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.

Up next will be moving Bella in, Edward's discussion with Rosalie and return to school.

Chapter Fifteen

EPOV

Bella was asleep in my bedroom. Felix was lying next to her, snoring loudly. I was in the kitchen, talking to Alice and Jasper. "We'll take care of packing up belongings. But, do you think it's wise to talk to her landlord?" Jasper asked.

"That woman tried to refuse medical treatment when Riley came in, breaking her arm," I said. "She may not be an instrument for the devil, but she's evil, nonetheless."

"I agree. She is …" Alice trailed off.

"She's a bitch," I finished for her. I typed up a letter, describing a family emergency that was forcing her to move out. I was vague, but it made her aware of Bella moving out. "Stay with her. I'm going to drop this off and talk to that bitch."

"I'll pick up some boxes, but Bella doesn't have much," Alice whispered. "Her furniture is from Goodwill and will be left in the apartment. We'll go once you get back."

I nodded, getting up and walking to my car. I wanted to fly, but it would look weird to just randomly appear and fly away. I drove to Port Angeles and parked across the street from the café. I could hear Rosalie. She was mentally complaining about working the day after Christmas. I strode into the café, walking over to the blonde bombshell. "I thought I banned you from my shop," she snarled.

"Be that as it may," I said, taking out the letter I wrote and handed it to her. "I'm informing you that Bella will no longer be living in that apartment above this café. She doesn't feel safe her due to what happened with Riley and with your callous behavior, refusing her medical care."

"She still had time on her shift," Rose scoffed. "And I can't accept this. She needs to see me in person."

"Well, that's not going to happen," I said. I explained my legal stance and my plan if Rose went through with her bullshit of suing Bella for inappropriate notice in breaking a lease. After an hour speaking with her, I had a check for the last two months of Bella's rent, along with payment for Bella's medical bills for her broken wrist. It was almost five thousand dollars and I would put it into an account for her, making it grow rapidly. I explained to Rose that I'd have movers come tomorrow to pack up Bella's belongings and that if anything was touched, she'd have to pay to replace that as well. Rose gave me a harsh look, but agreed. I took the check, leaving the café and drove back to my house in the middle of the woods near Forks.

Once I got into the house, Alice and Jasper left and drove away. I made some lunch, carrying it into the bedroom. Bella was still asleep. She was curled up under the white comforter. Felix was next to her, his tail thumping when he smelled the meal. "Not for you, bub. Cheese gives you gas," I teased.

"I did not need to know that," Bella giggled, looking over her shoulder. She was adorably sleep-rumpled and sexy. "Who gets gas? You or Felix?"

"Felix," I chuckled. She sat up, tossing her messy curls into a lopsided ponytail. "You were sleeping the day away, pretty Bella."

"I actually feel safe enough to sleep," she said, giving me a tender smile. "And this bed is amazing."

"It is pretty awesome," I said, putting the tray over her legs. She beamed, digging into her lunch. As she did, I saw the teddy bear I'd given her pressed against her hip. "I went to talk to Rose. She was not happy to see me."

"You were still banned," Bella said, nibbling on her salad. "Rose hates you."

"Well, she's not my favorite person, either," I deadpanned. "But, you're out of your lease and she paid for your medical bills when you broke your wrist." I handed her the check and she gasped. "I can help you double that, easily."

"This is too much," Bella whispered. "I have insurance."

"It happened while you were working and she denied you medical care," I argued. "So, this is the least I could do. The least she could do. If you want more …"

"No!" she said, looking down at the check. "I just can't believe that Rose let me out of my lease and paid me this much." She bit her lip. "Thank you, Edward."

"Alice and Jasper are going to pack up your place," I said.

"Oh, no. I can pack up my own apartment," she chided.

"You can, but I don't want you there alone. I don't want you there. Period," I whispered brokenly. "Riley could show up and …"

"Okay, okay," she said, caressing my cheek. "There's nothing really there in my apartment that I really need, except my books and clothes. The furniture was found on the curbs or Goodwill. The appliances came with the apartment and they sucked anyway."

I blew out a breath, relaxing and giving her a crooked grin. "And anything you need, I can get for you," I said.

"Yeah, I'm sure," she snickered. "And we need discuss how I'm going to earn my keep."

"You're not, Bella. I own this house. The only bills I have are electricity, phone, water and cable," I explained. "And you're not paying for half of them. I've been around for a long time. I have more than enough money. I'd rather you use that money to seek therapy. That's how you can earn your keep."

"Will you be there with me?" she asked, looking up at me.

"Everywhere you go, I go," I answered. "You'll be sick of me."

"Doubtful," she said, sipping her water. "You're kind of cute."

"Kind of?" I laughed.

"Okay, yeah, you're hot," she smirked. "And on top of that, you're kind and fiercely protective."

"Only with you. If you ask Alice, she'd say that I'm an asshole," I snorted. "Jasper would definitely think I'm an asshole. He hates me. Not that I blame him, really." I swiped an olive, popping it in my mouth. "Maybe I am an asshole."

"You wouldn't have protected me like you have if you were," Bella said softly. "You wouldn't say that you love me. You wouldn't have gotten a job in my building, just to watch over me. Riley is an asshole. You are a good. You epitomize all that is good in the world, Edward. Yes, you have a potty mouth and a temper, but inside, you're sweet and kind and good and …" she trailed off. In her words, I could hear her love for me, but she refused to say those words out loud. Every time she had said she loved someone, she was hurt, burned in the long run.

"Now, if you want, we can redecorate the house to your liking," I said, leaning casually on the bed.

"I like the way it looks now," she murmured. "I just want to relax, read and just be."

"That's what we'll do," I said.

"After I shower," she said. "Thank you for letting me sleep in, but I want to join the land of the living." She handed me the tray and got up, grabbing some clothes from the closet, including another one of my button-down shirts. She blushed, ducking into the bathroom. I smiled at her, waving like a loon. However, the smell of Felix's swamp ass broke my reverie.

All the cheese on Bella's plate was gone. "Damn it, Felix," I whined.

xx OOTD xx

The rest of the winter break was spent mixing Bella's belongings with mine. She didn't have a lot, as Alice had said. She did have a lot of books, but other than that, she had very little. Her clothes barely filled the empty spot in my closet that Alice created for her. However, Alice was working on filling the closet, but more to Bella's liking with looser shirts and more conservative lines.

Bella also found the name of a therapist, specializing in her type of child abuse and sexual assault. I drove her to the first appointment and she liked Olivia. They made plans to meet once a week, every Thursday after work.

On Sunday evening, the day before we were supposed to go back to work, Bella was typing furiously on her work laptop. She was working on her lessons. "Alice is going to be working in our classrooms," she said. "I got an email from Mrs. Cope."

"Did you hear if Riley is coming back to work?" I asked.

"I checked the website and there is a new custodian that has been hired for our building. There's no mention that Riley has been fired or that he's resigned?" Her nose was wrinkled and she shuddered. "What if he's still working there?"

"You won't be alone, Bella," I vowed. "I promise you that he won't touch you."

"I don't know if I'd survive if he touched me … that way," she said, her face paling. "I don't want my choice taken away, Edward." She blinked up at me and tears brimmed in her eyes. "I want to finally heal. I want to really let you in." Her brown eyes were fierce and her thoughts were of exploration of our bodies. She wanted to say that she loved me, but her fear prevented her from doing so.

"Riley will never touch you," I vowed, taking her hands in mine. "I will die for you."

"I don't want that, Edward," she whispered. "You are the only person in my life who has even remotely cared about me. You showed me that I'm capable of being loved; that I'm worthy of happiness."

"I would rather not die," I said, giving her a reassuring grin. "I want to be with you, sharing your smiles, hearing your laughter and keeping you safe." I kissed her palms. "But, I'll be with you. I'm right next door."

"But, you have your weaknesses, Edward," she said. "That arrow … what if Riley shoots you again. Only the love of a mate can heal you. A kiss, physical contact, making love."

"I won't let him get that close," I said. "And I know that you love me, on some sort of level. I wouldn't have survived that first attack if you hadn't had some sort of feelings." I closed her laptop, standing up and offering her my hand. "Come, love, let's get some sleep. It's a busy day tomorrow and I want you to be rested."

"Okay," she said, wrapping her arms around me. I guide us to my bedroom, which had been softened since she moved in. My white bedspread had been replaced with a dove grey floral bedspread with some pillows at the headboard. Sitting in the middle of the headboard was Bella's teddy bear. She changed into a pair of pajamas and went through her nightly ritual of washing her face, putting on some lotion and brushing her teeth. Once she was done, I changed into a pair of flannel pants, leaving my chest bare. Bella liked to be enfolded by my wings and I didn't want to ruin any more shirts with wing holes.

We read a little bit before Bella snuggled to my side and put her head on my chest, listening to my heart. The teddy bear was squished between us and she held onto both of us with all her might. Just before her mind drifted, I heard her mental voice. I love you, Edward. I smiled, not responding, but tightening my hold on her with my arms and my wings. Nothing was going to take her away. I refused to let her be ruined by Lucifer. She was too special.

The next morning, we woke up and drove to Jefferson Elementary. I parked and we walked into the school, greeting Mrs. Cope as we got our mail from the staff mail room. We went into our rooms, preparing for the school day. Alice joined us, but she was agitated. She walked into my room, her body vibrating. In a tone, too low for any humans could hear, she hissed, "Riley is still working here, Edward. He's been promoted to the daytime custodian. Shawn had to take a medical leave. Something about a torn rotator cuff."

"So, the new custodian is to replace Riley," I hissed. "Damn it."

"This got infinitely more difficult," she said. "I'm going to spend most of my time in Bella's room, even though it's a student in your class that I'm supposed to be working with. I may try to get him transferred to Bella's class. She cannot be alone."

"Agreed," I said.

"Edward, this is bigger than all of us," she said. "To borrow one of those colorful terms you enjoy, this is a cluster fuck."

"Alice, did you just say fuck?" I snorted.

"I did and that's because it is," she sneered. "Riley is no longer Riley. He's been completely taken over my Lucifer. No part of him is human. The darkness has completely consumed him." She stiffened. "Be safe and keep your mind open. Jasper is doing his own gargoyle impression on the roof. He's only a shout away." She darted and went into Bella's room. I watched as Riley sauntered past our rooms, looking more menacing and scary than ever.

This really is a cluster fuck.

Damn. It.

A/N: So, what do you think? Leave your thoughts …

Up next will be Bella ... and her time with Olivia, helping her heal. And possibly some drama with Rosalie, but we'll see. Leave me some loving! :-)