Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. Thank you for the inspiration, SM. Everything else is original and belongs to me, Cosette Cullen.

A/N: Pickwicksociety, GuitarGirl, and Mel/mcc101180 were the beta masterminds behind this chapter.

Chapter 25 – A Blessing

~*~ Edward ~*~

The next best thing to seeing Bella's beautiful brown eyes staring back at me had been seeing matching brown eyes twinkling with joy when I woke Charlie, telling him that Bella was finally conscious. We'd both nearly sprinted back to her room where we found the nurse administering pain medication through the I.V. Before leaving the room, the nurse explained that the doctor would arrive in a few hours to examine Bella and run some tests.

We'd each held her hands, stroking her arms and reassuring her that she was going to be just fine. Charlie had told her that Alice, Angela, and Jasper had been at the hospital for her and that they'd be back in the morning. Bella's eyes had lit up, clearly surprised, when I told her Emmett was here as well.

But within just a few minutes, when her eyes began to flutter and then close, panic gripped me. My body language must have shouted my fears because Charlie had immediately reassured me that Bella was simply falling asleep due to the pain meds and had not slipped back into unconsciousness.

Though we'd promised to call everyone when Bella woke up, there was no point in doing so at three in the morning since she'd fallen asleep so quickly. Charlie had stayed with her, while I took my turn in the waiting room. I knew there was some concern about possible neurological damage, but I already knew Bella was going to be okay. I could see it in her eyes—she was definitely all there. Thank fucking god! Confident that she'd make a full recovery, the suffocating weight of worry and grief had lifted from me, allowing me to fall asleep with surprising ease.

I rubbed my eyes and yawned, swinging my legs onto the floor and stretching them out. With a 6'1" frame curled up on a much shorter sofa, my legs felt like they'd atrophied in a bent position. I glanced at the clock on the wall, grimacing as I swallowed thickly. Damn! It felt and tasted like something had died in my mouth. I hadn't showered or brushed my teeth since Friday morning, and it was now nearly six in the morning on Sunday. I suppose I could have taken some time to brush my teeth, but, honestly, it hadn't even crossed my mind. Before Bella had woken, personal hygiene was the least of my worries.

Bleary-eyed, I stumbled out of the waiting room. After stopping in the bathroom, I lit a cigarette while dialing Emmett as I made my way through the parking lot. I passed on the good news about Bella, telling him to ask Alice to call the others. After retrieving my duffel bag from the rental car, I headed back inside and found a bathroom on the main floor.

I put on some deodorant in lieu of a badly needed shower and eagerly changed into clean clothes. While brushing my teeth, I stared at my haggard self in the mirror. My hair was nearly always unruly, but today I could be the poster boy for bed head. My mop was longer than it had ever been and having not run a comb through it for a few days, it was downright frightening. The dark shadows under my eyes told the world I was sleep-deprived, and the three days worth of stubble on my face made my new hobo look complete.

I stopped in the cafeteria and sucked down a cup of coffee as quickly as the heat would allow. Back upstairs, after finding the waiting room empty, I dropped my duffel bag behind a floor plant, figuring it would be safe enough. I headed to Bella's room and quietly opened the door, hoping she was awake.

Charlie motioned me in. "Bella just woke up a few minutes ago."

I heard him, but I saw nothing except her big, brown eyes as they followed my movement across the room. I couldn't help but smile—a big, toothy, full-face smile—because my relief and happiness was uncontainable, my energy pulsing and bursting out of me. I slipped my hand into hers as I bent over, pressing my lips to her temple. "Good morning, beautiful," I whispered near her ear.

Pulling away, I stood up but kept my hand laced with hers. Her eyes met mine again, her focus darting rapidly across my face, seemingly studying each of my features. I wasn't sure what to make of it, and I hated having her mind closed to me. I'd have to ask the doctor when they planned to take out her breathing tube.

Our moment was interrupted when Doctor What's-His-Face, who'd thought I needed a visit to the E.R., breezed in with a chart in hand. He immediately banished us to the waiting room, explaining that they needed to conduct a thorough neurological assessment, but he assured us that the nurse would let us know as soon as Bella was back in her room, following various scans and x-rays.

Heading to the waiting room, I asked Charlie if he'd called Renee yet. He said that he'd ducked out of Bella's room about an hour ago, just long enough to do so. Sure enough, Renee and Phil were now in the waiting room, along with Emmett and Alice.

Renee hopped out of her chair, bounding toward us. "Charlie, how is she?" she asked anxiously.

"She's awake. They're running tests right now, so you can't see her just yet," he explained.

As I walked toward Alice and Em, they both stood, meeting me halfway. Emmett slapped me hard on the back, grinning. "I told you it would be okay, dude."

Alice smiled, hugging me tightly. When she pulled away, her smile had faded. "Um, I know they have to run tests, but . . . does she seem . . . okay?"

I smiled, nodding. "Yeah, she's okay. I'm sure of it."

Alice let out a loud sigh, expelling air as if she'd been holding her breath since the moment she'd found Bella shot. "Oh, thank you, Baby Jesus," she muttered under her breath before taking a few steps and nearly collapsing into a chair.

Emmett and I sat down on each side of her. After several minutes of quiet, Alice turned to me. "Edward, you really need to come back to the house to shower and sleep a bit."

"No, thanks," I replied, staring at the floor.

She huffed, and I could just imagine she was rolling her eyes at me, too. "Edward! Listen to me. You're not going to get to see her for awhile anyway. After Renee and Phil spend some time with her, then Jasper and Angela will want their turn. They should be arriving any minute. You've got the hot mess look going on, which I know Bella is a fan of, but there is a difference between looking a mess and actually being a mess. You seriously need a shower, dude."

I feigned shock, my mouth hanging open. "What?" I sniffed my armpit. "Are you saying I stink? I put deodorant on a few minutes ago."

"I've smelled worse," she said, shrugging before erupting in giggles.

Emmett chuckled along with her. "What's so funny, Al?"

"Remember Bella and me telling you about Scary Subway Guy in Rome?"

We both nodded, eyeing her curiously.

"Yeah, well, you smell almost as bad as he did, Edward."

Emmett's laughter bellowed through the room. I glared at him, rolling my eyes in mock annoyance.

"Fine, Alice," I agreed. "I'll leave the hospital for a few hours."

"Great! Hopefully, Charlie will come, too. I'll drive you both there. I just want to see Bella for at least a few minutes first, okay?"

"Of course," I answered. "You know, I'm really glad Bella has a friend like you."

Alice grinned, though her eyes filled with tears. "She's a blessing," she whispered, her voice cracking.

Charlie refused to leave the hospital until Bella's test results came back. Around noon, Dr. Tasset joined us all in the waiting room and informed us that Bella's scans were normal, which was no surprise to me. He explained that she hadn't suffered any neurological damage and that a full recovery was expected, barring any unforeseen complications like infection.

So Alice was finally able to drag Charlie and me out of the hospital to grab a nap and shower at her and Bella's house. Emmett came along as well because he pretty much went wherever Alice did.

Walking through the front door, Alice told me to make myself at home as she scurried down a hallway with Charlie. As I looked around the room, unexpected anxiety bubbled up in my chest, and I nervously shoved my hands in my jeans' pockets. I barely registered Emmett muttering something about making lunch in the kitchen; I was distracted with unpleasant curiosity about where in the house the crime had occurred. Where had my Bella lain, bleeding, terrified and suffering?

"Edward?"

Startled, I turned around.

"I'll show you where the bathroom is so you can shower," Alice said. "You can sleep in Bella's room. It's just across the hall."

I turned away from her, looking for signs of a break-in. "Where did it happen?" My voice was a strained whisper. I swallowed hard, keeping my emotions in check. "Where did you find her?"

"Edward—" she whined.

I turned to glare at her, to intimidate her into telling me what I wanted to know. She stared right back at me, shaking her head repeatedly. "No, I don't think that's a good idea."

I rolled my eyes, sighing loudly. "Just tell me, Alice."

"No, I will not! It doesn't fucking matter because she's going to be just fine. I'm not going to let you torture yourself imagining her like that."

She grabbed my hand roughly, pulling me toward the hallway. "C'mon! Wouldn't you much rather know where she sleeps?"

I stumbled along behind her, my hand still tightly bound by hers. How does she do that? How does this fiery waif of a girl command such authority and power? I had no idea what it was about her, but I knew that it was pointless to debate the point any further.

She released my hand as we approached a closed door. Flinging it open, she announced, smiling, "Welcome to Bella's sanctuary."

I stepped across the threshold tentatively, feeling like an uninvited guest. I wondered how Bella would feel about me being here. The rich colors of the room were warm and welcoming, much like Bella herself.

"Like I said, the bathroom is across the hall. There are towels in the cabinet under the sink. Get some rest, Edward."

I turned to thank her but was met with the door clicking shut—she was gone. As I walked farther into the room, something on the nightstand caught my eye. I sat on the edge of the bed, gingerly taking the swan figurine into my hands. The sweet memory of the moment I'd given it to her flooded my thoughts. When she'd opened the box, holding up the swan, her smile had been unrestrained, and her eyes had seemed to literally sparkle. I remembered her thanking me, her tone laced with sincerity. And then she'd kissed me so softly.

And then Bella had climbed onto my lap, straddling me. And it wasn't long after that before my face was buried between her creamy white legs, tasting her for the first time. And goddamn motherfucking hell, my Isabella tasted like heaven—sweet as honeysuckle, I swear to god! And believe-fucking-me, not all women taste the same. Some pussies taste . . . just wrong. Remembering her taste and visualizing her beautiful pussy, I felt myself growing hard.

I set the swan back on the table, freeing my hands to shift my cock to fit more comfortably in my ever-tightening jeans. Glancing up again, I noticed a candle on the table next to the swan. I must have been so focused on the swan, I hadn't noticed it. Picking it up, I turned the candle in my hands, marveling at the erotic beauty of a man and woman's bodies intertwined, making love.

Still holding the candle, I lay back on the bed and closed my eyes, remembering how Bella had looked that last night. She was laid bare, her smooth, sexy legs spread for me, revealing the most beautiful pussy I'd ever seen. Just as not all women taste good, not all pussies are created equal. It's somewhat mindboggling to me how the same genitals—all with the same parts—can look so different. I've seen pictures of some downright frightening pussies and have even had the extreme displeasure of seeing one, close up and personal. I know those women can't help what God gave them; all I'm saying is that no two pussies are the same. God must have been practicing on all those other women and finally got it right—no, perfect—when he made Bella.

In spite of my erotic thoughts, I felt myself beginning to nod off, so I returned the candle to the table and quickly peeled off my clothes. My boxers were a fucking tent, thanks to fantasizing about Bella. As I crawled under the covers, her scent enveloped me, making my hard-on even harder, uncomfortably so. I thought about taking care of the situation, but I quickly decided against it. First, I was so goddamn tired, and second, it just seemed pervy to get my rocks off in Bella's bed . . . without her . . . or without her even knowing I was here. I grabbed a pillow and hugged it as I closed my eyes, trying to trick my mind into believing that it was Bella in my arms.

Someone is laughing, my brain slowly registered. Momentarily forgetting where I was, I sat up on my elbows, struggling to open my still-tired eyes. Squinting, I looked around, smiling as I realized I was in Bella's bed. I flopped back onto the pillow, my forearm over my eyes, and took myself back to the hot-as-fuck dream that the annoying feminine giggles had pulled me away from.

"Fuck." I groaned, remembering the intensely explicit dream. She was with me in her bed, and we were in the middle of some mind-blowing sex. It had seemed so real. I glanced down at the tented sheet. My cock, still standing tall and begging for attention, apparently believed it was real as well.

"Damn," I muttered to myself. Obviously, it wasn't going to settle down on its own as I'd thought. I'd take care of it in the shower. I glanced at the clock on the nightstand, quickly calculating that I'd managed to sleep about four hours. Wow. No nightmares either.

I pulled my crumpled jeans from off the floor, throwing them on quickly, and as I headed for the door, I remembered my duffel bag was in the living room. Oh, that's just fucking great! Charlie could be out there, and here I was sporting a goddamn erection the size of the Empire State Building. Okay, that's an exaggeration. I am above average size, but I'm not that big; though it felt like I had a fucking skyscraper in my jeans. It was becoming more and more uncomfortable, nearly painful.

"Think, think," I grumbled, anxiously rubbing the back of my neck as I paced by the door. The logical solution would be to whack off in Bella's room, but that just seemed wrong. It would be different if she was my girlfriend, but she wasn't. And then there was the problem of the mess. I scanned the room, looking for tissues. No goddamn tissues, so I would have to use my shirt. I huffed in frustration. I'd really rather take care of the situation in the shower, but I needed my toiletries and clean clothes. "Shit! Shit!" I screamed under my breath, pulling at the unruliness on my head.

Suddenly, inspiration hit. "That's it," I muttered to myself. I quietly cracked open the door. My grand plan was to holler for Emmett. When he came to the door, I would quickly explain my situation and ask him to get my bag for me. I knew he'd likely tease me mercilessly, probably for the next five years, but that was a better alternative to parading my hard-on in front of Charlie and Alice or to getting off in Bella's bed without her.

Just as I opened my mouth to yell his name, I caught a glimpse of something on the floor. Looking down, I saw my duffel bag sitting just outside the door. I chuckled, realizing I'd just put myself through a lot of unnecessary angst.

Scooping up the bag, I held it in front of my tented jeans and scurried off to the bathroom. In record time, I turned on the water, dropped my jeans and boxers, and stepped into the shower. I couldn't hold back the moan that involuntarily escaped my lips when the steaming spray hit my back and my hand wrapped around my throbbing dick. The simultaneous stimulus was nearly too much. Steadying myself, I rested my back against the shower wall. The water pummeled my thighs as I held myself with both hands, squeezing and stroking my engorged length.

Shutting my eyes tightly, I retrieved from my memory one of the hottest sexual experiences of my life. At the Tower of London, semi-hidden in a restricted area, Bella's lips wrapped around me, her eyes locked with mine as she gave me the best head I'd ever experienced. I quickened the pace—up, down, up, down—while visualizing Bella's luscious mouth squeezing my cock. As my thumb swirled around the engorged tip, I imagined it was Bella's tongue. I groaned my pleasure as the erotic pressure increased. I remembered how Bella had ignored my warning, keeping her lips around me like a vice when swallowing my release. I hadn't expected it, and I wouldn't have minded if she'd preferred not to swallow. But goddamn—having a woman want all of you, every last drop of you—was sexy as fuck!

I was vaguely aware that my breathing was now labored and loud—I was close, so close. I pictured how Bella looked as I'd exploded into her mouth, the way the muscles in her neck contracted as she'd eagerly swallowed me down. "Ohh, fuck, fuck . . . ungh." I bit my lip, trying to stifle my moans, as I came so fucking hard, spilling onto the shower floor. Panting like a dog, I dropped my hands limply, leaning my head against the shower wall. As my thundering heartbeat slowed, I picked up the shampoo and stepped under the shower head with a giddy smile on my face.

Smelling of soap, clean-shaven, dressed, and happily limp-dicked, I made my way back to Bella's room. Quickly making up the bed, I sat down on it while I put on my socks and black boots. As I tied the laces, my eyes roamed, and I smiled when I spotted Bella's iPod plugged into the computer. With an idea forming, I crossed the room and unplugged the iPod, shoving it into my back pocket. I retrieved a book from my duffel bag and then opened the door, my stomach growling as I walked down the hallway into the living room.

"Well, perfect timing, Edward," Alice said cheerfully. "Emmett was just getting ready to go find you. Pizza just arrived." She motioned to two pizza boxes on the coffee table.

I rubbed my stomach. "Mmm, I'm starving."

"How'd you sleep, Edward?" Charlie sat on the white leather sofa, leaning back comfortably with a beer bottle in his hand.

"Surprisingly well, sir, thank you." I took a seat next to him, setting the book on the sofa next to me. "And you?" I asked, turning to him.

"Well, I usually don't sleep so good away from home, but that guest bedroom has the most comfortable mattress I've ever come across. I slept like a baby." He chuckled, taking a drink from his bottle.

"Beer, Edward?" Alice stood, walking toward what I assumed was the kitchen.

"Absolutely!" I said, probably a bit too enthusiastically.

Alice returned quickly, handing me an ice cold Heineken. I thanked her before quickly taking a generous swig, followed by wolfing down a slice of pizza.

"Thank you, Alice. This is the best food I've had in way too long," I said, reaching for another slice.

"What!" Emmett said dramatically. "You haven't been enjoying the culinary cuisine provided by the hospital cafeteria?"

With my mouth full of pizza, I smirked, rolling my eyes at him. As I did, I noticed for the first time that Alice's hand was engulfed by his, resting on his leg. My smirk morphed into a genuine smile. Alice and Emmett were both highly-energetic, regularly witty, very outgoing, and both had big hearts. They deserved each other.

I was beyond anxious to get back to the hospital. We'd been gone much longer than I'd anticipated—about six hours. Knowing that Renee, Phil, Angela, and Jasper were with Bella didn't help. I mean, I was glad that she wasn't alone, but that knowledge didn't quell the ache in my chest. Only her presence could do that. So, I was very happy that Charlie and I got to go see her as soon as we returned. Renee told us that Bella had slept most of the afternoon. I was glad to hear it; maybe that meant she'd be awake during my turn with her.

As Charlie and I quietly entered her room, my heart dropped—she was still asleep. Charlie went to one side of the bed while I walked to the other side. I kept the book in my hand behind my back as I leaned over, resting my free arm on the bed railing. I leaned in close and stared at her exquisite face, just taking in her presence.

Within seconds, her eyes opened abruptly. "Bella," I said softly, smiling. And she smiled back at me. Well, not really. She had a tube coming out of her mouth, which made smiling a little difficult, I would imagine. But I knew she was smiling; it was in her eyes.

"Well, Princess Isabella has decided to join us," Charlie said good-naturedly. She slowly turned her head toward him.

He smiled like only a father can when looking at his little girl. Leaning down, he pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Are you in any pain, Bella?"

Her head moved ever so slightly from left to right.

"Good, glad to hear it. The doctor said he hopes to remove your breathing tube within the next day or two."

I had planned on asking about that very thing today. I hoped it was within a day, rather than two. Charlie smiled, stroking her hair. "I can't wait to hear your voice again, Princess."

I remained quiet, appreciating the love between a father and daughter but feeling a little out of place like I was intruding. I stepped back slightly, shoving my free hand in my pocket, still keeping the book behind my back.

Just then Bella moved her head back toward me, her glistening doe-eyes locked with mine. I held her penetrating gaze, analyzing the emotion reflected there, but I couldn't quite define what she was feeling or thinking. All I knew for sure was that the energy flowing between us was powerful and intense, like it had always been. I gritted my teeth, frustrated that her thoughts were forced silent as long as that goddamn tube was down her throat.

She held her hand up, just a few inches off the bed. I looked at her hand suspended in the air, wondering what she was doing. But as soon as I looked up at her face again, I knew. I turned, pulling a chair nearer to the bed and sat. Immediately, I slipped my hand into hers, which was now resting at her side. I squeezed it gently, rubbing circles on her skin with my thumb.

"Bella? Would you like me to read to you?" I asked quietly.

She was motionless for a minute but then slowly nodded her head.

"Will this old thing do?" I grinned, holding up the hardbound copy of Pride and Prejudice that she had bought in England and given to me. Well, she hadn't physically given it to me. She'd had Emmett bring it to me after she'd walked out on me. I quickly shook that black day from my wandering thoughts, which was easy to do once her face lit up. Her eyes widened as she looked at the book, and the corners of her mouth turned upward just a bit.

"Yes, I thought you might approve," I teased, still grinning. I carefully turned the fragile, yellowed pages of the Austen classic with one hand, unwilling to let go of Bella's hand. It was sheer luck that I'd even brought it with me. I hadn't been in my right mind when I'd frantically packed, but when I'd reached for my watch on my nightstand, the book was right beside it. Without thinking why, I'd instinctively grabbed it and stuffed it into my bag.

When I turned to the beginning chapter, I glanced over at Charlie. "Have you ever read Pride and Prejudice, Charlie?" I smirked, already knowing what his answer would be. There was no fucking way that Police Chief Swan had ever read an Austen book. I chuckled inwardly.

Charlie cleared his throat. "Well, uh, no. Can't say that I have."

"Fantastic! Well, you're in for a real treat then," I said, a slight tinge of sarcasm coloring my words. I looked back at Bella, winking at her.

I'd read the book only because I knew how much Bella loved it. Honestly, I couldn't say that I'd loved it, but I hadn't hated it either. That genre wouldn't be my first choice for reading material, but I got why Bella appreciated it. And if it brought Bella even a little bit of comfort, I'd happily read the entire book again . . . aloud . . . to her and for her.

I squeezed Bella's hand again as I began. "'It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.'"