Bella's POV

Derek had been with us for three days already. Edward and I had around two weeks until Adele was going to be moving in. I avoided Derek as much as I could, but he just seemed to pop up all over the place. I couldn't talk to him. With most people, I could get used to them after a few days. Not with Derek. He creeped me out.

I was upstairs. I was trying to get ready for work, but I was having a little trouble. I walked downstairs to where Edward was practicing in his office, and knocked on the open door to let him know I was there. He looked up at me.

"Have you seen my blue sweater? The one Rose gave me for Christmas?" I asked. I couldn't find it to save my life. He shook his head.

"Sorry, Bells." I just nodded absent mindedly and walked back up the stairs to pick out a different shirt to wear, frowning.

An hour later, I sat behind the counter at the bookstore, reading. There were a couple of people milling about the shop, quietly sliding books off the shelves, flipping them open, and then putting them back. I liked this, just minding my own business while other people around me did the same. I wasn't alone, but I wasn't really with anyone either.

"Excuse me?" a middle aged woman stood in front of the counter. I hadn't even heard her approach. I set my book down, and looked up at her with a smile. She didn't speak for a moment.

"Can you help me find these books?" she finally asked, sounding a little impatient, and thrust a piece of paper at me. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes and took it, glancing over it. Easy enough. I nodded, slipping down from my stool. I heard a faint huff from behind me, and I bit my lip. When people like this came along, I was caught between annoyance and amusement. On the one hand, it was annoying how rude they acted. On the other, it was funny how badly they wanted a complete stranger to talk to them. I wordlessly went down the list of books, handing each to her while she quizzed me with annoying questions, none of which I answered. Finally, the woman fuming, I started to ring up the books for her, then stopped to write something on my marker board. I set it against my pencil cup and continued with my work, glancing up at her through my eyelashes. I bit back a laugh as I watched her read the board. Her eyes widened and her mouth snapped shut. Her cheeks and the tops of her ears turned read. As soon as she'd paid and I'd wrapped the books up in the brown paper for her, she turned on her heel and left.

I shook my head and went back to my book. Those two little words could do amazing things to people. I cocked my head to the side for a minute, then grabbed the board and erased my words.

"I'm mute."

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

"Bella!" I looked up from my book. It was a little after six. Edward was probably half way through with the last lesson of the day. This was Rosalie. I smiled and waved as she walked towards the counter. It seemed like she'd just come from a shoot; she was wearing black leather, four inch heel boots a red dress, and her makeup was obviously done by a pro. Not that she couldn't do it herself...it was just too perfect. And her hair was curled. She never curled her hair herself. Rose leaned against the counter with an annoyed look on her face.

"Stupid, annoying photographer. 'You're not doing it right! Move your foot three inches to the left!'" she mimicked, making me laugh. "But, hey, on the way here some guy fell down the stairs to a subway station because he was staring at me." I clapped my hands over my mouth. I hoped the poor guy wasn't hurt too bad. Rose laughed. This was a regular thing for her, guys gawping at her.

"Is Emmett working?" I asked, pointing at the bean bag chair. "Sit down." Rose did, tucking her legs under with the kind of grace I could never have.

"Yeah." She answered my question a little sadly. I knew she was lonely; she and Emmett had been inseparable for as long I could remember. Longer, in fact. Since before I was born. She was used to being away from him for a few hours at a time while she working, but he was gone most night, and later than ever, with his new job.

"I'm sorry." I signed, an apologetic look on my face. She sighed, allowing herself to look sad for another moment, then shook it off and smiled.

"It's okay. I did come here for a reason, though. I wanted to ask you something." She looked down and twisted her ring. I was still shocked that Emmett had actually stepped up and proposed. I mean, I knew that he loved her more than anyone, or anything else on the planet, that was obvious, but...out of the two of us, all though he was physically older, I've always acted more mature. When it was just me and mom for those few years, I was more of the mother in the relationship. I took after Charlie, Emmett took after Renee. They're both...free spirited, and they don't seem to be tied down by the same rules and worries that the rest of us are. I know that no matter how old either of them live to be, they're souls will be forever young.

Although, there are times when both of them, Emmett more so, that they act their age, older, wiser even. They never cease to amaze me.

A sharp pain shot through my body, and I dropped the plate I was drying. I placed a hand on my stomach. There was still a week until my due date, but...

"Are you okay, Bells?" Emmett poked his head into the kitchen, brought by the sound of the plate smashing. He crossed the room and scooped me up, setting my on the counter.

"I'll clean it up. I have shoes on, you don't." he reasoned, looking around for the broom. I waved my hand at him and he stopped while I looked for a piece of paper and a pen. I found a sharpie, that would do.

"I think it's time." I wrote, and held out the envelope to him. His eyes widened, and he grinned.

"Really? You think she's going to come to today?" he asked eagerly. I nodded.

"Okay. You have your bag packed, right?" I groaned. That was one of the things that I'd meant to do this morning. I shook my head.

"I'll call Rosie, and she'll stop by and put one together for you, okay?" I nodded, and gasped as another contraction hit me. Emmett let me dig my finger nails into his forearm until it passed, and glanced at the clock.

"That one was at 2:27, okay? Make sure I know when the next one comes." I just nodded as he scooped me up into his arms again and carried me out of the house and set me in the passenger seat of his car.

He'd been so calm, throughout that whole day, and partway into the night. He'd been twenty at the time, and handled it perfectly. Not a lot of guys could do that, I knew, particularly for their sister.

So, I have to revise my statement from before. He and Renee's souls weren't young. They were...ageless. Both young and old at the same time. Innocent, and wise.

Well, know that I've made myself sound like an idiot...

"Go on..." I prompted Rose. There wasn't anyone here right now, so I didn't feel guilty about talking with her, and I wasn't tongue-tied.

"Um...would you be my maid of honor?" she asked, still twisting the ring. I actually laughed out loud.

"Rose, do you really think I'd say no?" I asked, looking at her like she was crazy. She shrugged.

"I don't know, Bella, the whole thing has me nervous, I guess..." she said, still looking down at her ring. I raised an eyebrow. Where was the confident, fearless Rosalie Lillian Hale I'd known my entire life? I opened my mouth to ask what she meant, but she didn't wait for me to ask. I guessed that she'd had this on her chest for awhile now, and after it had started, she just couldn't stop.

"I mean, really, I never expected him to actually propose. You know Emmett! He's just a really big kid! I love him, I really do, but I wasn't ready for this." She stopped to take a breath, and stood up, starting to pace.

"And, think about my mom and dad. Think about what they're going to expect. By their standards, a wedding isn't a real wedding unless it has at least two hundred people attending, preferably more, in a huge church...all of that fancy crap. And that's what everyone, everywhere will be expecting of the Rosalie Hale, not just my parents. There will be newspaper articles about me getting married...photographers sneaking into the wedding if I don't invite them..." She plopped back down in the chair, not at all graceful now.

"Bella, I don't want that. You know me. My mom always wanted me to be a delicate, fragile, dainty little girl. Why do you think my name is 'Rosalie?' I never was. I played football with Emmett, I worked on cars with my dad, I climbed trees...I don't want a huge wedding. I don't know how to tell that to people, particularly my mom. I think dad will understand." She started to chew on her fingernails, something that she hadn't done in years. I slid down off my stool and pulled her up to her feet by her hands and hugged her.

"Rose, hon, you need to breathe. Calm down. Have you talked to Emmett about this at all?" She shook her head. I held her at arms length.

"Well, you need to. And two more things. First, you know that Alice and I will help you. You know Ali will want to plan practically everything, so all you really need to do is tell us what you want and show up in time to be tortured." I coughed. "I mean, made up, and walk down the aisle. The second is that this is your wedding. What do the wants of your mother matter? She had her turn."

Rose gaped at me.

"What?" I asked, wondering if there was something in my teeth.

"That's the most you've said to me in three years." She said quietly.

Then, before I knew it, Rose had burst into tears and was sobbing on my shoulder. I stood there like a statue for a moment. Like Charlie, I'd never been good at dealing with emotions, not even my own.

"Oh, Rose...Don't cry." I said, in what was hopefully a soothing tone, and rubbed her back.

"I-I" she blubbered. Luckily, her make-up was waterproof. Jeez. She was still beautiful, even when she was such a mess.

"I'm sorry, Bella!" she sobbed, slowly getting a hold of herself. I was quiet, just rubbing small circles on her back until she straightened and wiped the tears off her cheeks. She laughed a little.

"Wow. I'm so, so sorry, Bella. I wasn't expecting that either, don't worry." She shook herself and put on a smile. "I'm fine now. And, I need to get going." I nodded, and we hugged again. She was at the door when she turned around again.

"You know...thanks for listening to me." she said quietly. I waved it away. She was practically my sister! What was I supposed to do, dig out the duct tape?

"Emmett and I looking for a house. A real house, not an apartment. We can afford it, between the two of us. Just thought I'd let you know." I smiled. I was so happy for them. Planning a wedding and house hunting. Who knew my brother would ever settle down?

She turned and was halfway out the door when she stopped again.

"Oh, and Bella? I don't know much about the wedding, but...will Adele be the flower girl?" I laughed and nodded.

"Duh! Now go!" I said, rolling my eyes and shooing her with my hand. She stuck her tongue out at me and left.

I sighed, sitting back down on my stool. What a conversation.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

Two days later

"Ugh!" I yelled, flopping down on the bed. Two of my shirts were gone, plus the sweater. Where did they go? If Adele was here, I'd think that she hid them.

But, she wasn't, and I was annoyed.

"Edward!" I yelled, stomping down the stairs. Then, because it's me, I tripped and rolled down the last three stairs...straight into Derek. He yelped and fell on top of me, knocking the wind out of my lungs.

Then next thing I knew, I was lying on something much more comfortable than the floor, and I could breath again.

"Dude, is she gonna be okay?" That was Derek, sounding panicked. My eyes were still shut; my eyelids felt too heavy to open just yet.

"She'll be fine, now would you please shut up? Look, she's waking up now." That was Edward, sounding a little worried, but not so much as Derek. He knew me well enough not to panic every time I tripped or passed out or bled. I opened my eyes slowly and looked up into the face of Edward himself. His eyes were amused. I started to sit up, but he pushed me down again.

"Nope, not yet. Just lie here for a minute. Breathe." When he said that, he turned to glare at Derek, who looked guilty.

"I'm fine." I signed angrily, and pushed Edward's arm away, sitting up. The room spun for a minute, but it passed.

"Bella, I'm so sorry!" Derek said, standing up. I just shrugged and walked away. I didn't need to be in the same room as him anymore, not after being so close to him a few moments before.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

"I'll be back in a few minutes, Bells. I have to go and get a music sheet for one of my students tomorrow." Edward told me, and bent down to kiss my cheek. I nodded, and smiled at him. Before too long, the door slammed, and I knew he was gone. I took a quick shower, then I walked down the stairs again, much more carefully this time. I didn't trip on the way down, and I walked into the kitchen. I was feeling a little hungry...

I started peeling an orange when I felt a pair of arms wrap around my waist. Did I not hear Edward come in? But, something felt a little off. I turned around, and gasped. Nope, not Edward, but Derek. I started to pull away, but before I could even blink, he leaned forward and kissed me, really kissed me, like I hadn't let Edward kiss me for the first few weeks of our relationship. Every locked up memory came back to me, flooding into my brain, flashing before my eyes. I was too stunned to move...then, I realized that I had to do something. What if Edward came back and found us like this?

I tried pushing him away; no dice. I dug my fingernails into his arms, and that didn't work either. So, I did what I had to do. I bit his tongue. Hard.

He yelled and let me go, and I took my chance. I darted out of the room and up the stairs. I locked myself in me and Edward's room, looked around wildly, and then shoved the desk in front of the door. Then, I dove under the covers, and hid in the middle of the bed.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

It seemed like I was under there for hours, sweating and shaking. Then, the door knob rattled and there was a thud, like someone had walked into the door.

"Ow." I heard. Then, "Bella?" It was Edward, thank God. I jumped out of the bed and pushed on the desk. It seemed a lot heavier now...

"Bella, what are you doing?" Edward asked, sounding truly puzzled. Finally I got it out of the way and unlocked the door. A second later, he opened it.

"Oh my God, Bells, what happened?" he asked, a shocked expression on his face as he walked into the room and shut the door behind him. I backed away from him as he walked forwards. I was happy he was here...but I didn't feel like I could get too close to him. His frown deepened, and he stopped walking for a moment, as did I. then, he took an experimental step forward, and I took one back.

"Bella..." he said again. My lower lip quivered, then I started to cry. I turned around and scrambled back under the covers to hide.

The bed dipped down next to me, and I felt a feather light touch on my back.

Slowly, with a lot of stuttering, I told him what had happened.

"He's gone." Edward told me, his voice barely controlled. "He passed me on the way in. He won't bother us anymore." He pulled the covers back a bit.

"How can you even breath under there?" he asked. I looked up at him, and almost shut my eyes again. His eyes were furious, it was like they were on fire.

"I'll be up in a few minutes, okay? Get to sleep." Then, he stood up and left. A few minutes later, I heard him playing Beethoven's ninth. It was what he played when he was angry.

I sighed and closed my eyes. Edward wasn't mad at me. I could handle the rest, as long as he wasn't mad at me.

This wouldn't break me down. I would be okay.

Yay!! SHe's being strong!!!

Now, I will be supplying rotten veggies to throw at Derek. *hands everone a bucket of 'em* So, I think y'all were all expecting something way, way worse than that, but I just didn't have the heart for it. She's already been through so much!!

Everyone who reviewed...thank you!! Everyone who didn't...thanks for reading the story, at least!!

Now, let's get those reviews in. Please?