AN: All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.

New Moon will be out in about 4 weeks and my original plan was to have this finished before it hit the bookstores. In order to do this, my chapters will be shorter and some may be in only one PoV. In addition, I will have to get them out sooner in order to make my deadline. I hope that meets with everyone's approval. I do have all the chapters already laid out, and pieces of some already written.

One extra comment – a number of people have mentioned how Edward's comment doesn't sound like him. Well you would be right if it was meant seriously; however, he said it jokingly but I guess I didn't make that very clear, so I apologize for the misunderstanding. A few of you were also right about why Bella didn't want Edward in the room when the cast came off.

I hope you enjoy Bella's chapter.

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Hospital Visits – Bella

For me, Monday was a day in heaven. My guardian angel was sitting beside me and watching over me. I knew my life would never be complete without Edward in it. I just wished he knew how much I really needed him in my life. I knew I was pathetic, but I also knew the truth. Edward was the only person who kept me alive, and without him I knew I would die. I didn't deserve him, and I regretted the fact that I was his greatest temptation, but everyday he stayed with me was just one more day of happiness for me. I wanted to share this with him like I promised, but I was afraid if I did I would scare him away. He kept telling me I would be better off without him, but I knew that wasn't true. The truth was, he would be better off without me, but when, or if, that happened, I knew I wouldn't survive.

All those thoughts whirled around in my thoughts as we sat and watched the long version of Pride and Prejudice. Edward made me rest on the sofa but promised we would go to the hospital after Alice arrived. Not only did I spend the afternoon with thoughts of my happiness and unworthiness, but also I anxiously listened for the phone hoping Carlisle would call with the news that Charlie was out of the coma.

The call never came, but a police officer did. He arrived about three in the afternoon wanting my account of the accident. What could I tell him? I wasn't watching or paying attention to the road, I was daydreaming when all of a sudden, the car swerved and the next thing I knew was the car was kissing the trees. Of course, those weren't my exact words, but it's what I wanted to say. I was tired of everyone asking what happened. As I repeated my account of the incident, I watched Edward's face. He frowned when I mentioned the fact that I was daydreaming. I had been daydreaming about him of course, and he must have known it. It was like I could hear him blaming himself for what happened, but it wasn't his fault. Nothing that ever happened to me was his fault. It's just like he said in Port Angeles; I was a magnet for danger, and whether he was around or not, danger would not stay away from me. Why couldn't he understand that? Why couldn't I make him understand that?

After I told the officer everything I could, which wasn't much, he left and we went back to watching the movie. Actually, I went back to watching the movie. I felt Edward watching me the whole time. It was unnerving because I couldn't figure out why he was watching me so intently, almost as if he were studying me for some reason.

I was extremely emotional that afternoon. I don't know if it was an after affect of the accident or if it resulted from Edward's constant staring. I knew he did it for a reason, but fear kept me from examining his reason. I knew the movie by heart, and I knew it had a happy ending, but when Darcy proposed to Elizabeth the first time and she turned him down, I cried, and then I cried when she visited his beautiful house. I knew I wasn't crying for the characters in the movie; I was crying because I felt something was slowly changing and I didn't want anything to change between Edward and I. If I were honest with myself, I would have admitted that the change was a result of my failure to curb my desires. What happened Sunday evening was my fault; I had wanted it to happen, but a fear crept into my soul warning me that I had gone too far; I had pushed too much and now I would have to pay for my error. I didn't know how or when I would pay, but I felt it slowly coming.

This could all be avoided, I knew, if only Edward would agree to change me. I didn't want to grow older. I didn't want to be older than him. All I wanted, and all I would ever want from this point forward, would be to be with him forever no matter what the cost. Why couldn't he understand that? Even more importantly, why couldn't he accept that?

After Rosalie dropped Alice off from school, Edward drove Alice and I to the hospital. When we arrived at the hospital, I knew not to expect a change, but it was disheartening to see Charlie still lying in that hospital bed with tubes running into his arms. At least the constant beeping of the heart monitor reassured me that Charlie was alive even thought he was still in the coma.

Carlisle was waiting for us in Charlie's room when we arrived. First, he assured me that all of Charlie's vital signs were encouraging, and then he said he wanted to examine my arms. During the examination, he asked if I was eating well. Even though I told him yes, he looked at Edward for confirmation of the fact.

Edward said, "I have personally made sure she has been receiving enough to eat."

I silently laughed at his comment because his idea of a full meal Sunday night included one peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a glass of milk, which would have been fine under normal circumstance, but I had been hungrier than that. I really surprised him when I ate half of the pizza he bought for the rest of my meal. Edward did promise Carlisle that he would make sure I ate every meal this week, and I knew Edward would keep his promise. I had to admit, he did have a right to be upset when he discovered I hadn't eaten in almost two days, but he didn't have a right to blame himself for that fact. I caused this myself by being too obsessed with missing Edward, but I couldn't stop myself, when he wasn't around, not much interested me except missing him and wanting him to return quickly.

We spent three hours sitting beside Charlie's bed talking quietly. Alice informed us about her day at school. "Everyone was worried about you Bella, but most of the students were leery about speaking to us about your condition. Then at lunch, Angela Weber walked over to our table and asked me how you were doing. I guess she felt I was less intimidating than Jasper and Emmett, and the look on Rose's face would have scared away a bear."

I knew that look. I had seen it aimed at me numerous times. No matter how nice I tried to be to Rosalie, she just didn't like me. Most of the time, she glared at me as if wishing I would just disappear from her life. I had to admit, though, I admired Angela for having the courage to walk up to the Cullen lunch table to inquire about me. All I could think was, Hooray for you, Angela!

Then I told Alice, "She was with me when I bought the flowers for you and Esme. I told her about how much help you had been after I came home from Phoenix and that the flowers were a thank you gift."

"Well, it was courageous of her. We can be intimidating even if we don't intend to be. Even though Rose sneered at her, Jasper and Emmett were pleasant. Emmett had fun describing the wreckage to her, and I let her know you were fine and would be back in school tomorrow."

I smiled at her comment about Emmett. I could just imagine him making it as gruesome as possible. "Thanks Alice. I'm glad you gave her the information. I like Angela, she doesn't seem as pushy and forward as some of the other kids at school." I looked over at Edward and grinned. "Did anyone ask where Edward was?" My hope was that if anyone asked she didn't tell them. Mike wouldn't like it one bit that Edward and I had spent the entire day alone. I felt my smile widen at my feelings for Edward and at how much I enjoyed his company.

Alice's musical laugh floated through the room. "Well, when Angela went back to her lunch table, she shared what I told her about you being home today, and I noticed Mike Newton glaring at us. He probably figured Edward was with you, but other than that, no one asked."

I heard Edward growl. There was no mistaking how Edward felt about Mike. I looked at Alice and just smiled, and then she and I both laughed.

"It's okay Edward," I admitted, "I know he can be annoying. You'll just have to learn to ignore him." I placed my hand on his cheek and then slowly caressed his icy hard skin.

Sometimes I wondered if my touch affected Edward in any way. He seemed so unreadable at times with no smiles, frowns, or other expressions. It was like looking at a blank slate, or better yet, a shuttered window with no emotions revealed for the world or me to see. I thought Sunday evening we had shared some like emotions, but when Edward pulled so quickly away, I began to wonder if it was because of fear that we were becoming too close or revulsion because I overstepped the boundary lines he had drawn at the beginning of our relationship. I couldn't help but also wonder if I repelled him personally. Maybe he liked me more than he loved me and was only just realizing that fact.

As I drew my hand away from Edward's cheek, I saw a slight smile cross his lips. Maybe he did like my touch; maybe I didn't disgust him. Maybe I did have some slight positive affect on him. I started thinking; if I practiced, maybe I could become as pleasing and desirable to him as he was to me. I remembered telling him that it was obvious why he wouldn't be attracted to me, and he replied that I didn't see myself very well. He was wrong about that. I looked at myself everyday, and every time I saw myself, I was reminded of how ordinary I looked.

Sure, I looked great at the prom, but that was Alice's handiwork and had nothing to do with me. Alice just knew how to make something ordinary appear beautiful, but underneath I was still plain, nothing for anyone to become excited about much less breathless over. I'd admit I wasn't an ugly ducking, but then I wasn't a Cinderella either. No, I fell somewhere in between. So, why would Edward want to spend an eternity with someone as plain and unexciting as me?

Edward pulled me from my reverie by taking my hand and suggesting it was time for supper. I smiled at his suggestion and wondered again how someone like me could be so lucky as to have someone like Edward; my heart swell over with the love I felt for him.

Edward overfilled a tray with a vast array of food. I ate what I needed, but my mind kept wondering back to Edward and his feelings toward me. I knew he hadn't lied to me when he told me he loved me, but I felt a change occurring, not in me but in Edward. I kept coming back to the thought that he was pulling slightly away from me, and I wondered again if I had begun pushing him too hard. I admitted to myself that I had done some rash things in the last few weeks, and maybe, without realizing it, I made Edward feel penned in by our relationship. Maybe he was growing tired of my desire to be with him always; maybe he never really wanted to be with me forever.

I did notice one thing specifically that I was grateful for throughout the day; not once did Edward ask me what I was thinking about because there was no way that I wanted to share these particular thoughts with him. It saddened my heart when I felt this way about Edward and me, and if any of it were true, I knew I would break down and cry. Edward not asking what I was thinking surprised me even more because I knew my face must have revealed most of my emotions, but then I decided he must think my concerns were about Charlie, which was only partially true. I knew Charlie would be all right because Alice had said so, what she didn't say was that Edward and my relationship would be all right.

I knew my face betrayed my feelings when, later that evening after finishing my shower, Alice asked, "Are you okay, Bella? You look so disheartened."

"I'm fine Alice," I couldn't tell her the truth, so I hoped she would not discern the lie I told. "I guess it has just been a stressful few days." At least that was the truth; I just wouldn't elaborate on what caused the stress.

"Charlie will be fine. You do not need to worry about him." She smiled and put her hand on my shoulder.

"Thanks Alice, and thank you for all your help these past two days." I smiled back at her. I really wanted her to know I appreciated everything she had been doing. Maybe more than she realized, I was considering her my best friend and a sister.

"I'll see you tomorrow morning. You sleep well tonight. It looks like you need a good nights sleep." She kissed me lightly on the cheek before she walked out of the bedroom.

As soon as she left I began towel drying my hair and thinking about Edward. I decided I would demonstrate extra restraint if he touched me. I wanted to show him I could be good and not tempt him. I was slightly surprised as I watched Edward climb through my bedroom window. "Edward, why didn't you use the front door?"

"It's more fun this way. I can look in and see what you're doing before I enter. Who knows, one day I might see something extremely interesting."

He had done it again. Why was it that he could make me blush so easily? "That's not fair. You knew I'd blush and that's the only reason you said that." I moved over to the bed and sat down.

"I love that color on you. It makes you look healthy and alive."

"What, I look don't look alive otherwise?" I pouted. I thought I was getting better and he implied I don't look healthy.

Edward stared at me intently and then swiftly sat down beside me. His next move was slow even for him. He leaned toward me for a kiss, but I pulled back because I was still unsettled by his comment about my health or lack of it.

As I pulled back, a puzzled look crossed his face so I informed him, "Edward, you didn't answer my question."

"Yes, you always look and feel alive, but when you blush, there is a healthy glow about you, and I have missed that the last few days. Because of the accident and not eating, you've looked much paler. Even your scent changed. I didn't like that. You still look a little sallow; I mean a little more than usual, so making you blush brings more color into your cheeks and it reassures me that you're going to be fine."

I looked deep into his golden honey-colored eyes seeking the truth behind his words. "I don't know whether to take that as a compliment or an insult."

A loving smile spread across his lips, and he slowly leaned toward me once more. "I meant it as a compliment Bella."

As his lips met mine, I felt electrical surges sweep through my body. It never ceased to amaze me that he could have this affect on me. As he drew away, I let out a deep sigh. Edward wrapped his arms around me and ever so gently, he laid down on the bed with me. He then proceeded to kiss my neck and shoulder.

I enjoyed his cold lips on my skin, but then reminded myself that I was going to be good and not tempt him. I had just failed, so gathering up all my will power, I murmured, "Edward, I don't want to start something I can't finish, so kiss me one more time and release me. That will be all I can handle this evening."

Edward chuckled deeply. At least I didn't offend him with my comment.

Edward tucked me into bed and then laid down beside me. "Bella, we'll see your father before school tomorrow. Alice says he'll wake up."

I had just gotten comfortable and thought about drifting off, but his comment brought me more fully awake. I couldn't help but ask, "While I'm there?"

"She didn't say. I just know we are to be there before school, so you need to sleep now. I want you refreshed and rested before we go. I don't want Charlie to think Alice hasn't been watching out for your welfare." Again, Edward chuckled.

"I don't want to get Alice in trouble either. Charlie likes Alice," I murmured as I settled back into the restful state I usually felt just before falling asleep.

"Good, you just relax and fall asleep," he whispered in my ear, and then he hummed my lullaby.

"Edward?" I softly murmured.

"What?"

"Promise you'll never leave me." It was the last thing I remembered saying just before I fell asleep.

I dreamt about the accident for the first time that night. I remembered being pinned in the car unable to move in any direction. I could turn my head, but even my arms were pinned to my side. I remembered smelling blood and then looking out the window and seeing Edward walking toward me. I wanted to reach out toward him, but my arms remained pinned by my side. I opened my mouth to call out to him, but no sound escaped my lips. Edward just kept walking; he was going to walk right past the car without seeing me. I felt a tear run down my cheek. He was leaving me alone, and there was no one else around who could help. As he moved out of my line of vision, I heard a low growling noise as I did after the accident. This time when I looked out the window, I saw a lone wolf stealthily approaching the car. If felt his hungry eyes boring into my soul. I wanted to scream Edward's name, but couldn't; instead, I remained motionless hoping the wolf would move away or disappear. I kept reminding myself that this was only a dream until I noticed a thick fog filling the dreamscape and light headedness filled my mind. As the fog enveloped everything, I felt my body being shifted by icy hands. I wondered if this were still part of the dream or if I was slowing waking up. The waking up idea won when I felt cold lips on my neck, and I heard a slight moan escape my lips.

When the lips stopped, I mumbled, "No. Don't."

In response to my request, I felt the lips on mine and without conscious thought, I felt my arms wrap around the cold body lying next to me, and again, without conscious thought, I touched the tip of my tongue to the icy but delicious lips.

"Bella," I heard a soft voice say as the body next to me pulled away.

I wasn't certain if what was occurring was still part of a dream or if I was actually in my room in the process of waking up. I decided if this were still my dream, I would gladly remain in it, so in the dream I pulled myself closer to Edward, began kissing his neck, and then ran my kisses up to the corner of his mouth. Even though it was cold, I enjoyed the feel of his skin, it was so smooth and my lips glided quickly over his skin.

I felt my dream Edward slowly pulling away and then I heard Alice's lilting voice, "I hate to break up such a lovely sight, but if we are going to the hospital before school, Bella needs to get ready and you need to get the car." Then she chuckled.

I had so enjoyed this dream that I groaned slightly as I pulled away from it because of Alice's voice.

"Bella," Edward murmured into my hair, "Carlisle called. Charlie is out of the coma."

"He's awake?" Charlie's awake! rushed through my mind.

"No, he's sleeping, but Carlisle wants you to go talk to him. He thinks that might help Charlie wake up."

It didn't matter. He was out of the coma and I wanted to see him to make sure everything was all right with him. "Then let's go." I pushed away from Edward so I could get up, but the cast was caught in the sheets and I felt myself falling out of the bed.

"Bella," Edward had rescued me. "How about you turn over and then get up in the usual manner. I don't need you falling out of bed and injuring yourself."

I smiled at the awkwardness of the situation. "I'm sorry Edward. I was in a hurry." In order to get up, I had to roll over so I faced the edge of the bed. "Oh! I didn't hear you come in. Good morning Alice." I remembered hearing her voice, but I hadn't realized she was really present.

Alice laughed. "I've been here awhile. In fact, I got to see a little of the floor show."

I blushed as I realized she had seen me almost fall out of bed, and then her comment clicked in my mind. She had been here for a while, so maybe the kiss was not a dream. That means she saw all of it. "Oh," escaped from my lips and I felt my blush redden.

After helping me up and kissing me, Edward whispered, "I'll see you as soon as I change and get the car. Be careful," and then he left.

I grabbed my bag and excused myself. Alice just smiled. As I readied myself, I remembered I would be returning to school. I hoped it wouldn't be an embarrassing ordeal. I wasn't comfortable being the center of attention.

As I came out of the bathroom, I heard Alice and Edward in the kitchen. I could only imagine what they were doing down there, but I used the time to think about a few matters that had been bothering me since early Sunday morning and were brought back to mind this morning in my dream. Edward had said there were no tracks of wolves around the car, but I was certain I had seen them. He was also right when he said if they were real they would have left tracks or traces of their presence. So what if they weren't real? I asked myself. Did I imagine them? That was possible; I was in the process of passing out from the smell. Maybe the smell caused a hallucination. As I dressed, I thought about the possibility of imagining the entire incident because if I hadn't imagined it what else would explain it.

I finally decided I had two options. One, I imagined the entire incident, and two, there was some other explanation that I hadn't thought about yet, and I had to admit I didn't know what other explanation was possible. I decided I would have to think the entire problem over for a while and make a decision about a solution later.

Since that was decided, I finished dressing and slowly made my way downstairs. I could slightly hear Edward and Alice discussing something. It sounded serious, but they were talking quickly and softly. Alice and Edward must've been discussing something serious because neither seemed to have heard me coming down the stairs, so I listened carefully after I reached the bottom of the stairs to catch any part of their conversation as possible.

I heard Alice's voice, which had slowed down, and it sounded like she was asking Edward a question. ". . . is really the worst thing you could do to her?"

Who did she mean by her? Could this conversation be about me, or was it about something in the family; something I didn't know anything about. I didn't want to jump to conclusions, so I decided to ask. "What is the worst thing he could do?" I walked slowly into the kitchen.

"It's not nice to eavesdrop on others." Edward's voice sounded pleasant, but his face reflected his disapproval of the fact that I had heard even that little bit of their conversation.

"You mean like you do when you listen in to the thoughts of others." I too tried to sound pleasant. I didn't want him to know I thought they were talking about me.

"Bella, that's not fair. It's not like I do it on purpose." He protested my observation.

Alice lightened the situation slightly by laughing. "Edward, you do too, especially if you think someone is hiding something from you."

I look directly at Alice hoping maybe she would answer my question. "So, what did you mean by 'the worst thing you could do to her?'"

I saw Edward giving Alice a knowing look and Alice's expression reminded me of how she looked when she was speaking to him with her mind.

"Rose," Edward hesitantly said. "Alice didn't think it would be a good idea if I told Rose . . ." Edward stopped in mid-sentence as if he did not know what to say next.

"It's okay Edward, Bella's part of the family, we can tell her. I thought it would be the worst thing if Edward told Rose that Emmett has a crush on you." Alice offered.

Did Alice really think I would believe this?

"Don't worry Bella; it's nothing serious. Emmett is just impressed with how you handled Billy and his son, and how courageous you were when you faced James, and even though he thinks of you as his little sister, he also has a slight crush on you, but that's just Emmett." Alice laughed lightly.

I wasn't sure exactly what Alice and Edward had been talking about, but I knew it wasn't about Rosalie. Besides, if she found out Emmett really had a crush on me it would be worse for Emmett and me than it would be for her. So what did Alice really think would be the worst thing Edward could do to me? From my perspective, the worst thing he could do would be to stop loving me and then leave me. Was Edward changing his mind about how he felt about me? Again the thought returned, was I driving him away by pushing to hard? If Edward really left me, I didn't think I would have any desire to go on living. I suddenly realized if I kept up this train of thought I would break down in tears, and for what. Besides, I chided myself, I didn't know anything for sure about the content of their conversation.. Maybe I could ask Alice later what it was really about, and maybe, just maybe she would tell me.

Before I had time to think more about this, Alice swiftly moved to my side and said, "Look, Edward made you a healthy breakfast, and as soon as you're done, he'll drive us to the hospital so you can see your father." She walked with me over to the table and held my chair for me while Edward found a knife and fork for me.

I ate my breakfast in silence. Edward made a great omelet and I enjoyed every bite. Alice stared at me as I ate and I felt a little uncomfortable being watched. I noticed Edward was deep in thought about something, but I couldn't tell what he was thinking about.

Alice immediately picked up my dishes as soon as I finished eating. "You take Bella to the car, and by the time you both get there, I'll be done with the dishes and in the back seat."

"Not if I pick her up and carry her," Edward smirked.

"Be fair Edward," I interjected. "Besides, I'm not an invalid. I can walk by myself."

Edward gave me one of his crooked smiles, "You're right. You can walk," but then he challenged with a chuckle, "But can you do it without tripping?"

He was challenging me. I decided to take the challenge and smiled. "Just watch." I decided if I walked slowly and monitored each step, I could make it all the way to the car without tripping. As I was walking toward the door, I noticed Edward picked up my books.

Being quicker than I was, Edward reached the front door and held it open for me. It was too bad he had to wait while I slowly hobbled over to the door; the look of impatience on his face caused me to smile. As I finally reached the door, he carefully watched me to make sure I didn't trip. I knew he intended to catch me as soon as I did trip, but I planned to prove him wrong, at least this time, because I saw this as a personal challenge of my ability to walk like a normal person even in my cast.

A look of amazement registered on Edward's face when I made it all the way to the car without tripping. Of course, Alice was already in the back seat with a huge smile on her face, but I didn't care that she was there before me. I just enjoyed the feeling of proving Edward wrong about making it to the car without one single accident. It was too bad I started congratulating myself before I entered the car, because as I was sliding into the car, I hit my head on the doorframe. I felt so foolish, but then thought it was what I deserved for my prideful display about being accident free. To add to my mortification, I hit my head hard enough that I felt light-headed and dizzy, but I wouldn't admit that to Edward.

"Bella," Edward leaned into the car after I was finally seat and asked, "Are you okay?"

I meant to offer a cheerful humorous reply, but even as I said, "So much for an accident-free walk to the car," I could hear the unshed tears behind my comment.

"It's okay Bella. You did walk all the way here without falling." Edward chuckled softly, but I wasn't sure if he was making fun of me or trying to lighten the mood.

In order to reassure him, I replied, "I'm okay Edward. It just hurts a little. It could have been worse, and at least I'm not bleeding." I turned and gave him the best smile I could muster.

He kissed to top of my head. "When we get to the hospital, I'll help you out of the car. I don't want you in a bed next to Charlie with a matching head injury."

I knew he was teasing with his last comment, but I still felt embarrassed that I had hit my head, and I was mad because it hurt. I didn't want Edward to know any of this, so I just smiled at him.

After Edward was seated and started the car, he asked the question I hadn't heard all day yesterday. "What are you thinking?"

The question actually surprised me. It reminded me of how I meant to tell him all my thoughts, and how lately I had held so many back. Right at that moment, I didn't want to reveal to him that I was thinking how much I deserved to hit my head for being so cocky about walking to the car without tripping. I didn't know what to tell him instead of the truth.

Edward turned toward me, gently touched my cheek and pushed a stray hair behind my ear. I loved his touch so much; it almost made me forget the throbbing in my head.

In a soft low voice, Edward asked once again, "Bella, what are you thinking?"

Totally at a loss for ideas, I looked him straight in the eyes and lied, "Nothing really."

"Really Bella?"

I knew he didn't believe me. That's what happens when you're a terrible liar.

Alice must have said something then, because Edward turned around and looked at her. Then he fixed his focus back on my eyes looking for the truth. I knew I had to sound more convincing, although I kept wondering what would the truth hurt.

Instead, I said, "Really Edward, it was nothing, more of wondering if my presence would really make a difference to Charlie." It was a pathetic reply, but it was the best I could come up with, but I still questioned myself about telling a lie in the first place.

I was happy to hear Alice say, "Come on Edward, we don't have all day, and we still have to go to school."

Alice's comment reminded me of her presence and I couldn't help but turn around and ask, "Alice, will Charlie be okay?"

"He is going to be his old self. He'll enjoying fishing, watching games on TV, and going to work. And he'll still love and worry about you," Alice reassured me.

That bit of hope brought a smile back to my face, but for the rest of the drive I thought about the comment I over heard in the kitchen, and the fact that I had lied to Edward about what I was thinking.

My thoughts had me so engrossed that I was surprised when I noticed we were pulling into the hospital parking lot. True to his word, Edward quickly moved around the car and helped me out making sure that I didn't hit my head a second time. Because I was feeling guilty about the lie, I gave him a huge grateful smile.

Carlisle was already in Charlie's room when we arrived. He informed me that Charlie was sleeping, but that I should stay and talk to him because it might help to wake him up. If Charlie did wake up before Carlisle returned, then he instructed me to contact the nurse's station so they could page him and he would arrive shortly after that. Then he asked Edward and Alice to follow him to his office so I could have some time alone with Charlie.

I felt rather awkward talking to Charlie when I wasn't even sure if he could hear me. At first, I didn't know what to say to him so I just held his hand. After awhile I just started rambling on about nothing in particular. I reassured him I was fine; I informed him he was in the hospital and that Dr. Cullen was taking good care of him, and I even told him that Billy and Jacob had stopped by to see him. I think I rambled on about seeing the wolves, which was more for my benefit to clarify what I had thought had happened. Then I told him about Jacob's old legend about wolves being the friends of humans and about how I didn't think that was right because I thought the wolves were attracted by the scent of his blood.

It was right then that I remembered more of the legend Jacob had been telling me right before he told me about the cold ones. Jacob had said something about werewolves; was that part of an old legend or did that have something to do with the legend about the flood? I couldn't remember it all clearly at the time, and I wasn't going to ask Jacob to repeat it especially if Billy was around. I thought about Jacob's information for a while and decided I could try to find out more online when I was by myself. It was not something I wanted to share with Edward because he would probably just laugh at me.

As I was pondering about Jacob and his legends, I felt Charlie's hand move. I looked down and saw him squeeze my hand. I refocused on his face and asked, "Dad, are you awake?"

At first, he didn't respond, but then I saw his eyes flutter open and I felt the tears begin to flow. I hadn't realized how worried I had actually been until I saw him open his eyes.

"Dad, how are you feeling?" What a dumb question, I thought, as if he'd be feeling fine considering he just woke up from coma caused by an accident.

"Bella?" He looked around disoriented. "Where am I?"

"In the hospital. Do you remember what happened?" I was still crying; it seemed like the tears didn't want to stop.

"I drove you over to the Cullen's house and then we were on our way back home, when something . . . Bella, are you okay?" From the look on his face, he must have remembered the accident.

"I'm fine dad," I reassured him.

"We were in an accident. We hit a tree."

"Yes, and Edward found us and called for help."

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Honest, I'm fine dad. Alice has been staying with me while you have been in the hospital, and the Cullen's are making sure I have everything I might need." I didn't want him worrying about me; I wanted him to concentrate on getting better. I noticed Edward and Alice walk into the room as I was talking, and I wiped the last of my tears from my face.

Charlie looked over at Alice and Edward and smiled.

"Thank you," he said weakly.

I hoped he meant that for both of them because Edward had been just as helpful as Alice had. Then I noticed he fixed his gaze on Edward.

"Is she okay?" He totally directed this question to Edward, as if I wouldn't have told him the truth.

Then I realized, I might not have told him the truth because I wouldn't have wanted him to worry. Maybe that's why Edward is always asking me what I'm thinking or asking for reassurance when I answer some of his questions. Maybe he realizes that I lie sometimes because I don't want others to worry about me.

Edward replied promptly. "Yes. Carlisle says she only has the bruise on her arm and no concussion or broken bones. He did make her stay home yesterday and rest."

"Good." I could see some of the concern drain from Charlie's face.

"There dad, I told you I was okay. It's you that we're concerned about. You've been in a coma for two days. I was really worried about you." I found myself crying again, but mustered what control I had to try to stop the tears from flowing. I felt like a waterworks, which couldn't be turned off properly.

Edward sat down in a chair he brought over and placed beside me. I could see him watching me from the corner of my eyes, and I felt a tear rolling down my cheek. Then I felt Edward's hand on my back. He gently began to rub it, which helped me to relax somewhat.

"Bella is right Charlie," added Alice, "We were all worried about you, but Carlisle kept saying your body used the coma as a way of helping itself heal. We just didn't know how long that might take."

While Alice was talking, I saw Carlisle come in the door. He waited for Alice to finish speaking before he asked, "So, Charlie, how are you feeling?"

"Okay," Charlie replied.

"Do you remember what happened?"

"Something ran out in the road and I swerved to miss it. I guess we ran off the road."

"Do you remember what day that was?"

"Saturday evening. What day is it?"

"It's Tuesday. Do you feel any pain?"

"Just my head. It hurts and I have a headache."

"Okay, I'm going to check you over some more, but first," and Carlisle turned toward us, "I'll need you three to leave for awhile. Bella, you might consider calling your mom, and you did tell Billy Black you would call him when Charlie came out of the coma. Edward, she can use the phone in my office, and then why don't you take Alice to school and come back for Bella."

We all walked out of the room together, and I, once again, began to cry softly. "He's going to be okay, right?"

"Yes," was the joint reply from both Edward and Alice.

Edward took me to Carlisle's office and told me he would drive Alice to school. He said he would be back after dropping her off.

I hadn't looked forward to making either of the calls, and I kept them as brief as possible. I called Billy first so I would have the excuse of calling my mom. I didn't want to be on the phone with him any longer than necessary. The call to mom was just as hard as the call to Billy. They both asked how he was doing, a question I could answer, but then they wanted to know how long he would remain in the hospital and if there had been any lasting damage. I could answer neither question, since Carlisle hadn't given me any of that information. I told mom I would call her when I knew more, but I told Billy he could probably stop in to visit dad that afternoon, and maybe dad could answer those questions for him.

I was glad when Edward finally showed up. We went back to Charlie's room to make sure everything was still all right, and then we went to school. School was as bad as I had feared. It seemed like everyone stopped to ask me how I was and how Charlie was. I didn't want to be the center of attention; all I could think was why couldn't everyone just ignore me.

Charlie was released from the hospital Friday afternoon. Edward drove Alice and me directly to the hospital after school. I hadn't been aware of any of Alice's plans, but after settling Charlie on the sofa so he could watch television, Alice informed me that she would stay with us awhile to help. In fact, Alice ended up staying with us until Tuesday of the following week. She was more helpful than I realized, and she even learned how to cook some simple meals. Alice surprised me by how quickly she learned and how cooking seemed easy for her. She really seemed to enjoy her time in the kitchen, and when she served a meal, her excuse for not eating was that she had been sampling everything as she cooked. Charlie had no problem believing that, and I was relieved Alice didn't have to force herself to eat anything. Even Esme came over a few times during the day to check on Charlie while he was home, and she ran some simple errands for him. She even did some grocery shopping one day.

Charlie returned to work on Wednesday, but one of his officers had to give him a ride because he still didn't have a car. Wednesday evening, Charlie parked his new cruiser in the driveway. Carlisle warned him not to stay longer than eight hours at work because he was still recovering and had to take it easy for at least one more week. I usually found him at home by the time I returned from school.

It was during the weekend, after Charlie first came home, that I was able to spend a little time on the internet. I located a site about the Quileute Indians and found the legend about the wolves. According to the legend I found on a site about Quileutes and their history, "the Quileutes were changed from wolves by a wandering Transformer," but the site did not explain the term transformer nor did it say they could change back into wolves. Another site said "the tribe was created from wolves by a supernatural transformer," but once again the site made no mention of them being able to change back to wolves, and it absolutely did not mention werewolves. The other noticeable omission from the legend sites I found was any reference to the cold ones. After mulling over the information I found, I finally decided that what I probably saw was only in my mind. It was possible that I did hear some growls, because I remembered the sound preceded my seeing anything, so it was probable that my mind created the wolves to go along with the sound. I didn't shared any of this with Edward because he would just have laughed at me for being worried about a hallucination.

As the week progressed, my bruises slowly faded. I also realized that at the end of the week, my cast would be coming off. Carlisle scheduled its removal for Friday after school. Edward would drive me there as soon as school was over. The week seemed to proceed normally but by Thursday, the days seemed to grow longer. Friday, however, was the worst day imaginable and yet one of the best.

My excitement level was at an all time high. I hadn't felt this giddy since the day Edward and I went to the meadow for the first time. That excitement, I learned, had a nasty side affect. I seemed to be more clumsy than usual. After Edward left that morning, I nearly slipped and fell in the shower something that almost never happened before. After dressing, I started down the stairs and only caught myself in time to avoid a nose dive down them, and to top it all off, I tripped three times walking from Edward's car to my first class. Poor Edward, the look on his face after I tripped for the third time was worth remembering. At first, it looked like he thought I was doing it on purpose, but by the third one, his look was one of utter determination to keep me safe.

As we finally reached my first class, Edward requested, "Bella, be careful. I don't want you breaking your other leg before this cast comes off."

I tried to reassure him by smiling. "Edward, it's not like I'm trying to be careless. I'm just excited and things happen." I wasn't kidding about the last; things did happen when I became over excited, but I was never sure why. It seemed to be a time when I was the most accident-prone.

"But only to you Bella. No one else seems to have these problems when they get excited."

"Well . . ." I tried to think about why this might happen only to me. "Maybe excitement and hyper-clumsiness go together for me."

Edward laughed at my comment. "Only for you. That sounds about right." He was more sober as he added, "But please be careful. I'll be here as soon as the bell rings, but if you trip and fall in class, there will be no way I can stop it, so please be extra careful." He then kissed me lightly on top of the head before holding open the classroom door so I could go in.

"I will," I said softly before turning and walking into class.

Edward escorted me to all my class. As soon as the bell rang to end the class, Edward would enter the room and carefully lead me to my next class. No matter how careful he was, I still managed to trip at least once as I walked to each class. A couple of times it felt like the cast itself was causing me to trip. I could tell the day was wearing on Edward. Each time I saw him, I saw the concern etched more deeply on his face. He finally admitted to me that he wasn't sure if I would reach Carlisle's office with undergoing some major accident. The best I could do was to reassure him that what was occurring was extremely normal for me. That piece of information did not calm him down in the least bit; it only made him look more worried.

I like the fact that he worried about me, but I couldn't help but think that if he changed me, then he would never have to worry about injuries to me ever again. I could have said that, but I didn't want to add to his current concerns, nor did I want him to yell or become upset with me. No, despite the fact that my body seemed to want to fall, Friday was still one of the best days of my life.

When Edward had me finally seated on the table in Carlisle's office, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Carlisle just looked at me as if asking what Edward's sigh meant. I told him, "He's just relieved I made it here in one piece." I looked at Edward and gave him the biggest smile I could manage.

"What did I miss?" Carlisle asked.

"Bella has been . . . well, without sounding cruel, she has been less than . . . no, maybe I should say she had been more Bella like than normal."

I almost laughed aloud because he had been categorically right, but I could tell Carlisle understood none of what Edward said.

To help him out, I offered my own explanation. "Let me elucidate. I have spent the entire day tripping or almost falling over anything and everything that crossed my path. It was extremely hard on Edward, because he had to catch me each time."

"Oh, I think I understand. 'More Bella like than normal,' meaning slightly more clumsy than usual."

"Yes, exactly." Edward confirmed with a slight smile.

"Uhm . . . Edward," I was a little embarrassed by the request I was making, so I looked at the floor instead of at Edward.

I hesitated briefly because I didn't want Edward to take my request the wrong way.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but, uhm; could you leave while Carlisle is taking off the cast?" I looked up into his eyes feeling slightly guilty.

I couldn't tell if he was upset with me or not, but he finally replied, "Sure. I'll wait outside." It was reassuring that before he left he kissed me lightly and squeezed my hand. "Everything will be fine," he then whispered in my ear.

"What was that all about?" Carlisle asked.

"Well, I overheard a girl once telling her friends how embarrassed she was when her boyfriend watched her cast came off. She said the skin was deathly white, her leg looked slightly shriveled, and it was completely hairy. If that's true, then I really don't want Edward to see me looking like that."

Carlisle laughed. "Well she was right. You leg has had no sun and very little exercise, so it will be more white than normal, and it will look slightly shrunken, but it won't stay that way. I'll give you a sheet with exercises you can do to build the muscles back up in your leg, and the hairy part you can take care of when you get home. What I don't understand is what's to stop Edward from seeing your leg when you walk out of here. It's not like these pants will cover up your leg." He pointed to the cut off jean leg.

"Oh, I already thought about that. I have another pair of jeans in my bag over the in the corner." I smiled at him as he laughed.

"Looks like you were planning ahead."

"I try." I replied.

"Well, lets get this thing off then."

It didn't take as long as I thought it would for the cast to come off, but when I saw my leg, all I could think was that now my skin, at least on that leg, was a white as Edwards. My next thought was that I was glad Edward wasn't here to see it. It did look nasty, rather shriveled and in need of a razor. I was happy to slip behind a screen and put on my extra pair of jeans.

"Can I let Edward know he can pick you up now?" Carlisle asked.

"Yes, I'm presentable." I replied with a laugh.

Edward walked in as Carlisle was giving me my final instructions.

"And remember what I said. Just because the cast is off, does not mean you can do everything you did before the accident. You are going to have to go slowly at first. The muscles are still weak and need time to strengthen. Keep that sheet in a convenient place and do those exercises every day."

"I'll remember." I felt jubilant to be free of my cast. Now I would be able to walk rather than hobble.

"You keep an eye on her, Edward, and don't let her over do it, but don't do everything for her either," Carlisle pointed his finger admonishingly at Edward. "It is time she started to walk up and down stairs by herself," then he turned to me, "but don't run up or down them either," he warned.

Edward and I looked at each other and then, as if we had read each other's minds, we both replied, "We promise." It sounded so uniform and strange that we both laughed.

Carlisle smiled and added, "Take her home."

Edward did allow me to walk all the way to the car, but he watched me closely; I knew he was expecting me to trip, especially after the day I had just had. I surprised him by making it to the car without tripping once.

When we reached the car, he opened the door, and I laughed. "The look on your face, Edward."

"What do you mean?"

"Right now you look disappointed that I didn't once trip so you could catch me. Would it be better if I fell right now so you could catch me?"

"You're a tease, do you know that?" He pulled me into an embrace and lightly kissed my lips. "Come on; let's buy a pizza for your supper, so you don't have to cook for Charlie tonight. Then maybe we can sit on the couch and neck until he comes home." He chuckled as I gave him a mock look of shock.

As much as I knew he was teasing, I couldn't help but wish he were serious about what he just suggested.