A/N: Well folks… so much to tell… I came back to Florida after spring break and got back into my routine at school. The kids are nuts and just counting down the days until 5th grade graduation (as am I) and summer break. (PS: there are 30 left). Then on Saturday, I was taking a class at my school and prepared to watched the NFL draft with my older brother.

At about 4:00 P.M., I received word that my grandfather had finally succumbed to his fight against cancer and had passed away. Of course, I've now flown north for the funeral and viewing. All 17 grandchildren will be here, as well as most of the great-grandchildren. We're a big, Italian extended family and we're thankful that he is no longer suffering.

Anyway, now that I'm away from work, I am able to get this chapter posted. I'm going to try to finish this story this week and have all the chapters posted by the end of next week. Hope I don't disappoint.

DISCLAIMER: This is my story, although I have borrowed Stephenie Meyer's characters. A special thanks to her for creating this marvelous world/characters for me to toy with.

EPOV

And just like that, it was as if all of my prayers over the last few hours had been answered. Beside me a door to the school basement burst open and Bella came rushing out. I grabbed onto her and immediately felt her body go limp. I quickly picked her up and began heading back towards the gym when someone pushed me from behind, causing me to fall upon Bella. I was worried when she didn't respond, but stood to turn my attacker.

"I can't let you do that Cullen. You don't understand. She belongs with me now." Coach James's eyes looked wild and frenzied.

"Only in your dreams, Coach. Bella is my girlfriend and my future. You can't have her, and I won't let you touch her again." I was prepared to fight this psychopath, even though I saw him carrying a bloody pole.

"That's not what she wants. We were interrupted before by Crowley, but I took care of him. She wants to be with me, and I was about to give her something that you could only dream of giving her." He sneered at me and almost smiled as he saw me notice the pole.

"If that's what Bella really wanted, then tell me why this entire time she's told me how she wants no one besides me. You're delusional if you think someone like Bella would ever want someone like you." I knew I had to be careful or he would attack me, but my temper was getting the best of me.

"Well, I hate to disappoint you, but I've seen all your girlfriend has to offer, and I know why you're so willing to protect her. That pussy of her's…" His eyes got a little glossy and his smile grew to a sickening grin.

That was more than I could bear. The look on his face told me that he had at least seen that part of Bella's anatomy, and no one besides me was allowed that privilege. I lunged at him with all my weight.

Thankfully, I caught him off guard and the pole was knocked from his hand. We wrestled around on the ground for minutes, each of us laying plenty of blows to the other. I knew I had a bloody nose and my cheek burned where he had last hit me but I kept fighting back. I wasn't about to let him get back to Bella. I landed a square hit to his left eye, and thankfully it seemed to hurt him more than myself. My hand was throbbing after that last hit.

I felt my ribcage shudder as he flung an elbow into my right side. I gasped in pain and unfortunately, this caused him to elbow me in the same spot again. I tried to kick and punch, but the pain in my ribs was getting too much to bear. I was finding it harder and harder to breathe.

He must have realized this because he pushed all his weight onto my ribcage. I began to wheeze, and I knew that if I didn't get him off my chest, he would cause me to pass out. I pushed with my legs, trying desperately to get him off of me, but I was so weak without getting full breaths into my system that I barely moved him.

The edges of my vision were getting blurry. I could only hold out for a few more seconds. I tried one last push, and thankfully, this time, he practically flew off of my body. I was stunned to say the least, but thankful that he had moved. I got to my feet, preparing to fight once more when I noticed that I was no longer fighting alone.

Tyler was engaging in a wrestling match with Coach James. I noticed that Tyler was swaying slightly and had a large stain of blood running down the back of his head, neck, and shoulders. I instantly remembered the pole and realized that Coach James must have hit him over the head with it.

I stood and tried to shake off the intense pain I felt every time I breathed. I scooped Bella up and moved her far away from the fighting. She had already been through too much for something else to happen to her tonight. The first thing that hit me as I lifted her frail body was her scent. A scent of strawberries and fressias that were unique to only her. It was then I noticed her cradling her wrist and side. Obviously, she tried to fight him off too with little luck.

I carried her far enough away so that she wouldn't be injured further and set her down on a bench near one of the entryways into the school. I kissed her temple and turned back to the fighting. Tyler may have been involved, but it was clear that he wasn't going to let Coach James do anything to Bella.

I started taking steps towards where Tyler and Coach were fighting when I heard Charlie's voice behind me. "FREEZE! Put your hands in the air where I can see them."

I turned around to see twelve squad cars pulling into the parking lot beside us. Twenty plus officers began pulling their pistols from their holsters and pointed them towards where I stood. I instinctively raised my hands as I looked to where Bella lay on the cold ground.

"EDWARD! Get my daughter out of the cold. I'm calling an ambulance. Get her to the hospital while we take care of these two… these two… I don't think there is a word low enough for these two." Charlie's face was beet red, and I wanted to tell him to relax, but I knew it was no use. I felt the same way.

The EMTs showed up and were quickly moving Bella onto a stretcher and into the ambulance. Charlie gave his approval to ride with her as his coworkers were arresting Coach James and Tyler. I saw him walking into the gym to go get Renee, Emmett, and PJ as the sirens began blaring and taking us towards the hospital.

A/N: Well, I hope it was worth the wait. At least I was able to get it up over 1200 words. Thanks for taking the time to read. Feel free to send me a review. Thanks all!