All characters are Stephenie Meyer's

Chapter 11 - Sleeping Beauty

ALICE

Bella was gone. We all saw her go into the basement with Carlisle, but she just disappeared. We all listened, as she yelled at the baby in her tummy, and apparently, her baby was obedient, because Bella suddenly just…vanished. Carlisle was stunned, we all were. If things went as Bella said, her and Edward would have a family together. That was just amazing and thrilling. I wanted to start shopping immediately, but I needed to make sure I got Edward back to make it happen.

We all tried calling, but he wasn't answering. I had a vision of the snowy summit he was pouting on and went through several outcomes, trying to find one that would bring him home. I finally found one, though I wasn't pleased with it. I told him to come back, and he could just ignore her. The truth was, he would eventually see that the Bella who would be here was not the same Bella, but he would be a butthead for a while beforehand.

We were all at school on Monday, and I was anxious to go talk to Bella, wondering what she remembered, if anything. My visions said she would be happy to be my friend, but she was shy and quiet. Not like the Bella I had gotten to know. I tried to point that out to Edward, but all he did was scowl.

He sat there, scowling silently though their Biology class, stupid idiot. Emmett ran past her house that night and heard her crying to her mom over the phone about it. He didn't like that. We all missed Bella. Emmett beat up Edward, and I was glad for it. I thought maybe going out with someone else would make Edward jealous, but when I suggested dating to Bella, she just kind of laughed at me and said no thanks. She didn't want to make waves. I didn't fully understand, but then, I saw Lauren and Jessica glaring at her, when Mike and Tyler started looking in her direction. That was when I remembered Jacob Black. Of course, before I could put my plan into action, the vision of Tyler's van hit me, and I screamed. Edward looked at me, and he saw the vision. Thank God he acted on it.

EDWARD

I did my best not to get sucked into whatever game they were all playing. The ability to time travel was not a gift anyone had ever heard of. There was no way, but the memories of everyone were quite clear. Bella was gone, but then again, she was here. I watched her from a distance, angry that she had hurt me the way she had. I was mad at myself for feeling for her, when I should have been staying away from her. I didn't want to get hurt, so that meant staying away. She was quiet, she never said a word to me, and in class, she would let her hair hang between us to hide from my scowl. Boys admired her from afar, but she seemed to be trying to avoid them as well.

I watched, as she stayed hidden and alone. Even with Alice trying to befriend her, she was shy and quiet and blushed constantly. Damn that amazing blush that drove me crazy. She did it regularly, and I watched her, I watched her trip and fall and stumble over nothing. She was so clumsy, but so beautiful. They insisted that this was a different Bella, and when I listened closely, I did not hear the heartbeat of two babies, but I'd seen the test for myself. I'd heard Carlisle confirm it, sixteen weeks he had said, twins.

I stood by Alice and watched Bella. It seemed like the only thing we came to school for anymore was always to watch Bella. She got out of her truck, carefully gripping the side, as her feet slid around. She made her way to the back of her truck, and that made no sense; school was in the other direction. She stood at the back of her truck and looked down at something, the emotion on her face puzzling, something I didn't understand. And then suddenly, Alice screamed.

It took just seconds for her vision to register in my mind, and all I could think was, not her. Please, not her. I crashed into her, pushing her out of the way, right before the van struck exactly where she had been standing, and then, it careened around, coming at us again. I pulled her soft, warm body against me protectively, and her scent assaulted me. I growled for a moment, fighting back the monster, and focused on the van coming at us. I put my hand up, stopping it, and it slammed us back into another car, but I kept her safely wrapped in one arm against my chest, away from any twisted metal.

The van was not finished with her yet; it twisted again and moved for her legs. I shoved it back, catching it on my shoulder, and pulled her legs out of the way, before shrugging the van off my shoulder and away from us. It finally stopped its assault, so I could now turn my attention to her. She had hit her head, when I had first snatched her out of the way, and I worried she was hurt, but I did not smell any blood. I thought she would be unconscious, but when I looked down at her, she was looking back at me wide-eyed, mouth open, and stunned.

I was worried she was going into shock and was frustrated it took so long for the medics to come, but she just stared at me silently. Then finally, she stuttered out, "H-how…?" At this point, I was sitting as far from her as possible. I had saved her, but I still did not want her. She was still the girl who had hurt me. I just growled in response to her question; she knew damn well how. I was not playing her little game. She actually tried to skitter further away when she heard it, and I smiled, it was the first time she had ever responded like that to my growl, the first time she had ever seen me as a monster and tried to get away. Before, when I'd growled, she'd always moved closer, as if she wanted it, liked it, craved it, like I craved her, and I hated her for it.

Bella's eyes were now darting back and forth between the indentions on the vehicles and me. She looked like she wanted to say something, but she was too scared to. She finally spoke.

"A-Are you okay?" she pointed to the damage on the cars.

When she asked, she slowly and carefully moved closer. I wanted to snap at her. Yell at her that of course I was okay. Her eyes settled on my shoulder that had saved her legs. I was growling as she approached, but still, she tentatively came closer. I held perfectly still, trying to keep my temper in check, and from throwing her away from me and hurting her, after I had gone through all the trouble of saving her.

"Let me see," she whispered, as she approached my shoulder; I didn't move.

I wanted to snap at her with my teeth, and I think she knew that, but she approached anyway. She carefully fingered the torn material of my coat. I felt no pressure at all. If I had been hurt, I would not have felt pain from her examination. There was concern in her eyes, but she seemed pleased, when she saw the skin was intact. Her eyes met mine, not flinching like a human's should.

"Are you going to be okay?"

I yanked my torn jacket from my body and threw it into her truck cab, hiding the damage. My sudden movements startled her, but did not scare her. Her eyes found me in our tiny prison again.

"I'm fine," I finally snapped.

Just then, the van trapping us was moved. Emmett stood with several other large boys. I knew he could have moved it himself, but he had others help for show. Right behind him was Alice, jumping up and down and clapping. I was not in the mood. I shoved past Emmett and ignored Alice. I heard as Emmett spoke softly to Bella, asking if she was okay. I felt her eyes on me. I looked back and glared. This changed nothing, she had to know this did not change the way I felt about her.

Then, I heard Emmett whisper, "Are you sure you're okay? He didn't squeeze you too tight, did he?"

I spun around and saw her eyes widen at Emmett's question. She looked back at me and then to him again, and then, she shook her head no. She let him help her to her feet, but she swayed, and he caught her in his arms. One hand went to her head and the other went to her waist, where I had gripped her. She tried to step away but collapsed, and Emmett picked her up in his arms.

"I'm okay, really," she protested, just as the ambulance drove up, and he finally released her onto a stretcher.

"You didn't squeeze her so tight the first time," Alice's words tore me away from Bella's stretcher in the distance.

"What?"

"The first time, she said she just had a bump and was fine."

"What are you talking about, Alice?" She just rolled her eyes.

"I hope she can still have kids. I hope you didn't break anything, you know, inside, when you squeezed her too hard."

My eyes narrowed at her, annoyed. But if I was right, if she was the same Bella, then the babies she was pregnant with could be hurt. If she lost them, I knew it would be devastating for her. I had watched Esme go through that torment, and if I had damaged Bella to the extent that she would never have children, then she would be miserable like Rosalie. For some reason, even though I hated her, I did not want her to hate me for saving her, for gripping her too tightly and breaking her. I didn't want her to have the right to hate me. I found myself standing outside my father's office, and he met me with a concerned smile. "Her tests will be back momentarily."

I followed him to her room. Apparently, Alice insisted she have her own room, because Tyler Crowley, the driver of the van, was going to annoy her. It was dark and silent. My father spoke in a human whisper, which I found annoying and somewhat humorous. He shoved the films up on the lightboard.

"You see here? No major damage."

"And the babies?" I whispered to him, following his suit.

He just shook his head no. "She's not pregnant."

He put up another film of her abdomen.

"Did she lose it? I don't smell blood; she's not hemorrhaging."

"She's not pregnant, Son. Just look, look at the film."

"Damn it, Carlisle, I don't believe you! I saw the test with my own eyes. I heard the words from her own lips. She is pregnant."

There was a slight gasp. I turned too fast for a human. Carlisle kept his composure and turned at a human pace. I glared at her, daring her to deny it, to deny we had been together, and she had ripped out my dead heart. I knew what she felt like against my skin, and I dared her to deny me with my glare. She pulled her blanket further up her body, and her eyes flicked back and forth between Carlisle and me. Her eyes were wide and scared, and Carlisle asked me to step out. I did so begrudgingly, but I stood at the door listening. She was crying. She burst into tears as soon as the door closed.

She finally pulled herself together to stutter out, "I'm not…I've never even...I haven't..."

I was about to burst in, but she didn't finish her statement, just cried harder. "I don't know why he hates me so much. I don't even know him! Why would he say something like that about me? I've never even kissed a boy!"

"Don't mind him; he probably just has you mixed up with someone else. My son can be very stubborn sometimes."

I could hear a sudden shift on the bed, as if she might have jumped.

"Your son?"

"Yes, he's my son, though I'm ashamed of the way he's been treating you as of late."

"If he hates me so much, why did he save me? Why didn't he just let me die?" She sobbed harder, and then, I remembered how mentally unstable Bella could be.

I was suddenly worried she might try and hurt herself again.

"He doesn't hate you, Bella; he's just struggling with himself right now. He'll come around. Now just get some rest, alright?"

I heard the linens rustle again and assumed she was taking his advice. He stepped out into the hallway, and I saw the worried look on his face.

"She won't hurt herself will she?"

"I don't know for sure one way or the other, Edward. I think she's okay, but you should stop. You've seen her go over the edge, she may have a tendency we're not aware of, and so, you need to stop pushing her, Son. And stop your damn scowling! She's not the same girl, and her disappearance has just proven her words. They were your children, so stop pouting and find your love." He finished scolding me in his mind and left me standing alone outside her door.

I listened to her cry herself to sleep. I was suddenly afraid to lose her, terrified that what I'd done would make me completely lose her to herself. I sat quietly against her door, listening to her heartbeat, listening to her breathe. Listening to her exist. The air kicked on in her room, and a gust of her scent came to me from under her door. It called to me. Not bloodlust, but longing, to hold her, to bury my face in her hair, and to tell her I loved her, to hold her in my arms and tell her everything was perfect, because she existed in my world. I wanted to, but that was not my reality.

Her scent called, and so, I reasoned that, for now, it could be. I slipped back into her room, her scent swirling around me, causing me to purr, as I remembered her in my arms. Her dark locks spread across the pillow. I knew the silk of them personally. Her lips were held tight in a pout, pink and perfect. I wanted to kiss them and make them smile. I needed her, and I hated myself for it. It scared me to need someone so much, to need someone so fragile, it was dangerous. I twisted my fingers in her hair as she slept, savoring the feel of it on my hand while I could.

"I'm sorry, Love, I'm so sorry," I whispered. "I'm sorry I'm so scared to love you, I'm sorry I hate myself for loving you. Please, Love, please, forgive me," I whispered to her and continued to whisper to her as she slept.

She slept restlessly, and at one point, she rolled into the hand that was in her hair. Her arms wrapped around it and pulled me to her, snuggling in tight. "Edward," she whimpered. I thought she might have awakened, but she was still sleeping. I savored the chance to hold her in my arms, if only for a moment, only in her dreams. I savored the heat of her body against mine, as I pressed against her. She seemed to relax into me and slept deeper. It was as if her subconscious mind already knew she loved me, even if this Bella wasn't aware of it yet.

A/N: I know this one was short, but the next chapter is longer. It has a naked Jake in it. The whole chapter is pretty funny. I enjoyed writing it.