A/N: This is a first outtake from 'The Cullen's Reading New Moon' ...

More will follow if the story needs it to...

Hope you enjoy...

Disclaimer: I own no Twilight characters.


Edward would have preferred to run to Bellas' house, but chose instead to drive his Volvo. Charlie would have questioned him showing up with Bella, minutes after talking on the phone, sans car. Well, you see Charlie, I'm faster than a speeding train, able to jump up on tall buildings in a single bound, can stop a van with my bare hands... he trailed of. Shit, he really did sound like a superhero. Yeah, he would just keep that to himself. Driving a car would be like crawling across the road, backwards. Yeah, that would be a little hard to explain.

He really didn't want to leave Bella after the incident at his house, but what choice did he have? He couldn't tell Charlie that he and Bella were reading their future together, in some random book they found, and she passed out over it. He would want to read it too. Putting aside the fact that Charlie owned guns, and would probably want to use them on him, in some of the chapters of the book, the book clearly stated that they, the Cullen's, were vampires. He would either laugh his as off, thinking they were crazy to believe it, or he would call the nearest ward and have them all committed to the loony bin. While he believed Emmett belonged there at times, he didn't think he did. And there was no way in hell Charlie would allow him to stay the night with her, no matter how much he begged and pleaded.

They pulled up outside Charlies door, the light on the porch was lit. Bella whimpered when she realized that Edward would have to leave. She debated asking her father if Edward could stay for a bit longer than usual, but, all things considering, she thought better of it. Charlie liked Edward but after the Phoenix disaster he seemed a little more wary, as if he expected Edward to bale on Bella any minute. He knew it was Bellas choice to leave Forks but still, if Edward wasn't in the picture, the whole affair wouldn't have happened. He was watching Bella closely now, but he had no idea what for.

Charlie watched Edward bring his little girl in the house. She didn't look to good and he automatically became suspicious, wondering what had happened.

'Nothing serious Charlie,' Edward began. 'She just ate something that didn't agree with her at my house. My father thinks she should stay home tomorrow, just in case it's that flu bug that's going around.'

'Uhmm... well, I guess she could... but I'll have to cancel my meeting in Port Angelas.' Charlie answered thoughtfully.

'Well, sir, she could come over to our house for the day, if you don't mind. Alice and I may be coming down with that bug too, and it would be best if we stayed home so we don't spread it to far. Esme will be home of course.' Edward said.

Charlie had been suspicious at first, until Edward mentioned Esme. Of course their 'mother' wouldn't lie for them, if they were doing anything under handed. He could always call to confirm but deciding that Edward knew this, he just let it go and agreed with it. They could pick her up in the morning, before he left for Port Angela's. He walked into the living room, giving the kids a chance to say their goodbyes.

Bella looked up at Edward, fear in her eyes. He was going to leave, would he come back? She couldn't open her mouth to ask. He smiled down at her, ready for anything. She was taking in air in short, raspy gasps.

'I need to go Bella,' he said. Her breathing speed up.

'No, not like that,' he hushed her. 'Please believe me. I have to go, bring my car home, so Charlie don't see, so the neighbours don't talk. What would they say, if they saw my car here all night, love?,' he begged her to understand.

She took deep breaths, calmed her heart down. Of course, she knew this. They had been doing this for months, and still hadn't been caught. She nodded her head slowly, she would get ready while he was gone.

'Yes,' she said, 'I'll be waiting right here. Don't be gone long.'

'I wouldn't dream of it,' he smirked at her. He leaned over, kissing her lightly on the lips. 'I'll see you bright and early tomorrow morning, Bella,' he said as he walked to the door. She smiled and waved as he got in his car and left.

She walked towards the stairs, but Charlie called her to the living room. He turned down the TV. Not a good sign, Charlie never found anything interesting enough to turn of sports. She sat down, waiting for him to begin.

'Bells, are you happy?' he started.

'Yes dad, I wasn't to crazy about Forks to begin with, but it's sorta growing on me now,' she said.

'Well, that's geat, but not quite what I meant. I mean... do he... do Edward make you happy? You seem so different than you were last spring,' he started again.

'Yeh, will, I was still fairly new here... and Edward was so... so...,' she paused, trying to find the right word, 'intense,' she continued, ' I... I was afraid that I'd get stuck here like mom..., not that I don't love you dad, but... I just didn't like Forks so much then.' She looked at her feet, not sure how Charlie would take that. His chuckle surprised her and she looked up.

'I love you too, Bella, but I'm not too old to see the way you look at Edward,' just like he looks at you when he thinks no one is watching. He sighed, 'As long as you're staying here, I can put up with the reason why,' he looked at her pointedly.

Bella's eyes opened wide. Did he, in a round about way, just tell her he approved of Edward? Edward had never mentioned any change in his thinking towards him. She would have to ask him to check her fathers mind. She cringed at that, not liking to spy on her father, but if he was going to be cryptic then she would have to resort to the means she had to get answers. She leaned in, pecking him on the cheek. Laughing at his blush, she said goodnight and ran upstairs to get ready for bed. When she returned to her room, Edward was there, waiting for her, as usual. She ran across the room, and jumped on the bed, hugging him to her. She had missed him terribly, even though he couldn't have been gone more than 30 minutes.

Mere seconds had passed, when she realized that something was not right. She looked up, not wanting to have this talk right now, but knowing it was best to get it over with. His lazy smile did not reach his eyes. No, she thought, he can't believe this book.

'Edward... what's wrong?,' she asked.

'Do you think that this book was a sign, Bella? Or a warning?,' he sighed. 'That maybe we should stick to our own kind?' His words were meant to give her the chance to change her mind about him, but instead they broke his dead heart. He could feel the pain ripping through him with each spoken word. And with each passing minute of silence the pain tripled, shutting down his senses. This must be what it feels like to die, he thought, only he couldn't die, so he would drift along on a sea of despair. Grief and anguish washed over him like an incoming tide, pulling him further down in his remorse.

Bella watched as Edward slipped away from her. She fought the hurge to call Carlisle, if it was anything too bad, Alice would surely have called by now. She called Edwards name, losing hope of bringing him back with each tick of the clock. She had never felt so powerless in her life. She whisper yelled at him, afraid that Charlie would choose tonight to make an appearance. Thankfully he never. No, No, No, she decided. She would not let him do this. Hadn't he just spent hours convincing her that this book was a good thing? Hurtful, yes, but still good. He had promised her, and he was not getting away with it this time around.

'Edward,' she began, 'You can't leave me... you promised. You said you loved me... forever. I don't know how long that is to you, but to me it means eternity. This is our life... this isn't a book... we aren't... I'm not a book. I will not let you walk away from me. That girl in the book... she was weak, Edward, weak. She didn't know what I know. And I know how you feel. I know you love me. I won't stand by and let you walk out on me. I won't be that girl.' Bella ranted on, not having a clue if anything she was saying had even registered with Edward, but afraid of giving up.

'You're right about one thing though,' she realized, 'this book is a warning to us... a warning to get our act together or else. You need to realize how much I want to be with you... how much you deserve to be happy. Unlike you guys, I'm making the choice to change, I need to change to be with you forever Edward. You are the only thing that can make me happy... those wordless months in the book should have told you that. I love you, Edward, forever... Please, don't leave me.' She hung her head as tears ran quietly down her cheeks, not knowing what else she could say to bring him back to her.

Edward had heard the voice of an angel calling him. It was pleading with him, telling him that he was loved, that he deserved love. Could this sweet sirens song be correct? Could he dare to hope that he had been given a chance... a chance at eternal love, like his parents... his siblings? I love you, Edward, forever... Please, don't leave me. The Angels voice broke and he looked up. He felt himself rise above the murky depths of desolation he had been drowning in. Bella... his Bella... his Angel, was crying. Why was she crying? He reached out to her, startling her with his touch...he drew his hand back as if burned. 'She don't want me ?,' the thought left his head the same moment she crashed into his chest, wrapping her arms around his neck, weeping softly... still. He slowly reached his arms around her waist... always giving her the chance to pull back. She didn't. He felt elated. He lowered his head to her hair, smelling her shampoo... strawberries and something else that was pure Bella. He took a deep breath... relaxing in the knowledge that she was here... she was his. She had chosen him, all those months ago... not Tyler, not Eric... and definitely not Mike Newton. And if she wanted him... who was he to argue? He could deny her nothing. So he would remain here... until she set him free.

'I thought I was going to lose you,' Bella cried.

'Never,' he began. 'I won't leave you, you can count on that.'

'Then you have to remember what you said at the house,' Bella said.

Edward looked at her. He remembered everything he had ever said... but what was she remembering? He sighed... he really wished he could read her mind right now. She saw the look of frustration cross his face. His brows folded into the form of a v she knew all too well. That's my vampire, she laughed to herself. She reached up and ran her finger across his brows, smoothing them out.

'That's better,' she said. 'Edward, we really need to talk about this... about us,' she sighed, looking down at her hands.

'I agree,' he nodded his head, surprising her.

'First of all, let me apologize for...,' he began.

'For what?,' she asked

'...leaving you.' he finished.

'But... you didn't go anywhere.' she said, slightly confused now.

'I did, Bella. In the book...,' he said.

'Edward,' Bella sighed, 'We are not in a book. This is our life, like it or not. We have to listen to it, the book. We can't, we won't, let those things happen. What happened in the book was horrible, but in real life... if you left me... I'm not sure how I would feel.'

Edward looked at her. Of course he knew she may not love him, the way he loved her, but hearing it hurt like hell. He could feel the pain washing over him, making him numb again.

'Edward, please, look at me,' Bella pleaded with him. 'I know it will hurt if you leave, but I'm not sure to what extent it will hurt. I could say that I would pull myself together, and get right back in the game, but, what if I don't? What if I'm worse than the book says? All I know is that the book is pretty dead on with things so far. Our likes and dislikes, your family, my home... your home. That many things can't be a coincidence Edward. So, we have to prepare ourselves to either follow the future the books have set out... or change the future. And, I seem to remember, a very handsome man telling me once that the future is not set in stone. Things can change.'

Edward looked at Bella, he had never heard her talk that long before. And what she said was true. Everything we say, or do, shapes our future.

'I agree, but Bella it hurts knowing that I left you alone. Arrghh... what kind of an idiot leaves his girlfriend, the girl he professes to love at that, alone in the woods?' he asked. 'What if something, someone, came along, what if you got hurt? I don't think I could ever live with myself,' he mumbled.

Bella shook her head, she had to make him understand that this was just a book. That yes, they could get pass this, they could work it out. They had both been hurt by the words that had been read so far. They had both spiraled downwards, no hope in sight. It was time to reach out and take back their lives.

'Edward, I know what we've read is... way beyond crazy... but we can't let it control us. I don't want to lose you, or your family,' Bella hesitated, not wanting to ask her question.

'Bella, what are you thinking?' Edward asked her. 'You know not knowing your thoughts drives me crazy.'

'Uhmm... alright...,' she took a deep breath and plunged in, 'Do you love me Edward? I mean, really love me? The kind that lasts forever, and gets deeper with each passing minute? Would you... would you leave me... like in the book? Just to keep me safe?' her voice was barely a whisper now, her eyes facing the floor. She couldn't look him in the face, didn't want to see his eyes if he felt that way.

Edward was shocked. Of all the things he thought Bella would say, this was not even on the list. He knew he should leave her, to keep her safe, like in the book. But, he also realized that leaving would cause her more pain than staying. He would stay as long as she wanted him to, and it sure sounded like she was asking him to stay.

'Bella, I love you so much,' he held her hands in his. 'Hearing Emmett read those words, I thought, stupidly mind you, that I could be that strong. That I could walk away from you, to keep you safe. I was wrong, very wrong. It scared me...hearing the words you said in the book, and seeing your face, the way you were slipping away from me... I couldn't understand how you could believe it... after all the times I told you I loved you, you seemed to give up so easy. Why, Bella?'

'For the same reason, Edward,' she whispered to him. 'The words you were saying in the book were harsh, and hurtful. And I've always known you were too good for me. And then, you let me go... you pulled away from me. I thought maybe you realized the book was right... that I could never be good enough for you. I thought you were really leaving, that the book was my goodbye.'

They looked at each other, neither speaking, both hearing the words they couldn't get out. Edward realized that more than he couldn't, he didn't want to live without Bella. She was his world now, his reason for existing, and he would do what he had to, to keep her with him... as long as she wanted him around.

'I'm sorry for that...,' he held up his hand as she was about to interrupt. 'Please, just hear me out first. My family gave me alot of grief for that. You're right... they're right. It is just a book, a very close liking to us, but still a book. I don't want this to happen to us... but I think we should finish the books... all of them. We need to know what we are looking at here. What we need to avoid. Who we need to avoid. This book is painful... but I was thinking, since there are two more books, it must end good, right? Whoever sent them, they wouldn't want you to know about them, if it was very bad for you.' He looked at her hopefully.

'So... you're saying we should read them...ALL?' she asked, unsure if that's really what he meant. She wasn't sure if she wanted to know her future after the small amount of the book they had already read. He nodded his head.

'Well, I guess that's okay then.' she said slowly.

'Are you sure? You don't have to be there if you don't want to be, you know.' he said, to give her the option to forgo reading them.

'No,' she said. 'I want to read them, but I think we should...,' she hesitated, glancing at him. He nodded, indicating she should go on. 'Well, we should remember that it is only a book. We can change our future. We shouldn't let this get us down. If we hear anything bad, anything at all, we need to remind ourselves that it's just a book. Take a deep breath, and ride it out. We can do that, right?'

He smirked at that, remembering months ago when he had told her that the future wasn't set in stone, that it could be changed with any decision that you made. Alice had a vision of Bella becoming one of them. At the time he didn't like it... now, he wasn't so sure anymore.

'You're right, Bella. And I won't let anything bad happen to you in this life.' He held out his arms to her, hoping she wouldn't reject him now. She looked at him, surprised. 'I love you Bella, we will make this work... we'll do whatever we need to,' he added on. Even though he still wasn't completely comfortable with the idea, he had to be realistic... he flinched, remembering the nomads and what they had to do to keep Bella safe earlier in the year.

She stepped into his embrace causing his face to light up, grinning from ear to ear.

'Now, how about we get you to bed,' he groaned when her head shot up to look him in the face. 'Bella... Alice will be here bright and early to get you. You have a long day tomorrow, and we have no idea what's in that book.' he lead her to the bed, pulled back her covers, and watched her slip beneath them. He pulled the blanket around her and sled down on the bed next to her, ready to hum her lullaby.

'Not yet,' she said. 'Can you... can we...arrghh... will you just kiss me?'

'Anytime, Bella,' he smirked. 'You don't need to ask me.'

He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close, as close as the blanket between them allowed. She reached around his neck, running her fingers through his hair. He moaned softly, realizing that maybe his family were right after all. He had waited more than 100 years, and he could search for 100 more, but he would never find anyone who could complete him like Bella did, and if that made him selfish, well, he didn't care, because he knew he wanted to keep her forever... his forever.

.

.

.

'So Edward, you didn't tell me, who was indecent?'

'Go to sleep, Bella.' Edward smiled, humming her favorite tune, lulling her to sleep.

.

.

.

.

.

A/N:

Hope you liked it. I didn't want to be too angst because they went through too much in the chapter. I just wanted to show they had worked through things, and Bella wasn't letting him off with anything.

Please Review... I'm interested in hearing your thoughts on it.