Disclaimer: i do not - nor will i ever - own Twilight. sure, i write about the supernatural...but my vampires will never sparkle like Fae do! this week, i don't own any cupcakes either; i do, however, own a delicious pint of Ben&Jerry's "Coffee Heath Bar Crunch" which won't exist at all soon.

chapter ten

"I do not love the bright sword for it's sharpness, nor the arrow for it's swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend"

J.R.R. Tolkien

Isabella

I don't know why I had ever bothered resisting the insistent pull that the son of Zeus had on me - perhaps it was a number of things relating to the very sudden circumstances I had found myself in. In less than a month I had been claimed the daughter of Hades, been tested, vigorously trained at the Arena, dealt with the new stresses of being a considered heir - all the while being assaulted by this magnetic pull to someone who was undoubtedly powerful.

I relished in the knowledge that I wasn't the only one who found my - for lack of a better word - evasive behavior acceptable. Rosalie, who is the daughter of Aphrodite and Ares, was sympathetic to my plight. She understood wholeheartedly that I was simply being overwhelmed by all the changes in my life and that "really, is it so hard for boys to understand the need to process?".

Rosalie was a Godsend, along with Alice who had turned into the first best friend I'd ever had.

It was the daughters that I turned to on the night Edward had pulled me under the oak tree and whispered in my ear. The night I finally accepted that not only was Edward something that I needed, but something that I wanted in return.

They had listened intently through my emotional tears and gently counseled me, Rosalie giving me the wisest advice I'd ever heard.

"Don't fight your nature - in your gifts or the natural procession of your relationships."

Rosalie had very much turned into the big sister I'd never had and while I had been intimidated by her stunning beauty, she had such a modest way of being that I found it very hard to resist her charm. Later, I learned that it was Rosalie's hypnosis that drew people to her, making her wary of the intentions of those around her; not only did her physical beauty draw them in, but so did her gift.

At the moment, Rosalie is helping Alice carefully wrap my hands in that special tape the fighters use.

Today is my first match and I am here several hours early so Andre can squeeze in some last minuet coaching advice. Alice had reluctantly admitted to me last night that she was nervous for me and Rosalie had agreed wholeheartedly; though they had never attended Arena matches, both had heard the stories and were appropriately anxious for my well being. I was much smaller than all of the fighters at the Arena and that naturally put me at a disadvantage. I was also instructed to wear long sleeves and long pants because the Gods feared that a touch to my skin would incapacitate my opponent - the added coverage of skin would cause me to overheat quickly and put me in another disadvantage.

Andre had tried to defend me, pointing out that my gift only came from a touch from my hand but the Gods had refused, Hades included. And I understood. It touched a sore spot inside me, but I was able to separate my own feelings from the concern of safety of the heirs.

As I step out of my changing room, my eyes settle on Edward.

My mind drifts back to the sensation of being held in his strong arms and flashes of similar moments assault me; his hands touching mine through gloves, his meeting me after my classes, the deep conversations we'd had over the past few days. I'd grown so accustomed to his presence that I worried over how I would fare if he ever left.

Edward's smile doesn't reach his eyes. He, too, has a match today but I know he doesn't worry for himself. Andre is busy checking mats and grumbling under his breath, tension apparent in his jerky movements.

"Nervous?" Edward asks me, leaning down slightly so that his quiet voice tickles my ear. I've yet to let him any closer though I am aware that we've shared a kiss.

I don't know how to answer him. I'm not nervous for myself - if I am injured today, I will consider it retribution for all the energy I've stolen throughout my life. I am so aware that the Gods will be watching my match closely though I have no idea why my training in this area is so important to them.

"Isabella!"

My eyes snap over to Andre who is jogging towards me, his face the most serious I've ever seen it. He begins speaking, his words rolling over each other as his hands fly about, gesturing this way and that. "We know you're small but I think we can use it to our advantage. Your height just means that you'll be quicker than Eric and you'll be able to dodge under him. You will have to be careful about the sleeves though."

"Why?"

"Grabbing hands," Edward says dryly, tugging lightly on the sleek black sleeve covering my arm.

I nod sagely; I knew the sleeves would hinder me in another way. But hopefully Andre was right. Maybe I had speed that my opponent didn't have.

Andre instructs me through my warm up stretch and the subsequent routine that follows - using the punching bag, dropping into fast rolls on the mats, making sure my taped feet don't slip as they dance across the blue leather.

"Another set," Andre orders, his eyes focused on the impact my fists are making. I feel so weak and small in the Arena and I am; I'm clearly not meant to be here and I think that was what the Gods had wanted.

They wanted my defeat.

I wasn't going to give them the satisfaction.

Thinking this, I throw my next jab harder and Rosalie - who had taken to holding the punching bag in place of Alice - stumbles a bit. I wince as my knuckle protests the strain.

Two warms hands are on my shoulders, sliding down my upper arms and gripping my elbows. My body automatically tenses although I know from the sudden jolt of electricity that Edward is standing behind me. His voice is close to my ear, gently correcting my stance both physically and vocally. I nod to him, breathless for different reasons than before and wait to move until he is no longer touching me.

I'm ready.

Eric is the son of a Demi-God heir of Hermes - his hair is inky black and greasy, his face still carrying baby-fat and his eyes beady. He is dressed in bright red shorts and nothing else save for the tape around his hands and feet. He is nearly half a foot taller than me, shorter than Edward by four or five inches but still, his height is intimidating even if the lack of definition of his muscles is not.

He leers at me, taking in the sleek black gear that covers every inch of my body except for my face. My hair is tied back tightly in a braid that is twisted up into a bun.

Andre is dressed in the typical referee clothing, a whistle between his lips as he steps forward, asking for Eric and I to shake hands. I hold out my gloved hand but Eric only stares at it, sneering at me before stepping back. I see Andre throwing a glare at Eric and smiling sympathetically at me.

A sharp ding rings out and the first round starts. Eric wastes no time in charging for me, his fist hitting me hard in the sternum, knocking the breath out of me. My body folds in on itself and a heavy hand hits between my shoulder blades. I hear several people calling out my name as I lay on my side - Edward's is the loudest, the most furious.

I swing my right leg in an arc in front of myself, catching Eric's ankles and causing him to fall hard. My body is moving automatically, my fists quick to hit the most sensitive places of his body as I stand and circle him. The bell echoes out before Eric can retaliate and I know, despite the throbbing of my shoulders, that I've won the first round.

I get lucky during the second round, able to use my height to duck and attack and move quickly out of the way. I keep Eric chasing after me until the bell rings again and I hear the announcement of my second win.

My relief doesn't last long. As soon as the final round begins, I find myself on my back with a heavy weight cutting off the air to my lungs. Several hard hits are thrown at the side of my head and black swims around my vision.

I struggle to move, trying to twist my body enough to get air but the more I struggle, the harder I am hit. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I wonder how Eric is getting away with such blunt rule-breaking and realize that the fight was supposed to be rigged in his favor.

Just as I am fading out from a mixture of pain and lack of air, Eric's weight disappears and I hear the sickening crunch of a bone breaking.

"Edward! Edward, get off him man!"

"Fucking no!" Edward's voice is loud and raging. I hear more sounds of skin beating into more skin and the agonized groans of Eric. I can't bring myself to open my eyes but I can only imagine that Edward has some twisted sense of defense running through his head.

Andre's voice breaks through the stunned silence of the crowd and he orders Emmett and Jasper to get Edward out of the Arena before calling the medic group to move me - carefully - to my locker room.

"I think Edward loves you," Alice whispers to me a short time later. I don't know if she realizes that I can hear her as she continues on. "He was so mad, Isabella. Emmett had to hold him back but somehow, he got free and then he was on Eric….I've never seen anyone so angry before…." Her voice fades out along with my awareness.

I come in and out of consciousness several times; the first is when Alice greets Esme into the room. I hear the sharp creak of the window being opened and some shuffling before a warmness floods my veins and sleep takes me again. Voices wake me briefly again as I feel myself being lifted and carried somewhere - I know it is not Edward who bears my weight because the humming in my chest is empty.

The last time I wake, it is to a soft murmuring voice close to my face and jolting electricity on my skin. "Bella, wake up,"

I hear myself groan. A hand - Edward's hand- moves to cradle my face, molding to my cheek. I nuzzle into his palm, feeling the silent vibrations of his chuckle through his strong fingers.

My eyes flutter slightly and I meet the unique grey-green of his eyes. "Welcome back, Bella,"

I nod, my face still in his palm. His other hand comes to stroke the side of my face, the bond holding me to him simply humming with satisfaction.

Did he love me?

In all honesty, it wasn't a far-fetched idea - not with how he'd been acting towards me and not how I'd been responding to him. I knew without a doubt that I was falling for him or already in love with him but I'd never expect him to reciprocate such feelings.

I'd never even considered being in love, either.

"How long?"

"Just a few hours. Esme came to heal you while I was…otherwise engaged."

I raise a brow at him and watch as the tips of his ears turn a light shade of pink. He seems so young in this moment. "I may have-"

"May have?"

Edward sighs, exasperated. "Okay, I was getting a lecture from Andre about Arena protocol. But he seriously couldn't have expected me to stand by while that scum-sucking son-of-a-bitch was-" Edward couldn't finish his sentence, his face a stormy cloud. The lights above us flicker twice as he takes a deep breath to calm himself.

"You beat Eric up," I state calmly, watching as Edward nods once, his eyes trained on my face as his fingers trace the bridge of my nose and underneath my eye.

"I did. He deserved it."

We are quiet for a moment, my face pressed to his palm and his chin resting on the edge of my bed. Edward's eyes lighten to a very playful shade of light green-grey and he grins nervously at me. The change of attitude is startling but as soon as he speaks, I forget everything but his words.

"Bella, would you go somewhere with me tomorrow?"

Without hesitating, I answer back. "Yes."

A/N: so sorry for the delayed update! my semester started last monday and, as you can imagine, i was a bit preoccupied with everything that entails.

huge smiles for my pre-reader/beta IvySnow for all of her hard work!

i would like suggestions, though, as to where Edward should take Bella in the next chapter. of course i have something in mind but i think it would be interesting to know what all my lovely readers would like to read!

be brutally honest!

~cupcakeriot