A/N: Alright, so some of you hated the 'fade to black' in the last chapter, some of you were fine with it. As I said, this is a T rated story; I couldn't very well go change it so close to the end. And besides, I've got a deal to make all of you…

I'd like this story to hit 1000 reviews before it ends. If that happens, then I may be convinced to post an outtake for that little scene by the river. Just saying. Anyone want to leave a review now?

Thanks to my lovely Betas, ADGroovy and Danna0724. We're almost there girls! Thanks for sticking with me this long.

All (well, most) characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.

Enjoy a little levity before the crap hits the roof. Things will get dark again. (At least for a bit).


Chapter 29 - Three days' grace

EPOV

"For the love of all that's holy Bella, just pick a spot!" I could hear Emmett yelling from the backyard of our house.

'Ed man, you've got yourself the most demanding little human in the history of humans here! Jeez, and I thought my Rosie was difficult! Do us all a favor and just turn her already so she can carry her own crap back and forth! Oh, and all that organic crap stinking up the kitchen is sooo not cool either! I don't know how much longer I can take this before I turn her myself!'

He was teasing. I could hear it in the tone of his thoughts. And if that wasn't enough, I could see it in the twinkle of his eyes whenever he'd look at Bella, whether as she rushed off to the bookstore in the mornings, or to La Push in the afternoons to check on Jake's progress, or as she busied herself in the kitchen preparing herself a meal in the evenings (which admittedly, did stink like holy hell, but she appeared to enjoy them).

And besides, it had only been three days.

The three most glorious, heavenly, wonderful and perfect days of my long existence.

"I don't know if I want Edward and Charlie at the same table," Bella explained; her excuse for having Emmett lug another patio table out from the storage shed out back. "My dad's still not too crazy about my being over here, and I don't want him taking it out on Edward." She paused for a moment before continuing in a lower voice, as if somehow that would prevent me from hearing every word she said. "Don't tell Edward, but I'm not so sure Charlie won't try to knock him out tonight, and I want there to be enough room between both of them so I can get in between in case something should happen. I think we both know that wouldn't end well."

Emmett chortled, watching her with amusement. He matched her low voice when he answered, playfully mocking since he knew I could hear every word spoken, and in his case, even those that weren't. "No, I don't think it would end well if you're father decimated every bone in his arm and hand if he tried to swing at Edward. Not to mention that it would be a real bitch to explain."

'Is she for real?' he asked incredulously. 'Does she really think that just because you're at the front of the house you won't hear her if she lowers her voice to a whisper?' He snorted to himself. 'She is too damned cute!'

"Stop teasing her Emmett." I was currently engaged in repaving the driveway and setting up two long rows of solar lights leading from the turn into the house all the way up to the driveway. Preparations for Charlie's visit tonight.

Bella was convinced that Charlie and I needed to make peace now that she and I were back together; she wanted him to see how 'happy I made her'. She needed him to accept our relationship and know that she'd made the right choice; the only choice for her. It would bring him a sense of peace, she hoped, when the day came for us to disappear.

These were all her words, not mine. While I would've loved nothing more than to have Charlie's approval and blessing – I recalled seeing, through Charlie's own memories, how ecstatic he'd been when Jacob let him know of his intentions to ask Bella to marry him – I was also realistic. I'd hurt Bella deeply, and she'd hurt for a long time. It was going to take more than a good meal from Bella and Esme and decent conversation from the rest of us to win Charlie's approval. And while some part of me fantasized about asking Charlie for his daughter's hand in marriage tonight, I didn't want to give the man a coronary. That, unfortunately, was closer to the reaction I'd expect to my request.

Nevertheless, it was important to Bella that we at least try to make peace with Charlie; and that made it important to me.

I affixed the stakes of the small solar lights in a straight line on either side of the driveway leading up to our house, illuminating the dark pathway that usually kept our house well-hidden, discouraging unwanted guests. I smiled to myself, reading Jasper's thoughts of me right now, as he watched me from his seat on the front porch with Alice.

'Dude' – he snickered – 'you are so whipped. All Bella has to say is 'jump' and you say, 'Yes ma'am. How high?'

As if that weren't the case between him and Alice. Nevertheless, I couldn't care less. As much as they all teased, I knew it was all in fun, because they all enjoyed having Bella with us almost as much as I did.

I thought back to that night, that glorious night a few short days ago, when Bella and I first made love. Flashes of that perfect moment flooded my mind. The way her soft, creamy white arms held on to my shoulders tightly, her half-lidded, rich, brown eyes and the way they opened and closed slowly, lost to new sensations. The sweet and tender words and sounds coming from her lips. The way her long hair cascaded over her shoulders, enveloping us both in a curtain of our own world.

A pleasant and now familiar feeling began in the pit of my stomach.

"Uh oh!" Jasper laughed, squeezing Alice's hand. "Alice darlin', I think you'd better go back there and warn our little Bella." He signaled with his thumb towards the back yard. "From the feel of things out here, I'd say Edward's startin' to feel pretty darn frisky, if you know what I mean."

"Ew! Jasper! I so did not need to know that!" Alice hissed.

I looked up and smirked at them, shaking my head.

It had been constant teasing since the rest of my family had gotten home early that next morning. I'd carried Bella back to our room (yes, it was our room now) after she'd fallen asleep once again, in my arms this time. She'd been so exhausted she didn't even stir as I placed her gently on our makeshift bed, covering her with the warm blankets I'd gathered for her and lying down next to her over the blankets, making sure she wasn't cold. Watching her as she slept soundly, with a small smile on her perfect lips, I marveled at the fact that this beautiful woman had given herself to me so wholly.

In that moment, I felt like the luckiest being to ever walk this planet.

That is, until I'd heard my family approaching a few hours later.

'Oh my God, Oh my God, Oh my God! Can I wake her up now Edward? I want to know everything! Well, not exactly everything, if you know what I mean. I can do without a few details. But others…like what exactly she was dreaming about by the river, why'd she wake up with that weird smile? And how come you didn't get her something from my room to wear instead of Rosalie's; you know my clothes fit her better!' Alice thought more indignantly. 'And why didn't she tell me what she was thinking when we were at the bookstore? And-'

I closed my eyes, tightening my hold around Bella and trying to tune out Alice's incessant ranting.

Impossible.

Emmett was the first one through the door. "Quick! Somebody call 911! There's been a robbery!" The huge smile on his face belied the urgency in his tone.

Rose ran in behind him. "What? What robbery?" she asked, looking around to see if it was true that someone had been unlucky enough to break into a vampire home.

Upstairs, I threw my head back on the black couch and groaned, running my hand down my face in frustration while I listened to Emmett's thoughts; knowing exactly what the next words out of his mouth would be.

"It's Edward!" he laughed. I could see the confused looks on the rest of my family's faces as they quickly made their way into the house. "Someone's stolen his virtue!"

Giant roars of laughter erupted at my expense.

I was downstairs before them in a fraction of a second.

They didn't even try to hide their amusement, while their golden eyes sparkled with excitement at having Bella under our roof. I tried to control the wide smile that was threatening around the corners of my own mouth.

"A few ground rules," I hissed nonetheless. Better to start them off on the right foot, lest they make my Bella uncomfortable with their incessant practical jokes and clowning around.

Six pairs of eyes watched me, wide-eyed and more than a little amused rather than intimidated. This did not bode well for me.

"I know you have lots of questions," I began sternly, "but you have to-"

"Well, I sort of already filled them in on a lot of the details," Alice interrupted.

I glared at her.

"Ooh! Yuck! No! Not those details! I do have my limits Edward, you know! I'm not like a voyeur or something!"

'No. Not exactly', I thought. 'But pretty close.'

"Yes, Edward. She spared us the gory details, thank goodness," Rose added dryly, rolling her eyes and raising a hand in front of her to examine her manicure – still immaculate despite a weekend of hunting in the wilderness. With her bare hands. "Not all of us are dying for every detail of your sordid sex life." 'That is, now that you seem to have a sex life,' she amended mentally.

"Speak for yourself, Rosie," Emmett laughed.

Rose raised an eyebrow at me. 'You think you've got it bad? See what I have to deal with?'

"We've had to put up with decades of this guy's sulking and brooding," Emmett went on. "I think we're entitled to some details now that he's experienced…how shall I say…?"

"Happy times?" Jasper finished suggestively, waggling his eyebrows at me.

Emmett snickered. "Oooooh, yeah!"

I glared at them murderously, making them all laugh even more.

"Sorry Edward," Jasper cried through his chuckles. "It's just hard to take you seriously when you're standing there in your underwear and a sweet sparkle in your eyes."

More eruptions of laughter. Even my mother gave up trying to keep a straight face.

"If I didn't know better" – Jasper continued- "I'd say you were blushing. I think Bella's starting to rub off on you."

Emmett almost collapsed on the floor from his outburst. I groaned again, hearing in his mind how he'd interpreted Jasper's words.

He attempted to speak through his howls. "Bella's…rubbing…off…on…"

"Enough!" I growled. "Bella's sleeping and I do not want her waking up to all of you cracking jokes at our expense! You know how reserved she can be. I don't even know how I'm going to coax her out of our room once she realizes you're all home-"

I was interrupted by Bella's hoarse, yet excited voice from the landing above. "Alice! Rose! Esme! You're all home!" All our eyes moved towards the voice.

Bella quickly and carefully made her way down the staircase. On the last step, she tripped over the blanket she'd draped around herself and started falling forward, but Alice, closest to the landing, caught her.

"Bella!" Alice screeched happily. All three women surrounded her.

"Surprise!" Bella exclaimed rather sheepishly.

They four women giggled and whispered like little schoolgirls. Abruptly, Alice hooked her arm around Bella's and turned her around, leading her back up the stairs with Rosalie and Esme following them.

"Well, I wasn't absolutely sure, but just in case you were to decide on Edward, I've made some preparations. First off, your new bedroom set is being Fed Ex'd later this morning. Also, I've been setting aside some things you might need, bathroom essentials, beauty products, and such. Edward hasn't noticed, but I've been making room in his closet for your stuff, not that you'll be bringing much of what you have in your current closet over here. We've got lots of shopping to do! Oh Bella, if you'd let me know sooner we could've had it all ready for you. But no," Alice pretended to be put out, "you had to wait until we were all gone. And-"

Alice went on and on. I watched Bella retreat back up the steps with my sisters and mother; wondering whether she needed to be rescued from them. Bella turned around then, as if she'd sensed me watching her. She gave me a smile and a shrug, but her face radiated happiness. I could tell she already knew that sooner or later, she'd have to deal with my sisters and mother – I guess she'd figured sooner would be better than later.

Once they were out of view, I turned back to my brothers and father. They all snickered.

'Edward, you have no idea how much trouble you're in for, especially with my little Alice as Bella's guide!'

'Did you just call Bella reserved? The girl came out of your bedroom sporting a blanket and I'd venture to say not much else under it. I'd say quiet little Bella has gone the way of the dinosaurs. And you're virtue.'

'Edward son, I think you'd better just accept your brothers' good-natured ribbing for the time being. You know we're all just really happy for you. For both of you.'

I drew in a deep breath and shook my head, resigned. If this was the worst I'd face from now on, with Bella at my side, then teasing or not, life would be utterly perfect. Well, except for one thing.

I crossed my arms. "Thanks for the thoughts of encouragement. But now that the women are filling Bella in on the rules of the Cullen household, we have more serious issues at hand."

The atmosphere shifted immediately.

"How is Jacob?" Carlisle asked.

"His wounds appear to be healed, for the most part. But he hasn't regained consciousness. I'm afraid his condition is beyond me," I admitted.

Carlisle nodded solemnly. "I'll shower and change, and be on my way to check on him." He looked at me questioningly. "Do we still have permission from his father to cross their lands?"

I nodded.

"What about the dirty dog that caused his injuries?" Emmett asked, scowling. All trace of humor gone. "Have they found him yet?"

I shook my head slowly; an identical scowl to Emmett's reflected on my face. "I spoke to Seth a couple of hours ago. The pack is still refusing our help, even though their trail has run cold."

Jasper hissed. "Thick-headed mongrels. Don't they realize that traitorous dog needs to be put down just like the animal he is? In my day, traitors were shot on sight."

I looked towards the windows, gazing at the muted sun rising in the clouded sky. When I spoke, my voice was low and even, despite the fury brewing inside me. "I don't want to upset Bella any more than she already is due to Jacob's condition. We'll give the pack some more time to deal with the problem themselves." I looked back at my brothers and father. "But if they don't find him-"

Emmett cut me off, finishing my sentence. "Then it's open hunting season on the overgrown dog." He bumped fists with Jasper.

"In the meantime," I added, interrupting their thoughts on how to best dismember a werewolf, "Bella is not to be left alone for a second. I will not take any chances with her again." My mind replayed every moment that I'd failed her over the years, from the incident with James, to her being hunted by Victoria, to now, with the dog.

"Don't worry Edward," my father reassured me. "Between the seven of us, we'll keep Bella safe."

I was interrupted out of my flashback by Charlie, whose cruiser was now making the not-so-dark-anymore turns leading towards the house.

'Don't know…agreed to this. Only because…important…Bella…..better treat her….'

Charlie seemed to be looking forward to this dinner about as much as I was. Oh well. As humans often said, it was time to get this show on the road.

I stood off to the side as Charlie slowly drove the cruiser up the driveway. 'Yeah, you'd better move off to the side,' Charlie thought. 'Just in case my foot accidentally slips and I hit the gas and ram this car right into your pretty little face there.' I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. The cruiser would be the one who'd fair the poorest in that situation. I sincerely hoped this wasn't the general vein of tonight's thoughts.

Charlie brought the cruiser to a stop and stepped out of the car. I noticed he still wore his Police Chief uniform. His gun sat holstered to his belt.

'Yeah, that's right there buddy. I brought my gun with me. Hasn't been shot in years, but you don't need to know that there, do you?' he chuckled to himself.

I disguised my own chuckle by clearing my throat. "Charlie." I gave him a slight nod in greeting, hoping he didn't hold my failure to shake his hand against me. I didn't think he'd appreciate shaking an ice glacier. "Really glad you made it out tonight," I said sincerely. If nothing else, I wanted to at least be able to put his mind at ease regarding Bella. His thoughts showed me how concerned he'd been about her for the past few days.

Charlie pursed his lips, glaring. "Yeah, well. Bella said your mom would be really offended if I didn't come. And I for one don't like hurting and disappointing a good woman." 'A lesson you'd better have learned if you know what's good for you.' He watched me closely, his mind completely blank for a few moments. After a couple of seconds, he arched his eyebrow, still glaring.

"Um, yes sir. I understand." I nodded nervously.

Finally, he brought his eyebrow down and nodded, his lips still pursed. "Yeah we'll see about that," he finally grumbled, walking away from me towards the house.

I breathed in deeply and followed him. Jasper and Alice stood on the porch to greet him, barely able to restrain their laughter.

Yes. It was definitely going to be a long evening.

As glacial as he'd greeted me, Charlie was nothing but warm towards the rest of my family, albeit his usual quiet and reserved self. He'd obviously missed Bella over the last few days. Never a man to show much affection, he greeted Bella with a one arm hug, but his eyes and thoughts reflected his true feelings, and from the smile on Bella's lips, I knew she understood. Had she not, I would've been available to tell her his thoughts – although somewhat muddled – upon his departure.

Bella and Esme prepared an interesting looking meal for the evening, and Charlie and Bella appeared to enjoy it while the rest of us surreptitiously disposed of it, forkful by painstaking forkful, under the table into waiting trash bags. Bella had planned the seating arrangements, setting up two tables in the back yard under our large pergola; one where Charlie, Bella and my mother and father sat, and another one next to it for the rest of us. Once the main meal was over, I helped Bella bring out the rather strange-looking dessert she'd prepared; something called Baked Alaska. An oxymoron if I'd ever heard one. My family and I all passed on dessert, claiming to be too full from the delicious meal. Charlie dug in happily.

Throughout the night, Charlie's eyes wandered towards me periodically, but he'd yet to address me directly since he'd arrived. I could tell Bella was getting a bit anxious, having wanted tonight to be about her father and I somehow working out our issues. I caught her watching me nervously and I gave her a soft, encouraging smile.

Charlie's words were so fast and sudden that I hadn't even had time to pick them out of his head. "So Edward, do you plan on making an honest woman out of my daughter, or what?"

"Dad!" Bella cried, her face turning a dark shade of crimson. Around the table, I could hear quiet gasps and surprised snickers from my siblings. Emmett excused himself quickly, running into the house as quickly as humanly possible. 'Sorry Ed, but if I stay I'll bust a gut right in your future-father-in-law's face.' He'd barely made it inside before I heard him howling.

"What Bells?" Charlie asked innocently. "It's an honest question. It's not like you and Edward here just met or anything. If it were, I'll tell you right now, there's no way in hell I'd be letting you stay here. Not that I'm all that crazy about it now, but I'm trying to be open-minded." Bella buried her face in her hands, mortified. "I think I have a right to know what Edward's intentions are, now that he's convinced you to give him another chance."

"Oh Dad," Bella moaned, her voice muffled by her hands. "You can't just-"

"No Bella. You're dad's right," I interrupted, desperate to make things right, for her sake. "He has a right to be concerned, after everything that's happened. I'm sure he's a bit confused too."

Charlie nodded emphatically.

I turned to face Charlie. "Chief, I know you have no reason to trust in me, or to believe anything I say. I suppose only time will show you what my true feelings are for your daughter, what they've always been. I love Bella more than my own life. I would go to the ends of the earth and back for her. It was only my own stupid doubts and insecurities that took me away in the first place, and that kept me away for so long. But I assure you sir, as I assured you over the phone the other morning, and as I will continue to assure you for as long as I need to - for I realize I have no one but myself to blame for your hesitation at trusting me with your daughter's heart. I have nothing but the most honorable intentions towards Bella." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Bella drop her hands from her face, gazing at me intently. "I will forever be at her every beck and call, and I will do everything in my power to be the man she deserves."

Charlie's face remained blank, his lips in a tight line. In his mind though, I could hear him calming down. 'Just make her happy…all I ask. She's…girl…

I answered his unspoken plea. "I assure you Charlie, I plan to spend the rest of my days making your daughter happy." I stood and walked over to Bella, kneeling to her eye level. Her eyes widened in surprise. "And when the day comes when she's ready to officially make me the luckiest being walking this Earth, I promise you Chief, you will be one of the first to know." Bella's eyes softened and she smiled, pulling me into her arms. I wrapped my arms around her obligingly.

'Well, I'll be. I swear, sometimes it's as if he can read minds or something.'

I chuckled into Bella's hair.

"What?" she whispered.

"I'll tell you later," I whispered back.

The next day was spent much the same as the previous two. I drove Alice and Bella to the bookstore in the morning. Bella had forbidden me from 'loitering' in the bookstore – as she called it - during the day, claiming it was distracting to the customers. I wasn't sure if she meant that in a good way or a bad way, but either way, after one of the customers knocked down a whole shelf of hardcover bestsellers as I passed her by, I was officially banned. Luckily, Bella didn't appear to have any such misapprehensions towards Alice's distractions, and so she was allowed to stay. Alice was even given an 'official' job as Bella's Assistant Manager, which unsurprisingly pleased her to no end. It pleased me too nevertheless, because at least Alice would be there all day, every day, to watch over Bella. Until Paul was found, I would make sure one of us was with her at all times.

Bella's other Assistant Manager was still a no-show. Gabby hadn't been around since the night of the graduation dance, almost two weeks ago. Bella called her every day, but Gabby still claimed she didn't feel well enough to come down, and although Bella had originally planned to go see her if Gabby didn't get better, between the store and now going to see Jacob every evening, there just wasn't enough human time. I could tell Bella was starting to get more and more anxious about her human friend. And I hadn't had a chance to prove or disprove my suspicions about what may have happened between Gabby and Jacob at the dance. But with Jacob still unconscious and without actually seeing and speaking to Gabby, I wasn't sure how to do that, and I didn't want to mention it to Bella unless I was absolutely sure.

That evening, while I waited outside the bookstore in my Volvo for Bella and Alice to finish closing up inside, I overheard Bella on the phone with Gabby.

"Gabby but if you're that unwell, maybe you should go to the doctor." I could hear the concern in Bella's voice.

Gabby sounded tired. "I- I just don't think that would help."

But you told me yourself you haven't been out of your house in over a week. What's going on? What exactly do you feel?"

Soft sobbing became audible over the line.

Bella's voice grew frantic. "Oh God Gabby, what is it? Something's wrong, I know it. I don't want to keep pushing you, but you're really starting to scare me here."

Gabby didn't respond, but the soft crying continued.

"Okay." Bella drew in a deep breath. "There's something I really have to do tonight, but tomorrow I'll have Alice watch the store and I'll come see you."

"No!" Gabby cried. "Please Bella! Don't come over here. You're the last person that should be worried about me right now. If you knew- If you knew you'd hate me."

"Hate you?" Bella sounded confused. "Gabby why would I ever hate you? You're one of my best friends and you've been there for me when I've needed you." Bella sighed. "Gabby, things have happened…well…there are some things I've been wanting to talk to you about…to share with you. But you've been so sick, so upset, and I don't want to burden you with my issues."

"Bella, I'm not a friend to you," Gabby whispered into the phone. "At least not a good one. I'm so messed up in the head right now. And the past few days…it's like in the past few days it's gotten even worse. And no matter what I do, I can't escape this feeling, and it keeps getting stronger and stronger."

"Gabby, of course you're a good friend to me. Don't ever say that," Bella corrected her. "And I am coming to see you tomorrow." Her tone left no room for discussion.

But Gabby was just as determined. "No Bella. I'm serious. Don't. I won't open the door."

"Why Gabby?"

"Just-" Gabby took a deep breath. "Look, I'll call you when I'm ready. I promise."

"But Gabby-" Bella pleaded.

"Goodbye Bella." There was a click, and then silence.

Bella was quiet for a few moments. Alice, who'd also heard the conversation, approached her slowly. "I wonder what's going on."

"I don't know," Bella responded. "But I plan to find out."

On our way to Jacob's house that evening, I thought about Bella's conversation with Gabby. 'I'm not a friend to you…at least not a good one,' Gabby had said.

Why would she say that to Bella? What could she possibly think she may have done that would make her a bad friend?

'If you knew you'd hate me.'

'no matter what I do, I can't escape this feeling.'

My suspicions were growing. What if…?

Later, watching Jacob, who still in a deep sleep; I thought about Gabby again. Would she want to know about this? Would it make any difference to her?

Bella sat in a chair next to Jacob's bed, the same position she'd taken up for the past few nights; keeping vigil until Jacob finally opened his eyes. She read him a book, some comedy she'd picked up at the bookstore that she'd thought Jacob might enjoy. Definitely not a book I would've had any interest in, but I supposed she knew him much better than I ever would. He didn't even flinch as Bella read, what I figured, was supposed to be one of the comedic parts.

There was no medical reason for Jacob to still be unconscious. Carlisle had confirmed it when he'd examined him. And Carlisle had just been here again, checking to see if there was any change in Jacob's condition. For all intents and purposes, he should've been awake right now.

What was he waiting for?

What was it that Billy had said a few days ago? That Jake would wake up when he found what he was looking for.

Who was he looking for?

I decided to tell Bella that night what I suspected about Gabby and Jacob. I still wasn't one-hundred percent positive, but even if there was the slight chance…

I'd drive her to Gabby's tomorrow myself. That is, if she still wanted to go. I wasn't exactly sure how Bella would feel about the possibility that her ex-boyfriend may have imprinted on one of her best friends. Would it hurt her? Would she be upset at Gabby? I understood human emotions a lot better than I had before Bella ever came into my life, even better than I had up until a couple of months ago. But I'd never been able to predict Bella's reactions, and I was sure however she reacted to the news would be a surprise to me.

That night, while I waited impatiently on our new bed for Bella to finish her shower, I debated how to bring up the topic of Gabby and Jacob. Above all, I didn't want to cause Bella any pain. I was sure that Bella loved me, that wasn't the issue. But human emotions were so complicated. I knew that, on some level, Bella still loved Jacob. It may not have been the same type of love she felt for me, but nonetheless, she'd spent the past four years with him. How would she feel to know that, perhaps, another woman owned his heart now? Would she feel the slightest twinge of jealousy? For a split second, I felt a sharp twinge of something gnawing inside of me, but then Bella walked out of the bathroom.

She was wearing a white terry robe, wrapped tightly around her and tied in the front. She'd fashioned a towel around her hair to speed up the drying process. The heat from the water had colored her skin to a light pink, which traveled all the way down to her toes. And as I gazed at her walking slowly towards the middle of the room, I couldn't help but gasping at how beautiful she looked. Bella heard my intake of breath and smiled down at me, her cheeks darkening a shade. One corner of my mouth went up in an automatic grin, chuckling to myself at the fact that, after all we'd been through in the past few days, I could still bring a blush to her lovely cheeks.

Bella must've sensed my thoughts, because instead of continuing her slow walk towards me, she did a ninety degree turn, and headed towards the dresser instead, turning to face the mirror with a sly smile on her lovely lips.

Little minx.

I smirked and stood, walking slowly towards her. She removed the towel from her head, letting her long strands of hair cascade softly down her back. The sweet smell of her shampoo filled my nostrils, and I inhaled deeply as I took the towel from her and proceeded to help her dry her hair.

Bella watched me through the mirror. "Is this what you meant when you told Charlie last night that you'd be at my every beck and call?" she teased.

I grinned, running the towel through her soaking locks of hair. "No. This is closer to what I meant when I said you'd make me the luckiest being on Earth."

She chuckled. "Well, just be careful what you promise my father. He'll hold you to every last one."

"As he should," I confirmed. We were quiet for a few seconds; Bella's eyes still watched me from the mirror. I held her gaze.

"So…since I'm keeping every promise made to the Chief, when are you going to let me make an honest woman out of you?" It was Bella's turn to gasp. I smiled widely.

Her mouth opened a handful of times to say something, but each time she closed it with a sharp snap. I watched her reaction with amusement. Downstairs, I could hear squeals of delight from the women in my family. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes and tried to ignore them.

Bella finally found her voice. "Is that a proposal?" she asked, her voice slightly shaky but an amused smile of her own forming on her lips now. She thought I was teasing. "Because if it is, I have to tell you, it's not exactly the way-"

I cut her off. Truthfully, I'd been waiting for the right time to ask her. I hadn't planned on saying those words at this moment; they'd just sort of slipped out. It wasn't like I didn't fantasize about making Bella my wife every second of every moment, but I'd wanted to do it right. Perhaps by the river where we'd first…

But if I could get her to say yes to me now, I swore to myself I'd make up for the less than memorable manner in which I'd procured that yes at some future point in time.

"No. That wasn't a proposal," I clarified. She smiled, believing we were done with the topic. "If I were proposing" – I dropped the wet towel on top of the dresser, and proceeded to get down on one knee in front of Bella. Another, larger gasp this time – "I'd get down on one knee. Like this." I looked up into Bella's shocked eyes, and took her tiny left hand in between both of my own. "And I'd take your hand in mine. Like this." Bella's eyes grew wider. Her heart began beating wildly. I held on to her tightly, lest she fall and hurt herself.

Downstairs, the squealing got even louder. Alice was quickly ushering everyone out of the house. "Get out! Get out!" she hissed wildly as she pushed Emmett out the door with the rest of my family. "Give them some privacy!" 'Damn it Edward! You could've given me some sort of warning! You know I still can't see Bella. But I didn't even see this coming from you!'

Once again, I tried to ignore what was going on downstairs and focus only on Bella, who looked as if she were about to pass out. A part of me couldn't help but wonder again at the reason why Alice still couldn't see Bella's future, even though she'd decided to spend the rest of her existence with me. Alice thought perhaps it had something to do with how much time Bella was still spending with Jacob in La Push. But strangely enough, once Bella left La Push for the night, her future still remained unclear to Alice.

Regardless, I wasn't overly concerned; Bella was always with one of us and, really, Alice's lacking vision gave us some modicum of privacy.

'Oh Edward! You've got to give me every detail once we get back. E-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g!'

So much for all that privacy.

Before I could continue with my impromptu, and admittedly, not-so-well-thought-out proposal, Bella appeared to have recovered from her initial shock. But instead of looking elated, the corners of her mouth turned down and I could see tears threatening at the corners of her eyes.

"Would I have gotten a better reaction if I'd had the ring in hand? Because it's in the top shelf in the closet and I can go get it quickly-"

"No Edward. It's not that," Bella tried to explain through a shaky voice. She withdrew her hand from mine and brought it up to run it through my hair. Yet as wonderful as that felt, it was hard to hide the disappointment in my eyes.

"Edward, listen to me," she continued, as if she were the one who could read minds. "You know that I love you. And you know that I want to spend the rest of my life with you." I nodded, my dead heart starting to feel lighter again. "And I do want to take that next step with you," – I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding – "in front of my family. In front of my dad. It's very important to me that he see us married." She smiled apologetically.

I quickly reached up and had her sitting on my lap on top of our bed before she'd had a chance to blink. I hated it when she looked at me like that, as if she'd ever have anything to apologize to me for. With my thumb and forefinger, I brought her face up to meet my eyes, gazing at her.

"Bella love, you can tell me anything. You know that right? I'm sorry if I took you by surprise with this. And I completely understand if you're not ready."

She shook her head quickly. "No Edward. It's not that. I'm more than ready." I smiled widely. "It's just that…I can't…not right now…not while Jake is like this."

Understanding finally dawned on me. Of course it made sense. Knowing Bella as I did, I should've known.

Bella brought a hand up to cup my face. "Its not that I feel guilty for loving you. It's just that…" She looked away, searching for words. Finally, she brought her eyes back to mine. "Its just that, all my dreams are coming true while Jake…just lies there…in limbo."

I took her hand and brought it to my lips, placing one soft, chaste kiss on it. "I understand," I murmured. Because I really did. As much as I wanted my forever with Bella to start right away, this second if it were possible, I knew she needed to know that Jacob would be alright before she took the next steps towards her own happiness. It was just the way Bella was, and it was that sense of selflessness that had been one of the reasons I'd fallen so hard for her in the first place.

'And if he never woke?' a small part of me wondered. Well, I wasn't sure why, but I just didn't think that was the case. Billy's words kept running through my head. 'Jake'll wake up when he finds what he's looking for.'

I remembered then that there'd been something else I'd wanted to talk to Bella about tonight; something I had planned a little better. With Bella still seated on my lap, I proceeded again, cautiously.

"Bella, there was something else I was planning on talking to you about tonight, besides my failed attempt at a marriage proposal." She smacked me on the arm playfully, because she knew I was just teasing her now.

"Ow," she protested, shaking off her hand.

I chuckled, taking her hand in between mine. "Careful there love."

I couldn't help the tightening of my jaw. I felt Bella stiffen, noting the change in me. Slowly and thoroughly, I recanted the events of the night of the dance to her, including how it fit in with her conversation with Gabby tonight. All throughout, I watched her carefully, ready to stop if I saw her getting too upset. But her face remained calm.

When I was done, I couldn't resist asking. "Does the possibility that Jacob may have imprinted on Gabby upset you?"

It took Bella more than a few seconds to answer, although her eyes never left mine. "No Edward. It doesn't," she finally said. "I just needed a few moments to really understand it. To really see it." She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "I just want what's best for him. What's best for both of them. And if what they need is each other, then I would never stand in between that."

Taken completely by surprise -as I'd been sure I would be- by her calm and generous reaction, it took me a few minutes to process what she'd said. But before I could say anything further, Bella's eyes suddenly grew wide, her mouth forming a perfect O as a new thought apparently invaded her mind.

"Edward, what if…" She trailed off, her eyes taking on a far-away look as she continued to think through her latest thought. "What if what Jake needs…the reason he hasn't woken…is because he needs Gabby?" Her voice became more excited. "What if she's the only one that can bring him back from wherever he is?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Like in Sleeping Beauty?"

She smirked, but continued. "Yes. I know how it sounds. True love's first kiss and all that. But why not? All the other tales seem to be true. Vampires, werewolves, mind-readers, visions of the future. Why not this too?"

I tried to ignore the fairy tale implication so I could give Bella's suggestion some serious thought.

I tried placing myself in Jacob's position, although that would be impossible.

But…what if?

What if my mind was lost, trapped somewhere in the in-between. What would it take to bring me back?

What was the only thing that grounded me to this life, to this consciousness?

I immediately knew what the answer was for me. Bella.

She was my all. My everything. My reason for being. The only thing in this world that would be worth coming back for.

If Jacob had truly imprinted on Gabby, why was it so far-fetched that the only thing capable of bringing him back was what was now his everything?

Slowly, I nodded. "I suppose it's possible."

In a flash, quicker than I'd ever imagined her being able to move without physically tripping over something and hurting herself, Bella was back by the dresser, pulling out jeans and a t-shirt.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"We've got to go see Gabby. If this is why she's staying away from me…If she's what Jake needs to get better." She slammed the drawer shut and turned to face me. "Don't you see? The sooner we get them together, the sooner they'll both be fine. They can finally be together, and happy-"

In two quick strides I was standing in front of her. Gently I pried the jeans and t-shirt out of her hands, letting them fall to the floor and carefully holding her wrists in my hands securely until I had her complete attention. "Bella love, I know you're anxious for the happily ever after here-"

She rolled her eyes. "Edward, this isn't just about a stupid fairy tale-"

"And I am too." - I continued, ignoring her statement – "But darling, it's past midnight." For the past few days, Bella had been getting to bed rather late. Between work and going to see Jacob, by the time we made it up to our room it was already rather late in the evening, and then we'd spend hours talking and kissing and loving each other. So that by the time Bella finally got to sleep it was usually very late. I tried to feel guilty about keeping her up, but I couldn't resist having her for a few hours to myself in the evenings.

"If we were to go to Port Angeles now to see Gabby, we wouldn't get there until almost one in the morning, even with my driving. And then we have no guarantees that she'll agree to see Jacob." She frowned, giving a weak attempt to free herself from my grip. "We're not even sure if Jacob has imprinted on Gabby. This is all just speculation."

"Of course he's imprinted on her!" Bella insisted. "It all makes sense now! Why Jake was acting so strange the other day by the beach. Why Gabby hasn't wanted to come see me. The things she said on the phone today. We have to go to her. She's probably going crazy, not understanding why she's feeling the way she does. And Jake needs her!"

"We will go to her Bella," I affirmed. "And if she is indeed Jacob's imprintee, we will bring her to him." I brought both my hands up to cup her face now. She looked so anxious, so desperate to fix things for Gabby and Jacob. "But we will wait until morning. Gabby is probably sleeping anyway, and us showing up at her doorstep will just make her more anxious than she probably already is." Bella closed her eyes, inhaling deeply, but I could tell she was ready to give in. "I'll drive you over there early in the morning, after you've gotten some rest. Alice can watch the store for you tomorrow."

I waited for her response, sensing she might actually give in for once. Abruptly, we were both startled by the vibration of my cell phone from on top of my nightstand. Bella's eyes snapped open and she stared at me curiously for a split second before I quickly reached for the phone. The caller ID said Seth. I inhaled sharply, knowing this call was either really good news, or really bad news; because Seth Clearwater would not be calling me past midnight for anything in between.

"Yes Seth?" I answered the phone. Bella came to stand next to me, deep lines of concern creasing her forehead.

"Edward, sorry to call so late man." Seth's apology hid a deeper emotion in his voice.

"That's okay. What is it?"

Seth paused for a brief second before answering. "It's Paul. The pack almost had him by the Canadian border…" He trailed off. "He attacked another one of our brothers. Collin. Our youngest." I closed my eyes, my free hand fisting at my side. "Sam called. They're a few minutes away. He wants to know if you and Carlisle can come take a look at Collin. Looks like he's badly hurt."

"We'll be there in fifteen minutes."

Seth breathed into the phone. "Thanks Edward. I knew we could count on you." We both hung up.

Bella stood next to me, a look of deep fear and horror etched in her face. I realized she had no idea what we'd been discussing, and had probably imagined the worst.

"What is it Edward? What happened?" she whispered, terror evident in her tone.

"Paul's attacked another of the pack. Collin." Bella's eyes grew wide and a sob escaped her throat. She brought a hand up to cover her mouth.

"Oh God, Collin's still in high school," she murmured through her hand. "And he's got a little brother." Her voice broke. I quickly took her into my arms, allowing her to cry quietly into my shoulder.

"Seth says Sam's asked for Carlisle and I to come take a look at him. Apparently they're on their way back with him now."

"I'm coming with you," Bella said quickly, moving away from me to pick up the jeans and t-shirt that she'd just been planning on wearing to go see Gabby.

"Bella no." I watched in frustration as she continued pulling on her jeans under her robe, disregarding what I'd said. "Stay here. I'll call you and let you know what's going on."

She didn't answer; just continued to dress herself, pulling her wet hair quickly threw a ponytail. "Bella-"

"Edward." She paused long enough to meet my eyes. I could see the fire and determination in hers. I groaned, knowing there was no way I was going to change her mind. I'd been so close to convincing her to wait until morning to go see Gabby, but nothing was keeping her home now. "I'm coming," she insisted. "So unless you plan on physically tying me down, I suggest we get going."

I pursed my lips and groaned again, nodding my head reluctantly. She moved quickly to throw on a pair of sneakers while I through a t-shirt and jeans on myself.

On our way downstairs, I called Carlisle on his cell phone. I wasn't sure where Alice had ushered them to when they'd left. Luckily, they'd just been a couple of miles away, and met us in front of the house almost immediately. I explained to them what Seth had just told me.

"Edward, I think Emmett and I should come with you," Jasper suggested somberly. "This is getting way out of hand. I think we need to talk to Sam and the pack about strategizing together to take care of Paul once and for all." Emmett nodded his head in agreement.

"Okay," I agreed, feeling uneasy for some reason. Seth said Paul had been by the Canadian border; still too close for my comfort. Something about it made me nervous. Frightened even. My head pounded with one thought. We had to find Paul, and we had to find him now.

As the five of us climbed silently into Emmett's truck, I looked over at Bella, who sat holding on to my hand tightly. Silent tears ran down her cheeks, and periodically she'd bring up her free hand to wipe them away. She'd spent a lot of time with the pack after I'd left, and she'd grown really fond of some of them, young Collin apparently being one of them. I squeezed her hand gently, trying to offer her some sort of comfort and support. When she looked up at me, offering me a weak smile despite her pain, the uneasiness I'd felt in front of the house suddenly morphed into a panic so intense, it took all my effort to stop myself from picking her up and carrying her back to the house and physically tying her down, as she'd suggested. I took slow, deep breaths in and out in an attempt to reign in the unexplained panic into something more controllable

Something didn't feel right. I looked down and realized I'd dug a hole with my free hand into the bottom of the car's upholstery.

Something about this whole picture felt wrong, as if I'd made some sort of decision from which there was no turning back. And as I sat there, taking slow, controlled breaths, all I could think of was that, even if it had meant tying her down, Bella shouldn't have come.


A/N: Alright guys. I'm figuring a couple more chapters, and then an epilogue. Drop me a line and let me know what you're thinking. Where do you suppose this is heading?

Shameless plug for my other story: If you haven't checked it out yet, go read 'This is Who I Am', my latest little story. I'm having lots of fun with it. And it's not T rated…

I'd really like to make it to 1000 reviews before the story ends. I think if we all pull together, we can do it! The thousandth reviewer gets a special prize! (Well, you all do, as I mentioned above!)