Hello, all –

This outtake gives you a small glimpse into the 'moonstone' relationship between Edward and Bella when they were kids. Set a couple of years before the flashback in Chapter 4, Bella pays Edward a visit to discuss a personal dilemma. Edward is roughly 16 (10th grade), so that would make Bella 15 (9th grade)… just to put the chapter in context.

Enjoy!


BPOV

Three quick knocks – my usual 'calling card'.

I had to see him. My heart was crushed and I needed my moonstone to make me whole again.

Edward expected me. I slipped a note through the slats of his locker door with a familiar message:

I need you. –B

Even though we had lost touch during the years, he never refused me when I needed him.

When I went to switch out my books before fifth period, a note tumbled from my open locker door with our moonstone tucked securely inside and his response written in his delicate scrawl:

I'm here for you. I'll see you tonight. –E

My 'little problem' brought me to Edward's door that night. It was a little later than my usual visiting hour. Allie was chattier than usual tonight so I had to wait until she passed out before I made the short trek to his bedroom door. Clutching our familiar stone tightly in my right hand, I opened his door with my left. He was asleep when I walked in. I made sure the door clicked shut behind me before I made my way toward his bed. I sat on his left side and leaned over his sleeping form, trying to be as quiet as possible. I rubbed the smooth indentation of our moonstone with my right thumb; it calmed me -- almost as much as the boy whose sleeping form laid quietly at my side. He looked so peaceful, so carefree… so different from the frustrated ten-year-old kid I met six years ago. I felt guilty for interrupting his sleep… but I knew he wouldn't mind.

My left hand itched to touch his hair, so I gave in to my desire. I tousled his hair gently and watched in awe as Edward came to consciousness.

"Bella?" He whispered hoarsely, raising himself to recline on his bent elbows behind him.

"Yeah, it's me," I replied, my fingers still entwined in his beautiful hair.

"I didn't think you were coming. What's wrong?"

I waved him off quickly. "Uh, nothing's wrong, Edward. It's nothing, really."

He tugged on my left hand and held it to his chest. "I know you better than you think, Bella Swan, and something definitely is wrong." I tried to smile but it didn't quite reach my cheeks.

Edward kept pressing on. "This isn't about James, is it?"

It was more of a statement than a question. He knew me too well. This conversation should be easy, right? I have shared some of the most intimate details of my life with him but, for some strange reason, I didn't feel comfortable talking about this.

I shook my head and sat up fully, pulling my hand from within his grasp and placing it in my lap. "No. It's not about James."

Edward wasn't going to let this die, so I expected his reply. "Swan. Don't lie to me. I heard about what happened."

I guess my break-up with James was common knowledge by now. But no one knew why.

That's why I needed Edward. He would understand.

With my head bowed and a resigned slouch to my shoulders, I took a deep breath and decided to open up to one of my oldest and dearest friends.

"I don't know what happened, Edward. I was happy, you know? On first glance, we were 'the happy couple'… but even I was fooled. I didn't see it coming."

"You never do," he replied.

What the fuck was that supposed to mean?

I ignored his comment and continued lamenting about my broken relationship.

"I loved him. And he got tired of me. I wasn't good enough for him."

He finally sat up on the bed, his weight resting on his outstretched arms behind him. "What do you mean, 'not good enough'? You're smart, you're pretty, you can handle Alice's brand of crazy – and that says a lot…."

I chuckled. "Yeah, your sister is a handful…"

His voice became serious again. "He would be stupid not to realize how great you are."

I gazed in his direction. "You think so, huh?" I couldn't help but bite back a sarcastic laugh. "Well, obviously James felt I was lacking in certain areas…."

Edward looked at me, perplexed. "What do you mean by 'certain areas'?"

I sat up fully and began waving my hands emphatically. "You know…'certain areas'….," gesturing towards my chest and my lap. I stood to my feet and walked over to his keyboard. It was uncomfortable for me, talking to him about this; I couldn't bear to look at him. "So, Edward, how long has it been since you've played this thing? I haven't heard you in here for a while…"

He sensed my desire to change the subject, but he didn't bite. "Sex, Bella? James broke up with you because of sex?" I heard the bed springs creak as he rose to his feet and his footfalls broke the silence as he approached me from behind.

Shakily, I continued. "I broke up with him, actually. I told him that I wasn't ready to go 'all the way' with him… and we… tried a few things but I guess he wasn't satisfied. So, he went to Jessica Stanley and got his 'freak on' with her instead. Fuck 'em both."

I'm not gonna cry… I'm not gonna cry….

"Bella, don't beat yourself up over this. Guys do stupid things when it comes to the opposite sex. James cares about you. I know he does. But sometimes a guy just can't control himself."

I turned toward him, upset by his remark. "Can't control himself? Are you serious? You're defending what he did?"

"No, I'm not defending him. I'm just saying that sometimes guy – and don't jump on me for saying this – we tend to think with the head down there and not the head up here," Edward said, pointing at himself for emphasis. "It's almost as if we're hard-wired to fuck around."

I pinned him fiercely with my eyes. "Are you like that, Edward? Do you 'fuck around'?"

"NO," he replied forcefully and then grew quiet. "I mean, no…. I'm not that kind of guy."

I chuckled bitterly in his direction. "Yeah, you say that now, Edward, but one day you will be. It's inevitable, right?" I raised my hands questioningly. "Someday, you will fuck around on your girlfriend and that's perfectly fine because it's in a guy's nature to cheat on his girlfriend."

Edward laid a hand on my arm. "Not all of us are jerks, Bella. We get hurt too, you know."

"Yeah, well, you sure don't show it." I stalked back to his bed and reclaimed my seat. Tears threatened to cloud my vision but I tried to hold them at bay. "I am sick of being the one who gets hurt all the time, the one who sits at home and cries her eyes out because some pitiful fuck didn't want shit to do with her anymore. I'm done, Edward. I'm done with relationships. I'm done with guys who make promises they don't keep."

"Bella…."

Edward reached for me, grabbing my hand and pulling me up from the bed. He opened his arms and I gladly walked into his embrace. I tried to smile as he wrapped his right arm tightly around my waist; his left palm cradled my head, allowing my head to settle in the crook of his neck. I feel him rub soothing circles along my spine. Finally comfortable in his arms, I shed a few silent tears in James's memory.

"James was a fool to cheat on you. Don't let him ruin you for the rest of us. We're not all bad. I would never do that to you. Never, Bella…." I felt his lips brush across my forehead as I calmed in his arms.

"Thank you," I whispered.

"Always," he whispered in return.

His arms felt so nice around me… and he smelled so good…. I didn't want to leave just yet.

"Edward?"

"Yes, Bella?"

"Do you mind if I…. hang out in here for a bit? I'm not all that sleepy… and Alice snores."

He laughed softly. "Yeah. I know… I can hear her through the bedroom wall some nights. How can you stand it in there?"

I pulled back slightly to see his beautiful face and mirthful eyes. "I keep a set of earplugs in her nightstand for nights like this but… I feel safe in here… here with you. Is it okay if I stay?"

"Stay as long as you want… but I'm going back to bed," he smirked at me.

"You don't mind the company?" I grinned through my tears.

Edward brought his hands to cup either side of my face and used the pads of his thumbs to wipe away the stray tears that streaked my cheeks. His smirk faded but his eyes remained trained on mine.

"No, Bella. I'm glad you're here."

I'm glad you're here, too, Edward…

"Me, too," I sighed in his arms.

Edward stepped away from me and I missed his warmth immediately. I watched in amusement as he climbed back into his twin bed, leaving enough space for me to lie down beside him.

"You know, Bella, there's plenty of room in here for both of us …," he leered, patting the slim space next to him and wagging his eyebrows suggestively.

"Oh really? And what will Ms. Esme and Mr. Carlisle think about that?" I smiled at my friend.

"I think they would be very supportive of this arrangement. They already consider you family. We just need to make it… 'official'," he whispered, using airquotes for emphasis.

This boy will kill me…

If only he was serious…

I walked over to the bed, grabbing one of his pillows and pulling it out from under his head. "Get out of the bed, lover boy. You know the drill…"

"I don't see how this is fair, Bella… You come into my room in the middle of the night and you kick me out of my own bed?" I could hear the smile in his voice; I knew he didn't mind.

"You are being a gentleman. Remember that." I threw the stolen pillow at him as I sat on his bed. He already pulled a spare blanket for himself out of his closet.

"A gentleman with a cramp in his neck," he griped, spreading his blanket out in the middle of the floor.

I placed our iridescent healing stone on the window sill beside his bed, giving it an opportunity to soak in the moon's light and Mother Earth's calming spirit. After thanking Mother Earth for her healing hand, I snuggled into Edward's warm, cozy bed. It smelled like him… it's one of the main reasons why I asked to stay. It was the closest I could get to him without telling him how I really feel about him. I let his scent and his warmth surround me and I relished it if only for a short period of time. A girl can dream, can't she?

"Goodnight, Bells," Edward grumbled from the floor.

"Goodnight, Eddie... and thank you."

"Always," he yawned and, in a heartbeat, we were both fast asleep.

More outtakes to follow… so stay tuned! :)

- dye