Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight and characters.


Chapter Three

I ran the palm of my hand along Bella's arm. She sighed softly and snuggled deeper into my shoulder. We lay outside, on the grass outside my house. The sun shone brilliantly in the azure sky and we took advantage of it, trying to soak in as much vitamin D as we could. I lay on my back, my one arm holding Bella to me, the other behind my head. She lay on her side, her head on my shoulder and her hand rubbing circles on my stomach.

I jumped slightly when her hand slipped beneath my shirt. The circles resumed, but this time against my bare skin. I looked down at her and saw her looking up at me, a small smile playing around her lips. Her finger went to my belly button, tracing circles around it slowly. I kept running my palm along her upper arm, just enjoying the feel of her.

My eyes drifted skyward again. The sky was clear, not a single cloud marred the blue brilliance. It was such a rare occurrence for Forks. It made the rain of yesterday seem so far. As my mind went back to yesterday, I felt myself stiffen.

"It's okay," Bella said softly, her hand running in larger circles.

I closed my eyes and wanted to block out the sounds, the smell, the helpless feeling. Carlisle was okay, I reminded myself. At this very moment, he was in the house with Esme, both of them making quite a pair with their matching casts. We had all taken turns signing the casts, adding our unique stamps to the plaster. They were fine. My world was fine. I could continue on, happy and free, just like I had been yesterday morning.

But the wreck had shown me how close the past was, how it lurked just beneath my happiness. It was there creeping around, threatening to steal me away and pull me under, suffocating me in sorrow. The pain of the past that had seemed so far away only twenty-four hours ago had nearly trapped me again.

I thought I was stronger than that.

"What are you thinking about, sweetheart?" Bella asked from beside me. I looked down and saw that she had shifted, lying on her stomach, her hand and chin resting on my chest. I ran my hand down her hair.

"Yesterday," I said, during my gaze back to the sky. "I thought I was over it, I thought I have moved past it. But in that instant, it was like I was six years old and it was all happening again. Even now, if I close my eyes, I can hear the crash, the car, smell the fire, see my dad lying on the side of the road, dying. See the despair burning in my mom's eyes."

"Edward," she sighed. "You're too hard on yourself. You lived a nightmare for ten years. It's not something you are going to get over quickly. It's only been a year and half since you escaped it."

I let out a frustrated huff. "I don't want my past to control my life."

She shook her head. "If the past was controlling your life, you could be a high school dropout, drunk and high all the time to try to escape the memories. You'd blame everyone for every problem you've ever had, wallowing in self pity. You'd be hard and cynical, wasting your future behind a wall built to keep everyone out." She lifted her hand and touched my face, tilting my chin until I was looking at her. "You wouldn't be headed to Stanford on a full scholarship, majoring in Biology and hoping to get into medical school. You wouldn't be a star athlete, a genius on the piano. You wouldn't be the sweet, caring compassionate man that I love." She brought her fingers to my mouth, gently tracing my lips.

I kissed her fingertips and stared into her mesmerizing eyes, captivated by all that I saw within the brown depths. "I just don't want to be weak," I whispered.

"You are so far away from weak," Bella said as she snuggled in my shoulder again. "That is the very last word I would use to describe you." Her hand returned to my stomach. "I don't think the memories will ever disappear," she continued quietly. "I think they will fade as more time passes, but your past is a part of you. As horrifying as it was, it's made you who you are today."

I let out a small breath, the truth of her words sinking in to me. "That makes so much sense," I said. I turned so that I was on my side, lifting my head and support it with my hand, my elbow in the grass. I reach over to Bella and traced her face, running finger along her nose, her jaw. Her eyes slid closed beneath my fingertips as I brushed along her lashes. "I know it's hard on you," I said quietly, continuing to run my fingers across her eyes. "When I fall apart and you have to put me back together. But knowing that you will be there, with the perfect words to say to help me find myself again, it matters Bella. You matter." I leaned down and replaced my fingers with my lips, very gently caressing her face.

"Edward," she sighed, her breath warm on my skin as I continued to kiss her soft cheeks. I felt her hands slide under my shirt again and then skim along my bare back. I moved my kisses to her neck, tenderly devouring the supple skin. I heard her moan as I bit down gently. I pulled her closer to me, until her body was flush against mine. I felt her leg land softly on mine as she tried to pull me even closer. I trailed kisses up her neck and along her jaw until I found her sweet lips again. Her mouth was open and waiting for me, her hands kneading my back in time to our kiss.

One of my hands skated down her side and found the hem of her shirt. I pulled it up and then placed my hand on her hot skin. The heat of the kiss grew as my hand moved up and down the length of her spine.

"Aw, aren't they cute?" Emmett's laughing voice boomed through the yard.

Startled, I jerked away from Bella. She ducked her head into my chest, hiding her reddened face. I held her to me as I glared up at Emmett. He stood looking mighty pleased with himself, his arm wrapped around Rosalie. "Emmett," I said, leaning my head back against the grass and closing my eyes. "Go away."

He laughed again, probably startling birds out of their nests in the process. "Lil bro, if you want privacy, doing it in the yard is not the best idea."

I felt my face begin to burn, and Bella burrowed deeper into me.

"Besides, Carlisle and Esme want to see you both."

My face burned hotter at the possibility that Esme could have been the one to come looking for us. Obviously making out in the lawn wasn't the brightest idea. I sat up and brought Bella with me. Then I kissed the top of her head and detangled myself from her. Once I was on my feet, I reached down and pulled her up. "Do you know what they want?" I asked Emmett when both Bella and I were standing.

"Not a clue," Emmett said, but his smile didn't go away.

I looked at Bella and she shrugged. We went into the house and found Carlisle and Esme sitting on the couch in the family room. Carlisle rested his cast laden arm on a pillow and Esme sat next to him, her sprained ankle up on the ottoman. A white bandage covered the stitches that marked her forehead. They made quite the pair.

I noticed Alice and Jasper walk into the room and they looked at Carlisle and Esme with curiosity in their eyes. Apparently Bella and I weren't the only ones to be summoned.

Esme smiled warmly at us as we sat down around the room. "So, we were going to do this yesterday," she said, laying a hand on Carlisle's thigh. "But we had to postpone."

I remembered the look Carlisle had given me in the rearview mirror, just before the crash. He had wanted to tell me something. Carlisle gestured to the thin packages that lay in his lap. "Your mother and I are incredibly proud of all you." His blue eyes scanned the room touching on all of us. "We wanted to give you a," he paused as if trying to find the right word. "Reward, if you will. Alice, will pass these out?"

Alice stood and walked to our father. Her brow creased as she looked at him, but I could also see the excitement dancing in her eyes. She passed out a thin package to all of us. I glanced at Bella and her eyes held the same perplexed look as she held her package.

"Go ahead," Esme said her eyes glinting with pleasure.

I reached for the corner of the package and ripped away the paper. Then I opened the thin box and took out the piece of paper. "Two night stay at the Fairmont in Seattle," I read. I looked around at the others.

Emmett held his paper up. "Reservations for dinner at the Space Needle," he read.

Jasper held up six small cards. "Six tickets to the Mariners game."

Alice read hers next. "Tickets for six on the ferry."

All five of us looked at Bella. She held up a map of downtown Seattle. From where I sat I could see various locations had been highlighted. Then all six pairs of eyes went to Carlisle and Esme. They sat on the couch, looking very pleased with themselves. "We made the hotel reservations for this Thursday and Friday night. The Mariner's game in on Thursday. We made three reservations for two at the Space Needle, figuring that you would like to have your own time there."

I gaped at my parents, unable to believe that they were giving the six of us a vacation to Seattle. Alice, being the hyper pixie that she is, flew off her seat and launched herself at Carlisle and Esme. Just in time, she remembered their casts and she eased up a bit. "Thank you!" she cried happily. "This is the most wonderful present ever."

We all laughed and then agreed with Alice. My parents never ceased to amaze me.

Thursday came quickly and I found myself in my room packing. I glanced at the clock and saw that I had ten minutes until Bella, Jasper and Rosalie would arrive. We wanted to be on the rode by ten. I picked up my bag, threw it over my shoulder and headed out. I went down the stairs and dropped my bag by the front door.

"Hey Edward!" I heard my sister shout from the top of the stairs. I looked up and saw her standing at the top, her hands on her hips. "Can you help me out?"

"Sure," I hopped up the stairs, taking them two at a time. "What's up?"

"Follow me." She turned and I followed her into her room.

"Geez Alice," I said shaking my head as I walked through the door. Three suitcases sat on the floor, a fourth on her bed. "Why do you need four suitcases for two nights?"

Alice stuck out her lower lip. "They aren't all for me," she said, walking over to her bed. "One if for Bella. I know she won't bring anything appropriate for dinner at the Space Needle."

I eyed the suitcases. They all looked pretty full to me. How could one stuffed suitcase hold clothes for one evening? I sighed. Only my sister. "So what do you need help with?"

"I can't get this one closed," she said patting the opened lid of the suitcase on her bed. "I thought if I sit on it, you could close it for me."

I shook my head and laughed as I walked over to her. She climbed up on the suitcase, her slight weight almost closing it. I pushed down on it and grabbed the zipper. I pulled it around and succeeded in closing the case. Alice beamed up at me.

"Thanks!" She jumped off and swiped her hands together. "Now you can help me carry them down to the door."

"Of course," I said, still laughing. "I'm not sure I want to know what you have in all of these bags." I picked up two and was only slightly surprised at how heavy they felt.

"Oh, I know you don't," Alice said with a smirk. She grabbed one of the bags with both hands and heaved it up.

"Be careful," I said, concerned as we made our way out the door and down the steps.

"I fine," she huffed. I hurried down the stairs, placed her bags next to mine and then ran back up the steps, meeting her halfway and relieving her of the heavy bag. She stuck her tongue out at me. I went to put that bag with the rest.

When I turned, I saw Alice coming down the stairs with the last bag. I rolled my eyes and went to take it away from her. "You are such a guy," Alice said. "I am capable of carrying a bag."

"But how do you think I would feel if you fell down the stairs because I didn't help you?" I asked her.

She raised her eyebrow and let me take the bag. I went to place it by the others. When I walked back to the steps, she came to stand next to me. "Still protective," she murmured softly, her hand locking around the inside of my elbow.

We walked into the kitchen and found Emmett, Esme and Carlisle. "You ready?" Emmett asked. "Finally," he added when we nodded.

"Whatever, Emmett," Alice said. "Jasper isn't even here yet." Just as the words left her mouth, the doorbell rang.

All three of us took off for the door. I reached it first and was just about to pull the handle when I was shoved out of the way by Emmett. "Hey!" I said, laughing as he pulled open the door. Alice pushed her way in front of him and then rocketed herself at Jasper. Luckily for her, Jasper was used to her antics and opened his arms in time to catch her. Emmett moved to Rosalie, embracing her tightly. I pushed around him, finding Bella standing, her shoulders shaking with mirth as she watched the other two couples. "Hey," I said. Her head turned and she looked at me.

"Hi babe," she said, her brown eyes glowing. "Are you ready for this?"

I pulled her close to me and kissed the top of her head. "Oh yeah."

After everyone had been properly greeted, Emmett, Jasper and I grabbed the bags and went to load them into the van that Carlisle had rented for us, so we could all travel together. The luggage filled the trunk with no room to spare.

Carlisle and Esme came out to see us off. I wrapped each of them in a hug, thanking them again for everything they had done.

At 10:05am, we were off. Emmett drove and Rosalie was his co-captain and our musical coordinator. As we drove down our long, windy drive, she plugged her IPOD into the van's stereo system. With a sly smile, she spun the wheel of her small player and seconds later, the Spice Girls blasted through the speakers. Alice squealed and within seconds we were all singing along at the top of our lungs.

I snuck a glance at Bella and smiled as I watched her head bobbing back and forth as she sang. She turned at the moment and saw my eyes on her. Her smile grew and she grabbed my hand and began waving it around to the beat.

I'm sure to any poor bystander, the sound vibrating through the van would be painful. Unlike the rest of them, I didn't know all the words, but I had heard the song around school, on all those crazy "remember the time" days, that I knew the chorus. Alice was the only one of us that could carry a tune. But we didn't care as we continued to sing. By the end of the song, we were all laughing hysterically. Bella kept a hold of my hand, bringing to her lap. She smiled at me and blew me a kiss.

Rosalie put a more recent song on and turned down the volume as Emmett turned on to 101.

The three hour drive passed quickly as we rotated through singing, talking and playing silly traveling games. We were all on an adrenaline high, excited for the coming days. As we pulled into the hotel driveway, all talking ceased.

"Whoa," Emmett said. I stared out the window and tried to control my own gasp of amazement.

"It's beautiful," I heard Bella whisper next to me, her voice filled with awe.

"This is incredible," Alice added.

"Insane," Jasper agreed.

I could only stare as Emmett maneuvered the car to park in front of the entrance. A man wearing a black uniform came over and opened Emmett's door. Another man, wearing the same distinguished suit opened the large side door. Bella unbuckled her seatbelt and stepped out of the car. I followed her and then Alice and Jasper exited the car. I saw Emmett hand one of the men the van keys as the man who opened our door went to the trunk and began loading our suitcases onto a rolling cart.

The six of us looked at each other, the same awed expression on all of our faces. I tried to compose myself and make it at least seem like I belonged in this majestic place. I took Bella's hand and then we all walked towards the glass doors. Yet another man in black opened the door for us to pass through.

The lobby was even more stunning and overwhelming than the exterior. I saw Emmett lift his chin, holding his head high as he led us to the front desk. "We have reservations under Cullen," he said, authoritatively.

The girl, whose name tag said Samantha, looked at the six of us. I hoped we didn't look as young and out of place as I felt. She turned back to her computer and began typing. "Okay, Mr. Cullen. We have you down for a two night stay in the Cascade Suite, is that correct?"

Emmett nodded and pulled out his black credit card. Samantha's eyes widened a bit when she saw it, but she collected herself quickly and ran the card. As it was processing, she pulled out our keys and the welcome package. "Here are your keys," she said, handing them to Emmett. "Your luggage will be brought up momentarily. I hope you enjoy your stay at the Fairmont."

"Thank you," Emmett said as he took the keys. Then we stepped away from the desk. I could see the smile teasing at Emmett's lips and knew he was holding back his loud, excited laughter. I could almost feel the excitement coming from the whole group as we made our way through the lobby. A huge staircase sat in the back of the room and we walked up it, our feet sinking into the plush carpet on the steps. A beautiful black grand piano sat on the landing and I saw Bella glance at me as we passed it.

On the second level, we found the elevators and we rode them up to the top floor. Emmett slid the card key through the slot and opened the door. We all walked in and for a second, we could do nothing but stare in complete silence.

The suite was gigantic. Huge. Enormous. Along the far wall, an oversized marble fireplace offered the focal point of the room. Large couches were arranged in front of it. A mahogany desk was situated to one side of the room and in the opposite corner, another grand piano stood proudly.

"I love our parents," Emmett whispered.

Those words broke the silence and suddenly we were all running around the suite, taking everything in. "There are two king sized beds in both rooms!" Jasper called as he raced through the two bedrooms.

"Oh my God, you have to see this bathroom!" Alice called out. "There's a TV in here!"

While we were running around like the crazy kids that we are, our luggage was dropped off by the bell hop.

"So I say adults in the bedrooms, kids on the couch," Emmett declared.

Bella and I looked at each other, knowing we were the "kids" Emmett was referring to. "We're eighteen, just like Alice," I said, even though I knew the argument was pointless.

Emmett shrugged. "Combined ages little bro. It puts Rosalie and me at 39, Jazz and Alice at 38 and you and Bella at 36. See what I mean? You two are the babies."

"Hey!" Bella reared back and punched Emmett in the shoulder. "Ouch!" She shook her hand out, then opened and flexed it. "I'm not a child," she said, sticking her lower lip out as she continued to shake her hand.

"Could have fooled me," Emmett laughed. He went and grabbed a couple suitcases and lugged them into one of the bedrooms. I saw Jasper doing the same so I put my arm around Bella and led her to the couch.

"I'm sure the sleeper sofa is very comfortable." Bella started to roll her eyes, but then stopped. "What?" I asked.

"I just realized that this will be the first time we sleep in a bed together."

I blanched a little at that. The thought hadn't occurred to me. Yes, Bella and I had been dating for a year and a half. Yes, we loved each other more than either of us thought possible.

But we were both completely innocent when it came to activities couples usually do in bed.

It wasn't that we had a timeline we wanted to follow, or a set date that we wanted to do it on, or even that we didn't want to do it. It was more any time the opportunity arose, something happened to put a stop to the building intimacy.

There was the time when we were making out on my bed. I had just lifted off Bella's shirt, when Esme opened the door and wanted to know what we wanted for dinner. Needless to say, that put a damper on the activities.

Or the time we were in Bella's room and Charlie was supposedly working late. At the sound of heavy footsteps on the stairs, we had leapt apart and Bella, her poor face turning a brilliant shade of red had hunted around for her shirt and bra, desperately trying to pull them on when Charlie knocked on the door. Nothing had been happening at the station, he informed us, so he decided to come home early and take us out to dinner.

At that point, we had pretty much decided that we needed to wait until we got out of our parents' houses. I'm not really sure how Rosalie and Emmett managed without getting caught.

Now, we stood staring at the couch. For a second, I let my mind wander to the possibility. There were no parents here to walk in on us. I snuck a glance at Bella and saw her eyes focused on the couch, her face was slowly turning pink and I knew her mind had gone to the same place as mine.

I wonder if Emmett would share some of his supply. I needed to ask him. Still thinking about the possibilities, I went and got our bags. I put them against the far wall. Bella went to one of the windows and looked out. I went to join her. From our window, we had a breathtaking view of downtown. We could even see the Space Needle. I leaned down and kissed the bare skin of her neck.

"How are you doing?" she asked quietly.

I rested my lips against her neck for a second. Then lifted my head just enough to answer. "Okay. I think getting away like this will be good."

"Yeah," she murmured as she turned and brought her arms around my neck. I ran my hand along her back and sighed. I knew she was worried about me and I hated it. But since the accident almost a week ago, nightmares had interrupted my sleep four times.

Bella didn't say anything, just used her fingertips to relax the muscles in my neck.

"Are you guys ready?" Emmett asked as he and Rosalie came out of the bedroom.

"I want to go down to the waterfront," Alice said, coming into the room, holding Jasper's hand. "The game doesn't start until seven, so we have plenty of time."

"As long as we can grab lunch," Emmett said.

"Don't worry Em," Rosalie said, patting his bicep. "We will feed you."

With that, we headed out. At the waterfront, we found a small café that served a wide variety of sea food. We order some shrimp cocktail and bread bowls filled with freshly made clam chowder. Needless to say, it was delicious.

After lunch, we strolled along the waterfront. Alice darted into stored every once in a while, dragging the rest of us in with her. Soon Jasper's arms were laden with shopping bags. Bella and I walked slightly behind the rest of the group, our hands linked and swinging slightly between us. We reached Pier 55 and walked along the wooden dock. When we reached the end, we stood and watched the cruise ships load and set sail. I rested my chin on Bella's head and stared out at to where the blue water met the blue sky.

"Know what this reminds me of?" Bella asked quietly.

A smiled stretched over my face. "The day I asked you to be my girlfriend," I answered. That had been another perfect day.

I felt Bella lift my hand and I looked down to watch her kiss my fingers. "I love you so much Edward. Everyday I am thankful you came into my life," she said.

"Same goes, love," I said.

We watched another ship leave the harbor, the travelers all stood out on the deck, waving. We waved back, smiling at the excited people.

"We should get back," Rosalie said as the ship faded into the distance. "The game starts in a couple of hours."

By the time we made it back to the hotel and changed, it was six and Emmett was jumping up and down, trying to get us to hurry. "Come on guys!" he yelled from the door. "We have to go if we are going to see warm ups!"

"Chill, Emmett," Jasper said as he walked out of his room. "We are ready."

The Mariners game was a blast. We arrived early enough to see Mariners take in field, much to Emmett's relief. We ate hot dogs and pretzels, cheered as the M's scored, booed when the opposing team made a great play. In the middle of the seventh inning, we stood up and sang "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" as loud as we could. We got several looks from bystanders because of our crazy dance moves. In fact, the video camera found us and our dancing selves where blown up for the whole stadium to see on the jumbotron. When we saw our faces on the gigantic TV, we began waving, yelling and laughing hysterically. The game continued and the Mariners scored again during the eighth inning. When they took the lead, we celebrated by flagging down the malt man.

After the game, we walked through the parking lot, the sound of "Celebration" still drifting from the sound system. I looked at Bella and smiled at her as she clutched the Mariner's stuffed bear that I had gotten her. We were in high spirits as we drove back to the hotel.

Once there, we said good night to others as they went into their separate rooms.

"We should get ready for bed," Bella said, her voice sounding a little raspy.

"Yeah," I agreed. We stood awkwardly for a few seconds. I knew it was ridiculous to be nervous, but for some reason I couldn't fully identify, I was. I needed to make the first move, so I went to my bag and grabbed my bathroom necessities and pajamas. I glanced at Bella and smiled as I went into the bathroom. She smiled back at me.

When I emerged, she had already changed. She sat crosslegged on the couch, her toiletry bag in her lap. "I'm done," I said, stating the obvious.

She jumped up and hurried to the bathroom. I went to the couch and pulled off the pillows. I yanked up on the strap and pulled out the sleeper sofa. Sheets were already in place and I found some extra blankets in the closet. By the time I was done making up our bed, Bella came out. "Hi," she said softly. She came to stand next to me and we both stared at the made bed. "This is a bit silly," she said and I could hear the humor in her voice.

I tilted my head to look at her. I saw the blush creep over her face.

"I mean, it's not like we haven't slept together before. What's the difference between sleeping on the floor in sleeping bags and sleeping in a bed?"

I smiled crookedly at her, then fell on to the bed, pulling her with me. She landed on top of me and instantly her mouth was on mine. The electricity that had always existed between us crackled and sparked. Her mouth sent shivers of desire racing through me and I gave myself to the passion of the kiss. I slipped my hands under her shirt and ran my palms along her bare skin, skimming over her spine and ribs. The warmth of her skin and the fire of her mouth were intoxicating.

I moved my hands higher and felt her gasp in my mouth. I used my thumbs to make tiny circles over her and she began to vibrate against me, her mouth still devouring mine. I rolled over and took off her shirt in one fluid motion. I felt her hands tugging at my shirt and I sat up helping her yank the fabric from my chest. Her hands glided down my bare skin, and I felt myself shiver in response. I leaned down to recapture her lips. The feel of her bare chest against mine ignited the flames to an almost unbearable intensity.

"Edward," she panted as my mouth left hers to kiss her neck. Her nails raked down my back. "I want…I want…"

I felt her hands pulling on my sweats. I pulled back, gazing down into her blazing brown eyes. We had never gone this far before. "Are you sure?" I whispered, moving a stray hair off her damp forehead.

She nodded. "I love you. I want you." Her voice was quiet, but sure.

At that moment, one of the bedroom doors opened. "Thanks hon!" I heard my sister call out just as Jasper walked through the door. I jerked Bella against me to hide her bare chest and she buried her face into me. Despite the heat that was still coursing through me, I could feel the blaze of her face. I scowled at Jasper as he walked into the room.

He took one look at us and burst out laughing. Great. My scowl deepened.

"Jazz?" I heard Alice call. "What's funny?"

Now I groaned as I yanked up one of the blankets and pulled it over Bella. My sister appeared in the doorway. She took one look at us and a knowing smile crossed her face. Her tingling laughter joined Jasper's louder guffaws. I felt Bella try to burrow in to my chest farther. Her shoulders were shaking and I couldn't tell if she was laughing or crying.

"Honestly," I said. "A little respect?"

"What's going on out here?" Emmett's voice boomed out.

Oh for crying out loud. Really?

Emmett came into the room, followed closely by Rosalie. He saw us and rolled his eyes. "I told you bro, you need to a private place."

"Well if we had a room," I began. Bella's shoulders shook harder and I desperately wanted to find out if she was crying. I lifted a hand and touched her cheek. It was dry and I could feel her smile under my fingers. I relaxed and smiled at our friends. "And if you would stay in your room, then we would have privacy."

"Aw, little brother," Emmett said, his eyes sparkling. He turned to look at Alice. "Don't you know that's the joy of being the older sibling?"

"It's our job," Alice added. "To make your life miserable."

I laughed. "Well, consider it a job well done."

With that, the other two couples disappeared back into their own, private rooms. I sighed and looked down at Bella. She gazed up at me, laughter still in her eyes. "Do you think we will ever be left alone long enough?"

I kissed her forehead. "College sweetheart. We will find a way."

She shook her head, laughing and pressed her lips to my still bare chest.

Just then, the door opened again. "Sorry," Jasper said as he hurried to the kitchenette. "I forgot to get Alice her water."

I flopped back on the bed, keeping Bella against me. I felt around the floor for our shirts. Jasper returned to the bedroom and I handed Bella her shirt. She slipped it on and I pulled on my own shirt. Bella lay down next to me, her head on my shoulder and I pulled the blankets up over us. My hand went to her hair and I twirled it around my fingers. We lay in silence for a while.

"Edward?" she whispered into the darkness, just as I had started to doze off.

"Yeah?" I murmured.

She lifted her head slightly and her hand went to my face. "I will protect you tonight."

Tears pricked the back of my eyes at her quiet words but I forced them a way. "I always sleep better when you are in my arms."

She nodded. "Sleep my angel. Nightmares won't touch you tonight." Her lips pressed to my cheek and then she snuggled into my shoulder.

My eyes slid closed. "I love you," I whispered just before falling into sleep.

A/N You are all amazing. Thank you so much for all the story alert adds and reviews. The number of people reading this story blows my mind. It means so much to me that you take the time to read and review. It's an amazing feeling. I apologize for the long wait for this chapter. This was a fun chapter to write and I really hope you enjoy it. Let me know what you think and review!

Love, mygoldeneyedangel