Thus nature has no love for solitude, and always leans, as it were, on some support; and the sweetest support is found in the most intimate friendship

~ Marcus Tullius Cicero

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Age 11:

Edward slid his gangly frame through the low door of the tree house and sighed when he saw Bella curled up in the corner, wrapped in the faded patchwork quilt her Grandma Swan had made for her. Tear tracks stained her cheeks and her eyes were swollen and red.

When he'd gotten home from his piano lesson and his mom had pulled him aside to quietly tell him what happened, he knew exactly where to look for his best friend. She always went to her old tree house when she was upset or worried. She called it her safe haven, and no one but Edward was allowed to join her there.

He crossed the worn floor silently, lifted the edge of the quilt, and slid inside with her. He tucked the corners back around them, then pulled her tight against him. She melted against him and sniffled softly. After a moment, the tears started in earnest, and she started sobbing against his neck. His hands skated gently over her back in soothing strokes, giving comfort as best he could.

They sat there for a long time, Bella sobbing and Edward holding her, not saying a word. Slowly, Bella's cries softened to whimpers and hiccups, then finally she was quiet. Edward waited, knowing she would speak when ready.

Finally, Bella spoke quietly, her voice raspy from her earlier tears. "W-Why would she leave?"

Edward tightened his arms around her and sighed again. "I don't know, R2. Did your dad say anything?"

"Just that she'd left a note saying she would be in touch but that she wouldn't be coming back."

Edward's vision clouded red with hatred for Bella's mother. How could she just leave her husband and daughter with no warning, no explanation?

"M-maybe it's my...my f-fault." Bella's quiet, stuttered declaration caught Edward by surprise, and he hugged her fiercely.

"Absolutely not. Whatever the reason is, it was all her. It is not your fault," he insisted, tipping her face up. Her eyes swam with unshed tears, and the lost, shattered look in her eyes broke Edward's heart. His R2 was too sweet, too wonderful, to ever be subjected to this kind of pain. He hated that he didn't have the ability to fix this.

"I told her I hated her last week," Bella admitted meekly, and a few tears spilled down her cheeks. Edward brushed the drops away with his thumbs then placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"We all say things we don't mean. And you're just a kid. All kids say that to their parents. She knows you didn't mean it. Whatever made her decide to leave, it started way before that," Edward murmured reassuringly.

"But you didn't see the look on her face when I said it!" Bella argued. "She had been so angry before I said it, but then she just went blank and kinda walked away. She didn't even say anything."

"Well did you apologize?"

"Of course I did."

"Did she say anything when you apologized?" Edward prompted.

"She hugged me really tight and told me she knew I didn't mean it," Bella answered.

"See? Then that wasn't the reason."

"But what else could it be? Was I a bad kid? I don't think I was a bad kid, but maybe she thought I was a bad kid. Maybe I asked for too many toys, or spent too much time getting ready for school. Or if I had cleaned my room better, or eaten that terrible broccoli casserole she made, or..." As Bella rambled, more tears flowed down her cheeks, and Edward knew he had to settle her before she worked herself up too much.

"Shhh, R2. You know none of that was the reason. You're the best person in the world," he interrupted her mid-rant.

"Then why?" she implored him, looking up at him with anguished eyes. "She didn't even say good bye..."

He sighed and tucked her back into his side. She nuzzled into his neck and clutched at his t-shirt. "I wish I knew what to tell you, R2. But I don't. Your mom's the only one who can tell you why she really left, and she probably doesn't even really know. But you've still got your dad, and my mom, and my dad. And me. We all love you."

"You'll never leave me, will you 3PO?" Bella asked timidly.

"Never. You're stuck with me forever, whether you like it or not," Edward reassured her. Bella gave a half-hearted smile at his teasing, then dropped her head against his chest and snuggled deeper against him. The steady beat of his heart thrummed beneath her ear, the sound comforting her ragged nerves.

Bella knew she could count on Edward to be there for her. He always knew exactly what she needed, and his quiet, solid presence soothed her in a way no one and nothing else could.

Eventually, her breathing evened and slowed, and Edward realized she was asleep. He shifted a little so that he was leaning against the wall of the tree house and Bella was curled against his chest. After resituating the quilt to ensure she was fully cocooned, he leaned his head down to rest against hers. "I'll always be your 3PO," Edward whispered against her hair, before drifting off to sleep himself.

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A/N: So things are getting a little rocky. Next chapter isn't quite so rough, but it's not going to be smooth sailing for a few more chapters. Patience my dears.

I also want to say hello and welcome to all the new readers who've found this story through FicSisters and The Lemonade Stand; having my story recommended on those sites is amazing and humbling. And if you found this story through other means, hello and welcome to you, too! I'm happy all of you are here, however you got here.