I dont own any characters of twilight! Enjoy! R&R. I've been swamped with school work and for a bit since its the end of the school year which is busy for me usually. i don't know when i'll find time to write, but i will try to update when i can.

Chapter 21

After his pondering, Edward killed off the engine of the car quietly closing the driver's door, so not to arouse anyone in the residences where his car was parked against the curb of the narrow street. Tossing and turning, Bella lay away staring at her bedroom ceiling attempting to fall asleep already trying several sleeping methods that ultimately failed and with nothing seeming to work Bella could only ponder wishing that Edward could cradle and sing her to sleep humming sweet, melodic lullabies. At that exact moment, Edward appeared in her bedroom window surprising Bella, who shot up straight panicking it was James, but to her relief it was Edward instead. Opening the window closing it behind him silently not to stir Charlie just a few bedrooms away, strode over to the bed sitting next to Bella. Caressing Bella's face in his hands, Edward stared adoringly at into her warm, brown eyes with his topaz eyes as if he was looking into her beautiful soul with their face only inches apart. Bella wished that she could freeze this moment with Edward when no other conflicts or dramas ruining their lives. Lost in her thoughts, Edward brought her back to reality when he urgently kissed her lips slightly throwing her off sending her thoughts completely array. Bella lost her train of thoughts getting out of her head and living in this moment with Edward. Bella snaked her slender arms around Edward's neck closing the space between them fully leaning against Edward causing him to fall back on her bed. Momentarily pausing the kiss, Edward wrapped his arms around Bella's slim waist to support both their weight on the bed. Breaking the kiss, Edward trailed her jaw line with feather kisses then to her neck as Bella let out a soft moan tightening her grip around Edward's neck. Wafting her alluring strawberry scent, Edward kissed her hairline then staring at her face stroking his cold, fingers over her smooth check watching as her heavy eyelid fluttered closed with sleepiness. Edward repositioned Bella resting her head against her cushy pillow cradling her in his arm stroking her hair humming beautiful lullabies to her and sometimes murmuring Edward's name in her sleep whilst dreaming peacefully.

The morning approached sending rays of light through her bedroom dancing across Edward's sparkling, pale skin. Without wanted to rouse Bella from her serene sleep, Edward carefully removed his arm around Bella taking her slowly in her arms gently placing her bed lying on her back. Edward removed his jacket, placed the jacket over Bella as a blanket to keep her body temperature warm. With the window slightly ajar, Edward was about to jump out of the window, but thought he should write a concise, affectionate note to his love, Bella, with his early disappearance in the morning. The note read:

My dearest Bella,

I had to leave early morning to go hunting with Carlisle, Jasper, and Emmett will be back late tomorrow afternoon. Be Safe.

Love,

Edward Cullen

Bella opened her eyes finding herself alone on her bed with Edward's jacket placed over her, and arose from the bed slightly fatigued from last night clutching to the bed for stability. Clumsily walking over the bathroom, a folded piece of paper with her name written on it and opened it reading it with her slightly tired eyes admiring Edward's exquisite, fancy cursive handwriting in his brief note. Sighing Bella trudged to bathroom, looked into the mirror at her shabby morning look with her messy brown curls partially bouncy curls tangled together, bags under her eyes heavily lined with charcoal eyeliner and her navy eye shadow a bit smudged into the crevices of her eyelids, and checks still pink from the blush. She smoothed out her layers of her dress that had gotten ruffled in her sleep. Gazing at her now wrinkled dress, Bella noticed angry red marks on her feet from the straps of her five-inch stilettos last night also her feet were still sore from walking around in stilettos the whole night. Bella searched her room for some makeup remover and cotton balls to get rid of the makeup Alice greatly caked on her delicate face. Her legs stiff and sore from the excessive walking incredibly high stilettos and her arms, Bella turned the shower on to soothe her aching calf muscles and freshen up for the start of the weekend of relaxation from yesterday night's chaotic events. Exiting the shower, Bella wrapped a towel around her body and dried her long, wavy brown hair with another towel running her finger detangling it gazing into foggy bathroom mirror from the steam of the hot water used in the shower. Shivering slightly, Bella cracked the bathroom door open when a huge gust of cold air from her bedroom smacked her body like a brick. She limped over to her dresser scavenging through her clothes for something cozy, warm to wear with the frigid weather outside after the rain last night dramatically dropping the temperature outside. She found blue wool sweater paired with a black camisole underneath with an old pair of faded blue jeans.

Downstairs, Bella walked down to the kitchen for some breakfast with her stomach violently growling for food. A blue sticky note attached to the refrigerator with Charlie's sloppy mess of handwriting that said:

Bella

I didn't want to wake you, but I left early in the morning to go fishing with Harry and figured that you would be drained from last night. There's some leftovers in the refrigerator and if not I left some money on the kitchen table for some groceries.

Charlie

Bella turned around with her back against the refrigerator discovering a crisp, wrinkle free fifty dollar bill sitting on the bare kitchen table. Grabbing the fifty dollar bill, Bella shoved it in her jean pocket grasping for the car keys to her ancient, rustic, red truck to the grocery store for some food for the coming week from peering into the refrigerator finding nothing substantial for both Charlie and her sufficing for no more than three days. Bella grabbed her purse heading to the front door with the car keys when her stomach grumbled ferociously begging for food, though despite with her growling stomach and a developing migraine she still strode to the door ignoring the food craving her body was yearning for. Bella made her way drowsily to her truck with barely five hours of sleep and climbed into the driver's seat putting the key into the car engine as the truck slowly revved to life pulling out of the driveway driving out of the neighborhood noisily on that Sunday afternoon.

Pulling up into the local grocery store, the red rustic truck drove slowly while Bella searched intently for a parking space in the crowded parking especially on the weekends when everyone made a trip for food supplies for the week. A spot between a metallic green CRV and silver Ford Explorer with just enough room the truck squeezed into the space and the engine was cut off. Bella lost her balance momentarily exiting the car, but caught the truck prevent her from falling to the black tarred ground. Despite the cushiony tennis shoes, Bella's feet were still sore from the stilettos thanks to Alice she groaned attempting to bear the soreness from the soles of her feet and her stiffened calf muscles. Though the distance from parked truck and the grocery entrance wasn't far, it felt like an eternity just semi walking and limping to the entrance. Bella pulled out the shopping list out of her purse and swiftly bought all the food leaving only after thirty minutes of arriving, Bella was shoving the shopping cart heavily leaning on it on the way back to the truck with keys in hand making it simpler transition to place the plastic grocery bags in the passenger's seat sliding into the driver's seat turning on the engine and sped cautiously out of the parking lot heading home. The truck bucked often unable to maintain the fast speed for a prolonged time, so Bella slowed her speed that her truck could handle smoothly driving back into her neighborhood into her driveway to see Edward's silver Volvo parked in front of her house. A big grin spread across Bella's face upon the site of Edward's silver Volvo, her truck sped into the driveway bumpily, though Bella didn't care she was too elated to care about if the truck survived the rough trip it had endured. Slamming the door behind her loudly, Bella ran to Edward, who was leaning against his car with a sexy smile plastered on his face his light amber eyes sparkling with joy at the sight of Bella, and threw her arms around his neck exclaiming, "I missed you so much! I was wondering when you'd get home from the note you left this morning. It said you'd come home only around late afternoon tomorrow. Was the hunting trip short?" Her mesmerizing hazel eyes staring intently at Edward's face, Edward lost his train of though lost in her hypnotizing gaze but recovered his thought responding tenderly, "Umm… we'll Emmett and Carlisle are staying there to hunt for the whole weekend, but the whole time I was there it was impossible to get you out of my thoughts, so I came back earlier to surprise you."

Edward kissed her lips lightly, then waited for her reaction though Bella's thoughts were still frazzled lost in Edward's handsome features managed to say, "I could have occupied myself for two days I mean I love spending time with you, but I have other people I could have hung out with like Jacob. I haven't been to La Pusha in a while, and I miss spending time with my dear friend." The mention of Jacob's name made Edward's face contort into a grimace, puzzled as she was Bella found it odd and weird because he hadn't seem to bother Edward until after prom. Whenever his name was brought up Edward always reacted oddly. "You seem to be not pleased that I would spend some time with my friend. Did he threaten you because if he did I swear I'm going to scold him—," Bella interrupted by Edward statement.

"When you were talking to Jacob at prom, I agree with Jacob that you had a safe, normal life before I came and screwed up it up putting you a constant target for any danger. You can barely enjoy one second of you life without some paranoia that you have to constantly keep looking over you shoulder being cautious with every move and decision you make."

Anger boiled inside, Bella resisted to shake Edward because it seemed that despite all her assurances Edward found it unfeasible to stop blaming for everything danger that came her way. Deep breathes, Bella thought. Folding her arms across her chest impatiently, Bella calmed down then finally blurted out agitated, "Edward Anthony Mason Cullen! I swear I don't know how many times I have to make it clear to you that it's not your fault that I seem to be in danger. I have been a magnet for trouble even before I met you! YOU HAVE TO BLAMING YOURSELF FOR EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS TO ME GOD!" Bella tried not to get any more annoyed than she was, though Edward had the guiltiest conscience she'd ever met in all her 16 years of life! Frustration still rippling through her chest, Edward decided to back off of this touchy issue she can't seem to come to realize is true. Despite Bella's stubbornness, Edward seemed to find her quite amusing always surprising him never boring him at all. A pleasant smile spread across his face, Bella still livid totally lost once she noticed him grinning at her completely lost of what he could possibly smiling about. "What you smiling for?" Bella snapped with irritation.

"You never cease to stop surprising me with your sweet, loving outward nature, though fiery, feistiness sometimes escaping waiting to surface," Edward suggested, "for everyday is intriguing adventure with you, Bella. I can never guess what you're going to do or come up with next not even with the help of Alice's premonitions." Edward laughed carefree, pulling Bella into his strong embrace murmuring into her hair, "I swear I've never felt this way but I would never exchange if for anything this world can offer." Edward kissed the top of Bella's head and gazing deeply into her chocolate eyes he spoke in a smooth, connected voice, "I know you quite well to know that you are never irate unless something is seriously bothering you, Bella. What is it that is bothering you? I'm here if you need someone to talk to. You don't have to pretend to be strong. It's alright to show you emotions, Bella."

Bella gave up keeping a strong front letting her emotions overtake her as a sob ripped through her body shaking her face buried in her hands the sobbing becoming louder. Edward drew her into his arms, Bella's body quivering just continued to weep unable to formulate the words express how she was feeling at that moment overwhelmed with the emptiness from the lost of her beloved friend, Mike. The reality of her loss took a while to set in but today, it seemed to hit her like a truck crashed into her with full force. Edward stoked her hair humming a sweet lullaby to soothe her sorrowful state at the moment. Even after 25 minutes of bawling, Bella wasn't done but Edward interrupted, "Just tell me what you're feeling. I want to help you, Bella. Let's go inside and get you some hot chocolate, then you can tell me everything that is eating you up inside. "

Staring up with her red tear filled eyes Bella looked at Edward with a morose expression, and then buried her head in his shoulders using him for support. Edward wrapped his arm around her waist leading her inside of her house opening the door with her key gently closed the door behind them. Once in the kitchen, Edward scavenged her food closet for a packet of hot chocolate to make a warm drink for Bella, who is seated in one chair at the small, round kitchen table laying her head down. Edward took a seat next to Bella holding a cup of hot chocolate placing it next to Bella waiting for her to lift her head up, but it seemed that she wouldn't move. Concerned, Edward gently shook her, but she still didn't stir. Slowly lifting her head up, he saw her eyes were taken over with sleep. He took her peaceful, resting body in her arms and went up the stairs heading to her bedroom. Placing her softly one her bed with her head resting on her plush pillow, Edward retreated to a rocking chair hidden by the shadows of her room watching her sleep. Bella looked serene in her rest as her chest rose and fell her body never moved from where she was placed but often called out Edward's name in a gentle whisper in her dreams.

I'm working on my new fanfic called The Night Off Duty based on the Night Huntress Series. i just posted it yesterday am trying to update twilight alternative ending once i figure out my idea for the future chapters cuz its been a while. Any suggestions for future chapters?