Chapter 3

I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does.

One year later.

"It's wrong. One minute she was there alive and the next..."

Bella's voice cracked and Edward pulled her into a tight embrace.

The feel of his arms seemed to give her allowance to let go of the tight control she'd kept on her emotions. Clutching his waist, she sobbed into his shirt covered chest, her body shaking with the force of her sorrow .

Vaguely she was aware of Edward stroking her back and her hair. Bella felt her knees give out and she would have hit the ground if Edward hadn't had a hold of her. He scooped her up and sat on the edge of the bed, cradling her while she grieved.

Renee Dwyer was dead – killed in her own store right in front of her 21 year old daughter's eyes. How could something like that happen? Who would be that evil? Renee was Bella flighty mother who left her and her father when Bella was only six years old. She and Bella had just begun working on their relationship. Bella had been helping her with her new twin siblings that she was now going to be responsible for. Renee was too young to die.

Bella cried for her mother and the time they lost for her own loss of innocence. She had known this was a dangerous city. She knew people got killed but never had she witnessed such a thing. The image of her mother being shot, still made her ill. The horror was burnt into her mind forever...

She had just arrived at the bookstore, ready to take her mom to lunch and see if she could keep Garrett and Gianna for the weekend. As she stood beside the counter waiting for Renee to finish ringing out a customer Bella watched her mother's second ex-husband come into the shop.

Before she had a chance to give him a wave Bella, watched as he pulled a gun and then...what sounded like two explosions had rocked her senses and Renee was gone.

The aftermath was all a haze to Bella. The sirens. The police recognizing her name due to her father who was killed a few years ago in the line of duty. The questions coming at her from all sides. She recalled sitting on the curb throwing up while Edward supported her. Where had he come from?

Carlisle had wanted Edward to take Bella to the hospital. He said she was in shock but she'd begged to just go home.

She didn't want to be surrounded by people in a cold clinical setting. Her own bed—that was what she needed.

Edward had driven her home, and insisted on accompanying her inside. They'd sat in the kitchen for awhile, or rather Edward had sat. Bella had just stood in the middle of the room, unable to gather her thoughts together sufficiently to make him the cup of hot chocolate she'd promised.

After exploring the cupboards, Edward had made the beverage for. She'd taken a few sips of the hot chocolate but had then just sat staring off into space. Finally, Edward had convinced her that getting some rest might be a good idea.

He had helped her up the stairs, shut the blinds and turned on the bedside lamp. The bed wasn't made so he'd straightened the covers for her and fluffed the pillows. Bella had silently watched him move about the room. It wasn't until he'd approached her and asked if there was anything else he could do, that she'd finally broke down...

Bella realized that at some point during her reflection, she had finally stopped crying. Lying against Edward's chest, she was too spent to do anything.

Her body felt heavy, almost as if it wasn't her own. Slowly, she became aware of Edward's hand gently rubbing her back and she sighed. She should let him go.

He was probably tired and wanted to go home. And she needed to find about her siblings.

As she stirred, Edward's arms fell from around her and she immediately missed the comfort that they provided. With a shuddering breath, she eased off his lap and stood up.

"Thanks for putting up with that." She reached toward the night stand, grabbing a tissue. After wiping her face and blowing her nose, she swallowed hard and then stared resolutely at the wall in front of her while addressing her friend. "I want to thank you for helping me I appreciate it."

"Bella, no need to thank me." Edward interrupted. "She was your mother despite the past. You have every right to be upset. We're all affected when we lose someone."

"Yeah, well, Alice wouldn't be crying all over you..."

"No, she wouldn't but everyone deals with things differently. Me, I get mad. I go to the gym and take out my feelings on a punching bag or a sparring partner."

"I pity the sparring partner," Bella said dryly while wiping her eyes again.

"Well," Edward rubbed his neck and grinned sheepishly. "Let's just say that some days the gym clears out pretty quick when I come in with a cloud over my head."

Bella managed a brief chuckle but then sobered. She looked at the man sitting on her bed. The purple polka dot pattern of the sheets looked out of place with his stubble covered chin and the leather jacket he wore.

He was being so nice to her. Edward was uncomfortable around tears but he'd stayed with her—he really was a good friend.

"Edward, I meant what I said earlier. Thanks for putting up with all my tears."

He stood and cupped her face in his hand. His thumb ran across her cheek as he smiled tenderly at her. "Hey, you're my friend. We support each other, no matter what."

She laid her hand over his and squeezed gently before stepping away and wandering across the room. "I guess I should let you go home and then figure out where Gianna and Garrett are." Her voice trailed off uncertainly as she absent-mindedly shifted items about on the dresser.

"Are you sure? I can stay a while if you want. Being alone might not be the best idea. Besides Carlisle is picking them up form Phil's parents house and they'll spend the night there. You can see them tomorrow"

"Well..," Bella chewed her lip, not wanting to impose but not looking forward to the prospect of being alone with her thoughts. "Maybe you could stay until I fall asleep, if it's not too much trouble?"

"Hey, it's no trouble at all."

"Thanks," Bella smiled in relief. "I'll just get my pajamas on..."

"I'll go down stairs and check that everything is secure."

They smiled nervously at each other and then set off to their assigned tasks.

A little while later, Bella was just crawling into bed when Edward knocked softly on the bedroom door and peaked his head in. "Can I come in?

"Sure, I was just laying down." Bella adjusted herself in the bed, pulling the covers up around her shoulders.

Edward sat in the rocking chair beside the bed. He shifted and it creaked under his weight, causing him to quickly stand and stare at it. Bella knew all about the non-existent comfort of that particular piece of furniture. It had been her Grandmother's and, no one could bear to throw it out. Her ad had given Bella the chair when she first moved out., Bella had tucked it away in her bedroom, never expecting anyone to use it.

Bella hesitated and then suggested, "Edward, why don't you lay down on the bed? I know that chair is the most uncomfortable thing ever made.

"Well..." Edward looked at the bed, then at the stiff little chair and then back at the bed again.

"Oh come on, I won't bite. You'll be on top of the covers. Your virtue will be safe with me," she teased.

"All right," He gave her a half-smile. "Anyways, I might break the chair if I sit in it too long." Edward walked to the far side of the bed, and propped a pillow up against the head board. He kicked off his shoes and carefully climbed onto the bed, easing himself back onto the cushions. Bella smiled as he sighed. She knew he was as tired as she was.

They lay beside each other for awhile then Edward broke the silence. "There sure is a lot of purple in this room: the paint on the wall, the vase on the dresser, the dots on the sheets..."

"Yeah, I guess there are. I love purple. It always make me happy and the lighter shades make me calm."

Bella stroked the sheets and traced the polka dot pattern with her fingers.

"These are my favorite sheets. I always think that I sleep better when they're on the bed."

"Favorite sheets?" Edward's bemuseement was evident in his voice.

Bella looked over at him inquiringly. "You mean you don't have favorite sheets?" He shook his head. "Huh—I thought everybody had favorite sheets. "

"Sorry – to me sheets are just sheets."

"Well, maybe you just haven't found the right set yet. I could go shopping with you and help you look."

"Thanks but I have enough sheets and I sleep the same no matter what's on the bed...well, except for maybe right now."

"Why is that?"

"These purple polka dots make me feel kind of funny." He turned his head so he could see her face and gave her a crooked smile.

"Really?" Bella propped her head up on her elbow and looked earnestly at Edward. "I guess I never thought about how a man might feel about them. I bought them after Sam and I split up...do they really bother you?"

"Bella, let me give you some advice. You need to buy some ordinary 'man friendly' sheets, if you're ever planning on sharing this bed with ..." Edward's voice trailed off. As the implication of his words sank in, they both looked uncomfortably away from each other.

Edward cleared his throat. "Umm...Maybe you should close your eyes and try to sleep. I'll just read this magazine." He picked up a copy of People from the night stand and started to thumb through it.

Bella rolled onto her side and stared blankly across the room. Edward was in her bed, on her favorite sheets. He didn't like the sheets and he was only here because she was upset but still, he was here...She gave a slight smile at the thought that one of her fantasies was almost coming true.

She fingered the edge of the pillow case. It was sort of funny, she'd never really thought about having a set of 'man' sheets before. When she'd been dating Sam, they'd used sets that they had gotten together. Later she'd bought solid colors that had been in style. The polka dot pattern had been the first 'feminine set' that she'd ever owned.

Maybe she should go shopping for plain sheets that Edward would approve of,

just in case ...Well, that probably wasn't going to happen but maybe she'd go shopping anyway. It never hurt to have a spare set of new sheets around. You could always give them as a gift...

A gift... She'd been going to go shopping tomorrow to buy birthday presents for the twins fifth birthday party next weekend. Now she was going to have o tell them about their mother. Bella felt tears welling in her eyes again as thoughts of her mother re-emerged. She'd briefly suppressed the events of the evening while talking to Edward. Now they came flooding back to haunt her. With the loss of her father two years ago Bella was officially an orphan.

All her siblings friends had been coming to the party. Mr. Cullen was even letting them use his pool. Even Alice had been willing to help decorate. Bella had been baking for several days now and the freezer was filled with cookies. She supposed she'd use them for the reception after the funeral.

Blinking rapidly, she tried to stifle her tears but despite her efforts, a sob escaped.

"Hey, are you all right?" An arm snaked around her waist and Edward drew her close to him again.

"I'm sorry," she sniffled. "I was just thinking about being an orphan and now I'll be taking in two children."

"Bella, I told you don't have to apologize or explain. Let it out. When you cry for someone, it's a sign that their life had meaning , they were important. If you die, and no one grieves, it means no one cares."

Bella looked up at Edward through her tears, "That's very insightful."

Edward was silent for a moment. "Let's just say that I've lost people in my life, I've been on the receiving end of a lot of advice. Some of it was better than others." He shrugged and looked uneasy about having made this little revelation.

Bella pressed her hand against his chest in understanding. "Thanks for sharing that."

He rubbed his hand over her back and then encouraged her to rest her head on his shoulder. "Lean on me and try to get some rest. I'll be here for you, if you need me."