Playlist: supermassive black hole, muse; fade to black, alexz johnson; sarah, tyler kyte; let it be, paul mccartney; if i should stay, alexz johnson

"Hello, Miss Bella."

"Hi…um, forgive me, I forgot your name."

"You can call me Cookie." He led her into the dining room.

"Hi Bella."

"Hi Edward—oof!" the air rushed out of her as Brownie tackled her, covering her with kisses. "Okay, okay. Get off, Brownie—ouch!"

"Brownie!" Edward growled.

The dog stopped her attack and sulked toward him with her tail between her legs. Edward squatted down to her level. "Brownie, how many times have I told you that it is rude and scary to jump on our guests?! Out, Brownie," he said sternly.

She whined and trotted into the piano room.

Edward sighed as she watched her go. "Stupid dog," he muttered. "Are you alright?"

Bella sat up, rather dazed. "I'm fine. I think. God, she's heavy." She grinned up at him. "Edward, quit worrying." Cookie gave her a hand up and she thanked him, frowning when she actually got a good look at his face. He seemed familiar, but…

"Bella, let's get you into a seat." He led her into the dining room and pulled out her chair. "Have a seat."

"Okay. Um… tell me about yourself, Cookie."

"Um… well, my adoptive family hails from Italy, but I was born in England. I split my time between here and there until… something bad happened, and I moved to England."

Edward sighed. "Aro, you don't have to say--"

"It's okay. I'm fine. I was drunk, and I collided with a man and his girlfriend. I was too drunk, so I didn't even really notice that they were hurt and I had to stay. I went to prison, I got out on Probation… when that was over, I moved. I was so ashamed of what I'd done.

"I met Edward on tour there… I didn't really have a job… I started out as a butler, but then we both agreed I did better in the kitchen." He chuckled ruefully. "I'm sorry. My story is rather depressing. My parents weren't very fond of their drunk, convict son… when I came back, I had nothing except Edward. I'm thoroughly ashamed of ruining that man's life over my drunkenness. I haven't been able to drink again."

"I'm sorry… um, I guess that's a good thing, drinking is bad for you. My husband was killed in a drunk driving accident." Her cell phone. "Excuse me. Hello?"

"Tell your daughter it's bedtime. Jasper wants to watch a movie."

"Watch a movie, huh? She snickered. "Put her on."

"Hi mommy."

"Go to bed, baby girl."

"But—"

"Vanessa Newton, your mother told you to do something."

"Yes mommy," she grumbled. "Night."

"Goodnight, baby. I love you."

"Yeah, yeah." And the phone was passed off to Alice.

"By Alice. Have fun with the movie."

"Oh I will," she giggled before hanging up. She turned back to the table. "I'm sorry, Nessa was being stubborn."

Cookie was pale as death.

"Cookie, what's wrong?"

Edward stood in concern. "Aro. Hey, maybe you should take off tonight, I'll cook."

He shook his head. "No. I will—it can't be. It can't be."

"What can't be, Aro? What is going on?"

"Did she—Vanessa Newton?"

Bella nodded, confused. "Yeah, that was my married name."

He paled further. "You weren't his girlfriend, though… I don't understand."

"What?" Bella looked between him and Edward. "Edward?"

"He was married… he had a child… oh God… oh my God, it's not possible."

"What the hell is going on?!"

"Did they ever catch him? The one who k-killed your husband."

"Yeah, outside Seattle. I never saw him though. Just from far away at the trial."

"It was me," he whispered, then he fled.

B|E

He swallowed hard as Bella's face changed from confused to horrified to hurt to angry.

"Did you know about this?" she seethed, her voice hardly about a whisper. Part of his mind noted how glorious she was when she was angry

"N-no, I knew about the accident, but I didn't know it was—"

"Don't lie to me, Edward."

"I'm not lying, I just--"

"How could you do this?! How could you sit here and say you want me, that you love me and my baby when you're living with the man who murdered her father?!"

He flinched. "I had no clue, Bella, I swear."

"Don't. Touch. Me."

"Bella," he pleaded.

"Leave me alone! Don't ever talk to me again!"

"Bella, what about--?"

"Oh, and don't expect Nessa back. Ever." And she was gone.

He collapsed back into the seat I shock. What had just happened? One minute he's having a private dinner with the love of his life, and the next she was screaming that she never wanted to see him again. "Bloody hell," he whispered, tears filling his eyes. He picked up his phone. "Emmett," he barely whispered. "I need you… please, I—"

"Whoa, bro. what's going on?"

"Bella—I think it's over. She's gone," he whimpered pathetically.

"Oh. Oh crap. I'm on my way."

He hung up the phone and promptly throwing it across the room. Then he crumbled into a pathetic heap, sobbing on the floor. He didn't understand what was going on. He had only known her for three and a half months but hopefully that was long enough for her to know he would never keep something that hurtful from her. He honestly loved her with every fiber of his being. The thought made him sob again.

That was how Emmett found him, sobbing pathetically on the floor. "Dude… what is going on… get, come on, get up off the floor. Come on. Talk to me. What happened?"

"I don't know," he said between sobs and gasps for air. "She was talking to Cookie—he said that he was the one that caused her husband's accident and she was upset and—she thought I knew and so she left me." He sobbed again. "I swear to God, I if had known it was him, I would have said something, I would have—I don't know, anything not to make her go. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! I didn't know and—"

Emmett was so confused and honestly scared, that he called Rosalie and they hauled him over to their house, where he fell asleep, dreaming of her.

E|B

"Where's Bells?"

"She's moping upstairs."

She heard Emmett coming up the stairs, his heavy footfalls causing her tears to fall faster.

The door cracked open and Emmett's head poked around the door. "Can I come in?"

She sniffled and nodded.

"Bells… I love you a lot. I really do. You're the coolest little sister ever—don't tell Alice that—but honestly, I've never seen my brother cry as hard as he did yesterday."

"I just… I can't believe he didn't tell me."

"Did it ever occur to you that he might actually not have known?" now he was angry. "God, Bells! Be dense all you want, but don't drag my brother into it!"

She stared at him bewildered. "But—Cookie—he killed Mike! He kept saying things. 'Don't say anything' or 'you don't have to talk about this'—how could he not have known—oh God, Emmett, don't be mad."

He sighed and sat down next to her, pulling her into his crushing embrace. "I'm not mad, it's just—he was literally choking on his sobs—he didn't even cry like that when the Slut left him. He's currently in my house throwing up his guts."

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "He probably hates me now. What if he won't take me back?"

"He will. Come on."

"Wait—if he's sick…"

"He's lovesick. Literally. After he fell asleep he started throwing and Rose spent the whole night playing nurse."

The motherly side of her took over and she jumped for her keys. "Take him to my house."

XXXXXXXXXX

She watched him sleep fitfully, his stomach clenching instinctively and sweat pouring down his god like face. She didn't know what to think. Being without her made him physically ill. She couldn't stand that she'd hurt him that much.

His eyes shot open and he reached for her blearily. "Bella," he breathed.

"I'm here. I'm sorry, Edward, I didn't mean to make you sick, I just—"

He shook his head, sitting up a little. "Not your fault," he barely managed before dashing for the bathroom again. He was only dry heaving.

"Edward… maybe you should see a doctor."

He shook his head, heaving violently again. "No way. My dad will kill me—"

She stood up. "Maybe it's him you need to see."

He grabbed her arm. "No! please—I'll be fine. Just stay with me, okay? I'll be okay if you don't leave."

She knelt next to him. "I'm here, okay?"

He nodded and let her pull him close.

"But I'm still calling your dad."

"Wait! Bella--"

B|E

"Is he okay?"

"He's going to be okay."

"I told you, Bells."

"Edward, go back to sleep, okay?"

"Uh-uh."

"Edward," said Carlisle sternly. "You need rest. I promise you that Bella will be here waiting when you wake up, okay?"

He sighed and plopped back against the pillows, grumbling under his breath about her and his dad ganging up on him.

Bella grinned at him and kissed his cheek. Her smile was always brilliant, he mused.

"Just call me back if he starts acting up."

"Yessir. Thanks, Carlisle."

"NO problem, Bella. Do you think I could have a word with Edward?"

She nodded and Edward swallowed hard. He knew this was coming. "So… Dad…"

"So, Edward. You're in love with that girl, are you?"

He nodded.

"Edward… I have known Bella for a long time. I was operating on her husband. He died under my scalpel, Edward. She isn't ready for you to be in love with her."

"But…"

"Give her time. She is probably very afraid right now and sorry that she caused you pain. She might pull back. She might do pretty much anything. Women are very volatile, you know."

"Oh I know. One minute she was fine, the next Cookie was confessing to Newton's death, and the next the whole thing was my fault. I honestly had no clue what was going on. I just know he feels really horrid about what he did all those years ago."

"I know you're a fragile heart, Edward. Just keep in mind that she is too."

He nodded as his father turned to go. It hadn't been as bad as he thought.

"Edward… you haven't slept with her, have you?"

Nevermind.

A/N: sorry it's taken forever plus one to post. i had some major writer's block with this story, but I think I know what I want now, so stay tuned. Plus, the stupid uploader was rejecting my documents. But I'm back in the game now, I promise.

if you're wondering why i picked the muse song, pay attention to the lyrics. the lyrics are kind of a what's going through bella's head thing... yeah. the rest i think you all can figure out.

hope you enjoyed and as always,

cheers!

~temporary insanity