She Rocks My World

80's Rocker, Edward Cullen, is the frontman for the enormously popular band, Cullen.

He's every woman's dream; handsome, wealthy, and talented, but the elusive rocker has something to hide until an overwhelmingly gifted, doe-eyed steals his heart at first sight and sound.

This is Beta'd by my queen, Fran. And should I do some tweaking after the fact … mistakes are ALL mine.

A/N: I hope you'll read the song at the end, and not skip it. It truly shows the depth of Edward.

Chapter Seven: The Tests

BPOV

I feel confident that this is going to be a great meeting.

Edward and I enter the living room. "Edward, I'm looking forward to seeing your parents, but I'm also anxious about what I'm going to say. So please know I'm trying to help not dictate or come off arrogant."

He grabs my hands in his and stares into my eyes. "I don't believe I could think that way about you, Bella. In the short time we've spent with one another, I feel as though I have known you for years."

I smile and exhale a breath I had no idea I was holding back. "I'm glad you said that. I feel the same way."

Ali and Jasper walk in with Edward's parents behind them. She kids me, "And what way are we feeling?"

"Don't be annoying, Ali," Edward warns.

"Hi, Darling," his mother sings as she hugs Edward.

"Hey, Mom."

She smiles at me, breaks away from Edward, and tightly hugs me. "Hi, Bella. You look wonderful."

"So do you, Esme."

Carlisle hugs the both of us. "I've missed my other girl."

"Well, I'm here, other daddy!"

We laugh.

"Where's your brother?" Mom asks.

"We've tried to call him with no success," Ali giggles.

"My guess is he's with Rose," I say.

"Who's Rose?" Esme questions with widen eyes.

"A very beautiful blonde who owns a club," Jasper finally speaks.

"She's a very good friend of mine, and a sweet person, Esme," I reassure her.

"I'll have to meet her … soon." She nods at me with understanding.

"Yes, soon."

"You'll set it up?"

"Of course."

"Well, now that's settled, can we please sit down and talk?" Carlisle bounces on his heels.

Esme and Carlisle sit on one sofa as Ali sits on Jasper's lap in a chair. I get comfortable on the other sofa while Edward remains standing.

"Mom, Dad, I feel I have to be open with Bella. The band is going to start up its own label. Bella's our first guinea pig," Edward announces.

Esme and Carlisle happily approve.

"Are you adding Bella to the band?" Esme stares at me with a huge smile.

"No, she'll have her own band, but she'll be touring with us as we promote her."

"You'll keep a watchful eye," Carlisle demands.

Edward strongly defends, "Dad, I won't allow anyone near her."

"You know, I'm a big girl and can look after myself."

Jasper points to Ali. "Do you honestly think she'd allow anything to happen to you?"

I shake my head.

"Ali's going to join us on this new tour."

Esme adds, "That's a great idea. She hates being away from you, Jasper."

Carlisle rolls his eyes. "Yes, it'll do the both of you good."

"I hate to interrupt," Edward impatiently groans. "But I'd like to say a few things."

"By all means…"

"Look, Bella, I have this false persona of being a hard ass, women chasing, drug-induced, alcoholic rocker."

I softly say, "I know you're not, Edward. I know there's something wrong."

"My father has been treating me for something that's not even there."

"All tests are negative," Carlisle sadly admits. "I created a protein drink for him when he begins to feel overwhelmed by exhaustion."

I add, "And there are aches and pains that are unexplained. Your exhaustion engulfs you as though you're drowning in quicksand, tightly stuck with no relief. Your stomach is unruly. No matter what you eat, you can't digest comfortably, and when things are out of hand and extreme, you can't lift your head."

Edward sits next to me with his mouth open, while Carlisle asks, "How do you know?"

"After the first year at Juilliard, I was given the opportunity to study in Beijing, China. Well, I qualified for a spot in this competition." I bite my lip and whisper, "Many spots."

"You seem to be making very light of this, Bella," Ali observes with a raised eyebrow.

I sigh. "It was an invitation extended by the Chinese government to the United States." I look at Ali. "It is an honor to be asked to perform. There are ten categories for separate instruments." I blush. "I was asked for all ten."

Jaspers blows out, "Wow."

"I had six months to prepare. My eating habits were erratic, I slept very little, and I was on a constant run with rehearsals. My stress levels hit the roof. I was throwing up, jumping at every noise and crying at any and everything."

"You never said anything," Ali shakily cries with tears running down her face. "You could have told me."

I sadly smile at her. "I didn't want to worry you. Look at you now."

"But I could have been there for you."

"I was halfway around the world, Ali. I could never have done that to you." I reach over and squeeze her hand. "So, I went to a doctor on the outskirts of Beijing. He did blood and urine tests, took skin and hair samples and scraped my tongue. He said he hadn't ever seen anyone quite like me."

"Well, what did he find, Bella?" Esme asks with great concern.

"I had two conditions that were borderlined with one another. In other words, he couldn't figure out, which was which. So he treated me for both. Candida Albicans is an immune issue. It's when the candida bacteria in the stomach lining becomes unbalanced. It's all yeast related. Usually, it's found in the gastrointestinal tract and mouth." I nod. "Yes, that's why he scraped my tongue."

"I've heard of this, but there aren't many findings on this condition," Carlisle says.

"Not here in the West, but the Eastern countries have a better insight into the immune system. I was very fortunate to have been in China."

"But you were all alone." Ali sympathizes.

"I dealt with it as best as I could. The hardest part was when my body became systemic, and I broke out in hives. Hives that wouldn't go away for months on end. I used topicals and antibiotics, but the hives became redder and hotter. That's when I went to a nutritionist and change my diet. They also used these biofeedback machines to change my energy. One doctor used some kind of ionic waves through water. I went through a cleanse, eliminating everything from my digestive tract. After all the tests, I was exhausted."

Edward quietly asks, "And what was the other?"

"Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. He did tests on my liver, adrenals, and thyroid, which ruled out other diseases. My symptoms alone could have been anything from Fibromyalgia to any other conditions with the nervous system."

"That's what Dad did for me. There really weren't any medications available to treat the exhaustion."

"But there are certain herbs. No, nothing can cure this, but with a proper diet, rest and certain herbs, you can live a better life."

Everyone becomes silent.

Edward speaks, "I've always been a high-energy person. Too much on my plate suited me just fine. But the last two tours, I've been sucked dry. I don't have any rashes, but there are times I feel as though I have no strength. My bones are mush, and my head will explode. Dad made these energy drinks that give me a kick-start, but they only last for so long."

"Like a sugar rush. Eat a candy bar and feel energized only to have your body crash in total fatigue."

Edward nods. "Exactly."

"Well, since this doctor has a handle on these conditions, I'd like to speak with him," Carlisle says.

"I can give you his number."

"I think I'd like to talk with him in person." Carlisle stands. "Esme, we're going on a trip."

She frowns, "To where?"

"China."

EPOV

I sit with Bella in the studio. Okay, so now I know I'm not going to die from this, but I have to learn to manage to live with this fatigue. I lean over the engineering board and feel Bella's hands on my shoulders.

"It could be worse," she quietly whispers in my ear. "C'mon, lean back."

I rest my head between her breasts, her lovely breasts.

She giggles. "Stop rolling your head over my chest."

"I'm rolling it over your boobs, your full 're relaxing me."

"That's what you call that, huh?"

"Well, if it's a treatment for stress relief, I'm all for it."

I change the subject. "I think it's great that your parents are going to China."

"Yeah, they won't even see the sights. It will be Dad and Mom picking your doctor's brain for answers."

"They love you."

"I know, Sometimes, it's a little too much."

"It's never too much."

She pushes me forward and massages my shoulders.

"Ooo, now that's good, too."

"It wouldn't hurt if you had daily massages, Edward."

"Are you offering?"

"I'm not a professional."

"Well, maybe I like your touch."

I smile.

"Well, maybe I like to touch you."

She surprises me with her boldness.

"Are you propositioning me, Miss Swan?"

"No, just flirting."

I turn and look up at her broadly smiling. "Thank you, Bella."

"For what?" She continues to run her hands up and down my arms giving me chills and a raging hard-on.

"For … this. We have a lot to do, and now I can manage knowing I'm going to wake up every morning."

"Oh, Edward, did you think you wouldn't?"

"Yeah. There were days I couldn't lift my head. We had to cancel concert dates and replay them weeks later. Emmett has been my rock. He's like a mother hen, watching over me. Jasper and Garrett, too. There are a few people who know the truth, but the rest think I'm the typical rocker, drunk and self-absorbed."

"I'm sorry."

"Look, I need to get some rest ,but I don't want you to go." I huff, "The typical selfish rockstar. Will you sleep with me? I don't mean sex. I just want to be with you. I'd like you near."

I smile. Then, frown taunting him. "You don't want to have sex?"

"Oh, I want to have sex, but not with you."

Well, that hit me like a ton of bricks.

I cup her face. "Bella, when I'm with you, it will be so much more."

I smile and lightly kiss her pouty mouth.

She blushes and turns her head.

"Naptime."

BPOV

We crawl into bed, fully clothed. We face one another, side by side. Edward gets this wicked look on his face and begins to tickle me.

I am very ticklish.

We roll around the bed until he's on top of me.

Then, he stops himself. "Rest."

I pout. "Well, you started it."

"It's hard not to touch you."

"Then, don't."

He lies on his back, as I curl into his side. Playing with my hair, he hums us to sleep.

When I awake a few hours later, I find Edward in the studio playing the piano and singing, what I believe, is a song for me:

Bella's Song

On the tip of my tongue,

It passes through my fingers,

It's a taste on my lips

I believe almost lingers.

I barely see it there

In the corner of my eye.

It's something that I miss

Not a hello or goodbye.

A whisper in the wind

And a tickle to my side

A meaning without words

Giggles that are left to hide.

Wandering on bare feet

And not feeling the warm sand.

The shiver down my spine.

That I just don't understand.

Chorus:

Who are you that invades my mind

That steals my heart

And I can't find?

Who are you to replay my song

That steals my heart

For whom I belong?

At the end of my road

I'm looking for a singer

With a voice that's so clear

Someone is my dead ringer.

I want to recognize

Staring eyes that behold me.

And reflect on those words,

Needing for you to mold me.

Eyes that tell my story.

Absorbing my regrets

Your touches that I feel

Erasing all my secrets.

You give without a thought.

You turn my world into bliss.

You are all that I sought

I know with just one kiss.

Chorus:

Who are you that invades my mind

That steals my heart

And I can't find?

Who are you to replay my song

That steals my heart

For whom I belong?

A/N: Well, what do you think?

A/N: Pay It Forward will be featuring fics in four different categories on their new blog. Number one will be our Rookie ... A new, first-time writer showcasing their first fic on our blog. Number two will be our Encore ... A new fic from a seasoned author giving us a sneak peek. Number three will be our Classix ... one from the vault, a time-tested oldie. And four, is an Overlooked fic that needs some love.
If you are a Rookie and need help, contact Fran on the PIF page. And if you have an Encore, contact her to get your new fic showcased. Also, anyone interested in writing a summary on one of their favs, please feel free to send it in for our Classix section.