Hey there! :D

It's a miracle that I survived, again. :p *Still running from the people with torches and pitchforks who are throwing knifes and smoothing irons* xD

Thank you so much for all the kickass reviews; Mouse555, Golden Perception, Sparkle. love, Beckyisavampire, XxBaby. BooXx, TwihardJonas, Kaylie, Mrs. M Cullen, MissGCullen, Sky Dragon155, Lizzie, AutumnDannie, Misseltje, BellaCullenSwan17, Thari, HannahBananna, Marijne, Sojournofscrawl, Bella'Swan'22, Miss F Cullen, Rosaa, Lizzy, 1mooncalled, Porkkana, Jrow1107, Vampiregirlsrule, Paramore luver, Jordan, xoxoSUMMER RAINE xoxo, Eeyore16, Et1141412, Otme0701, Cnelson, Jacobfan233,Movies2560, Sky Dragon155 and Madeofawesome22! Thanks for sticking with me! :D

To Mouse555: Thanks for the Edward, I totally adore him! :D

To Kaylie: Lol, I know, all those cliffhangers are very mean! xD I tried to be less mean with the ending of this chapter. :p

To Mrs. M Cullen: Sure, you can do to Regina whatever you like! :p I think a lot of people here will be more than willing to help you. :p

To Lizzie: Yay, thanks for giving me all that stuff to make my stay in the cave a little more comfortable! :D

To AutumnDannie: Yeah, that was sort of unfair of me, doing this two days in a row, I know. :p I'll try not to do it again. xD

To Thari: Lol, I love all your reviews, no matter how long or short they are. ;)

To Miss F Cullen: I'm not particularly bored of the cliffhangers, but the people with torches and pitchforks are getting kind of scary. ;)

To Bella'Swan'22: My secret cave is hidden very well, but I still think I can hear an angry mob outside… People can be very inventive when they're mad. :p

To Lizzy: Sure, have your very own, digital Emmett! :D

To Eeyore16: Yay, thanks for catching up! I'm glad you're liking the story so far. :)

Great, another way-too-long author's note. xD Anyway, here's chapter 21! Enjoy!

The Fairy Godmother

I was overcome with shock. All I could do was stare at the door like a moron… This woman was sick. Sick didn't even cover it, she was utterly nuts. As soon as my brain caught up with Regina's actions I jumped up from the bed, ran to the door, and wildly banged my fists against it.

"You can't do this! Let me out of here!" I yelled at the top of my lungs.

"Not a chance, Isabella." I could only barely make out the distant sound that was her voice.

I heard Regina and Lauren rummaging around downstairs, and five minutes later, everything went oddly quiet. My ears were registering the sound of Regina's car, and then the deadly silence returned in full force.

"Crap!" I angrily shouted to no one but myself.

I grasped the door handle, violently shaking it a couple of times. I knew it was useless, but I guessed that it was some kind of kneejerk reaction; you got locked up in a room, you tried to assault the door, even if it was a pointless waste of energy. I quickly gave up on that, and I glanced around the room, looking for inspiration. The attic only possessed one tiny window, and it was a fact that I would never fit through said window.

I restlessly paced around the small room, racking my brain for a solution. My pining was cut short when the shrill sound of the doorbell suddenly filled the silence of the deserted house. By all means keep ringing, I'll be able to answer when pigs learn to fly.

Oh shit, I suddenly realized who this mystery-ringer was.... Alice, at six, Edward had said… This was my shot a freedom! I had to try and get her attention. An idea suddenly crossed my mind, and I walked up to the small window, opening it with some difficulties; I hadn't opened it in ages.

"Alice!" I loudly called her name through the open window and listened carefully to hear if she responded.

No reaction.

"Alice!" I exclaimed, even louder this time.

"Bella?" I faintly heard a disconcerted voice.

"Alice? Is that you?" I screamed.

When the voice answered again, it was louder, closer. "No, it's the fairy godmother, alright! Of course it's me!"

"Thank god." I called back.

"Where are you? Aren't you going to let me in?" Alice yelled, some annoyance in her tone.

I groaned. "I would love to let you in, fairy godmother, but this princess is currently busy with being locked up in the tower!" Was my sarcastic, yelled reply. "Should I try hanging my hair out of the window?"

That shut her up for a second.

"Come again?" She questioned.

I sighed. "Regina locked me up in the attic." I yelled my explanation.

I didn't have to listen closely to hear Alice's response to that.

"That bitch!" She screamed angrily.

"Tell me about it, being locked up isn't a very exciting experience, Alice."

Some silence on Alice's part.

"Alice?" I checked to see if she was still there.

"Yes, I'm here… Hey, do you happen to have the house key there?" She asked.

"Ehm no, but there's a chance that there's a key under the eave next to the front door, if Regina didn't remove it, that is." I said as I recalled that my key might still be in its regular spot.

"Alright, I'm going to check that out, stay where you are!" She called, some humor in her voice despite the weird situation; I figured she was trying to calm me down.

I let myself fall back onto the bed and rolled my eyes. "Stay where you are… Aren't you funny, Alice Cullen." I muttered to the empty room.

There it was again, I was talking to myself like a maniac. My stepfamily's insanity was surely rubbing off on me. I waited patiently, in the meantime nervously fumbling with the bed sheets. Please let my key still be under the eave, I begged silently.

I couldn't even describe the relief I felt when I heard the typical sound of Alice bouncing up the stairs in her recognizable, energetic way. More good luck, apparently the key had in fact been there.

"Your stepmother is a brain-dead bimbo, and I thank the lord for that." Alice called from the other side of the door. "She didn't even take the key of your room with her, it's still in the lock."

I heard a soft click, and then Alice rushed into the room, her face filled with concern. I sprang up from the bed and I smiled gratefully at her, walking up to her and throwing my arms around her without even thinking about it.

"Thank you. You're the best, I was turning into a claustrophobic in here." I said jokingly, deliberately using a light tone to try and take away some of her obviously present concern.

Alice narrowed her eyes as she lightly pulled away. "Don't try to wave it away like it's nothing, she has gone too far, Bella."

"I know." I mumbled.

"Ah well, she will never do it again after tonight, so let's not dwell on it." Alice said, smiling warmly at me. Her tone was more cheery than it had been a few seconds ago.

"What? You think she will have a drastic change of mind after tonight? Or are you going to brainwash her?" I asked skeptically.

Alice slowly shook her head. "Bella, Bella, Bella. Never been the patient type, huh? Just relax, don't be difficult, and work with me here. I've only got ninety minutes left to make you look jaw-droppingly stunning."

I gaped at her. "Are you talking about the dance? Honestly, Alice, now's not the time for that."

"Now's the perfect time for that." Alice disagreed. "So don't mess with the plan! Here, first, put this on."

For the first time I noticed that Alice was holding a long, black clothing bag in one of her hands. She handed it to me, and I brainlessly stared at her.

"No… I can't go… Not after…" I waved my hand around the attic to make my point. "Regina will… I just can't!"

"Oh, yes you can, go put on that dress, missy! I haven't got all day, I also need some time to fix your hair and make-up!" She pushed.

"But…"

Alice raised an eyebrow at me. "Any more protests?"

I growled playfully at her before admitting my defeat. "No, I think I just ran out of excuses."

"Excellent! You put that on while I'm going to get my beauty case from the car." She sang, triumphant.

She darted out of the room, and I curiously eyed the clothing bag in my hand. Her enthusiasm had effectively knocked down all my defenses, and I obediently pulled down the zipper. A beautiful, elegant, night-blue dress was revealed and I gasped in surprise.

The dress was impressive, but I had to admit that I had my doubts about how it would look once it was draped around my far-from-perfect body.

I changed into the gown, ignoring my insecurities, knowing that going against Alice wasn't going to work anyway. If Alice had her mind set on something, it would inevitably happen the way she had planned it. Alice dashed back into my room right in time to help me with the zipper on the back, and once she was done she told me to twirl around.

"Wow, Bella. You look smashing. Edward will be very pleased." She said in awe, beaming at me.

"Do you really think so?" I asked, feeling very self-conscious since wearing a dress was highly out of character for me.

"I don't think so, I know so. Do you want to take a look in the mirror?" She offered.

I hastily shook my head. "No, that's alright. I trust your judgment."

Alice shrugged. "Who cares what I think anyway! It's Edward's opinion that counts, and let me tell you, he will have a hard time keeping his eyes away from you tonight."

I gave her a skeptic frown. "Speaking of Edward, where is he?" I asked, drawing the attention away from me and the supermodel-dress that was miles out of my league.

"At the mansion, getting ready to take his girlfriend to the dance, where else!" Alice answered mockingly.

"Right…"

Alice smirked at me, and took my desk chair from behind my messy desk, placing it in the middle of the room.

"Okay, sit down here, Bella. I'm going to make sure that you're the most beautiful girl at the ball tonight."

I didn't object, I just sat down and let Alice work her magic. With Alice, protesting was not an option, and I tried to relax while she started to tug at my curly locks. I didn't know why she had hope that my impossible hair would cooperate, and quite frankly, I didn't care. I just closed my eyes, silently enduring her mini make-over. When she was done attacking my hopeless, messy hair, she focused on her newest target; my face.

I didn't know how long she'd been messing with my hair and face when the sound of the doorbell startled me.

"Great, more visitors." I said, feigning cheerfulness.

Alice grinned radiantly at me. "You'll approve of this visitor, it's almost eight." She hinted.

Those words were enough to make me get up from that desk chair in a shockingly fast movement, even with the dress complicating things.

"Edward!" I happily sighed his name.

She laughed briefly and winked at me."Right on time! My work here is done, so go get the door!"

Running down the stairs while wearing a long dress was not the brightest idea, especially not for a klutz like me, but I couldn't stop myself. It was a small miracle that I reached the front door without tripping, but somehow, I managed to get there uninjured.

I think I forgot to breathe for a moment when I opened the door. Edward smiled crookedly at me, and he looked devastatingly handsome. Needless to say, he always looked gorgeous, but Edward wearing a black tuxedo was nothing short of divine. It contrasted beautifully with his pale skin and his copper-colored hair, making him the most perfect creature I had ever laid eyes on.

"Wow…" Was the only word that found its way out of my gaping mouth.

Edward's smile widened even more. "Wow, yourself, princess." His smooth voice said as he took in my dress.

My face heated up, and I ducked my head to hide it. "Thanks." I said, my tone dismissive; even with Alice's effort, I would never be more than an average girl.

I felt how he placed one of his fingers under my chin, lifting it up, leaving me no choice but to look at him. He raised one of his perfect eyebrows in wonder, and his eyes were a liquid emerald when he spoke to me. "You can't believe that I think that you look absolutely breathtaking? Because I'm not lying when I tell you that you're more beautiful than anything I've ever seen in my life."

I swallowed loudly, and my heart did some joyful flips. I instinctively launched myself into his arms, locking him in my embrace while I buried my face against his shoulder. I sighed in contentment as I greedily inhaled the sweet scent that always calmed me down.

"You look so handsome. I missed you." I whispered against his shoulder.

"Same here, love. I can't even begin to tell you how much." He breathed into my hair.

I reluctantly pulled back, gazing up at him, trying to fully comprehend the fact that this wonderful man was truly mine. He gazed right back at me, a look of admiration on his god-like face. And then he lowered his head, moving his face closer to mine.

I felt whole the second my lips collided with his. It had only been twenty-four hours since I'd last seen him, but already it had felt like a huge part of me went missing. The sweet taste of Edward invaded my senses, making my head spin. It was the good kind of spinning, and I wished that our kiss would never end.

"Ew, gross! Sis, come on! Seriously, he's not that irresistible." Out of nowhere, I heard Emmett's booming voice calling across the street.

Sure, you could leave it to Emmett to ruin a romantic moment.

I broke free in surprise, and Edward grumbled something under his breath. I looked over Edward's shoulder, and saw that Emmett had parked his Jeep next to my old truck. He walked up the porch steps and grinned teasingly at me, then smirked at his brother.

"Really, lovebirds, what's with all the cheesy stuff!" He said as he came to stand next to Edward, patting his brother on the shoulder.

I did what I normally did, which was blushing like an idiot, and shrugged at Emmett.

"Way to kill the mood, Emmett." Edward sighed, rolling his eyes dramatically.

"Someone has to make sure that you guys don't end up with your lips permanently being stuck together." Emmett defended his behavior.

"What are you doing here anyway?" I asked, not to be rude, but seriously wondering what he was doing at my house.

"Emmett is here to help me with… stuff." Alice's voice suddenly sounded from behind me, answering my question before Emmett had a chance to do so.

I hadn't even noticed that Alice was already standing right behind me, and I turned my head in surprise, only to see that she and Emmett exchanged a conspiratorially look.

"That's right, what she said." Emmett confirmed, nodding in his sister's direction.

"Stuff? Here?" I asked suspiciously, addressing both Alice and Emmett.

"That's right, stuff. Nothing that you should be worrying about tonight." Alice said in a tone that made it clear that this topic of discussion was closed.

"Edward?" I pressed, turning my attention back to my boyfriend and giving him an expectant stare.

His lips curved up into a smile, and he lightly shook his head. "My sister's right, nothing you should be worrying about. Come on, love, I believe we are going to a dance." He said casually, holding out his hand to me.

"Okay…" I said, hesitating briefly before I placed my hand in his.

"Perfect, you guys have fun tonight! Now shoo! Go! Party!" Alice gushed, smiling at us.

I frowned at her. "Alright… But shouldn't I, I don't know, lock the door?" I asked, referring to the fact that Alice was still standing in the tiny entrance hall.

Alice shook her head. "Nope, that won't be necessary, Emmett and I have some business to take care of here, I told you."

"Business? In my house?" I asked in disbelief.

"That's right, Bells." Emmett helped out his sister. "Now step aside, little sis. We've got plenty of work to do here."

"Let's go, love." Edward pushed, pulling at my hand and all but dragging me away from his siblings.

"You're not going to enlighten me, are you?" I asked rhetorically.

Edward laughed nervously. "I'm afraid not. Later."

"Just go, Bella." Alice said tiredly. "Oh, and before you leave, I'm afraid I'll need the keys of your truck."

I threw up my hands in the air in surrender. "Whatever, I'm going to stop trying to figure out what the hell is going on here and pretend that none of this is happening. The keys are on my desk."

Edward chuckled. "That's the spirit, sweetheart."

"Thank you!" Alice said, giving me a short hug before literally pushing me down the porch steps.

Edward, who was still holding on to my hand, followed right after me. My eyes were scanning the area, automatically looking for the familiar silver Volvo, but it was nowhere to be seen.

"Where's your car?" I questioned.

"Right over there, love." Edward said, pointing at a black, abnormally expensive car across the street.

My jaw dropped. "That car is also yours?"

He smiled shyly at me. "It's a Vanquish, it's sort of my special occasion car." He confessed. "I thought this qualified as a special occasion."

I didn't even know what to say, so I opted for just sticking to the truth. "You are unbelievable."

"Is that a compliment?" He responded playfully.

I snorted. "Maybe."

He led me to the shiny, black car, and gracefully opened the passenger door, motioning for me to get in. I tentatively got in, a little scared to break or crush something. Edward smiled reassuringly at me once I was seated, and gently closed the door.

He walked around the car and slid into the driver's seat. I wasted no time, immediately firing my burning questions at him as he started the engine.

"Was this your idea, Edward? What are they going to do? Set up a trap for Regina and Lauren?" I joked.

Edward laughed at my suggestion. "That's hardly a solution, don't you think?"

I mindlessly stared out of the window as he drove off, watching the houses of my neighbors as we passed them by. The wheels in my brain never stopped turning, but my mind was a bit fuzzy after everything that had happened in the past two days, so I came up empty.

"There's nothing I can do to get you to tell me, correct?" I checked.

He turned to briefly look at me, his face amused. "Nothing. My lips are sealed."

"But it's not a bad thing?" I pried.

Edward seemed to consider that for a moment before answering me, some doubt flashing across his face. "No, I don't think it's a bad thing, I can only hope that you'll agree with me."

I squinted my eyes at him, but the only reaction I got was another one of his uneven smiles.

He wasn't planning on giving away anything, I could see that, and so I gave up. I relaxed against the leather seat, staring at the rainy weather outside.

When we were almost there he tried to get my attention by lightly stroking the back of his hand along my jaw line. My head snapped up and I glanced up at him, his bright-green eyes meeting mine.

"You're not mad, are you, love?" He asked earnestly.

I smirked at him. "No… I'm just not a big fan of surprises, that's all."

He rolled his eyes. "Figures. Just let it go for now, okay? I want this night to be about fun, not about you worrying."

"Right, fun. Like when we went to the cinema the other day." I stated dryly.

He chuckled. "Exactly. You liked that, right?"

I grinned at him. "Most definitely."

He turned into the parking lot, and found a space to park the Vanquish. He turned off the engine, and the car went completely silent. I glanced sideways, and saw that he was doing the same. He brought one of his hands up to my face, cupping my cheek, his eyes boring into mine.

"Just ignore your stepfamily and all the other haters tonight, my beautiful Bella. I don't want you to worry about anything. No one will ever hurt you again…"

Thanks for reading! :D At least it's not a nerve racking cliffhanger this time. ;) Anyway, a lot of social events are coming up for me this weekend, so I'm not sure when the next update will be. But I promise, as usual, that I will update as fast as I can. :)