The English Rose

Bella's Revenge

Bella rolled her eyes and stopped pacing to look at her niece, "then I need for you to use your computer for me."

"Why?"

"I'll tell you when we get home. Do you have any more clients this afternoon?" Dora shook her head no. "Okay then tell your mother that you are going to clear out and meet me back here." Her niece nodded in agreement before she added, "I wouldn't ask if I didn't really need help." After her niece went back inside the pacing intensified. She had been on edge the entire morning thinking about Hermione's bruises. Nobody was going to treat Hermione like that and get away with it. Nobody deserved to experience that level of hurt and disrespect. Bella had many years of experience being on the receiving end of what Hermione experienced with her now ex-girlfriend and she wouldn't stand for it.  "I just can't get caught this time," she thought as she paced.

Over the years, Bella had gotten quite adept at controlling her urges. She was having a hard time getting the quiet to come back this time and knew she had to speak with The Laura. Her niece was always a willing participant whether Dora agreed with her or not. She understood the urges and helped whenever Bella would ask. They were always very careful around Andy. Her middle sister had very specific rules at the house and top of the list was no electronics, no internet and no cell phones for Bella. Of course the dark haired woman found ways around these rules but for the most part she obeyed when necessary. "Nobody fucks with the people I care about," was running through her head as she paced in the alleyway.

The two women had walked back to the house after Dora had told her mom that she was going to go home to start studying for finals. Of course she felt guilty but she also couldn't say no to her aunt when she looked so desperately helpless. They went into Dora's room and she sat down at the computer. "Okay, so what are we doing here?" She asked as she booted up her MacBook. Bella handed her a small slip of paper with a phone number and name written on it which she had gotten the number out of Hermione's phone when she had gone to the bathroom. "Laura? As in Hermione's girlfriend, Laura?"

"Ex-girlfriend," came the short reply of her aunt.

"Why are we looking up Hermione's ex-girlfriend?" Dora asked, almost afraid of the answer.

"She's a very bad person. Cheating was only the tip of the iceberg. Did you know that woman was verbally abusive towards the purest soul I've ever met?" Bella stopped pacing and squatted down to look in Dora's eyes. Her niece had noticed that Bella had a glazed over expression on her face and knew that her aunt was beginning to bottom out. "She beat the shit out of her, Dora. When I went over there Friday for our date, she could barely walk. When she finally opened up, her entire left side was bruised and she had a foot shaped mark on her neck. She was so scared and so tired. I ended up just holding her all night while she whimpered and sobbed during her sleep. It broke my heart." Bella focused on the computer screen, "Laura needs to understand that what she did was wrong and people who do what she did won't get away with it."

"Listen, Aunt Bella," Dora was choosing her words carefully, "I know what happened to Hermione resonates with you personally but do you think she'd want you to do this?"

Staring at the computer, Bella didn't blink, "find her please." It didn't take long for her niece to track down Laura with a quick Google search, she found Laura's address, Facebook page and her new girlfriend's address if it comes down to that. "I need one more favor," Bella said quietly. "I need a ride to London." When she saw the worry cross over her niece's face she started to panic, "I just need to go and maybe I'll get the quiet back. You understand right?" When Dora nodded, Bella added, "I appreciate you and if your mother finds out it's all my fault."

After what seemed like an eternity Dora consented, "okay let's go." A little over a half an hour later they pulled up around the corner from Laura's apartment complex. "How do you plan on getting in?"