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Edward shot her a consoling look, his eyes resigned to fate. Emmett captured her in his metallic grip and covered her mouth with his hand, so that she couldn't scream and attract James' attention. She shook herself, trying to get rid of his grip, but he was three times her size, and ten times as strong.

Carlisle and Jasper took Edward's arms reluctantly and steadied him as the captain slit his sack shirt off, where it fell to a head on the deck floor.

Bella moaned, NO! Not Edward! He had been so kind to her..

James raised his whip, "twenty lashes; deck punishment".

Bella shut her eyes, squeezing tightly, before she could see the pain inflicted.

Edward's first groan echoed over the deck, Bella blinked tears back, crying wasn't going to help now.

Nineteen lashes later, she was released by Emmett, as the sound of the hatch closing behind James shook the ship, along with his screamed orders to continue work.

Bella gripped Edward's arm, not remembering scrambling across the deck to reach him, not caring either.

He shot her a weak smile, "Don't look so worried, Bella," she tried to obey, used to following orders, however the worry stuck to her face.

She took his hand from Jasper's arm, which he was leaning on to stay upright and helped him down to the hatch.

Jasper shot her a grateful look and went back to doing the work James had ordered.

Bella pulled Edward into his cabin, he rested on her heavily, and that scared her. She led him into the crew's parlour, and he collapsed onto a chair, careful not to touch his sore back to the chair.

Swallowing deeply to prepare herself, Bella walked around to the back of the seat to look at the damage to his back.

Edward twisted around and stood up unsteadily.

A frown spread across her features. "Sit down, I want to look at your back."

Edward shook his head, "No you don't"

"Yes, I do" crossing her arms she moved to stand in front of him.

"No"

"How am I supposed to help you if I don't know what I'm wrapping bandages around? Well?" She raised her eyebrow accusingly. Hoping that he wouldn't pick up on how bemused she was.

"You Don't have to help me Bella."

"Do"

"Don't"

"Yes Edward, I really do. Who else will do it?" she sighed, this was ridiculous.

Edward shook his head, hair falling into his green eyes, giving Bella a funny feeling in her tummy.

"Jasper or Emmett .... maybe Carlisle?" he mumbled, barely audible.

Bella rolled her eyes, imagining a huge man trying to fiddle with delicate bandages. She looked over to Edward and saw a hunch in his brow. She gasped; he really didn't want her to heal him!

"Well, I had no idea you were so opposed to the idea of me touching you." She bit out, her venomous reply not disguising the hurt in her voice, as she turned on her heel and stomped towards the door.

Edward's face twisted into a pained expression, "No Bella, I never meant that!"

She raised an eyebrow inquiringly, folding her arms and tapping her foot.

"I...I don't want you to have to see me...weak, you know?" He shifted uncomfortably.

Bella looked incredulous, or in pain, but she hoped it was the first. "No actually, I don't know. Why ever not?"

Edward frowned slightly, looking genuinely puzzled, "Um, I don't know."

Bella sighed again. Her brown fair fanning away from her face wildly, "If you have no reasons, and I promise I'll hurt you a lot less than Emmett..."

"Bella, will you heal me? Edward interrupted her. He blushed as she looked surprised, "err... Please?"

She nodded, "sure". She smiled and swallowed once more, at her request he spun around slowly, she blinked. Having her emotions under a tight enough rein so that they didn't give away her horror.

Each whip mark was surrounded by blood and plasma; his skin (what little of it that wasn't broken) was red and sore-looking.

The blood dripped onto his trousers and onto the floor. She winced automatically at the carpet.

Edward turned back around, and she braced herself for another argument...

That never came.

He stepped forward, eyes glued on hers, heavy-lidded.

"I'm really sorry for hurting you Bella", he whispered.

She swallowed: he was close, really close.

He leant down, her feet glued to the floor. She didn't know if she would have moved if she could have, she didn't know anything. Think Bella.

His hair, so bronze it gleamed in the dusk light that shone through the curtain in the porthole. His eyes bore into hers. His skin, the heat coming from his body, she could feel it now.

He paused for a moment, as her breathing came in silent gasps. His head tipped down slowly towards hers where they brushed warm across her won. He caught her lips properly, and massaged her lips with his own.

"Bella," he breathed her name, she shivered at how he said her name, with desire. She breathed in quickly, he smelled of soap and sweat, his bare chest brushing against her breasts. Her hands moved up to his shoulders, as his rested on her hips, drawing her closer.

Her hands continued, brushing over his chest and moved to stroke his back. Edward flinched.

Pulling back quickly she saw the pain cross his face. Her hand flew to her mouth as she gasped in shock. Stepping backwards, her hands flew around in a helpless attempt to make him feel better.

His hands clasped around her wrists before pinning them to her sides.

He brushed another kiss against her lips, smiling as he withdrew.

Momentarily dazed it took a moment before Bella remembered what she was going to do.

"erm, well, oh yes, your back" she blinked a few times before grabbing his arm and laid his across the bunk.

She arranged him so that his hands were resting underneath his head, elbows pointing,a dn his poor, bleeding back exposed to the air, where she could tape it up.

He smiled, "You're quite the little nurse".

She smirked, "Uh uh, when I'm finished with you, I'll more resemble a dentist."

He winced, " pulling out my teeth?"

She nodded smiling, " you bet".

He laughed, "I'm sure if it's you doing it I'll be fine, I don't think you'd hurt a fly Bella."

"Sure," she joked, picking out the first roll of bandaging from the cupboard. She set it against his skin, dripping brandy across the material, he gasped as it stung and burned.

"Blimey, you weren't joking."

"I wish I was," she said soflty, tying the bandage and moving onto the second of the twenty wounds.

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