Bella adjusted her pants and smoothed down her shirt. She had originally planned on wearing sweatpants and a shapeless t-shirt to Emmett's, but Alice convinced her otherwise.

"You don't want him to flip you on the floor and have your shirt come up to your chin, do you?" she asked. "Because then you're going to be on the floor half naked with Emmett all up on you. I don't think you can handle that right now."

Bella highly doubted she would end up in that scenario with Emmett, but decided to take Alice's advice anyway. She wore stretchy yoga pants and a fitted tank top.

Her relationship with Alice had improved dramatically, and as long as she didn't think about the last few months, things were almost normal between them. Alice learned to tactfully avoid the subjects of Emmett and Edward, which was both good and bad. On one hand it was a good thing, because whenever they discussed the boys Bella felt like Alice was being judgmental, and she hated it. On the other hand, Bella desperately needed someone to talk to about them.

She still wasn't sure why she was here, standing on Emmett's doorstep. She was just as nervous today as she was the night of their first date. And to be honest, she would probably learn a lot more about self-defense if she took a class at the local YMCA. At least then she wouldn't focus on her instructor more than the defensive moves.

Bella raised her hand to knock on the door but it swung open before she could. It startled her and she flinched.

"Sorry," Emmett said ruefully. "I saw you pull up." He stepped aside so she could enter, but Bella stood there and stared at him, overrun with doubts.

The full impact of what she was about to subject herself to finally sunk in. She was going to be alone with Emmett in close quarters, probably touching him, and there was no one around to make sure her walls stayed up. Whatever confidence she originally had in herself fled, and she was left with the glaring knowledge that this lesson was a terrible idea.

She should just start over, start fresh. Leave Emmett and Edward alone. Stop destroying their friendship, and stop ruining the group's dynamic.

"Don't think so hard," Emmett said easily. "You'll give yourself a headache."

Bella's lips quirked up into a smile before she could stop them. He could see right through her. Before she could reply, Emmett stood to the side and gestured for her to come in.

"Get your ass in here. We've got a lot of work to do."

He looked good, and wore black pants with a fitted grey tank top. The tank top looked damp, and she was sure he had already worked out for a few hours. Bella walked by him and made the mistake of inhaling as she did so. He smelled good, like he always did – a mixture of Emmett, sweat and his body wash.

"I do know some self-defense," Bella shot him a look. He just laughed and shook his head.

She glanced around, feeling pangs of an emotion she couldn't name. Emmett's house looked as it always did, but empty at the same time. Her sneakers weren't by the front door. Their dinner mess from the previous night wasn't sprawled across the coffee table. Her blanket wasn't balled up on his couch.

It was like she had never stayed here. The thought burned her chest, and she turned quickly to Emmett. "So where are we gonna do it?"

He raised an eyebrow and barely suppressed his smile. "Upstairs. Do you want a drink or anything?"

"No, I'm good for now."

He grabbed two water bottles anyway, and Bella followed him upstairs into his personal gym. Emmett had pushed his gear against the wall to clear a nice working space for them, and mats were on the ground. She eyed them curiously.

"I hope you don't plan on tossing me to the ground," she muttered.

Emmett heard and laughed. "Not unless you ask me to."

She stood there shyly, wondering what to do. Emmett put the water bottles on the floor near the door and turned to face her. He tried to hide a smile again, probably at how nervous she was. It was ridiculous to be this nervous! Emmett looked relaxed and almost happy, like he was enjoying this.

"Okay," he said in a husky voice. He paused and cleared his throat. "Okay. So, self-defense. Is there any specific that you know you want to learn?"

She shrugged. It seemed like Emmett wasn't going to make small talk, and she felt herself relax slightly. "Just how to kick his ass if he comes near me."

"No, I meant what I said at Alice's," he shook his head. Emmett took a step closer to her and Bella had to look up to see his face. "You don't fight James, Bella. You run. You scream. You don't confront him. Self-defense is your last option…if you have to use these moves, you're already in trouble."

A chill ran up her spine and Bella fought a shiver. His eyes narrowed, taking in her response, and he swore softly.

"I didn't mean to scare you," he said gently. "But don't try and play the hero, okay? If you see him, get the fuck out of wherever you are."

"I will. I promise."

"Good," Emmett nodded. He stepped back and motioned her forward. "I'm going to grab you from the back, and I want you to try and get free."

Her heart began pounding. "Okay." She turned around and waited, her body rigid. After a few seconds she looked over her shoulder. "What are you waiting for?"

"You're not going to know when you need to defend yourself. He has the advantage."

She faced the wall again and stared at it. Emmett was right. If James was going to –

Bella gasped and stifled a yell when Emmett's arm suddenly wrapped around her torso, pinning her arms to her body. He lifted her clean off the ground and she reflexively began kicking her legs, trying to break free. Pure panic flooded her body. The swiftness and violence of his attack was shocking. She knew it was Emmett, but his touch felt so foreign that it scared her. The thought of James grabbing her like this was too much.

Emmett's strength was unrelenting, and he didn't give in. She felt one arm shift and it wasn't until his hand firmly covered her mouth that she realized she had forgotten to scream.

He only held her for another moment before releasing her. She whirled around, panting, her blood roaring in her ears. "Emmett! How could you – that was – "

He looked surprised at her reaction, but quickly pulled Bella to his chest. She didn't protest. "Hey, it's okay. Calm down. I'm sorry I scared you."

Bella relished the feel of his arms around her, almost immediately feeling calmer. She took a deep, steadying breath and forced herself to step away from him. "No, it's okay. I guess I just wasn't ready. I didn't really think about it."

"Ready to do it again?"

Bella nodded and took another deep breath. She put a few steps between them and turned to face the wall again. This time her body was poised to act, ready for his attack, but Emmett moved silently. He caught her off guard again, but she was mentally prepared and immediately began struggling.

She opened her mouth and let out a hearty yell before Emmett's hand clamped down on her mouth. She squirmed, wriggled and kicked but couldn't break free of his grip. Bella opened her mouth and bit down on his hand – not enough to damage him, but enough for him to swear and let her go.

"Good, but not might not be enough in a real fight," he warned her. "You need to think bigger."

"If he's as strong as you I won't be able to get away from him," Bella shook her head. She was sweating and already discouraged.

"Use your head," he said with an impish grin. He stood behind her and wrapped his arm around her torso, pinning her again. This time he didn't lift her up and it was oddly sensual. Bella could feel his breath on her neck. He raised one hand to her forehead and gently pulled it back. His voice was low and warm. "Snap your head back as hard as you can. Get him in the face and he'll drop you. Then you run as fast as you can, screaming the entire time."

His hand fell away from her head but he didn't release her. Bella let her head fall back again and it rested on his shoulder. She looked up at him and smiled. "Should I try the head butt full force?"

Emmett laughed and his chest moved against her back. "No, thanks."

He reluctantly let her go. She could tell he didn't want to, and she felt the butterflies in her stomach stir. Bella found herself hoping he would make some sort of move, but after that intimate moment he carefully maintained his distance.

She listened patiently as he explained more of the basic self-defense moves that Charlie showed her years ago. It slowly came back to her, but after Emmett walked her through them she felt confident enough that she would be able to respond appropriately if attacked.

"Do you have any questions?" he asked, tossing her a water bottle. She caught it and twisted the cap open.

"I don't think so," she shrugged.

"Try not to be alone. Stay with people. If someone is following you, go somewhere crowded. Make noise. Make a scene," he reiterated.

They stepped into the hallway and Bella glanced at his bedroom door. It was shut.

"Although I hate to admit it, Edward was right when he said prevention is key," Emmett admitted.

"Yeah, but he wants me to just stay locked up in Alice's apartment all day. His idea of "prevention" is for me to not have a life. I get that he's protective, but that's not realistic," Bella argued. "Your idea of prevention is letting me learn how to protect myself."

"If I thought I could lock you up somewhere safe, I might just do it," Emmett grinned. "But I guess I know you better than him. You'd never let anyone lock you up."

He looked like he wanted to say something else, and Bella mentally spurred him on. Instead, he simply smiled again and headed for the stairs. He took them two at a time and turned when he reached the bottom. "Hey, do you want to grab something to eat? It's nice enough to grill outside. I have some burgers in the freezer…"

Bella's heart clenched. She wanted to stay and watch him man the grill. She wanted him to smile and joke around with her. "Emmett, I really want to but – "

He shrugged, cutting her off. "It's okay. No big deal."

"No, Emmett, I really do want to but I already have plans," she tried to explain. She hated when he did this.

"I get it," he said sadly, shrugging again. "I guess – I thought I'd try. Sorry."

"Emmett, stop being like that!" Bella finally exploded. "I am being serious. I want to stay but I can't. Do you want to reschedule? Can we do it tomorrow?"

He looked surprised and skeptical. "You don't have to – "

"I'm not!" she practically yelled. "I am saying what I feel. There is no hidden meaning, okay?"

"Okay. Tomorrow night, then," he agreed. His voice was quiet and he looked tired, and she felt bad for being such a bitch.

"Sorry. I just – I don't want you to think that I don't want to spend time with you. I do," she said sincerely. "I don't want there to be any misunderstandings."

"Okay," he said again. "So I'll see you tomorrow. You're working, right? Just call me and let me know what time."

"Okay," she smiled, relieved. It felt like they just reached a turning point in their relationship. "I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Call me when you get home," Emmett reminded her.

"I will," she promised. Whenever she left work, school, or pretty much anywhere, she had to call someone at the place she left. It was one of Jasper's rules and much to her chagrin, it was wholeheartedly enforced by their entire group.

A knock at the front door interrupted them. Emmett opened it, revealing Seth – who had grown at least six inches since she saw him last. He had a black eye and dried blood under his nose.

"What happened to you?" Emmett asked, his eyes narrowed.

"Sam," Seth replied miserably. "Can I come in?"

Emmett stepped aside wordlessly.

"Hi Bella," Seth said. He tried to smile but it turned into a grimace.

"Hey Seth," she said sympathetically. "I'll get some ice."

When Bella came back with a bag of frozen peas, Seth was seated on the couch and Emmett was across from him, sitting on the coffee table.

"And he wants me to testify or something about Sam dealing drugs," Seth shook his head. "I can't do that. He'll kill me."

"Who wants you to testify?" Bella asked. She handed him the frozen peas. He gingerly pressed the bag against his cheekbone, then hissed and pulled it away.

Seth stared at the bag of peas, then rubbed his hands on his grubby shorts. He seemed to realize how dirty he was, because he jumped up. "Jeez, sorry, I'm going to get your couch dirty."

"Just sit," Emmett ordered. "Finish telling me what happened and then you can take a shower. Why didn't you tell me about this cop?"

"It didn't seem like a big deal," Seth insisted. "He came around and he was asking all of us. I don't know why he keeps talking to me. He left everyone else alone after a few days. He says he knows I saw something."

"Did you?"

Seth looked at him guiltily. "Yeah, but so has everybody else. It's not like a big secret, Emmett. What else do gangbangers do while they stand out on the street all day?"

"So what did you see? Why does this cop think you saw more than everybody else?"

"I mean, he doesn't know. He says he does, but it's impossible because I never told nobody," his voice cracked. He rubbed his head and glanced uncomfortably at Bella.

Something unspoken transpired between them, because then Emmett stood up and turned to her. "Thanks, Bella. I know you have to go…I'll take care of Seth. Call me when you get home, okay?"

She sighed. "Fine. I'll leave. You better fill me in on what happened. And you – " She turned to Seth and her voice softened. "Be careful, okay?"

She gave Seth a quick hug and shot Emmett a knowing look before letting herself out. The wheels started turning in her mind, and she wondered exactly what Seth saw. Before she started her car, she texted Edward to let him know that she was going to be late. She wasn't looking forward to their dinner very much, not after the realization she came to today.

"So explain this to me again," Emmett demanded. He was sprawled across the couch, one hand massaging his aching temples. "You saw Sam and his guys beating up this kid and now he's missing?"

"Yeah," Seth nodded, pacing the floor. "Nobody's seen him in a week. The cops started asking around three days ago."

"So why did you get beat up today?"

"I was playing basketball with the guys and that cop kept bothering me. One of Sam's guys saw and on my way home from the game they cornered me. Sam said if I told the cops what I saw they would come after me."

Emmett sat up. Seth finally sat down in a chair across the room. His recent growth spurt left him looking scrawnier than ever, and between that and his black eye, the kid looked like he couldn't go two rounds with a moth.

"Seth, you need to tell me what you saw," Emmett said eventually. "I can't help you until I know what we're up against."

Seth shook his head and looked away, and it wasn't until he swatted at his face that Emmett realized he was crying. "I – I was on my way home from Leah's house." His voice cracked and he inhaled raggedly, wiping away more tears. "I was on my way home from Leah's and I saw them. Sam, Jared and Paul. They were beating up on this kid, Brady. I didn't really know him but he was a good kid. Just quiet, ya know? They picked on him sometimes. I don't know what he did this time but they were really giving it to him."

Emmett stood up and sat down on the edge of Seth's chair. He put one hand on his shoulder and Seth began crying harder.

" I think they killed him, Em. He didn't look like he was moving. They saw me watching and Jared ran after me. He got right up to me and I thought he was going to kill me, but Sam stopped him. Told him not to touch me. That they didn't need to worry about me," Seth finished. "I should have called the cops but I was so scared."

"Why do you think Sam said that?" Emmett frowned. "That they didn't have to worry about you?"

Seth looked up at him with haunted eyes. "He wants me to join their group. Be one of them. He has for months."

"Jesus Christ, why didn't you tell me?"

"Because you'd just get upset," Seth wailed. "And then you'd make me move here with you, and Quil would be by himself. I can't leave him."

"Okay," Emmett sighed. "All right. Don't worry about that now. So Brady is the kid that's been missing for the past week?"

"Yeah. That means he's dead, doesn't it?" Seth asked in a quiet voice. "Maybe I could have saved him."

"Don't think like that. You can help him now by talking to talk to the police," Emmett told him gently. "I know you don't want to, but it's our only option, okay buddy?"

Seth hiccupped. "There's more. And you're not going to like it."

Emmett felt a funny sinking feeling in his stomach. "Just tell me."

"Today Sam kept saying all these things about you and Bella. He doesn't like you. Ever since you guys got into that fight he's always making comments about you. But today he kept on saying that if I said anything to the cops something might happen to you and Bella."

"Specifically what did he say about Bella?" Emmett demanded.

"I don't know. He just kept talking about her. He knew all kinds of stuff. He said even though she wasn't staying at her apartment anymore he knew how to find her, and he started talking about a health food store or something," Seth swallowed hard. "I don't know how he knows all that. I never said nothing about Bella to him, I swear."

"I know you didn't," Emmett said, his mind whirring. He knew exactly how Sam got all of that information. He knew exactly who gave it to him. "I need to call Jasper, and then we're going to the police station."

"Sorry I'm late!" Bella apologized, slipping into Edward's car. She paused, looking at his slacks and pressed shirt. She was wearing dark jeans and heels, but immediately felt insecure. "Am I underdressed?"

Edward leaned over to kiss her cheek. "No. You look beautiful."

"If I'm underdressed you seriously need to tell me so I can change," she laughed, only half joking.

Edward shook his head and checked his side mirror before pulling into traffic. "No one will be looking at your clothes."

"Where are we going?" she asked, dreading the answer. The last thing she wanted was to have a formal dinner at a nice restaurant. She needed every bit of her courage to tell Edward how she felt, and would most likely cry. As it was, she already felt like she was about to throw up.

"L 'Escargot. It's a great little French place. I thought we'd go someplace nice for our first real date," he grinned. "And by the way, sorry I didn't come to your door to get you…but parking is terrible by your place."

"Do you think we could do something more casual?" she asked in a quiet voice.

Something in her voice must have tipped him off, because Edward looked over at her and some of the light in his eyes dimmed. "Yeah, sure. Ah…any ideas?"

"Want to just go to your place and get some pizza?" If possible, her voice was even smaller. Bella took a deep breath to calm herself down but her eyes began to burn. Edward wordlessly pulled into the next parking lot they came to, which happened to be for a Whole Foods. He cut the engine.

"What's wrong, Bella?" His voice was low, sad, and she figured he knew.

"I was at Emmett's today and he was showing me the self-defense stuff," Bella whispered, staring at her fingers. "And I think I still have feelings for him. No, I know I do. And it's just not fair to go on a date with you when I'm really thinking about him. I just – I feel awful."

"So you're picking him," Edward nodded, his lips twisting into a heartrending smile. He stared out of the window into the dark.

"I don't want to pick either of you," she said truthfully. "Because that means I'm going to hurt someone. But I can't get over what I feel for him. I liked you for years, Edward. If there's one thing that I learned, it's that you can't let life just pass you by. If you have a chance at something, you need to take it. I think I have a chance at something with him."

"We have a chance now, too," Edward argued, some of the fire returning to his voice. He twisted in his seat to face her. "You and me. We could be good together, Bella."

He reached up to touch her cheek, and she closed her eyes, tears streaking down her cheeks.

"I know we could," Bella whispered. Edward gently wiped away her tears.

"So why don't we try?" he pleaded.

"I can't," she cried. "Please don't make this harder, Edward. I need to try with Emmett."

"But you did!" He raked a hand through his hair, pulling away from her. "You did try and look at how that worked out. Why would you want to put yourself through that again?"

"It ended that way because of me! Because he didn't trust me with you. I did that - I ruined our relationship." She wiped her eyes. "I owe it to him to try again."

"You want to date someone who doesn't trust you? That sounds terrible," Edward muttered. "And you owe it to him? That sounds like guilt talking, Bella, not love."

"I guess I'm not explaining myself correctly," she said quietly. "I do love Emmett, and I feel awful about how this turned out. I wanted to be your friend and I guess I fell for you again. But – "

"So you do like me. Why are you doing this, then?" he demanded.

"Stop this," Bella said, looking him in the eye. "I hurt you. I know I did, and I'm sorry. I won't lie and say I don't have feelings for you. I do. But I have feelings for him, too, and…and they're stronger. I – I love him. I'm sorry, Edward. You deserve better than me."

"I don't think there is any better than you, Bella," he remarked, his voice light. After a moment of silence, he turned the Volvo on. "I'll bring you home, then?"

"If you want. I still want us to be friends," she cringed as she said the words. She meant it, as clichéd as it sounded.

"Just what everyone loves to hear," Edward said contritely. "Let's still be friends."

"I'm serious!"

"I know. But not tonight, okay? Let me go home and lick my wounds."

He sounded weary and looked serious, so she didn't push it. He drove to Jasper and Alice's apartment building in silence and put the car in park.

"Look…I'm sorry about the way I reacted. I didn't mean to get angry, but it just kills me to see you throwing this away. So…I'll just say okay. For now." He looked over at her and Bella was shocked by the intensity in his eyes. He grabbed her hand and brought her knuckles to his lips. "We'll have our chance someday. And I'll wait for it."

Unable to speak, she just nodded.

"Okay. Good night, Bella."

"Good night," she whispered. She climbed out of the car and waved goodbye to him. Bella stood there and watched him drive away, watched him until his tail lights turned a corner and were no longer visible.

She was so absorbed in what just happened, so worried about Edward and Emmett and Seth, that she wasn't paying attention. Despite all of Emmett's coaching, she wasn't aware of her surroundings and anticipating danger.

And that was why she didn't see James until she turned around to go inside. He stood in front of the doors, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Hello, Bella."

hey guys! i apologize for the epic delay...what can i say? i suck! thanks for all the sweet messages. they help me through rough times :)

thank you to helina, lashawn and lauren for prereading. thank you tracie for beta'ing so quickly!

LUNA