Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

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THE PAINED MUSICIAN

Edward sat in his wheelchair, looking out at the New York skyline. Bella and he had remained in the city after his accident, choosing to stay close to the doctors who had saved his life that day. Also, they'd felt like they could blend in more in the city than in Sacramento, especially now that the press knew about his marriage. Edward shook his head, remembering how awful it had been getting out of the hospital surrounded by paparazzi and reporters. Thank God for Felix and Demetri, the bodyguards hired by his father; they had been a big help that day.

Of course, Edward hadn't agreed to stay in the city at first. He had just wanted to go home and rest. The new house was finished and furnished and he'd wanted to break it in but Bella had been adamant about staying here. Not getting his way made Edward act like an asshole and made his wife cry, which made him feel like shit, so he'd finally given in. They had found an apartment not far from the hospital to rent.

Edward rubbed his hands on his thighs, feeling the muscles cramping a bit. His physical therapist had said it was normal; he was rebuilding the muscle tone he'd lost during the surgery, but it was his lower back that hurt the most. He couldn't stay seated for too long, or his legs would start to go numb. The first time it happened, it freaked him out, making him think that he was going to lose feeling in his legs. The doctors had explained that what caused the pain; the numbness was the compression of the sciatic nerve, which was caused by the sacral nerves S1, S2. Luckily, he hadn't needed surgical intervention; he had been pretty tired of going back under the scalpel by then. The doctor had prescribed him a few pills and then had referred him to a physical therapist.

"So…. What do you think?"

Edward sighed and rolled around to face his best friend and brother-in-law.

"I don't know, Jasper… I mean, can we actually pull it off?"

Jasper smirked. "I think we can. Tanya is all for it."

"I think you should do it, sweetheart." Bella piped in from her perch on the bed where she was flipping through another book about pregnancy.

Edward smiled at the sight.

"Are you planning on writing one of those?" he teased her.

She rolled her eyes. "I doubt it. I think I will stick with fiction, thank you very much."

He laughed and winked at her when she blushed.

His smile always had that effect on her.

Edward still remembered the first time he met his Bella. Of course, he had heard of her before. An avid reader like he knew who the up-and-coming best-selling author Isabella Swan was. He was a fan of the book series that had made her famous, and her fame had increased when a major production company showed interest in turning it into a television series. Yes, Bella already had been very accomplished when Jasper had introduced him, but he hadn't been prepared for the onslaught of feelings he had felt when he'd shaken her hand for the first time.

Depression and numbness had been something with which Edward had had to deal for a very long time. When his mother had died in that car accident, he had lost his best friend and confidante. As the eldest child, Edward felt very protective of his family, but also he'd felt like there was something wrong with him. He just couldn't connect with anyone. His father had been worried and had advised him to see a therapist, which he had readily agreed to. That's when everything had gone downhill. The pills his therapist had prescribed him made him drowsy and messed up his coordination. When he'd realized he couldn't even play his guitar anymore, he had flushed the pills and had refused to go back to therapy.

But when Bella had come along… everything changed.

For the first time in his life, he had felt a connection, a very deep connection, with someone outside his family. It had been like finally being able to breathe with ease again. She had gotten along amazingly with everyone, even Rosalie, and most importantly, she had made him smile. Edward had fallen head over heels in love with her at first sight, and right then and there he had vowed to never let her go. She had been made for him, and he'd be damned if he didn't make her his.

"Edward?" Jasper waved a hand in front of Edward's face, breaking his trance.

He startled, making his Bella giggle. He winked at her, bringing a blush to her cheeks.

He'd never get tired of that.

"I swear to God, you two are worse than Em and Ali!"

"Calm down, Jazz. Let me think about it, okay?"

Jasper nodded and stood up. "Let me know, man. Call me when you make up your mind."

Later that afternoon, after a very tiring session with his physical therapist, he was resting on his couch with his head on his Bella's lap. She ran her fingers through his hair, tracing the scars on his face every now and then.

"They look better," she commented as she traced the biggest scar, which was on the edge of his jaw from his chin to all the way to his ear.

"I feel better."

"Then why didn't say yes to Jasper?"

Edward shrugged and then shook his head.

"Edward?" Bella pushed, trying to make him open up.

"I'm scared," he confessed after a couple of minutes' silence. "I'm afraid I will make a fool out of myself."

"Edward… never!"

"How do you know that?"

"I know because you are a very strong, talented, caring man. The guys will be there to support you, and I'll be there to encourage you. Edward, your love of music will push you to do your best when everyone will be expecting to do your worst. You have been pushing through the pain and struggling with your mood for weeks, yet here you are!"

"Because of you, Bella. You have to know that everything I do is because of you; you give me the strength to pull through."

"Then count on me to give you the strength to do this."

"You really think it's a good idea."

"Yes, I do."

Edward thought back to that day in Las Vegas when they had gotten married. Bella had looked so beautiful, and like the talented writer she was, she had written her own vows on the ride from the airport to the hotel.

"Conventional vows are for conventional people. We are far from conventional, Edward. We are extraordinary. You are my life now, and I will be there for you through the best and the worst., I have learned that it's worth going through a little bit of pain, because that pain makes you cherish the happier times more. I want to cherish every moment with you, Edward. As long as we both shall live."

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

Edward shook his head. "Like what?"

"I don't know… like in awe or something."

"How can I not be in awe of you, my Bella? You have given me everything..."

Bella kissed him for that, and with that kiss his mind was made up.

He pulled back, after kissing her lips once, twice, three times.

"Okay, I'll do it."

"You sure?"

"Positive."

Because at the end of the day, feeling a little pain was worth it, even more so because he knew they would all be there for him, just as he had been there for them.

That was family was all about, right?