Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight ets, I own a bear that has been dipped in wax.

Chapter 31

BPOV

Oh Crap.

There are better phrases in the English language that could evoke my feelings on the matter and the fear that was currently somersaulting through my body when his voice came out at me from the intercom. For a second I thought he was in the room with me, and then I cursed my stupidity for slapping my hand down onto the damn thing when I realised he wasn't. But he would be on his way up here.

I didn't hear anyone else when his creepy voice had seeped out of the speaker. Could I be alone in this house with him?

I had to get to the main panel and find out if my code would disable it. I snuck across into the spare room, grabbing the bag Charlie had given me and then I ran into Emmett's room down the hall, shutting the door as quietly as I could behind me before rethinking and opening it a little so that I could hear when he was coming past.

With any luck he would check Edward's room first and I would be able to sneak out and down the stairs. I pressed my back onto the wall behind Emmett's door and waited, my heart beating to the point of explosion in my chest. I was acutely aware of the blood pumping through my body, energising my muscles for action. Which is laughable considering my biggest muscle is my tongue, that's the one I exercise the most anyway.

Emmett's room was distinctly more masculine than Edward's. It was just as messy but with more sports memorabilia staggered around the shelves. Trophies sat on shelves in a non ostentatious way. Emmett wasn't the type to brag. There were more reds than blues in here making it slightly cosier than Edward's.

Remembering the bag in my hand I prised the top open and peered inside it, all the while waiting for the sound of footsteps in the hall. I dug my hand deep into the bag and felt cold metal against my hand; my fingers wrapped around the item and pulled it quietly from its confines. I extended my hand into the sliver of light coming in from the hall and finally realised what it was.

A knife.

Charlie had given me a pocket knife.

Did he not know me at all?

Doesn't he realise that his completely uncoordinated daughter was more likely to injure herself than someone else? At least it wasn't a gun, I was guaranteed to shoot myself if he had given me a gun, regardless of the countless hours I had spent at the shooting range and the fact that I could probably shoot an apple off Edward's head from half a mile away. As long as I was pointing it the right way that is.

We are all screwed if I have to be the one to save us all.

Especially since he had also included a canister of pepper spray, I'll end up blind and missing a toe by the end of this.

I pressed my face up against the crack in the door cautiously when I finally heard someone moving along the hallway. I struggled to keep from gasping out when I saw him again walking past the door. I was able to get a better look at him now I wasn't running in the opposite direction. He was noticeably older than us, he had to be at least twenty five. His face was covered in a dusting of stubble, there were shadows under his eyes showing his lack of rest. Fine lines were starting to appear at the corners of his eyes, I assumed that it wasn't from belly laughing with a group of friends. Even if he hadn't tackled me to the ground, knocked me out, put me in a smelly tent and, I'm pretty safe in assuming, held my boyfriend hostage I would cross the street if I saw him coming. There was a distinct aura of psychopath radiating from him.

He disappeared past the door and along into Edward's room. Without waiting a beat I slid out of the door and padded as quietly as possible down the stairs. I couldn't help but keep checking behind me, I heard him move out into the hallway again and open another door. I was sure he could hear the blood thumping through my veins. Finally my feet touched on the landing and I rushed over to the main panel by the front door.

My shaking fingers input the digits and I held my breath waiting for the result.

Nothing.

Not one little thing happened.

I peered at the display screen and noticed a single word flashing out, indicating that at this moment I was truly screwed.

Override.

How the hell has he done that?

Then I realised that if it had been as simple as inputting a disabling code then Charlie would have used Carlisle's.

"Bella Bella Bella. Where for art thou Bella? I'm getting tired of this little game." His voice once again seeped through the speaker in front of me making me jump back away from it like he was about to appear in front of me. Whipping my head around I saw that I was still alone and I decided that there was only thing left to do.

"What do you want?"

There was a moment before he answered.

"I want world peace Bella. What do you want?"

"I, personally, would quite enjoy getting the hell out of here with the people I love in one piece."

"You'll get most of that, pretty little girl, but not on your terms."

The tone of his voice chilled me to my bones, seconds later I heard movement on the stairs. I immediately turned and ran for the first door I came to, my body slammed it open and I careened down more stairs only to stop abruptly at the sight before me at the bottom.

EPOV

I sat and listened to the exchange between Bella and James drowning in frustration. Torn between ripping all this fucking tape off me and sweeping in to rescue her and staying exactly where I was and ensuring Esme didn't get her throat cut. Before I could even come to a concrete decision after listening to their exchange over the intercom Bella came tearing down the stairs and stared dumbfounded at all of us bound and captive.

She was only still for a moment before skidding down onto her knees in front of me and ripping the tape off my mouth in a smooth motion. I'd be lucky if I could grow any facial hair again after the assault on the follicles today.

"Edward, are you ok?" Her voice sounded so sweet to me, like I hadn't heard it in forever.

"Are you?" She slipped something out of her pocket and sliced through the tape on my wrists like it was a hot knife through butter. Immediately my arms wrapped around her slight frame and I crushed her into me for a second before letting her go so she could let my feet free.

"My leg hurts, my head hurts...right now my soul hurts. Jasper and Emmett are in hospital." Her eyes glassed over with moisture before she pushed her head against my chest. I slid the knife out of her trembling hand, pressed a tender kiss onto the crown of her head and moved away to cut Esme free.

"Why does your leg hurt?"

"He tackled me and it refused to go down with the rest of me." She sighed. "He managed to override the security system for the house, but I got in through the tunnel." A little crease formed between her eyes.

"It's a different company, different system that's linked but not controlled by the main one, in case something like that ever happened."

"I'm so over technology." Bella moved over to Alice and Rosalie lying on the couches, her hand swept across each of their foreheads, I hurried behind her and cut through their binds. To my surprise their eyes were open. As soon as they were free Bella held out her hand for the knife and they stood up and swallowed Bella into their arms.

"We need to go." Esme said, pulling Alice, Rosalie and Bella through the room towards the tunnel. My spirits began to rise, as soon as we were on the other side of the door it was done. As soon as that door locked behind us James was trapped in this house. The only way out for him would be through the front door and I was pretty sure I could rely on Charlie to be waiting with a loaded fucking gun.

Bella's hand slipped into mine and we hurried along to the door, me pulling and her limping behind me. God knows how she managed to run down the stairs considering she could barely walk in a straight line.

Making the decision to scoop her up my arms under the pretence of helping but in reality it was more about the immense buzz that vibrates my body whenever I touch her. Esme was at the door punching in the code, ushering Rosalie and Alice through it and walking through herself when I turned to Bella. Her face was scrunched up with the pain pounding through her, I could tell she was aching with every step. Desperate to prevent her any more pain I hooked my arm around her to lift her. My hand smoothed across her ass just for the hell of it and she smirked up at me.

So distracted by Bella's beautiful weary face was I that I didn't hear the footfall behind us, barely noticed someone slip past us until finally I pulled my gaze away from her and watched in dumbstruck horror as James pushed Esme through the door and pull it shut behind her, separating us completely. Them on the side of freedom and fresh air, us on the side of trapped by a sociopath.

"You two are so cute together, seriously." He grinned, his eyes locked onto Bella's face pushing into my chest with a desperate growl. "It's just too easy to go around unnoticed when you are looking into each other's eyes."

"James." I started. "What the fuck do you want?" I stepped back with Bella in my arms as he stepped closer.

"I want to take everything away from you." His eyes narrowed and I pulled Bella in closer to me.

"I won't let you."

"Don't you understand Edward? You don't get a choice."

"And I don't either?" Bella asked, her voice strong and accusing. "You don't get to have me."

I took another step back, Bella began to struggle in my arms to stand upright but I was reluctant to let her go, to let her be more vulnerable than she already was. Finally she managed to free herself from my embrace and she stood paradoxically unsteady but strong, staring James down with a sneer.

I'd never loved her harder.

"This isn't about you, Bella, you just happen to be what tipped me over the edge." He smiled.

"I think you threw yourself off that edge a long time ago." Bella retorted.

We continued our game of backing away as he edged closer. We were getting closer to the stairs but it was pointless running. There was no way out except the tunnel. My eyes flicked towards the panel and James followed the movement with the same calm expression on his face. He backed away from us keeping his eyes focussed on our movements until he reached the panel. Without even looking at it he punched in numbers and I knew without having to be told that he had just disabled that one too.

This was it. We were trapped.

"How do you do that?" I asked genuinely interested in the answer. The system cost a shit load of money and was bought on the premise of absolute anonymity.

"It's amazing what information you can get with a fistful of cash and some well placed threats of violence." With a shrug he began towards us again.

"Is that how you managed to follow them?" Bella wondered out loud. "Violence and cash? Why?" Her head shook in disbelief.

"Why not?" James shrugged in response. "I hated Edward the minute he came to live with us. She used to fuss all over him, making out he was some sort of royalty, when he came I ceased to exist in that house."

"And?"

"What?"

"I. Said. And? Get the fuck over it James, don't be so pathetic." She scoffed over to him. Something flickered behind his eyes.

We had reached the bottom of the stairs, ushering Bella up the first couple we continued our retreat from the stalking predator that was James. Bella's pathetic comment had stirred something in him, making the mask of congeniality slip slightly to reveal the true underlying ugliness. I wasn't sure if she knew what she was doing but I sure as hell was grateful for it. An unhinged violent monster I could handle, I could attack and put him down.

Bella paused on the stairs, somehow she manoeuvred round me and stood between James and I. Her hands slammed onto her hips as she stood staring down at him with a scowl. My hackles immediately rose, the need to get between them again raging through me. There was no fucking way I was going to allow him any chance to touch her again. So far this evening he had touched her more than I would ever allow again. I wanted to be the only one who could touch her as irrational and possessive as the thought is.

"What do you mean I tipped you over the edge?"

James looked up at her with apprehension. Anger was pouring off Bella, it was practically corporeal as it flew out from her in waves of heat. We all felt the change in energy in the confined space. Somehow Bella was turning the power into her own, she was staring down a self confessed killer. This was the man who had brutally killed Newton and even though the most evil, unfeeling and absolutely vile .000000001% of me was feeling sickeningly grateful to him for that I was fully aware that at any moment he could attack Bella and hurt her in the most serious of ways.

James didn't answer her. They continued to stare each other down and with every second that passed James looked more and more like a reprimanded child. Keeping an eye on his movements I tried to circle down past Bella and position myself between them again. Aware that I could throw myself down at him and take my chances with a good old fashioned fist fight. The thought of crashing my fist repeatedly off his face was making me feel positively fucking tingly with anticipation. Reigning in the impulse, because I wanted to know the answer to this question too, I managed to get onto the same step as Bella before her soft hand took my own and stopped me with a slight shake of her head.

"I asked you a question. After what you have put us through tonight I expect an answer." It came out of her mouth in one long low hiss. My appreciation and love for this girl, my girl, was growing every second. She was manning up far more than I had at any point this evening. I was beginning to feel like a fucking pussy.

"He loves you." Finally James answered. "All this time he barely lived, he subsisted on the bare minimum of human contact, he never connected with anyone but Jasper and no one after they left here. Even with his brother until they came back here. And he met you."

"I'm to blame?" Confusion creased her expression until it was replaced with abject horror only to be quickly erased with a white hot fury. "You're the only one to blame. This isn't my fault."

"It's his fault." James pointed up at me.

"No." Bella shook her head adamantly.

"Don't argue with me." There was a warning in his voice that Bella didn't heed, she stepped down towards him.

"I will argue with you." Another step towards him with me a millisecond behind her. "You aren't in charge here." He didn't move back, he stood staring as she stepped closer to him. I saw it in his eyes too late, that slight flicker of excitement at her moving back down to him.

Unable to stop it he darted out his hand and caught Bella by clamping it around her gesticulating arm. My own hand tightened around nothing as she was spun out and away from me. Catching her as she screamed out in something more than surprise he managed to spirit them both out of my leaping range. Regardless I leapt out and down from the stairs to land a foot away from him.

Which was a pretty fucking stupid place to land because as soon as I did his foot kicked out and connected with my face with a sickening crunch. Black spots swam across my vision and I dropped back, his foot connected once more with my face as I fought desperately to keep from letting the little black dots grow bigger and consume me. With a third time lucky kick to the side of my head I knew I was lost, still trying to cling onto to consciousness I garbled something out of my mouth before I fell headfirst into darkness to the sound of Bella screaming my name.

BPOV

"Edward?! Edward? You motherfucker!" My fist landed solidly on James's jaw, pain splintered though my hand but I didn't care. My mother would be appalled and ashamed at the language streaming out of my mouth as I rained blows onto any point I could to get myself free and drop to my knees beside Edward, to cradle his bloodied head on my lap, to kiss every inch of his face and wake him up.

He was keeping me calm. The whole time he was slowly moving me up and away, keeping his cool, not reacting with the violence I suspected was simmering within him I was barely under control myself. I wasn't scared. I was livid. I wanted to scream and rail and punch and kick until he didn't move again. Not for what he had done to me, but for what he had done to the people I love. For the knocking unconscious, the running off the road and for the death of someone I held no affection for but was pretty sure met a macabre end.

James held fast onto my body, crushing me against him like Edward had done so many times before. Blood was dripping thickly down Edward's face from his nose, dripping onto the carpet in a monotonously routine rhythm.

"Let me go!" My feet kicked out at his shins and I tried to remember all the things Charlie had taught me about protecting myself and fending off attackers. I stamped my foot down with as much force as I could onto his instep making him swear and drop his calm and "friendly" facade.

"Bitch!" The word flew out of his mouth accompanied by flecks of spit making my stomach churn.

"You will let go of me." I tried to bring the flat of my hand up to hammer it down onto his face but my arms were pinned tightly to my sides. I was starting to think more clearly through my panic, the adrenaline both calming me and preparing me for the epic battle that was no doubt about to come. The thought of biting him crossed my mind but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I didn't want any part of him in my mouth. Managing to bring my hand up I pinched his upper arm between two fingers and twisted hard.

No person on earth is able to withstand that pain without giving it a good rub like a Dom soothing his Sub after a particularly harsh spanking.

It worked as I had hoped. He immediately let go of me, pushing me violently away from his vicinity and towards Edward. Dropping to my knees I cupped his face in my hands before bending down and allowing myself the relief of the feel of his breath against my cheek and watching the rise and fall of his chest.

Just the feel of his skin under the tips of my fingers lessened the worry I was feeling. The connection I had with Edward, even unconscious, was out of this world. Before I had felt like I wanted to be around him forever, was beginning to see my future with this damaged yet beautiful man, thought that perhaps he was it for me.

Now I was certain.

Certain that I would spend every conceivable second with Edward. That he was my future.

And that James was going to regret everything he had down today, everything he had done in the past. And I was going to make him pay for future crimes against humanity just by breathing. The pocket knife was where I had shoved it when everyone was unbound, in my back pocket.

"That really hurt Bella." He sounded affronted, like I had hurt his feelings more than anything else.

"I can't find it in me to care." I snarled at him whilst pulling myself up to my full five feet four inches. I'm sure a less threatening image doesn't exist. I was favouring my left leg, pain was shooting up my right arm from my damaged knuckles, I probably looked like I had been a victim of a stroke. I flexed my hand, balling and releasing a fist to accustom myself to the pain of the movement so it wouldn't shock my system when I had my fist clutched around the knife.

My left hand curled around the canister of mace in my pocket.

This was ending now.

I had lost the will to be terrified.

"That isn't a very nice thing to say. I imagined you to be softer, gentler, more malleable certainly."

"And what on earth gave you that impression?"

"Your school records, speaking to you father." He shrugged.

"You spoke to my father?"

"Yeah, spun him a line about being interested in moving to the area and asking how my "little sister" would settle in, he just wouldn't stop raving about you and how you settled in once you moved here to live with him."

"How did you know about the flowers?" I blurted out at him as I thought it, realising that we still didn't know everything about how he had managed to track the family and how he knew what buttons to push.

"Edward talked in his sleep for the entire time he was in the Cope house. I didn't get a decent night's sleep until he left again. The flowers? I was told of those when I joined the Volturi."

"The Volturi?" Who the fuck were the Volturi?

"The family that killed his parents Bella. Keep up will you?"

"Don't use condescension with me James, you owe us all answers."

"You are the only person I will answer."

Whilst we had been talking he had edged towards me slowly but I was aware of every move he made. Aware of every breath he took. Aware that he was looking at me the same way Newton does...did.

"You don't know me, can't you understand that? I won't allow you to have me. You don't get to touch me again. I'll cut off your hands if you do." I've never had to use threats of violence so seriously before. Something deep inside me stirred and scared me because I knew I was capable of it.

"Then no one gets you. Least of all him." The next step James took towards me was more decisive and I matched it with movement of my own.

Bringing up the canister of pepper spray I unleashed a stream straight into his face, amazed that it was both pointing the right way and that my aim was decent. The pain that jolted through my arm when I pulled out the knife and gripped it in my hand was a shock to my system but not as great as it could have been. James cried out in pain as the spray attacked the nerve endings it came into contact with.

I rushed forward to take advantage of his temporary distraction with the knife ready to drive it deep into any part of him I could manage. A foot away from him I stopped, unable to continue. Angry tears began to pool in my eyes as I realised that maybe I wasn't quite as capable of this as I had thought. That perhaps I was going to be unable to get us out of here alive after all.

Dammit!

What was wrong with me?!

I could end this now.

End any future terror.

End this present horror.

How many lives would I be saving if I could just bring myself to thrust this blade deep into his neck, his heart, his stomach...anywhere that would prevent him from breathing again?

Wishing someone dead is one of the most atrocious thoughts I've ever had.

I'm not strong enough for this.

I would be a fucking awful cop.

Charlie was going to be so disappointed in me.

With my vision blurred as it was by my own frustration I didn't see James stride towards me. I felt the knife being yanked from my hand, felt pain zigzag like lightning through the nerves in my body, felt the cold steel against the exposed and vulnerable skin of my neck. Vomit creeped up my throat begging to be released but I swallowed it down.

If this was going to be the end of me then I was going to be ended with dignity and not with vomit on my shirt.

I managed to clear my vision and I looked down at Edward, his chest still rising and falling showing me he was alive. He was beautiful and alive and I wanted it to stay that way.

Whatever it took.

"I'll do whatever you want, just don't kill Edward. Please."

Fully aware I was making a deal with the devil I looked him straight in the dead eyes.

"That's very altruistic of you."

"I love him. I'll do whatever it takes."

"No deal." He shook his head and slid the blade down across my collar bone.

"Please." I whispered, only just realising that my entire body was shaking. The knife moved across to my shoulder and down my bare arm. Without warning the blade sliced into my arm, deep enough to draw blood but not deep enough for me to be at serious risk of death. I yelped out in pain and surprise but stood my ground.

"You would let me cut you just so that he would live?" Head cocked to the side James looked at me questioningly.

"I love him." It was really the only thing left to say as the stained blade smeared a line of blood back up my arm and another cut was administered to my upper arm.

"You're no good to me then." The knife settled on my throat. "It's really quite a shame."

The look on his face conveyed that he really meant it. That he felt regret that he had to kill me. For some reason I didn't imagine him feeling regret often.

"Do you think, if Carlisle had adopted me, that I could have ended up like Edward or Emmett? With someone like you?" He leant in and whispered the words in my ear.

"I think psychopath is innate. Nothing could have saved you from becoming a monster."

With nothing else to lose I spoke the truth before chewing on my bottom lip with anxiousness. With a deep sigh James pressed the knife harder against my throat.

"You know, I think you may be on to something with that."

I braced myself for more pressure against my throat.

Concentrated on thinking about Edward, Charlie, Renée, Alice, Jasper, Emmett and Rose.

Wondered if where I would go was going to be like in The Lovely Bones.

Thought about the hamster I had been the proud owner of for the first time in eight years.

Considered the possibility of heaven, something I had never fully decided on.

A bit late to be trying to make a concrete decision on that now.

I considered all of this and more in the two seconds it took for Edward to propel his body forward and knock James away from me. The cool metal of the blade disappeared from my throat, the knife spinning through the air to land a few feet away. Edward rushed forward at James, connecting with his torso to send them both to the ground.

My heart drummed desperately inside me, reignited by possibility of an end to this that could be said to be happy. Edward was giving me hope when I thought it was my responsibility to give it to him.

Grunts and thuds and heavy breathing and swearing emanated from the heap of clothing, bones and skin tussling on the floor. Fists connecting with bone and cartilage filled the silence as I looked on with horror and hope. Edward had the upper hand, his body pinning James to the floor as his fists rained down until James managed to free a hand and punched it viciously against Edward's throat.

Gagging and gasping Edward fell to the side as I screamed, terrified that his windpipe had been crushed.

EPOV

For some reason I was pretty calm considering I was gasping desperately for air after being punched in the throat. Until this moment I had always considered the throat punch to be vaguely comedic. Being on the receiving end of one makes you realise how utterly unfunny it actually is.

Especially after regaining consciousness to find the love of your short life standing with a knife to her throat and blood dripping down her arm.

Air finally started to rush into my lungs, my hands massaging my throat as Bella stood silent after her scream with wide eyes and a blank face. James was crouched in front of me in a feral attack stance. Without waiting for him to make a move I launched myself across at him again. My fists landing solidly into his gut, my body weight throwing us both backwards. Using the advantage I pinned him down onto the floor again, my knuckles thudding sickeningly into his face.

He brought his face up between blows and bit down onto my wrist.

"You bit me!" I shouted pointlessly. "What the fuck is wrong with you?" I was shocked into stopping my rain of fists. He immediately took advantage and I was once again thrown away from him. I slid to a stop at Bella's feet. Blankly she looked down at me before flicking her gaze towards something on the floor. James saw her do it at the same time I did.

We both lunged for the knife.

Both knowing that it could be our last chance to gain the upper hand.

I lost the upper hand.

I almost lost my actual hand.

His fingers wrapped around the hilt, within seconds of touching it he swung it down towards my grasping empty hand. With a move of pure luck I managed to get out of reach just in time. In the intervening years I could only suppose that James had become some sort of master in all sorts of bendy stretching martial arts to perfect his reflexes and sprightliness.

Keeping an eye on Bella I considered my options.

Turn and run.

Stand fast and wait.

Launch and punch.

Launching and punching had certainly left his face dripping with blood but it hadn't slowed him down. It had also left me with what I'm sure is a broken bone in my hand.

Turning and running was an exercise in futility considering he had us locked in here with his evil genius use of some sort of override code.

That left me with only one option. I planted my feet solidly on the ground, angled my body defensively and brought up my fists. Then I waited while he ran through his own options before noticing I hadn't made a move.

"Fight to the death then?" He quipped.

"I assumed that was what this already was." I replied.

"Guess so." He shrugged and gave me a half smile. The smile melted from his face, the second the last remnants of it had disappeared it was his turn to launch at me.

I was getting tired of this. Tired of the fighting, but more tired of the running. I was done with running. Time to face the evil no longer lurking in the darkness. I wish I had paid more attention when Emmett would come home from boxing and try to show me what he had learned.

Right at this very moment I wished I was Emmett.

Blocking James's stabbing hand I sidestepped around him, working on the slight possibility that I could tire him out by stepping around him for a while. It wouldn't last long, my ability to step out of his reach. From what I had witnessed tonight I knew he wasn't stupid, a sociopath certainly, but not stupid. It didn't take him long to work out my tactics.

He suddenly dropped to a crouch, supporting his body weight with his arms his legs swung out to connect painfully with my knees, making me buckle and crumple down to the floor.

Sneaky capoeira studying bastard.

The weight of a fully grown man pressed down onto my chest. The cool blade of a knife smeared with my girlfriend's blood touched my skin.

Hope began to fade away.

BPOV

He had his back to me.

Now was my chance.

I could do something, anything, to help us.

I looked around wildly for something that would be of use until my eyes fell on the heavy crystal vase sitting glinting at me from where it sat on one of the small side tables dotted around the room. It was heavy in my hands when they pressed against the intricately cut surface. I silently apologised to Esme and hoped hard that it didn't mean anything sentimental or cost too much but reasoned that she would be urging me on if she had been here with us.

As quietly and as quickly as I could I snuck up behind them. Wincing at the pain running up my arms, legs and body in general I planted my feet solidly and swung the vase like a baseball bat against James's skull. The wet thud that sounded through the room turned my stomach, rivulets of blood appeared running down the back of his neck after I had been sprayed with a mist smelling of pennies.

Part of me had hoped that he would have been knocked out. But I had forgotten that we were dealing with the fucking Terminator. Edward looked up at me in shock, his face dirty with sweat and blood, his hair looking like it had been attacked by a swarm of angry bees. I half shrugged at him before bringing the vase thick and solid vase back to swing round again.

James caught the forward swing this time, wrenching it out of my hands and throwing it across the room at the wall. It didn't smash; it hit solidly and bounced down to the carpet. I felt a hand on my abdomen pushing me before I realised that he was on his feet, blade in hand, and was pushing me across to nearest wall. Before I could react he thrust the knife into the flesh on my upper arm, pushing the blade right through until it hit the wall behind me.

Screaming out in pain I was deaf to the sound that I'm sure would have been the sweetest sound I had ever heard mixed with two male cries of agony.

I was aware of the second noise and recognised it instantly. I sank to the ground immediately, covering my ears and head as bullet after bullet escaped the confines of the barrel in Charlie's gun. Glancing up I saw Edward on the ground too, clutching his shoulder and writhing in agony.

"Bella! Are you ok?!" Charlie ran across the room to scoop me into his arms. I looked around in a panic, expecting James to attack Charlie, to find him lying in a crumpled bloody mess. Looking at his chest I waited for the rise and fall that would never come.

"Daddy you killed him." I whispered in awe.

"He was going to kill you, I had no choice."

"You could have shot out his knee or something. Hold on, did you shoot Edward?!" I pulled myself out of his arms and hurried over to Edward, his face paler than white, paler than I had ever seen it. A sheen of sweat covered his face but he still managed a weak smile when my face hovered into view. "Holy shit."

"I look that bad?" He joked.

"You'll never look that bad to me." I whispered, pressing a kiss onto the cleanest part of his face I could find. "We'll get you all fixed up and then you'll have a sexy shoulder scar that I can kiss."

"I like it when you kiss my scars." He mumbled, grinning up at me weakly whilst Charlie motioned and shouted for people to do their jobs. "I like it when you kiss me in general."

"I don't mind that so much myself." I was ushered out of the way by paramedics, staring down at my Adonis as his eyes fluttered slowly before rolling back into his head, his body suddenly releasing the tension it had been holding, his hands thwumping softly down onto the carpet.

"Edward?"

A/N: Sincerely sorry that this has taken me forever to do. Real life interfered leaving me with no time at all.

Also sorry I haven't replied to any reviews, but I read and appreciate every single one of them so thank you very much.

nerac started a thread over on twilighted for people to discuss this story. I haven't had time to check it out but you all should it you want.

Will update as soon as possible, but there will only be another couple of chapters to come to wrap everything up in a pretty little bow.

Review it and tell me what you thought :D

Be good.