A/N: I'm very sorry for the delay in posting this. I've been ill recently and very busy, which made updating a bit of a problem.

Thank you to everyone who reads and reviews this story. Without you, I would have given up long ago.

Major thanks goes to my pre-reader and beta for their amazing help with this! They're the best!

Any mistakes you see are my own.

SM owns everything Twilight.

Chapter 25

Fortunately, Adam falls asleep quickly, thanks to my soothing touches, Edward's humming and the medicine coursing through his body. Edward and I remain on the couch with Adam cradled between us as the sun sets and darkness covers the living room. Just before it gets to a point where we can't see anything, Carlisle and Esme come in, turning on a small light.

"Are you going to stay here or go back to your house?" Esme whispers, careful of my sleeping baby next to me.

Looking at him, I see that he's sleeping peacefully and I know that if I put him in the car, he'll wake up and it will take forever to get him to sleep again. But I don't want to put anyone out any longer than I already have.

Esme must see the debate in my eyes because she smiles kindly and walks forward, arms outstretched. "Why don't you stay here for tonight? That way Adam won't have to be moved much and you won't have to worry about getting him back to sleep."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course. Plus, you'll have some extra hands around to help you and your very own doctor."

Carlisle winks at me when I catch his eye and I smile in return, thankful that I have them to help me.

"Okay, I think that would be best. I need to go home and get a few things for Adam and myself though. And I need to tell my Dad where I'll be."

"I'll take you," Edward offers, gently cradling Adam in the crook of his arm. "We should put him down first though."

Nodding, I stand up and follow him to Adam's room. With extreme care, Edward tucks Adam in his bed and places a kiss on his forehead, wincing at the heat that comes from it. When he moves out of the way, I place a kiss on his forehead, hoping that he'll feel better soon.

As we leave, Edward turns on a nightlight and grabs the baby monitor and meets his parents at the bottom of the stairs.

"Are you going to be staying here, Edward?"

His mother's question causes him to look at me, a nervous look on his face. I have a feeling that he's nervous about staying in the same space with me overnight, so I smile at him, letting him that I'm okay with it. Immediately, a small smile forms on his lips and he nods at his mother.

"Okay, we'll work out the sleeping arrangements when you two get back."

"Bella can stay in my room, since Alice and Emmett's rooms are being redecorated. I'll sleep in Dad's office." Edward offers.

"Actually, I'd rather sleep in Adam's room." Edward's face falls and I rush to explain. "It's just that I would rather stay with him while he's sick. Besides, I haven't slept away from him and I just..."

"I understand," Edward says softly.

Smiling, I turn toward Esme. "I'll just sleep on the floor."

"You'll do no such thing. I'll have Carlisle roll in the hideaway bed. You and Edward go get your things and I'll make something to eat, all right?"

We both nod and go out to Edward's car. Just as Edward pulls out of the driveway, he starts speaking, sounding nervous.

"Can we go by my place after yours so I can grab some clothes?"

"Of course, Edward."

"Thank you."

The rest of the way, we sit in comfortable silence. It's strange that silence like this doesn't feel weird anymore. If anything, it feels peaceful and relaxing; like it used to.

Before long, Edward pulls into my father's driveway. Once he's parked, he quickly gets out and walks over to my side, helping me out. Unlocking the front door, I place my keys down on the entry way table, seeing a package from Renee sitting there. I look at it curiously before deciding that it can wait. I hear the television from the living room playing loudly and walk in the direction of the noise.

Charlie is sleeping in his recliner, mouth open, surrounded by tissues and cold medicine. Walking over, I pat his shoulder, feeling that he too has a fever. I shake him a little, trying to wake him so I can explain that I won't be home, but it's difficult. I shake him a little harder and jolts up, blinking rapidly. When he sees me standing there, he scowls slightly, sitting up and taking a drink of his water on the table next to him.

"What's wrong?" He asks and then sees Edward standing in the doorway. He gives me an inquisitive look.

"Adam is sick and he's staying at Carlisle and Esme's. I'm staying there with him."

"Oh," he responds, a little sad. "I'm sorry. I didn't want him to get sick."

"It happens, Dad. Will you be okay here by yourself?"

"Of course," he scoffs. "I can take care of myself."

"Okay."

Just as I start to go up the stairs, Charlie calls me back.

"Yeah?"

"I thought you came home fifteen minutes ago. I could have sworn I heard something from upstairs."

"No," I reply, feeling uneasy. "I was at the Cullen's."

"Hmm. Must have been the wind then, blowing those damn shutters."

Pursing my lips, I stare at him through narrowed eyes, trying to see if there's more here than what he says. Charlie looks back me sleepily, so there must not be. I continue going upstairs and pushing open my door. When I enter, I realize that something doesn't feel right. Taking a quick glance around, I see that several items of mine are out of place. A few of my clothes are strewn about on the floor, a couple of books are open on my desk alongside a picture of Edward and myself from high school. My eyebrows furrow as I study this, wondering how it got out of the photo album in my closet. Taking a quick glance at the door in question, I see that it's slight ajar.

Nervously, I walk forward, wondering why it would be open when I always made sure to close it. The closer I get, the more scared I become and I have no idea why. It's just a closet!

Are you really going to do this? There must be a reason why you're scared. Listen to your instincts!

I think about turning around and getting Edward to come up with me, but I realize how silly that must be. I'm sure that Mark left my closet open when he came in to gather his evidence...

That's it! That's why my room looks like a small tornado hit it. Mark must have been looking through everything. I feel slightly upset that someone was looking through my things and made a mess, but if he catches whoever was here, it'll be worth it.

Relieved, I sigh softly and quickly gather everything Adam and I will need for tonight and tomorrow morning, being sure to include Adam's penguin. That's his favorite toy and I know he'll be upset if he has to be away from it for an entire night.

Shoving everything in my huge purse, I make my way downstairs, wondering if Mark gave any Charlie any information about what he found.

"Did Mark say he found anything?"

Charlie looks up from the television, and shakes his head. "He couldn't come by. He said that someone died and he's investigating it. He'll be by tomorrow."

Standing straight up, I swallow thickly, slowly looking up the stairs. Edward sees my reaction and comes to stand next to me, his hand on my back.

"What is it, Bella?"

"Someone was in my room," I whisper. "There was stuff out of place and moved...and my closet was ajar. I know I didn't leave my room like that."

Who could be in my room? Is it the same person that's been following me? The same person that took my bracelet?

Suddenly, Charlie shoots up out of his chair and stalks to the hall closet where he pulls out a handgun and starts to go up the stairs. When his foot touches the first step, he turns back, looking at Edward with a serious expression.

"You, stay with her and do not let her out of your sight, do you understand? If you hear me shout, you get her out of this house and call the police."

Edward nods, his face worried and serious. Charlie nods back at him and starts to go up the stairs, quietly like a cat. I want to reach out and keep him down here, but Edward wraps his arms around me, holding me tight against him. I wrap my arms around his, leaning into his embrace.

Just as my father reaches the top step of the stairs and creeps toward my room, something that sounds like a window slamming shut echoes through the house and a second later we hear my father cursing. Edward pulls me toward the front door, ready to run, but my father bounds down the stairs, still cursing.

"Dad?"

"Someone was in there, all right. Just as I reached the top of the landing, they were going out of the window. I guess when they heard me walking toward the door, they jumped and made a run for it. Damn it!"

Charlie stomps into the kitchen, picking up the phone. Edward releases me, giving me a worried look. I shook my head, silently telling him not now. We all stood in silence as we waited for the other person on the other end of the line to answer.

"Hey, Joe, it's Charlie. Is Mark there? He's still out? Okay, well I had someone break in my house just now. No, I didn't see them, but my daughter's room was messed up and they escaped out the window. Can you send somebody? Thanks. No...that's not necessary." He pauses, and then sighs. "All right, fine. Thanks."

He hangs up the phone and walks over to us, looking weary and worn out. "They have an officer coming over to look at things."

"Dad, you shouldn't be here by yourself. Not after what just happened."

"I'll be fine, Bella. They're sending a cop to stay here tonight, to keep an eye out," he says after he sees that I'm about to argue. "So I'll have that and my gun. I'll be fine. You and Edward get going, okay? Call me when you get there and in the morning."

"All right," I nodded. I placed a quick kiss on his cheek, hoping that he'll be okay. "Be safe, Dad."

"I will."

"See you later. Feel better." I start to walk out, but Charlie calls to Edward, his voice serious.

"Will do. And Edward? Make sure Bella and Adam stay safe tonight."

"I will, Charlie. With my life."

Satisfied with his answer, Charlie gives a hard nod, walking out with us. Edward takes my bag and puts it in the backseat just as a police car pulls up. A man around his forties gets out, holding a black bag and walks over to Charlie.

"Hey there, Charlie."

"Hey, Pete. Thanks for coming."

"You don't have to thank me, Chief. Anybody who messes with you, messes with all of us. Just to let you know, a couple of the other guys from the station will be driving by periodically throughout the night, just to make sure things are okay."

Charlie rubs the back of his neck, uncomfortable. "That's not necessary, Pete."

"Of course it is. You've done a lot for this town and you're our family. So no arguments."

The man then looks at Edward and me, still standing by his car. He comes over to us, his hand held out.

"I'm Peter Wilmare. You probably don't remember me, but I used to work with your father. I had a desk in the back, near the water cooler."

"Of course," I say, shaking his hand. He looks like he put on a little more weight and has a few more gray hairs, but I remember him. He would always give me toys and bring me cookies that his wife made when I would come in to see my father. "Thank you so much for doing this."

"It's no problem," he tells me, shaking Edward's hand. "Like I said to your Dad, he's done a lot for this town. This is the least I can do. Well, I better get inside and get started. You be careful, okay?"

I nod and get inside Edward's car, watching my father disappear inside the house, Pete behind him. I feel a lot better now, knowing that there will be someone watching over him.

"Do you still mind if we still stop by my place?" Edward asks, pulling away from my house.

"No, not all."

"You want to tell me what that's all about?"

Sighing, I tell him what's been happening. He listens carefully, never interrupting, though at times he does look pissed. When I'm through, he sighs deeply, running a hand through his hair.

"I wish you would have told me about this, Bella."

"I'm sorry."

"I'm just worried. If something happened to you or Adam..." he trails off, pulling into a small neighborhood that holds six duplexes on each side. The area is well maintained, with flower beds, neatly groomed yards and huge trees in front of every house.

Edward pulls into the driveway of a light blue house, cutting off the engine. He turns to me, looking at me seriously.

"I know you're going to hate me, but until this person is caught, I don't want you alone. I want someone with you at all times, okay?"

Knowing it's the best thing to do, I agree and Edward looks surprised, but doesn't say anything more as he gets out, coming to help me out. I follow behind him and wait as he unlocks the door. Once he does, he steps inside, flipping on the lights and standing to the side, letting me go first.

As I go in, I'm immediately greeted by a huge living room with a couch and an armchair placed around a coffee table. On the wall is a huge flat screen television with a game console and DVD player sitting beneath it. This is a guy's heaven.

The walls are painted a soft mint color, giving the room a relaxing feeling. I take everything in and as my eyes sweep over the wall near the television, I stop and go closer to investigate. Hanging in black frames are pictures of his family - his parents, his siblings and their spouses, and pictures of myself and Adam. I look back at Edward, who is grinning sheepishly.

"I wanted some pictures of you two. Anyway, take a look around if you want. I'm going to grab some things real quick."

He quickly scurries away into an open door opposite of the living room and I follow his suggestion. The kitchen has stainless steel appliances and there is a basket filled with fruit, along with more photographs of Adam littering the counter. Each photo shows Adam smiling and happy and I can't help my own smile as I look at them.

Going down the short hall, I see a small bathroom, painted a delicate blue that's completely clean and sparkling. A little further down there's another door and I push it open, gasping at its contents.

The medium sized room is colored arctic blue, with white icebergs and penguins painted on the walls. Some of the penguins appear to walking while others look like they're diving into the icy water below. The images are much like what was done at Esme's house, looking very life-like.

Tearing my eyes from the walls, I look around and see a blue dresser in the corner and a toddler bed in the middle of the room. The nightstand holds a lamp, a matching blue shade resting on top and next to that is two pictures. One of Adam and myself and the other of Edward and Adam, placed where when he wakes, it would be the first thing he sees.

On the bed are penguin pillows and blankets draped on top. Next to that in the other corner is an overflowing toy chest with stuffed animals and building blocks spilling onto the floor.

I can't believe what I'm looking at and I'm touched that Edward would take time do something like this. This simple gesture shows me how much he loves Adam and wants him to enjoy his time here. It tugs at my heart that Edward obviously wants Adam here, but hasn't ever asked if he could come over. I know that he's been waiting on my approval.

In my head, I see all the times I've witnessed Edward being attentive toward Adam, making sure he doesn't get hurt and that he's always happy. I realize belatedly, he already has my approval. I see the way Edward looks at Adam with such love and happiness.

"Since he loves penguins so much, I thought he would like this." Edward says quietly from behind me.

Turning, I see him holding a bag in his hand while the other runs through his hair, making it more unruly than ever.

"This is perfect, Edward. He'll love it."

"Really? You think so?" He asks, his eyes brightening. "I wanted him to have a different theme than from what is at my mom's."

"It's amazing."

"Thanks. I had help though."

"It doesn't matter," I say, shaking my head. "You did it; it was your idea."

Edward shrugs. "I just want to make him happy. I want him to know that I love him more than anything."

"There's just one problem though," I tell him, looking around at my son's wonderful new room. When he doesn't answer, I look back at him to see that he's watching me warily. When he doesn't speak, I continue. "It's going to be hard getting him out of here."

Within a second, Edward has his arms wrapped around me, squeezing me tightly.

"Thank you so much, Bella. You won't regret this, I promise."

I hug him back, feeling warm from his being in his arms again. I want to stay here and keep holding him, but Adam is sick and I don't want to leave him for very long.

"We should get back to Adam."

Edward pulls away, nodding and we leave his house and Adam's wonderful new room. It takes us no time at all to go back to Esme and Carlisle's, for which I'm thankful. This day has been so stressful and I don't want to be away from my baby any longer. Edward must see my eagerness, because he tells me to go ahead and go inside.

I don't need to be told twice.

Rushing into the house, I see Adam sitting Carlisle's lap on the couch, watching some cartoon with a talking sponge. I sit next to them and Adam immediately crawls over, laying his head on my chest. I cradle him to me, kissing his head and breathing in his scent. Behind me, I can hear Edward enter and go up the stairs, but I don't turn to look. I just focus on Adam.

"He woke up five minutes after you left so we just brought him down here for some dinner. It should be ready by now; Esme made something quick."

"Okay."

"Is everything all right? It took you guys a long time to get back."

I go to answer him, but Esme comes into the room, cutting me off.

"Oh, I thought I heard someone. Dinner is ready. What took you guys so long?"

Edward enters then, answering for me. "Someone broke into Charlie's house and messed up Bella's room a little bit."

Esme gasps, her hand covering her throat. "Is he all right?"

"He's fine. He has one of the guys from the station staying there tonight," I answer.

"Good. I wonder who could be doing this."

"Yes, that's a very good question," Carlisle muses. "I hope that whoever it is gets caught soon."

We all nod and follow Esme into the dining room. On the table is a meal of fried chicken, corn and mashed potatoes. Once I have Adam situated, we all begin eating.

Well, most of us do.

I spend the entire time picking at my food, taking little bites here and there, watching my baby with sadness. I know that he's really not feeling well, because he's taking little bites of everything and not trying to feed me or anyone else at the table. Since he began eating solid foods, he's always wanting to feed me and he's always played with his food, getting more of it on his clothes and mine than in his mouth. But at this moment, he's doing none of that and all I want is for my playful baby to be back to normal.

Feeling someone's gaze on me, I look, meeting Edward's sad eyes. He gives me a half smile, clearly not liking that Adam isn't making noise and being his usual rambunctious self.

Before long, we're all done and I scoop Adam up. He immediately lays his head on my shoulder, one tiny hand plunged into my hair. Rubbing his back softly, I bid the rest of the house a good night and they return sentiment softly, obviously upset by Adam's illness as well.

I carry him to the hall bathroom, where his pajamas are laid out carefully on the counter. Edward must have put them here. I smile softly, thrilled that he remembers Adam's nightly schedule. From that point, I give him a lukewarm bath, hoping that this will make him feel better. All this task does is make me more upset, because he's not splashing or playing; he's just sitting there, looking very miserable.

After he's done with his bath and changed into his pajamas, his eyelids are drooping heavily, so I place him in his new bed next to his penguin toy, tucking the covers around him, barely noticing the roll away cot with fresh sheets in the corner near his bed. His big emerald eyes blink up at me, imploring me to make him feel better.

"Oh, baby. I'm so sorry you're sick."

"Mama," he croaks pathetically, rubbing his eyes with a fist.

I place a gentle kiss on his cheek, slightly relieved that he feels cooler than he did before. Hopefully, that means that his fever is going down and that he'll be feeling better in no time. Folding my legs underneath me, I sit down on the floor next to his bed, running my fingers through his hair. Five minutes later, he's deeply asleep.

Running my fingers through his hair one last time, I stand up and turn to my bed for the evening, seeing my bag sitting on top of it. I'm extremely tired and I want to get bed quickly, so I grab my things from the top and start to make my way to the bathroom when there's a short knock. Opening it, I see Edward standing there, looking worried.

"Is he all right?"

"He's sleeping. I think the fever went down."

"Good, good." He says, rocking on his heels. A fraction of a second later, he speaks again. "Can I say goodnight to him? I promise I won't wake him."

Stepping aside, I allow him entrance and tell him I'll be right back. I hurry through my nightly routine and change, getting back to Adam's room in no time. When I come back in, I see Edward is sitting on the floor, his index finger going up and down Adam's little hand. When I enter, Edward stops and gives me a small smile.

"I'll leave you two now. I know that you're both tired."

From the tone of his voice, I can tell that he really doesn't want to leave and my suspicions are confirmed when I tell him he can stay. His face lights up and remains where he is, his eyes never once leaving Adam's face.

I settle into bed, watching them and before long, I can feel sleep start to take hold.

Blood is covering me completely. It's sticky and warm, painting my pale skin. I try to clean it off of my arms but it does no good. More replaces what I've erased. I look over seeing Edward and Adam in the same state as I am, but they're just standing there, staring at me.

I rush over to Adam and try to wipe the redness from him. Nothing I do works. My eyes are blurry from tears as I desperately try to clean this off of my son.

"It won't come off," Edward says in a monotone voice, still standing above me.

"Help me, Edward," I beg. "Please, help me."

"It won't come off," he repeats. "It won't ever come off."

"Help me!" I scream, looking up at him. "Help me get this off of him! Help me, damn it! Why aren't you helping your son?!"

"It won't come off, Bella. It's already done. There's nothing I can do."

Just as he says this, I hear a loud BANG and searing pain shoot through my back. I turn to look behind me and see a silhouette of a person standing there holding a gun. I open my mouth to ask why this person would do this, but nothing comes out but a gut wrenching wail.

I look up to ask Edward to get Adam away from here, but he and Adam are gone, leaving me alone as more blood pours from my body.

A/N: I hope you enjoyed the chapter!

I'll post the next chapter very soon! ;)