A/N: Big thanks to Brooke ALWAYS for all her wonderful ideas and contributions to this story, Arrow # 3! Also, I'd like to thank all of my readers who have taken time to tell their friend's about my story, I can't tell you how much I appreciate that! So Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Disclaimer: The characters of Twilight are owned by Stephenie Meyer and a big thanks to her for letting me play with them! The original content and ideas of this story are those of TheGirlNtheYellowShoes.


The Dragon

"Sword of truth, fly swift and sure, that evil die and good endure." ~ Flora, Sleeping Beauty

I don't know how far we walked into the over grown forest, but it felt desperately far. Far enough that they could get away with hell and no one would know. I found myself wondering where heaven was that Edward had spoke would also fight for me. Be logical Bella. I racked my brain for a bone, trying to will myself awake if I was really asleep, and wishing I'd trip and fall back through a portal somehow if I wasn't, but also terrified of leaving Maggie and Adam without any answers.

I don't know if when I finally did trip, it was on purpose or I was pushed, but I couldn't escape the pain that made its way through my head as I hit the tree trunk in front of me. I moaned and momentarily had to come to terms with the idea that if I was asleep, such things wouldn't seem so real... would they?

I felt a kick in my side where my cracked rib was and I cried out in pain.

"You stupid little twit." I heard Jameson say, "You honestly think you can threaten me and get away with it?"

His hand come down hard against my head where I had hit the tree and whimpered in pain again. The force of the blow making my vision go blurry and stars shown in my eye sight.

"What the hell are you doing Jameson?" One of the men yelled not moving from his spot. I got the sense he was afraid to cross James, but at the same time not sure what was happening. This didn't seem to be what he had bargained for.

"I'll tell you what I'm doing. This little whore is going to get exactly what she wanted." he said yanking me off the ground and shoving me up against the tree. I tried to focus and I considered hitting him, but worried fighting back would make it all the more enjoyable for him. There was a loud ripping sound as the front of my dress fell open, exposing my right leg, I felt myself begin to shake involuntarily as his hand met my thigh and his nails dug into my flesh. "So what do you say Annabella? Finish what you started?"

Tears cascaded down my face, "I hope you rot in hell." I whispered.

His hand came up to wrap around my neck and he squeezed, cutting off my wind pipe. I squirmed against his hand, bringing my own hands up to claw at his as he choked me. His laughter at my meager attempt to fight back rang in my ears as I began to hit him with what little strength I could muster before feeling myself begin to slip into unconsciousness from the lack of oxygen.

All of a sudden the laughter stopped abruptly and I dropped to the ground gasping for air as his hand went missing from my neck. I tried to focus again, my vision still foggy from the blow to the head. I heard muffled cries and pleas for life, causing panic to rise inside of me. I attempted to crawl away from the tree but my shaky arms couldn't hold my body weight. I rolled over to lay on my back trying to keep as still as possible and steady my breath. I stared at the sky through the trees, the little blurry stars finally coming into focus as I heard a final grunt washed away by deadly silence.

It was all over so quickly and after a few moments I found myself staring up at Edward as he hovered over me. A lone tear fell down my cheek as I coughed and reached up to touch my neck again. Edward grabbed my hand to stop me, holding onto it for a moment. I felt my panic subside as it turned to relief.

"Eh..."

"shhhh." he said putting a cool finger to my lips and grazing them softly. There was pain evident on his face.

I furrowed an eyebrow at him as he let his eyes wander down my body. His cool hand grazed my skin as he inspected the wound on my inner thigh, causing me to gasp lightly and shiver. He froze, turning his gaze back to my face before pulling my dress closed to keep out the cool air.

I felt my eyelids getting heavy and fought to keep them open. Edward pulled me close to him, brushing my hair out of my face and lifting my upper body up off the ground so that I was partially sitting. I watched him cautiously as he inspected my head wound, worried that he might not be able to handle the blood. I searched his eyes and squinted to check the circles under them before realizing that clearly the last thing on his mind right now was feeding.

I felt like a fool. Why couldn't I grasp the fact that someone possibly cared for me deeply enough to be able to put their own needs aside for myself. Jake. That was why. I looked away from Edward's face, worried he would see the confusion and conflict in my face. That's when I saw Jameson on the ground a few feet away and his lifeless body was staring at me. I gasped and cried out in terror and in pain as I felt the ground disappear from beneath me.

"shhhh, my darling." Edward said in a beautifully smooth yet hushed voice.

A loud sob escaped my throat as he cradled me in his arms and I felt his head inch closer to the side of my own head. He brushed the hair away from my cheek with his nose and brought his lips up to my ear instantly causing my body to relax and causing me to lean into him, "You're safe now my Bella. Rest."

And, yet again, I slipped into a dreamless dark slumber.

*~*~*~*~*

"At some point, you have to make a decision. Boundaries don't keep other people out. They fence you in. Life is messy. That's how we're made. So, you can waste your lives drawing lines. Or you can live your life crossing them. But there are some lines... that are way too dangerous to cross." - Meredith, Grey's Anatomy.

*~*~*~*~*

A crackle in the fire woke me, much like my first day here. I opened my eyes slowly this time and took in a slow breath. I ached all over and I was well aware that something bad had happened. Something very bad. I was lying on a homemade cot on the floor in front of the fire in the old Cullen castle. I shifted my head slightly, ignoring the pain, to see the fire roar upward from the red ambers and wood in the fireplace. I followed the length of the flames thinking of how close I had been to hell this evening before I heard movement on my other side.

I turned my head to the other side in time to see Dr Cullen closing his medical bag and Edward walking back into the room with a bowl and rag. He froze when his gaze met mine and for a brief moment neither of us breathed.

"She'll be okay, all of her wounds are superficial, though she most likely has a concussion and multiple broken ribs." Dr Cullen turned towards Edward. He stood for a moment looking at him before he followed his gaze towards me. "Wow, she's something else." He said mostly to himself and shaking his head in amazement.

Edward walked over and I tried to sit up. They were both on me like a bat out of hell, holding me down, before I knew what the heck was happening.

"Don't" Carlisle said in a stern voice. I just nodded, slightly freaked out, but trying not to let it show.

"How ..." I was shocked at the voiceless sound that escaped my mouth as I tried to speak and brought one of my hands up to my neck.

"You need to rest your voice for now. Your throat is bound to hurt for a few days." He said a moment later.

"Magg..."

"Mr. Thoroupe knows where you are." Edward said cutting me off. "That's all any of them need to know for now."

I stared at him, wondering what had actually happened in the woods, but not having the guts to ask. I had become quite the coward in this world, as opposed to the 'take charge Bella' I used to know.

"Reposer ma belle fille." Edward leaned in and whispered patting my forehead with a damp cloth. Carlisle's eyes shifted from my face to Edward's, surprise flashing in his eyes before he regained his composure.

"I'll be back later," Dr Cullen rose from my side.

Edward just nodded as Carlisle gathered his bag and left. I watched Edward in awe as he cleaned my wounds yet again. I moved my leg and it ached causing a whimper to involuntarily escape my throat.

"You're whole body is boud to hurt pretty bad for a while." He said, the pain evident in his voice this time. He looked consumed with guilt and it bothered me.

"This isn't your fault," I blurted out, finally managing a sound, even if it was broken.

He froze and stared at me as his jaw locked into place, I realized then that I had turned his own words around on him. I wondered if Edward expected everyone else to fail. For their frail human attempts to protect life was as fragile as their own, but he... in all his glory had the power to do so much more and maybe he felt he didn't have room for that same kind of failure. I had always pitied Superman. The weight of the world on his shoulders. Being a hero didn't leave room for error. Neither did being a monster. Not that Edward was one. His jaw loosened after a moment and he finished dabbing my head. Working in silence from then on.

When he was done cleaning all my cuts and scrapes, including the ones on the inside of my thigh, he sat beside me and rubbed my arm lightly. It seemed as if he was contemplating something.

"We need to get you out of this thing," he said eyeing my dress and then briefly eyeing me, gauging my reaction again.

"Okay," I whispered. He seemed surprisingly shocked at my answer before nodding and leaving the room. He returned with a long white night gown and I was a little curious as to whom it belonged to, but I didn't ask.

He sat beside me putting one leg overtop of my own with his foot planted on the other side and helped me sit up before placing his other leg behind me so I was sitting between his legs. Once I was sitting I realized the leg in front of me over my own legs was so I could lean forward. I was woozy as it was, and being upright made me vomit-queasy. He seemed to notice and once I was leaning over his leg he began to lightly brush his fingers across the back of my shoulders and neck, applying a little more pressure each time. He leaned up to my ear and began humming a tune so sweet... I closed my eyes, it was beautiful.

After I had relaxed he began loosening the back of my dress, eventually shifting himself so he was straddling my legs on his knees. I leaned back into my hands and my arms ached, he cupped my face in his own hands and searching it over. Perhaps he was searching it to make sure I wasn't going to pass out or to make sure I was comfortable. Regardless, his closeness made me wish he'd stop looking for anything and just kiss me already. If this was going in that direction at all... what do I know? I'm just a damsel in complete distress.

"I'm going to pull your dress up, lift your hips?" He was clearly asking if this was okay.

I nodded and he moved slightly down my legs, never breaking eye contact. His cool hand grazed my lower leg as he began pulling up my dress and then again the edge of my thigh causing me to gasp lightly at the sensation it sent through my body, his own eyes lighting up at my reaction. When he was up as high as he could go, I lifted my hips off the floor and he stuck one hand out to cup my bottom and help me hold it up as his other hand moved my skirt from beneath me. When it was around my waist I sat forward, releasing my arms from their distress. My face was mere inches from his own and I stared intently into his eyes as I lifted my hands over my head, gesturing for him to take it all the way off. He complied... and when he had tossed my completely destroyed gown aside his eyes came back to rest on my body.

He eyed my bodice carefully as I eyed him, he seemed to be internally debating whether he should take that off or just leave it on. After a moment I sighed lightly and rolled my eyes while reaching behind myself to undo it.

His hands shot out and caught my own behind my back, his face so close to me that his nosed grazed the side of mine. My mouth parted in a small gasp, and when it did my top lip brushed his bottom lip. I inhaled sharply and shivered unintentionally, our lips grazing again. His scent enticing as it rolled across my lips and onto my tongue before sifting down my sore throat, soothing it.

He narrowed his eyes, "are you cold?" He breathed into my face and I inhaled his scent again. This time it registered as that same sweet smell of lilacs and honey that I smelt so often at the well.

I shook my head no lightly as he brought my hands back around in front of me, sitting them in my lap. He brushed a few stray hairs out of my face, catching my eyes with his own again. His thumb drifted lightly across my lips, outlining them before he leaned back around and unhooking my bodice himself. I leaned into him, clearing his head and putting my head on his shoulder, closing my eyes. I could feel his breath in my hair and on my neck as he responded by leaning into me too.

When my bodice was undone I held it up with one hand while he slid the night gown over my head and when I was covered I pulled it out from underneath and he took it, tossing it aside with the dress.

Once the gown was all the way on he helped me lie back down before covering me with a blanket and lying down next to me, pulling me into him and cradling me in his arms. Being close to Edward was like being close to heaven. It was the closest you could get to feeling safe from all worldly pains without being free of ever having to feel them again. I felt more safe than I'd ever felt in my entire life. And for the first time in years... I didn't feel alone.

"It's okay Bella, You're safe now. I let you down and I'm sorry, but it will never happen again. You have my word." He whispered into my hair.

I inhaled once more, a flash of being beneath the ice and him swimming towards me coming to me before slipping back into unconsciousness.

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