Hey loyal readers, sorry it's been a little while since my last update...I was driving back home from school all day yesterday and today I actually spent catching up on all my favourite stories!

Big thanks to those who added my story to their favourites and a shout out to MistroStrings for the fav. author (ps. check out her story Bitter Sweet.)

Here we go...

Chapter 10: Forgiveness

Bella:

I just had the most...weirdest day of my life.

My heart still pounding as I ran through the days events...first I was nearly killed only to be saved in some superhuman way, which you still have to ask him about, i reminded myself. Then I spent most of it unconscious, then I made a glorious new friendship and possibly laid the foundations for something beyond friendship. School is so going to rock tomorrow.

I smiled when I walked through the door, "Bells!" my dad cried as he wrapped me in an awkward hug. "How's your head?"

"It's fine dad, don't worry, I'm fine" More than fine actually.

"It's a good thing those Cullen kids are quick on their feet!" he said.

My heart skipped a beat.."what..what..what do you mean?" I stuttered. Did he know something about the Cullens I hadn't figured out yet? Did he know Edward had come out of no where and stopped a van with his bare hands....it even sounded crazy in my head. My voice had gone up a couple notches at my peaked curiosity.

Charlie screwed up his eye looking at me strangely, he put his hand to my forhead, "I just meant they're quick thinkers, taking you to Dr. Cullen like that. Are you sure you're okay Bells?"

"Oh, yeah, totally. Totally fine. They were really sweet."

"Yeah nice family he's got there, haven't gotten any trouble from those kids of his since they moved here. Which is nice considering the stories you hear about foster kids being rowdy and trouble makers. 'Spect thats why some people aren't that fond of them, wouldn't give them the time of day...shame, Dr. Cullen's a life-saver at that hospital, working all those extra hours - honestly I don't know when the man sleeps!"

I had never heard Charlie speak about someone so fondly. I had never heard Charlie speak that much at one time ever actually, now that I think about it.

"Yeah their really great, I like them. I'm kind of friends with his daughter Alice."

"Well that's great sweetie!" he clapped me on the back.

"Have you had dinner? I was going to make spaghetti."

"That'd be great Bells, there's a game on the television right now! Call me if you need any help."

"Sure dad." I liked to cook for Charlie. He was a simple man, working all day and coming home to watch TV at night. He gave me my space and didn't hover. He also never felt the need to fill silences with me, and I didn't with him either. We were good together.

After dinner I excused myself and went upstairs. I had planned on doing some homework but my mind was pre-occupied with other things...Cullen things. I kept playing the accident over and over in my head. Van sliding towards me, my legs locking in shock, and then strong arms grabbing me protectively and stopping the van, enough to make it rock slightly on its 4 wheels. The look in Edward's eye was intense, the only time I had seen a look like that before was when Alice spoke of Jasper. Did that mean, could that mean? No I thought. Edward's not attracted to you. It was just his reflexes, his eyes were intense at the danger of the situation, he had just risked his life for someone he barely knew..... I stopped myself at barely knew....he barely knew me, why would he put himself into danger like that?

A warm feeling crept into the pit of my stomach, fuzzy almost, made me feel giddy and my heart began to beat on an unseen drum. He barely knew me but felt the need to save me...either he is immensely self-sacrificing or he felt attracted to me....

I slept well that night. Really, the first good sleep I had since coming to Forks. I dreamt of Edward Cullen. Once during the night I even woke to go to the bathroom and thought I saw him standing in the corner of my room. By the time I looked again he had vanished. I laughed to myself out loud when I walked to the bathroom.

Edward:

I turned the bend from Bella's house. I was silent for a while as we went through town towards our house in the woods. Alice waited patiently for me to speak. I wondered if she already had seen what I was going to say, wishing she could give me some pointers. I sucked in a breath. I had to do this.

"Alice, I have to apologize to you."

"I know Edward. It's ok, you don't have to do this."

"You're wrong Alice, you deserve an apology, you deserve the world...for you have brought me mine." I whispered the last part.

The corners of her mouths twitched. "I'm not going to say I told you so Edward. No need to worry about that. I'm partially to blame, I forgot about her. I forgot I had seen her so long ago, I feel like I should apologize to her for forgetting her. For forgetting that she and I could be each others family."

"Alice, you are the only one who can make me feel sad, guilty, petty, tiny, extreme self-loathing towards myself and also extremely proud and in awe my little sister all at the same time."

"That's a lot of feelings for someone who's dead inside." she smirked coming out of her sadness.

I grabbed her hand. "I will never forgive myself for not being there for you. For abandoning you. I should have encouraged you to keep looking for Bella, you deserved to find her."

Her eyes were shining with venom, our version of tears, as she remembered back, "Why didn't you?"

"I had seen your vision, I had seen the life with Bella, the end result it gave her. I felt selfish for wanting it, I had done nothing in this life or my last to deserve such happiness, and I believed it would only be happy for so long. Then it would end in severe pain. Penance for this life."

She squeezed my hand comforting me. "Oh Edward."

"No Alice, don't. I don't deserve it. I will never deserve it. You mean more to me than you know and I left you. I let you fool everyone while I knew how much pain you were in as you began to believe it was a future never coming to fruition, how it faded and faded until you forgot her completely. It left a hole in your heart. I saw it everyday. I said, I DID, nothing."

She blinked back more venom as I pulled into our driveway and up to the house. You knew? You knew all along? Obviously she had thought she had fooled everyone including me.

"...Yes. I'm so sorry." I answered as we got out of the car. Jasper must have felt the tension and pain he was at the porch watching uneasy wondering if he should step in. "Don't" I told him holding my hand up. I should ask him to try and focus his power on me, let me feel Alice's hurt...take it from her. This gave me an idea, I tried to project my thoughts into Jasper. It must have worked because I felt a sudden wave hit me. Again and again with crushing force. My body felt like it was tearing in a million different directions. I was amazed Alice was still standing, I had to brace myself against the car. Venom tears started to form in my eyes.

Alice stared at me. She was shaking. Her mind was a mile a minute. I couldn't keep up. She was remembering the effort it took to hide her pain, the hours she spent on her own during hunts trying so hard to see the vision clearly, watching as time made it fade away. "Edward...how could you?" She was dry-heaving now, if she was human tears would have poured out of her. You should have said something...anything....

"I know." I told her as I hung my head. "I'm truly sorry Alice." I stepped forward. She didn't move. I stepped again, and again. I was around the car and she was in my arms in three fast strides. I gripped her tightly as she continued to sob. "More sorry than you'll ever know." I whispered so only she could hear me. "I'll make it up to you somehow.." I added.

She began to hug me back. Starting to calm down, but still upset. She never would be able to fully forgive me. "I understand you Edward. I know why you wanted so hard not to believe that vision. You are the most unselfish person I know. A good person whether you believe it or not...I do." She sniffed and looked up at me, "even though at time you make really poor judgement calls."

She flashed me a radiant smile. I returned it and gave her another hug.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Including that one?" I teased wanting so badly to get our easy relationship back.

She hit me in the chest, "What changed your mind? I saw you leaving, never coming back, and destroying us in the process, I might add. But then it changed. YOU changed."

I thought about this for a moment. I winced at Alice's memory of her vision. "I saw Bella." I said simply, "For the first time I was up close and able to look directly into her eyes. Alice, I felt home. For the first time in over a century I felt connected in that way, in the intense and everlasting way that you and Jasper feel everyday."

"That's beautiful Edward. I knew you had it in you. One more," she said as she took my hand and led me toward the house, "when are you going to tell her about us?"

"I'm not going to. She doesn't need to know. I would only complicate things for her." I said and added in a minute whisper only she could hear, "plus, she might not look at us the same way."

She tightened her grip on my hand and placed her other on my shoulder, "I've seen the way she looks at you, the way she thinks about you, it won't change the way she feels. It just can't. But I'll leave it to you for now, you can tell her or not tell her. But, Edward, I'm not lying to her if she figures it out. I can't lie to her forever, I could barely do it when she asked me about the accident, it breaks my heart. That reminds me, be on your guard, Bella's going to ask you about your miraculous save yesterday." She said and added in her thought, She really is observant........and for the record, I did actually tell you so.

That night I went for a hunt by myself to clear my head. And clearing my head I found myself in Bella's room, finding peace wash over me as I watched her sleep.