her and slid my hand down over her ass, giving it a firm squeeze.

Alice followed Rose and the two of them clinked their cups together before downing whatever it is they had.

"Go on," Bella said to Jasper and Emmett who were apparently still in guard mode. "We'll be fine."

After a moment of assessing the situation, they joined their women for a drink before being dragged into the fray of moving bodies. I snorted loudly when Emmett started to dance. He really couldn't. Rose whispered something in his ear and I had to look away as he started to gyrate.

Bella laughed loudly. "Oh, my God. Do you want a drink?"

"No," I answered. "I don't need one. I've got you to intoxicate me."

I pressed my lips together as tightly as I could, trying not to laugh.

"I've lived here my whole life, Edward, and even I know that was lame," she scoffed playfully.

"Sorry." I pulled her close to me and before I knew it we were moving to the music. Bella swayed her hips back and forth. Her hands moved over her body and then onto mine. Her fingernails scraped against my abs. I lost myself to her. In her eyes. There was so much depth and emotion.

I could feel sweat dripping down my chest. I was uncomfortably hot. Ripping my shirt up over my head, I threw it into a corner. Bella writhed against me. She, too, had beads of sweat forming on her forehead, her shoulders, her neck, her chest. I watched them slip and slide over her wet skin. In the light from the pillars, it almost looked like she was sparkling. It proved to be too much for me. I bent down and dragged my tongue across her neck, tasting the salty flesh.

She moaned and I felt the first wave. If I hadn't had an erection already, this would have done it immediately. The music kept pulsing as our hips crashed together, seeking friction. I had to bend my knees and she danced on her toes, but we were right where we needed to be.

The second wave hit me when I pressed my mouth against hers and skimmed my hands up her side. Still moving to the music, still lost, I absorbed it.

We stayed like that for I don't know how long. I had no idea what people around us were doing or if they were being affected by what was happening between us. I didn't really give a shit either. All I saw was my doll, all I felt was her body and her breath.

All of the sudden, Bella was jerked back. Not of her own volition, but she was actually pulled away from me. She yelped in pain as a guy with shaggy blond hair stood behind her, wrapped one arm around her waist, and held her face in his large hand.

My instincts told me to fight, to kill, but the look in her eyes pinned me down. She didn't want me to move.

Emmett and Jasper appeared immediately on either side of Bella and her captor. Between the three of us, we could probably have ripped him apart, but I wasn't so sure we could get it done without hurting her in the process.

"Awww, what's this, baby? They think I'm going to hurt you," he sneered. He dragged the tip of his nose up the side of her neck. "I'd never hurt you. You know that, right?"

"Let her go, James," Emmett warned. "She's not yours anymore."

"I never was," Bella shot.

"You would have been. If we could have made that baby you wanted so badly."

I could feel the hair on the back of my neck and arms stand straight up. She told me she was sterile and yet she tried to have a baby with this douche-bag?

"I just needed a few more months. We could have made it happen."

Bella's eyes flickered up to me. "No, we couldn't have," she said flatly. "I was lonely and desperate to prove the doctors wrong. You took advantage of that. Get the fuck away from me."

"I like it when you get all feisty." He looked up at me. "She's a wildcat, isn't she? Nothing like her in this world. Just don't start believing that you're special. You're not. None of us are. She'll use you up and throw you out like she always does."

There was a flash of movement and before I knew it, James was on the ground, blood pouring from his nose and mouth, and Bella was tossed almost effortlessly into my arms. I had amazing reflexes, but Jasper was a motherfucking ninja. As James tried to figure out what the hell had happened, Alice stepped over him, one foot on either side of his chest, pointing her gun straight down at his face.

"Jesus Christ," I swore.

James tried to sit up, but Alice put her toe against his forehead, pushing him back down. "Wanna try me?" she taunted, cocking the hammer.

He looked at Bella, who straightened herself up, turned emotionlessly, and walked away. I followed her, feeling like a pussy. I hadn't done anything to protect her. If he had really wanted to hurt her, I would have been left standing there, watching.

Now I needed a drink.

"Here," Rose said, reading my mind and handing me a cup of what smelled like pure alcohol. I downed it in two gulps. It was pure alcohol. I felt it burn all the way down. Emmett was looking Bella over about five feet from us. Looking back, James was gone and Jasper was talking to some chick with huge muscles.

"He's jealous," Rose spoke without looking at me. "James. She kept him longer than most. He thought maybe he could slither his way to the top through her, but she got bored."

"She tried to get pregnant with his child?" I asked bitterly. "Did she know she was sterile?"

"Yes, she did. Charlie had the doctors all over her trying to figure her out. They discovered that the few eggs she has aren't viable. She doesn't even ovulate. Whatever it is that gives her the ability to induce fertility, has taken her own away. She was in a bad place. Like she said, she wanted to prove them wrong. She wanted out. This isn't easy for her, you know? Having an entire civilization count on her for its survival."

"Including you."

"She's my friend," Rose snapped. "Even if I asked her not to, she'd do what she could. Now, mind your own fucking business." She grabbed my cup out of my hand and walked away from me just as Emmett finished going over Bella.

"Are you okay?" I asked Bella when I reached her.

"I'm fine." She looked up. I followed her gaze to see Charlie standing on a balcony above us. On one side of him was the blond female guard, on the other, another guard with olive skin and a bald head. Both had weapons visible. All three were staring right at me and Bella.

"I need you to do something for me," Bella whispered.

"What?" I asked, feeling a sense of dread.

"I'm going to go play. I need you to relax and go with it."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" I growled.

"I'll come back to you," she promised, looking to the side. "That girl there, she wants you."

I looked over to see a scantily dressed girl watching us. Watching me.

"Go dance with her."

"Huh?"

Bella rolled her eyes. "Go. Dance. With. Her. Ignore me. I'll have Alice come get you when it's safe."

She kissed my cheek and pulled away.

I glanced at the girl again. She was kinda hot, but I didn't want her. I wanted my doll.

Before I could move, Bella's lips were at my ear. "And don't let her touch your cock. It belongs to me."

Then she was gone, swallowed by the crowd and away from me. I approached the girl Bella had pointed out cautiously.

"Hi," she purred. "I'm Joy."

"Edward."

"You're hers?"

I wanted to say yes, but Charlie was still watching me. I smiled at her instead.

"I'm no ones."

She grinned. "Good."

We began moving. I tried to pay attention to her, but I was more worried about where my doll was and what "playing" consisted of. I'd catch glimpses of her, but that was it. It was almost as though she were intentionally staying out of my line of sight. That made me more agitated than anything.

Joy's hands were all over the place. I let them roam over my arms, chest and back, but the second they begin fiddling with the waistband of my pants, I move them back up. She continued to try to seduce me, but I had no interest.

"Are you shy?" she teased.

"No," I grunted, pushing her hand away from my dick again.

"Come back to my quarters with me then."

Before I could say no, Alice stepped in between us.

"Excuse me," she smiled sweetly at Joy. "My turn."

I laughed as she pulled me away.

"Thank you."

"I didn't do it for you. Bella's ready to go."

We walked through a door where I my doll was standing with Jasper. She didn't appear happy, but she smiled at me regardless.

"What did you do?" I asked.

"Charlie wanted to make sure I wasn't getting too attached to you."

"Are you?"

She smirked and tugged on her viper bites with her thumb and index finger. "Maybe."

"What did you do to convince him?"

"What I always do. I flirted, I gave people what they needed and I left by myself. He must have been satisfied, because he left five minutes before Alice interrupted your. . . seduction."

"She's got nothing on you."

"I know." She laughed. "That's exactly why I sent you her way. You ready?"

"Absolutely."

Jasper and Alice walked in front of us, hand in hand. Three flights up the stairs, they said goodnight. Bella kissed Jasper so close to his mouth it was almost enough to piss me off, but Alice didn't seem agitated by it and he was hers, so I let it go. She was taking me to her bed once again so I had no reason to be angry.

When we got to her quarters, she began stripping down. I watched her until the last stitch of clothing was peeled from her body before I taking off my shoes and pants. I'd forgotten my shirt in the club, but it didn't matter.

Bella climbed into bed and I followed, scooping her tiny body up into my arms and kissing her along her collarbone.

"I want to make love to you," she whispered, threading her fingers through my hair as I kissed the flat area between her breasts. "I want it slow and gentle. I want to feel everything the way it's supposed to feel."

"Okay," I panted working my way back up to her neck.

"But I can't. Not tonight."

"Why not?" I asked, halting what I was doing to see her face.

"Because I'm going to bleed soon. My hormones run high during this time. I need it hard and fast or not at all."

I stared at her in confusion. Did she want me to fuck her or not?

"As much as I want you, we need a break." She lowered her eyes. "I'll bleed tomorrow for three days. If you want to go back to her until I'm done, I won't stop you."

"I don't want her," I insisted.

She touched my face and I felt a feeling of euphoria hit me. "I can make you cum if you'd like."

I shook my head. She didn't get it. "I'm not an animal, Bella. I don't need sexual gratification for the sake of it. I'll wait for you."

"You're the first to ever say no," she murmured. I ignored the comment. I didn't want to think about others.

"What about you? I'll do whatever you need. I don't have to use my cock. If you want to feel good. . .

She giggled. "I want you to hold me. All night. That will make me feel good."

"That's it?"

She nodded.

"Okay," I agreed, trying to will my hard-on away. It wasn't actually that difficult. One image of her in that fucker James' grasp deflated me completely. I didn't know what Jasper had done to him, but if he ever tried to get that close to Bella again, I was going to rip his beating heart right out of his body and shove it down his throat.

She moved onto her side and I settled in behind her, my arm wrapped firmly around her waist, my thigh draped over her legs. It didn't take long for the exhaustion to completely overcome my body and I was almost grateful for Bella's insistence that we take a break. If we had started what would have very likely been another all night fuck-fest, I would have been dead by morning.

"You're the first to ever do this too," she said softly, running her fingertips over the hair on my arm.

"What?" I mumbled, half asleep.

"Treat me like a lover and not a means to an end."

I kissed her shoulder before burying my face into her hair.

"Hmmm. That's because I'm not looking for an end."

~xoxoxoxo~

AN: Awww. Our assassin is getting all sweet on us. . . sort of. LOL. Thank you again for reading. :oD