Disclaimer: None of this is mine, nor will it ever be (sigh). I like to play with the characters that Stephenie Meyers created and make them do pervy things or become angels with a bad attitude.

I'm blown away by the response for the prologue. Thank you, everyone, for taking the time read and review. I hope I can do my snarky, bad ass Angelward justice. I do plan on updating on Saturdays with teasers on Wednesdays. The first three chapters (Prologue, one and two) were submitted to the Fandom For Mental Health Awareness, but everything following that is brand new. Thank you for reading! And thank you to Clo for the manips of the characters. You rock my socks, girl!

Chapter One

EPOV

I landed in my backyard and folded my wings back into my body. Walking into my home, I scratched my dog's ears as he waited for me in the kitchen. "Did you guard the house, Felix?" I asked as I filled his water bowl and fed him his kibble. "No intruders?"

Felix's tail wagged as he devoured his meal. I chuckled, walking into my massive library and sitting down in the reclining chair overlooking the Hoh Rainforest. I pulled out my journal, jotting down my thoughts from my day. I had so many journals, filled with my idle chatter and commentary about the mundane lives of humans. Mainly, it was a diatribe how I feared for the human race and future of the planet. People were so lazy, so entitled, so ... It scared me.

And don't get me started on the 'blame game.' Ugh!

I also doodled, wrote music, and reflected on my past. I'd been stuck here for over sixty years, since the early 1940s. Don't get me wrong, I liked some of my times and experiences on earth. Getting high? A-Mazing! Tattoos? Sign me up for more. Hell, I even had a huge piece on back that looked exactly like my own wings. It was sweet. Even though I couldn't show them, I knew that they would still be seen.

Having sex? You don't do that up in heaven. Well, you can, but you have to be committed to the person. Prior to my exile, I had never made the commitment so I was an angel virgin, but a virgin virgin. Though, my mentor/creator had her eyes on me and I knew she wanted more from me. She wanted that commitment. I just wasn't feeling it for her.

You know?

She reminded me of a sister. An annoying, obnoxious little sister. She was smart as she came, and beautiful in her own right, but there was something child-like that I couldn't look past. So, I relegated her to the friend-zone.

I just learned that term the other day from Google. That shit's awesome.

During the days, I worked at various jobs - construction worker, substitute teacher, health care provider, or personal assistant – jobs where I could come and go as I pleased. I was a hard worker who rarely needed a sick day, so everyone loved me even though I was a snarky son of a bitch.

Okay, snarky is putting it mildly.

I was a complete pain in the ass.

While I made the most out of my time on earth, I was still beating myself up for the reason why I was down here. My bitterness toward my situation leaked into what I did. Yes, I had fucked up. Yes, I was in cahoots with the enemy, but how the fuck was I supposed to know that? I have an infinite memory and super strength, but I thought I was helping someone in a sticky situation. I thought I was helping an innocent. That's what angels do, right?

Apparently not.

The person that I was helping all those years ago was the King of All Evil, Lucifer, the bringer of darkness and hatred. I was helping him build an army. Little did I know that the army I was helping to create was the beginning of what was known as the Holocaust? The hugest act of genocide in the modern era?

Yes, I fucked up.

I get it. Hitler was a horrible monster. I see that now, but how was I supposed to know that Lucifer was using Hitler's body as his vessel? I just saw the pain he was in, and I tried to help. Unfortunately, the pain that I saw was all a ruse from Lucifer, tricking me to help him.

Bastard. And to think Lucifer used to be one of the good guys.

Lucifer, through Hitler, tried to eradicate an entire race of people and I, unknowingly, helped in that brutal, dark time in history - the concentration camps with all those people, pleading for mercy, brutal warfare, the atomic bomb - it was sickening that I had a hand in that.

I'd never seen Him so angry. He was ready to cast me out of heaven, strip me of my powers, but not my memory, letting me live out the rest of my days with the guilt of what had happened. Alice, my mentor/creator and woman who was in love with me, argued for leniency and for a chance for me to redeem myself. He looked at me, staring into my eyes and into my very soul, seeing if there was an ounce of remorse. I was beating myself up. I did feel horribly about what had happened. It was never my intention to work in concert with Lucifer. With a scowl, He agreed with Alice and sent me on my way.

So, my naiveté and stupidity landed me in exile on earth. As a result, I trusted no one. Would you? I lived in a secluded house in the middle of the Hoh Rainforest, on the outskirts of Forks, Washington. My only companion was Felix, my chocolate lab. I got him because he looked fierce and was the protector of his puppy siblings. However, he turned out to be a huge marshmallow, but he kept me company. Speaking of my furry companion, Felix ambled into my library, hopping onto the ottoman and giving me his crooked doggy grin. "All done, Felix?" I asked, scrubbing his ears.

He barked, his tongue lolling out of his mouth. "You should be sleeping, boy," I teased. He whimpered, hopping from the ottoman and onto my lap. He still believed he was a puppy. He was a hundred-pound lab that shed over every freaking thing. I rolled my eyes, petting my heavy dog as he got comfortable in my arms. Once he was snoring, I closed my own eyes. Technically, I didn't need to sleep, but it felt nice just to shut out the world for a few hours. I was aware of every noise, every movement, but relaxing with my one steadfast companion who made me happy, even for just a few hours.

When I opened my eyes again, it was just barely dawn. I moved Felix onto my chair and I went to shower. I was scheduled to work at a construction site today and for the next three weeks. I was helping with the demolition of a condemned building in Port Angeles. It was menial work, but it kept me busy during the day.

I showered and changed into a pair of jeans, a work shirt and an obnoxiously bright jacket. I fed Felix and brewed some coffee. I didn't drink it, but shared it with my coworkers. I liked the scent of coffee, but not the flavor. It didn't make any sense. It smelled sweet but was so bitter. Whatever.

Keeping up with the pretenses, I got into my car and drove to Port Angeles. I'd rather be flying, damn it. Parking across the street from the trailer, I shook the hand of the project manager, a brute of a man named Emmett.

"I heard a lot of good things about you, Edward," he said. "Hard worker, keeps to yourself, but a smart ass."

"I'd rather be a smart ass than a dumb ass," I quipped, handing him a cup of coffee.

"Good point. You'll be on the top floor with Mike and Tyler until lunch," he said, taking the coffee. "Focus on tearing down the walls and pulling the plumbing. Last one up there has to haul the toilets down."

"Later," I laughed, handing him the carafe of coffee. I ran up the stairs and began my work in earnest. Tyler showed up last, bitching that he had to haul the six toilets down the stairs. Mike and I laughed as he carried them the four flights of stairs. When Tyler wasn't complaining about the toilets, both men chattered about their girlfriends. However, the way they talked about women was demeaning and I was appalled for their significant others. They described their bodies and lack of prowess in the bedroom. I stayed quiet, biting back my comments as they continued their crude commentary.

Despite that, we worked well together until lunch, breaking for our meal. They went to some local greasy spoon, but I said that I had packed a lunch, wandering to the marina. I sat there, away from Mike and Tyler describing each graphic detail of their love making – okay, it was fucking - and listening to the breeze, relishing in the spotty sunlight as it warmed my face.

Breaking me from my reverie, I heard a musical giggle. I turned toward it, seeing the most gorgeous creature I'd laid my eyes on. She was petite with long brown hair, pale skin and the curves of a beautiful woman. She was talking on a cell phone to another woman, sharing details about a blind date. A bad blind date.

I was inexplicably angry that this woman had gone out on a blind date and that it wasn't with me.

What are you talking about, Edward?

I was a fucking angel. I didn't do romantic involvements. Up until I was on earth, I was a virgin. But, once I jumped into the pool, I couldn't get enough.

One night stands, sure. I may be an angel, but I'm still a man. A horny man, damn it.

But, this woman was not like the women I'd been with before. She was pure, innocent, and fucking beautiful. I shook my head, watching her as she continued her conversation before she walked to a nearby elementary school. I waited until she was inside before going back to my job. However, I kept my thoughts trained on hers while I was close by, just to hear the beautiful tenor of her mental voice and her kind nature as she taught her fourth grade students.

At the end of the day, the guys went to Frank's bar, but I decided not to go. For the first time in years, I went home and didn't drink myself stupid. I smoked like a fucking chimney as my thoughts swirled around the unnamed beautiful brunette with the musical laugh.

That began my new routine. I would go to work, demolishing the building until lunch, and then I'd sit, spending time near the marina. Every day, the beautiful woman would come and eat her lunch, talk on her phone or read a book. She captivated me. Her thoughts were so pure, so loving, but I could feel an underlying pain beneath her goodness. I didn't notice it at first, but as I "ate" my own lunch over the course of the past several days, I noticed an emptiness and sadness in her heart.

I wanted to fix it, but my past made me – how do the humans put it?

Right, gun shy.

So, I just sat and listened, trying to see if her sadness was genuine or concocted by Lucifer. I didn't want to be tricked twice. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me and all that jazz.

After a week, I finally learned her name – Bella. Some of her coworkers were eating with her, but I could tell that she wasn't too keen on spending time with them. The only positive was that I did learn her name as some blonde prattled on about the newest teacher's assistant that was sooooo cute. They were as fake as they came, pretending to care about each other. Bella didn't like her solitude interrupted but didn't say anything. She smiled and talked with them, but secretly wanted to just read her book or plan her lessons for the rest of the school year.

The next day, she was alone and happy, on the surface. Her mind, though, was concerned about a couple of new students, foster children, who had started in her class earlier in the week. They were small for their age and obviously not cared for by their guardians. She was doing a unit on Greek mythology and it was a big deal, where the students were having a day where they all dressed up like their favorite god or goddess. It was a school tradition, but these new students didn't have the money to create their costumes. Bella was wracking her brain on how to help them out. No closer to a solution, Bella went back to school and I took over thinking how I could help her help them or help her help them.

Confusing, right?

My head hurts from trying to figure it out.

By the end of the week, the building I was working on was nearly stripped of its components and was almost ready for the wrecking ball. I was filling out my paperwork to get paid, signing my timecard. "You did some great work, Edward," Emmett said, smiling at me. "I've got a new project starting in two weeks or so. It's more than just demo. We're rehabbing an older house in the historic district of Port Angeles. I'd like you on my team. Your attention to detail is amazing."

"I'd like to get help out," I said. "Just send me the address and the start date. I'll be there."

"Do you have a cell phone?" Emmett asked.

I wrinkled my nose. I didn't have one. I didn't see the point of having one. I had a perfectly functional landline in my home. "I washed it," I lied. "I haven't had a chance to get a new one. You have my email address, right?"

"I do. I'll send you the information and I hope you can come," Emmett said. "Until then, I'll see next week for the big finale. I may even let you control the wrecking ball."

"I'm so excited," I deadpanned. Emmett laughed, slugging my arm with his fist. I made a big deal of stumbling since he was so big, but I could have lifted him with my pinky finger despite the fact that he was probably 250 pounds of pure muscle.

"Are you going to Frank's?" Emmett asked.

"Probably not," I shrugged. "I've got to pick up some dog food for my dog."

"Lame," Emmett laughed. "But, no biggie. I won't take no for an answer next week when this job is done. Got it?"

"I'll be there," I said, shrugging on my jacket. "See you on Monday, Emmett."

"Later," Emmett said, putting my timecard into an envelope. I left the trailer and walked toward my car. I felt my heart lurch just as I was going to put my key into the ignition.

Help! This can't be happening to me! Not again!

I knew it was Bella. Her voice was panicked and I could feel her terror. Closing my eyes, I listened for her. I got out of my car and into a nearby alley. Shrugging out of my jacket, I spread my wings and took off. I found Bella easily, near her school, around the corner from a resale shop. A group of men was surrounding her, pushing and tearing at her clothes. One guy had a knife and the others were punching her body.

Aw, hell no!

"Come on, baby. We'll make you feel good," one of the men drawled, wrapping his arms around her body.

"No," she whispered. She spun around and ran away, but was blocked by a dead end. She was pressed against a brick wall, looking frantically for any sort of way out. I landed on the roof of a nearby building, trying to figure out how to help her, but maintain my secret. When one of the men threw her on the ground and started reaching for her blouse, pawing at her body, I decided to fuck it and swoop in, making them pay for their crimes. All of them were punching her, stomping on her and calling her a tease. She was screaming, begging for them to stop. She was bleeding, trying to fend them off. But she was so tiny, her punches weren't doing any damage to her attackers.

I dove off the building, using my wings to push them all off her. Hovering over her protectively, I glared at them, my wings spread to their full width. They were so high that they thought they were hallucinating. Bella was unconscious, battered and bruised on the dirty ground. "Ganging up on an innocent woman?" I snarled. "Not too smart, guys."

"She wants it," said one of them, cupping his cock.

"She's not conscious and therefore does not want it. And did you not hear her say no? I did," I growled. One of the men whipped out his knife and tried to attack me, but I curled my wing around myself, effectively blocking his attempt. He fell to the ground and moaned. I read all of their minds and this was not the first time they'd done this. They were truly evil, preying on defenseless women.

Apparently, the drugs they were on made them feel invincible. They all took their turns trying to get to me, but with the protection of my wings and their sheer stupidity, I rendered them unconscious and picked them all up. I flew to police department, dumping them inside of the doors with a note on the guy who had done the most damage to Bella. I wanted to make them pay for what they did, but if I had done what I had planned, I'd definitely be stripped of my powers.

I wanted to rip them limb from limb and make them feel the pain that they inflicted on their victims. But, killing is a big no-no for angels.

I took off, back to where Bella was located. I had to get back to her. She was still unconscious and covered with bruises. I gingerly picked her up, holding her close to my body. I could feel broken ribs and blood filling in her lungs. Her beautiful face was covered with bruises and her clothes were in tatters. I unfurled my wings, taking off and flying back to my house. Landing carefully, I carried Bella into my unused bedroom. I changed her out of her ruined clothes and dressed her in some of mine. They were too big for her, but they were not torn and covered in blood.

Her eyes were swollen shut and there was blood coming from her nose. On top of that, her heart-shaped face was bruised and scraped from the monsters who were trying to hurt her. Her lungs were wet and I could feel her pain. It nearly knocked me over with the amount of agony she felt. I knew that if I didn't help her, she was going to die. I couldn't let that happen. Pulling on my latent healing powers, I ran my hands over her body. I felt the warmth from my palms and the pain from her body travel to mine.

That was an unfortunate side effect of my ability to heal humans. Whatever injuries they had, I acquired as I made them better. Granted, my healing time was faster than that of a human, but it still hurt and I needed rest and nourishment. Bella's injuries were quite severe, and I knew that my recovery time would take longer than normal. Those animals had beaten her within an inch of her life, threatening to take her in the vilest of ways.

It took me an hour to heal all of her injuries. I collapsed on the ground, panting heavily and covered with sweat. Felix wandered over to me, plopping down next to me and eyeing our guest. She was resting comfortably and would stay asleep until morning. Healing also tired out the human. I leaned against my furry friend. He licked my nose, whimpering quietly. "I'll be okay, Felix," I said tiredly. "I had to help her." He cocked his head, snuggling close to me and putting his head on my thigh. I leaned my head against the bed, running my fingers through his thick fur, watching as Bella slept.

I eventually drifted to sleep, waking up to Felix's snores. I shifted and I was sore, but not in as much pain as when I healed Bella. She was still asleep, but her mind was assaulted of memories of her attack, muddled with other memories that I couldn't understand. I got up, my bones cracking. I stretched my wings before tucking them back into my body. I showered and waited for Bella to wake up.

I prayed she wouldn't freak out. She was in a stranger's house, in a stranger's clothes with a creepy dog watching her every move. Oh, wait. It's you who's the creeper. You've only been watching her for the past three weeks, Edward.

I shook off my snarky thoughts. After my shower, I felt better. I made some breakfast, eating some myself since I was weak from healing her. Protein worked the best, with organic fruits and veggies as well. Processed shit made me sick. After eating, I heard her shift in the bedroom and her thoughts become more coherent. I darted upstairs, anxious to actually talk to her, but prepared for her to freak out and blame me for what happened to her. I knew that I didn't hurt her.

A few moments ticked by, and Bella was shifting on my bed. She moaned, rolling onto her stomach. However, she patted the pillows and she shot up, her hair a tangled mess and her mind confused. Where am I? This is not my bed, she thought. She turned around, sitting up and looking directly at me. Her espresso colored eyes widened. What happened? He's so gorgeous, but who is he? "Who are you?" she asked before fainting dead away.

Not the worst reaction, I shrugged, but I was giddy at the fact that she thought I was gorgeous. It made my heart do a flip-flop in my chest and a smile to spread over my face.

A/N: Pictures of Edward's house are on my blog. You can find the link for that on my profile. I'm also on Facebook: Tufano79's Twilight Fanfiction Appreciation. Twitter, too: tufano79. Leave me some!