I don't own twilight. What I own is my character's behavior, personality, background, and plot of my story.

Author's Note at the end.

Edward climbs up the stairs with his feet feeling like lead. It didn't escape his notice that Tanya has been giddy and ecstatic since they have arrived. It didn't escape his notice that she persuaded Bella to have dinner/late lunch tonight when she didn't try to get her to do that yesterday. It didn't escape his notice that she overlooked the making of this dish tonight. It didn't escape his notice how she was too late to get to her room and too quick in it when searching for the kit. The warning and thinly veiled threat she gave her in front of everyone didn't escape his notice. Anyone else might have written it off, but not him. He knows her too well.

Everyone has a day in which they need to pay for their tab and it's Tanya's turn, but first, he has some apologizing to do.

He walks toward his sister's room and knocks twice before letting himself in the door. The sight that greats him breaks his hearts. Bella is leaning her back into the pillows behind her and keeping her eyes on Cece who is clutching her shirt with both hands and hiding her face into her mum's side. The only saving grace of this sight is the regular rising and falling of Cece's chest which is partly obscured by the fact that she is on her side. While her breathing is too rustly for his taste, he takes comfort in knowing that she is alive and that its regularity means that she is sleeping.

"I am so sorry," he whispers only loud enough for Bella to hear as he shuts the door behind him. Bella doesn't look up at him. The only indication that she heard him is the soft snort she let out. She keeps rubbing her hand against Cece's back in soothing circles.

"I know that it sounds like an empty apology but truly I am," he continues as he takes a step closer.

"You didn't do anything. It wasn't anyone's fault," she replies not looking at him.

"Dont tell me this horse shit Bella. I know you too well. You know that Tanya was the one who did it."

"What am I supposed to do?" she asks him closing her eyes refusing to meet his.

"Something, anything, be angry,", "I am tired. I am exhausted. I don't have the energy to do anything right now. Why don't you be angry for me for a change? You are good at being angry. You are too good at being angry," she cuts him off.

He ignores the not-so-subtle jab at him and says, "I am. I am breaking up with her I can't be with someone that did that to Cece."

"Would you like a medal? Would you like a star? Do you want me to applaud you for having basic human decency?" she asks him her voice hollow and devoid of any emotion.

I am just telling you because I want you to know that you and Cece mean a lot to me and I am apologizing because I should have stopped her," he replies looking at his feet. He doesn't care that she refused to meet his eyes because now even if she tried to meet his he can't meet hers.

"Could you have stopped her?" she asks him not sure where he is going with this.

"I should have seen it coming. She was too giddy and excited about you coming. This entire thing should have tipped me off," he replies raising his arms and gesturing in the air.

"Give me a fucking break Edward. My daughter almost died. I don't have time for your pity parties and self-blaming tendencies," she spits too irritated with him and so sick of his "poor me" schtick that he needs to play every when and a while. At this point it's pathetic and she is done with his attention-seeking shit.

"I am not self blaming. I knew that she hates you. She has made it clear to me. She believes that Eleazar cheated on her mum years ago with you."

She is silent for a moment, not sure how to preside with the new information. Eleazar should have put an end to this. Didn't she go to him and ask him. Edward should have put an end to this.

"Why didn't you tell her otherwise?" she asks him meeting his eyes with her bloodshot ones for the first time since he entered the room.

He flinches away as he looks at his feet and tells her, "I tried but once Tanya gets an idea in her head, there are no breaks."

After a minute of silence on her part, he tells her, "I want you to know that you mean too much to me to let this go. I won't stand on the sidelines and let this slide. I want you to know that."

He is captivated by her steely gaze as she tells him in a matter-of-fact tone, "It's five years too little too late Edward."

Hello lovely people, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Leave me your thoughts in the review section. Constructive criticism is always welcome.

I want you guys to know that regardless of what Bella says in this chapter or the one after the next, she will go after Tanya and drag her through the sewage, metaphorically speaking of course. It's just after such an intense event which comes with an extremely high level of adrenaline, the period after that is typically characterized by fatigue and an extremely low level of energy which would explain why someone might seem like a door mate.

I am trying to be as honest as possible in my portrait of the natural human experience, and the abnormal human experience of someone who hasn't recovered from trauma caused by past abuse in the way Bella behaves would mean that she wouldn't automatically think of fighting back. Her knee-jerk reaction would be to flee.

The next chapter will be Edward's confrontation with Tanya.

Until then,

Stay Safe.