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Broken	By : LadyExcalibur Category: Twilight Series > AU/AR > Het > Het Views: 3150 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or make any money from this story.

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___________Chapter 2: The New and Improved Bella Swan____________

Edward felt his brothers tugging at his arms, pulling him away from the stage – from Bella. He saw her look at the bouncer and the bouncer moving toward them. Then Emmett and Jasper took advantage of his shock, his distraction, and pulled him out of the club and escorted him to the sidewalk, never letting go.

“Edward,” Emmett said in a low, urgent voice. “Get hold of yourself, man.”

“You’re not going to help anything by rushing back in there,” Jasper added, catching Edward’s eyes and holding his gaze. Edward felt a wave of peace rush through him, and even though he struggled against Jasper’s power, there was no denying it. Jasper was simply too strong.

“Come on,” Emmett urged, still keeping his hand locked around Edward’s bicep. “We need to go now.”

“But-” Edward started to protest, even as Jasper sent yet another surge of calm through him. “Damn it, Jasper, stop doing THAT!”

Jasper merely shook his head and helped Emmett move Edward away from the club.

“This ain’t the time or place, big brother,” Emmett reminded him pointedly. “We’ll come back. We’ll get answers, I promise. But right now we need to move.”

Edward gazed at his brothers for a moment and then gave a reluctant nod of agreement. “Tonight,” he said. “We come back tonight.”

“Agreed,” Jasper said quietly.

“I want to call Carlisle,” Edward added as they began walking toward their car.

“We’ll talk to him when we get home,” Emmett promised.

“But we’re coming back here tonight,” Edward reminded him.

“Yeah, yeah,” Emmett said. “I said we would and I meant it.”

“Okay,” Edward muttered as he slid into his seat. Emmett was driving, which was good because Edward was not quite sure he should. His entire body felt as if it was on fire. Bella’s scent rose up in his memory, but the flames that burned him had nothing to do with bloodlust. He merely wanted to pull her into his embrace and feel her softness pressed up against him.

He had missed her every day, longed for her every moment they had been apart. And she didn’t even REMEMBER him.

What had happened? What did it mean?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Carlisle!” He was yelling, though there was no need. Alarmed, Carlisle and Esme came rushing into the foyer.

“What’s wrong?” Carlisle asked, glancing at the face of each of their sons.

“It’s Bella,” Edward began explaining in a rush.

“We…found Bella,” Jasper explained.

“But she isn’t herself,” Emmett added with a shake of his head and grin. “Not at all.”

“What do you mean?” Carlisle asked. Alice walked up behind Esme and frowned.

“Oh…” Alice murmured. She turned toward Edward. “I suppose you’re going back tonight?”

“What choice do I have?” Edward snapped. Then he took a deep breath. “I have to, Alice.”

“Let me go with you,” Alice offered. Jasper shifted on his feet, his expression concerned. She smiled at him. “I’ll be fine, Jazz. You know that.”

“I don’t like the thought of you there,” he said softly.

Alice rolled her eyes and laughed. “Please, I can take care of myself. Besides, it’s just a strip club.”

“A STRIP club?” Carlisle asked.

Emmett grinned. “I’ll explain…”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Two hours later, Edward was huddled in the shadows of the alley behind the club, waiting for the doors to open. So far, there was no one other than Alice, Emmett, and Jasper with him. Rosalie had only rolled her eyes when they invited her. She had been more than glad to get Bella Swan out of their lives and had no desire to see her again.

The door finally opened and the waitress was the first one out. Edward heard her concern as she looked around, waiting for her “admirer” to show his face. Jasper took a step forward. “I’ll get this,” he whispered, too low for the girl to hear. Carefully staying in the shadows, Jasper stood ready to intervene if needed, but no one was waiting for the girl tonight.

Edward found himself glad of the excuse to return tomorrow night, if only to make sure that the stranger remained unharmed.

Two more women left and then…

There was Bella. He heard Alice gasp beside him, heard her shock at seeing Bella again. Without thought, Edward reached for Alice’s hand and together they watched her.

Bella looked more like herself now, the heavy make-up had been wiped away and she wore jeans and a t-shirt along with tennis shoes. She might have been dressed for a day at Forks High School. If one didn’t look in her eyes, she didn’t look any different. Her eyes gave her away, however. She had seen too much to be that girl again. Edward watched her hungrily, anxiously. It WAS Bella, but what had happened to her?

He could only hope that Carlisle would have some answers for them when they returned. Though Edward had promised himself that he would not speak to her again yet, he found himself moving out of the shadows, ignoring Alice’s hissed protest.

“Bella?” he asked and Bella turned sharply to look at him.

She stared at him for a moment, frowning. “You’re the guy from inside,” Bella finally said. She heaved a sigh and shoved her hands in her pockets. “Listen, I know you guys think that we’re for sale after hours too, but I only dance. What you saw in there is all you’re gonna see.”

Edward tried to tamp down the fierce sense of relief her words evoked in him and pasted a reassuring smile on his face. “No,” he said softly. “That’s not why-” His pose mirrored hers, his shoulders hunched, and his hands in his pockets. “You look like someone I know.” He shook his head. “No, that’s a lie. You ARE someone I know.” He looked at her closely. “That sounds like a terrible come on, doesn’t it?”

Bella smiled slightly. “No, it sort of makes sense.”

Now that was interesting. Perhaps the answer to the mystery was a bit closer than he’d realized. “I’m glad it makes sense to one of us,” Edward told her with a slight grimace. “Because I’m totally confused.”

Bella’s hand came up to brush back her hair and Edward saw a small scar that began on her forehead and seemed to move up into her hairline. She saw him looking. “Cracked skull,” she said with a shrug. “Tends to fuck up things like memory.”

Edward was shocked to hear the profanity pass her lips. The Bella he had known would have never used such a word so casually. He frowned at her. “But you’re okay now?”

She thought about that for a moment and gave another shrug. “If you were to talk to my Dad, then no, I’m not all right.” She smiled at him. “But I’m okay with who I am now. It’s all I remember really. So I don’t miss the old me. Make sense?”

“Kind of,” Edward admitted.

“So…” she murmured. “We knew each other, huh?”

“You might say that,” Edward replied.

“Oh, that sounds interesting,” Bella said and a smile Edward had never seen on her lips appeared. She sauntered in close and put one hand on his chest. “Were we…very good friends?” Something suggestive lurked in her tone and Edward fought against the surge of lust that raced through him. This was a new Bella, someone he had never met before.

“I suppose we were,” Edward answered, his voice husky. He closed his eyes as an image came to him – pressing this new Bella against the wall and simply taking her, thrusting inside of her as he had always wanted to do. She seemed less fragile, the new Bella. There was a core of steel in her that had not been there in the other Bella.

She was a survivor now; she had made a life – such as it was – of her own. The Bella he had known had needed him, and he had left her. This Bella needed no one. This Bella had walked away from the safety and security of Forks to… To do what? Take off her clothes for men who paid her?

Then she stepped back, her expression hard. He had never seen that look on her face either. “Well just because we played bump and tickle in high school doesn’t mean I’m gonna fuck you now, pretty boy.” Then she tilted her head and studied him. “Though I must say I had very good taste.”

She adjusted the strap of her small bag on her shoulder and winked at him. “You should probably run home to your mommy, pretty boy. I’m sure she’s wondering what her baby boy is doing out in the big city right now.” Bella laughed, a throaty, sexy sound that had Edward’s body tightening. “And I’ll bet you’re her pride and joy, her straight A student, every mother's wet dream. She probably doesn’t want her baby boy messing around with a girl like me anymore, does she?” Bella turned abruptly and began walking away. Her voice carried over her shoulder. “Come back and see me when you’re all grown up. Maybe we can revisit old times.”

Then she was gone, and Edward was left staring after her.

He was only vaguely aware of Emmet and the others moving in behind him. “Who the FUCK was that?” Emmett asked in a stunned voice.

“That’s the new Bella,” Edward answered.

“Well hot damn,” Emmett muttered.

“Shut up,” Edward snapped.

“I’m just saying…”

“Well don’t,” Edward forced the words out through gritted teeth.

Emmett did not speak again, but the thoughts inside his head were enough to make Edward’s fists clench.
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Broken