A/N: A quick thank you to everyone who added this story in their alerts and/or added it to their favorite list. It truly means a lot to me.

Chapter 27- Same shit, different day

Bella's POV-

"Bella."

Hmm.

"Bella."

Hmm.

I ignored the annoyance filled voice in the background, concentrating on the happiness that surrounded me like a thick impenetrable bubble. I was sitting in my living room- back in Charlie's house, with the man himself watching a game on the TV, a wide smile on his scrunched-up face- his eyes never straying far from the screen- as his preferred team supposedly won at whatever sport he was currently watching. Billy, Jake, Quil, Embry, and even Sam and Emily completed the beautiful picture, big smiles on each of our faces as we shared tales of the days gone by, nothing but the feeling of completion heavy in our hearts.

Life was good.

Life was perfect.

Life was happiness filled.

But yet….something was missing….

I could feel it in my heart. Yes, something was definitely missing.

I was not as complete as Sam and Emily were, or as Jared and Kim were- the couple making a sudden appearance in my periphery.

No. A part of me was incomplete.

I was incomplete.

I was happy- yes, but not completely happy.

Something was missing.

What but?

My gaze desperately searched my surroundings, my eyes wide as I impatiently awaited that missing piece of my existence, finding nothing out of the odd but yet refusing to give up.

I could not give up.

I had to find it!

I kept searching, a sigh of relief leaving my lips as a hazy shadow finally settled in front of my eyes, a sense of belonging brought along with it.

I was now complete.

He was here.

He was finally here!

I had waited so long for this moment.

I had dreamt of it, never imagining that I could be this lucky. I had never thought that life would be this giving when my turn to take arrived.

Life was…beautiful.

Life was… magical.

Life was….

Paul.

.

.

.

I woke up with a jerk, the cold water splashed upon my face being my welcome back to reality. It had been a dream. It had all just been a dream! I wasn't back home; Charlie wasn't back from Seattle. And I was the farthest from happy as one could ever be.

No.

I was still in my prison, my prison guards standing upon me, humungous frowns on their faces as they silently berated me for yet another thing, I had no clue of.

I scoffed in frustration. What was new in that?

They seemed to blame me for everything these days, from Global warming to why humans needed to eat food!

I was responsible for every mildly inconvenient thing that happened in their life, their judgement filled eyes boring holes into my very soul, as they waited to see what I would claim in my defense.

As expected, I had no defense to speak off.

You can't kill stupidity by pretending to be even more stupid, unfortunately!

And Esme and Carlisle Cullen had proven themselves to be irrevocable idiots in my eyes.

Especially Esme! I hadn't known that she was this judgmental and clearly insane in the head. She lived in her own merry world, pretending to still be a human woman living in the early 1900's, her views and opinions a testimony to that period. She would often speak of her 'children', forcing me into listening to tales of their childhood, unable to comprehend that she had never actually seen those supposed children of hers live their childhood. They were all adults when they met her, capable enough to survive alone. They did not need the mothering, or the constant attention that Esme smothered them with. They did not need someone to watch out for them, calling them up every twenty minutes to enquire about their whereabouts; which from the impression I got was something Alice Cullen truly loved about Esme.

They were clearly an insane bunch!

And for the record, Emmett was nearing twenty-one when changed, being only two years younger than Carlisle in human years, and five years younger than Esme.

How was he even comfortable pretending to be their son?

How was he okay with the fact that Esme babied him like he was five?

It was unbelievable!

At least my parents attempted to treat me like an adult. Something I had never imagined I would come to appreciate….

"Oh Bella!" Esme pouted; sympathy laced in her tone. "Look what you have done! Your clothes are all wet now."

Was she stupid?

Or had she somehow developed some memory loss induced illness?

She had literally just thrown a bucket of cold water on my head; it was obvious that my clothes would be all wet.

What did she even expect?

For me to miraculously dry in the entirety of five seconds?

"I wish I had spare dry clothes for you to change into…but on second thoughts," she frowned, "maybe this will teach you not to ruin your clothes. A woman needs to be careful about these things."

"Esme," I spoke through gritted teeth, the chattering already begun as the cold seeped in. "I will fall ill. Please…."

The water was so cold.

I was feeling so cold….

She shrugged, unimpressed by my pleading. "You need to learn these important lessons in life. Or you will never make the perfect wife for my Edward."

I did not even want to be his wife!

Why was she doing this to me?

What was me freezing to death even going to achieve?

"I will see you in three hours, after I hunt and fill myself to the brim." She smirked, a silent indication that no lunch was going to grace my door today. As usual!

"Esme, please," I begged her once again, turning to look at Carlisle for help, the effort being futile as the two of them walked out of the room in haste, leaving me there to wallow in my own misery, tears falling down my eyes as I rubbed my hands over my arms in an attempt to produce some heat.

X-X-X

"What have they done to you, love?"

I forced my eyes into opening, achieving only a half of the target, surprised yet not so surprised to see the familiar face in front of my eyes.

"Edward." I whispered, attempting to sit up straight in my seat.

"Don't." He winced, running a hand through his hair in visible pain and sadness. "How could they do this to you? Carlisle had promised me that he was looking after you. He had assured me that you would want for nothing! He lied to me. He broke his promise."

It seemed as if he were grumbling to himself, but unfortunately, I could not afford the 'woe is me' routine at the moment. I had more important things to worry about.

"Edward…water…"

My throat was parched. I was so thirsty.

I was so hungry.

I was so tired!

"Of course, love." he frowned, a sip of water soon gracing my tongue as I sighed in relief, taking in the sweet ambrosia presented to me, grabbing it with both hands as I refused to let go of it. "I will arrange for some food for you." He ran a hand through my hair, softly caressing it. "I am here now."

I nodded my head, believing him when he said that life was only about to get better from here on.

What else did I even have other than hope?

And had he to have the same intention as the others, he wouldn't have bothered enough to give the poor human a glass of water.

No one before him had bothered, and neither would have he!

"We need to get you changed into something dry." He pouted to himself. "You are already running a temperature."

He put a hand over my forehead, sighing audibly, as he quickly untied me and lifted me in his arms, letting me rest my tired head on his chest, my eyes shutting on their own accord.

"Esme…"

She would not let me escape.

I was her prisoner.

"Don't worry about her, love." he shrugged. "I am here now."

I gave out a nod, shutting my eyes tighter, as I finally let go after days of misery….

X-X-X

My eyes softly fluttered open, warmth cocooning me as I leaned further into the thick coat of wool that screamed comfort, a small smile- that did not seem to vanish anytime soon- on my face.

"Love, you need to eat something."

I sat up straight in the bed with a jerk, frowning at the sight of Edward Cullen in front of my eyes, confusion evident in my features.

What was he doing here?

Why…why was he even here?

How?

When?

.

.

.

Oh. Right.

He had saved me from that.

I let out a sigh- glad to be out of that unwanted situation, looking around the room that I currently lay in. It wasn't very big- almost barren of any furniture, just one couch and one bookshelf calling this room its home.

One thing was for sure, though.

We weren't in their Forks house. A suspicion that I had earlier now lay cleared.

"Where…" I trailed off, frowning in hesitance.

"We are in Canada."

Oh.

"Bella…Love…" Edward winced, shaking his head firmly. "I never wanted this for you. I wanted you to be away from all this mess. I don't agree with Carlisle and Esme…"

"I have moved on."

My voice was a mere whisper, as I looked away from him, unsure of what exactly my brain was making my mouth speak.

"I no longer wish to be a vampire. I want to go back to my family."

He sighed, smiling wide, surprising me even further by his reaction. "I am glad. You have no idea how long I have waited to hear these very words. But love…Bella," he instantly corrected himself. "We will have to pretend to be in love…"

"Ed…"

"Hear me out," he offered a hand up in defense, silencing my protests. "Just acting. Nothing more than that. This is the only way out. I will get you out of here, taking you back home- safe and human. But for that, I need your support. I need you to pretend to want to be with me. Can you do that for me?"

"We will get out of here?" I raised an eyebrow in suspicion.

"Yes." He gave me a firm nod in agreement.

"Just acting?" I confirmed. The ship of my feelings for Edward Cullen had long sailed by, reaching another coast by now.

"Yes."

I let out a sigh, giving him a brief nod. "Fine. You are getting me out of here."

He offered me a small smile back. "Sure, Love. Sure."

I continued to stare at him for a few long minutes, finally nodding my head, still contemplating over what exactly I had gotten myself into.