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.

We're going to hear from Edward next chapter and the legion is going to prepare for battle. But, Emmett is fighting the darkness. He disagrees with everything that he's been pulled into.

Chapter Thirty-Two

EPOV

"She went to get a ball in the woods, Ms. Mallory," said a fifth-grade student named Emily. "She tossed it to me and I thought she was right behind me, but Miss Swan never came out from the woods." She did seem afraid to go in there. Why couldn't Ms. Mallory or Miss Stanley hang out in the outfield?

"Figures," Lauren scoffed. "Swan is probably slacking off."

I ran over to the kickball field when I felt a buildup of dark energy. Mrs. Cope yelled at me to stay, but not when I sensed danger. I was tempted to flash my wings, but I had to maintain my cover. I arrived at the field, crouching down in front of the girl. "Emily, I'm Mr. Cullen and I'm Miss Swan's boyfriend. Did you see anyone in the woods when she went in there?"

"No, just her, Mr. Cullen," she said. "Is she alright?"

"I'm going to check, sweetie," I replied, giving her a tight grin. I shot Lauren and Jessica a glower. "Get these kids inside."

"We don't have to answer to you," Jessica scoffed.

"Now is not the time to flex your nonexistent muscles, Stanley. I will win," I sneered. The clouds darkened and there was a distant rumble of thunder. I smirked. "Get these kids inside. It's going to rain." Just as I said that, the clouds opened up and Lauren screamed for everyone to go to their classrooms. Alice and Seth went into mine and Bella's rooms while I ducked into the forest. I sensed a powerful evil, but it wavered for a moment. I tried to find Bella, but her soul was out of reach and dark to me. I heard the approach of several angels. Carlisle and Esme landed next to me. "Did you handle the weather?"

"Yes," Carlisle nodded. "Those two …" he wrinkled his nose in the direction of Lauren and Jessica. "They are truly spiteful women."

"Agreed," Esme sneered. "My child, do you sense her?"

"No," I choked out. "She was taken from here, but whomever grabbed her has not succumbed completely to the darkness. Do you think …?"

"Possibly, they are trying to lure her to the darkness," Carlisle growled, his wings fluttering. He took my arm, staring into my eyes. "I know you want to go in search of her, but you must … you must stay here. They may send a police officer. This is NOT an abduction like they have ever seen. You know what to do."

"I want to find her," I sobbed, my heart beginning to crack and my fears coming to fruition. Carlisle hugged me, enfolding me in his wings and I allowed myself a moment to lose control. "I love her, so much."

"We know, my child," Esme said. I turned to her, hugging her and she pressed her hand to my chest. I felt the warmth of her comfort. "Go back to the school. Deal with the police. We will begin preparing for battle."

I nodded, feeling empty and alone, Bella's absence abundantly apparent. With another nudge, I darted away and made my way inside. Mrs. Cope was speaking to Ms. Whittier. "Mr. Cullen, did you find Miss Swan?" Mrs. Cope asked, wringing her hands.

"No, ma'am," I replied. My voice sounded different, tired. That's because your soulmate is in the clutches of a monster, idiot. "But, she wasn't there."

"Any sign of a struggle?" Ms. Whittier asked.

Esme's voice chimed in my head and said that they were staging it like she had struggled. "Yes. You may want to call the police," I said, crouching down and thrusting my hands into my hair. I was barely holding it together. My eyes welled with tears and I was sick. Ms. Whittier knelt down in front of me, awkwardly patting my knee. I wiped my tears away. "I'm going to my room. You may want to speak with Lauren and Jessica. They were at the same station as Bella."

"Oh, we will," Mrs. Cope snarled. "Who's watching your classrooms?"

"Ms. Brandon and Mr. Clearwater," I answered. I shuffled away and saw that Alice had combined our two classes, showing a video in Angela's room. The kids were entertained by Sing and I was able to catch my breath, but I wouldn't truly be able to do that until I had Bella back in my arms. Alice sat next to me, pulling her arm through mine, offering me comfort as best she could.

Shortly before the bell rang, Mrs. Cope wished the kids a great summer and that she couldn't wait until next year. I could hear the tremor in her voice. She also asked for me, Lauren and Jessica to come to the office to discuss the situation after we'd sent the kids home. Twenty minutes later, I walked into the office, trying not to lose my temper. Lauren and Jessica were bitching about how Swan's disappearance was cutting into their summer vacation.

"Lauren!" Mrs. Cope snapped. "You're going to meet with Chief Hamilton from the Port Angeles PD in my office. Jessica, you're going to work with Detective Omari in Ms. Whittier's office. Edward, you'll be talking to Chief Burke from Forks PD. They're going to help with the search."

"Where are we meeting?" I asked.

"Conference room," she said, following Lauren into her office.

I turned on my heel and went to the conference room, across the hall from the main office. Charlie was inside, pacing the length of the tiny room and his face was ashen. He turned when I closed the door and he pulled me into his arms. We both cried, scared for Bella. I was worried about the fragile psyche of my mate and he was obviously terrified for his daughter. He took my face in his hands and he narrowed his eyes. "Show me. From the moment …"

I nodded, closing my eyes and allowing my memories to filter to his. He felt the same dread I experienced when Bella went into the forest. The emptiness I experienced when she was taken was passed through our connection. The wavering darkness was apparent in my thoughts and memories. "We have to find her, Charlie," I whispered. "If we don't, she'll be lost forever."

Charlie nodded solemnly. "I just got her back. I can't lose her again," he choked out. "Now, that wavering sense of evil … what do you think about that?"

"I don't know, but there was something familiar about that signature," I muttered. "It's corrupted by darkness, but they haven't given completely over to the evil. They still have some control …" I trailed off. "Come with me." We got up and left the school, making our way back to where Bella had been taken. I knelt down, putting my hand on the muddy ground. I allowed the signature to penetrate me. "I know who took her."

"Who?" Charlie asked. "Someone I can arrest? Shoot? I want to use this fucker." He took out his gun and glowered at it.

"It won't hurt him. Not now," I answered. "Prior to working here at the school, I did rehab work for a guy. His name is Emmett McCarty. He was the project manager. He started dating Bella's boss/landlady Rosalie Hale."

Charlie took out his notebook, flipping through some notes. "Both of them were reported missing by loved ones. Rose, you know about, but Emmett, his disappearance was more recent. He vanished, without a trace, about a week ago. He still went work, went home and hung out with his friends up until then."

"Who reported him missing?" I asked.

"One of his workers. Tyler Crowley," Charlie answered. "Hamilton told me that when we met up in the office. Do you suspect those two harpies?"

"They're harmless and fucking lazy," I snapped. "They sat on the bench, looking at their cell phones while Bella ran the kickball station on her own. And did you hear their thoughts?"

"Yes, I did," Charlie growled. "They're bitching about my child. I'm sorry that their lazy asses couldn't …" He held up his hand, disgusted by the two of them. "And Lauren was revolted that you were told the student that you were Bella's boyfriend. Bella is not worthy of you."

"It's the other way around," I whispered. "I'm not worthy of her." Charlie cupped my cheek and smiled softly. "Are there going to be guys investigating back here?"

"Yeah. Hamilton said he'd send out some trackers. Not like they're going to find anything, though Esme and Carlisle did an amazing job staging this to look like a stranger abduction," Charlie said. "Come on. I'm releasing you from questioning. From what I understand, everyone is meeting at your home and strategizing how to end this. Once and for all."

"Thank you, Charlie," I muttered. He hugged me once more and we went back into the school. I could hear Lauren and Jessica screeching in the office about how they didn't know anything. The two officers interrogating them didn't believe their cries, making Charlie snicker. "What?"

"Those two are getting their just desserts," he said. "I think Hamilton is going to take them in as persons of interest."

I snorted. We shook hands and I went to my classroom. Mrs. Cope was in Bella's room, removing her belongings. "What are you doing?" I asked.

"I don't know when or if Bella's coming back," she answered.

"Look, I don't know what you think you're doing, but as her boyfriend and only fucking family, you are to not touch anything in here until I find out where the hell she is. She's still an employee of the district until August first, so you're touching private property," I snarled. "And if she's gone, I'm holding you and those petty bitches responsible. Now, get the fuck out."

"Mr. Cullen," she scoffed. "I never …"

"Listen, lady, my heart is about shattered into a million pieces because I was going to propose today, but we both know that's not happening. Get. Out," I hissed. She scurried past me, afraid that I was going to hit her. I sat down heavily, thrusting my hands into my hair and allowing my grief to crash through me. As I cried, I heard Charlie lay into Mrs. Cope about not disturbing a crime scene – Bella's classroom. She bristled, calling me a thug, but Charlie called her an unfeeling bitch. Ms. Whittier agreed with Charlie and Mrs. Cope threw her hands up, leaving the school.

I sat in Bella's room for about an hour, just giving myself a few moments to freak out. Once I got home, I'd have to be at my sharpest. This was what we were made for. We needed to protect the innocent. You don't get as innocent as Bella. On top of her innocence, she was my mate, my other half. I wasn't going to lose her to the darkness. I couldn't. In all of my life, the millennia of roaming this existence, I'd found true happiness.

I'd also known agony …

The loss of my wife and son when I was human.

The realization that I had been cavorting with Lucifer when I read Hitler's 'pain'.

Feeling Bella's signature blink out while I was watching those barefoot little urchins and not being able to do a damn thing about it.

Edward, we need you at home, Esme called mentally. I know you're in pain. I can feel your emptiness from here, but we're preparing and we've got news …

I grabbed my keys and Bella's keys, walking out the back door. Clambering into the car, I drove home, but it felt wrong. It wasn't home. Not without her.

When I got home, I noticed that everyone was outside and there was a ruckus. I made my way through the crowd of angels, seeing my former boss, Emmett, shackled. His eyes were flickering between the ice blue they normally were to an empty black. Waving my hand, I released the shackles.

"Edward!" Carlisle yelled. "What are you doing?"

"He's not completely succumbed to the evil," I barked. "I worked with him."

"He'll kill you," Carlisle growled.

"I've been trying to tell you, I won't," Emmett said, collapsing onto the ground. He was easily twice the size he was when I knew him as a human. Despite his muscles, he looked exhausted and broken. He looked at me. "He gave me no choice."

"I know," I said, crouching down. I could feel his agony, his confliction in wanting to fully give himself over to the darkness, but he didn't want to let Bella or me down. "Where should you be now?"

"Gathering more minions," he said. "But, Bella … she needed me to find you. I hated to take her. I didn't want to. I pushed her away, wanting her to run, but I was taken under and …"

"Where is she?" Esme asked.

"The underworld, a realm that is not quite hell, but still accessible to those of us on Earth. You have to truly give in to the darkness in order to access hell," Emmett explained. "Getting Bella was my final test, but I have yet to pass."

"Keep fighting, Emmett," I said.

"She wanted me to tell you something, Edward," he whispered. "Bella loves you and she needs you."

"What will happen to her?" Alice asked. "If … I'm afraid …"

"I know her past and Lucifer wants to convert her mind," Emmett said. "He won't touch her that way. Riley, however, might."

"And Lucifer is inside Riley's body," Esme said.

Emmett groaned, his eyes completely darkening. We all took a step back, ready to attack Emmett, but he screamed and his tired azure gaze returned. "I need to go. He's … three days, Edward. He's trying to convert her in three days, but she's strong and she hasn't buckled yet."

"It's only been a few hours," I whispered. "How can she last for three more days? Surely we could go down there …"

"No, you'll be killed, swarmed," Emmett choked out. "It's her love that's going to keep her strong." He stood up on shaky limbs. "Three days, in the forest just beyond Mount St. Helens." A black cloud surrounded his feet and he turned into a darkened tornado, disappearing completely.

A/N: I'm going to switch to Bella. Find out what's going on in the underworld. It's not quite hell, but it's pretty terrible. I'm saying this now, there will be some disturbing things that will fuck with Bella's mind. Riley/Lucifer is going to really try to break her, mentally. Will she break or will she stay strong?

Leave me some.

Thank you for reading!