CBWR? Chapter 37

Fingers crossed I can manage to get this updated and saved before everything stops working again.

"Don't thank me for this."

---

Chapter 37

It was two-fifty-five in the afternoon.

Five minutes to execution.

Bella and Rosalie had gone back to my place to dress in much more appropriate attire. We had two large vans for the Pack, plus the tech van, where Rosalie would be staying with the monitoring equipment and her handy-dandy computers. She would be close to Emmett and his group – in Laurent's area of town.

I made some final preparations before heading right up to Aro's front door to blow him away. I began sorting through the guns that were laid out on top of the table built into the side of the van. I determined which one I would be using, and mentally logged when I would draw them and exactly when I would use them. Each one had its purpose, each one had its forte. I knew them all. They calmed me, they focused me, and they told me under no uncertain terms that I was deadly powerful.

I had a pair of FN 57s – my favorites. The Heckler and Koch was good in close situations because of the short recoil, which was paired with the Glock-17 for the same reason. An FN-SCAR assault rifle was strapped to my back, just in case.

I handed Bella one of the FN-57s.

"Ever fire one of these?"

"I don't think so," Bella said. I had been a little focused for a while, but I was pretty sure she hadn't said anything for quite a while. "But I have used one of those."

She pointed to a Beretta of the exact same type Alice liked to use. I would have preferred her using one of the others, but familiarity was important. I took the FN back and handed her the Beretta instead. Weird that she knew how to use that one, though.

"You just stay right behind me, okay," I said to Bella. I quickly checked over my guns, as well as the variety of other weapons I had strapped under my jacket, in my boots and down my pants. "I need to know exactly where you are."

Our eyes met, and her lips smashed together as her eyes narrowed. I knew she was nervous about all of this, though I didn't know which bothered her more – the killing or just going back to the place where she was tortured.

"Edward, if we don't…"

I placed my hand over her mouth before she could get any farther and shook my head slowly. I knew where she was going, and you don't say shit like that – not right before you go in. She nodded, and I pulled my hand back.

Without warning, her arms were around my neck and her cheek was pressed hard against my chest as she hugged me tightly. My gun-filled hands found her waist, but I didn't know what she was doing, or how I was supposed to react.

"Thank you," she said against the fabric of my shirt.

"For what?"

"All of this."

I froze, and that strange clenching feeling happened in my chest again. It seemed to be happening a lot, and I wasn't sure what to make of it.

"Don't thank me for this." I pulled back away from her. "I got you into this – don't fucking thank me!"

Bella took a step back and her eyes widened at the sharpness of my tone. I didn't really mean to be snapping at her, but her words just reminded me how she wouldn't be here at all if it wasn't for me, and her mother wouldn't still be in there, trapped and…and whatever they were doing to her.

As I looked at her, her eyes changed – narrowed and darkened. I could see the tension in her jaw as her teeth clenched together.

"I know what you did," she spat back at me. "You seriously fucked this up."

I wasn't like the news shocked me, but to have her say it…everything inside of me tightened, not just my stomach, even as her tone softened somewhat.

"But you are trying to make it right, and I will thank you for that. You can't tell me not to."

I opened my mouth to say something, but I didn't know what to say. I couldn't argue with her sentiments, because I was pretty sure she was right. Or at least, that I was wrong.

"I haven't even started making this up to you," I told her. I wanted to reach out to her. I wanted to touch her, but I didn't understand why. "Not even close. Once we're all done here, we'll get your chip removed so you can be safe again, okay?"

Bella nodded, and the corners of her mouth turned up just a little.

"Let's go." I said.

This was going to work, right?

---

Chapter End Notes:

Why that gun, Ed? Why would she know how to shoot that gun?

Sigh.

Shit's about to hit the fan...should have the next chapter up soon.