Hello everyone.

Thanks to -19-twillight-fan-93-, teamedwardtwilightfan, tinker03, lionlambnatz, gaby47, StormRain0904, vintage1988, secretibsession7, Blue as All Eternity, thinair, Dragz1991, BookwormStrawberry, VainVamp and aurla0 for their reviews. Thank you so much! I love hearing from you all.

Right, bit of a dark chapter last time, but things might start looking up a bit from here. Let's see, shall we…

This chapter is named after "Morning after Dark" by Timbaland, SoShy and Nelly Furtado. This is like my favorite song at the minute. I love it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight… but you all knew that!

Bella Swan's Point of View

Searing pain greeted me the next morning.

It wasn't a welcome greeting or a happy one, but it was the one I got all the same. My purple and swollen arm was still lying exactly where I left it - straight out in front of me. I had managed to fashion a cushion out of an old t-shirt for it to lie comfortably on and there it had remained throughout the whole night.

It absolutely killed.

Nothing had been done to help it. No bandages, no pain killers, no nothing. It had been left to suffer, just as I had. The skin was bruised and tender and it ached to even move it an inch. All I could do was make sure that I kept it as still as possible and comfortable. I could move my fingers a little, but it stung every time I did, so I refrained from doing it. I didn't want to make it worse. I was just thankful that it was not broken.

After finally waking up, I had a feeling that my eyes were probably as purple as my arm. I barely slept a wink last night, only getting an hour of rest here and there. Every time I would move, even a little, my arm would throb and ache and it would just wake me up again. I was ridiculously tired, but there was nothing that I could do about it. I would just try to sleep and then be woken by my arm again. It was a vicious cycle that I couldn't seem to get out of.

I lay in my bed, staring at the purple lump surrounding my forearm. It looked horrible and had really swollen. I didn't want to cry, I had done enough of that last night, and I was sure the vampires would probably enjoy watching my suffering… Tears fell anyway, my eyes betraying me. I sobbed silently, my tears soaking the pillow beneath my head.

I hated vampires.

Wasn't it enough that they had taken me? Did they have to harm me as well? My arm clearly showed me that they did, doing it all for my dad's benefit. But I knew my father and I knew what his reaction to the phone call would be. He heard my screams and I knew that would have been the one thing to set him off. He was no doubt forming a plan, gathering a rescue party, beginning his search to find me. Now that he knew I was in danger, he wouldn't stop till he found me.

This provided me with a bit of relief… until I realized I didn't know when he would find me. It could take days… weeks… maybe even months. And until he found me, I would have to spend my time in the company of the vampires.

I despised Jasper. Out of the three of them, he seemed the most sinister and the most cruelest. He seemed to enjoy my suffering and he was the one who gave the order, he was the one who told Edward to hurt me. I felt sympathy for Jacob. He was a genuinely nice guy and so I wondered why he was involved in all of this. My mind wondered back to his disappearance during the phone call last night. He clearly hadn't liked what he had seen and I knew that if he had attempted to help me, the vampires would have turned against him. There was nothing he could do. He was only allowed to watch and then leave. He had been as helpless as me.

As for Edward… well, I didn't know how I felt about him. He totally stumped me with his hot and cold attitude. Part of me hated the very sight of him. He was the one who kidnapped me and he was the one who left my arm in this state. He could have just said no to hurting me, but he did it anyway. But a part of me felt sadness and pity for him, especially when I saw the remorse in his eyes over what he had done to me. His eyes had softened to the point where I was the one feeling guilty for the hatred towards him. His apology only confirmed this fact. But if he felt remorse for what he did, why did he do it?

I just didn't get him… and I wondered if I ever would.

Gently, I sat up in my bed, keeping my arm as still as possible. I attempted to get dressed and I did very well considering. I only winced a few times in pain whilst I changed. I was doing good so far, but I wanted to do better. I didn't care what any of them said, I needed to do something about my arm. I decided that I would get some ice from the fridge to help the swelling. If I couldn't have pain killers, then I would have to figure something else out and ice seemed perfect.

I opened my bedroom door and walked into the living area. The scene before me was similar to the one that had been played out yesterday and again, the normality of it hit me like a slap in the face... only this time it hit me harder because of what had happened last night. Jasper was watching TV again, keeping to himself, Jacob was in the kitchen area, cooking again but this time, Edward was just sitting there, leaning forward, staring into space. He must have heard my silent appearance because his eyes shot to my face as I entered the living area. They quickly looked down to my arm, lingering for a few seconds, before returning to my face again.

It's no good looking… it's your fault it's like this!

My sub-conscious was angry and a part of me agreed with her. I took her side on this one and I didn't say anything to any of them when I entered. Instead I just walked silently over to the kitchen, cradling my hurt arm in my other. I needed to keep it still.

Jacob heard my approach and quickly turned around to greet me. His usually happy face scrunched up and grimaced when he took in the bruise on my arm.

"Jeez, Bella," he said softly, being the caring friend as usual. "Are you ok?"

"No" I replied, shaking my head. "It really hurts."

"It looks painful," he said, giving it a better look. "Try not to move it."

"Do you have any ice for it?" I asked hopefully.

"Yeah, sure," he replied, rubbing my back a little. "I'll go get you some from the fridge-freezer."

He gave me a heartwarming smile before he headed over to the fridge in search of the ice I dearly wanted. I was thankful that Jacob was on my side. I dreaded to think what it would be like if he were more like the vampires. Things would be even worse than they already are and my arm would end up in a complete state. I was grateful that I had something... or someone... that was good within all this horror.

"You don't need ice," Edward said, coming to stand directly in front of Jacob, blocking his path. I hadn't even seen him move and his sudden presence startled me a little.

"Doesn't need ice?" Jacob argued. "Edward, have you seen her arm? She needs something."

Edward looked over Jacob's shoulder to look at my injured arm. He stared for a few brief seconds before he spoke. "Cook the breakfast. I'll sort her arm out."

I tensed up at his words. He was the one who had hurt my arm in the first place, what could he possibly do to make it better? No… I wanted Jacob to help me, not Edward.

Jacob was reluctant at first, standing his ground, until he let out a sigh. "Fine," he said, realizing that he wasn't going to win. He turned around, gave me a smile and carried on cooking.

I just stood there whilst Edward moved over to a cupboard and began sorting through it, clearly in search of something. What, I didn't want to know… I dreaded to know. Eventually, he pulled out what seemed like a small, green, zip-up bag. I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion.

"It's a first aid kit," Edward said, answering the question that was floating around in my head.

"Oh," I replied quietly, quickly seeing what it was and feeling a little stupid that I hadn't recognized it before.

Gently holding my good arm, Edward led me over to the sofa and told me to sit down. I took a seat, sitting as far away from Jasper as possible. He merely smiled at my action, clearly amused by it.

Smug son-of-a-bitch…

Edward sat in the middle of us, turned to face me and began rummaging through the first aid kit. I sat in silence and watched him as he concentrated on his job. Why was he helping me? Why did he even care? Wouldn't he prefer it to see me writhe in pain? Yet he was aiding me. He was going to tend to my arm and he was going to make it better. I just didn't get it.

Again with the hot and cold…

Jasper looked across Edward and let his eyes wander over my arm. "Ah, humans. So delicate."

"Indeed," Edward replied as he pulled out a tube of something. Carefully he placed it on the coffee table and turned to face me once again. He held my gaze whilst he spoke. "Hold still whilst I do this."

Do what?

My question was quickly answered as gently, he wrapped both his hands around the bruise and began massaging it, touching every part of the bruise that he could. I winced a few times at the pain it caused, but overall, it was surprisingly pleasant. I could feel the pain disappearing already.

"What are you doing?" Jacob asked from the kitchen area. That's what I want to know! He seemed eager to know what was going on.

"The coldness of my skin will help reduce the swelling," Edward answered as he carried on. "Like I said, she doesn't need ice."

Oh! Well that answers my question... and it also explains the lack of ice!

He continued his ministrations for a few minutes, just gently rubbing and massaging. I had no idea where he had learnt to do it, but it sure was helping. The cold was working wonders, helping to sooth the swelling, and it was probably better than the ice. His hands helped too as they helped to relax the skin. I closed my eyes, rested back in my seat and sighed, reveling in the relief that was being provided.

"What are you thinking?" he asked me as he massaged.

I opened my eyes and looked at him. He seemed curious and expectant, his eyes boring into mine. I had a feeling that this question would be something that would constantly arise, especially since he couldn't read my mind. It must have been frustrating for him, to be able to do something for so long and then to meet someone who it doesn't work on and totally screws it up. It must have been frightening for him too. To him, it was probably like losing one of his senses.

"That the pain has lessened a little," I replied. "The cold is helping."

"Good," he nodded, giving no emotion away. After a few minutes, he let go of my arm and reached for the tube he had pulled out previously. He opened it and squirted what looked like cream into the palm of his hands. Once again, he returned them to my arm and began gently rubbing the cream into my skin, making sure he covered every part of the bruise. It's coldness, mixed with the temperature of Edward's skin was very welcoming and I closed my eyes once again. The pain relief felt so good, I didn't want it to stop.

"She's enjoying it," Jasper chuckled.

I opened my eyes and glared at him, narrowing my eyes a little. Why did he have to tease me all the time? I hadn't done anything to him, so why did he have to do this to me?… and how did he constantly know how I was feeling?

He laughed at me then. "Don't worry, Bella," he replied, annoying me with the use of my preferred name. "You aren't the only one who is." And at this he winked.

Okaaay?

What the hell did that mean, I wasn't the only one?

A growl suddenly grew in Edward's chest and it startled me a little. I had never heard anything like it before. Whatever Jasper had meant, Edward clearly wasn't impressed by it.

"I'm joking," Jasper replied before turning back to the TV.

Edward carried on attending to my arm, the conversation clearly over between them. I had no idea exactly what had just happened, but the conversation had clearly formed three different reactions - Jasper's amusement, Edward's annoyance… and my utter confusion. It was at times like these that I wished I had Edward's mind reading ability and so could know what was going on.

When the cream was finally rubbed in, Edward turned back to the first aid kit and pulled out a roll of bandage. Carefully unraveling it, he gently began to wrap it around my arm. I winced a few times and was surprised when he apologized for hurting me. Eventually, the bruise was wrapped and he set my arm back down again.

"There," he said. "The bandage should offer it some support and the cream will help relieve the pain."

I gave my arm a good look over and I realized that the bandage and cream really were helping. Now that it had some support, it almost didn't hurt as much and it felt more comfortable. I flexed my fingers a little and found that the pain wasn't nearly as bad.

"Do you feel better now, Bella?" Jasper asked, keeping his eyes upon the TV screen. Not wanting to speak to him, I merely nodded. Yes, I felt much better.

I looked to Edward and managed to find the heart to offer him a smile. "Thank you," I told him. And I was thankful. My arm felt a million times better and the bandage and ointment were clearly helping.

He looked a little shocked by my thanks, almost as if the words had never bee spoken to him in his life, but I did truly mean them. He stared at me in bewilderment for a few seconds before he spoke.

"You -" he paused, wanting to say something, before he sighed and relaxed. "You should go... your breakfast is done."

I nodded before I stood up and made my way over to the table where Jacob was dishing out the food. We had eggs and bacon again and I ate it in record time, totally clearing my plate. I once again helped Jacob with the washing up and then I realize I had nothing to do.

"You could go read if you want," Jacob suggested. I quickly remembered the upstairs partition with the huge bookshelf and the comfy looking sofa and so decided to take him up on his offer.

I loved reading. It was my favorite hobby and I would do it all day long if I could… it's why I chose to study English at University. I think it's to do with the fact that I enjoy being taken to another world with a new and interesting set of characters and I get to see their story… and with where I was at the moment, I wanted nothing more than to be taken to another world.

I quickly made it to the book shelf and began looking through the selection that was there. There were many books upon the shelf, covering almost all the genres. Action, adventure, romance, fantasy... My eyes quickly found a book that I wanted and I grinned as I pulled it out, my eyes shining at the sight of it. Wuthering Heights had always been one of my most all time favorite books. The doomed love between Catherine and Heathcliff had always intrigued me and I would always read the book at every opportunity.

I settled into the sofa and began to read, getting lost in the story, being transported to another world, enjoying the relationship between the characters…

For the first time in 2 days I felt happy and relaxed, finally enjoying myself. I had my books and that was all I needed. They allowed me a few hours away from the reality of my now doomed life and I made sure that I enjoyed every minute of it… I didn't know when I would get another chance to.

Though, with how I had been treated today, I wondered if the vampires really were intent on killing me and making me suffer.

Edward had tended to my arm… he had actually helped to make it better and he had done a brilliant job. What I didn't get was why he did it. I mean, he goes and bruises it till it's black and blue, then the next day he goes and makes it better! I really did wonder what went through his head. I was appreciative of his help though and I would be stupid to question his motives. All that mattered was that he had helped me, I didn't need to dig any deeper into it.

But his hands had worked absolute wonders today. They were so soft and gentle on my arm and their coolness just made it all better. His touch had been so soothing and silky that I wondered if he really had the strength of a vampire. His skin had been so smooth on mine and…

"Why are you blushing?" Jacob's voice suddenly asked and I quickly opened my eyes to see him standing in front of me. I didn't even know that I had closed them.

"Blushing? I'm not blushing," I rushed, but I could feel my cheeks getting warmer. Had I been blushing?

"Yeah, you are," Jacob said. "You looked like you were daydreaming and then you began to blush."

"Oh," I said, quickly composing myself as best as I could. "It's because… I'm reading Wuthering Heights." It was a blatant lie although I really wished it was the truth. If I had been blushing, it definitely wasn't at the book.

You were blushing over the vampire!

My sub-conscious was talking nonsense. I quickly denied it all to her, but I knew it was the truth. I had been blushing over Edward. Was I crazy?! I sure thought I was! I just put it down to the fact that it was his hands helping my arm rather than Edward himself. No, I wasn't blushing over him, he was a vampire, my kidnapper and the one who had hurt my arm in the first place. No way, I would definitely not blush over him. It was his hands and his help… it had to be.

"Ah," Jacob said in realization. "That book is too girly for my liking."

I smiled at his answer. It may be girly, but I loved it.

"Anyway," he continued, thankfully changing the subject. "I came to tell you that dinner is done."

Dinner?!

How long had I been reading? I glanced at my watch and saw that it was 8pm. Wow, I had been reading for the whole day and it had slowly passed me by whilst I was indulged in my book.

"Oh," I said as I stood up and put the book back upon the shelf. "Well I suppose I better eat then."

Jacob smiled and began walking down the stairs, myself following closely behind. When I finally reached the bottom and walked into the kitchen area, I quickly noticed something was out of place… or more like someone. There were two distinct characters missing from this scene.

"Where are Edward and Jasper?" I asked as Jacob began dishing the food out. He had made lasagna. Where he had found the ingredients, I didn't know.

"Edward has gone hunting and Jasper is in the shower," he replied.

We both grabbed a plate each and made our way over to the table. I began eating the second my plate touched the wood. It was delicious as usual and I ate every single bite, not leaving behind a single morsel. I had to wonder why Jacob was such a good cook. I also wondered whether he would let me cook sometime. I wasn't sure how long we would be staying in this cottage, but I would like to cook at some point. It would give me something to do and it would help take my mind off the situation in which I found myself.

Just as we began the washing up, Jasper came out of the bathroom.

"Has she been fed?" he asked. He sniffed the air and scrunched his nose up at the smell of the just eaten food. It was probably as disgusting to him as blood was to me.

"Yes, she's just finished," Jacob replied.

"Good. Once you have finished the washing up, you are to go to your room for the night. We do not wish to see you till morning."

I nodded my head to show that I heard and accepted his order. At this he turned around, sat on one of the sofas and began reading a newspaper. Jacob and I carried on washing up, me doing the drying due to my bandaged arm. We were silent for a time, neither of us feeling the need to speak. We were comfortable enough in each others company to be silent and for it to not feel weird. I caught him looking at me a few times, in which case I would just give him a smile back. I enjoyed Jacob's company. It was like him - warm and friendly.

With the washing up finally done, I turned to Jake.

"I better go to my room. I'll see you in the morning."

"Sure. Goodnight, Bella."

With that, I hurried to my small bedroom and closed the door behind me, letting out a breath. I switched the bedside lamp on, not wanting to be awake in the horrible darkness and made my way to the wardrobe. Quickly, I pulled out some nightclothes and got dressed, doing my best to avoid my arm. Sure the bandage helped, but there was still pain. I did wince a few times.

As soon as I was ready I curled up under the quilt, turned the lamp off and settled into sleep, allowing my dreams to distract me for the moment before I woke up to reality the next morning.

As per usual, my dreams did not offer any help or reassurance. Nightmares entertained me once again. They all drained me of my blood again, even Jacob, drop by drop, bite by bite… only this time, they broke both my arms as extra punishment. Even in my sleep I suffered. With a final crack of my arm, I awoke with a start, sitting up straight, clutching my chest as my heart thumped erratically within it. Nightmares didn't help an already edgy person. They just made them worse.

My room was still dark, so I knew it was very early morning. I still had a few hours of sleep before me. The only light provided was that of the moon, casting its illuminating rays through my window, hitting whatever they could. Eventually, my breathing calmed down and I was able to see sense again. It was a nightmare, a mere dream and it couldn't hurt me…

Suddenly I saw something glitter on the other side of the room. It was quick and could have been easily missed, but I saw movement and I saw color. The moonlight hit something and I made it out to be a figure of a person… standing in my room… watching me. I tensed up and stayed perfectly still as I tried my hardest to identify who or what it was. I saw the glitter again and gasped when I saw the bronze color of it.

Edward?

As quickly as I could, I reached over and switched my bedside lamp on, allowing it to light up the room and remove the disturbing darkness. I looked back to where I saw the figure and I was a little surprised.

No-one was there.

But I had seen someone. A figure had been standing there, staring at me, keeping itself in the shadows, not wanting to be seen. It had to have been Edward. The figure had bronze hair and Edward was the only explanation that I had. He had been watching me again… only this time in my sleep.

Had he done that before, had he entered my room on any of the previous nights? Oddly, I didn't shudder at the fact that he had been watching me. If anything, I was relieved. At least if it was him, it wouldn't have been anything else. At least I knew Edward… but I was confused over the fact that nothing had been there. I didn't get it.

I lay back down in my bed and ran my hand through my long brown hair. Perhaps being cooped up in this small cottage for so long was affecting my head. Maybe I was over-stressed and my mind was playing tricks on me. Maybe I was just going insane!

Yet something… someone… Edward… had been there, watching me sleep, standing inconspicuously in the shadows. I turned my lamp off and settled back into sleep again.

He had been watching me, I knew he had… and as I fell asleep that night, I watched him.

His bronze hair and angel-like face seemed to fill my dreams, but this time he wasn't draining me, he was helping me and looking after me… and I liked it.

That was the first night that I dreamt happy dreams of Edward Cullen...