A/N: Sorry it's been forever. I'm sure most of you know how dedicated I've been working on Homebound, so that should explain the delay. Hope you like it.

Edward's POV

I was waiting anxiously at the gate terminal at the Port Angeles airport. Bella was coming home. Jasper shot me a dirty look as he started to fidget as much as I was pacing. I shrugged helplessly.

I couldn't help it. My Bella was coming back and in less than 3 minutes, I would get to hold her in my arms once more.

The pacing resumed.

3 minutes later

"Bella!" I half shouted as I ran human pace to her. She smiled tiredly as I reached her.

"Hello Edward," she said shyly.

I frowned. Why would she have the least bit of shyness after everything we'd gone through?

I held her shoulders and checked her over. "You look okay, what's wrong?" She just gave me another one of those exhausted smiles.

"Come on," I said quietly, "we'll talk about it in the car."

Bella's POV

Last night I hadn't got any sleep at all. I just kept thinking about Edward. He really was too good for me, he deserved so much better than me. He pulled the carrier bag off of my shoulder and slung it over his.

Wrapping an arm around me, he led me out of the airport and into his waiting car. Alice was quiet and staring at me speculatively. She probably had seen something happening in Phoenix. I wouldn't be surprised. What did surprise me was that she hadn't told Edward. I knew he was still uninformed, because if it was the contrary, he would have never waited here for me to return, or limited his phone calls to 3 per night.

He knew something was wrong now though. Inevitably, he would find it out, despite my best efforts.

"Bella sweetie, what's going?" Edward asked me, he eyes flicking over at me from the driver's seat.

"Nothing's wrong Edward." I tried to smile again. He grimaced. Obviously, I wasn't very convincing. I yawned, not having to fake that. "I'm just really tired."

He reached over and massaged the tension out of my shoulders. "Well, as soon as we get home, you're going straight to bed, okay?"

Despite Edward's best efforts, it was another sleepless night. I attempted to fake sleep. Those words continued to roll in my mind long after midnight. How could I drag Edward down to my level? How could I do that to him? I made him worse by association. I was a horrible, selfish person to do that to him. But, I couldn't let him go. I couldn't, but I should.

The next morning, I finally decided to stop trying to sleep and get up. The light from my window irritated me to no end and I could already tell today would only become worse.

I looked around for Edward, only to find that he had gone.

Alice's POV

I heard him before I watched him storm into my room at 7 in the morning.

"Edward," I said cautiously, already wary of his unpredictable temper.

"You know something," he growled.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said, giving him a blank look. Focus on each word I say, don't think of anything except the words I'm speaking.

Having to block him was so annoying.

"Ha, I knew it! You're blocking me, you do know something."

I sighed, "Fine, okay? I did have one vision. But I didn't want to tell you because it's about Bella, and it's kind of personal for her."

"Alice," his calm tone was not fooling me for one minute," she hasn't slept for two days. She just kept tossing and turning. Every time she looks at me, she gets this horrified look on her face. This is my problem too. Anything that messes with Bella messes with me."

"Well, I do have to warn you, it's mostly internal what she's dealing with."

An eyebrow rose. "Mostly?"

"Yes, I'm assuming most of it is."

He wasn't deterred. "So what was the catalyst then Alice, hmm?"

"You know she went to Phoenix, right?"

He smiled at me. "Are you trying to drive me to insanity?"

"Right, well . . . she caught up with some old friends of hers," he didn't miss the infliction in my tone, "and they weren't as friendly as they should have been."

"Show me."

I closed my eyes and pulled up the vision form my memory.

A girl laughed as Bella extracted herself from a boy with golden blond hair. "Oh Bella, I probably should have thought about the fact that you would be here. I would have put away all possible objects of danger."

Bella tried to cover her hurt at the comment.

"I see you ran into Nick."

"Literally," he added, winking at her.

"He's even cuter than you thought he was before, isn't he?"

She blushed deeply.

"What are you talking about Sarah?" Bella looked horrified and mortified at the same time.

"Bella had the biggest crush on you when she lived here, right up until she moved away."

"Is that true Bella?"

"I had no idea I was so admired from afar. You should have told me. Bella, who knows, maybe something would have come from it."

She acted shocked, appalled.

"Would you like to go out now?" He asked.

Bella burst into laughter.

"Yeah, go out sometime . . . that's a good one."

"No, I'm serious," he said calmly.

"Of course you're not serious."

"I am."

"No."

"Because you thought I was joking?" He asked incredulously.

"No, I can't go out with you."

"Why, did you develop a sudden distaste for me in that little hole you moved into?"

"No, I just can't."

He smiled slowly. "Then you're just shy?"

She shook my head.

"Nervous?"

She shook it again.

"You like girls?" He asked.

"No, I don't like girls. I like guys."

"Prove it."

"I have a boyfriend," she muttered, angrily and then clamped a hand over her mouth.

The words of some of the girls were audibly whispering.

"Wow, she must be feeling really desperate to make up a boyfriend."

"I know," another giggle, "like she could get a date, let alone a boyfriend."

"You don't have to lie to us," the boy said to her kindly.

Edward's eyes darkened nominally.

"Who is this boy?"

"Well gee Edward, I don't exactly get a biography with each vision," I retorted sarcastically.

"He wants her."

"I know."

"She used to like him."

"She didn't look too uncertain to me when she turned him down."

"What could she possibly be upset about then?"

"I don't think it's that Edward," I murmured, "she's probably just feeling self conscious, after all, the exchange probably lowered her self esteem."

He strode over to the door and then turned back.

"Go shopping Alice."

My eyes widened with incredulity.

"What?"

"Seriously. Take Bella; get her whatever she'll need for an extended summer vacation. And when I say summer, I mean summer."

I smiled and he met me with a grin.

"Do whatever you usually do; I'm sure you can see it by now."

I smiled evilly, I had seen it. "Gotcha."

Edward left, probably to go warn-I mean tell Bella that I was coming sometime soon.

Jasper walked in as I was getting ready.

"Hello Alice, to what do I owe your extreme happiness today?"

I giggled, "The same thing that will require the credit card in your pocket."

He regarded me suspiciously. "Which one."

"Oh, you know which one, honey."

Grimacing, he flipped me the clear, plastic disk.

Bella's POV

We were all eating dinner together. Well, actually Charlie and I were eating, Edward was faking it beautifully. I sighed, he did everything beautifully. He shot me a glance in curiosity. Poor Edward, I felt sorry for him. If he was with someone else, they wouldn't frustrate him. He would be able to read her mind.

"So Charlie, are you taking Bella on a vacation somewhere this summer?"

Charlie shifted uncomfortably. "Actually, I don't have any plans to go on vacation. Usually, I work throughout the summer regularly."

He shot me an apologetic look. I could tell he was feeling guilty that he was 'neglecting me.' I shrugged. It was no big deal to me. I didn't want to go somewhere without Edward.

"Well Charlie, my family is taking a vacation to New Mexico, and they extended the invitation to Bella." He took one of my hands. "We would love it if you would come." What was Edward doing?

"New Mexico, huh? How long were you planning on staying there?"

I started to open my mouth, but closed it as Edward shot me a glance. Where was he going with this?"

"Two weeks."

"Well Bella," Charlie rubbed the back of his neck, "if you want to go, you can. I felt bad about not being able to take you myself."

I felt trapped. On the one hand, I would love to go off with Edward and his family for two weeks with no secrets, no hiding. But on the other hand, I knew that the Cullens couldn't actually go to sunny New Mexico. So I wondered what was up. Maybe there was trouble. That would be just like me to bring disaster upon the whole family. Oh well, I'd better just agree to it, there's probably a perfectly reasonable explanation for all of this.

Four days later

There couldn't possibly be a logical explanation for this. We took a night flight out and would be arriving in California at 9 p.m. Alice had taken me shopping and successfully deterred all of my questions. Edward had been just as proficient. What the Cullens were planning to do in California, I had no idea. It was sunny all the time. All I could get from Edward was that we were in fact going to California, Emmett, Jasper, Rosalie, Alice, Edward, and myself. Charlie was unaware of the fact that Carlisle and Esme had opted to stay home from this trip.

As we were landing, I heard the flight attendant say something over the intercom. My head jerked up, my red, dry eyes widening. No . . . that couldn't be right. I looked over to Edward, he was watching me intently. I closed my eyes. He wouldn't have . . .

"Welcome back to Phoenix Bella," he said to me softly.

A/N: Okay, so review and tell me what you thought. I can say Edward is going to have an awful fun time meeting Nick! Thanks for reading.