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Chapter 26

BPOV

That night, Alice insisted on a movie night at the Cullen's house with all six of us. I tried to make her see reason; that Edward might not want to see a movie right after Elizabeth's funeral but Alice only argued persistently:

"Edward is finally free. It'll be the first time that all six of us can enjoy ourselves together."

I was going to dispute that she could wait a little while longer for the movie night so that Edward can deal with his grief efficiently and then really enjoy himself when we have a movie night but then Edward interposed with:

"I think that's a great idea, Alice. It will be fantastic to spend some time with you all again"

"Yay! Oh and you all have to spend the night too. It'll be so much fun" Alice squealed enthusiastically.

I just let it go then. I had only been fighting against Alice on his behalf so if he wanted to have a movie night then what problem could I possibly have? Edward seemed to have recovered from his previous breakdown at the funeral and he would now keep shooting me secretive smiles when he thought no one else was looking. The skin on my neck where his soft, bronze coloured head had rested during the funeral was still tingling from that contact.

The six of us had traipsed inside the Cullen's white, glass house. Alice had bounced into the living room just moments ago with blankets and bowls of popcorn for us to enjoy on the couches.

Alice and jasper, and Emmet and Rosalie curled up together in the armchairs, leaving me and Edward to sit together on the couch. I had a vague suspicion that Alice had purposely set this up to force me and Edward together on the couch. Alice chose a horror for us all to watch, despite my many protests. I did not fare well with horror movies but Alice ignored my objections and the others seemed rather enthusiastic about watching a horror film. I had no choice but to sit back with crossed arms and to bear it with ill will.

Edward smiled crookedly at me as he leaned down to whisper in my ear "Don't worry. I'm here to protect you" he assured me in a whisper that made a shiver run up the entire column of my spine.

The movie started along with a raging internal conflict for me. I didn't want to watch the movie as I would get terrified and have nightmares but if I didn't watch the movie then I would end up staring and thinking of Edward, which I'm certain that he would notice eventually. I decided to take my chances with the movie. After all there was a possibility that Alice might have taken pity on me and might have chosen a movie that was not that horrifying.

I should've known that that was just a fantasy. Since when did Alice ever take my whims into consideration? The movie Alice had selected was frightening to the point that I averted my face from the screen several times and jumped ten miles into the air numerously. I could tell that this was distracting to everyone else as they kept throwing me irritated glowers whenever I made a disruption but I couldn't help it. They knew what horror movies did to me and yet they had insisted on watching one so if they were so fixated on a horror movie then they can suffer my horrified reactions.

When the climax of the movie peaked and struck a terrified response in me, I unthinkingly buried my head into the chest of the person who was sitting so close to me that it was only a matter of averting my face and inclining it forwards for me to cringe into their chest. It was only when the person encircled me with their long, strong arms that my actions caught up with me. I peeked up through my lashes to see Edward looking down at me with a lopsided grin.

He leaned down to whisper in my ear with his arms still around me "I told you I would protect you".

I blushed and tried to extricate myself from his arms but he only tightened his grip on me and murmured "The others have fallen asleep, apart from Jasper and he's not even paying attention to the movie so you don't have to watch."

I lifted my head to see that Emmet and Rosalie were curled up together fast asleep and Alice had her head on Jasper's shoulder whilst her eyes were closed. Jasper was awake but Edward was right, he wasn't paying any attention to the movie as he was too busy staring down at Alice with love-struck eyes. I knew that Alice would have loved to have been able to see the adoration in his eyes for herself but I wasn't going to take the risk of snapping a picture. Alice was an extremely light sleeper and me whipping out my cell phone would most likely startle Jasper which would effectively ruin the tenderness of the moment.

I turned back to Edward to see him yawn hugely. I remained silent and tried to be as still as possible in the hope that that might help him drift into sleep more easily and quickly. Edward's arms were an iron cage around me so I couldn't release myself, so as Edward didn't seem to have a problem with it I rested my head on his chiselled chest and remained there without any idea as to when I would be able to disengage myself, not that I had any complaints about that.

There was a peaceful silence in the room, well except for Emmet's loud snores that sounded more and more like a chainsaw with each passing minute. I felt Edward's head drop slowly and gently upon my hair indicating that Jasper and I were the only ones awake in the room. My eyes flickered to Jasper and Alice and as I met Jasper's eyes a current of understanding passed between us. We were the only ones awake whilst our true loves slumbered beside us and yet neither of us desired any conversation whilst everyone else slept as we were both content with just watching our loves sleep.

Edward's arms were still around my waist but they were now loose and hung limply around my waist whilst I felt his chest breathe in and out under my head. The side of his head was now resting on top of mine with his cheek pressed into my hair.

I thought it most likely that Edward would get a neck ache sleeping in his current position. I gently and very carefully removed my head from his chest so that his head was still on top of mine. Jasper seemed to sense my predicament and he cautiously disentangled himself from Alice, placing a pillow under her head and a blanket on top of her before he came towards me and helped get Edward off of me so that we could place him in a more ideal position.

When the two of us finally succeeded in getting Edward in an almost horizontal position (I say almost because we had only managed to get his torso lying on the couch but his legs were still on the floor) with his bronze coloured head resting in my lap with a blanket thrown over the two of us, Jasper returned to Alice on the opposite armchair.

I smiled whimsically as I watched Edward sleep. It seemed like a lifetime ago when Edward's head had rested in my lap on the park bench after he had just murdered his father. There was no moonlight shining upon us right now but that wasn't the only thing that had changed since that last time when the two of us had been sitting together in this position. Edward was now an orphan adopted by the Cullens who I knew would do everything in their power to make Edward happy and we were more intimate than ever.

I had felt that ever since Edward had left jail we had become closer. I had loved him for a while now but now my love was of a more compassionate nature. I had seen him suffer and had remained by his side loyally, suffering with him. Edward seemed to have been gratified by that and sought my comfort and solace more than that of anyone else. Although it wasn't the same as loving and to be loved in return, it was good enough for me.

I ran my hands through his soft, disarrayed, bronze coloured locks relishing in the satin soft texture. I suddenly felt his body twitch. I gazed at his face avidly and watched his features twitch and turn agitated almost as though he were having a nightmare…

EPOV

'I stumbled around in the darkness, trying to feel with my hands where on Earth I was.

A lamp suddenly came on revealing the mother that was sitting under it with her five year old son. My mother. With a five year old me on her lap.

I stared on in wonder as I heard her say to the younger version of me "You're my son, Edward and I love you, which is why I have switched on the lamp for you because I don't want you to be scared. But Edward, just remember, there is nothing to fear in the darkness, but there is more to fear in the light because unlike the darkness, light can show you everything, even the stuff you don't want to see, whereas the darkness can hide your troubles and fears from your eyes"

The five year old boy that was a past imprint of myself had now fallen asleep. But not without hearing those puzzling words from his mother- my mother, our mother- nor did he miss the expression on her face as she said this. It was the saddest expression he had ever seen and he wished that he had been dreaming that he never saw such an expression on his beloved mother's face.

I knew that this was what the boy was feeling as he was me from my most painful and precious memory. My mother who had just a moment ago been gazing at the slumbering, five year old me now looked up and met my eyes evenly as though she had known I had been standing there the whole time.

"Goodbye Edward." She said before she suddenly disappeared, leaving the five year old me resting in the armchair. Alone.

"Goodbye" I whispered

Suddenly, the five year old me woke up slowly, rubbing his eyes as he tried to rub the fatigue out of them. He gazed around him and began to whimper pitifully as he called in a terrified voice:

"Mom! Where did you go?"

I watched wanting to comfort the five year old me but I found that my feet had apparently lost the ability to move upon command.

I saw my younger self turn towards me with a lost and pleading look on his face as he whispered to me "Please tell me where my mommy is?"

"I don't know" I whispered back.

I watched in mortified horror as I saw my five year old self whimper dejectedly before he began to cry. This time my feet moved of its own accord impulsively and I was by my younger self's side comforting him as he wept into my shoulder.

"Shush. Please don't cry." I begged.

"Why did she go?" I heard my younger self wail desperately.

I felt my own heart shatter as I searched fruitlessly for an answer that I could give him as well as myself.

"Shush. You know she loves you. I know she does. I know for a fact that she loves you. She loves both of us. With all her heart." I endeavoured to pacify the boy.

He sniffled and his sobs quietened as he took solace in my words. I found that my own words were strangely consoling to myself. I knew now as I must have known all along that Elizabeth Mason had always loved her son.

"Oh, boohoo. Enough with this lovey dovey junk" I heard an all too familiar voice rasp drunkenly.

I looked up as did the five year old me to see John Mason leering down at the two of us with an evil gleam in his muddy brown eyes.

"What are you doing here?" I growled maliciously.

"Just here to have a little fun." John Mason slurred but I caught the glint of a knife in his hand as his eyes focused on the five year old me.

The five year old me cringed into my shoulder and John laughed as he saw this which only infuriated me.

"Time to teach you a lesson you little cry baby" John cackled as he started forward for the five year old me.

I was not going to let him come anywhere near this small, defenceless boy who was, I know a younger version of myself. But he was only five and therefore had no chance of protecting himself against John. I was going to protect him. John wasn't going to hurt anyone today, not while I'm standing here, alive. There was a sharp glass fragment by my side and I grabbed it before plunging it into John Mason's chest. Blood seeped through the fabric of his shirt, spreading everywhere but John only grinned victoriously as he sneered:

"That ain't going to work a second time, wimp."

He laughed manically as he suddenly lifted the knife and began to bring it whistling down towards where my heart beat frantically in my chest…

I jerked awake drenched in sweat, and my heart racing at a hundred miles a minute only to see Bella's face inches away from my own.

"Edward, what's wrong? Were you having a nightmare?" Bella questioned worriedly.

"I've been having nightmares ever since John died and they haven't stopped yet." I managed to rasp throatily.

"You're not still feeling guilty about everything, are you?" Bella enquired sternly.

"No I'm not. John Mason got what was coming to him." I answered bitterly.

Perhaps it was due to the nightmare I had just had that the passionate hatred I harboured for that swine bag, John Mason came torpedoing through me like a missile.

"I'm sorry you're having nightmares, Edward. I wish there was something I could do." Bella lamented sincerely.

I turned to gaze at her intently as I told her gently "You've already done so much for me, Bella. You have been my fallen angel from heaven and I couldn't possibly be more grateful to fate for blessing me with you. I appreciate everything you've done for me and I-"I abruptly stopped for three words that had been so foreign to me for my whole life was just about to escape my lips.

Bella stared up at me curiously.

"You've already done enough, Bella. You should go to sleep now." I told her abruptly without looking at her.

Bella threw me one inquisitive look before she shrugged and buried herself into a blanket and pillow. She soon fell asleep and I left myself to my thoughts.

I had been just about to say to Bella 'I love you'. The words came to my mind so naturally as I expressed my gratitude to her that they had almost escaped my lips had I not rebuffed myself just in time. I had felt so fond and grateful for Bella at that moment and now as I thought I realized that I couldn't imagine a life without Bella.

I looked down at Bella sleeping. She looked like an angel sent down from heaven as her mahogany hair fanned out behind her on the pillow and her lush, pink lips were slightly parted just begging me to kiss them.

I stopped at that thought. Had I honestly just confessed to a desire to kiss Bella? I gazed down at her again and saw how truly breath-taking she was. She had been my shining beacon of hope through the last couple of weeks of my life that were the worst I had ever endured. She had been loyal to me and had trusted me, striving to help me with a determination that had dazzled me. She truly was my fallen angel from heaven and…I loved her. Yes, I loved her with all my heart.

She was beautiful and she was perfect. She was kind, caring, thoughtful, brave, compassionate, and dazzlingly perfect.

As I watched her sleep, I now realized that I knew two things that I had not known when I had woken up this morning. Number one. My mother had always loved me from my birth right till her death. Number two. I was in love with Bella and I would tell her that soon.

"Edward" I heard a voice say clearly.

I looked back down at Bella thinking that she had woken but her eyes were closed and she was still breathing softly. I had forgotten that Bella talked in her sleep. I smiled broadly as I realized that Bella must be dreaming of me.

"Edward" I heard her say again.

I leaned down and kissed the skin on her smooth, soft cheek. I let my lips linger there as I whispered:

"Good night, my Bella, my angel. My love."

My breath fanned out against her cheek but she smiled and sighed contentedly as I lay back down on the couch under the blankets next to my Bella. My one and only true love.

So, Edward has finally realized that he loves Bella! Come on, happy squeals people! I hope you're all going to give me lots and lots of reviews now that I have finally made Edward realize. I also tried to make the chapter as sweet as I could so please let me know what you thought. Also, try and read my other story 'If Only'.