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[kermit-thefrog.livejournal.com]

Title: Fast Cars and Freedom

Author: kermit_thefrog 

Book: Breaking Dawn, Chapter One.

Summary: Bella uses the Mercedes Guardian to make a point. Inspired by Chapter One in BD.

Length: 1,137 words

Rating: PG

Warnings: An F-bomb, but that's it.

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters. I don't.


“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”

The words were out before I could censor myself, knowing how Edward felt about profanity. But what was I supposed to say, given the monstrosity that he’d just parked in my driveway?

“Language, Bella,” he reprimanded, frowning at me. “This is a gift, after all, and don’t worry, I plan on returning it after the wedding. This is just the pre-wedding car, if you will--”

I turned and slapped the keys he’d handed me into his palm, wishing a serrated piece of metal could actually hurt him.

“No,” I said firmly. “You are taking that---that thing--back wherever you got it right now. I can’t drive that around town! I’m not a member of the Secret Service! All I wanted was a nice, reliable car that was as easy to handle as the Chevy! What made you think I’d even want something like this?”

He smiled at me in that condescending way of his, and gestured grandly to the car.

“It’s perfectly safe,” he said, as if I had asked. “And you have your new credit card, so paying for gas won’t even be an issue. The Ferrari will be much easier to handle, trust me.”

My jaw dropped open, and I didn’t even register Edward apologizing for “ruining the surprise” for me while I processed this news.

A Ferrari. Was he joking?! I had wanted a Ferrari when I was ten, and I saw one in a movie that Renee had been watching, and the sight of a speeding red car had seemed exciting. Then I grew up and had to take driving lessons, and when I visited Charlie the summer before I got my license, he’d made it a point to teach me what cars handled best. I remembered my chagrin at learning that Ferraris, while flashy, were not very reliable and best owned by those who could handle driving at high speeds. Seeing that I had to re-take my test five times before I passed, it was just as well that I’d driven an old Chevy up until now.

“Please tell me you’re not serious,” I said, feeling a headache coming on. “Edward, I don’t want a Ferrari. I can pick out my own car.”

He laughed at that. “Oh, Bella, a car is just a formality. None of us really need cars, but they’re an amusing human pasttime, and we do have to blend in on occasion. Wouldn’t you like something fun to drive around in? It’s not like it would even have to have seatbelts or airbags.”

I gritted my teeth at him.

“You never listen to me, do you?” I snapped. “I say I don’t want something and all you hear is ‘Edward, I’m stupid and you know best.’ Is this what being married to you is going to be like? I voice a concern or an opinion and you just laugh it off as something stupid? Because I don’t want to spend eternity constantly being put down by my husband!”

He actually blinked at that.

“Bella...I never meant to disrespect you. I only--”

I cut him off. “Edward, you don’t even respect me. If you did, you wouldn’t have disabled my Chevy and bought me this.”

He looked affronted and a little shifty. “Bella, I didn’t disable your car--”

I put my hands on my hips. “Really? So I guess solid steel axles tie themselves into knots?”

He didn’t have an answer for that, which gave me the perfect opportunity to get to the point.

“The deal’s off,” I said, tugging the engagement ring off my finger and holding it out to him. “I can’t marry somebody who pulls this kind of crap.”

Edward looked condescendingly at me. “Bella, don’t be dramatic. It’s only a car.”

“No, it’s not,” I countered. “It’s more than the car. It’s the demands, and the ultimatums, and the way you’ve taken control of every aspect of my life like you own me. You don’t own me. And I’m ending this before it goes any further.”

The Leslie Gore quote aside, I hoped I’d gotten my point across. But no, he still refused to take the ring back.

“You’re just overwrought,” he said calmly. “Just try out the car, Bella, and you’ll change your mind.”

He was unbelievable...but maybe he was right. I had an idea of how to drive my point home, and that car could help me make it.

“Keys, please,” I said, holding my other palm out. He gave me a “Now that’s better” look and handed them over.

Pasting a smile on my face, I walked around to the back of the car and placed the ring very carefully a few inches from the right rear tire. I opened the driver side door, wrinkling my nose at the “new car” smell that I’d never liked, strapped myself in and started the ignition.

The roar of the engine was impressive, and for a moment I was tempted to mow Edward down, but I knew it would hurt the car more than it would hurt him. Besides, I had another plan.

I put the car into reverse and rolled down the driveway. I knew the tire had made contact with the ring from the shocked expression on Edward’s face, and the way he yelled at me to stop. Still smiling, I put the car into forward, then reverse again and repeated the process four more times. When I was fairly certain that the ring would be nothing more than a flat metal disc by now, I reversed the car into the street, parked it by the curb, and got out.

I walked back up the driveway, satisfied to see what looked like a gold coin glinting weakly on the bricks.

I picked it up and tossed it in Edward’s direction, along with the Mercedes’ keys.He caught them, of course, looking gobsmacked.

“The Chevy handled better,” I said, and headed into the house to inform Charlie that the wedding was off and Edward was refusing to leave.

The End

Comments

[ts-wing.livejournal.com]

You are 10 million flavors of WIN!

[kseenaa.livejournal.com]

Brilliant! Fucking brilliant! X-D

[charamei.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes! Perfect!

[mogseltof.livejournal.com]

Amazazing! Hoorah!

[maeve-issyra.livejournal.com]

Love it! Go Bella!

[kermit-thefrog.livejournal.com]

Thank you!! It came to me all of a sudden, and I couldn't wait to bring Backbone!Bella to the fore to end all the atrocities of "Breaking Dawn" before they began!

[twistedinsight.livejournal.com]

I actually liked your Bella! This was a brilliant spitefic, and something that bothered me about the book. The only thing keeping me sane was that it canonized GUC.

[morri-delrae.livejournal.com]

I liked how you picked this one situation, and used it to show everything that is wrong with this relationship. Bella nailed it spot on with the "I say I don’t want something and all you hear is 'Edward, I’m stupid and you know best'" remark, but, of course, Deadward, being a self-righteous jerk needed a much more graphic explaination... I think driving over her engagement ring really helped to, erm, drive the point home. And I love how she topped this with: "The Chevy handled better" - I really dig Backbone!Bella.

[melissatreglia]

*claps* This is definitely my fave of the backbone!Bella oneshots. Bella wising up to Edward's ways ("I say I don’t want something and all you hear is ‘Edward, I’m stupid and you know best.’ Is this what being married to you is going to be like?") and realizing she doesn't really need that in her life is refreshing. Combined with the "Bettelheim" and "WWBD?" fics, your Bella is truly a thing of beauty and a joy forever.

*runs off to re-read "WWBD?"*