Taking a page from vjgm's disclaimer, and I recommend any other fanfic authors do the same, just to be safe!

Stephenie Meyer owns any Twilight characters that may appear in this story. The remainder is my original work, katmom (Kathie)

No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without my express written authorization.

Prologue

10 years ago…

The young woman was jogging through the park. She really didn't expect to have any company as it was 4 a.m. The birds were just starting to stir in the pre-dawn light. They didn't notice her passing, she was so quiet. The early spring air caressed her smooth cheeks as she moved swiftly along the main path of the park.

She suddenly stopped and turned her head towards a sound that shouldn't have been there. It was the sound of an accelerated heartbeat…a slap and then a whimper.

"I TOLD you that this would happen if you didn't listen to me!" Another ringing slap sounded through the darkness and then the sobbing began. The sound of a foot making contact with something soft came to her ears. Without a thought for herself, the woman sped in that direction. She slowed as she neared the light of a street lamp. A woman was kneeling on the ground, a man towering over her, his hand raised to strike again.

"I told you that I'd never let you go, but NO, you had to run, you had to try and hide." He sneered down at the woman at his feet. Her face was in her hands, her head bowed as her shoulders shook with sobs. "Where could you go anyway? No one wants you." His fist started to fall again. Before it could make contact it was stopped in place. A small, pale hand enclosed his.

He was startled and looked down into the face of an angel…A very MAD angel.

"I would stop now, if I were you," she said in a quiet musical voice. He was shocked at the coldness of her hand, at the strength she exhibited and at the dazzling smile she displayed.

"Hey Baby, let me finish this and we can find some place to get to know each other." He leaned closer, drawn in by a scent that was filling his head with desire. But he was confused too, she was so small, how could she be holding back his fist? And, wait, was that scent good? Or was it causing the hair on the back of his neck to rise?

With a small smile on her face, the angel flicked her wrist and the man was then kneeling, cradling his arm. At the best it was only sprained, but more than likely it was now broken.

He gazed up at her in shock, tears of pain filling his eyes. What he had first thought was an angel now looked more like a demon; her lips were drawn back in a snarl, her gleaming teeth snapping close to his face.

"Also, if I were you, I'd stay away from this woman. Don't make me finish this. Don't make me finish you." With a sound very near a growl, the woman snapped her teeth once again, staring deeply into his eyes. "Do you understand me?" she asked.

With a grimace and tears of pain running down his face, he nodded.

"Good." She turned to the battered woman on the ground. Her sobs had slowed to a sniffle and she was looking on in amazement. "Can you stand?"

"I think so," she answered. The angel leaned down and offered her a hand. As she grasped it, she was surprised at how cold it was, but still found comfort in the strength she found there.

"Let's go," she said as she put an arm around the bruised woman's waist and led her out of the park. "My father works in a clinic near here and I really think he should take a look at your face, you may need stitches." The woman nodded her head and allowed herself to be led swiftly away.

"I'm Bella," she added.

"I'm Kendra." She leaned into the woman, aching from the blows that had so recently struck her body.

"Do you want to talk about it?" her protector asked.

Gathering her thoughts for a moment, she replied, "I left him two weeks ago after he beat me again. I really didn't know where to go and stayed with a friend. But he found me there last night and dragged me out. Melissa wasn't home. She's probably guessed that he came, but didn't know where to look for me." She stopped talking as she stumbled to a stop. "He dragged me to the park, and he held me in one of those little buildings near the carousel. " She started to cry again, Bella tightened her arm around her waist. "He told me that he was going to kill me. That I wasn't worth anything anyway, and that no one would even miss me."

Again, something close to a growl rumbled from Bella's chest.

"Come on; let's get you to my dad." Bella walked her out of the park and around a corner. There the friendly lights of the clinic warmed the sidewalk.

The place was clean and nearly quiet; most of the people who came to spend the night in relative safety were making their way out the door now that dawn was near. They carried a hot cup of coffee in one hand and a bag with lunch, for later, in their other.

When the triage nurse looked up and saw them, her eyes widened at the sight of blood on one of the women. Before she could call for the doctor, he was walking into the room. She briefly wondered, "How does he DO that?"

"Bella?" he questioned while looking down at them both. Kendra gazed up into his kind face. It was so beautiful that she gasped. "Let's get you into an exam room."

Bella continued to help her down the hallway and into the exam room. As Kendra sat up on the exam table, she looked at Bella, in the light, for the first time. She gasped again. Before her was a young woman, probably about 20, with long auburn hair pulled back into a low pony tail. Her golden eyes were deep and filled with concern. Her skin was pale and so clear. It was like looking at the finest porcelain. Small lavender bruises sat just below her eyes.

Her dad, the doctor, followed them into the room. "I'm Dr. Cullen. Let me have a look at those cuts."

Kendra looked from one to the other. They both smiled gently back at her. "You're safe now," Bella said.

\o/ \O/ \o/

At their apartment later that day, Bella sat with her father, Carlisle, and her mother, Esme.

He was just filling them in on Kendra. "A volunteer from the Women's Abuse Network came and spoke with her. She decided that she really did need to be safe and to make a change that would keep her that way." He paused and looked out the window, gazing unseeing down at the park. "The worker had already sent someone else to speak with her friend. They both need to be safe."

"I heard the sirens just after you left this morning, Bella. It appears that the police were tipped off that a mugger was in the park. They caught up to him as he was stumbling down one of the paths, nursing a broken wrist."

Bella laughed, "He's lucky that's ALL that was broken. When I saw him beating her, it was all I could do to NOT end him. I wasn't even thirsty, but the venom was filling my mouth and he's very lucky that I needed to get her away from him."

Esme reached over and patted her hand. Bella turned hers up and grasped it tightly. "Do you think that's why I jog there? So I can play "Super Girl?" She shrugged and continued, "That's what? The tenth time this year that the police have been tipped off that some bad guy is loose in the park." She laughed, showing those gleaming teeth again. "Not that I need the money, but I should be on their payroll"

Esme laughed gently. "There are worse ways to spend the evening." She glanced over at her husband and he nodded his head.

"We know that you've been wondering what the next 'thing' should be. Maybe this is it." Bella looked at her mother with a slightly confused expression on her face.

"What better job than to be a bodyguard," Carlisle said. Bella's jaw dropped. "You're faster and stronger than the 'bad guys'. You'd probably meet lots of interesting people." He looked into the wondering, intrigued eyes of his daughter. "And, unless it's another vampire, a werewolf or a mob carrying torches hunting your client, you can't really be hurt either."

Bella considered the idea for a moment, and then a burst of laughter escaped her, ringing through the living room like a peal of bells. "I can see my business cards now: Vampire Bodyguard, No threat too big, no threat too small!" She looked back and forth at her smiling parents. "This could be fun!"

"I bet that Emmett would enjoy something like this too. He'd scare the thugs just by flexing his pecs!" She thought for a moment then said, "Rosalie would be great at distracting anyone that we needed to be distracted." She laughed. "This just might work out."

She chuckled again and glancing up at her parents from beneath her lashes as she said, "I'm not wearing a CAPE! But I bet Emmett will WANT to!"

A/N...Welcome to Guarding Edward! I hope you enjoy reading through my story...please click the review box to give me your thoughts...

Thanks for reading!

Kathie