A/N: This is set after the end of New Moon, and before Eclipse starts.

Disclaimer: I do not own twilight. If I did, I would make Edward mine ;)

BPOV

I was trembling, muffling my screams in the pillow without even realizing it, when someone started shaking me. I ignored them, but then the person started yelling too.

"Bella. Get up. You're having a nightmare."

These words sounded familiar, unfortunately. I shook myself awake and sat up on my bed. Charlie was a little startled by my sudden movement, and took a step back slowly; afraid I would break down again.

"You ok?" he asked me.

I nodded, still taking deep breaths to try to calm myself down.

Charlie looked at me for a few seconds more, and then started leaving the room. "You would think that this would stop now that they are back." He scowled at me from the doorway.

I looked up at him. "It has reduced, Dad. This is the first time I've gotten a nightmare since they've come back."

Charlie could not argue with the truth in front of him. "I'm going to work. Start getting ready for school now. You've missed enough already." He said as he made his way downstairs.

I got off the bed to get ready for school, trying my best to keep myself together. This was the first nightmare I had since Edward had come back. And it was because this was the first night since his return that he had not been next to me the entire night. We had been back about a week, and he really needed to hunt, especially since he would be rejoining school with me today, and would be next to so many humans after a long time. He needed his thirst to be at its minimal. So, I put on a brave face and sent him off to hunt with Jasper and Emmett. However, once slept, I could not keep the nightmares at bay. All the fears, all the dreams I had since he left, came back in full force to attack me in my sleep.

I swallowed slowly. Thank God he was not around to witness my breakdown. He felt guilty enough as it is, witnessing this would crush him. I took my clothes and went for my shower. There, under the warm water, I felt a little calmer.

'He won't leave you again Bella. He will keep his promise. He will come back.' I gave myself a talking to.

Edward was supposed to meet me in school directly. At the time, it seemed foolish to ask him to come here after hunting. It seemed more sensible for him to meet me directly in school. I tried to keep the hole in my chest from reappearing and told myself to calm down, and that Edward would be there waiting for me at school.

I hurriedly got dressed and left for school. There was no way I could even think of having breakfast right now. I just needed to get to school and see Edward before I drove myself crazy.

I reached the school in record time. I do not think I had reached so fast ever since I moved to Forks last year. I gathered my stuff and got out of the car.

My heart sank as I scanned the parking lot and did not see any of the Cullens' cars. The dread in the pit of my stomach was making me nauseous now.

"Bella. There you are! Where have you been the last 10 days? You disappeared all of a sudden. Charlie was so worried. Where had you gone?" I turned around to see Jessica Stanley standing there, looking at me with her eyebrows raised.

"I…." I did not know what answer to give her. I did not know whether they would come, or had they left town already.

Lauren joined Jessica. "Well, well, well. Look who has decided to rejoin the land of the living. I was so sure this time you had been admitted in the loony bin for sure Bella."

"Lauren, enough. How dare you speak to Bella like that?" I turned to look at Angela, who had come to my rescue. I gave her a grateful smile, still unable to find any words.

"What?" Lauren drawled. "It's not like she can be called normal. No wonder Cullen left her. Freak that she is. Managed to drive the entire family out of the town!"

"How dare you?" My eyes widened at the words, my heartbeat slowing down, as I immediately felt calm enveloping my whole being.

All of us turned to see Edward standing there, my angel, my savior. He looked absolutely furious, no doubt having heard not only what Lauren said, but every single thought that ran through her mind.

"Edward?" Lauren was unable to believe her eyes.

His eyes grew dark with anger. He held his hand out to me, and I gratefully went to him. I breathed a sigh of relief in his embrace. His eyes softened as he looked down at me, bending to give me a kiss on my forehead.

Then his eyes hardened again as he turned to look at Lauren and Jessica again. "You two are the filthiest, most vile creatures I have ever seen in this world. You enjoy tormenting people; enjoy kicking those who are already down. You two should be ashamed of yourselves. Bella is one of the most amazing people on earth. Not only is she beautiful on the outside, but on the inside too, she is generous, loving, forgiving, and more than anything I or any other guy in this world can ever deserve. And I consider myself lucky, that I was the one she gave her heart to, and that she can still forgive me and take me back after the way we left earlier this year. Bella is the most important part of my life. She is my life. And if either of you ever say anything vile against her again, I swear I will find out, and then you will wish that you were never born on this earth." My eyes widened at the way Edward was telling off Jessica and Lauren. He was never one to lose his temper in front of the humans so easily, and the fact that he said so much now told me that what those two were thinking about me, was indefinitely worse than what they had said out loud. I decided to calm him down, before this got uglier than it already had. I took his chin in my hand, and forced him to look at me. He gave me a little resistance at first but then acquiesced.

"Its ok baby" I told him softly. "They don't matter. Nothing they say matters to me."

He looked at me for a few moments, trying to see if I was lying about how much what they said affected me. He then took my hand I his and we started to leave, but then Edward stopped suddenly and turned around.

"Hey Angela. I'm so sorry I didn't get a chance to talk with you so far. How have you been?"

Angela looked startled at being addressed by him at first, but then a genuine smile grew across her face and she walked up to us. "I've been good, Edward, thanks. What about you? How was Los Angeles? I knew you would miss Bella too much to last there for very long."

Edward laughed, and I smiled at Angela's attempt to lighten the atmosphere. As we walked towards school, I looked behind me to see Jessica and Laurens' mouths open and close like goldfish. Edward turned and gave me a wink, and suddenly, everything felt right in my world.

Edward was here. And he wasn't going anywhere.

A/N: So, this was the girls' first meeting with Edward after his return. How was it? I'm planning a series of one-shots on how everyone encountered the Cullens upon their return to Forks. Tell me if you liked this one! Accordingly I'll write the others!

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