A/N: Okay everyone, I know this isn't the best update, and it feels like a bit of nothing. Sorry about that, it feels weird getting back into some of my old stories, especially when I'm just doing my best to write in general. Hope you guys enjoy regardless :)

Chapter 4

"Bella? Bella? Bella, are you okay? Shite, what did I say? No, what do you need me to do? Want me to punch myself? I can give myself a right good walloping if ya need it!" Maggie asked in a panic as she immediately took Bella into her arms, holding her close as the human cried into her shoulder. As she held the human, her eyes darted around the room desperately, looking for something, anything that could help her. Was it too hard for words to just appear and tell her what to do? C'mon, Maggie needed something to give her a hand!

"No, don't hurt yourself. I'm okay, you can let me go," Bella managed to stutter out through her tears, yet made no move to try and pull out of Maggie's embrace. If anything, she burrowed closer, her face in Maggie's neck. So, despite Bella's words, Maggie held her close. If anything, Maggie tightened her grip on the human, trying not to be overwhelmed by her panic.

"C'mon, Bella, I know you're lying," Maggie told Bella softly, trying not to give away just how freaked out the vampire was. Hell, even if Maggie didn't have her gift and was the densest vampire in the world, the crying was a dead giveaway things weren't okay. Surely Bella could see that, right? Or could Maggie have made it worse by pointing it out?"You can tell me anything. I promise I won't judge and all that shite. I'm here for you."

"Sorry. I'm sorry," Bella blubbered, trying to fight back the tears.

"Oh, no. You've got no reason to apologize," Maggie hastily assured her mate. "I mean it. Shouldn't my dumb yet perky ass be the one to apologize? Clearly I fucked something up real well to make you cry like this." Maggie really was going to have to give herself a good smack later, wasn't she? To make her mate cry waterfalls like that, she just had to do something!

"It's not your fault." Finally, Bella was starting to get a hold of herself. She felt so embarrassed, having just unloaded on a stranger for simply saying a name. Despite her embarrassment, she couldn't bring herself to pull away from the energetic redhead. "I'm just...I don't even know. I'm not in the best place right now."

"Clearly." Maggie eyed Bella as the human sniffled. She might've been considered a fiery munchkin, but she had never been the one to fight first, consider other options later. Yet she couldn't help herself. "You sure there ain't any sorry fucks I can beat to hell for you?"

"No," Bella answered quietly. Maggie could detect the half lie, and it infuriated her. She was starting to put everything together, and she was considering an all out hunt for some very particular sparky and sorry asses.

"Anyone I can at least hit a few times?" Maggie asked, possibly with more malice than intended. Her imagination was definitely getting away from her, but Maggie wasn't about to stop it.

"No," Bella answered again, with another half lie. The girl didn't want them hurt, did she?

"...How about just one good slap?" Surely Bella would be okay with that much, right?

To Maggie's surprise, Bella let out an adorable little snort before answering. "No."

She didn't know whether to be happy to have received such an adorable little boon, or disappointed that Bella so clearly didn't want the Cullens hurt.

"That's a damn shame," Maggie muttered, mostly to herself. "I take it you won't let me shove my foot up their asses either?"

This time, Bella giggled, and Maggie's heart almost came to life with the sound. "No, Maggie. No violence necessary."

"Damn it to all seven hells," Maggie grumbled, pouting when she sensed the truth to the words. "Let's revisit this topic another time, shall we? I'm sure I can convince you to let me deliver a good bitch slapping or two eventually."

"My hero," Bella laughed, then came to a stunned realization. She hadn't laughed since she had been left behind, and here Maggie was, making her laugh so easily. Her gaze softened, and she found herself unable to stop smiling at the bouncy vampire.

Oh no, what was that look? It was making Maggie feel a type of way that she really shouldn't be feeling. The human had only just turned down Maggie's hope for violence, and now Bella just had to go and make Maggie feel all warm and mushy inside on top of it all.

Then Bella started to pull herself out of Maggie's arms, and Maggie felt her stomach drop to her ass. "What'cha doin' now?" Maggie asked as innocently as she could, hoping to distract the human from noticing how much Maggie didn't want to let go.

Bella let out another surprised laugh. "Well I was going to clean myself up and give another try at proper introductions, but you're making it a little hard."

Shite, Bella had totally noticed that Maggie wasn't letting her go. Going for the most convincing tone she could muster, she said, "Well why can't we just do the introductions here? No need to be moving about-"

"Maggie," Bella said with the patience of a saint, but Maggie couldn't stop trying now.

"-You don't need to get yourself all prettied up either, not when you look so drop dead sexy-"

"Maggie."

"-I mean hells, woman, have you seen yourself? From your head to your toes, you're so drop dead sexy you can make a vampire's heart beat again. I can say with all honesty that I would be honored to climb your sinful body like a-"

"MAGGIE!"

Realizing how far her blathering had gotten her, Maggie looked up horrified, sure she had shoved both feet so far into her own mouth she would never be able to recover. Besides the delectably dark blush on Bella's cheeks, the girl didn't appear too traumatized. Maybe she hadn't fucked herself over as much as she thought?

"Yes, Bella? You were saying?" C'mon, Maggie, where was all of that fake innocence you had stored somewhere? Cause Maggie really needed to use it.

"I really don't think we can have a proper conversation when I'm on your lap like this."

Oh, right. Sometime during her blathering, she had pulled Bella onto her lap, and they were pressed in all kinds of sin worthy ways against each other. Maggie could feel every curve of Bella even with the baggy clothes, Bella was currently sitting on Maggie's lap, straddling her no less, and Maggie was certainly in heaven.

"Are you sure?" Maggie asked, unable to completely hide her disappointment. "I'd say this might be the best way to reintroduce ourselves, if I'm to be completely honest."

"Oh really?" With another carefree laugh, Bella sat up straight and held her hand out for Maggie to shake. "I'm Isabella Swan, nice to meet you." Maggie couldn't answer, as her perverted arse couldn't focus on anything else but the breasts currently inches from her face. Oh, holy hells, Bella could kill a girl like this. It didn't help that Maggie's instincts were kicking up all kinds of fuss. If Maggie let her instincts ride her even half as much as she wanted Bella to, she'd have Bella pinned as kissed senseless, at the very least. It would also probably spook the human to no end, which was why Maggie needed to control herself. Damned it all, controlling herself was hard. She had to let go of her mate now, before Maggie let her self control slip into the gutters.

Bella could feel Maggie's body go stiff, and watched as Maggie's eyes darkened considerably. It took a moment, but Bella sheepishly realized putting herself so close to a human drinking vampire probably wasn't the best idea. She was probably torturing the poor girl with her blood at this point, regardless of how it started.

"Right then." It took a moment, but Bella was able to extract herself from Maggie's embrace. "I need to shower and scrub my face for a minute. I'll be right back, okay Maggie?"

Maggie managed a nod, afraid to open her mouth and spew more stupidity. As Bella left the room, all Maggie could do was stare after her, so filled with desire it nearly drove Maggie mad. Well, madder, anyways.

"By the gods, my mate has one glorious ass," Maggie whispered to herself once Bella closed the bedroom door. Even with the pain of letting her mate wander out of the room without her, Maggie found herself with a huge, goofy grin on her face. "My mate. I have a mate." And what a mate Bella already was! Maggie was on such a high, nothing could bring her down.

Or so she thought.