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It turned out she didn't wake up in the morning. Baby Nick woke her up at 3:37 in the morning. Bella rolled out of bed and stumbled through the hallway. She finally reached his room, and pushed open the door, He was crying in his crib, little arms thrusted upward.
"Shh, it's ok little one."
Bella said picking him up. She held him in her arms, then she put his head on her shoulder. She sat down on the chair, and hummed a song into his ear. He was back asleep in seconds, and so was Bella. She awoke to the sounds of delight.
"I know! I didn't wake up either! We should move him in her room!"
Bella stirred and realized she was still holding Nick. She stood up and walked over to his crib.
"No don't put him down!" Cherry said loudly, waking Nick up, "We are going to move him into your room!"
So he was. Cherry and Jenny carried the crib into Bella's room, and set the crib on the only remaining space in the room. It was very crowded, but Bella didn't mind. Weeks passed, and Bella remained very quite, and she cried herself to sleep every night. Nick was sleeping through the nights which they said he had never done before. It was the beginning of August when Mary finally called Bella to her office. She was to go to the local high school, and school started in September. There were placement tests she would have to take a week before school started. Bella just nodded. She asked if she could take Mary's car to the antique shop. Bella went there almost every day. Sometimes she would even bring Nick. Fred had told Bella his life story, and Bella told him hers. She told him almost everything, she just said her father and step mom were murdered, and her relatives lived in Indiana but when she got there to live with them, they didn't want her, so that's why she was in the orphanage.
"Oh Bella, didn't anyone tell you? Fred died yesterday. He died in his sleep."
Bella was in shock, "What? He couldn't have! He…"
"I know you two were close, I'm so sorry Bella. We received a call that his will hearing is tomorrow if you want to go. And his funeral is on Sunday."
Bella just nodded. Bella went to the hearing, and found out her left her another painting, and 20,000 dollars. The painting was of the young girl and the mom that were in the other painting. This time they were in an open field, full of crops, and the sun was bright over head. Both had on beautiful colorful dresses, and both wore smiles. He had also written her a letter.
Dear Bella,
I know life has been nothing but hard for you, but I know that a smart and faithful girl like you can go the distance. Don't ever give up on your dreams; you will be a great architect. I'm so thankful the Lord blessed me with you. I know that we will meet again in heaven one day, and our reunion will be like the one in the painting.
Love,
Fred Timberlake
Bella put the letter in her photo album, which now contained pictures of Nick, and some of the other children. She hung the painting, entitled Home, over the foot of her bed. The money she kept locked in her jewelry box that she kept on her dresser. She knew she should have put it in the bank, but she felt like she needed to keep it with her. She had serious trust issues ever since Gabriel left her. Fred's funeral was short and sweet, it rained that day. Bella brought him a rose, and placed it one his grave. She was grateful he had been in her life even for that short amount of time.
Two more weeks past, and school was starting in one more week. Bella was nervous about school; she hoped she would fit in and find friends. It was a Monday night, and Bella was lying in bed. Nick was fast asleep. Bella had stopped crying herself to sleep, but found it hard to get to sleep. Suddenly she heard a knock at her door. She got up and crossed her room. She unlocked her door, and opened it. No one was there. She shut her door and locked it again. She heard the knock again. She turned around and looked out her window. There was Gabriel. Bella crossed closer to the window, and rubbed her eyes. She was definitely awake. She had dreams like this, he came back and said he was sorry, but in all her dreams he hadn't waited more than a month to do so.
She walked to the window and threw it opened. There was still a screen in between them.
"Hi." He said, and just stood there, looking at her.
Bella's eye's filled with tears, "What are you doing here?"
Gabriel answered, "I wanted to talk to you."
Bella just shook her head, and walked away from the window. She glanced at the clock. It was 12:47.
"Come on Bella. I'm sorry."
"Sorry doesn't cut it!" She whispered as loud as she dared as to, trying not wake Nick, and turned back to the window "Sorry doesn't cover leaving, down right abandoning someone! You knew what state I was in! You knew I needed someone! And you left me for dead!"
"I did not leave you for dead! Please Bella! Let me in! Let me explain properly!"
Bella just shook her head, "You don't deserve anything from me! After what you did to my father! Then what you did to me!"
His face grew stern, his eyes grew mean, "You wanted your father dead, and I saved you!"
"Yes but then you deserted me!"
His face grew sad, his eyes swelled with tears, he sounded sincere when he said, "Bella, please, I didn't mean to hurt you. I thought it was for the best. Please, I want to tell you to your face, not through a screen!"
Bella said nothing, but walked back to the window. She started to push the screen out when she stopped, "Wait, why didn't you just open the screen yourself? I know you could."
"I wanted to give you the chance to let me in yourself. I didn't want to force myself on you."
Bella just shook her head, thinking that he was stilling forcing her to listen to him, but she had to admit she did want to know. She continued to work the screen so it would pop out, then finally it did. Bella backed up enough so he could get in. He climbed in soundlessly, and got in and stood right under the window. Bella moved to shut the window. She hadn't realized that this action would bring her within inches of Gabriel.
She stopped trying to open the window, and said, "Can you close it?"
They stared into each other's eyes for a second. Bella wanted to kiss him, she wanted to thank him for coming back, but she knew she couldn't do that. He had hurt her, and he had to pay.
"Sure," he said in a low sexy voice.
He turned around and closed the window, then turned right back to face Bella. Bella was ready for this and moved to Nick's crib. She stared at the sleeping baby, and patted his tiny head. Gabriel followed her with his eyes.
"Who's that?"
"Nick. He's 7 months old. His mother dropped him off a month before me. He can't sleep unless he's by me. I'm the only one he will cooperate with."
"Just like me."
Bella turned around and look at Gabriel again, "Why? Why did you leave me? What did I do wrong?" She tried not to start crying but she couldn't help it.
Gabriel was there so fast it was scary, he was right in front of her; he put his hands on her face, "You didn't do anything. It was all me. Me being weak."
He let go of her face, and then sat on the bed. He patted the place next to him, and Bella sat down.
"Bella, I wanted to be strong for you. I wanted to be able to be a good person, to not kill, to not need power, but at the time, I thought there was no way I could do that. I thought I might get the urge to kill when I was with you, and I wouldn't be able to control myself. Even though I saved you, and knew you needed me, I thought I had to leave to save you again."
Bella had taken Brian in her arms, and wasn't looking at Gabriel when he spoke. What he said made sense, but now she had more questions.
Without looking at him, Bella asked, "But why did you leave me here? Why didn't you leave me in the hotel? And why did you come back? Won't you still have urges?" Bella had met his gaze by the end of this.
Gabriel looked past Bella, at the painting of the sad little girl. He paused for awhile, then looked back into her eyes, "Well I wanted to make sure you would be ok. I knew if you woke up all alone, you would be devastated, and you might do something, stupid, I wanted to give you a life. So I left you at the orphanage. And I know you couldn't see me but I waited in the parking lot to make sure you were okay. And I came back because, I realize I need you."
Bella just stared at his big brown eyes, "You need me?" she said trying to keep her voice even.
"Yes Bella. I went out west, I killed one person. He had the power to make plants grow, a lame power, but I wanted it all the same. After I did, I felt horrible. I couldn't believe I had done that. I knew that I wanted to change, and I just gave up because I realized no one cared if I was good or evil. No one cared about me. They would just want me dead if I was a killer, or they would just ignore me if I was a good person. I realized that you were the only person that could care if I stopped killing, that would appreciate that, or commend me. And then I realized, I had strong feelings for you. I knew I had to, if I decided to save you that night at the church. So I stayed there for a few more weeks, to make sure I didn't have the longing to kill anymore. A person can into the town and he could fly. What a cool power right? But I didn't want it. What I wanted was someone to share the fact that I saw someone fly. I wanted a friend. I wanted you. So I packed my bags, and drove here. I got here yesterday. I waited till everyone was asleep, then I went looking for your room. And here we are."
Bella continued to stare at him, not sure of what to say.
"I'm sorry I left you Bella, I just had to make sure that I was ready to change, and at first I wasn't. But I am now. I want to take you back to New York. I want to get you back to your normal life."
Bella wiped a tear from her face, "I have a year left of high school, and I wanted to go to a college in New York."
"Yea? Maybe I could go to college with you in a year. I never went. We could start a life together. I truly want that Bella."
Bella laughed and sniffed, "You do?"
"With all my heart."
Bella leaned in, and Gabriel met her lips. The kiss of forgiveness lasted longer than their first kiss. Gabriel put his hands on her face, and she put her's on his. He started to get even closer to her.
She pushed him away and said, "Gabriel, I'm only 17. That time you kissed me, that night, that was my first kiss."
He was silent for awhile, "I'm 23. That was really your first kiss?"
"Don't rub it in!" Bella said frowning.
"I'm not, it's just, I mean, you're so beautiful, no guys have asked you out before?"
"No."
Gabriel just smiled, and then he brought Bella into an embrace. She put her head in his chest, and he rested his chin on her head.
"Bella, that's fine. I have to be honest with you. I've had a serious relationship."
He left it at that, but Bella knew what he meant. She just let out a small sigh.
"Don't worry Bella, you are fine just the way you are. You don't have to be ashamed of that."
"Good." She mumbled into his chest.
"So you did ok here?" Gabriel said pulling Bella away from him so he could look into her face.
"I guess. I made a friend. His name was Fred, he kept me sane. But he died a couple weeks ago. Other than that, Nick is my only attachment. But to be honest, I think he's getting sick of me. He's starting to like this girl Chole, at first he hated her but I talked to him and told him he needs to be more accepting of people."
Gabriel stared into her eyes, he looked troubled.
"What is it?"
"I just… It's just… maybe you would have been better off without me." He finished and looked down at his hands.
"I was half alive Gabriel. I was living a lie. I pretended to be Bella Starkey!" She said laughing.
"Like Ringo?!" Gabriel smiled finally.
"Yes! You are the only person that knows me. I was furious with you for leaving, and a part of me still is. But that part knows you'll make it up to me. And, honestly, if I think about it's better that you are sure you want to change, because you can't change unless you truly want to."
He took her hands in his, and just stroked them for awhile.
"So what do you say if we leave tonight?"
"I'd say… let's go. But I have things now… I want to take them with me."
"That's fine. Let's start packing."
They both got up from the bed and stood looking at the room.
"It's a very nice little room Bella."
"Thanks, you wouldn't have any boxes or something would you?"
He smiled slyly, "Actually, I do. They're in my car. I'll go get them."
Gabriel crossed the room and exited back out the window. Bella walked over to baby Nick's crib. She felt awful for leaving him. But she didn't know how to be a mother. She was using his innocence for comfort, and that wasn't a fair relationship. She was ready to leave, and start with her life again. She moved to her dresser, and opened her top drawer. Her unmentionables were tucked neatly inside, along with her socks. Her face grew hot, and wished she had the boxes already, so she could pack these up before Gabriel saw. Gabriel appeared right on que, with three flatted boxes. He coolly slid threw the window, and faced Bella.
"Here we are. I'll go ahead and take these two paintings back. They are yours aren't they?"
"Yeah actually Fred gave them to me."
"I'm sure he was a great guy."
"He was." Bella said, getting choked up.
Gabriel gave a small smile then took the painting at the foot of her bed off the wall. Bella folded all the boxes open and began filling them with are her possessions she had acquired. She put the jewelry box on the top of the last box. Gabriel came back and took the second painting off the wall. Bella took Nick out of the crib and then sat down on the bed with him in her arms.
"I'm sorry baby. One day, we will meet again."
Gabriel came back and collected the boxes silently as not to disturb the goodbye. Finally he came back one last time.
"That's it. Is this bear yours or his?" Gabriel said holding up Brian.
"Mine! Alright, let me just put Nick back."
Bella placed the sleeping baby in the crib. He stirred a little, but was still asleep.
"Goodbye baby." Bella said, letting a tear fall.
"Here," Gabriel said giving Bella Brian.
"Thank you. Let's go."
Gabriel strode over to the window, and climbed out. He squatted down and held out a hand for Bella. She took it, and with on last glance at Nick, she left GreenClover forever. Gabriel held Bella's hand as the walked underneath the stars back to his little black car. He opened the door for her, and waited for her to get in, then closed it for her too. She brushed more tear's from her eyes as Gabriel got in the car too. He revved up the engine.
"Ready?"
