All things Twilight belong to the Awesome Stephenie Meyer, a few minor plot points were inspired by V.C. Andrews, the song and lyrics belong to the artist and respective record label, and my fingers belong to moi! Happy Tuesday! I apologize about the lack of blog post . . . should be up later today :)

Tis The Season

Careful what you wish for
Careful what you say
I've lowered all my armor
Risking the pain again
Broken Biscuit by Sia

"Fuck you, Peter."

Emmett's voice rang around the house, echoing from the walls and rebounding. His voice was so full of venom, if it hadn't been Emmett, I would have been scared.

The two of them had been at it for days, and even Izzy steered clear of them. Peter was still acting unusual, even for him. He was agitated all of the time and picked fights with anyone who would listen. Izzy had been one of his main targets, as had Emmett.

At first, I had assumed it was because his mom had left when the devil had come to visit, but it had been three days since she'd left and Tanya had come home. Everything but Peter had returned to normal. The only person he hadn't tried to start a fight with was me. Instead, his creepiness had grown and his obvious flirting had become uncomfortable to the point that I avoided him when he was home. Christmas vacation had started and we were all stuck in the house with one another. I was beginning to wonder how we would even celebrate if this continued.

I had invited Edward to celebrate Christmas with us because his parents were leaving for Aspen on the twenty third. They were celebrating Christmas early, he'd invited me to join them and I had accepted. Anything to get out of the house.

Unfortunately, I was due to be there in fifteen minutes and I was trapped in my room while the shouting match continued on the second floor landing.

"What's the matter, bro? Truth too hard to deal with?"

"Get out of my face, Pete. I will not hesitate to beat you senseless. Do I make myself clear?"

"I'd like to see you try," Peter said, antagonizing Emmett even further. I couldn't let this go on and I couldn't be late. Mr. and Mrs. Masen were expecting me.

I headed down the stairs and pulled my door open to see Peter and Emmett nose to nose inches from my door. I moved out and pulled it closed behind me. Stepping between them, I put my hands on Emmett's chest and pushed him back toward his room.

"Bella," he warned, his eyes, hard and cold, were still on his brother.

"Just go and cool off for a while, Em. He's not worth it."

"Ouch, my bleeding heart," Peter said calmly, his hands gripping my hips from behind.

Emmett stepped forward and shoved him backwards, making me stumble on my heels. "Don't fucking touch her."

"Jealous?" Peter sneered, his tone acidic. "I always thought you two were a little too close."

Pot, Kettle anyone?

"You sick bastard," Emmett grunted, his chest slamming against my body and making me stumble backwards.

"You can't stand the fact that I want her. What does that say about you?" Peter laughed, making my skin crawl with disgust.

"Shut up, Peter," I snapped, falling into the trap right alongside everyone else he'd baited these past couple weeks.

"There's no point, Bella, he's gone and lost his damn mind."

Izzy's voice came from the top of the stairs and my eyes found her quickly; I had to do a double take. Chestnut hair fell from her shoulders, framing her face. Even the layers that mingled with the bangs were identical to mine. The resemblance was eerie.

"Your hair."

"You like?" she asked, her voice muted. "I mean I needed a change and I figured what's better than this. And I knew it would suit me, because it suits you."

"I . . ." Didn't know what to say.

"You'll never be like her," Peter laughed, his tone mocking. "Bella's sweet and innocent and sexy as hell. You're a cold-hearted whore."

"Peter," I growled in warning. Izzy was still suffering, and I didn't want her having to deal with his shit. "Leave her alone, and stop talking about me like that. It's creepy."

My phone chirped in my purse, alerting me to the fact that I was going to be late. I hated this animosity; right now it was Peter stirring up all the trouble, but I was quickly discovering that peace and serenity would never go hand in hand in this household. There was too much going on around here at all times.

Since starting to drink, dad had started arguing with Tanya before locking himself in the study, which I soon learned had a sofa bed in there. Tanya would start fights with Izzy, at the moment the topic was Renée, but even when she hadn't been around, it was always something.

"I have to go," I sighed, pulling my phone out and texting Edward back. I hated leaving Emmett in the middle of all this, but I didn't have time to get into it. Not with Peter, or Izzy.

"Where are you going?" Izzy asked, wide-eyed and eager.

"Edward's. They're doing Christmas today because his parents are going skiing."

I danced out from between Emmett and Peter whose eyes were still locked on Izzy.

"That's boring, why don't we go out and do something. We can totally play off the twin thing now."

"I can't, I'm sorry I promised and his parents are expecting me."

"Fine," she droned, elongating the syllable.

I threw a glance over my shoulder at Emmett who caught my eyes and shrugged with amusement. This was entirely too bizarre, but I couldn't deal with it all right now; I really didn't want to be rude.

I took off in my car and pulled up with only a minute to spare before I was officially late. Edward was already at the door waiting.

"Hey, you okay? You look flustered."

"Long story," I sighed, falling into his arms and finally relaxing.

"I got time," he chuckled, a sigh falling from his lips as his cheek came to rest on top of my head.

"Well, Peter and Emmett got into this huge argument which would have come to blows if I hadn't stepped in, then Izzy showed up . . . she dyed her hair."

"What's new there?" he snorted, his head raising.

"It's the same color as mine."

"Really?"

"Yeah, it's bizarre."

"Kinda creepy too; do you think maybe she's getting too attached? She's been trying to spend time with you for days."

"Yeah, I'm not exactly sure about that. I mean, I know she's going through a hard time . . . and I feel horrible for saying it, but I just . . ."

"You don't trust her."

"No, I don't," I said, hanging my head so my forehead was against his chest. I hated admitting it out loud because in all honesty, since Renée had left, she'd been nothing but pleasant to me. I just wasn't sure how long it was going to last and, as I'd learned the last time we attempted to get close, whether her motives were entirely pure.

"That's smart, baby. She hasn't exactly been trustworthy in the past. I'd just hate to see you get hurt again." He ran his hands down through my hair, his palms spreading heat down my back.

"I know, but I hate seeing her hurting like this. She should never have been allowed to get that close to Renée. Even with everything she's done in the past to hurt me, she didn't deserve that."

"No, she didn't, but you can't keep saving her. Especially if you don't trust her."

"Edward? Is that Bella?" Mrs. Masen said from inside the house.

Edward groaned quietly, grinned and pulled me inside, his hand capturing mine as he stepped out of my embrace. "Yes, mom. It's Bella."

"Well, don't be rude and leave her standing outside. You're letting the cool air in."

"We're inside."

Mrs. Masen appeared in the doorway that led to the kitchen, her gracious smile making her eyes look just like Edward's. "Bella, you look lovely. I'm so glad you decided to join us. We're going to do presents after we eat."

I was suddenly glad I'd placed their gifts in the car earlier in the day, otherwise I would have forgotten them amidst the drama that was the Cullen household.

I followed Edward deeper into the house and relaxed into him. I already felt more comfortable here than in my own home, and that was with his parents here. It shouldn't have been that way, but it was. The Masen's were warm and welcoming, and it was something I craved.

The afternoon passed by slowly, but it was enjoyable. Edward's parents were happy people, who were still in love after all this time, and there was so much laughter and playfulness that I found myself missing Sue and the rest of my family up by the bayou. I had been planning on going up there after Christmas and taking Edward with me. I was still planning to go, but I found myself wishing I would be there Christmas morning, like I had for the last sixteen years of my life.

Everything at home was too much to handle. It was a nightmare with a pretty red bow on it. It was a smoke screen to the rest of the world that everything was alright; when in truth it was so far from alright, we could have drowned in the lies.

Being here with Edward and his family was a reminder of how messed up everything was, but their acceptance of me was humbling. From the moment Edward and I had become friends, his mom had done nothing but make me comfortable in her home. There was only one awkward moment when I'd first met his dad. He hadn't realized Edward and Rosalie had broken up.

We opened our gifts curled up by the fire. Edward was sitting in one of the high backed chairs by the fireplace and I was between his legs watching as his parents opened the gifts I'd bought them as the flames crackled on the logs beside us. I had attempted to coordinate my gifts with Edward's—I'd bought Mrs. Masen a charm bracelet. The only charm I'd purchased with it was a small Pomeranian with tiny rubies in the collar. For Mr. Masen, I'd bought a pair of cuff-links with his initials engraved in them. Edward had helped me decide something for them because in all honesty I was clueless.

Both of Edward's presents were well received and his Dad looked surprisingly impressed with Edward's choice for his mom, as well as his own gift. It was more fun than I could have ever believed was possible with a boyfriend's family.

By the time we'd finished up it was eleven at night. I was hours away from my curfew, but I knew the Masen's would feel the need to entertain until I left; I didn't want to keep them up later than necessary when they had an early flight the next morning.

I said my goodbye's before Edward walked me to the door, his warm hand wrapped around mine sending tingles through my body. I was starting to wish I could stay.

"I hate that you're leaving," he whispered as his lips found my neck. I couldn't help the shudder that worked it's way through my body and exploded in my stomach with need. The more time we spent together the more I seemed to realize how important he was to me. How much I had missed out on.

"I know," I whispered in response. my fingers grabbed at the shirt he was wearing, brushing his abs, making him shudder much the same way I had.

"Stay."

God, I wanted to stay. I would have too, but I didn't want to make his parents uncomfortable.

His lips found mine as his hands weaved into the hair at the back of my neck. I leaned into the kiss, indulging in the man I loved . . . and I did love him. I knew that more than I ever had. Standing here with him now, on the verge of leaving him for one night, I felt as though I was leaving part of myself behind.

"Call me when you get home?" he asked as he pulled away. My eyes were still closed as I nodded and I heard his gentle chuckle while his thumbs ran down the edge of my jaw.

I kissed him again before I backed out of the door, my fingers the last thing to release my connection to him.

~oOo~

The days following our early Christmas were spent alone at Edward's house. If I was being honest we seldom left his room, but it was nice to escape from my house. With dad so preoccupied in his study, and Tanya doing god knows what under the pretense of being with the ladies, it gave me more freedom. I wasn't missed when I didn't come home at night. In fact, the one time I had come home, I had turned around and left again. Izzy and Mike, and Peter and Jessica seemed to be competing for the loudest screamer award. Even Emmett was absent.

Christmas Eve, I finally made the decision I had been putting off for the last three days. I had just woken up to find Edward grinning at me. His green eyes shining in the diffused light of the winter sun.

"I'm going to spend Christmas with Sue, Leah and the others. Will you still come?" I asked, snuggling into his side, our legs tangled together. We often woke up this way. It was as though sleeping in the bed together still wasn't close enough for us. "We'll be staying in mamére's house, so we'll be alone."

"I don't care where we stay, as long as I'm with you," he mumbled, his arms tightening around me so our bodies were even closer. I could feel my lips curling into the smile my entire body wore.

"I need to go home and tell dad, as well as pack some things. Do you want to pack your things now and we can swing by on our way out?"

"Do I have to move?"

I giggled and shuffled in his arms. He groaned as I rubbed against him accidentally sending a wave of lust through my body. As intemperate as we had been since his parents had left, it still didn't seem like enough. When it came to Edward Masen, I was insatiable.

Edward's hands moved from my hip, ghosting up my side until his thumb brushed the edge of my breast, making me shiver again. He knew how to get a reaction from me, just like I knew how to get a reaction from him.

Unfortunately, if we really were going to my home in New Iberia, we couldn't continue doing what we were doing because we would never get out of here.

"Edward," I sighed, the attempt at taking control sounding more like I was urging him on.

"Hmm?"

"We have to get going now."

"Why? A few extra hours won't hurt."

I laughed and buried my face in his neck as he moved his thigh to create friction between my legs. I groaned and tried to pull away, fighting the temptation to give in to him.

"Where are you going?"

"To New Iberia." I smirked, wiggling out of his grip as the muscles in his thigh tensed again. "Now, are you going like that? Or are you going to take a shower first?"

Edward groaned as I slid off the bed, but before I could take a step, his arms were constricted around my waist tightly, pulling me back onto the soft mattress with a yelp.

"I just . . ." he kissed my lips heavily. "Need a little encouragement." He kissed me again, his hands moving down my body, between the valley of my breasts and over my stomach.

"Edward. We have the house to ourselves up there," I mewed, my resistance failing completely.

"I promise, I'll be quick."

My mind went hazy with lust the moment his long fingers descended below my hips.

Then, like a sign, Leah's ringtone filled the room.

"Saved by the bell," he groaned, falling onto his back and leaving me to snort breathlessly. I rolled from the bed onto numb legs and tingling feet, my body still with the echo of electricity running through my veins. I rifled through my things to find my phone.

The screen told me I had missed five calls, two from Emmett, three from Leah.

Oops.

"Where the hell have you been?" Leah demanded, the moment I answered.

"Right here. Why? What's wrong?"

"Emmett's been looking for you. He wants to come home with you for Christmas, you'd know that if you answered your damn phone, you nympho."

"Well, we were sleeping. I just got up."

"Yeah, yeah. Sure you did," she laughed, the tone playfully accusing.

I wasn't going to explain that I was telling the truth and that she'd just interrupted the very thing she was alluding to. If Edward hadn't been watching me the way he was now, I would have, but his eyes were like fire, scorching my skin as I stood in the middle of the room with only a phone on my person.

"So, are you coming up?"

"We are."

"Ah, we get Edward too?"

"Uh huh."

"The more the merrier; mom's making enough food to feed the entire Parrish."

I smiled. This was what I missed. It was all so familiar to me. The cooking, the company, the happiness.

This was what had tipped the scales for me. I didn't want to be with a family that would be screaming over the dinner table, I didn't want to have to coax my dad from his study and try and sober him up with food. I would leave the presents for everyone but Emmett and Edward under the beautiful silver and green tree, but that was the most I was willing to participate in the Cullen Christmas.

"Let us get dressed, and we'll head to the house, pick up Emmett and then head your way."

"Rosalie too, apparently her parents had to go somewhere for work. She was invited too, but she wanted to stay home."

"She didn't say anything about it to me."

"Yeah, it was a last minute thing—she found out this morning."

"Ok, well let me call them and get everything set up then we'll be on our way."

"Love you, slut."

"Love you, whore."

I hung up and grinned at Edward who was chuckling on the bed, his eyes still watching my every movement. I made my way back to him and tugged on his arm. "Emmett and Rosalie are coming with us."

I would have felt weird about the situation, but since Rosalie and I had talked about everything, any awkwardness about who used to be paired with who seemed to have gone out the window. Now we just hung out, as though it had always been this way.

"I guess I should get up then?"

"Maybe." I grinned, scrolling through my phone to find Rosalie's number.

After two short phone calls, we decided to meet at my house and take off from there. My eyes were on Edward the whole time I was on the phone. It wasn't until I was saying goodbye to Emmett that he finally rolled off the bed.

His lean body stretched as he reached above him, working out the kinks in his body from being curled around me most of the night. I drank him in, my body moving toward him of it's own volition. We were like opposite polarities of a magnet, unable to stay apart when we were within a foot of one another.

"Wanna conserve water?" I asked, my arms finally wrapping around his waist.

Edward's eyes widened with his smile, the green vibrant and alive as he stepped back, gripped my hand and pulled me toward the bathroom.

We were on the road to my house forty-five minutes later, my hair was up in a damp twist on top of my head. We'd spent so long in the shower, drying it would have taken even longer and given us away, even though we were sure neither of us were kidding anyone.

I pulled into the driveway and sighed. "I should probably apologize in advance."

"Why? What did you do?" Edward chuckled, leaning over the console to brush some loose strands of hair behind my ear. I nodded toward the house and took a deeper breath. "You can't help what your family says and does, babe."

"You may be scarred for life."

Edward laughed and opened his door. "Doubtful, but I'll keep my delicate sensibilities in mind and let you know if it gets to be too much."

"Don't say I didn't warn you." Tanya's car wasn't in it's spot, so I could only guess what was going on upstairs.

Dad wasn't lucid enough to realize what was going on, which only seemed to make everything so much more sordid. It wasn't as though the walls of his study were impervious to the sounds, just the man behind them that was too lost to pay attention.

We made our way into the house, where Rosalie and Emmett were sitting at the kitchen table, cuddled into one another, and reading a tabloid that had been left there. The pair of them looked up as we entered and smiled.

"Took you long enough."

I blushed, there was no stopping it. My body was such a traitor.

Rosalie giggled, burying her head in Emmett's shoulder, only fueling my flushed cheeks even further. I felt as though I was scarlet. My cheeks were burning. Even with Emmett's slight look between the two of us.

Finally, her snort was what pushed me to retaliate.

"Laugh it up, Hale," I said, a smile building. "You're hair's a little matted at the back there."

Rosalie sat up, her hand running through her perfect hair, finding nothing. Her lips curled as she looked up at me.

"Well played, Bella."

"I try." I curtsied and eyed the stairs. "How bad is it?"

"Well," Rosalie answered, drawing out the L's. "Team Jesus is outdoing team God. But team God is working at getting close to "dogs can only hear the frequency" loud."

"Excellent," I groaned, turning to look at Edward. "You don't have to be subjected to that. I'll be right back."

"Oh, I wouldn't miss this for the world."

I rolled my eyes but headed toward the stairs anyway.

"No competing, guys," Rosalie snorted. "We promised Leah we would hustle you out of here as soon as you arrived."

"You're no fun, Rose," Edward mumbled, slapping my ass as he followed me up the back stairs. I heard a faint mumble from Emmett as we ascended but pretended not to hear it.

The cacophony of groans and praises filled the air before we'd even reached the top. Edward's laugh was muffled as he tried to contain it, but it was useless. He was barking out his amusement before we'd even reached the landing.

I beelined toward my room, hoping to avoid the worst of the sounds lingering in the air. Taking two stairs at a time, I hit the top in seconds flat.

I packed my bag as quickly as I could, dancing around Edward's arms as he tried to pull me onto the bed with him. There was a muffled hum of appreciation in the room below us, drawing Edward's attention from trying to distract me.

"Is this a regular occurrence?"

"It's getting to be that way," I sighed, the annoyance lacing the words with my distaste. My mind moved to the one person who should be sober enough to stop all of this nonsense.

Dad.

I was sure I would find him in his study, slumped over his desk with a bottle of whatever liquor he had left next to him. Tanya seemed to find his current condition hilarious, only losing her temper when she realized that he couldn't accompany her to the many Christmas parties she wanted to attend while in the state he was in.

If it had been bad before Renée, this was Armageddon for the Cullen household. It was falling apart, and not even I had the patience to try anymore. I wanted to get to know dad better, but this was a side of him I hadn't known existed and it was terrifying.

Even so, I knew I had to go to him and explain exactly where I was going to be, even if he didn't remember that I'd told him when he finally had a rational moment.

"Will you take my bag to the kitchen, please. I have to try and talk to my dad before we go."

Edward's eyes went sympathetic as unintentional sadness filled my voice. As much as we'd talked over the past few weeks, he knew how much this new side of my dad was hurting me. it wasn't just the hurt either, the disappointment seemed to make the ache in my heart burn like a white hot flame. No one else—other than Emmett—seemed to care, and he was as scarce as I was these days.

"Of course," Edward replied, pulling the bag from my hands and kissing me gently. "I'll be in the kitchen if you need me."

"Thank you."

He kissed my forehead one last time before leading the way out of the bedroom. I took the front stairs while he took the back. I missed him the moment he was gone. Like a love sick puppy, I was becoming too dependent on his company. I was beginning to need him and that scared and excited me.

My stomach lurched as I reached the study door. I could smell the stale tang of scotch hanging around the door, which only seemed to magnify how bad the situation had become. I took a deep breath and knocked on the door, somehow knowing I wouldn't get an answer.

I waited, my heart in my throat, but realized I had to be a little more assertive if I intended to communicate with him in this state. I gripped the handle and pushed open the door, knocking as I swung it open.

"Dad?" I asked, trying not to inhale the fumes that filled the room. It smelled like a bar. "Dad, you in here?"

"Hey baby," he slurred, his head not moving from his desk. "Everything okay?"

"I'm going to Leah's with Emmett, Edward and Rosalie. We're going to spend Christmas there."

"You write what you want and put it in the box," he mumbled, his hand reaching out and tapping the expensive mahogany box before his arm went limp again and his soft snore filled the room.

I sighed in frustration—I couldn't help it. I stepped in further and kicked a few bottles that had been placed beside the full trashcan and shook my head. The only thing I could do was write him a note and leave it somewhere he could find it when he was awake enough to see it.

I scribbled a few clipped words on paper and taped it to the liquor cabinet that was built into the bookshelf beside his desk. I felt the tear slide down my cheek before I realized I was crying. I brushed it away roughly and backed out of the room. I had to try and help him when I got back. I couldn't leave him this way. Izzy was surviving, which was a lot more than I could say for him.

"You ready?" Emmett asked, leaning against the wall as I backed out and pulled the door closed. The moment he saw me, his hand reached out and rubbed my back a couple times before pulling me into the circle of his arms, muttering comforting words. "It'll get better. It has to."

"What if it doesn't?"

Emmett stayed silent, his bear hug squeezing me even tighter. It was wordless between us because we both cared, we both knew something had to be done, but neither of us knew how to fix it.

I took a deep breath and patted Emmett's back, letting him know I was better.

"Let's go have some fun." He grinned. "You've been dangling this food of Sue's in front of me since Thanksgiving; now I want to collect."

I laughed and headed toward the tree to grab the presents I would need. "Well, I should probably grab your present then."

"Hell yes you should," he snorted.

~oOo~

Everyone was happy to meet Edward and Rosalie. Everyone except Seth. He didn't like how I described Edward as my boyfriend and corrected me three times before Leah finally slapped the back of is head and spelled it out—literally—for him. He'd been avoiding me since.

We'd been helping Sue prepare for the big dinner the next day and were now crashing in mamére's, now my, living room. Thankfully, Sue thought I was sleeping with Rose, and Edward and Emmett were together,; otherwise Rose and I would have been sleeping in Leah's room with her. It was a small lie that I hated to tell, but being here in this calm made me realize I needed this. It was harder to stay in this house than I'd thought.

We were all just lazing around talking. I was on Edward's lap in the recliner, his arms wrapped tightly around my waist, his chin on my shoulder.

"Oh, he wasn't gonna let that go. I seriously thought I was going to have to tattoo it on his palm," Leah groaned, stealing some chips from the table in front of her. "I mean I know that he's a little delusional, but that was embarrassing."

"You should have brought, Izzy." Jacob chuckled. He was on the love-seat with Leah, her legs stretched across his lap as his fingers danced up and down her calves. "It's always you or Izzy, Izzy or you."

"Yeah, especially now she's a clone," Emmett said, his fingers running through Rosalie's hair. She was passed out on his lap.

"Shut up," I groaned, leaning my head against Edward's as his arms tightened around my waist again. I didn't need the reminder. I'd only seen her with it once and it had creeped me out.

"She what?"

"Izzy dyed her hair the same color as mine."

"No."

"It was weird."

"Yeah, no shit. Why the sudden change? I mean I know Renée fucked with her, but did she think this would change anything?"

"I don't know. I just know she's hurting and dad's a mess and the whole thing is a mess."

The boards on the porch creaked, gripping the attention of the room. It was a sound familiar with this place. Anytime someone came up the stairs, the loud groaning of the wood echoed through the house. It came from the bolt that was attached to the house, so the sound only echoed from inside. Outside it was silent. I hadn't realized how much I had forgotten until it echoed through the place.

"What the hell is that?" Edward whispered into my ear, his grip on my body moving from affectionate to protective.

"That," Leah sighed, getting up. "Is Seth."

She tiptoed to the door, knowing that the person outside wouldn't have heard the creak. She'd been here, either with me or alone with Jacob, too many years not to know it. she waited until the sound echoed through the house again before throwing open the door.

"How long have you been listening to our conversation, you little shit?"

"I haven't, I just got here."

"You gonna be rude?"

"No."

Leah stepped back and opened the door further so he could step in. His eyes scanned the room and hung on me and Edward before he moved to the loved seat and folded himself onto the ground, his back leaning against it. It was the last time he looked at me all night.

Our conversation moved on to Alice and Jasper as well as school and other things before we all started yawning and decided to turn in for the night. As always, Sue would be up early to cook, and Leah and I would be there to help. Then there were the presents, presents I was excited to hand out.

Edward and I snuggled in bed. both of us curled around one another.

His breath moved into the heavy even pattern of sleep as I lay awake in his arms, listening to the sounds that surrounded my childhood home. Pictures of Leah and me growing up covered one of the walls, Jacob and then Seth joining the fray the older we became. The shadows danced over the face of mamére as my favorite picture of the two of us sat, pride and place in the middle.

My whole life was on this wall, spreading over sixteen years, all of us growing a little with time. Faces of those we'd lost smiled down at me as I caught the shadow of something that wasn't a tree. It moved across the room quickly, tall and slender, before disappearing on the other side.

My stomach rolled uneasily as I thought of Seth alone out there. It wasn't until the creak of the porch echoed through the house that I realized I should go out and talk to him.

I wriggled out from under Edward's arm and pulled on the hoodie laying on the back of the desk chair and shivered as I stepped out of the pool of moonlight and into the darkened living room. I moved toward the door but froze in the middle of the room. The feeling I hadn't missed these last couple of weeks crawled up my spine. The icy bristles of fear were like tentacles branching out and gripping me.

It wasn't Seth, somehow I was one hundred percent certain it wasn't him. It was danger and fear. My flesh was pebbling on instinct, my heart was pounding in my chest.

I let my eyes scan the room slowly.

It was only a second, a split second, but I saw someone looking through the kitchen window where the blinds were up. My heart stopped as I struggled for breath, only a startled yelp passing my lips.

A/N: Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water . . . The watching eyes have been dormant for a couple of chapters, shame it couldn't stay that way! Again I apologize about the lack of blog update. RL has been a little crazy there's that pesky deadline at work that's been nabbing all my free time, but it should die down a little now :)

Thanks as always to my amazing beta, Annabanana, who actually did this very last minute, and had to go through this without any editing at all on my part. As always she made the words prettier!

Miztrezboo, Bendingmirrors, Hev99 and Newmoonaholic, Thanks for the hand holding and pre-reading and keeping me sane! I love you guys and feel honored to call you friends.

Thank you to every one of you that review. Your comments and observations, as well as your theories keep me smiling. You have no idea how thankful I am to all of you for reading each week and letting me know what you think. I still maintain I have the best readers on this site, bar none! I love you guys! Thank you!

Much Love and humungous hugs ~Weezy~