Thunder & Blood (Emmett Cullen)

Chapter 10 Port Angeles

The next day Astrid woke up to the sun streaming in through her skylight, she smiled. Though she preferred the clouds and the rain a little sun wasn't so bad besides she knew that Bella would be thrilled at seeing the sun. She quickly showered and changed and made her way downstairs where she found Bella happily bustling around making breakfast for the family.

“My you're in a chipper mood.”

“Of course I am, have you seen outside, there's actual sunshine, it's great.”

“Yeah, it is.”

Bella sets a plate of food down, “Here, eat your breakfast so we can get hurry up and get to school.”

Astrid does as her sister instructs then goes upstairs to brush her teeth. She came downstairs with her bookbag. Bella was waiting for her they made their way out to her truck and went to school. When they got there they found that a lot of kids were wearing short-sleeved shirts and shorts. They too were enjoying the short reprieve from the clouds and rain.

The day progressed nicely and Astrid noticed that the Cullens were not in any of her classes but she really didn't think anything of it until she goes to lunch. They decided to have lunch outside to enjoy the weather she watched as Bella looked around for, she could only assume, Edward.

“He's not here.” Jessica tells Bella, “Whenever the weather's nice the Cullens disappear.”

“They just... ditch?”

“No, Dr. and Mrs. Cullen yank ‘em out for hiking and camping and stuff. I tried the idea out on my parents. Not even close.”

Astrid looks up from her book and rolls her eyes. At that point, Angela sits down at their table with an excited look on her face, “I'm going to the prom with Eric! I just asked him, I took control! Are you sure you have to go out of town?”

Astrid gives her a strange look but Bella shakes minutely shakes her head. Getting the point, Astrid chimes in, “It's a family thing.”

“Okay we have to hit the stores in Port Angeles before the dresses get cleaned out,” Jessica tells them.

“Port Angeles, can I go with you guys?” Bella asks.

“Thank God. We need your opinion.”

Astrid scoffs, “Good luck with that and have fun.”

“What do you mean, ‘have fun.’ You're coming too.”

“No, I'm not.”

“Yes, you really are,” Bell tells her sister with a smirk.

“I hate you.”

The get to Port Angeles and after several hours of Astrid and Bella watching Angela and Jessica trying on dresses Bella finally tells them that she and her sister are going to go to the bookstore. They head on over to the bookstore where Astrid waits outside for her sister. Whatever she was up to, Astrid wanted no part of.

After Bella gets her book they head back to the Italian restaurant where they were going to meet up with Jessica and Angela, “I think it's this way,” Bella tells her sister.

“No, it isn't, Bella it's this way.”

“Will you trust me, it's this way.”

“Bella, you have the worst sense of direction.”

Bella rolls her eyes and grabs her sister's arms and starts leading her in the opposite direction they were supposed to go. After a while, Bella realizes that they are completely lost.

“Great work, Magellan, we're lost now. I knew we should have gone the other way,” Astrid tells her sister in an irritated tone.

“Will you stop complaining, we'll just go back the way we came and you can sniff our way back.” Bella snarked.

Astrid glares at her sister. They start walking back when suddenly they hear footsteps behind them. Bella begins to panic and grabs Astrid's arm and starts pulling her down the street. They begin to hear more footsteps coming from different directions. Bella starts blindly turning down street after street.

“Bella, stop, you're beginning to panic.”

“Beginning to? I'm already panicked!” She hisses at her sister.

Bella and Astrid turn one more corner and come face to face with three guys. Shortly after they stop more guys appear behind them, ‘Shit! They were herding us.’ Astrid realizes.

Slowly the guys begin to close in on them. Astrid pushes Bella behind her, “I'm warning you, stay away from us.”

“Come on, baby, we just want to talk.”

“Look, asshole, my sister and I aren't interested in talking or anything else you might have in mind. So just let us go and no one will get hurt.”

The guys all look at each other and laugh, “Ooh feisty I like that in a girl. It makes it a lot more fun to break them.” the leader of the group tell them.

He gives them a signal and they start closing in, Astrid smirks, “Alright, don't say I didn't warn you.”

One of the creeps grabs Astrid's arm, she grabs his wrist twists then bring her elbow down breaking his wrist he falls to the ground clutching his wrist screaming. Another guy reaches for Bella, Astrid thrusts the heel of her hand into his face breaking his nose. She whirls around and kicks another one in the head knocking him out.

The three remaining guys rush Astrid. She kicks one in the balls, the other in the knee, dislocating it. Then punches the last one in the face then knees him in the face. At that moment a silver Volvo comes racing around the corner and slams to a stop in front of Bella and Astrid. A very angry Edward and Emmett get out of the car. They look like they're ready to kill someone when they stop dead in they're tracks and see all the guys laid out on the ground and Astrid standing there in front of Bella in a defensive position.

Emmett crosses his arm and chuckles, “I should have known you'd wipe the floor with them.”

Astrid turns around, “What the fuck are you two doing here?”

“We, uh, came to help,” Edward tells her as he rubs the back of his neck.

Astrid raises her eyebrow, “Well, as you can see, we don't need your help. Come on, Bella, we need to meet up with Jessica and Angela.”

Bella reluctantly starts following Astrid, “We can take you if you want.” Edward calls out.

“Maybe we should go with them,” Bella says.

“Are you nuts? Don't you think it's weird that they came barreling around the corner when we were in trouble? How the hell did they know where we were, why did they wait until the last minute? No, we don't need their help,” Astrid says then grabs her sisters hand and leads her down the street towards the Italian restaurant that Astrid can see in the distance.

Emmett and Edward just stand there and watch them go. Emmett looks at Edward and chuckles, “I told you it was a bad idea to be stalking them. All you were going to do was piss Astrid off. You're lucky she didn't kick your ass.”

Edward looks around at the guys that are still lying on the ground groaning, “Yeah, I think you're right. Let's go to the restaurant instead.”

“Dude, you don't give up do you?”

“No.”

“Okay, it's you're funeral.”