Caught in the Flames

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Okay, so I'm starting something new. I'm one of those writers that I have to have a ton on my plate or I get bored. I doplan on finishing all of my WIPs, but I wanted to try something different. Anyhow, this will be a drabble-ish fic. My chapters will be a thousand words or less, unless the chapters lend themselves to something longer (i.e., a lemon...). We're also going to be switching back and forth, every five chapters between our two favorite characters, Edward and Bella...

As always, none of this is mine. I'm just the perv who want to make our beloved Twilight characters swear, drink, and go at it like horny rabbits. This story will be a combination of love, suspense, some violence and steamy, sweaty sex.

On with it!

Chapter Twenty-Nine

By the time I came over to Bella's, it was well after midnight. I saw Alice's car still parked on the street. Finding parking around the corner, I jogged to Bella's home. My parking karma doesn't work at midnight, sweet girl. Knocking on the door, Jasper opened it up. He looked very concerned. "What's wrong?"

"She's been somewhat catatonic ever since we got back here. Alice is laying with her on her bed, but it's like she's not all there," he said. "I'm worried for her. She needs help. Obviously what happened to her is haunting her and she keeps slipping further into this depression. Did you ever talk about it today? Has she seen somebody?"

"We didn't talk today about what happened. So, I don't know," I shrugged.

"Alice said that you can go right up, per Bella's request. You really reached her. Perhaps you can convince to get her the help that she needs. I've got some grief counselors and therapists, if she's interested," Jasper said. "I've got to go. Emmett is crashing with me tonight since I assume you're probably going to stay here, right?"

"Yep. Where is Emmett?"

"Standing guard. You know how he is when women are brutalized," Jasper said, giving me a grimace. "It goes back to his sister...He wants to save them all because he couldn't save Felicity."

Emmett's sister went away to college. She was a beautiful, vivacious, female version of my best friend. One night, she was walking home from a study group when she was brutally attacked by a group of freshman, rushing to get into a fraternity. They had to gang rape a girl. They took it too far and Felicity, Emmett's once bubbly sister is now a permanent resident of a nursing home because she was beaten nearly to death and sustained substantial brain trauma. He visited her as often as he could, but the facility that she's in was closer to his parents in southern Illinois, just outside of Edwardsville.

Walking up the stairs, I saw my best friend, standing like a sentry at Bella's door. He looked as haunted as Bella did. "You okay, Em?" I asked.

"Yeah. I'm fine. I'll see you tomorrow, Edward. I hope that you can make her better," he chuckled sadly.

"No pressure," I snorted. Emmett rolled his eyes before he crushed me to his chest. With a hard smack to my back, Emmett darted down the stairs. I walked into Bella's room. Alice was laying in the bed, holding our new friend, running her fingers through her long hair. Bella was holding a picture frame, sleeping fitfully. "Is she okay?"

"She's a zombie," Alice murmured. "In this hollow voice, Bella said that she'd be fine by tomorrow. She's been dealing with all of this, essentially, on her own. Bella needs help, but I'm afraid that if we suggest it, she'll bolt."

"Little Bit, the help you're proposing isn't going to work if she doesn't want it. Now, I feel a little weird talking about Bella like she's not here, when she's using your boobs as pillow," I teased.