Sorry for the delay, there was school, which sucks. And hospitalisation, which SUCKS. But I'm better! Anyway, I'm participating in the Support Stacie author auction, all the details are on my profile!

Thanks Katikittie for beta-ing, and to qjmom for the Twilighted validation! You girls make me feel great, you know that??

I own: A red iPod, An acer laptop and a crackberry that owns my soul.

I don't own: Twilight or anything relating to it.

It had been a week, and whilst Edward and I had been calling and texting, we hadn't gone out again. I had learned a lot about him, but we had both shied away from our pasts. I didn't want to tell him about High School, and he didn't seem to want to tell me much about his past either. It was as if he had been hurt in the past, and didn't want to bring it up. Our arrangement may have seemed odd, but it worked for us.

When all you've got to keep is gone

Move along, move along,

Like I know you do,

My cell started ringing, and All American rejects came out. I had given Edward a personalized ringtone after we had gone out. I figured it was the best one, he was helping me move along, after all.

"Hello," I said, my voice slightly higher than usual.

"Bella! Do you want to go out tonight? 'The Panel' is filming in Blanchardstown tonight, are you interested?" I grinned, he had remembered my love of comedy TV shows. 'The Panel' was one of the better ones.

"Hmm." I pretended to think it over for a minute. Of course I was going to go! "I think that I can do that. When does it start?" I asked.

"At five," Edward replied, slightly hesitantly. It was three o'clock now. If I hurried, I could make it.

"Alright, I'll come. I'll meet you there at half four, or is that too early?" I asked him.

"That sounds perfect! I'll see you then," He said, and hung up.

I went off into my own little dream world for a few minutes, but then snapped myself out of it. I had to get ready. There wasn't enough time for a shower, so I'd just have to change my clothes. Running into my room, I pulled out a t-shirt and a pair of jeans. The top was pink, and the jeans were black, so I didn't look too bad. I pulled a brush through my hair, grabbed my purse and cell off the kitchen table, and left.

When I got to the level crossing, the barriers were down. I didn't have time to wait for the trains to pass, so I went onto the platform and got a train to Coolmine. From there, it was a twenty minute walk to the theatre in Blanchardstown, so I took my time. When I got there, it was ten past four. Perfect timing.

I was standing there, and didn't notice when someone crept up behind me, and put their hands over my eyes. I jumped, and whoever was behind me immediately took their hands off.

"Bella, I'm so sorry. I didn't think that that would affect you. I'm so sorry, I can't believe I'd do that." Edward ran his fingers through his already messy hair. His face was so confused, like he didn't know what to say. It wasn't his fault that I'm damaged goods, but if only he'd believe what I was saying to him, he could leave, and find someone he actually deserved.

"Don't worry about it. Let's just go and enjoy the filming. We can go and have something to eat in the restaurant next door after." Edward's face lit up as he spoke, and he looked oddly familiar. An old High School memory stirred at the edges of my brain, but I was too content and safe to allow it to fully form. I pushed it to the recesses of my mind, and concentrated on being with Edward. He had wrapped his arm around my side, resting his hand on my hip. With anyone else, I'd be screaming, but not with Edward. He made me feel safe, loved and wanted. I'd not felt this way in a long time, and never wanted this feeling to end.

We got into our seats, and watched the show. The comedians were great, and it was fun seeing comedians that I would have to spend over a hundred euro to see seperately in one room together. The time flew by, and all too soon it was over. We applauded, and left the building.

By now it was after seven, and we went across to Dante's. Walking in, the waiter brought us to a small, secluded corner of the room. I took in the beautiful decor, while Edward spoke to the waiter.

"Bella, what do you want to eat?" He asked, his green eyes wide and expressive. Normally, all I could see in a man's eyes when he looked at me like that was lust, but with Edward it was like I was looking into his soul. Was it too early to say that? Perhaps, but who cared. I was finally happy in a relationship, moving slowly was working for us. I stared down at the menu. I wasn't used to being allowed order for myself, strange as that sounds.

"Umm...mushroom ravioli sounds good." I folded up my menu and put it down on the table. A waitress came over, and stared straight at Edward. She was beautiful, tall and thin, with long black hair. My self esteem took a hit just being in the same room as her.

"What do you want to eat?" She asked Edward in a husky voice, leaning over so that he got an eyeful of her ample cleavage.

"Bella, you order first." He gestured over to me, and she turned and took in my appearance, smirking.

"What would you like?" She asked, sounding uninterested.

"Mushroom ravioli and a coke," I replied nervously. Why did Edward want me when he could have her? She seemed so much better for him than me, there was no reason for him to even be near me.

"Regular coke?" Her voice was condescending.

"Whatever Bella wants, she can have," Edward began to speak, "And it's not your job to be rude. I'd hate to have to make a complaint to the manager about you and your behaviour toward my girlfriend." Edward smiled as he finished speaking, sure he had gotten his message across. "I'd like lasagna and a beer, thanks."

The waitress scowled as she moved away, and Edward took my hand between his cold ones.

"I'm sorry about that. If I'd known how rude she was going to be, I wouldn't have come here. I hope that you can forget about her?" His green eyes were dazzling me, and all I could do was nod.

We spoke before the meal, and I noticed a scar on Edward's arm.

"What's that scar from?" I asked. It looked old, but like it had been very serious when he had gotten it.

"I suppose I should tell you about my teenage years, shouldn't I?" Edward's voice was light enough, but his face was serious.

"Only if you want me to know about it, then you should tell me." I picked up his hand and rubbed small circles on it. My movements seemed to relax him, and he dropped his stiff posturing.

"Ok." Edward took a deep breath, ran his fingers through his unruly hair, and began, "When I was a baby, my parents split up, and my mom went on meth. According to the police reports, she got me on meth when I was two, to stop me crying. I was taken away from her, obviously, and put into foster care. When I was five, and clean, I was adopted by a great couple. They were really caring, and they looked after me really well. But I was anti-social, mainly because of my early childhood. The 'cool'," He did air quote signs around the word cool, "kids decided that because I didn't want to join their group, I was weird. I was ostracized from the groups, but it didn't bother me too much. Then, in junior year, I got a crush on the girlfriend of one of the jocks. He found out, and didn't like it. The first day of senior year, he and his friends invited me to La Push for a bonfire. I was naive, and went. We went cliff-diving, and I punctured a lung, broke my arm - you've seen the scar - and had a skull fracture. Thanks to them, I ended up not being able to go to Dartmouth, because my GPA was too low. I barely passed senior year. After graduation, I moved to New York, then I came to Ireland a few months later. And that's me."

I was so shocked I could hardly move. My sweet Edward had been treated like that? Whoever had done that was worse than me when I was in senior year.

"Edward, I don't know what to say. That's awful. Whoever did that to you should rot in hell," I said passionately.

Our food came then, and we ate in comfortable silence. It was almost like a weight had been lifted, the atmosphere around us was lighter.

I had eaten my fill, and looked down at my watch. It was almost ten, and the last bus left Ongar at ten.

"I've to go, the last bus leaves at ten," I said, standing up and looking for my purse to pay for my portion of the meal, when Edward pulled my purse gently out of my hands.

"I'll drop you home, don't worry about it." His voice was sincere, but I had my doubts. James had managed to get me in a car before. Even though I trusted Edward, I was still unsure. Before any of my concerns could be voiced, he spoke. "I'll be a perfect gentleman, Bella. I just don't want you to go home by yourself, you never know what - or who - could be lurking out there."

I thought about his suggestion. It made sense. It was too late for me to get the bus, and if I met anyone unsavoury, there'd be nothing I could do. And I didn't want to leave Edward.

"Sure, that'd be fine," I said, sitting back down, and pulling out my wallet. I had only ordered what I knew I could afford to buy myself, I wouldn't let Edward have to pay for me. If he saw me as a burden, he wouldn't want me. James had always told me I was a burden. It was what he said to me when I was being punished.

But Edward isn't James. He's not James, he never has been. He protected me from James. I had to keep on my guard, yes, but I didn't have to be totally distrustful. I'd already admitted it to myself, I trusted him. He'd ignored the waitress for me, so he did like me.

I was lost in my thoughts, and didn't notice anything until Edward called me.

"Bella? Bella, are you ready to go? I'll drop you home now," His voice was gentle.

"What about the bill?" I asked, slightly confused.

"I've paid, don't worry about it." Edward extended his arm, and I took it, putting twenty euro in it.

"That's for my meal," I said, smiling at him. I wasn't going to be a burden if I could help it.

"Bella, I want to pay. Consider it a gift or something. It makes me glad that I can look after you. You deserve to be treated." Edward linked my arm in his as we walked over to the parking lot.

The drive passed quickly. Edward liked a lot of the same music I did, Linkin Park and Paramore, but also more obscure bands, like Go:Audio. All too soon, we were pulling up to the house. I stepped out, and Edward was at my door, quicker than I thought a human could move.

"What are you, a superhero or something? How can you run that fast?" I asked, laughing a little.

"I had to run from New - from a guy in my senior class. Let's just say he didn't really like me, and well, when you're adopted. Stuff happens, you know?"

"Thank you for an amazing night." I pulled out the keys to the house while saying it.

"It'll be better when you're back in our home, Isabella." The voice that spoke sent chills down my spine. It was James. What was he doing here? He didn't know where the girls lived, he shouldn't know where I was.

"Get away!" Edward's voice shouted at James. I turned around, and saw James hit Edward in the face. I wrenched the front door open, thankful that we kept the phone on the table just inside the door. Picking it up, I dialed 112. An operator answered immediately.

"Hello, 112 emergency services. What service do you require?"

"Um, the police, and an ambulance, I think. My ex-boyfriend came up behind me and started attacking my current boyfriend. They're fighting in the front lawn, I don't know what to do." As I spoke, I could hear James screaming curses, enough to wake the neighbourhood. I could only hope that Edward could hold him off long enough for the police to get here.

"What's the address?" The operator asked me. Her voice was soothing, and it made me feel a little bit better. I gave her the address, and she promised to send along someone as soon as possible. Apparently there was a patrol car up in Royal Canal Park, only three minutes away. I looked out the window, and watched the fight. Edward was holding his own, but I knew how much stamina James had. I saw the familiar blue lights of a police car, and they pulled up outside the house. I ran out, and watched as they cuffed James.

"Bella?" Edward's voice was cracked, and scared. I ran over to him, almost tripping up over thin air, but pulling myself back up to him, and hugged him. He had fought for me, and that made all the difference to me.

"Miss, can you stand away please?" One of the Guards asked me, and as I stepped aside, they cuffed Edward, and put him into the car. I watched as the car drove off, the man I loved, and the man I hated inside.