Edward POV
I held Bella in my arms as I carried her from the car to our cottage. Everyone was at home bar Anthony and Aimee, I swallowed. Not in the mood to argue with Chris over something trivial. I didn't have the energy to fight with him, another part of my heart had crumpled away, and there was nothing I could do to get it back. Nothing I thought I was willing to do anyway.
My feet finally made it up the last of the steps, my entire body straining to push me through the door. My ashen wife was asleep in my arms, but occasionally she would cry and whimper into my chest, the result being another piece of my forever burning like acid in my chest.
I shut the door behind me and Ness appeared across from us. She went to speak but I silenced her with a gentle shake of my head. The movement being so small I was sure Bella would not feel it. Regardless whether she did or not, she did not stir.
Ness nodded and left, back into her and Chris's room where they had been laid watching TV. I lay Bella on the sofa and kissed her forehead as her hands clasped the front of my shirt, refusing to let go.
I sighed, prying them gently away from the material but she held fast. I swallowed and picked her back up, laying down in her place with her across my chest.
Eventually her eyelids fluttered open and her sobs subsided, she looked up at me with tired eyes, and I smiled back weakly.
"Hey." She croaked.
I swallowed and my fingers ran down her cheek gently, "hey."
She took a deep breath and sat up straddling me, her fingers on one hand running through my hair, the other clasped in mine tightly by my head. My other hand held her waist, thumb stroking her side softly.
She smiled and went to kiss my forehead when she stiffened, me corning away from her as she ran her hand down the side of my neck behind my ear, pushing my head to the side so she could see.
I swallowed and she pulled my face to look at her. Her eyes portrayed the sadness and hurt she could never get across with words. But as always with my wife, she spoke them anyway, just in case I didn't get the message.
I listened to her cry and scream at mew, but there was nothing I could do, except the one thing I normally did in times like this. I swallowed and listened as she cried, and then at the height of her rage, I pulled her to me tight, refusing to let her go as she struggled pointlessly, crying all the more.
"How long have you known?" She whispered.
I let out a long breath, "Since Ellie died."
She took in a stuttering breath, "And you didn't tell me."
I shook my head, cradling her face in my hands, "How could I?" My voice broke at the end.
"Edward why would you keep something like that you yourself… I need you to let me in…"
"Exactly." I snapped.
Bella's face fell into a pit of confusion.
I sighed and looked at our intertwined hands as I spoke, the words were quiet compared to the pulsating sensation I was feeling behind my ear. A dry vein thirsting for some kind of liquid.
"You need me to be strong, to protect you… its in my nature, to shoulder the blame for everything bad that happens, including this." I whispered.
She kissed my forehead as I closed my eyes and leant back into the sofa. Her soft hand stroked my cheek and her lips touched my eyelids.
"You need to rest." She whispered.
I let out a breathless chuckle, it felt a like a relief off of the pressure I could feel in my chest. It seemed our roles had been reversed, me being taken care of, and her being the paranoid other half.
She rubbed my shoulder. "I'll phone Carlisle in a but, just try and sleep, you must be exhausted."
"Love you." I swallowed.
I assumed she smiled softly, "Love you too Edward."
Chris POV
I watched as Ness suddenly at up in bed, her hair flying around her face as she moved quickly, throwing on her clothes. I was about to ask what she was doing when I saw tears rolling down her cheeks. I swear I had never moved as fast as I did then.
My arms wrapped around her and forced her to look at me.
"What's wrong?" I demanded.
She looked up at me with wide eyes, tears still falling.
"Dads sick…" Was all I could understand through her sobs.
I frowned in confusion, "Ness he's a vampire.. He can't get sick…"
"yes he can." She snapped, but not in anger, in frustration and sadness.
"He was ill when I was little, then when Ant was born… but he's worse, so much worse than he was…." She sobbed and I pulled her back to my chest.
I shushed her and kissed her hair, "He'll get better."
She nodded, still crying into my chest. I heard the ghostly chuckle of a voice that almost certainly didn't belong to meat the back of my brain. I shut my eyes and buried my face in my fiancée's hair, cringing when I saw the curve of a snarling pick lips behind my eyelids, burning crimson eyes commanding me in a ways I could not refuse. The words repeated themselves, and my soul let out an agonised scream.
"he'll get better." Ness repeated quietly into my chest, although ti sounded like she was trying to console herself.
I swallowed, nodding, the words rang again, only this time I fought harder jot to believe them, even though I knew they were true.
No he wont.
