The doorbell buzzing shattered my Edward dream. Sitting up quickly caused my head to split and my stomach to churn. I made it to the toilet in time, emptying the contents of my stomach of what they had force fed me in my drunkenness. I think it was a sandwich.

A light tapping came from the bathroom door.

"Come in." I said sickly as I retched again.

Emmett stuck his head in. "GOOD MORNING BELLA!" he boomed.

My head cracked open, spilling the ache to the forefront of my pain.

"Quiet, you ass!" I hissed. "Please, for all that is holy, no more."

He laughed at my misery. "Carlisle is waiting in his study and sent me to make sure you can make it there."

"Do I have to?" I whined pathetically, salivating at the thought of dead sleep in a king sized bed.

He nodded his head. "Sorry kid, Doctor's orders.", and he scooped me off the bathroom floor and threw me over his shoulder.

He ran me upstairs, not bothering with the elevator. I wanted to protest, but I had to keep my mouth and eyes closed. All the movement was putting his shirt in danger of a stain. Thankfully the trip was short. He dumped me gracelessly onto Carlisle's couch and bowed to me smirking.

"I really am an ass, aren't I?" He grinned.

"Yes." Came Rose's reply from somewhere in the house.

"Sorry kid. I thought it was funny." He laughed, leaving the room.

I turned to Carlisle.

"Well Bella," he smirked knowingly. "how are you this fine day? You seem a bit ill."

I rolled my eyes and nodded. He handed me two pills and a glass of water. I took them gratefully. Esme walked in carrying dry toast and black coffee. When she handed them to me she gave me a disappointed look.

I bowed my head shamefully. "Sorry." I mumbled.

They came around to my sides, hugging me.

"Carlisle," I whispered. "what is going to happen to them now?"

"What would you like to happen?"

"Will they be buried or cremated or I don't know."

"What would you like to happen?" He repeated.

"I don't have any money to pay for anything. Will the county do it?"

"Bella," Carlisle grasped my hands. "what would you like done?"

I realized what he was saying. "Carlisle, Esme, after everything you've done, I can't ask you to do this."

"If you feel you must, you can pay us back."

"Can I…I mean, can we have them buried?" I asked quietly.

He nodded. "Do you have anyone you would like us to call? Aunts? Uncles? We can keep your name out of it, if you want."

I shook my head as the tears began to fall. "There is no one left. Just me." Esme held me as I sobbed.

"Do you…Would you like to see them once more?" He asked cautiously.

I shook my head quickly. "My parents died a long time ago. They just didn't know it yet. Honestly, I'm more upset about you paying for it than seeing them again."

"Well if that's it, then I'll take a check in a hundred years." He joked.

I laughed and the atmosphere changed. The business was over and all my past was gone. A heaviness that had rested on my heart, without me being aware, had lifted. I breathed deep, relishing at the lightness.

"Is it alright to go back to bed? The light hurts. I kind of feel like a vampire, know what I mean?"

Esme laughed stiffly, while Emmett's laughter led him into the room and back into my aching head.

He held out his arms. "Your chariot awaits little sister."

No way. I shook my head in protest. "I'd rather walk, crawl even."

He stuck his tongue out at me childishly and stomped from the room, pushing past Edward, who was standing in the doorway smirking.

"May I?" he asked, his eyebrow arched.

I tried to stand, but still felt groggy. I nodded in compliance. He swept me close to him and brought me to eye level and headed for the door.

"Bella?" Carlisle asked, causing Edward to face them once again. "Your cast will be coming off soon, and we would like for you to consider staying with us at least until you are eighteen. We'll talk more about it later, but please think it over."

I nodded. "I will and thank you again for…"

Carlisle shook his head and shooed us out the door. I looked at Edward questioningly.

"He thinks you apologize and thank us too much." He said walking away from the door.

"Is that a bad thing?" I asked, puzzled.

"When it is not your fault, certainly."

I thought that piece of information over. "But, I really am grateful for everything everyone has done for me, and I have no idea how to even begin repaying them for their kindness, let alone the money they've spent."

He looked at me, astonished. "No one expects you to, Bella."

We had made it to my apartment. "Couch or bed?" he asked.

"Bed, please. When I said I would stay until my leg healed, I made Alice promise not to spend any money on me. The other day, I found a five hundred dollar receipt for three sets of pajamas. Who the hell spends that kind of money on clothes no one is going to see?"

"Alice." He stated, putting me on the bed and lounging next to me.

He sighed. "Bella, you have to understand, Carlisle comes from a wealthy, very wealthy family, and has invested well. Money is not really a problem for us. Honestly, he could never work another day in his life and, with his investments, still have more money than when he started. We indulge sometimes."

I suddenly felt a lightheadedness that had nothing to do with being hung over. I knew they had money, but really? Edward was staring at me, confused and a little worried.

"So, Alice shops?" I blurted, needing to break the awkwardness of the money talk.

"Aggressively." He grinned. "I've actually seen her shove an old lady."

I laughed and he continued.

"Emmett has his games, Jasper his books, Carlisle funds medical researches, Esme has a charity list a mile long, and Rose is a gear head."

"Rose and cars?" I asked, astonished. I couldn't picture girly-girl Rose up to her elbows in grease.

He nodded. "When we get you a car, Rose will do all the work on it."

I shook my head.

"Fine, when you buy a car Rose will do the work." He backtracked and rolled his eyes. "Better?"

I giggled and nodded. "What do you indulge on?" I asked, curious.

"Music" he said quietly.

"Music, why?"

"I lose myself in the notes. When I play a song, or compose one, I'm there in the moment, reality ceases to exist, and I can sense the world differently."

"You play?" I asked lying down next to him, intrigued.

"Mostly piano, but guitar and violin also."

"I'd love to hear you play."

He nodded and began to rise. I grabbed his arm and stopped his ascent. "I didn't mean right now. I want to know more about you, and the family."

He lay back down, smiling. "What do you want to know?"

A kind of twenty questions played out between us for the next two hours. Laughing together, we passed the time.

After about my fourth yawn, he asked me, "Why are you fighting sleep?"

I looked away and mumbled, "Bad dreams."

He looked at me, worried. "Did something upset you last night?"

I blushed and smiled. "No, last night was one of the good ones."

He looked away for a moment and smiled back at me. "What did you dream about." He inquired.

I blushed redder still. There was no way I was telling him I dreamed I had kissed him. "Emmett in Rose's underwear doing the chicken dance." I blurted, covering my mouth.

He looked at me in mock horror. "And that's one of the good ones?"

I laughed with him. "Though that's hard to top, the other parts were even better."

He beamed as I yawned again.

"Come on." He said, pulling back the covers. "Get some rest; I'll protect you from the things that go bump in the night."

"That's not what I'm afraid of." I replied, repositioning myself under the blankets.

"What are…" He stopped in front of the TV where he was putting in a movie, and faced me. "I mean, can I ask what scares you?"

I nodded slowly. Much like Alice, he was a friend. If they still wanted me, they would eventually find out the truth. He lay on the covers near me and waited.

"When Jasper found me, I hadn't slept much in almost seven months. Being here, the relief and safety I felt, helped me sleep dead the first month or so." I paused, swallowing, begging my heart not to explode out of my chest. "Then the nightmares came. They would always start out good. Shopping with Alice, playing games with Emmett, even talking to you. Things would always go dark and whoever I was with would realize that I wasn't worth the trouble and call James or he would show up and hurt you all to get to me."

His hand found mine over the covers and squeezed, looking me in the eye. "Even if he were alive, that would never happen."

"Rationally, I know that, but you know…unconscious mind, deep seated fears and all that."

"We'll protect you. I'll protect you." He corrected.

I turned towards him, fading fast. "Will you wake me up if I look upset or anything?" I mumbled.

He leaned over, kissing the top of my head, hugging me to his chest, he nodded.

There, cradled in his arms on the precipice of sleep, I thought I heard him whisper, "Stay", before succumbing to dreamless, peaceful, sleep.

I awoke to find myself draped over Edward, pinning him under my cast again.

I peeked up at him. His eyes were closed and he was breathing steady, asleep.

I took a moment to truly appreciate the beauty there. His purple tinged lids moved above his eyes in sync with his dreams. Any woman would trade her soul to be in my position, but all I could think about was how to untangle myself from his arms, so's not to wake him. I was pathetic.

Slowly, one inch at a time, I moved my cast off of him. Right before I succeeded, his arms tightened around me.

"Trying to escape?" he asked, bright eyed and alert.

I jumped up at the sound of his voice, and he roared with laughter.

I blushed. "Just trying not to wake you."

He grabbed my hand. "No bad dreams?" He asked seriously.

I shook my head. "I don't really dream when I'm not alone. Alice stayed a few times, and once I fell asleep between Emmett and Jasper. No dreams. I guess I just feel safe around you all, even unconscious."

"So you need a bunk buddy?" he asked.

"Is that your way of trying to sleep with me?" I asked smiling.

That brought him up short, and he began mumbling and apology.

"Well that's good. Honestly, what kind of girl do you think I am?" I jested. "You at least have to buy me dinner and a movie first."

He laughed, realizing I wasn't serious. "Very funny Bella." He became serious again. "I mean it though. One of us can stay with you if you want."

I shook my head quickly. "I can't ask them to do that, to leave their spouses alone just to be here to keep the boogeyman away."

He hesitated. "What about me? I have nothing to do at night."

"Still trying to get into my pants, Mr. Cullen?"

"I'd be crazy not to want to." He told me bluntly. "But, no."

I looked down and blushed. "I can't ask you to do that."

"Well," he pondered. "if I were to come down here at night, and watch a movie in your room with you, and just happened to fall asleep here, would you kick me out?"

I laughed and told him no.

"Well then, we'll just see how that works out." He said.

"What will your family think?" I asked.

He smiled. "They will probably think it is therapeutic for the both of us, well, except for Emmett. He might be a hand full."

"Why would Emmett be a hand full?"

He looked away, embarrassed, mumbling. "Well, I'm kind of a …"

"A what?" I asked, not hearing what he said.

He rolled his eyes and sighed, picking at the blankets. "A virgin, ok? I'm a virgin."

My mouth dropped open audibly. No freaking way. He could have anyone he wanted, man or woman.

"Are you," I cleared my throat. "I mean, do you like guys?

He laughed. "Why is that everyone's first assumption?" He looked at me, waiting for an answer.

"Look at you!" I exclaimed. "Smart, charming, beautiful, and rich. There should be a line out the door waiting for you."

"If it were up to most women, there would be." He laughed. "I just want to share something special with someone I chose to spend the rest of my life with."

"I think that's wonderful. I just wish, you know, I could say the same thing." I looked down sadly.

"Were you…before?" he asked tenderly.

I nodded as a tear escaped from my closed lids.

He lifted my face to him, forcing me to look him in the eyes. "Then you still are. Something that is taken is completely different from something that is given." He said.

"It doesn't matter. I doubt I'll ever want anyone that way.

"Look at Rose, granted, your situation is more extreme, but she found Emmett."

I nodded. "She got lucky. She is stronger than me and she stands up for herself. I've been beaten down so much, I don't know how to."

"We'll teach you, I'll teach you. Just stay." He said sadly.

"Why?"

"We need you, just as much as you need us."

"How so?"

"Whether you like it or not, Carlisle already sees you as a daughter. Esme almost died of happiness when you did the dishes the other day with her. Emmett already calls you his little sister. Alice and Rose love having a Barbie doll to make over, and Jasper goes on and on about the long winded, theological debates you two have. We were missing part of us, as a family, and didn't know it until you came."

"And you?" I asked softy, still unsure of our odd relationship.

He smiled, wickedly. "Sometimes I have nightmares, and could use a bunk buddy too."

I threw a pillow at his head and he dodged it easily, laughing.

"OK." I said.

He looked at me confused.

"I'll stay." His face lit up in a smile. "But only until I'm eighteen." I thought for a second, "And only if you don't tell Alice."

He looked confused again. "Why?"

"Because, when I'm out of this," I said rapping on my cast with my knuckles, "she'll think she can buy me anything."

He smiled and nodded to agree with me.

"Come on." He said taking my hand. "Let's go gorge ourselves on junk food and horror movies."

So, for the next few hours, we did. Although, I watched him more than the movies. Only until I'm eighteen, I thought sadly. I couldn't intrude longer than that, could I?