If This Is Fate Chapter 24, a twilight fanfic

A/N: I know this chapter took me forever to get up and I'm sorry for that, but life has been extremely hectic lately. I'm hoping to finish this story in the next couple weeks so updates should come sooner.

Also I wrote a quick little story for the Awkward contest called Bloody Hell, so if you want go check it out here's the link: ( http://www (dot) fanfiction (dot) net/s/5823389/1/Bloody_Hell ). Voting starts tomorrow so if you read it and like it please remember to vote: ( http://www (dot) fanfiction (dot) net/u/2238935/AwkWard_Contest )

Disclaimer: I don't own twilight or the characters involved.

There You Were: Jessica Simpson & Marc Anthony

I was counting down minutes.
I was wishin' on the stars.
I was prayin' for a sign,
And tryin' to beat the odds.
I was dreamin' of you,
Love before I saw your face.
And there you were,
Waitin' for that day.
Then you reached through the hurricane,
When you baby you called my name.

You broke through the storm,
And you turned back the night.
Baby you are the fire,
Burnin' the midnight sky,
And your love,
Keeps taking me higher.
Just when all hope was gone,
Where the hero belongs...
There you were.

Must have broken into heaven,
Just to roll back the clouds.
Were you on a mission.
Were you seekin me out.
Was I that one in amillion.
Was I that one sacred kiss,
That you couldn't chance,
You just couldn't miss.
then you whispers through the silent tears,
When you swept away all my fears.

Standin' in the middle of nowhere,
With your arms wide open and you,
You were the reason when there was no reason.
In my life
You're the reason in my life.

Like the light in the eye of the storm,
Tellin' me not to cry anymore.
Where I watched my whole world fall apart,
Shinin' through like an angel from afar

EPOV

It was another week before I began to recuperate. That first week after I woke up for the first time, I still slept most of the day, only waking for short amounts of time. I think a lot of it had to do with the pain medication I was on. But it didn't matter when I woke up. Bella was always the first person I saw. She never once left my side and that brought a great comfort, knowing that she was still here with me and was holding on to me. I felt like she was the only reason I was still alive. I held on for her. She needed me and I couldn't leave her like that.

Neither one of us understood our strange connection through our dreams. And there was a point when we didn't even discuss what had happened. I think we both sort of wondered if the other knew what had happened or not.

I remembered the dream. I remembered seeing her and knowing I'd have to let her go on without me. But when she begged me to hold on and told me not to let her remember me like this, knowing she wasn't strong enough to protect me. I knew I had no other choice then to fight. Fight to live, fight for her, and fight for us. I couldn't let James take one more thing away from her.

It wasn't easy and many times I wanted to give up and let go, but it always seemed like in those moments, was when I would hear her voice telling me to continue fighting and not to let go. That always gave me the strength to keep going.

When I woke up I knew she would be there. When I saw her face all I could think about was all the pain I was in was well worth it to see that smile and know that her smile was for me.

"Are you thirsty? Do you want me to get you something to eat from the cafeteria?" She asked one afternoon while we sat in my room at the hospital.

"Bella, I'm fine. Just stay with me." I reached out for her hand pulling her closer to me. She sat down on the edge of the bed and brushed my hair off my forehead.

"I want to take care of you. You wouldn't be here if it wasn't for me."

"Yeah, you're right. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you. I'd probably be in the ground right now," I informed. She rolled her eyes.

"I meant you wouldn't have been hurt in the first place if it wasn't for me. I caused all this," she said sadly. I wrapped an arm around her waist and tugged on her hand so she would lie down next to me on the bed. She rested her head on my shoulder and I held her tightly to me.

"You didn't cause any of this. I will never blame you for anything that happened. You're a part of me Bella. I'd do anything to keep you safe and protected for the rest of my life. And I know you'll do the same for me. That's why you saved me," I said. I could feel her smile at my words. She needed to know that she did in fact save me.

"I love you, Edward."

"I love you, too," I whispered and kissed the top of her head. We stayed wrapped in each other's arms for most of the day. For a while we watched TV and I fell asleep for a while, but she still stayed with me. Mostly we just talked. We tried to make sense of everything that had happened and come to terms with where our lives were heading. So much had changed and so much was still going to change, but we were determined to make whatever came our way work for the both of us.

Around five that night, both of our families came bursting through the door just as we were embraced in a pretty passionate kiss. I hated that every time I wanted to be close to her, it seemed like someone was always interrupting us. We broke the kiss and Bella sat up a little on the bed. Her cheeks were bright red from embarrassment which made me smile and love her even more. I noticed that Seth had on a party hat and my mom was carrying a cake in a box. Kate was holding a handful of balloons while Garrett carried a grocery bag.

"What's all this?" I asked.

"We're having a get well party," Seth said excitedly.

"It was Seth's idea. He thought you needed some cheering up," my mom explained further.

"Thanks Seth," I laughed. He blushed just like Bella does and a huge grin spread across his lips. Bella helped me sit up on the bed. I winced at the pain, but tried to hide it as best as I could. I didn't want anyone to feel bad for being here or think I didn't appreciate what they were doing.

"I have something for you," Seth said, climbing up on the bed, taking the spot where Bella was sitting. "Well, it's actually from both me and Leah." I glanced over at Leah and she smiled. I smiled back realizing how lucky I was to have all these people in my life. Every single one of them, were my family and I needed them so much in my life. I took the box from Seth and began to open it. Inside was a framed picture of the four of us when we went to the beach all those months ago. I smiled as I looked at it, remembering that day.

"I made the frame," Seth informed. It was just a plain wooden frame that he had glued small shells all around.

"I hope you don't mind that I went through your pictures," Leah said cautiously. "Seth wanted that specific picture to put in the frame because he remembered taking it that day. I found where you kept them on your computer and had a copy made of it. I didn't look at anything else though."

"It's fine, Leah. This is perfect. Thank you both," I said, ruffling Seth's hair playfully.

"I don't want you to forget about me when you leave," Seth said. I chuckled lightly.

"I'm not going to forget about you. We'll be back all the time. We're just going to college Seth. It's not that far away," I explained. He ducked his head and shrugged his shoulders.

"Let's have some cake," my mom interrupted from the other side of the room. She and Kate started cutting it up and passing pieces out to everyone.

"So mom," I began between bites. "Were you as shocked as I was when you found out who James was?"

"What are you talking about?" She asked, confused. I heard Bella cough a little next to me, putting her fork down on the plate.

I stared at her for a minute with furrowed eyebrows. "You didn't tell her?" She shook her head nervously.

"Tell me what?" My mom questioned.

"Why didn't you tell her?" I asked Bella with a sharp tone I wasn't intending to use.

"What's going on," my dad chimed in.

"I didn't want to tell anyone anything until you woke up. I was worried that if I gave in and told everyone what you wanted, that I was in a way giving up on you. I guess the excitement of you finally waking up caused me to forget. I'm sorry," she apologized. I took her hand and kissed it gently.

"It's okay, I understand."

"What's the big secret over there?" Emmett demanded of us. I turned and saw everyone in the room watching us intently waiting for some revelation to what was going on.

"Mom, remember that story you told me a few months ago about when you were little and what happened to your friend?" I heard her gasp and she raised her hand to her mouth. I waited to be sure she was okay with me talking about this in front of everyone. She had said that I was the only person she had ever told, so I wasn't sure she'd be comfortable talking about this in front of everyone. I saw tears forming in her eyes and she nodded her head. I took that as she was okay with me talking about it.

"James was Bree's brother. He sort of confirmed that for me when we were in the house."

"That's what that was about?" Emmett shouted. "I had no idea what you were going on about when we were in the house. I just assumed you were buying us time before back-up came."

"You're telling me that I'm the one that caused all this? All of you were put into danger because I didn't do anything all those years ago?" Esme cried.

"No mom that's not what I'm saying. I'm saying that Seth and Leah have a grandma out there somewhere that I think might want to know who they are. I think it would be good for you to find her too. Maybe put some of the guilt you carry behind you."

"But I did. I caused all this. If I would have spoke up all those years ago none of this would have happened. Bella, Seth, and Leah wouldn't have had to go through so much pain for so long. Bella's mom would still be here. You wouldn't have been shot. You almost died Edward. I could have prevented this from happening years ago."

"Esme," Bella stopped her. "If you would have stopped it years ago, Seth and Leah quite possibly wouldn't be here now. I might never have met Edward. We wouldn't have the amazing family we have now. I know it's hard not to blame yourself. I blame myself for everything on a daily basis. But in the end if we were able to go back and change something that we wished we had. Things wouldn't be the same now. And I like where we are now." I squeezed her hand and smiled. She returned the smile.

"It's all fate, mom. Everything happens for a reason. And I like where we are now too. I wouldn't want it any other way. Everyone in this room is important to me and I wouldn't have any of you if it wasn't for the events that lead all of us here. Whether they were good or bad, I wouldn't change anything. The good thing is that you helped break the cycle. You might not have been able to do something years ago, but you did something now. Seth, Leah and Bella are going to be able to have a normal life now and not have to live in fear or ever have to worry about being hurt again," I explained. "You were a part of that."

"When did you get all philosophical?" Rosalie asked sarcastically. Everyone in the room laughed. Leave it to Rosalie to change the mood in the room. I watched my mom wipe her tears, as she crossed the room giving me a hug and kissing me on the top of the head. Then she reached over and pulled Bella into a hug as well. I could tell Bella was hesitant at first, but she eased up after a second and returned the hug.

"Enough with all the lovey dovey stuff," Emmett said. "I'm still confused by everything that's being said. Who is this Bree person and how does mom fit into it? And why did you wonder if Bella had told us yet? How did she know?"

I looked to my mom and she took it upon herself to explain all the details that lead up to this moment to everyone else. The only part she didn't understand was how Bella knew. Bella and I tried to explain the strange connection we had, but everyone in the room looked at us like we were crazy. I think the only one who believed us completely was Seth, but he would believe anything I told him. I was pretty sure Emmett believed in his own way, but I think he was still not quite sure what to make of it.

"I want you to find Bree and James' mom," I insisted. "I want you to have the chance to apologize for not doing anything years ago, because I know it still bothers you that you didn't. And I think Seth and Leah might like to meet their grandma."

"Just promise me one thing before you go find this lady who you're all claiming is our grandma," Leah begged. We all turned towards her wondering what she wanted us to promise her. "Promise me that whoever this person is, she isn't going to come in and try to take us away. I don't want to go anywhere or have to live with anyone else." Kate crossed the room and placed an arm around her shoulders protectively.

"No one is going to take you away from me. I don't care who they are," she assured. "I won't let anyone take any of you away. This is where you all belong."

"Did we miss the party?" Alice squealed, bursting through the door dragging Jasper behind her. Bella and I turned towards them and I saw huge smile spread across Bella's face when she saw Alice. She let go of my hand and rushed to Alice giving her a huge hug. Alice wrapped her arms around her tightly like she hadn't seen her in weeks. It was quite possible that she hadn't. I didn't really know.

Jasper walked over to the bed and sat down in a chair next to me. "You gave us all a scare there for a while. Everyone at school was worried about you."

"I know. But I'm going to be okay. All the doctors are surprised how well I'm doing and they said I might be able to go home in a few days."

"That's great. Everyone at home is calling you a hero. Both you and Emmett," he declared. We both glanced over at Emmett who had a saddened grin on his face. I didn't need to ask him why. I knew. Even though he was being considered a hero and he did his job, he was hurting inside. He had to kill someone and even though he was a mean, and horrible person, it didn't change how Emmett felt, how I think all of us felt, but more so him. I just hope that someday we'll all be able to get past this and know it was for the best and nothing we had any control over.

"So when you get out, we have got to start making some summer plans. Alice and I are heading to NYU in the fall and I want to have some fun before we leave and never see anyone again," Jasper stated.

"We should try to do some fun things this summer. So much has happened this year, I can't even think about how much everything has changed and it's just the beginning of changes to come, I don't want to focus on anything but having fun for a while," I said.

"That will be a great way to start your speech," Alice announced. Everyone in the room stopped and turned to her.

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"Your graduation speech," she explained. "You aren't the valedictorian, that's Angela, but you are school president and home town hero, so they want you to give a speech."

"What am I supposed to give a speech about?" I wondered.

"That's up to you," she said. "But the whole school is looking forward to it. Everyone put together a get well card for you too." She pulled out a large card made out of poster board from her bag and handed it to me. Inside it simply said 'Get Well Soon! We Miss You!' and it looked like every student and staff member in the school had signed it. Some of the people who signed it I didn't even know, but it was nice that so many people cared.

After a while I started to get really tired and wanted to get some sleep. Everyone noticed that I wasn't into celebrating much anymore, so they started to leave the room, wishing me a good night's sleep.

I grabbed Bella's hand and pulled her to me making it clear that I didn't want her to go anywhere. She patted my hand reassuring me that she was staying.

"Edward, I'd like to talk to Bella for just a minute in private. I won't be long," my mom said. I looked up at Bella wondering if she was willing to go with my mom. She nodded her head at my mom so I reluctantly let go of her. They walked out into the hall and Emmett stayed behind for just a minute.

He sat down next to me and I could see the serious look on his face.

"Emmett, you don't have to say anything. I know you're probably mad at me for not listening to you when I ran off towards the house. But when have I ever listened to you?" I joked.

"That's not what I was going to say," he countered, seriously. "I just wanted to tell you that I'm proud of you. You are a much better man than I ever will be. You almost gave your life for the girl you love and I'm not sure many people could actually do that. I think a lot of men would claim to do it, but I'm not sure many would. That takes a lot of guts to do. It just proves to me once again that you do everything better than me. You fight harder, you protect harder, and you love harder. I see now how much you truly love Bella, mom and dad do, too. I just wanted to say I'm happy for you. And I'm glad you're alive. I don't know if I could have lived with myself if anything happened to you."

"Thanks Emmett," I said, not sure how exactly to respond to that.

"I love ya, little brother," he mumbled as he stood. Emmett wasn't the type to be emotional or say heartfelt things to me, but in that moment I believed him and I think it was his way of dealing with what happened. He was trying to justify what he was forced to do and I was glad he was coming to terms with it.

"Emmett," I called. He turned just as he reached for the doorknob. "Thanks for saving my life. You are definitely the best big brother anyone could have. And I love you, too," I muttered with a smile. He stared at me for a second before he chuckled and left the room.

I laid there for a while waiting for Bella to come back, but it took longer than I had expected and before I knew it, I was falling asleep. I woke a couple hours later when the nurse came in to check my vitals. Bella was asleep in the chair across the room, but she was also woken by the nurse asking me questions.

"Why are you all the way over there?" I asked her as soon as the nurse left. She got up and walked across the room sitting in the chair next to the bed.

"I didn't want to disturb you. You seemed really tired after the party and I thought you needed some uninterrupted sleep. Unfortunately nurses don't agree with that." I laughed, because it was very true.

"It's really hard to sleep without having you near me." I scooted over as far as I could on the bed and she understood what I wanted so she crawled up on the bed with a huge smile on her face. I wrapped her up in my arms as she rested her head in the crook of my neck.

"Do you know what you'll write your speech about?" She asked.

"I haven't really thought about it. It will probably be some sort of cliché thing about living life to the fullest and moving on to our future. Some shit like that. I don't know."

"Well, whatever you decide, I'm sure it will be great," she encouraged.

"What did my mom want to talk to you about?" I asked. She sighed. I knew it wasn't something good from the sound of that sigh. I started to get worried about what exactly my mom had said to her.

"She wants me to go with her to find the grandma. She thinks it would be best for us to find her before we introduce Seth and Leah. I mean we don't know anything about this lady, so what if she's not a good person?" She explained. "Emmett said he can use his connections to find out some information and hopefully be able to find out where she is. With what your mom knows and what Emmett was able to piece together from James' past he said it shouldn't be that hard. I told your mom no though."

"Why don't you want to go with her?" I questioned.

"I don't want to leave you."

"Bella, I'll be fine. It will only be for a couple days. I'm sure by the time you leave I'll be back home and maybe even back at school. I want you to go," I said.

"Edward, I want to stay with you. I don't know if it would be such a good idea for me to meet this lady anyway. What if she doesn't like me? And what if she hates me because her son is dead because of me?"

"My mom will be with you. She isn't going to let anything happen to you," I said. "And he's not dead because of you, so stop saying that."

"What about you? Someone needs to take care of you when you get out of the hospital." I laughed.

"Baby, there was just a room full of people here who I'm sure are more than capable of helping me recover once I get home. One of which happens to be a doctor. Besides, I think my doctors are going to want me up and moving around. I can't lie in bed all the time having you wait on me hand and foot. I'll be fine. I'll call you every hour while you're gone if you want." She sighed in defeat. "Please do this for me. I think it's something both you and my mom need to do."

"Only if you're sure you don't need me," she said looking up into my eyes.

I smiled and hugged her tightly to me. "I always need you. But I can make it a couple days without you for something this important." She nodded her head and leaned in giving me a peck of a kiss. That wasn't enough for me so I grabbed her face and pulled her in to deepen the kiss. My tongue slid across her lips and she opened her mouth willingly to me. My hand ventured down to the hem of her shirt lifting it up to expose the skin of her back. My fingers traced lines up and down her spine. My knee slid in between her legs. I could sense how much she wanted me. It had been so long and I needed to be inside of her.

"Edward," she breathed. I undid the button and zipper on her pants and dipped my hand into her panties. I brushed one finger across her clit and she moaned in response.

"I want you so bad right now," I whispered in her ear before taking her ear lobe in my mouth and sucking on it. She was panting and bucking her hips into my hand.

"We can't do this here," she said in return.

"We can be quick. No one will ever know." I tried to convince, sliding my fingers into her even harder. She responded by pulling at my hair and kissing me hard on the lips. Even though she said we couldn't, she wanted it just as bad.

I was taking full advantage of her need for me and not letting it stop. She kicked off her pants and I removed her shirt taking one nipple into my mouth as I rolled the other between my fingers. Her eyes closed and her head fell back on the pillow. I tried to move over the top of her but the pain that shot through my side as I did, was unbearable. I cried out and fell back to the side of the bed. Her eyes shot open and she stared at me with fear in her eyes. She was still panting, but I think it was more due to the fear than anything else.

"What did I do wrong?" She asked, frightened.

"Nothing, you didn't do anything wrong. I just can't move that way," I explained, through gritted teeth. The pain was still very strong as I laid there trying to calm down.

"Is there anything I can do?" She asked, nervously. I closed my eyes and shook my head. "I'm sorry. I knew it wasn't a good idea. You still need to heal." She sat up on the bed looking down at me still fully naked. I think it hurt more that I couldn't do anything with her than it did that I was in excruciating pain.

I placed my hand on her hips, rubbing up and down. "Baby, I'm fine," I assured. "But I think you're right. It's too soon. I need to heal first." She looked sad as she climbed off the bed and put her clothes back on.

I reached out a hand to her. "Bella, you didn't do anything wrong." She met my eyes and took my hand giving me a weak smile. I knew she was feeling like she had. I pulled her to me, so I could kiss her, but just as I did a nurse came rushing through the door.

"You blood pressure was going up a bit. Is everything okay?" She questioned, looking back and forth between Bella and I. I think she knew, but she didn't say anything.

"I am in a little bit of pain," I said.

"I'll get you some pain medication. I'll be right back." She left the room so I took my chance and pulled Bella to me kissing her fully.

When I broke the kiss I looked into her eyes intently and held her face between my hands. "I love you, no matter what." She smiled and leaned her forehead against mine. I kissed the tip of her nose as the nurse walked back in. She handed me the pills and a cup of water. She had a knowing smile on her face as she watched me take the pills down.

"Let me check your bandages to be sure everything is still in good condition," she said. She pulled the covers back slightly and lifted my gown to have a look. "You're going to have to take it easy for a couple of weeks. If this is going to heal correctly without any more complications you're going to need to rest and not have a lot of activity. Do you understand?" I nodded my head knowing for sure now that she knew. It killed me that I couldn't be with her. And who knew how long it was going to be until I could.

Once the nurse left, I insisted Bella lay back on the bed with me. She tried to refuse, afraid she might hurt me again, but I assured her that the pain medication I just took was going to knock me out within a few minutes and she couldn't hurt me by just letting me hold her while I slept.

Eventually she did climb back up on the bed and like I told her, I was asleep within a few minutes with her in my arms. That was enough, for now.

The next morning my dad came in to see how I was doing. Even though he wasn't my doctor, he still couldn't help looking after me like I was his patient. The good thing was that when there was something I didn't understand that the doctors were saying he'd always explain it to me better later on.

"So the nurses said your blood pressure shot up last night. Is everything okay?" He asked with a smile. He knew too, I could tell. I glanced over at Bella who was on the other side of the room attempting to do homework. I noticed her cheeks were bright red. I felt like blushing too.

"Everything was fine dad. I just attempted to move into a certain position and it didn't work out so well. The pain killers helped though," I explained.

"That's good to know. You're going to have to be careful for a while."

I rolled my eyes and huffed. "I know dad. The nurse already gave me the lecture."

I was thankful that my actual doctor walked in because I wasn't sure I could take any more uncomfortable stares and chuckles from my dad.

"So how are you feeling today?" My doctor asked.

"I'm doing alright. When do I get out of here?" I questioned. He laughed as he wrote stuff on my chart.

"Well, I'm not sure. After last night's rise in your blood pressure, I think we might need to keep you for a few days," he informed. I rolled my eyes yet again and I heard my dad stifle a laugh.

"It was really nothing. I was just trying to adjust my position and I moved the wrong way."

"And that is exactly why you need to stay for a few more days. I need to get you up and moving around so you don't do anything to hurt yourself once you get home," he explained.

"Dad, can you get me a milkshake from the cafeteria?" I asked. I needed him out of the room so I could talk to my doctor privately.

"Sure thing," he said. "Bella, would you like anything?"

"Oh, no thank you Carlisle. I'm fine," she said.

"So this afternoon I'm going to have a nurse help you out of bed and get you moving around. It probably won't be any farther than the end of the hall for now, but the more you get up and move around the sooner you can go home," he stated.

"Doctor, once I get home, how long until… I mean, I will be able to…" I stumbled. The corner of his mouth raised into a grin.

"Are you trying to ask me how long you have to wait before you can be intimate with your girlfriend?" He wondered. I heard Bella gasp behind him. All I could do was nod my head.

"I don't think you need to wait much longer. I think once you're up and moving around, you'll find it's easier to adjust. You will need to take it easy and not strain yourself though, which means not overdoing it or pushing yourself too far. I don't think you want to land yourself back in the hospital due to overexerting yourself," he explained.

"But it is possible for us to be… intimate again, right?" I wondered.

"Like I said Edward, just take things slow and don't overdo it." I nodded my head and sighed in relief.

Later that day, the nurse did come in and help me walk around. I was already able to walk short distances with help, but the doctor wanted me to be able to start walking around without assistance. The nurse and Bella stayed right with me the entire time and even though I was in pain, I kept pushing. I wanted to get out of this hospital and be home in my own bed with Bella next to me.

I regretted it later that night when the pain hit. But thankfully the nurses were all too happy to pass out painkillers and I was thankful for that.

At the end of the week, I was finally able to move around enough that the doctor said I could go home. Bella was thrilled and buzzed around the room all day getting my stuff and her stuff packed up.

By mid afternoon, my parents came to the hospital to drive us home. My mom was so excited that we were finally able to go home and she didn't have to live in the hotel anymore.

"All packed up and ready to go?" My doctor asked as he walked into my room with my release papers.

"I am definitely ready to get out of here," I said in return.

"That's good," he laughed. "Just remember what I said about taking things slow. I don't want to see you back here anytime soon."

"I will, but I need to get back in shape so I can be ready for football tryouts come August," I said. He stopped writing and raised his eyes to me over the edge of the clipboard. I heard him sigh as he lowered the clipboard.

"I thought someone had told you already," he said in a regretful tone.

"Told me what?" I asked, with a little bit of panic in my tone. I glanced around the room trying to read from anyone what was going on. Bella and my mom looked as confused as I did, but my dad had the same expression as the doctor.

"Edward, I'm sorry, I know football was a big part of your life, but you won't be able to play anymore."

I stared at him with wide eyes and my breathing picked up. "What do you mean, I can't play football?"

"You had to have a kidney removed. There was a lot of damage and I think it would be too risky to play football anymore. If you were hit in the wrong spot or strain anything you could risk losing your life. I don't think you'd get a miracle twice. In all honesty, you're very lucky to be standing here today without any more complications than you already have," he explained. I felt like the wind was knocked out of me after he finished. This was the worst news possible.

"Edward," I heard Bella say as she placed her hand on my shoulder. "Are you okay?" I didn't say anything or acknowledge her at all. All I could do was stare at the floor and wonder if this was some sort of a joke. Football was everything to me. I can't, not play anymore. I can't just give it up like it's not important.

Somehow we ended up in the car and on the ferry heading home but none of it registered in my mind. When we arrived home my dad helped me into the house. Everyone was there to greet me when I walked in, but I was still devastated from the news I had received, so I went straight upstairs to my room. I heard Bella follow me up, but I didn't want to talk to anyone at the moment so as soon as I was inside, I locked my door. I knew it was mean and I shouldn't have pushed her away, but I didn't want anyone telling me that it was going to be okay and it's not the end of the world. I just needed to be alone and needed to wrap my head around what this meant.

I lied down on my bed and stared up at the ceiling for a long time before I fell asleep.

I must have slept for a long time because when I woke up, it was dark outside and the house was completely silent. I opened my door slowly intending to go down stairs and find something to eat. I was starving and also very thirsty.

I was surprised by what I saw when I opened my door though. Bella was asleep on the floor next to my door. There was a blanket that was thrown across her that my mom likely put there. I kneeled down slowly next to her, brushing the hair out of her face. Looking down at her sleeping made me realize that not being able to play football was not the worst thing that could have happened to me. The worst thing would have been losing her. This was my sacrifice for her to live and for me to live. It was a small thing I had to give up and I was making it out to be something far worse than it was.

"Baby," I whispered. She hummed in response and turned her head slightly. "Come to bed with me." She slowly opened her eyes before rising to her feet, following me into the bedroom. She lied down on the bed next to me and looked at me with a worried expression.

"I'm so sorry, Edward. It's my fault," She cried.

"Bella, you had nothing to do with it. Don't blame yourself. It will be fine. I can still go to college and make something of myself. As much as I wanted football to be my career and make it to the NFL someday, it's very unlikely that it was ever going to happen. It's time I come to terms with that and figure out what it is I really want to do with my life. I'm sorry I locked you out," I said regrettably. "I shouldn't have done that and I promise I'll never shut you out of my life again."

"Yeah, you will," she enlightened. "But it's okay because I know eventually you'll always open the door. It's okay if you need time to yourself to think. I can respect that and when you figure things out, I'll always be here waiting for you to open the door for me."

I pulled her into my arms and nuzzled into her neck. "How did I get so lucky?"

"On the contrary, I think I'm the lucky one. Who else can say that their boyfriend would risk his life to save yours?" She asked.

"I guess not many. But it doesn't change anything. I'd still pull you out of the way to keep you safe even if I knew what it was I'd eventually have to give up," I said. "I think you're definitely worth it." I could hear her smile as she cuddled up next to me closer. We both fell fast asleep quickly and the fact that I was hungry and thirsty didn't bother me anymore. I just wanted to be here with her.

BPOV

Esme and I boarded a plane for Chicago two days after Edward returned home. Emmett had discovered that James' mother had ended up in Chicago and her name was Sue Clearwater now. She had married many years ago but never had any more children. Her husband died about five years ago from a heart attack. Esme thought that maybe we should call first, but she worried that if we called now, she would back out and not want to go through with it. So she decided that we should get to Chicago first then make the call. At least that way, we would already be in the area so there was no backing out. Esme was extremely nervous and we could all tell.

Edward was still very upset about what the doctor had told him and I could tell he was trying to hide it and make it seem like it wasn't a big deal or that it was worth it, but I knew it hurt him. I tried to back out once again thinking that Edward needed me here to help him. But he insisted that I go saying that his mom needed the support more than he did. He was probably right, but I felt like I needed to support Edward more than Esme.

He assured me that he was fine and was just going to be sitting in his room working on getting caught up on homework and trying to write his speech for graduation. It was going to be boring and there was no reason for me to stay. So I did what he wanted and went with his mom to Chicago.

We planned to stay with Edward's aunt and uncle and part of me was really excited about that, because I had heard so much about all of them and wanted to know all of Edward's family.

Esme sat next to me on the plane attempting to read a magazine, but her shaky hands and twitchy foot were not making it very easy for her. I had no idea what I could do to calm her down or make this easier for her. Esme and I had gotten closer over time but I was still nervous and uncomfortable around her at times, this being one of those times.

"Do you want anything to drink or maybe a snack?" She asked, nervously. I shook my head but she didn't pay attention, catching the attendant's attention asking for a bottle of water for me and some sort of alcoholic drink for her. I had no idea what it was, but she chugged it down wincing as she did.

"Esme, are you going to be okay?" I asked hesitantly.

"I'll be fine."

The rest of the trip she ordered drink after drink and by the time we got off the plane she was drunk. I had to help her into the cab and get her to Peter and Charlotte's house. Thankfully Edward had given me their address before we left. I was starting to wonder if maybe he knew this would happen.

The cab pulled up in front of the house and Peter came rushing out to help carry her in. He got her to her room and put her to bed thankfully. She was exhausted and needed the sleep, but here I was faced to introduce myself to these people that I didn't know, but would be staying with for the next couple days.

Charlotte had a scarf over her head and I assumed it was because of the cancer treatment Edward had told me she was receiving. I tried not to stare or say anything rude.

"You must be Bella," Charlotte greeted as she slowly walked across the room and brought me in to a hug. It was awkward hugging someone I had never met, but I tried to be kind. "Esme and Carlisle have told us so much about you. I feel like I already know you so well. I'm sure you don't know much about us though. I'm Charlotte and this is my husband Peter. I'm Carlisle's sister. We have three children named…"

"Benjamin, Sasha, and Carmen," I interrupted. "Edward has told me a lot about you as well. And it's really nice to finally meet you both. I can't wait to meet your children."

"Well, it looks like Carlisle was right when he told us you and Edward, are pretty serious. I heard he even took a bullet for you. That's quite amazing what my nephew did," she added. Just the thought of Edward made me smile, but at the same time it made me sad because I didn't know how he was doing back home.

"You must be exhausted after your trip. Why don't I show you to your room so you can get some sleep," Peter offered.

"Thank you," I said. I grabbed my bag and followed him upstairs to the room. He stopped just outside the door and pointed out the bathroom. He also informed me that I was sharing a room with Carmen so I needed to be quiet. I nodded my head and he showed me the rest of the way in pointing out the spare bed in her room. I fumbled through my bag for some pajamas and my cell phone.

Eventually after searching through my bag in the dark and not finding what I was looking for, I just picked it up and dragged the whole thing with me to the bathroom. I ended up dumping almost all the contents of my bag on the bathroom floor so I could find my cell phone. That was the most important thing to find at the moment.

When I finally found it, I called Edward. I knew he was probably anxiously waiting for my call. I wasn't surprised that he answered after the first ring.

"Hello, he said quickly. I smiled involuntary at the sound of his voice.

"I hope you are being good and not overdoing anything," I scolded, playfully.

"I'm actually lying in bed watching a movie, but I don't know what the movie's about since I've been obsessively staring at my phone every two seconds. I think it's almost dead," he laughed.

"Then I won't keep you long. I just wanted to let you know we made it and I really like your aunt and uncle," I stated.

"How's my mom?"

I stifled a laugh. "Well, I think she had about four or five drinks on the plane and now she's passed out in bed."

He laughed. "I thought that might happen. She doesn't like to fly and add that to the nerves of meeting this lady, I'm sure she was a mess."

"I hope she's better by tomorrow. We're supposed to find Sue and if Esme is up to meeting her we're going to call and see if she'd be willing to meet us. I hope she is. I don't want to find out we came all this way and I had to leave you again for nothing."

"You didn't leave me. You're just visiting family. You should feel honored that my mom asked you to go with her. I think that shows that my mom truly does like you and has some sense of comfort in your presence," he explained.

"I was sort of shocked she asked me to come, but I'm glad I can be here for her. I'd hate for her to have to come here by herself," I yawned.

"You sound tired. I'll let you go so you can get some sleep, but call me first thing in the morning okay?"

"I will. I love you," I said.

"Love you too. Goodnight."

"Goodnight," I said, before hanging up the phone.

I quickly dressed in some pajamas and crawled into bed.

The next morning I was awoken by a little girl sitting on my bed. I opened my eyes, staring at her for a minute before sitting up.

"Are you Edward's girlfriend?" She asked, with a sharp tone to her voice.

"Yeah," I weakly said. Her lips rose into a smile and she lunged at me wrapping her arms around my neck.

"I'm glad you're here. I really wanted to meet you. I'm Carmen."

"I was looking forward to meeting you, too," I said, returning the hug.

"Aunt Esme is downstairs. She asked me to check on you," she explained.

"Okay, I'll be down in a minute."

I quickly got dressed and went downstairs. Esme was sitting at the table drinking coffee and taking some Tylenol for her head. She looked horrible and I wondered if we were going to be able to pull this off with her looking that way.

I sat down next to her and watched her curiously.

"I'll be fine," she assured. "I just need a shower and lots of coffee."

After a few minutes, she went upstairs to get ready, so I introduced myself to the other two kids and sat with them watching cartoons until Esme was ready.

When she came down she did look a lot better and almost looked like her normal self. Thankfully we were taking a cab to the address we had because I don't think she was capable of being behind the wheel right now and there was no way I was going to drive here when I could barely drive back home.

Around eleven we finally left the house. Esme was fidgety and anxious. I decided to text Edward and find out if he could get his dad to call her to calm her down because I honestly had no idea what to do. He texted back almost immediately saying he had his dad on it and seconds later her phone began to ring.

I put in my headphones from my iPod to let them have some privacy and continued to text Edward, letting him know, how things were going and where we were. Once she got off the phone with Carlisle she did seem calmer, which I was thankful for.

"Esme, it's going to be okay. We can always back out," I said. She reached for my hand squeezing it and giving me a reassuring smile.

"I know. I don't want to back out though. I need to do this. I'm glad you're with me too. I couldn't do this alone and I think out of anyone you know what I'm going through."

I squeezed her hand in return, knowing she needed that support and I was glad I could be there for her.

We were silent for the rest of the trip until we pulled up in front of a small red brick house. We both stared at it for a minute and we both took simultaneous deep breaths. There was a park at the corner of the street so we asked the cab driver to drive us there and let us out.

When we got out, we sat down at a bench that had a perfect view of the house. We sat there for a long time not saying a word or making any indication that either of us was ready to face this lady if she was still there.

Esme had carried around guilt for years for not doing anything all those years ago when Bree was being abused and because of that James had grown up in a broken and dysfunctional home that caused him to be a cruel and demented man, who found pleasure out of hurting other people the same way he had been hurt. I had guilt for not doing anything to try and help him. Even though he hurt me tremendously in so many ways and probably scarred me for life, he was still the only father I ever knew and I wished there was a way I could have helped him and made his life easier. My counselor said that it was normal to feel that way, but it wasn't exactly healthy. I needed to let go of that guilt as well as the guilt of causing so many people I cared about pain and fear. But that was easier said than done.

Esme was here to try and make amends. I was here to try and make sense of everything that happened to me and my family.

"I have the number," Esme suddenly said. She turned towards me with the phone in her hand. "Should I call?" I glanced back at the house then back at her and nodded my head. She slowly punched in the numbers on her cell phone and with a large inhale of breath brought the phone to her ear. I waited for her to say something, but she never did. Her gaze was locked on something in the distance and she slowly dropped the phone to her lap, snapping it shut. I followed her eyes to a woman in the distance walking down the sidewalk with a bag of groceries in her arms. She looked to be in her late sixties with graying hair but some of her natural black hair color, still mixed in at places. She looked weathered, like she had lived a very hard and daunting life. After noticing the way Esme stared at her I knew that she had to be the Sue we came all this way to see.

"Should we go talk to her?" I asked. Esme never acknowledged my question. I saw her swallow hard and stand from the bench, walking across the street. I quickly stood to follow behind her.

Esme called out to her just as Sue reached her doorstep. She stopped and turned towards us, watching us come closer to her.

"Are you Sue Clearwater?" Esme asked, politely.

"Yes I am," she answered with a peculiar look on her face. "Who are you?"

"You probably don't remember me. Did you have a daughter named Bree and a son named James?" Esme asked. Sue dropped the bag of groceries to the ground and brought her hands to her mouth as she gasped and tears began to fill her eyes. "I'm Esme Cullen and this is Bella. I used to be Esme Platt. I was a friend of Bree's before she died. We'd really like a moment of your time to talk if you're available. I'm sorry that we just showed up like this, it's not normally like me to show up at someone's house unannounced, but we came all the way from Washington to find you. If now isn't a good time we can always come back or maybe meet some other place. I'm sorry we bothered you. We should probably go." Esme rambled on and on without letting her have a chance to respond or say a word. She turned around and started walking away.

"Wait," Sue called. Esme stopped, turning back around. "I remember you." Esme turned and began walking back towards her with a friendly smile on her face. "Bree used to talk about you all the time. Is this your daughter?" She asked, pointing towards me.

Esme turned to me and smiled. "Not by blood. But by fate she is." My heart swelled with acceptance and love from her. In that moment, I felt like Esme had finally accepted me into her family and into Edward's life.

"You're both welcome to come in, if you'd like," she offered. Sue picked up the grocery bag she had dropped and unlocked the door leading us into her home. It was a simple house with small knick-knacks all over the place. She also had two orange cats that were huge and very friendly. We sat down on the couch, waiting for her to put her groceries away. When she was done, she came in carrying a tray with three glasses of lemonade on it. We both took a glass, sipping at it, but not able to drink much because of the nerves.

"You said you wanted to talk to me?" she questioned, as she sat down across from us.

"Yes, we did," Esme answered nervously. "See, all those years ago when I was a kid, Bree confided in me and told me what was happening to her. She begged me not to say anything to anyone and I never did, thinking it was the right thing to do. Even after she…" Esme hesitated, "after she died. I didn't tell anyone, not even my husband. Until a few months ago, that is. I told my youngest son and it turned out he was in a similar situation that I wasn't aware of until later." She had a reminiscent smile cross her face for the slightest second. "He was stronger than I was and saved those kids who were being hurt. I should have been strong like him and spoke up when I could have to help you. I'm sorry that I wasn't strong enough."

"Esme, you have nothing to blame yourself for. I was the one that put my children in that situation and I did nothing about it. I could have spoken up too. I should have spoken up. But I didn't and because of that I lost both my children. I have suffered greatly and there isn't anything I can do to change that. You were just a little girl who had no control over anything. There wasn't one person out there that would have listened to you back then. They didn't do investigations for abuse back then like they do now. You can't blame yourself for this. I've come to terms with what happened and I've done my best to make penance by dedicating my life to helping other women and children who are in the same situation I was," she explained.

"Did you ever try and find James?" I asked before I thought better about it. She turned to me with a questioning look.

"I never stopped. After I was released from jail, I searched for years and years. But the evil man I left him with moved around a lot and it seemed like every time I'd get close they would disappear again. After I remarried, my husband was very supportive of my search and even hired private investigators to help. But as the years went on and we got older the search got harder and harder. I never stopped thinking about him. I wondered where he ended up, if he was happy or if he was ever able to get away from his father. I wondered if he went to college or if he got married. Those are still things I wish I could find answers too. He probably doesn't even remember who I am now," she said, looking away in the distance like she was saddened by not knowing.

"I do," I said, simply. She turned her head towards me quickly. "He was my step dad. He was mean to me and my brother and sister. He killed my mom." She let out a pained sigh and a tear slid down her face.

"Why are you here?" She questioned angrily. "You come in here and bring up the past that I have worked years and years to put behind me and then you tell me my son turned out to be just like his father. What do you want from me? I know I'm a horrible mother and should have never been allowed to have kids. I never had another child after what happened. I didn't hurt anyone else."

"Sue, that's not why we're here," Esme cut in. "We aren't here to blame you or make you feel bad for what happened. Believe me I think both of us have enough guilt that we would never put any of that on you."

"If anyone knows how you feel Sue, it's me," I said. "Even when I had someone who was willing to risk everything to help me get free from the abuse, I pushed him away and didn't want him to be involved. I would have done anything to keep my secret, but it ended up being the stupidest thing I ever did. I almost died and Esme's son Edward saved me. The whole Cullen family saved me and my brother and sister."

"He almost killed you?" She asked, with tears streaming down her face.

"He almost killed my son as well," Esme informed. "He was a severely disturbed man and that is not your fault in any way. You did what you had to do and there wasn't anything you could do back then or now to help him."

"Why did you come all the way here to tell me this then?" She asked.

"I guess we just wanted to meet you and I felt responsible for what happened all those years ago and I wanted to apologize for not doing anything," Esme said. "We also thought that you would want to know that your son is dead and he can't hurt anyone anymore."

"He's dead?" She cried.

"Like I said, he tried to kill Bella and both of my sons. My oldest, who is a cop, had no other choice."

"You also have grandchildren that we thought you may want to meet some day," I said. She shook her head and covered her face with her hands.

"I need some time to make sense of everything you've told me. I'd appreciate it, if you would both leave," she said in a sharp tone. Both Esme and I stood instantly and headed towards the door.

"I'm sorry if we upset you, it wasn't our intention. If you do want to meet your grandchildren, give me a call anytime," Esme offered, as she placed a business card on the small table by the door.

We drove back to the house in complete silence. I saw Esme wipe at her eyes a couple times, but I tried to pretend like I hadn't noticed.

When we got back, I went up to the room I was sharing with Carmen and called Edward.

"Hello," he said. I instantly broke down into tears at the sound of his voice. "Baby what's wrong?"

"It was horrible. At first, things seemed to be okay, but then once we explained how James was mean to us and that he tried to kill us, and he was dead, she got really upset and told us to leave," I sobbed. "I just want to go home. I should have never come here. I should have stayed with you."

"Do you want me to come there? I can leave right now and get on a plane. I'll be there in a few hours," he offered.

"No, I don't want you to do that. You can't fly or drive right now anyway. I'll be fine. We're leaving tomorrow morning, so I'll see you then," I said, trying to relax and dry my eyes.

"You know I'd come right now if you want me too," he promise.

"I know, but you can't. I'm not going to let you risk flying all the way here just so you can end up hurt again. I'll be home tomorrow."

"Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?" He asked.

"Just distract me. Tell me about your day and everything that happened the last few days."

"Well, not much of anything happened. I did homework, slept, ate, and played some video games with Jasper and Emmett. Even my dad played a game with us," He laughed. "Rosalie attempted to make us dinner last night, but it ended up being a disaster so my dad ordered a pizza instead. She's not that great at cooking or anything domestic. I told her she should get some pointers from you and she glared at me. Other than that, there really hasn't been much going on."

"Have you been taking your medicine?"

"Yes, Bella," he laughed. "I've been getting lots of rest and not overdoing anything. I'm fine. I'm more worried about you right now."

I sighed. "I'll be okay. I just can't wait to be home with you."

"I'll ride to the airport with my dad tomorrow to pick you up, okay?" He suggested.

"I'd like that. I should probably go though. I need to go check on Esme and make sure she's okay."

"Alright," he said. "I love you."

"I love you, too," I said with a smile on my face. Those simple words from him, made everything better.

I went downstairs and saw Esme talking with Charlotte in the kitchen so I decided to go outside where the kids were playing. I didn't want to disturb their talk and I really needed the fresh air anyway.

I watched them for a while playing and being silly and imagining what it would have been like if Seth and Leah could have had that type of life. They never got to be happy and carefree growing up. I wondered how that would impact there lives as they got older. We'd all been through so much and just because James couldn't hurt us anymore, didn't mean the pain and suffering, was gone. There was still so much we were all dealing with and would continue to deal with for the rest of our life.

"Bella, will you push me?" Benjamin asked.

I smiled and walked towards him on the tire swing. "Sure," I agreed. After a while Sasha got on as well and they both giggled and squealed with excitement as I pushed them higher and higher. It wore me out and eventually I had to sit down and relax.

They were both balls of energy and never stopped running and playing. I didn't know where they got all that energy, but I was glad they were allowed to use it and run freely.

Carmen came over and sat next to me giving me a peculiar look. "Are you going to marry Edward?" She asked suddenly.

"What," I asked, surprised by her question.

"I want you to marry my cousin."

"Carmen, I'm only eighteen. We have to go to college and figure out what we're going to do with our lives before we even discuss marriage. I don't think that has even crossed either of our minds."

"Well, when you do, can I be in it?" She begged. I laughed, realizing where this was going.

"Sure," I agreed. "If Edward and I ever get married, then you can be part of the wedding party. But you never know. Edward may end up marrying someone else someday."

"No, he won't. I'll make sure he marries you. I like you," she said with a big smile.

"Thanks Carmen." It was the first time I ever thought about marriage with Edward. I knew I wanted to be with him forever and I would never love anyone the way I loved him, but I didn't know about marriage. The thought kind of scared me. My mom got married and that man ended up killing her. Not that I ever thought Edward would do anything like that. But the thought of being married terrified me. Could I be married and make someone happy? Could I be happy being married? Was Edward who I wanted to spend the rest of my life with? Would we still love each other in five years, or ten years, even twenty years from now?

Those thoughts filled my mind for the rest of the night. At dinner none of us said much and I went straight to bed afterwards.

I dreamt of Edward that night. I pictured him as an old man with gray hair and wrinkly skin. I almost didn't recognize him. But when he smiled and his green eyes twinkled, I was sure it was him. He reached for my hand, and I noticed it was wrinkled and aged just like his was. He kissed the back of my hand gently and even though we were both older in my dream, I was still completely in love with him. Nothing could ever take that away or change that.

The next morning, Esme and I got up early to pack all our stuff and head home. It was a quick trip, but we did what we came to do so we needed to go home. I was glad too. I wanted to see Edward.

We said goodbye to everyone and gave all of them hugs. They planned to come out to Washington in a few weeks to see Edward graduate so it wasn't going to be long before we saw all of them again.

Once the plane took off, I sighed in relief knowing that in just a few short hours I would see him again. I didn't plan to tell him about the dream I had or anyone for that matter. It was silly and just my imagination playing games with me. I decided that thinking about Edward's and my future, was ridiculous. I had no idea where we would end up or what might happen years from now so there was no reason to dwell on it. I'd just take one day at a time and enjoy every minute I got to spend with him.

"Thank you for coming with me," Esme said.

"Thank you for wanting me to come with you. I'm sorry things didn't turn out better with Sue."

"It went about as well as I imagined it would. She needs time to adjust to what we told her and how best to deal with it. It's why I didn't want Seth or Leah to come now. It would be too overwhelming and probably cause more damage than good. When she's ready, she'll let us know," she explained. "Did this trip help you at all?"

"I think so. It made me realize that I'm not the only one who takes on the blame for everything that happened. But it also made me realize that no one is really at fault. Everyone just does the best they can to survive. Just like Charlotte. Even though she could be angry and want to blame so many things for the cancer she's suffering from, she doesn't seem to. She seems happy and full of life. She doesn't let any of that keep her down. And that's how I want to live. I don't want to keep living in the past and wonder what I should have done differently or what I could have done to make things better. I just want to look forward and take care of my family and love all of you as much as I can. I'm very lucky to have the people I have in my life. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for all of you and I need to accept that and believe that everything that's happened was for the best." She wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

"I'm glad you're part of our family. You have got to be the one thing that has made all of our lives better, especially my sons. I couldn't be happier that he's found you to love. I know I was indifferent about it at first, but that was only because I was an overbearing, worrier and didn't want my son to get hurt. But I should have seen how much you both love each other and been happy for you. He looks at you the same way Carlisle did when we first started to date. He's so much like his father in so many ways." She smiled like she was remembering something from the past.

"Thank you," I said simply. Her attention came back on me and she smiled sweetly, squeezing my shoulder.

For the rest of the flight Esme slept. I suspected that she had taken something to help her sleep since she didn't like to fly. I read and focused on catching up on homework since finals were coming up and I really wanted to graduate. I had missed so much school since meeting Edward and I didn't want that to get in the way of graduating.

When we landed, I woke Emse up and we started our way out of the plane. My stomach had butterflies in anticipation of seeing Edward. As we stepped out and I caught a glimpse of the top of his head, I smiled and took off running towards him. He saw me running through the crowd and I could tell if he could he would have been running also. Instead he walked briskly, holding his side.

As much as I tried to be gentle and not slam into him, I couldn't help it. He let out a guttural sound when our bodies collided and I instantly felt bad and wanted to pull away, but he wrapped his arms around me, holding me tightly to him.

"I'm glad your home," he whispered.

"Me too," I murmured against his chest.

"Doesn't your mother get a welcome home hug?" Esme asked from behind us. He pulled away from me, laughing lightly as he gave his mom a hug as well. Carlisle was standing next to her holding our bags. Edward offered to help, but he said he wouldn't allow it considering Edward was still recovering.

We drove back listening to Esme and Carlisle talk about the trip and how Charlotte was doing and about their trip here for Edward's graduation. Edward and I sat in the back of the car relatively quiet. He had me tucked into his side with an arm wrapped around my shoulders and his chin resting on the top of my head. I think I dozed off for a while because before I knew it we were already driving back through Forks.

When Carlisle pulled into the driveway of my house everyone came running out, wanting to know how the trip was and if we had fun. It wasn't fun in any way, but it was a good trip. It was funny how something so simple could make such a big impact on my life.

"Did she come back with you? Do we get to meet her?" Seth asked, excitedly.

"Not yet Seth," Esme said. "She needs time to figure out what she wants to do. We did sort of spring a lot of information on her."

"Is she nice? What was she like?" Leah asked.

"She was really nice," I informed. "She had two huge orange cats and she gave us some homemade lemonade. If she ever comes to visit, I think everyone will like her."

When Esme and Carlisle got back in the car to head home a few minutes later, I expected Edward to leave with them and I'd have to say goodbye again. But instead he grabbed a backpack out of the trunk and told his parent's goodbye.

"I hope its okay that I stay?" He asked. I turned towards Kate who just smiled and nodded her head.

"You know you are always welcome here Edward," she said. "No need to ask permission."

We all headed back in the house. "Are you hungry? Kate asked. "Garrett should be here soon and we were thinking of going out to dinner."

"I'm actually, really tired. I'm thinking I'll just go to sleep and get ready to go back to school tomorrow."

"Alright," she said. "What about you Edward?"

"No thanks. I'm going to spend some time with Bella."

We walked up stairs to my room, shutting the door behind us. I changed into some comfortable clothes and crawled up on the bed where Edward's protective arms were waiting for me. He pulled me close to him and wrapped me up in a blanket.

"Did you get your speech done?" I asked, drowsily. He groaned and I took that as a no.

"I don't know what I'm supposed to say," he admitted.

"I'm sure you'll think of something," I encouraged.

"I hope so. Maybe with you back home, I can focus more on that and not worry about you being upset." I felt a sadness come over me at his words.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have called you and burdened you with all my problems."

"Don't ever say that. If you're upset I want you to talk to me and tell me everything, even if it's not the greatest topic. I don't ever want you to keep anything from me," he begged.

"Okay," I said through my sleepiness.

"Get some sleep Bella. We can talk more when you wake up."

"I dreamt of you while I was gone," I revealed.

"You did?" He chuckled. I nodded my head slowly against his chest. "What was your dream about?"

"Nothing important," I whispered, as my eyes closed. I felt him kiss the top of my head and whisper that he loved me just as I fell asleep.