Title: Confrontation

Rating: M - Language

Summary: Tanya is a sneaky ho. .

Disclaimer: I don't own.

The warm blood slid effortlessly down my throat and I could almost feel the black of my eye receding into the fiery red that it had been concealing. Hunting was becoming easier and easier for me, and I had gotten past the guilt and become more accustomed to my unnatural sense of smell.

Alice appeared beside me as I began retreating from my kill.

"Are you alright, or do you need more to be able to resist humans?" She urged.

"No, I'll be fine, I think." I assured her.

Alice and Esme were insistent on taking me shopping to supplement my dwindling supply of clothing. Lately Edward had been impatiently ripping my clothes off of me rather than wasting time on the clasps and zippers, a crime that I wasn't completely innocent of either, therefore the shopping trip was also for Edward. His absence was due to Alice's unnecessary persistence in buying some form of lingerie that I was certain would end up ripped in less than a week. It took a large quantity of convincing to keep him from coming, much to my dismay. Not that I didn't enjoy spending time with Esme and Alice, but I hated any separation from Edward, and I knew that he hated it too.

The concern of my newborn temptation getting carried away was still present, but my strong sense of smell had subjected me to the scent of human blood constantly over the last two months so my progress with resistance was proceeding at a much quicker pace than had been expected. Esme's main purpose on the trip, though it had gone unmentioned, was to be back up for Alice in case I got out of control. I honestly didn't think that I would need any restraining, especially now after taking the proper precautions of hunting.

I let my mind wander as we sped down the interstate. I wondered idly what Edward was doing and worried myself slightly over pointless concerns. My unfocused haze carried over into the many different shops Alice pulled me through. I vaguely remember her piling fancy underwear and see through pajamas into my arms some time, at which point Esme made a bee-line for the shoes. I grumbled mindlessly at Alice as she swiped her clear, fancy credit card through register after register.

"Alice, this is really not.."

"Bella, your closet is nearly empty."

"This.." I held up a small pair of lacey red underwear, "Is not exactly something that will be hanging in a closet, Alice."

She shot me an exasperated glance. "We are supplementing your drawers right now, we'll get to the closet eventually."

I groaned. "I'm not going to wear half of this stuff you know…"

A sly grin crossed her porcelain face, "Oh yes you will. And Edward will be quite fond of it."

"ALICE!" I protested. "You know I hate it when you inappropriately peep on my future, especially my sex life!"

"Alice…" Esme scolded blandly, knowing that no amount of admonishing would stop her.

She giggled and bounced off towards the jeans.

"She means well." Esme assured me.

"I know, I just wish she would mean well in a less annoying well." I rolled my eyes. The action drew her attention to my irises.

"Bella, your eyes….. They're turning… lighter."

"Really?" I blinked.

Esme grabbed my hand and led me over to the sunglass rack. "Really." She confirmed as she pointed to the mirror.

I surveyed my reflection and gasped in surprise. My eyes were now a light shade of red, an orange almost..

"What does that mean?"

"Well…" Esme frowned in thought, "It normally means that your attraction and lust for human blood is controllable and well-maintained…"

"Yes, I am much better at controlling myself." I nodded in agreement.

"None of had excelled to that point until at least 8 months after the change, and it has only been two… for you." She pointed out.

"Hmm, maybe its just the lighting." I shrugged it off.

A gasp from Alice caught our attention and we rushed over to make sure that her outburst wasn't in more than just reaction to the clothing she was so captivated by. She was clutching a pair of dark jeans to her chest with a look of pure disgust on her face.

"What's wrong Alice?" I joked, "Do they not have your size?"

"Alice," Esme spoke with much more of a concerned tone, "Did you have a vision."

Alice looked up at Esme with her mouth still agape…. Signifying a clear yes.

"Alice, what!?" I urged.

She looked back and forth between Esme and I wildly. "I can't believe…" She snarled.

"What!?" Esme and I shouted together.

"Tanya. That little…"

"Bitch." I finished her sentence.

"What did she do?" Esme retained a calm and collected tone, but she began leading the way directly to the exit.

"She didn't, yet. But she is on her way over to the house to….." She faltered on the word as if it burned her tongue, "…. she's going to try to seduce Edward…"

I suddenly felt very ill. My head spun violently as my mind traveled to every scenario it could. It rested finally on the unsettling vision of Edward and Tanya's naked bodies twisting beneath the sheets of a bed that I did not recognize.

"Bella," Esme's eyes were full of concern as she opened the door to the Volvo for me, "Edward can handle himself."

I didn't respond. The vision in my head had now become much more graphic. I felt absurd for even imagining such extremes, I knew that Edward would never….. Would he? How convincing was Tanya?

"What's happening?" Esme pressed as we squealed out of the parking lot.

"She hasn't made it through Emmett and Jasper ye…..never mind, she just….ooooh.." Alice winced. "She just broke a vase in her effort to get past the boys…what are they… oh, they're.." Alice's cell phone rang as if to finish her sentence, "….calling me."

The speedometer reached 120 as she flipped open her phone and responded without letting Emmett speak. "Why didn't you stop her!?……WHAT!? NO YOU MORON! WE'RE ON OUR WAY THERE! GO GET HER!"

She snapped the phone shut, "She told them that she was holding us hostage, how… how could they believe that…" She scowled.

"How far away are we?" Esme asked.

"19 miles, we'll be there in about 8 minutes." I answered, "I hope she's still there when we get there." I growled.

"Bella, relax." Esme tried to calm me down, but to no avail. The images in my head changed to include a clear vision of myself smashing Tanya's perfectly proportioned face into the wall repeatedly.

Time passed slowly. By the time we had finally pulled into the driveway I already had the door opened and I jumped out and bolted ahead of the Volvo to the front door.

"Where is she!?" I snarled as I slammed the door open.

Rosalie pointed a startled finger up the stairs and called after me as I ran up them- "Edward's got it handled…"

As I neared the third floor, two voices became clearer to me.

"Tanya, get the hell away from me!" Edward growled.

"What's wrong? Afraid your self control isn't sufficient enough now that your wife isn't here? Afraid you will give in to the desires you so clearly possess?" Tanya's loathsome voice boasted.

"Get the hell away from my husband!" I snarled as I flung the door clear off its hinges.

"How convenient." She curled her lip at me as a low growl rippled her body. "Give it up, human. You know you will never be good enough for Edward. He deserved bet-"

Her statement was cut off by Edwards fist colliding angrily with her jaw. She gasped and stumbled backwards, clutching her face. The physical impact did not damage her confidence or cockiness at all. She immediately picked back up where she left off.

"You know you shouldn't be here, Bella. I should be the one married to Edward.. I was here all along, and you just had to steal him. You don't belong with him…….all you are is a hazard to his entire family. All you have been is a big pile of trouble!"

I ground my teeth as a roar ripped out of Edward.

"GET OUT!" He commanded violently.

"I would," She snarled back, "But there is a large piece of garbage where the door used to be." She gestured slyly to my presence in the doorway.

With a final screech of anger I bent forward and ran full speed at her. She tried to jump out of the way, but I was too fast and my shoulder had collided with her stomach before she could evade me. She grunted at the impact and a scream of resentment escaped her as we collided with and burst through the glass window. We fell three stories down and both landed stealthily on our feet.

"You're just pissed because you know I'm right." Tanya's face contorted to display her disgust.

"You know what? I would love to see things from your point of view, Tanya, but I can't seem to get my head that far up my ass!" I shot back.

"Ouch." Emmett applauded my comeback from 10 yards away where an apparent audience had gathered. "I'm sure I could stuff your head anywhere you want once I have successfully torn it from your body." Tanya spat.

Edward jumped out of the window and landed beside me.

"Awe, how nice. Your husband is coming to your rescue." She scoffed mockingly.

"No." Edward corrected her calmly. "She is more than capable of asserting herself. I was merely aiming to welcome her back, seeing as you have so rudely interrupted our reunion." He grinned deviously as he swept me into an unexpected kiss.

I could nearly feel the tension emanating from Tanya.

"Enjoy it," She scowled, "It may very well be the last time that ever happens."

"Doubtful." I smiled menacingly at her crouched form.

"With an unorthodox decisiveness, she flung herself towards me in a very predictable manner. Her mistake became apparent when I grabbed her clothing as she flew past me and boosted her speed into the siding of the house. She landed with an angry squeal and flew at me again, this time her fingers curled securely around a few strands of my hair that had not dodged her attack as quickly as the rest of my body. Controlling my movement by a chunk of hair, She yanked me to the ground beside her and swung a leg over my chest. As she lifted her fist in preparation to punch me, I lifted my legs and locked them around her neck securely. Her hand released its hold on my own two hands and flew to her throat in shock as I forced her to the ground. Somehow she wiggled her way away from me and appeared 3 yards away moments later. Using solely my sense of smell, I detected her approach and calculated it just in time to move out of the way. She had predicted my move and in moments she had flung herself again from behind me and my face collided roughly with the ground. I could feel my nose crack and I groaned in pain. I didn't have any time to consider my likely broken nose. I rolled out of the way lithely as her foot appeared inches away from my already hurt face. I jumped up and performed the unacknowledged skill of a roundhouse kick, or at least that's what Emmet called it later, directly into her chest.

She staggered backwards, stunned. "I guess it makes sense that you learned to defend yourself. It must have been a pain in the ass for you to have to keep depending on them to save your life every ten minutes." She gestured to the audience 10 yards away.

That was the last I was going to hear from her. With an unreal burst of speed, I was at her throat in seconds. She flew back into a tree, but I was there again, before she could even hit the ground. With one hand around her neck and the other curled tightly in a fist I snarled my final warning.

"So help me, Tanya. You will leave this house, and you will leave now, and if I ever see you anywhere near my husband again, I will personally rip you to shreds and make love to Edward by the fire that disposes of them. Do you hear me? Get out of my sight….. Now."

With those final words I flung her across the yard in my own suggestive direction. She landed in a heap on the ground as her defeated sob rang through the surrounding trees. She stood up slowly and scrutinized Edward for a long moment, willing him with her hurt expression and tearless sobbing to come console her. When his only action was to place his arm around me, she wailed loudly and sprinted into the brush.

"Irina wont be pleased." Carlisle muttered. "She said that after the wedding, Tanya was inconsolable and utterly depressed constantly."

"Bella, you're my hero." Emmett grinned widely. "You kicked her ASS."

The entire family murmured their agreement.

"I'm sorry that I broke a window." I apologized sheepishly, resisting the urge to also apologize for displaying the very unladylike behavior of kicking ass in the front yard.

"Easily fixed." Esme waved it off.

"Just like your nose." Jasper pointed out casually.

Yes, windows and noses were things that were easily fixed.

Other things though, things like marriages and families, were not so easy to mend.

I silently thanked whatever higher power there was in this world that I had a marriage and a family that were in much better condition than my bedroom window.