Disclaimer - All recognizable characters belong to their original owners. I do not make a profit from writing this; I simply do it for my own amusement. No copyright infringement intended.

Chapter Eighteen

Rose stood on the roof of the Academy watching as the sun peeked through the trees, beginning its early morning ascent over the horizon, signalling the start of a new day.

Edward had left her side a while ago. She didn't know where he'd gone, but she was grateful to be alone. Her thoughts were whirring as she tried to process and recall the memories that were missing from that night.

"It's better not to remember."

Rose turned and saw that Victoria had joined her on the roof. Her clothes torn, the shoulder of her jacket hung open, revealing her pale skin, and there were holes in the knees of her jeans. A slight glaze covered her eyes, and darks bags were forming under her eyes.

"The sun—" Rose said, all too aware of the rays.

Victoria shook her head. "I'll stay out of the way. I just wanted to talk to you." She stood next to her, still shielded by the shadows cast by the enormous building. "I know what you're going through."

Rose looked at her.

"Royce didn't change me, but the vampire who did took me to that house." She paused. "I didn't have the luxury of being unconscious when they… did what they did."

"Luxury? You think—"

"I think I can remember every grubby detail of what they did to me." Victoria's voice was quiet, and her eyes focused on the tree line. "It's haunted me for years, and no matter how hard I try, I can never forget what happened." She turned to Rose. "You don't remember, so count that as a blessing. You don't have to spend nights feeling their hands on you or their breath on your neck." Her words made Rose cringe. "Don't view not remembering as a curse but as a blessing." She reached forward and took Rose's hands in hers. "I would give anything to not remember what happened to me."

Rose let the words sink in. Victoria was right. She couldn't remember; maybe that was better than remembering. She was no worse off than she was yesterday or the day before that. Not remembering meant that she didn't have to relive the details on repeat. It was only Royce's words she had to contend with.

After releasing one of Rose's hands, Victoria reached into the pocket of her trousers and pulled out a small card, handing it to Rose. "This is my therapist. She's amazing."

Rose looked down and saw the name in swirling calligraphy: Dr Carmen Ortiz.

"She's a witch, so you can tell her everything."

The card was light in her hands, but Rose knew the weight of this and how it was significant. Victoria had not only confided in her, but she had also given her a way to overcome this crippling sense of distress that was creeping over her skin.

On impulse, Rose leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Victoria. "Thank you," she whispered.

Edward stood under the hot spray and let the water hit his back, easing the aches. He was tired and sore, his body sluggish as he struggled to move. The healing rune Bella had placed on his arm had helped alleviate some of the intense pain he felt, but it was still there, his muscles protesting when he moved.

Strangely, Edward was proud of himself. He'd held his own during the fight with the vampires. The battle had been exhilarating. Adrenaline had coursed through his body as he moved with practised ease as the vampires coming at him. It was like second nature to him. He wasn't quick as Bella or sure in his movements as Emmett. They threw him around, but he was alive; that had to count for something…

Right?

Quickly, Edward washed his hair of the debris that had fallen into it and scrubbed his body clean, the water turning a light red as it swirled down the drain. He stepped out, wrapping a towel around his waist and slipping his glasses back on his face, his vision becoming crystal clear once again.

"Edward, Jas says—"

Bella's sentence cut short as she squeaked, her eyes wide as they ran over his naked and wet form. Edward jumped and clutched the towel to his body, his own eyes large as he panicked.

"Sorry, I didn't realize you would be in a towel. I knocked, but then I walked in and… I'm going to wait outside!" Bella's face flushed as she turned, fleeing the room and shutting the door behind her.

Staring at the spot where she had been, Edward swallowed and tried to calm his heart (which was currently slamming against his chest). Heat bloomed within him, and a warm, tingling sensation floated across his skin. When he looked in the mirror, he saw his cheeks ablaze.

He dressed promptly and towel-dried his hair as best he could. Opening the door, he saw Bella standing against the opposite wall, her head in her hands.

"Bella? What's wrong?" Edward asked, approaching her and taking her hands in his.

"I walked in on you! And I'm mortified…" She looked up at him, biting her lip and a warm pink colored her cheeks.

"It's okay," he told her. "I didn't mind." That wasn't quite true. He felt somewhat self-conscious. He'd seen how Jasper, Emmett, and the other male demon hunters looked. With obvious muscles, their bodies were in peak physical condition, and he wasn't. However, he didn't want to upset her.

Bella placed her head against his chest. Edward leaned down and breathed in her coconut-scented shampoo, smiling when she squeezed his fingers and looked up at him.

"How are you feeling?"

"Sore," Edward admitted with a shrug of his shoulders. "But, I don't think I did too badly for my first fight."

Bella released one of his hands and cupped his face, her thumb stroking over his cheek. "You did amazingly."

Edward leaned down as Bella leaned up, their lips so close to joining when a loud cough had them springing apart.

Emmett stood to the side, arms folded over his chest and a smirk on his face. "Sorry to interrupt; Jas wanted me to come and get you both."

Edward cleared his throat and nodded as Bella glared at her behemoth of a brother.

"Don't glare at me, Bells. You can kiss him when we're done."

Bella's mouth fell open, and Emmett simply laughed and walked off.

Edward chuckled. "Come on," he urged Bella. "The sooner we go, the sooner we can be alone."

Bella's face remained annoyed as they went into one of the private meeting rooms they commandeered. It was sleek and modern and reminded Edward of a meeting room that you might get in one of those high-rise tower blocks.

Edward spotted Rose standing across the room, Victoria on her left and Alec on her right.

She gave him a small smile and tucked a stray tendril of hair behind her ear. She'd be okay—Rose was a fighter. She'd proved that to him time and time again.

"What's going on, Jas?" Bella asked. Her fingers still firmly entwined in Edward's.

Jasper looked over to Alice, who raised her hands, and a blue mist flowed across the room—Edward assumed it was some kind of silencing spell, so those outside couldn't hear. She nodded at Jasper when done.

"I've spoken with Garrett—" the man in question stood next to him. "And he's agreed to take over after Royce."

Cheers and catcalls erupted from around the room in a joking celebration of Garrett's new status.

Jasper grinned and shook his head as Garrett took a dramatic bow.

"We don't think any other vampire is going to pose a problem," Jasper said.

Garrett spoke up then. "Royce wasn't as popular as he thought he was."

Victoria snorted. "Understatement of the century."

Kate, who sat in a chair next to Riley, cracked a smile at that.

"What about Charles?" Rose asked. Her eyes darting over to Edward's momentarily. That was the big question—the proverbial elephant in the room.

Next to him, Bella squeezed Edward's hand while Jasper blew out a breath.

"Charles will know that something's up. Especially if Royce doesn't get back to him." He paused. "We don't think he's going to come after you directly, Edward. But we still have to be careful."

Edward nodded but felt a little lighter. They dealt with one threat, and now they just had to deal with the rest of the crap surrounding them.

"For now, though, relax—we've got a rough couple of weeks coming up."

Slowly, everyone departed from the room. Edward gave Rose a brief hug, and she smiled at him, her eyes twinkling just the tiniest amount. It was enough for Edward to know she was feeling better since the bombshell Royce dropped on her.

Nessie nudged her sister and gave her a conspiratorial wink before leaving the room, jumping on Emmett's back as he laughed and raced through the halls of the Academy.

Jasper and Garrett stayed chatting while Alec, Victoria, Riley, Embry, and Kate went to get some breakfast; food for the demon hunters and blood for the vampires. The canteen was light-tight, so the vampires had nothing to worry about.

Bella tugged on Edward's hand, and they walked down the hallway to her room quietly.

When she shut the door behind them, the atmosphere changed. The weariness that had previously permeated Edward's body disappeared. And he was suddenly very aware of Bella; the way she had her soft brown hair pulled into a low ponytail, the strands shiny under the low light of her bedside lamp, the way her long-sleeved shirt hugged her body, riding up ever so slightly so he could see a sliver of skin, and the way she bit her lip as she looked at him and her eyes darkened.

He swallowed.

"Are you nervous?" Bella asked, coming to stand in front of him.

"Yes."

She smiled at him. "Don't worry, I am too."

He wondered how that could be. To him, she was perfect.

Bella reached forward and took Edward's hands in hers. She slid her palms up his arms, her touch sending shivers across his body. She stopped when she reached his shoulders, and Edward wrapped his arms around her waist, feeling the soft material of her top underneath the tips of his fingers.

"You're so beautiful," he told her, staring deep into her eyes, hoping his own conveyed the sincerity of his words.

Her cheeks flamed, and her eyes shot to the floor before she brought them back up to his face. "You're one to talk."

Not being able to wait another second, Edward leaned down and eagerly pressed his lips to Bella's, savoring having her so close and all to himself. The last few days had been so busy that it was nice to just be. For now, he could forget everything outside of Bella's room and just focus on her.

She let out a little moan against his lips and pressed her body against his, her hips contacting his and her breasts swaying lightly against his chest.

Her tongue traced the seam of his lips, and Edward opened his mouth, eager for more.

Their tongues connected, and startingly heat ran through his body as he groaned and kissed her harder, wrapping her up in his arms to keep her exactly where he wanted her—pressed tightly against him.

Bella's hands ran over his arms and left a fire in their wake. Edward was burning, burning for her. He felt entirely overwhelmed by her; her scent, her touch, her breath in his mouth. It was heaven.

When her hands gripped his shoulders and then trailed down his chest, he moaned into her mouth.

But when they gripped the waistband of his sweats, Edward felt his heart speed up even more.

He placed his hand on hers and slowly ended the kiss. He didn't want Bella to think he was rejecting her, far from it.

"Bella," he whispered tenderly, bringing both his hands to her face so he could cradle it.

Her eyes were half-lidded, her mouth slightly parted, lips wet from his kisses. It was a beautiful sight.

She licked her lips. "Why did you stop?" Her voice was barely louder than a whisper.

Edward closed his eyes tight, counted to five, and then re-opened them. "Because… because I can't do this."

Her eyes shot open, and she looked at him, her brown irises clouded with confusion. "Why not?" She stepped back. "Are you seeing someone else?" Bella's voice sounded so broken.

"No! God no!" He stepped closer but felt embarrassment flood his body. "It's nothing like that. It's just…" Edward struggled to say it. Even though he was almost certain that Bella wouldn't care, he felt awkward, the words swirling around his head.

Bella must have seen something or sensed just how difficult this conversation was to Edward as she stepped into his arms once more. Placing one hand on her face, her eyes were calm. "Tell me."

Edward swallowed around the lump that had formed in his throat. "I'm a virgin."

Thank you to monica03 for her beta skills.

Poor Edward! Next time… well, they may be a cheeky lemon ;)