DISCLAIMER: The characters do not belong to me…they are all the creation of the wonderful Stephenie Meyer.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Edward, Jasper, and Emmett start training Bella in fighting and self-defense.

Training 1

"Bella, are you sure about this?" I asked her. My hands rested on her shoulders as I stooped down to be eye level with her.

"I am, Edward. I want to learn to fight and defend myself," Bella assured me.

"We'll use the same safe word from the study," I told her.

She nodded her head. I still couldn't believe I had agreed to this, especially after the baseball incident just days before.

"Emmett? Jasper?" I questioned, looking at my brothers.

They nodded their heads at me.

'It will be fine, Edward.' Jasper

'We'll be careful.' Emmett

"What will I learn first?" Bella asked. She was done playing around. Her eyes were fierce and her lips were pressed into a determined line.

I sighed internally, trying to prepare myself for this. "We'll teach you how to break a hold first. Emmett's going to grab you from behind."

I waved my hand and Emmett came over. He wrapped his arms around Bella, locking his left hand onto his right wrist for extra leverage.

"Bella, try to move." I watched her squirm for a moment. "Stop. Do you see how that will just wear you down?"

She nodded her head.

"This time, I want you to suck in a breath and slide down as you lift your arms out from your sides. As soon as you are close to freeing your shoulders, turn and elbow Emmett in his lower stomach area as hard as you can."

I stood back and watched as Bella wiggled herself down, moved out her arms and elbowed Emmett. He let out a little oomph at the impact and Bella smiled.

"You felt that, Em?" Bella asked.

"Yeah, Squirt," Emmett replied, ruffling her hair. "You didn't do any damage or anything, but I felt it."

"I know you'll find this hard to believe, but the bigger the person is, the easier it will be to get away," Jasper told Bella. "The massiveness of their arms will make it hard to grip you properly." 'Edward?'

I nodded at my brother.

"Edward is going to grab you from the front this time," Jasper said to Bella.

I moved forward and pinned her against my chest. It was the first time, in a long time, that I was holding her tight enough to restrain her. It bothered me that this was not a loving embrace, but I knew it was necessary. She had asked me to do this for her. She never asked for much and this was something necessary to keep her safe. Or at least that's what I kept telling myself.

"How will you get away, Bella? Take a minute and think about it. Your arms are pinned at your sides. How will you get away?" asked Jasper.

"Sorry, Edward," Bella whispered.

I was getting ready to ask her what she meant when it happened. She kneed me in the groin and when I doubled over, she drove her knee into my chest while pounding the back of my neck with her fists laced together.

"Holy Hell!" Emmett yelled, as I fell to my knees on the ground.

Bella quickly wrapped her arms around my shoulders. "I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

"It's fine," I panted. I found my lips curling up into a proud smile. "Who taught you that?"

"Rose and Alice," Bella shrugged with a shy smile.

"Rose and Alice!" Jasper laughed, as he pulled me to my feet. 'Edward, are you okay?'

I nodded my head, grateful he hadn't asked that out loud. "I'll have to thank them. When did they teach you that?"

"In New York after that creepy guy grabbed me in the club," Bella replied.

"I still think you should have let me rip off one of his arms," I growled. "It would make it hard for him to grab another woman ever again."

"I don't think we need to practice holding Bella from the front anymore," Emmett remarked.

"What's wrong, Emmett?" Jasper asked with mischief in his eyes. "Are you scared of Picky?"

"You grab her if you're so brave," Emmett challenged.

"Come here, Bella," Jasper said, waving his hands at her. 'Edward, I'm going to show her how that won't always work. I'll try to keep her calm as best I can.'

Bella approached Jasper and let him lock her in his grip. Jasper rested one foot behind Bella's. As soon as she went to lift her leg, Jasper swept his foot over, knocking Bella off-balance so that they fell to the ground with her beneath him.

"Forks!" Bella screamed.

"Jasper, let her go. That's her safe word," I told him. My arms were shaking from the amount of restraint it was taking for me to stand still. I wanted nothing more than to yank my brother away from my wife.

Jasper jumped off of Bella and I pulled her into my arms. I felt a wave of calm from my brother as I stroked her hair.

"You're okay, love. Jasper just wanted to show you that, that move won't always work. If the person suspects it, they can knock you over. Once you're on the ground like that, it's almost impossible to get away. You have to do all you can to stay on your feet."

Bella nodded her head. "Is there another way out of that hold?"

"Are you ready to continue?" I asked.

Bella nodded her head. Her golden eyes held fear, but also determination.

"Jasper." I moved myself away from her again. I would need the distance to control myself.

Jasper locked her in his arms again. 'Relax, Edward. You'll only increase her anxiety.'

I took a deep breath and let Jasper's calm, influence me. "Bella, I want you to pick an arm and lift it up. Use it to force Jasper to readjust his grasp. As soon as you feel him adjusting himself, turn sideways and push against his body. Once he's off-balance, sweep your leg and take him out at the ankles," I told her.

Bella lifted her arm and I could tell the second Jasper moved to adjust himself. Bella missed it by a few seconds and Jasper was able to tighten his grasp.

"Forks!" Bella yelled.

Jasper immediately let her go.

"You have to concentrate, Bella," I told her, making my voice stern.

I hated to do this, but I knew it was necessary. I was not her husband right now: I was her trainer. I could only hope she would understand that and not be upset with me later.

"You missed his movements by mere seconds. Use your senses. Feel when his muscles twitch from him adjusting them. Listen to the rustle made when your clothes rub together. Hear the tension in his breathing as he struggles to keep hold of you. Try again," I ordered, letting her know she had to do this.

Jasper grabbed Bella again. I noticed that she'd closed her eyes. She lifted her arm slowly and as soon as Jasper moved to fix himself, Bella turned and pushed, digging her shoulder in perfectly. Jasper stumbled and Bella dropped down, sweeping her leg and taking him out at the ankles. Jasper hit the ground and laughed.

"Excellent!" I said, pulling Bella into a hug. "Good work. Now you just need to do that with your eyes opened. It's important to know where everyone is in the room at all times."

Emmett pulled Jasper up. "She's a natural," Emmett said, with awe in his voice. "Did you see the way she dropped herself and used her hands to hold herself up?"

"She looked like Edward for a second there," Jasper remarked.

"What do you mean?" Bella asked.

"Do you remember watching Edward practice in the clearing after the graduation party?" Jasper questioned.

"I watched, but I couldn't really see you guys very well," Bella replied, crinkling her nose.

"Stand over by Emmett and we'll show you so that you can see," Jasper said. "Edward, I want you to do the same thing Bella just did." Jasper and I were nearly the same height. 'Take it easy on me, Ed.'

I chuckled at him as he locked his arms around me. In one motion, I lifted my arm, turned, drove Jasper backward and dropped down. My weight rested on one foot and my hands while I swung my other leg out, hitting Jasper right at his ankle. His legs buckled and he hit the ground again.

"I looked like that?" Bella questioned Emmett, as she pointed to me.

"Damn straight," Emmett replied, smiling and nodding.

I jumped to my feet and pulled Jasper up from the ground. I patted him on the back. "Not too rough, was I?"

"That was nothing!" Jasper grinned, with a wave of his hand.

"What's next?" Bella asked.

"Teach her to pounce the right way!" Emmett said, with a wide grin.

"Yeah!" Bella agreed excitedly.

"Watch how Edward does it first and then we'll let you try," Jasper instructed. "Emmett, since this was your idea, you are the pouncing object."

Emmett groaned as he moved to stand in front of me. I crouched down, letting my knees go out to either side of my chest. I rested my weight on the pads of my feet and hands so that I was already half-way through my leap.

As soon as Emmett was positioned, I pushed off with my feet and pulled myself forward with my arms for extra momentum. My hands struck Emmett's upper torso moments before my feet landed against his upper thighs. He fell backwards with me landing on top of him.

"Wow!" Bella breathed.

I turned my head and smiled at her, giving her a little wink. She smiled and it made my heart swell. There never really would come a day when she saw me as a monster. That realization lifted a weight I hadn't even known was still sitting on my heart.

"Anytime you want to get off of me would be great," Emmett muttered.

I laughed and jumped up. He stood up and dusted off his clothes.

Jasper positioned Bella in front of Emmett. "Just try your best to use the same stance Edward did."

Bella nodded her head as she crouched. I tried not to laugh at her, knowing it would ruin her confidence. I walked over to her and knelt beside her.

"Bella. I'm going to try and help you. Just relax your body."

I put my hand on the small of her back and pressed down. With my other hand, I turned her feet and pointed them out, allowing her to lower her backside and bend her knees away from her body. I lifted the back of the foot closest to me, showing her how to rest on the pad. She followed the example and fixed her other foot. I checked her hands. She had them balled into fists.

"Relax your fingers."

She did and I showed her how to rest on the palms of her hands, with the fingers relaxed and pressed against the ground.

"When you decide to go for it, push with your feet and pull yourself over your hands, almost as if you were going to jump your own arms. It will give you more momentum. As soon as you feel yourself in the air, lock your elbows so when your palms hit the target, you'll have the force of the jump behind your hands. Try to land your feet on the upper thigh muscles of your target. Doing that will make the thighs weak, causing the knees to buckle and your enemy should fall."

Bella looked at me with pleading eyes. "Edward," she whispered.

I looked over at Jasper and he sent her some confidence and calm. I locked her eyes with mine. "Bella, you can do this. I know you can."

Bella nodded her head and turned her attention back toward Emmett.

Emmett patted his chest. "Right here, Picky! Come and get me!"

'Edward, her confidence just soared. I'd move out of the way if I were you.' Jasper

'God! She's even got his glint in her eye right now.' Emmett

Bella pounced and I swear I nearly missed her movements. She hit her target perfectly and Emmett actually skidding a few feet from the force of her impact.

"Holy Hell!" Emmett cried, as he stood up, eyeing Bella warily. "Where have you been hiding that, Bella?"

Bella ran over to me and wrapped her arms tightly around my waist. Her entire body was vibrating with tension.

I rubbed her back and placed soft kisses on the top of her head. "That was excellent, Bella. You have nothing to be afraid of. Your body is meant for this sort of thing. You're a predator now, love."

"What's next, Edward?" Jasper asked.

'Edward. Let's stop.' Bella begged.

"We'll stop here for today, Jazz. I think Emmett and I have been beaten enough for one day," I told my brother.

'She's afraid of her own ability.' Jasper

I nodded my head to him, being careful not to alert Bella. I didn't want her to be more nervous than she already was. I turned her in my arms and started leading her back to the house. Jasper and Emmett ran off ahead of us in order to give us privacy.

"What do you say to a nice hot bath when we get into the house?" I asked her.

"Will you be joining me?"

"Of course, love. I know how you hate to bathe alone." I kissed her temple. "I'm very proud of you, Bella. You handled yourself very well today."

"I can't understand how I did it. I thought I would be really horrible. I'm not like normal newborns."

"You may not have the brute strength, Bella, but you have the instincts. And I may be slightly biased, but you are one of the most cunning creatures I've ever come across. Those self-defense moves are powered by the momentum of your body movements, not just your strength. I believe that's why you did so well."

"I think it's pretty neat how Emmett and Jasper think I look like you when I fight."

"Do you?" I chuckled.

"Who wouldn't? You're amazing when you fight and hunt. I've never seen anything more …"

"Monstrous?" I offered, knowing she would disagree.

"Beautiful!" Bella cried. "Perfect! Graceful! All the things I want to be."

"Bella, you already are those things."

She shook her head. "Not in the same ways. I want to be as …deadly as you are. I want to be able to protect myself for you, so I'm always here with you. I don't want anyone thinking I'm an easy prey."

"I wish things were different so you didn't have to embrace this side of yourself."

"But they aren't."

"I pray you never have to use these skills, Bella."

"So do I," Bella sighed. She suddenly smiled up at me. "I'd like to say that I'm very proud of you, too."

"Me?"

"Yes. I know it must have been hard not to yank Jasper away from me the first time I used my safe word."

"Thatwas rather difficult."

"I thought so," Bella chuckled. "Thank you for being my teacher in that moment and then my Edward when you hugged me afterwards."

"It's a hard line to walk," I admitted.

"I know. But you're doing great. You pulled Emmett and Jasper in to help and you kept your temper."

"How did we go from me praising you for a job well done to you praising me?"

"There's always something to praise you for," Bella said, hugging me tighter.

"Is that right?" I laughed.

"How could there not be with you being as wonderfully perfect as you are!" Bella chuckled.

"The way you view me is ludicrous. You do know that, don't you?"

"I know. You're always telling me that. But that's okay. I feel the same way about how you view me. It's part of what makes us so good together."

"How did you reach that conclusion?"

"Everything about us is what makes us good together," Bella shrugged. "We just fit each other."

"I can definitely agree with that sentiment."

We made our way into the house without running into anyone else. I closed and locked our door then led Bella into the bathroom. A nice quiet night together with a long bath was just what we needed to end this day. Then it would be time for Bella's least favorite activity … homework! Just another wonderful day in my life with Bella!