A/N: Hey, guys! Welcome back! I hope you all had a fun and safe Halloween tonight (if you celebrate it). With the pandemic, it was a bit different this year. There weren't many trick-or-treaters out in my neighborhood, but I did see a few, which was nice. On the bright side, I guess I get to binge all the extra candy that wasn't handed out lol. Anyway, here's chapter 21! And don't forget to review! It's my favorite part lol you can all tell me what you dressed up as this year!

EDIT: Hey, guys! So, I've been hearing that some of you have been having some issues trying to get to this chapter. I'm not really sure what's up with that, I've noticed it on my end too. At first glance, it says 21 chapters are posted but once I click to open the fic, all of a sudden the last one disappears. So, I've decided to just delete and reupload. Apologies for any false notifications if you're following this fic! Hopefully, you guys won't have much trouble now.

"It can't be too crazy."

Alice stares at me dubiously, as if she's deciding if she's offended. "Honestly, Bella. You have no faith in me. It's a party, not a rave."

"According to you there's no difference," I quip impatiently.

Angela finds our banter amusing, giggling softly behind us. "Relax, B. You'll be fine. Your dad's not going to find out."

"Don't underestimate the Chief of Police," I remind them both. "Alice has already invited our entire grade, for crying out loud. You do know that none of those kids like me, right?"

Alice pretends to ignore me as she shoves a costume in my arms and points to the changing room. "Go try that on."

Shoving the offending piece of fabric back to her in a huff, I say, "Are you even listening to me?"

Stern, golden eyes fixate on me as her hands rest on her small hips. "Absolutely not. You already agreed to go and you're not backing out of it."

Snatching the costume back, I roll my eyes before looking to see whatever it is she wants me to wear. "A cheerleader?"

"Well, you've certainly got the attitude for it," Angela mumbles, earning a snicker from Alice.

Turning my back, I head into the changing room, shouting over my shoulder, "You guys are assholes!"

To my relief, time passes quickly as Alice chooses costume after costume. Angela and I take turns trying them on, and we soon find ourselves standing in the checkout line.

Staying up all night with Alice, while fun and very clearly the right thing to do, was also exhausting. I'd been desperate for a nap since breakfast, but the girls had insisted on shopping for costumes.

Angela and I had decided on a Disney theme and left the mall with Wendy and Tinkerbell outfits. Alice, on the other hand, had a harder time finding anything that fit her that didn't come from the children's section. After almost two hours of nothing, she called it quits before starting our drive back home.

Alice drives less maniacally than her brother, but still overtly ignores the speed limits. Angela doesn't seem to mind though as she calls shotgun while I sprawl myself out in the backseat. After fighting to keep my eyes open for ten minutes, I decide that I don't mind it either.

My eyes are only closed for a second, it feels like when someone taps me on the shoulder.

"Wakey, wakey!"

I blink a few more times until Angela becomes more in focus. "Sorry."

"Why don't you get some sleep?" she says as I sit up to find us parked outside of my house. "I have some homework to catch up on anyway."

"Yeah…" Too tired to piece any more words together, I let myself out and Angela does the same to hug me. Her touch is warm and fills me with content.

"Thank you, Bella. I had a great time."

Smiling into her shoulder, I mumble, "Love you too, Ang. I'm so exhausted."

"Right." She lets go and I gratefully drag my feet towards the front door. "Text me when you wake up!"

Saluting her lazily, I slump through the front door and lean my weight against it as it closes. I have to take a moment to silently encourage myself to climb just a few more steps before passing out.

I make it to my bed at the exact moment my knees give out and I fall face first onto the bed. Surprisingly, it's a comfortable position and I sigh deeply, finally allowing myself to succumb to sleep.

When I wake up hours later, it's nearly pitch black in my room. It takes a few seconds for my eyes to adjust, but my feet have entangled themselves with a pair of familiarly cold limbs.

"Edward?"

His lips brush over my shoulder as I flip onto my other side to face him. "I'm here."

"What time is it?" I ask through a yawn.

"Almost eleven," he answers softly. "You shouldn't have let Alice keep you up all night."

"It was my idea." I sit up so my back is against the headboard. "Don't be upset with her, I had a nice time."

"What did you girls do?"

I show him my hands, though I can't see them clearly myself, I'm sure he has a perfect vision of them in the dark. "Alice did my nails. I don't like the color though."

Edward takes my left hand and kisses every single finger, making me giggle. He can probably see me blushing too, but I pretend for my own well-being that I'm subtle. "You look beautiful."

Taking my hand back, I say, "Yeah, that's what she thought you'd say."

"Well, it's true." His amber eyes, slightly iridescent in the moonlight, are all I can see of him as he inches closer to kiss my temple. "You're gorgeous."

Unsure of how to respond, I blindly search for his face and pull him down to me until his lips are on mine. Knowing that my time with him this way is limited, I breathe in his scent and feel the hairs rise from my neck all the way down my spine.

Edward's arm wraps around my waist and I pretend it's there to pull me closer instead of pull me away, like I know he's going to. His other hand cradles the side of my face. His skin is like ice, but his touch burns like fire.

He pulls himself away and I watch him turn his head toward the window as he breathes deeply. His eyes have darkened significantly, but I do not fear him. I only wish he doesn't have to fight so hard to be with me.

"I'm sorry," I whisper.

He is quiet for a long moment. Then, grimly, he speaks. "We need to be more careful."

I want to tell him that I trust him completely. I want to tell him that I have enough faith in him for the both of us and I want to scream at him that I don't care! I just want him! But none of those things will make him feel better. So, instead, I nod and say, "Okay."

"Tell me about your night." I think I might've heard the slightest waver in his voice, but I can't be sure. "What else did you do?"

Understanding his need for a distraction, I try not to be upset as he moves farther away from me on the bed. "Um, nothing really. I spent most of the night talking with your sister."

"What did you talk about?"

I switch on the light on my nightstand so I can see him better. He's wearing a dark gray sweater and jeans and his bronze hair is dark from the rain. He smiles slightly when he catches me staring and I look away, feeling embarrassed that I was caught.

Gauging his reaction, I finally say, "We mostly talked about her human life."

His expression doesn't change much, and I wonder if he's truly unbothered by what I've said or if he's truly mastered the art of poker face.

"I guess you already know?"

"About her missing memories?" He shrugs as if it's Sunday dinner we're discussing. "We know. It's not uncommon."

"Really? Just like that? I mean, how can so many years of your life just be lost like that?"

It's only until now that I notice a change in his face. His brows knit together and I watch as his mouth opens and closes as he finds the words. "When a human turns…" He pauses to sigh and I can tell he's pondering if it's smart to tell me this. "Our venom is what starts the change. Carlisle has a theory that when it starts attacking the brain, sometimes it can cause damage to the limbic system. Or more specifically, the temporal lobe. It's the part of the brain that holds your memories."

"Do you remember your human life?" The question escapes me before I realize what reaction it might bring out of him. "I'm sorry, you don't have to answer that, I just—"

"It's alright." He chuckles softly, but there's a hint of remorse in his eyes. "I don't mind."

Nodding, I encourage him to go on. "What do you remember?"

"It's hazy but...I remember my mother's face. High cheekbones and long brown hair down to her tailbone."

"Do you remember your father too?" I ask, eager to learn more.

Shaking his head, he says, "Not much. I do remember I'm named after him."

I can't help the smile that spreads across my face. "Edward Cullen Jr.?"

"Edward Masen, actually," he corrects me with his famous crooked smile. "Edward Anthony Masen Jr."

"That's a wonderful name." I offer my hand and relax when he takes it easily, intertwining our fingers. "You must miss them."

"Sometimes."

Halloween comes much too quickly. I thank my lucky stars that Angela is there to convince Charlie into eating lunch with us before. In a public setting, like The Lodge, it keeps Charlie in check. He's still worrying and fretting, per usual, but it's toned down. He'd never purposefully embarrass me if he could help it.

Of course, it doesn't stop the one million and one questions from roaming around in his head. He'd already asked me once how I was feeling, and when I'd told him I was fine, he began to analyze every single muscle in my face. I was afraid if I blinked too hard, he'd misread it for something.

"Now, you gotta remember to take water breaks, honey," he goes on while I try not to look annoyed. I can see Angela snickering behind a mouthful of French fries. "I know, it doesn't seem important, but you need to stay hydrated if you're going to be dancin' and whatnot. And like I said before, no—"

"—loud music," Angela and I finish in unison.

"I know, Dad." I exhale, but it comes out more like an exasperated sigh. I watch Charlie set down his silverware and internally groan as he leans forward on his elbows.

"Angela, you will be by her side all night, correct?"

Winking at me, she returns my father's gaze and nods. "Absolutely. Won't let her out of my sight."

"Very good." Turning back to me, he smiles softly underneath his mustache. "So, what's the plan? You girls headed straight there after this?"

"Yeah," I answer, relieved to be done with the serious talk for now. "We told Alice we'd help her set up and she's going to do our makeup."

He nods and clears his throat nervously and for a moment, the crowd from the restaurant makes it difficult for me to hear his thoughts. The pinkish tint in his cheeks makes me curious as to what he's thinking. Thankfully, I don't have to wonder for too long when Charlie finally decides to speak up.

"Let me get a few photos before you go," he says finally.

Glancing at Angela who smiles sweetly at him, I feel my own face warming as I think about how stupid I'd look without Alice's help. "B-but our makeup won't be done and I don't even know what to do with my hair—"

"Oh, it's just for your old man," he assures me. "You know we don't get to celebrate these things often. I just want something to look back on. You girls, have grown up so beautifully and—"

I pretend to gag in an attempt to get him to stop talking. It works, because the words trail off and he glares at me while Angela laughs from beside me. "Don't get all sappy on us, now."

"Well, congratulations, Bells." He shakes his head like he's irritated but his fingers accidentally brush mine as he picks up his napkin and I feel the amusement traveling from my wrist up my arm and into my chest and then down to my belly where I have to stifle a laugh. "You've successfully ruined the moment."

"It's what I do best."

Moments later, Charlie's paying our bill and we're piled in the old police cruiser for the drive home. The drive is so short, it almost seems like a waste of gas if it weren't for the graying clouds that continued to cover the sun. The sky is ready to open up at any moment and no one is willing to risk walking.

In fear of the storm, Angela and I stand in front of the couch, side by side, cheek to cheek in our costumes as Charlie hunches slightly over his old camera to get us in frame.

"Alright, big smile!"

We cheese for so long and so hard, it hurts. But seeing Charlie so happy, neither one of us has the heart to tell him no, so we let him take as many as he pleases. I, for one, lose count after twelve.

Once Charlie's had his fill, he lets us take off our dresses so we can make the drive over to the Cullens'. I have to help Angela out of her Tinkerbell outfit when the zipper gets jammed in the back and Charlie decides the whole fiasco is so funny, he's got to take one more. So, I smile one last time, my Wendy dress sagging over my dirty skinny jeans, hair probably wild from static and Angela pouting slightly from frustration.

"Now, that is a keeper."

Rolling my eyes, we finally get Angela unstuck as I mumble, "Whatever you say, Dad."

"You should be nicer to him," Angela says to me later when we're alone in her car. I'd spent the first few minutes complaining about how humiliating Charlie had been, but Angela seems to find it endearing. "He loves you so much."

"And I don't deny that," I reply as I point to the street she'll need to turn on. A smile pulls at the corner of my lips as I realize that the drive to the Cullens' place had become muscle memory. I can make the drive in my sleep—well, if I knew how to drive in the first place, that is. "But he's also extremely embarrassing."

"Of course, it's his job."

"Slow down," I warn her, "their driveway is hidden behind some—"

"Where?" she asks interrupting me, but she's still going too fast and slams on her breaks when she finds the path behind the shrubs, causing me to nearly choke to death on the seatbelt.

"Jesus, Ang! Are you trying to kill us?"

"I'm sorry!" Her apology isn't very sincere as she falls into a fit of giggles. "I didn't see it."

"I tried to tell you." I'm trying to be serious, knowing that Edward and his family can probably hear us, but soon I find myself laughing too. I'm suddenly aware of how long it's been since the two of us had a moment together, just the two of us.

When Angela pulls into the drive and parks where the gravel starts to turn to dirt, I reach over the console and wrap my pinkie around hers, apparently taking her by surprise. She blinks up at me, curiosity and concern flowing from her body and into mine, I hear her say internally, She hasn't done this in a while.

"I miss you, Ang."

It seems to be enough for her to understand. Her eyes soften and she sends me a small, but genuine grin. "I'm right here, B. Always have been."

I don't need to hear her thoughts to know it's her way of telling me to pull my head out of my ass. She has been missing me too, and I'd been too preoccupied with my vampire boyfriend to notice. Instead of feeling guilty, I make a promise to myself to make more time for her outside of Edward. She deserves this much at least.

"C'mon." Although she's talking to me, it's not until Angela breaks our connection that I'm pulled from my thoughts. "Let's head inside. Alice needs us."

"Right."

Following her inside, we barely make it two steps from the front door before Alice comes sprinting at a pace that narrowly passes for a human trait. Her eyes as well as the rest of her family's are freshly golden, probably in preparation for tonight.

"You're here!" She squeals jumping up and pulling us down to hug her, both Angela and me grunting from the force. "Thank goodness!"

Laughing through the pain, Angela recovers first, standing straight and smiling at Alice. "Sorry, we got held up. How can we help?"

The little pixie picks up a giant box of string lights that were stuffed behind the door and gestures for me to take it.

Eyeing Alice suspiciously, I say, "A little excessive, don't you think?"

Ignoring me, she turns to Angela, "You nearly missed the turn, didn't you?"

Angela's cheeks pinken under her tan skin, knowing that our near death experience had had an audience. "You saw that?"

Alice chuckles softly to lighten the mood. "It's okay, everybody does. That's what these are for. I'll have you guys wrap them around the bushes so it won't be missed next time."

"Got it." Angela lifts the box from me and heads outside while I hang back with Alice.

"What will you guys do?" I ask her quietly, knowing it won't actually take them so long to get set up. What with them being vampires and all.

Alice, always one step ahead, whispers in my ear, "Just for appearances."

"Yeah, I think that ship has sailed," I tell her, turning back toward the door. "If you're lucky, people will just think you're Wile E. Coyote incarnate."

So, we spend the next few hours outside, untangling string lights and spreading them around the greenery. Turns out, the property is bigger than we imagined and the monstrous amount of lights was not excessive at all, but necessary. Angela and I work hard until the sun sets and the temperature drops, but it's exactly the kind of time we need together.

"Okay." Angela shudders with a chill, her breath easily visible. "I'm freezing. I mean, my fingers are literally about to fall off."

Shoving my fists in my pockets, I nod groaning as the small amount of heat starts waking the nerves in my fingertips again. "Yeah, me too."

"Girls!"

Our attention is caught by Esme, who trots down the drive, lazily wearing an unzipped puffer vest overtop of her long sleeved shirt. "Come inside, there's some hot chocolate waiting for you. I'll have the boys finish up."

"Say less." Angela's teeth chatter as she wraps her arms around her torso in an effort to stay warm as she wads up the gravelled path. "I'm Angela, by the way!"

"She means thank you," I reiterate to Esme as she follows us. "She's just cold."

"No need to fret," she assures me, "I understand."

As we step back into the heated house, I breathe a sigh of relief as I see Emmett and Jasper heading out to take our place.

"Nice work," Emmett commends us after peeking outside as if to assess our work ethic. "You're tougher than you look."

Raising my arms, I pose flexing my nonexistent biceps, making Emmett laugh so hard, even my human ears could hear the booming sound after he exited the house.

Esme hands Angela and I two hot mugs of hot chocolate and we both eagerly accept the drink, more than content with just holding it to warm our hands.

"Thank you," I tell her again as Angela hums her gratitude.

"Do you have marshmallows?" she asks.

Esme, who loves to show her affection through food, smiles grandly at her, like the question is somehow a compliment to her character. "Of course, dear."

When she returns from the kitchen, I am no longer able to hold myself back from the person, I truly want to see.

"Where's Edward?"

If my tone is too obvious, she doesn't let on. She only gestures up the steps, a small frown tugging at her lips. "Maybe you can get through to him—he and Alice have been arguing for the entire evening, for heaven's sake!"

Eyes falling to Angela, she acknowledges my silent question by taking a seat at the dining room table and nodding slightly.

"Go ahead," she answers. "I've got to get some feeling back into my toes anyway."

Not needing anymore confirmation, I make my way to the steps and take them as quickly as I dare while balancing an almost full mug of very hot chocolate. The closer I get to the third floor, the easier it is to hear the hushed voices coming from Edward's room on the south wall.

"Can you please pretend you know how to have fun?"

"Are you out of your mind?" Edward's voice is tight and agitated, making me hesitate before entering. But my presence must have been known all along, because both Edward and his sister turn to look at me and I only relax when I see Edward offer me the smallest of smiles.

"Hey, you." He happily opens his arms for me as I attach myself to his side. "What's going on? Esme, says you two have been at it all night."

"Edward's just a fun-sucker." Although Alice pouts from across from us, her eyes are stern, daring him to disagree. "That's all."

Rolling his eyes childishly, a trait I think he's picked up from me, he turns to me, an all knowing knot forming in between his brows. "Have you seen her costume?"

"Do not ruin the surprise!" she demands.

"It's idiotic," he continues, not even bothering to make eye contact with her. "It's the most intense form of pretentious obscurity I've ever seen!"

"Edward," she warns again. "Do not."

Scoffing, I give her an exasperated look. "Well, now I have to know. What is it?"

Alice pouts at me again, and to be honest, I have to avoid her gaze to hold my ground. When she finds my stance unwavering, she sighs in defeat. "You guys are no fun." Then, disappears from sight only to be back before I can count to five, dressed in a long, dark nineteenth century gown with expensive-looking jewelry wrapped around her neck.

I look her up and down multiple times, before looking at Edward, not understanding what the big deal is. It's only when she grins wide, that I see it.

Fangs.

Jumping into motion, I practically slam the door closed and stare at Alice with eyes wide like saucers. "A vampire?! What the hell, Alice?"

"Exactly!" Edward hisses at her, "What the hell, Alice?"

"What, is there an echo in here?" she jokes.

"That's not funny," Edward retorts sternly.

"I thought it was."

Groaning audibly, I gesture towards her dress. "He's talking about your costume, for Christ's sake!"

"I don't see the problem," she responds coolly. "It's called hiding in plain sight—and I'm not just any vampire! I'm Mina Harker."

"Oh." I can't help but smile a little, but I have to work to keep it under control when Edward glares at me. "Sorry. That is kind of impressive though."

Alice, relieved to have finally won me over, snickers behind her fangs. "Isn't it?"

"You're not helping, Bella."

I take his hand, hoping it's enough to comfort him. "Hate to break it to you, but if you were expecting me to have half a chance against your sister, then I think you bet on the wrong horse."

"See?" Alice pulls me into another tight hug. "Bella understands. Besides, it's too late to do anything about it now. It's nearly time."

"Great," I mutter under my breath.

"Bella, meet me in my room in five." And with a wink, she disappears again, leaving Edward and I alone in his room.

"You think she'll go easy on me?" I ask him.

Placing a gentle kiss against my temple, he whispers, "You're on your own."