Author's Note: Whooo! I know it's been a while. My bad. I was just so super busy and then I came back and my rat is sick so I've been stressing out over our vet appointment today. I had a good time on my cruise. If anyone was wondering. So this chapter is more talking. We freaking love talking. It's also more back story. Yay for plot development. So I promise that next chapter will involve more then just pointed looks and touches and what not. Not that those aren't fun.

The part where I disclaim: I do not own Twilight or it's characters. I do own a fan that does not work well at all. I am thinking it may be due to the dust/cat hair in it. I should clean it. Meh.

When Bella woke, she was confused about the light flooding the room. The moon was full, slanting through the window and causing the room to be washed in blue light. Confused, because Bella was slightly paranoid and never left her blinds open at night, she sat up to reach for her cell phone to check the time. That's when she realized she wasn't in her bed. She wasn't even in her apartment. The huge four-poster bed was comfortable and luxurious and the room was large and elegant, but none of it was familiar to Bella and a feeling a panic seized her. She began frantically looking around the room for a way out when her eyes landed on a figure sitting in a chair across from the bed.

"I was wondering when you would wake. You have been sleeping for quite some time. I was concerned." Edward stood but did not step towards her. In the minimal lighting she could only make out half of his features. His eyes were focused on hers and even without being able to see them all that well, she could practically feel the emotion swimming in the green depths. She was just about to get up and move towards him when a memory flashed across her mind; those same green eyes dark with fury. Bella gasped and shrank back against the headboard, clutching the sheets to her chest in a vain attempt to put some sort of barrier between them as the events of the night came rushing back to her.

"Please do not be afraid. I intend you no harm. I know you have questions and I am prepared to answer them. You may ask whatever you may like." He remained still and Bella appreciated the space. The shock of what had happened already tonight and his straight to the point attitude was throwing her off balance. She swung her legs to the floor and walked over to the window. She could feel his eyes on her as she took in the large backyard, consisting of an elaborate pool and extravagant garden, and Bella suddenly realized she still had no idea where they were.

"Where are we?" Her voice came out slightly raspy, and she winced as she realized there was probably some bruising from the attack. Suddenly there was a glass of water in front of her. It startled her, and she recalled how he had been able to sneak up on her twice now. Was it normal for someone so tall to be so stealthy?

"A friend's." Bella felt a bolt of anger tear through her at his reply. Maybe it was stress, but her nerves were frayed and her temper short. After everything that had happened he was going to start being vague? It was his idea for this little game of twenty questions anyways. She sighed in an attempt to calm herself, shaking her head before elaborating.

"Yours or mine?" She was hoping for the later but knew that her chances were slim. That's why she was surprised by his answer.

"Both." Bella spun, her eyes flashing with anger. She finally snapped, not being able to contain the torrent of emotions raging within her.

"You listen to me. I am thankful for your help last night, but there was a lot of shit that was just . . . . fuck . . I can't even begin to try and rationalize it! And you tell me you have answers for me, but then proceed to be more vague then a magic eight ball! Just tell me what the hell is going on! You think I am just going to blindly trust you after everything I saw?" They were standing toe to toe now, her face flushed and breathing harsh, his calm and poised. He moved first, closing his eyes, sighing, and running a hand through his hair before pinching the bridge of his nose. It struck Bella that in their brief interactions it was the first time she had seen him do anything close to fidgeting. It was unusual. She sat on the window seat, knees tucked up to her chest, arms wrapped around them, and turned her body towards him as he lowered himself beside her.

"We are at Carlisle and Esme Cullen's house." He paused to let the information sink in. She blinked once, then twice, before finding her voice.

"We're at Alice and Emmett's parent's house. Why? Are they in danger? Are they involved in something bad? I mean, Carlisle is a doctor and Esme is a housewife! I've never been to their house before. Why now? Did Alice plan something? I swear I will kill her if this is some joke of hers." She realized she was babbling, but the questions were coming faster then she could process them and she had never been good at dealing with stress.

"They are safe. I have been friends with this family for a long time but do not get to visit often. I have had some . . . . life changes occur recently and they have allowed me to stay with them. They are generous souls, all of them." There was a slight infliction of pride in his voice as he said this, which seemed a little odd to Bella. She realized his whole way of speaking was slightly off, but decided to focus on the topic at hand.

"Are you a friend of theirs? Alice and Emmett never mentioned an Edward before." Edward seemed to hesitate, like he was unsure of how to answer.

"What do you know about Carlisle's history?" Bella thought back, but besides the basics she had never heard much from her friend's about their families. She knew it was because they felt like it would sadden her, like it would be rubbing her lack of family in her face, so every time she broached the subject they would give brief answers and then move on. She said as much to Edward, once again surprised at how comfortable she felt with him, comfortable enough to share personal information. He simply nodded and continued.

"When he was a young man, Carlisle was determined to be a part of the church. He wanted to be a minister. That way he could have the family he always wanted but still be dedicated to his religion as well. I met him during that time." Bella's head snapped up from it's resting place against the window.

"Don't you mean your parents met him?" Edward gave a smile that could only be described as a smirk.

"Carlisle is acquainted with my Father, but I will get to that later. Anyways, Carlisle found himself at a crossroads when he was a young man. When Carlisle first met Esme, she was a patient at the hospital he volunteered at. She had been found, close to death, after her husband had beaten her. She had miscarried their child and the damage was severe enough they were unsure if she would walk again. She would definitely never have children." He paused to let Bella compose herself as a few tears escaped down her cheek. She sniffled and wiped them away, looking at him with brown eyes full of pain. She had known Emmett and Alice were adopted, both as infants, but had never really put much thought into the back-story of why Esme and Carlisle had chosen to adopt. She tended to avoid conversations about adoption all together.

"This isn't your story to tell." She sounded so broken, and it broke his heart to hear her so sad. He wanted to wrap her in his arms, comfort her, but knew he had to stay focused so he could get the story out. He smiled kindly at her and laid a hand on one of the arms still wrapped tightly around her legs. She instantly felt calm and allowed herself to revel in the feeling. She chose to ignore the pull, the connection, she felt at the simple gesture, passing it off as her need for comfort.

"It's ok. They both gave me permission to tell you. They thought it would be overwhelming if they were both in here as well." Bella nodded her agreement and he continued.

"After that, Carlisle went through a rough time. For the entirety of his life he had been looking towards his religion for guidance, and then he sees this woman, who represents the best mankind has to offer, so kind, selfless and full of light, suffering so much. It was the one time in his life Carlisle could not see God's purpose. He didn't know what to do, because while he did not want to abandon all his beliefs he did not feel that he could completely dedicate himself to it either. He was torn, and my Father sent me to help guide him." The air was now heavy with suspense as Bella felt the focus of the story shift from Carlisle to Edward. He seemed uncomfortable, like he hopped he could stop the story there, but Bella was still as confused as before.

"That's not possible, Edward." Her voice was quiet as she spoke, just a whisper, and Edward sighed. He was putting on a calm front, but inside he was terrified of revealing the truth to her. Having her know the truth and not accept him would devastate him.

"I told Carlisle that it's ok to question his beliefs. Fate had other plans for him, fate had Esme for him, and that God would not judge him for choosing another path. After that, Carlisle decided to go into medicine, so that he could help others like Esme, whom he kept in touch with, fell in love with, and the rest is history. Carlisle did not completely abandon his faith, but it has been years since I have been able to see him." Bella stared at him. He was being vague again and thought she would just take it at face value. The smile that graced his face as he reminisced took her breath away, but she would not let herself be distracted. She sighed and rubbed a hand over her face. He wasn't making any sense and her frustration was at an all time high.

"I'm happy for them, but you're being evasive again. None of that explained how you were able to befriend Carlisle before you were even born, or what happened in the ally. I know what I saw Edward. You're like a superhero or something! Jesus, just tell me." Edward grimaced slightly before standing up and pacing in front of the window.

"I was hoping you would figure it out on your own. But not being religious, I suppose I cannot expect your mind to make the leap required to make the connections." Bella stood up and put her hands on her hips. How did he go from warm and compassionate to clinical and distant so quickly? It was like flicking a switch.

"Quit stalling. I want some answ- how did you know I wasn't religious?" He turned towards her, stopping when they were about two feet apart. He looked . . . pained.

"Bella . . . . I'm an angel." Bella froze. Her mind was blank. Neither of them moved, him in fear of scaring her and her in shock. She stood there, staring at nothing, before her eyes slid to him. Before he could react, she let out a bone-chilling scream. He tried to move towards her, but she just screamed louder and began to shake. In moments the door burst open and Carlisle and Esme rushed in. Esme went to calm Bella while Carlisle went to Edward.

"So, how'd she take it?" Edward glared at Carlisle, who just gave him a rueful smile as he turned to the two women. Esme had managed to get Bella to stop screaming and sit down, but she continued to shake uncontrollably.

"Get him out of here! He's insane! An angel? Really? I'd be more likely to believe you were a vampire! What the hell is wrong with you? Tricking these poor people. You're some sort of deranged psycho! GET OUT!" Her voice was reaching a panicked pitch again and Carlisle decided to intervene. He knelt down in front of her, looking her in the eyes.

"Bella, you need to breathe and listen to me very closely. Edward is telling the truth " Bella went to interrupt but he held up and hand to stop her. "He looks exactly the same as he did all those years ago when he came to me. I didn't believe it myself until he showed me his abilities. Think, Bella. Think about what you saw in the ally. It's true. He's risked a lot to come help you, so I think you need to remain calm and listen to what he has to say." The room was silent as they waited to see how Bella would react. Her eyes shifted between Carlisle and Esme, and only seeing complete sincerity, they finally landed on Edward. As she looked into his too green eyes, she thought. She thought about their time in the book store, about what happened in the ally, and about how, even when she had thought he was crazy, the sense of familiarity and safety she seemed to always feel around him had not left. Her breath caught has she continued to stare at him. She had to be insane for even considering it a possibility. An angel. Her mind scrambled to come to terms with everything before she spoke, but her mouth failed her and she blurted the first thing that came to mind.

"I knew you were too pretty. This better not be any Touched by an Angel bullshit." She slapped a hand over her mouth and blushed deep crimson as Carlisle and Esme laughed, but Edward just walked towards her to perch on the bed beside her. He took one of her hands between two of his and began to speak.

"I know it's a lot to take in. Angel is such a . . . . . biblical term. We prefer to be called Guardians." Bella stared incredulously at him.

"Did you just diss the bible? Isn't that a sin or something?" He gave her a small smile and her heart skipped a beat. She cursed her body for it's uncontrollable reactions to him.

"There is something you must understand, Bella. When people refer to my Father as loving all mankind, they are correct. Not only does he not discriminate, but he also does not choose favourites. This includes religions. He understand why some people believe what they do, but recognizes some of the errors in the beliefs as well." It took her a few moments to understand what Edward was saying, but when comprehension hit her she gapped at him.

"Are you confirming that the bible is a fairy tale?" This made him chuckle as he shifted to face her more fully.

"More like an exaggeration of the truth." Bella just nodded at this. She felt like she was in some kind of weird dream. All that was missing was talking animals and she'd be well on her way to being certifiably insane.

"I'm sorry, Edward, but I am still not convinced this is all real. I mean it can't be real." His faced turned serious as he began to speak.

"You are Isabella Marie Swan. Born on Friday, September 13th, 1985 to Charles and Renee Swan. On December 25th, 1998, Charles and Renee were killed in a freak car accident." He started to rub the palm of her hand lightly with his thumb as she began to tense and continued. "You are insecure but don't really care what anyone thinks, you have very few friends but you are never lonely. You are angry, so angry it hurts, but you hide it from everyone so you do not burden anyone with your problems. You still think about your roommate at the orphanage who got adopted at the age of fifteen with bitterness, not towards her, but the family who took her, because you were once again alone. You try to be truly happy, and for brief moments you are, but mostly you are just content with passing through life. You don't understand why you are drawn to me, a complete stranger, but feeling connected this intensely to someone makes you feel more alive then you have in years." By now Bella was sobbing. Carlisle and Esme had moved to the chair that Edward had occupied what seemed like days ago, leaving Edward to be the one to comfort her. He pulled her into his lap and cradled her, stroking her hair and swaying gently as he told his story.

"I am Edward. I do not have a surname or a date of birth, but I do have a Father. I was created to help connect my brothers and sisters to our Father's favourite children, the humans. The other Guardians love you because he does, but he wanted one to truly understand human nature and thus created me. I am stubborn and bend the rules because my connection with your world makes the rules of home hard to follow. I was the first guardian angel and am assigned to those deemed important by my Father. On December 25th, 1998, I was assigned to a young brunette whose life had been shattered. I felt connected to her like no other charge before her, but no matter how hard I tried I could not seem to keep her out of harm's way. Last week, I was removed from my assignment for reasons I did not agree with. Disobeying my father is not an option, but I could not let her be harmed. I made the decision to fall from grace. I am one of two to do so. I am exiled from my family but have no regrets. I plan on staying with my assignment until she is safe or I am dead." Bella gasped and her eyes sought out his, trying to truly grasp what he was telling her. They sat like that, silent but speaking, until he gave a small smile.

"I know you have a lot more questions, but you have bee through a lot. Sleep now, and I will explain more in the morning." He gently placed her on the bed and pulled the covers up over her. Bella hadn't realized how tired she was until her head hit the pillow. She was drifting off when she felt him turn to leave. Panic shot through her and her hand moved on it's own accord to grab his. He crouched down so he was eye level with her and stroked her hair softly.

"I'm not leaving. I just have to go talk to Carlisle. I will be here when you wake up." He stayed for a few more moments as sleep claimed her. Just as she was nodding off, she could've sworn she felt soft, warm lips on her temple. Her suspicions were confirmed when she heard his soft voice break the silence.

"Good-night, sweet girl."

Omg I bet NO ONE saw that coming. And by no one I meant lots of people. Hopefully I can be more surprising later. If not then I fail. By the way, changing Bella's birthday by one year so she was born on Friday the 13th was a complete accident that I love. I saw that and I was like "Accidental plot point is accidental. And awesome". I actually did say that. Out loud. To no one. Review please? Kthxbye!

Hesitant