D: Sorry for the long wait. I had a busy weekend and yesterday was my demon brothers birthday T.T yay... Anyways, I got it up now :D So, you know the drill. REVIEW!!!

And unfortunately, this story is soon coming to a close. It was a fun ride :/ But, no worries. I have a new story that I'm putting up right after this one! So check that out when this is all done! I hope you'll like it :)

Anyways, enjoy my awesome readers!

Chapter 25: The Grass Maze

Bella POV

Edward was acting so strange. He was acting so protective - more so than usual. It's not that it bothered me, I just felt bad for him.

It had been a week since we heard about James escaping. Ever since the time we talked in the dining room about it, Edward hasn't left my side once. He's with me at night, and he doesn't even sleep. He never goes back to his apartment with Emmett, he stopped going to work, and he's just always here, looking around the room. I don't know why he's acting like this. I mean, I'm afraid that James will come back, too, but I'm not going to go all ninja on anyone who tries to come by me.

The other day Angela knocked on my door, and Edward didn't know who it was, and he almost punched her in the face! He just yanked the bedroom door open and flung his fist out. Thankfully, I was there to push Angela out of the way.

I looked over at Edward.

He was sitting on my bed, his bloodshot eyes drooping.

I crawled over to him on the bed. I moved his muscled arms out of his lap and plopped down. I put my hands on either side of his face, examining his tired expression.

"Edward, get some sleep. Nothing is going to happen to me for eight hours."

He yawned, pushing his hair out of his eyes. His hair had grown so much.

"You don't know that," he mumbled.

I examined his hunched form. He looked so weak, barely able to sit up.

"You aren't going to be much of a help if you're a zombie," I told him.

He shrugged. "I swore that I'd always watch you."

"I'm not a kid, Edward. I can be left alone for a few hours."

By his expression I could tell I would be able to get him to sleep. All I needed to do was a little more persuading.

"Come on, Edward," I urged. I combed my fingers through his hair. "You said you would do anything for me, so just sleep. It will make me feel better if you do."

"Well…" He hesitated, his eyes staring at the rumpled blankets.

"Sleep," I said. I shoved him down. For once, he fell back onto the bed. He was too tired to even fight off my meager amount of muscle. "Sleep, Edward," I whispered. "I won't leave. I'll stay here until you wake up."

"You better," he grumbled, pulling me to his chest as he shut his bright eyes.

I shut my eyes, too. When I woke up it would be September - ten days until my birthday. More importantly, it would be ten days until Edward and I were only three years apart.

Edward woke up after over ten hours.

I woke up long before he did, and like a good girl, I lay there and waited…for three more hours. It was extremely boring. However, watching Edward as he slept eased the boredom. Sleep was the only time Edward didn't look like he had any stress. His face was rid of any expressions of anger, irritation, or worry. All he had as he slept was pure peace.

Now Edward and I were outside in my yard. Edward lay somewhere in the grass in my giant yard, the sun shining brightly - which was a rarity for Forks, even in the summer. The grass was so long now that if Edward stood in it, it went over his head. My parents said that they wanted it like that. They said it looked beautiful, the long grass blowing in the light breeze. I had to agree with them. It was beautiful. It made me feel like I was in a fairytale, watching the clouds float in the pure blue sky, the sun shining down on the long, perfectly green grass.

I was sitting up on a branch in one of the huge trees in our yard. I sat up there, looking for Edward. I watched vigilantly for a sign of him - his strange reddish hair, the shine of his eyes - anything. However, I couldn't find a single spot of him.

Now I gave up.

"Okay, Edward!" I called from up in the tree. "I give up - I can't find you!"

Silence.

"You win, okay?" I yelled.

"I do?" someone whispered into my ear from behind me on the tree branch.

"Ah!" I screamed, almost falling out of the tree.

Edward's loud laughter shook the branch.

I reoriented myself on the tree, embarrassed. My cheeks were burning.

"That wasn't funny," I grumbled.

He continued laughing. "Yes it was," he countered. His arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me to his chest. "Sorry," he whispered in my ear, "you're just too easy to scare." I felt him smile against my neck.

I pushed his arms off me and hopped down from the tree, landing into the sea of grass.

"What are you doing?" Edward asked from up in the tree.

"You want to play?" I said, running already. "Then let's play."

I ran through the grass. Its smooth edges slid across my body as I pushed through it. The grass was so thin, but it was really hard to push through. I ran as fast as I could, determined to win this game.

"Wait!" Edward yelled from very far behind. "What am I supposed to do?"

"Find me!" I yelled back, turning to a different direction.

Everything was a blur of green. I felt like I was in a water color painting. Everything was waving slowly like the lava in a lava lamp. It was surreal, beautiful like my parents had said it would be.

I heard a twig snap from in front of me, then a voice that was definitely Edward said, "Aw, shit." I turned, then started running the other way.

"I hear you, you know," Edward said breathlessly, his footsteps not that far from me.

I hid behind a very thick patch of grass, peeking through.

He was standing right in front of me, so clueless.

I leaned next to his ear. "Then catch me." I started running, the grass making extremely loud noises as I pushed through the thick tufts.

As I was running I looked behind me, and there he was.

"Oh shoot!" I squeaked.

His long legs were way faster than mine, and he was only three strides away from catching me.

"I…" I heard him huff then I felt something smash into my back. "Got you!"

I landed on all the grass on my stomach, not at all painful. The layers of grass protected me from anything hard on the ground.

Edward flipped me over, laying on top of me.

"Ha," he laughed. "I win."

I grinned, happy to see him so lighthearted for once.

"Yes, you do," I murmured.

"And…" Edward began. He stood up and picked me up, slinging me over his shoulder. "I won the best prize."

I started laughing as he walked through the grass, making me bounce.

"Put me down!" I giggled. "You're going to drop me!"

He snorted. "Really, Bella? You're like five pounds."

I crossed my arms. "I am not."

"You're so tiny," he murmured.

I huffed.

I never liked that he thought of me as so young and small and breakable. He was standing at a very tall six feet, and me at only five feet four inches. However, I didn't care if he was older than me, or bigger than me. I loved him. If he was any other way, it wouldn't be the Edward I loved. I loved the Edward with the uncontrollable bronze hair, the emerald green eyes, the lean body covered in the scars that just made him, him, and the trucker mouth. That's just how he was, and how I liked it to be.

"Don't worry," he said, breaking me from my thoughts. "I think it's cute." He looked back at me and winked, making me laugh.

He finally put me down once we emerged from the grass.

I realized then that my white summer dress was now covered in dirt and grass stains.

Great. Now my mom was going to give me a long talk on how it is important to keep clean. She would say, "You are a lady, and ladies do not run in the grass and get filthy."

"Look at me," I said, putting my arms out to show my dirty dress.

Edward's eyes scanned me up and down. One side of his mouth quirked up. He pointed to my hair, grinning.

"Nice hair," he said.

My eyes widened.

I turned to the back door, looking at my reflection through the glass window. I gasped at what I saw.

My hair was a curly mess around my face. My usual waves were now giant curls, stuck together with grass. My face was flushed, and my eyes were bright. I looked alive.

He patted my hair, grinning.

I swatted his hand away.

"I look like a wild woman," I said, poking at my hair.

"You look beautiful," he murmured. "You always do."

I turned around and smiled up at him.

"Thank you," I said, a blush painting my cheeks.

He brought his hand up to my cheek, rubbing his thumb across it.

I brought my arms behind his neck, leaning in to touch his lips with mine.

Edward POV

"I'm not leaving," I said again stubbornly. I crossed my arms over my chest, glaring at her.

Bella groaned, throwing her arms up into the air.

"Edward, you have to leave my side sometime! He's not going to come, I know it. We can't just live in fear."

"I'm not afraid," I told her. "I'm just making sure nothing bad will ever happen to you again."

She stood in front of me, staring down at me.

"What about you?" she asked.

I shrugged. "If you're okay, then nothing else matters."

Bella huffed, exasperated.

"Well unlike you, I actually care about your wellbeing." She sat next to me on the grass in her front yard - the grass that was normal height. "Go out, Edward. I can't let me keep you tied down."

"You aren't keeping me tied down," I argued. "I want to be here."

Bella yanked angrily at the grass. She wasn't winning. She always wanted to win.

"Well, what if I said I don't want you here?" she asked, raising her eyebrow.

That never crossed my mind. Bella would never kick me out…would she? No. I had to stay. She wanted me around, always.

"But you always want me around," I said aloud.

She raised her chin. "Not today. I want you to get out of here and go do something."

I was about to protest but she continued before I could speak.

"It's been two weeks, Edward. He's not going to come."

It had been awhile. Maybe he wouldn't come. There were cops surrounding the house and other cops out searching for him.

"Well, I guess I could go for a-"

"Okay!" Bella interrupted. She yanked me up from the grass and pushed me out the big gate. "See you tonight, Edward!" She waved from behind the closed gates, smiling brightly. She skipped happily back into the house.

What the hell was I supposed to do now?