Title: Afraid to Fall

By: Liz

Rating: M

Disclaimers: The characters are not mine, any and all music is not mine, only the plot and my words belong to me. Tom and Fred are based in reality and belong to themselves.

Author's Notes: Thank you so much to everyone who has read or reviewed so far. I really appreciate it and I hope you enjoy this chapter. I did want to get this up yesterday or earlier because of the content but events beyond my control (work and family) unfortunately combined to make that not happen. As always, all songs used in this story are posted in my profile and I definitely recommend listening to them!

Special Notes: For Blue-Winter-Angel for letting me bounce ideas off her, making suggestions, and for being supportive and just flat out awesome. Love ya, sis! Also, for twilight-is-lovee for calling me out on my updating timeline ;). Sorry it wasn't up sooner!


Chapter 3

"Bella, please? They look so good."

Bella shook her head firmly. "No, Alice. I am not wearing those. I already let you do my hair and makeup and it's not like any of this is necessary anyway."

"But you should always look your best. You never know who you'll see," Alice wheedled.

Bella rolled her eyes and Rose spoke up as she entered Bella's bedroom to join her friends. "We know exactly who we'll see, Alice," she said patiently. "Just let Bella be comfortable and let's go already."

It was early evening on the 4th of July and the girls were heading over to the boys' apartment to watch the fireworks from the roof of their building. They had all been ready to leave nearly half an hour earlier, but Alice had been attempting to get Bella to wear a pair of heeled sandals with her cropped jeans and deep blue fitted t-shirt. Bella, naturally, had refused, preferring the comfortable, worn flip-flops that were already on her feet and the two had been at an impasse for the last 20 minutes. Rose had finally gotten tired of waiting and had gone to Bella's room to be the deciding voice in the argument and get the other two out the door.

Alice pouted. "Fine. But you know I'm right about this."

It was Rose's turn to roll her eyes. "Fine, yes, Alice, you're right about the shoes. Now let's go, the guys are waiting on us to eat and you know Emmett won't last much longer." Bella shot Rose a grateful look as the girls exited her bedroom.

The boys were providing dinner that night while the girls were bringing the drinks and blankets to sit on. Bella had baked cupcakes for dessert and she stopped in the kitchen to grab the carry along container while Alice gathered up the blankets and Rose picked up the box of beer and sodas.

When they reached the boys' apartment building, Alice and Rose headed up to the roof while Bella went to their apartment to store the cupcakes until they were ready to eat them. "Hello?" Bella called as she let herself into the apartment with her spare key.

"Hey, Bella," Edward said, giving her her favorite crooked grin as he walked out of his bedroom.

"Hey," she said, returning his smile. "Alice and Rose headed up to the roof already. I just wanted to put the cupcakes in the fridge so the icing won't melt before we can eat them."

"You made cupcakes?" Edward's eyes lit up as he joined her in the kitchen. "Hmm, maybe I should have one now before Emmett eats them all," he said, eyeing the container as Bella placed it in the refrigerator.

"Well, you'll have to bring it with you then. We don't want to miss the fireworks!" Bella told him, rocking back on her heels in her excitement.

"Didn't see you there, Alice," Edward cracked.

Bella wrinkled her nose at him. "How can you not be excited? Fireworks are, like, one of the best things ever," she said enthusiastically.

"I am excited," Edward replied. "Just not quite as excited as you, I think. I take it you're a fan?" he teased as they exited the apartment and began to walk down the hall. He clearly remembered several conversations with Bella where she had waxed poetic on the "amazingness" that was fireworks.

Bella couldn't help the enormous grin that spread across her face. "I love them," she said, her voice almost giddy, Edward's teasing going completely unnoticed. "There's just something magical about them. They're one of those things from your childhood that never gets old. Like swing sets and chocolate milk."

Edward smiled at the innocent enthusiasm radiating from Bella. "Come on, we need to get up there before they start!" she said, opening the door to the stairwell at the end of the hall. With Edward following closely behind her, she hurried up the stairs to the roof.

The door to the roof was already open, held in place by a large cinderblock, and in her excitement, Bella didn't notice the lip of the doorway sticking up until she felt her foot catch on it. She closed her eyes as the roof came rushing up to meet her but instead of her face hitting the ground, a pair of strong arms grabbed her waist from behind, pulling her back against a warm, hard chest.

Bella allowed herself the luxury of enjoying Edward's embrace for a moment before pulling away. "Sorry," she mumbled, daring to look up at him as her cheeks flushed pink.

"That's what I'm here for," he told her with a grin.

"Thanks," she said, momentarily unable to look away from his gaze.

Seconds later, however, Emmett's voice carried across the roof to where she and Edward stood, effectively pulling her from the moment. "Nice catch, Eddie!" he boomed. "Probably just saved us a trip to the ER tonight."

Bella stuck her tongue out at Emmett and Edward chuckled as they made their way across the roof to their friends. "Couldn't let Bella miss her fireworks."

"And you wanted me to wear heels," Bella said, shooting Alice a look. "If I didn't know better, Ali, I'd swear you were trying to kill me," she teased.

Edward laughed as he recalled a conversation with Bella about how much Alice loved treating Bella like her own life sized Barbie doll. Bella had confided that she'd once made the mistake of telling Alice that if a pair of shoes wasn't flip flops or Chucks, she wasn't interested. Alice's reaction had apparently been akin to watching someone kill her puppy.

It was Alice's turn to stick her tongue out. "You know you looked great in those." She turned her attention toward Edward who was still laughing quietly and narrowed her eyes playfully at her brother. "And you! Another one who shuns my talents. Would it kill you to take my advice every once in awhile? You're as bad as she is with the whole comfort is more important thing," she told him.

Edward smiled. "At least I'm in good company," he said, winking at Bella over Alice's head.

"All right, enough talking, people," Emmett spoke up. "Let's get to the food part of the evening already!"

Jasper and Alice spread out one of the blankets and Edward and Rose set out the sandwiches, salads, and chips from the local deli while Emmett took everyone's drink orders and handed out sodas and beers from the cooler he and Jasper had brought up earlier. Bella unfolded the two other blankets for everyone to sit on and they all spread out with their food and drinks.

About twenty minutes later, they were all laughing and talking as they finished up their food when there was a flash in the sky followed by a loud bang. Bella grabbed Edward's hand in excitement. "It's starting!" she practically squealed, her enthusiasm at that moment rivaling Alice's. She let go of Edward's hand and distractedly shoved her plate and drink off to the side before stretching out on her back on the blanket she had been sitting on. Alice moved to sit in Jasper's lap and Emmett and Rose lay down side by side to watch. After a moment's hesitation, Edward lay down on the blanket next to Bella.

Bella smiled happily as she folded her arms behind her head, never taking her eyes off of the spectacular display in the sky. Edward, however, was far more interested in the person lying next to him on the ground. Their bodies were only inches apart, the air between them seeming to hum with electricity, and Edward had to force himself to focus on the sky instead of reaching over and taking Bella's hand in his. After a few moments of watching the fireworks, however, Edward gave up and turned his full attention to Bella as she lay beside him.

The expressions on Bella's face alternated between grins that threatened to split her face and looks of sheer wonder when her mouth would just hang open as she watched the sky. The fireworks illuminated her face, reflecting in her eyes that were shining with excitement and Edward felt an overwhelming tenderness consume him as he watched her.

He wasn't quite certain what to make of his feelings for the amazing woman at his side. She was so completely unlike any other woman he had ever known and lately, he found his thoughts drifting to her whenever they weren't together. She was brilliant, passionate about the things that mattered to her, and extremely kind and compassionate and he was starting to notice that he had actually begun to feel a little at loose ends on those rare days when they didn't hang out together. As he watched her watching the fireworks, his thoughts drifted to a shopping trip to Target he and Bella had taken earlier in the week.

It had been a quick run to grab some things for their celebration on the 4th, but at one point, Bella had split off from Edward, saying she needed to pick up some personal items. As promised, she had met him ten minutes later at the checkout and they had separately bagged up their orders and headed out to the car.

While Edward had begun putting their shopping bags in the trunk, Bella had dashed off, telling him she'd be right back. He hadn't paid much attention until he'd finished loading the bags, only then looking around the parking lot to locate her. He'd finally found her standing in a grassy area on the edge of the parking lot talking to a man who had a black dog at his side. As he'd watched, Bella had set down a small box next to the dog before handing it a bone and scratching it behind the ears. She'd then turned back to the man, handing him a bottle of water and what looked like a few dollars. She'd waved goodbye, scratched the dog's head again, and headed back to the car.

Edward turned the car on while he was waiting for her, cranking up the air conditioning as Bella slid into the front seat next to him. "Who was that?" he asked curiously.

"Tom and Fred," she answered as she buckled her seatbelt. "Fred's the dog. They live here," she explained at the look on Edward's face.

"In those apartments across the street?"

"No, here," Bella said, gesturing toward the donation bins that lined the entrance to the complex.

Her meaning became clear to Edward as they drove out of the shopping complex and Bella waved to Tom. He had thought he had seen a box of milkbones in one of Bella's bags but had dismissed the thought as none of the six of them had a dog. Apparently, Bella had taken the time to pick up a few things for Tom and Fred during their shopping trip, something she probably wouldn't even have mentioned if Edward hadn't asked her about it.

He glanced over at Bella as she fiddled with his ipod, shaking his head in admiration. The girl was something special, there was no doubt about that.

Edward was suddenly pulled from his thoughts by the very focus of his daydream herself. A small gasp escaped Bella as the fireworks went into their grand finale and in her excitement, her left hand shot out to rest on Edward's arm as she watched the sky. All too soon for Edward's liking, the last of the fireworks faded and Bella removed her hand as she sat up.

"That was amazing," she sighed dreamily.

Edward agreed as he stood, extending a hand to Bella to help her with her feet. They began gathering the plates and bottles, tossing them into a bag while they discussed the fireworks and which kinds had been their favorites.

The focus of Edward's attention throughout the fireworks had not gone unnoticed by everyone. As he folded up the blanket he and Rose had been sitting on, Emmett watched Edward and Bella's interaction as they gathered up the remnants of their picnic, his expression thoughtful.

His brother was a good person, this Emmett knew without a doubt, and he trusted that he would never do anything to hurt Bella. But there were certain areas in which Bella was still very fragile and Emmett wasn't sure just how much Edward knew about her past.

He didn't want to talk to Alice about it, not yet anyway. On the incredibly unlikely off chance that Alice hadn't noticed the whatever it was between the two, Emmett didn't want to be the one to bring it to her attention or encourage any matchmaking. Bella and Edward were not the type to be forced together. If there was something there, they would come to it in their own time, on their own terms.

He decided that the best thing to do at the moment would be just to keep an eye on the two. If things seemed to change or get serious, he would take Edward aside and explain a few things to him about Bella. Until then, he trusted them both to handle this situation in whatever way was best for the two of them.

He grinned to himself as he watched Edward and Bella. Of course, that didn't mean he wasn't going to tease his little brother relentlessly any and every chance he got. After all, wasn't that what big brothers were for?


After Emmett had proclaimed the night to "still be in diapers," they had decided to walk over to The Galway Arms for a drink. The Irish Rovers, a band made up of four men somewhere in their late 30s and early 40s who were a usual fixture at the Arms, were playing that night and their traditional folk music played in the background as the six found a table near the makeshift stage.

They had been there for about twenty minutes when Jasper excused himself from the table. Alice was deep in conversation with Edward and Bella and barely glanced up.

A few minutes later, Emmett glanced up at the stage and nodded, turning to his little sister. "Hey Al?" he called across the table. She paused in her conversation and looked across the table at her big brother. "Check it out," he said with a grin, inclining his head toward the stage.

Alice looked over at the stage quickly and then did a double take. There, standing in the middle of the regular band members, was Jasper, acoustic guitar in hand. Jasper smiled at Alice before stepping up to the microphone.

"This is for Alice." Edward, Bella, Emmett, and Rose cheered and clapped along with the rest of the crowd but for once, Alice was speechless as she stared openmouthed at Jasper on stage.

"Well, I took a stroll on the old long walk

Of a day -I-ay-I-ay

I met a little girl and we stopped to talk

Of a fine soft day -I-ay-I-ay

And I ask you, friend, what's a fella to do?

'Cause her hair was black and her eyes were blue"

Jasper winked at Alice and she giggled.

"And I knew right then I'd be takin' a whirl

'Round the Salthill Prom with a Galway girl

We were halfway there when the rain came down

Of a day -I-ay-I-ay"

Bella heard someone singing in a beautiful clear tenor nearby and when she turned, she saw to her surprise that it was Edward. He saw her looking at him and winked as he continued singing along with Jasper and several of the pub's other patrons.

"And she asked me up to her flat downtown

Of a fine soft day -I-ay-I-ay

And I ask you, friend, what's a fella to do?

'Cause her hair was black and her eyes were blue

So I took her hand and I gave her a twirl

And I lost my heart to a Galway girl

When I woke up I was all alone

With a broken heart and a ticket home

And I ask you now, tell me what would you do

If her hair was black and her eyes were blue?

'Cause I've traveled around, I've been all over this world

Boys, I ain't never seen nothin' like a Galway girl"

The pub erupted into applause as the band finished and Jasper handed the guitar back to a member of the Rovers as he shook his hand. He stepped off of the stage and returned to the table as the others continued cheering for him.

Alice leapt into Jasper's arms, wrapping her arms and legs around him. "Oh, Jazz! That was so beautiful," she told him. "It was better than the movies! It was perfect. Thank you." She stopped talking only long enough to kiss him thoroughly before resting her head on his shoulder. "I love you," she murmured.

Alice and Jasper were not ones to normally engage in public displays of affection and Bella found herself smiling so hard at the scene before her, her face hurt. She turned to Edward and found to her surprise that he was watching her. He grinned at her and Bella felt her stomach flip crazily for a moment as her cheeks darkened and she glanced down at her glass of cider. She heard Edward chuckle softly before he turned to high five Jasper as the table congratulated him.

The rest of the time they were at the pub, people continued to come up to their table to praise Jasper for both his romantic gesture and musical talent. Alice, who remained in Jasper's lap from the moment he sat down, smiled brilliantly the whole time.

About an hour after Jasper's performance, the six decided to head back to the boys' apartment to just veg and hang out for the rest of the night. They quickly paid their tab and Jasper and Alice stopped to thank The Rovers once more before they joined their friends outside.

"Well done, man," Emmett said to Jasper as they began to make their way back to the apartment. "I really wasn't sure you were going to be able to pull that off without her finding out."

Realization dawned and Alice turned to her big brother. "That's why you suggested we go out," she realized. "You were in on it!"

Emmett shrugged. "Maybe. And you never saw it coming," he teased, a huge grin splitting his face. "Maybe you're losing your touch."

Alice made a face at Emmett but her retort died on her lips at the sound of Jasper's voice. "And I ask you, friend, what's a fella to do," he began.

"'Cause her hair was blonde and her eyes were blue," Emmett continued, swinging his and Rose's clasped hands.

Alice stuck her tongue out at Emmett. "That's not how it goes," she informed him.

"'Cause her hair was brown and her eyes were, too," Edward sang, grinning at Bella who blushed scarlet in response.

"You guys suck," Alice informed her brothers.

Edward and Emmett exchanged a look over Alice's head. Before she knew what was happening, Emmett ran behind her he swung her up on his shoulders. "And I ask you, friend, what's a fella to do?" the others sang to Alice. "'Cause her hair was black and her eyes were blue."

"Put me down!" Alice shrieked, smacking Emmett's head ineffectively with her tiny fists.

"Nope. Door to door service," Emmett announced as he continued down the street toward the boys' apartment building.

"Look at it this way, Al," Edward teased. "For once, you're the tallest one in the group."

Alice gave him the finger over her shoulder as Emmett began to jog down the street. "Well, then, faster, horse!" she demanded.

"I'm not a horse," Emmett protested.

"You are right now. Now giddy-up," Alice told him, smacking the back of his head for good measure.

"See you later," Rose called.

"Don't eat all the cupcakes!" Edward added.

By the time the others reached the apartment, Emmett was sprawled out on one of the couches, TV remote in hand. Alice, however, was nowhere to be seen. "She's in your room," he told Jasper, never looking up from the set as he flipped rapidly through the channels. "Something about your clothes being more comfortable than hers."

Jasper walked toward his room as Rose flopped down next to Emmett, snatching the remote from his hand. "I don't know how you can even see what's on, you go so damn fast," she said as he began to protest.

Edward and Bella headed into the kitchen to grab drinks and snacks for everyone. They had just pulled some drinks from the refrigerator when they heard Emmett's excited exclamation from the next room.

"Oh, hell yes!" he cried. "Goonies!"

Edward and Bella hurried back into the room, their arms laden down with drinks and snacks. "Is it near the beginning?" Edward asked, handing Emmett and Rose two of the sodas he carried before placing the other two cans, a bag of tortilla chips, and the tupperware container of Bella's cupcakes on the coffee table. "Oh, sweet," he said, looking at the screen as he sat on the floor next to Bella. "We didn't miss the truffle shuffle."

Bella giggled, handing Edward one of the cans of Diet Pepsi in her hands. "Personally, I like when Corey Feldman tells the cleaning woman they're going to feed her to the cockroaches." She scooped a handful of Pirate's Booty from the bag she held before offering the bag to Edward.

"Ooh, pass me some of that, Bells," Emmett called as Edward helped himself to the cheesy puffed rice snack and then handed the bag back to Bella.

Bella held the bag to her chest protectively. "No way," she said. "My booty."

"Oh, sure," Emmett grumbled. "Edward gets your booty but I don't."

Next to him, Rose snorted and Bella's cheeks flushed. Emmett opened his mouth to speak again, a wicked gleam in his eye, but whatever he was about to say was lost to Alice and Jasper's entrance. "Emmett, leave Bella's booty alone," Alice instructed, picking up the bag of Tostitos on the table and throwing it at him before joining Jasper on the other couch.

"Eff that noise," Emmett said, tossing the tortilla chips aside. "I see cupcakes!" He grabbed two cupcakes from the table before flopping back onto the couch. Everyone else grabbed cupcakes and snacks and Jasper turned off the lights in the room as they all settled in to watch the movie.

Several hours later, Alice reached off the edge of the couch she was lying on with Jasper and fumbled around a minute for the TV remote. Goonies had been followed by The Princess Bride and at various points during the movie, everyone had dropped off to sleep until Alice was the only one still awake.

She paused a moment in her hunt for the remote, looking around at the rest of her family, sound asleep in various positions. Bella and Edward were asleep near the other couch, Bella with her head on a pillow in Edward's lap while Edward leaned back against the couch behind him, one arm draped across Bella's side. Alice could already imagine just how red Bella's face would no doubt be when she woke up in that position, but for the moment, both she and Edward looked extremely content.

Rose and Emmett were on the cushions and pillows Emmett had pulled onto the floor. They were sound asleep with Emmett spooning up behind Rose and Alice marveled at just how happy and peaceful Rose could look when she was in Emmett's arms.

Behind her, Jasper shifted, mumbling something unintelligible as his arm tightened across her waist and he pulled her closer to his body. Alice's fingers came into contact with the remote and she picked it up, turning the TV off and leaving the room in darkness. With a happy sigh, she settled back in Jasper's arms and closed her eyes. At that moment, life was just about perfect.


Okay, some of you may recognize "Galway Girl" from the movie P.S. I Love You. Now to be fair, I've never actually seen the movie, really not being a chick flick kind of girl. However, my best friend did send me that clip from the movie because she knows I love Jeffrey Dean Morgan so I have seen the part of the movie where that song is sung and that's why I downloaded the song. It then came up on my ipod on the way to work one day and when I heard the line "her hair was black and her eyes were blue," I immediately thought of Alice and the second half of this chapter was born. So it's not meant to copy that scene but of course there are similarities. Anyway, hope y'all enjoyed. Thanks for reading!