Two – Bella's POV

In his sleep, Edward looked much less like an adult, but more of the child I am nearly positive he once was. His lips were set in the tiniest of pouts, his hair looked even messier than it did while he was awake (which was quite a feat), and the lines that usually held some fierce emotion were smoothed.

I'd been awake for nearly an hour, and admittedly, all I'd been doing was watching Todd and Edward sleep. Soon, I felt Todd wriggling next to me, trying to loosen Edward's grip, before loudly whispering, "Uncle Edward! Let me go!" he pushed on his uncle's arm harder.

"Run free little monster." Edward slowly and sluggishly removed his arm from around Todd's shoulders, Todd jumped up and darted out of the room. Keeping his eyes shut, Edward groaned and ran a hand through his tousled hair.

Smiling, I plucked the blankets away from him and tossed them over the side of the bed, Edward moaned, "Nnn…Give them back!" I started to giggle, his eyes snapped open, "You. Will. Pay."

Frightened, I shrank away from him a little, but he rolled over so that he was on top of me. Edward held himself so that His knees were just outside of mine, I closed my eyes, waiting for the inevitable pain, but it didn't come. Instead, Edward started to tickle my sides relentlessly, until he had me screaming, "Okay, OKAY! Mercy, mercy! Please!" I choked between hysterical giggles.

Edward stopped his attack and smiled down at me crookedly, "What's that?"

"Please Edward! MERCY!" laughing, he stopped, watching me slowly catch my breath, "That was rather unfair." I winced when I fidgeted, causing my back to flame.

Immediately he stopped laughing, concerned for me, "Did I hurt you? I'm sorry Bella, I shouldn't have, I didn't mean to…" He flipped me onto my stomach, saving me the trouble of doing so myself.

"I'll be okay, just give me a moment." My cheeks reddened as he stared at me, waiting for me to regain control of myself. "Okay, I'm fine."

Alice danced in, "I've brought some food for you two." She smiled angelically, Edwards smirk matched mine.

Edward eyed the food in front of us, "What did you do to it?" he poked an egg with a fork, it looked relatively normal.

"Nothing, cook made it, just eat it please, Bella must be starved. You as well." With that, she left, just as gracefully as her entrance.

Edward filled a plate for each of us, "Can you sit up?"

I eyed the food in his hands, I wasn't the least bit hungry, "Yes, I think so." Edward put his hands under my arms and pulled me into a sitting position.

He picked up a piece of toast and held it out to me, I stared at it like it was a disease, I really wasn't hungry. He pouted, "Just a bit, please?" I reluctantly pulled the bread from his hand, he chuckled almost nervously, "Jeez Bella, how often did they feed you?" he'd meant it to be rhetorical.

"Eh, enough I suppose." I grimaced as I took a bite of toast, eating made me feel sick.

He leered at me for a moment, "But really Bella, how often did they feed you?" he picked up a piece of toast and bacon for himself.

I winced, "You really don't want to know. Honest. Generally, some girls got fed less than others for making mistakes, I was one of them, as I'm not royalty, nothing can be proven." I shrugged.

Edward cocked his head to the side, "I guess Josephine's isn't all it's cracked up to be then? Very well, you don't have to tell me now. Let's eat, shall we?" I nodded, making a mental note not to let him see my stomach until I gained a little weight, you can see my ribcage clearly.

Just as Josephine's taught, I ate whatever Edward put in front of me, nothing less, and certainly nothing more. Still, it was becoming difficult to eat, I failed at holding back a wince when Edward put yet another piece of bacon in front of me. "You may stop eating whenever you wish, I was only giving you food because you looked at it as if it were poison." He chuckled.

I laid back on the bed with a groan, wincing when my back hit the cool mattress, "Thank you Edward." He laughed.

He called for Alice who cleaned up the food, then leaned back against the headboard, "We have a problem Bella." He looked at me seriously.

Instantly I stiffened, "What kind of a problem?" faster than lightening, potential possibilities ran through my head.

"Nothing of your own fault, there is a ball tonight, and I'm afraid that the king is quite frivolous, and he wants father and the rest of the family to come, including you and me…" he watched my expression carefully.

"Wants or commanded?" I asked tiredly.

Edward laughed, "Commanded. Which of course means that you and I must go. But your back, father can wrap it up, but that's all, Do you think you'll be able to handle it?" his stare was a concerned one.

I laughed without mirth, "I've don't so before, I suppose I could do it again, the wrap should only help."I closed my eyes so he couldn't see the apprehensiveness in them. I gulped, dancing.

"Alice will be overjoyed, she'll help you get ready later, I'll go get father, and remember, even though you are in bed, be proper." He kissed my cheek quickly and left.

Five minutes later, a masculine bass voice answered Edward's tenor, but I couldn't pick it out. The bedroom door opened and I stiffened, a cool hand rested on my arm, I recognized it as Edwards. "Bella dearest, this is Carlisle, my father."

I turned my head to see Edward and a tall blond man, about as tall as Edward, but with blue eyes, "A pleasure, to be sure, sir."

He smirked, as if my inability to see him clearly was amusing, "Please call me Carlisle, let's have a look at you." He lifted the shirt flaps away from my back, I clenched my fists and squeezed my eyes shut, "Wow" Carlisle murmured, "I didn't think Josephine had it in her. Isabella is pretty cut up." He rolled his sleeves up, "Isabella, you'll need to stand so I can wrap you up."

Edward put his hands under my stomach and lifted me, "You'll be dizzy when you stand, take slow, deep breaths." He murmured as he set me on my feet.

Carlisle swiftly lifted the shirt, Edward gasped softly at the unsightly look of my stomach. He clenched his fists and turned away, only to turn back. Without thinking, he pulled me into a fierce hug, kissing my cheek, "You'll never miss a meal again. I promise, no matter what you've done."

I returned the hug because Carlisle was watching, but whispered in his ear, "Edward, you're hurting me." His arms loosened immediately.

"I'm sorry Bella, I forgot." He dropped his arms so Carlisle could finish. Edward held the shirt up while Carlisle wrapped a gauzy garment around my middle, like a cotton chemise. He gently but firmly wrapped a sticky, cloth-like substance around the chemise. I squeezed Edwards shoulder as he wrapped the worst part of my back.

Carlisle surveyed his work critically for a moment before smiling, "There you are Isabella, you should be fit for the ball tonight."

I threw on my best plastic smile with effort, "Thank you Carlisle, I appreciate this, very much."

He nodded and left, leaving some redclover for the pain Edward turned to me, "Do you think you could walk? We could go out to the garden…"

A laugh escaped me before I could stifle it, "Edward, it's raining."

He blushed, his ears and cheeks turning bright red as I giggled again, "Well," he smiled impishly, "Would you like to go to the library? It's close, just down the hall…"

I tilted my head to the side, "They never taught us to read, not very well at least. I know the letters and the sounds they make but that's it, I've never even held a book." My cheeks flamed and I stared at the floor.

Edward took my hand, "Come then," he smiled again, "I'll teach you!" he led me quickly down the hall and through a pair of white french doors, "This is it."

I was awestruck by the size of the room, "Its so big." I said quietly.

Edward laughed and pulled me to an armchair in the corner and pulled me into his lap, grabbing a book on the small table next to us, "Alright, you know the sounds of each letter, correct?" I nodded, suddenly nervous, "Then sound this word out."

"Eh-duh-wah-urr-d-s… Edward's!" I smiled at him.

He kissed my temple, "Very good, keep going!" he encouraged.

I took a deep breath before continuing, "Ruh-ee-duh-ing…reading, buh-o-o-kuh, book! Edward's reading book!" I flipped it open to the first page, "Edward's , m-uh-th-er, mother, l-uh-vh-es, loves, him." I smiled, "Your mother sounds very sweet."

He nodded, smiling, "Here," a piece of paper was pushed into my hand, "Read this." His stare was boring a hole into my face.

I nodded, "Ed- Edward, l-loves, Buh-eh-ll-a, Bella. Edward loves Bella." I looked up at him, "Bella who?"

The look on his face implied he thought I was crazy, "Bella you." He poked my nose affectionately.

"Bella…me?" I asked, afraid I'd heard him wrong.

"Yes. You."

"Can I write something?"

He smiled nervously, "Sure." Edward handed me the piece of paper and an ornate, black fountain pen.

I scribbled something down and handed it to him, tears welled in his eyes when he read it, then stared at the paper. I giggled nervously, "You're crying."

"You must think me a sniveling wimp." He laughed through his tears, "But you were being honest, correct?" his voice broke a little.

"Of course I was." He kissed me chastely on the lips, just once, it was very, very sweet.

The paper read, in my chicken scratch, 'Bella loves Edward too.'