A/N: I really didn't think I'd get this chapter done so quickly, but here it is. Thanks to all who wrote a review. I loved every single one of them! A massive thanks to KayMarieXW for beta-ing!

I'm already working on the next chapter, but I'm still having Internet problems at my new flat. A technician is supposed to come and sort things out tomorrow, but I'm not very optimistic as the last one I was promised didn't show.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: The Twilight Saga is property of Stephenie Meyer. I'm only borrowing.

27. TURNING POINT, PART 2

BELLA

Alice didn't drop by of course. I hadn't really expected her to and I didn't expect her to come around anytime soon. Despite what Emmett had said about me being part of the family, I wanted to give the money back. I was quite capable of earning my own living. I was touched that she'd created that trust fund because it meant that she'd never given up on me, but that didn't mean I was going to accept the gift.

Ten million dollars, I thought as I flopped down on my bed, rolling onto my back and staring at the ceiling, my arms folded underneath my head. I wouldn't even know what to do with that much money. It was dark outside without even the barest hint of light, heavy grey clouds obscuring the moon and the stars. Jake was certain there'd be a storm soon and I could smell it too, that tell-tale sharp odour of ozone in the air. Jake had pulled Embry and Seth off patrol as he didn't want them running in the forest in bad weather. The three of them were downstairs, Seth working on his computer—probably with Rosalie beside him—and Jake and Embry cleaning up the kitchen after what I'd decided to name the Cooking Incident. You would think they knew how to use a microwave, I thought, half smirking and half grimacing in exasperation. Mrs Morris had brought over enough food to feed a small army twice over, having somehow deduced that my guests weren't getting properly fed. It seemed she didn't want to deprive Seth and Embry—and Jake, for that matter—of her cooking skills just because she hadn't yet found time to clean out the guest room she'd offered the two of them. Their offer to help had been brusquely declined. It was obvious that Mrs Morris enjoyed having someone to care for, but I hoped she'd take it easy.

Jake and Embry had ignored one of the cardinal rules of operating a microwave, namely that microwaves and metal did not get along. Period. The jar of tomato sauce they'd wanted to nuke (with its metal lid still in place) had literally exploded, resulting in the kitchen looking like a slaughterhouse. I would have found it hilarious under different circumstances, but as it was, I didn't. Alice would certainly want to at least repaint the kitchen—Embry and Jake would never get the tomato sauce off the wall, no matter how much bleach they poured over the stains—and I wouldn't be able to handle that at the moment. Not without trying to kill her at some point.

I sighed, pushing a strand of wet hair out of my face. I was being unfair. Alice only wanted to help. She'd done a wonderful job with the living room, had bought furniture I'd be able to take a long when I moved and I hadn't even thanked her properly because I'd been so furious about how she'd acted that night. Looking back, I understood why she had—Emmett and I had briefly talked about it this afternoon—and I knew I should cut her some slack. She was scared.

She shouldn't have given me all that money though, I thought. But then, ten million dollars was only a lot of money for me. The Cullens had much, much more than that because of Alice's clever investments. And, as Emmett had pointed out to me, I was part of the family now. I should have accepted her present with good grace. Instead, I'd probably insulted her by how I'd reacted. She'd only meant well, after all. I'll apologise tomorrow, I thought, pinching the bridge of my nose. The second I'd made that decision my cell phone chimed.

Sitting up, I grabbed it from the nightstand and wasn't surprised to find that Alice had texted me. I guess I could have told you about the money, the message read. I'm sorry that I didn't and I'm sorry about the other night. There's no need for you to apologise. But please, it continued, may I repaint your kitchen? Pretty, pretty please? She'd signed with a smilie instead of her name.

"How does she know about my kitchen?" I muttered. She couldn't have seen any of it, as she wouldn't have seen any decision of Jake's or Embry's to ask her for help and I'd decided no such thing. There was plenty of yellow paint left. They could use that.

The cell chimed again. Jake texted me, Alice had written. He sent a picture along. It looks pretty bad, but I'll come by tomorrow after school to fix it.

"Oh joy," I muttered under my breath as I texted back to thank her and tell her to do whatever she wanted—which I was pretty sure I was going to regret—then turned the cell off in case Kate tried to call. I'd do overtime tomorrow then. That way I wouldn't be tempted to throttle Alice.

Thunder rumbled outside so unexpectedly that I jumped. Getting up, I pushed the curtains aside and looked out the window. It was snowing so hard that I could barely make out the trees in the yard, but I saw enough to know that they were swaying violently in the wind that had begun howling around the house. Pressing my nose against the glass, I tried to determine if any of the trees was in danger of being uprooted—they'd fall directly onto the roof of the house if the wind didn't change—when I saw a shadow flit over the ground. I couldn't make out more than an indistinct shape through all the snow. Fear trickled down my spine. Wouldn't a night like this perfect for Victoria? Even if I was down there in the middle of the snow, I probably wouldn't see or hear anything, what with all the noise the wind was making, and the snow. Slowly I backed away, my mouth already open to call out for Jake, when the shadow appeared in front of the window. I clamped my lips together to keep myself from crying out and hurriedly opened the window to let Edward in.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, irritated, as Edward ran his hands through his hair, sending snow that had already started to melt flying everywhere. I quickly pushed the window shut to keep the snow out. I really didn't need to give Alice an excuse to renovate my bedroom too.

"Alice said you cancelled your practice session with Kate," he replied, lifting his eyebrows at me as he took in my appearance. I'd had to shower after the Cooking Incident—I'd been standing a little too close to the microwave when it went up—and I was suddenly very aware that I was wearing very little underneath my white bathrobe. Nothing actually, aside from a pair of panties with Hello Kitty print that I didn't want anyone to see me in.

"I wasn't in the mood," I replied curtly, pulling the robe closer around me and redoing the knot in the belt. "To be honest, I doubt I can learn to use this shield fast enough to make a difference."

I half expected Edward to tell me that this wasn't about Kate, that I had to master my shield so that we could find and kill Victoria, which was so much more important. But he didn't. "I know," he said instead, his voice kind and understanding. "I should have talked to you about my plan before I suggested it. I'm sorry."

"Thank you," I said awkwardly. I sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled my legs up against my chest, making sure the bathrobe covered everything that needed to be covered. That he seemed to have taken to heart what I'd said the other night made me feel strangely elated. "I'd invite you to sit down," I said after a while, when the silence between us began to stretch, "but you'd ruin my favourite bedspread." I smiled hesitantly and for some reason was relieved when Edward smiled as well, a rueful smile because he'd realised that he was standing in a puddle of melted snow that would probably leave a stain.

"Your floor too, it seems," he said, his expression both amused and contrite. "I'll mop it up and then maybe Seth could agree to lend me a pair of jeans and a shirt. His clothes should be a fit."

"He's downstairs," I said, although Edward already knew that. "You'll have to fight Jake and Embry for the mop though. They turned the kitchen into a battlefield."

"I know," Edward replied, a wide smile breaking out on his face.

While Edward was downstairs talking to Seth, I dashed into the bathroom to get dressed. Having Edward in my bedroom was uncomfortable enough as it was. I didn't have to be practically naked on top of it. I briefly considered joining the others downstairs. I wasn't sure that being alone with him was such a good idea after I'd kissed him in Chicago, but then, with the others just a few feet below us, we were hardly really alone.

And part of me wanted to have him for myself for a few hours, even if that was selfish because I still hadn't figured out how to forgive him.

Edward was already there when I returned to my bedroom, mopping up the puddle. He turned when I entered, smiling. Seth's clothes were a size too big, but they were better than nothing. "You got dressed," he noted, his voice a strange mixture of relief and regret.

"I didn't want you to see my Hello Kitty underwear," I said, deadpan. Edward hastily averted his face, concentrating on the floor again. If he'd still been able to blush, he probably would have. I didn't even try to keep the smile off my face.

"How was your day?" he asked a while later when he'd sat down beside me so close that our bodies almost touched.

"Normal," I replied and added with a shrug, "That's a good thing though, because I need normal right now. Jake was extremely helpful and Emmett didn't get into trouble as I'd expected him to. They kept Danielle busy." In fact, I hadn't seen Danielle again until it was time to leave and as she'd been in a hurry—a date, she'd told me excitedly—there hadn't really been time to talk, for which I was profoundly grateful.

"Don't be too hard on her," Edward said. "She's very devoted to you. I met her," he explained, seeing the confusion on my face, "when Alice and I were shopping for a new tux. Well," he grimaced slightly, "at least I thought we were. Danielle's thoughts towards you were very kind. You can consider yourself lucky to have so loyal an employee."

"I do," I replied, frowning, "and that's exactly why I hate lying to her. I guess that's stupid because I have to lie virtually all the time, but it doesn't feel right telling her she's wrong or overreacting when she's not. That's one of the things I hate about being a vampire. That I have to lie to everyone I meet."

Edward smiled sympathetically. "I know. It helps if you don't allow people to get close to you."

"And that," I replied and sighed, "would be another thing I hate. If I'd known what I know now nine years ago, I wouldn't have pestered you all the time to turn me."

"Do you regret it then? That you were turned?"

"Yes," I said quietly. "At least I did before your family came back into my life. I like being alone, but I hate being lonely and I was very lonely. I couldn't call Jake as often as I wanted to because Sam wouldn't allow it. I couldn't go see Charlie for the same reason, although I suppose it's better that way. I didn't have any friends because I would never have forgiven myself if I'd hurt someone who trusted me. And there are a few other drawbacks of course," I added, in a deliberately light voice. "I have to use unperfumed soap because most artificial scents are just unbearable and I was very fond of my strawberry shampoo."

Edward laughed and raised his arm as if to ruffle my hair, then seemed to think better of it and let it drop back to his side. No, whispered a voice in my head as I leaned over to place my head on his shoulder, inhaling the mixture of vampire and werewolf scent, but I ignored it. Just for tonight, I thought. Let's pretend nothing has changed for just a few hours. Edward pulled me closer the way he always had when I was still human, when he'd come to lay beside me every night while I slept.

And so I lay there in Edward's arms, pretending to sleep while he watched over me like he had so many years ago. And although the voice in my mind kept insisting that I was making a mistake and that I was being selfish, it felt right.

xxx

Jake didn't say anything about Edward on the way to work, but then, he didn't speak to me at all. He'd gone to bed only a couple of hours ago and judging by his bloodshot eyes, he could have used a few hours of sleep more. Embry and Seth and still been fast asleep when we'd left, snoring contently. Edward had left before Jake had gotten up and that moment had been very awkward because neither of us had known what to say.

I sighed inwardly. I should have resisted the temptation to let him hold me, but while I felt slightly guilty, I couldn't bring myself to really regret it. Would I ever make up my mind about what to do?

It was a busy day at work today and I managed to forget about Edward for a while. A lot of people had ventured to go outside during the storm last night despite the severe weather warning that had been issued and too many hadn't survived. Human stupidity is without limits, it seems, I thought as I finished the autopsy on a young man who'd been crushed to death by an uprooted tree while he'd been walking his dog. I didn't feel particularly sorry for him. I only pitied the people he'd left behind.

The phone on the counter started ringing. I gestured for Jake to pick it up while I slipped out of the bloody scrub and pulled off the rubber gloves. I heard Danielle's voice on the other end of the line. She hadn't seemed very sad about having to give up assisting me during an autopsy. She was by no means squeamish, but the administrative aspect of working in the work suited her far better.

"Danielle says there's someone on the phone for you," Jake said expressionless, handing me the receiver once I'd washed my hands. He was watching me closely as I asked Danielle to put the caller through and I suddenly felt very uncomfortable. What was going on?

"Hello?" a vaguely familiar female voice said.

"Hi," I replied apprehensively. "This is Dr Bella Swan. Who am I speaking to?"

"Caroline Alden," the caller identified herself and demanded, "Where is Eden?"

"What?" I managed, my voice suddenly very thin. I thought Edward made sure she wouldn't be missed anytime soon, I thought anxiously.

"You heard me just fine," Caroline snapped. "Where is Eden? What did you say to her?"

"I just asked her about the day Liv disappeared," I replied weakly. "Why? What happened?" I didn't sound very convincing, not even to myself. I knew exactly what had happened to Eden, but Caroline Alden mustn't know that.

"I got the strangest letter this morning," Caroline continued icily. "Eden wrote that she'd decided to leave town to move in with her parents again. Only her parents didn't know anything about that when I called them earlier to talk to her. You and your friend were the last people to see her. So where is she?"

"How would I know?" I replied, somehow managing to keep my voice even. "She had a migraine when we left and when I wanted to check up on her later, she didn't open." That wasn't a lie and I was pretty sure nobody had seen me entering the house. "I guess she didn't want to talk to me again. Eden and I never got along very well. Is there any news about Liv?" I asked, hoping Caroline Alden would take the bait.

She did, but only briefly. "No," she said curtly. "You know, I find it very strange that you show up after two years and that my daughter's girlfriend disappears without a trace after talking to you."

"I'm sure Eden will turn up sooner or later," I replied. "Look, I'm very sorry about Eden leaving town, but I can assure you that we had nothing to do with that. I have to go now. I have a lot of work to do. Bye." I hung up without giving her the chance to reply.

Jake wrapped his arms around me before I'd even replaced the receiver. "Oh God," I moaned miserably into his shoulder. "Can it get any worse?"

"Don't say that," Jake said with a quiet chuckle, "because then it usually does. Murphy's Law and all. How many times do I have to tell you that nothing that's happened is your fault? You didn't kill Eden, did you, and you had to let her body disappear. If she had been found, you'd have been on top of the police's suspect list and you can't afford that. Please don't blame yourself for that."

I said nothing because I knew Jake was wrong. Instead, I stepped out of his embrace. It was almost noon, so I decided to take a break and Jake didn't try to talk me out of it when I told him that I'd go take a walk.

The air outside was still very cold after the storm, so I wrapped myself in my duffel coat. The last thing I wanted was to attract even more attention. The square in front of the hospital still wasn't completely cleared of all the snow that had fallen last night. I trudged around the building into the park where I wouldn't have to move as clumsily as all the humans who were wading slowly through the two foot deep white ocean.

Caroline Alden's call had caught me completely by surprise. I knew Edward had written her a letter in Eden's handwriting. I had no idea what he'd written, but whatever it was apparently hadn't been enough to convince Caroline Alden that Eden had simply left Chicago. I drew a deep breath. I couldn't let myself worry about that too. What's the worst that can happen? I asked myself. Liv's mother could call the police, but they wouldn't find anything. Edward had made sure of that. Even if they dragged the whole of Lake Michigan, they were very unlikely to discover Eden's body. It was too deeply buried for that.

"My life sucks," I said to nobody in particular, kicking at the snow for emphasis. I didn't turn around when I heard quiet footsteps behind me, the gentle breeze that had replaced the howling gale carrying the newcomer's scent directly at me. "Hi Carlisle," I said. "How's your day been so far?"

"Better than yours apparently," he replied, stepping into my line of vision. He was smiling and I found myself smiling back at him despite myself. "Are you alright?"

"Yes," I said. "No," I admitted when Carlisle lifted his eyebrows at me. "Liv's mother called," I explained, "to ask me about Eden. I told her that I didn't know anything about her disappearance, but I'm not sure she bought it. I'm still not very good at lying."

Especially not when I have a guilty conscience, I added silently.

Carlisle's smile turned sympathetic. "I can imagine how you feel," he said gently, "but what happened to Eden isn't your fault."

"People keep telling me that," I replied, unable to hide my frustration. I turned around, looking at the distant lights of the hospital. It was the middle of the day, but the sky was a dark grey and despite my keen vision I could barely make out the sun behind the clouds.

"They are right," Carlisle said.

I shrugged. "Maybe," I allowed, but it didn't really make a difference. No matter how many times they told me that I wasn't to blame for Victoria had done—at the end of the day I still felt responsible. Because I was.

Carlisle seemed to realise that arguing with me was pointless. "Why don't you walk me back to my office?" he suggested. "I'm not properly attired for this kind of weather." I hadn't paid much attention to his clothes before, but now I noticed that he was only wearing a thin lab coat over his grey suit. "I was wondering where you were going," he explained as we headed back to the hospital and I remembered—from the handful of times Lambert had wanted to see me—that all the offices on the second floor overlooked the park.

"Why did you decide to study medicine?" Carlisle asked curiously as we walked up the stairs.

"I knew it would keep me busy," I answered honestly. That wasn't what people expected a doctor to say when they asked her that question, but for me that was the reason I'd gone to med school. "I've never regretted it though. I loved it, especially working in the ER and that's what I specialised in, emergency medicine. While I was still at med school I thought I'd like to be a surgeon, but I found that most surgeons aren't very nice people. No offence."

Carlisle laughed once. "None taken. Besides, I agree with you." We reached Carlisle's office then. Lambert was in his own office two doors down, talking loudly on the phone, a woman by the sound of it, although I couldn't make out the words. He seemed agitated.

Maybe his wife finally figured out that he's slept with at least half of the female staff, I thought somewhat gleefully. "I'd better go," I said to Carlisle. "I have a lot of work today."

"So have I," Carlisle replied with a small sigh. "That storm yesterday was very bad."

"I'll see you later then," I said, turning to leave, but he stopped me.

"As a preacher's son," he said gently, "I would like to give you a piece of advice. Of course it's entirely up to you whether or not you'll heed it."

I nodded, although I was suddenly feeling uncomfortable.

"If you choose to forgive Edward," he continued, still in that gentle voice, "it won't mean that he's no longer responsible for what he's said and done. He always will be, for as long as he exists."

I opened my mouth to reply and tell him that I knew that, that it was easier said than done, but the words never left my lips, for silence abruptly fell in Lambert's office, allowing us to properly hear the voice of the woman on the other end of the line. "I don't care," the voice said icily and Carlisle and I both froze. "Just do as I say." The line went dead and Lambert swore violently, but the voice still echoed through my head.

It was Victoria's.

xxx

A/N: Do I have to hide now?