Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Nadda, zilch, absolutely nothing.

5. Family and Cheaters

Epov:

I chuckled softly as I got out of bed. Carefully I started to make my way over to Bella's dresser.

What will I dress Bella in today?

I thought as I glanced out of the window to stare at the cloud-covered sky.

No to mini skirts and dresses then.

I was about to turn back to the closet when a movement at my bedroom window caught my eye. The curtains were drawn but you could still see Bella's silhouette behind it and her silhouette was jumping up and down on one foot. I smiled and turned back to the dresser.

Jeans and a sweater it is.

I only paused for a few seconds before I opened her underwear drawer and took out a bra.

"Right let's just work together and I won't burn you." I said to the innocent fabric. Some people might think that talking to yourself is crazy but I figure, as long as nothing talks back you're still ok.

Twenty minutes later, I had tamed the fabric and it clung neatly to my chest, I quickly applied some deodorant and got dressed. I made the bed and grabbed Bella's schoolbag on my way out of the room. When I reached the hall, I could hear someone in the kitchen cursing loudly. I dropped the bag in the hallway before glancing around the corner. Charlie was sucking his index finger while rinsing a knife in the sink.

"Cha…Dad what happened?" I asked and he jumped suddenly dropping the knife in the sink, splashing himself with warm water.

"Great now my morning is just perfect." I chuckled and grabbed some paper from the paper roll next to the sink to dry up the ground.

"So what happened?" I asked throwing the wet paper in the bin and taking the first aid kit from the cupboard next to the sink.

Thank heavens Bella showed me where everything was stored. Being a klutz, you needed these things at hand regularly.

I took out a band-aid. "I just wanted to make some breakfast. You know… surprise you and your brother."

I chuckled as I bandaged his finger. "Well, no offense dad, but if you thought that donating some of your blood for breakfast was a good way to start the day maybe you should leave the cooking to me. We're not vampires you know."

He blushed suddenly. "I wanted to make you guys some cheese, tomato and tuna omelets. You always do so much for us and I wanted to do something for you for a change."

Great now how would Bella react to this?

"Cha…Dad. I reckon that blood should be inside the body and not out of it. Maybe you could just keep me company while I make breakfast and then if you really want to help you can always clean the dishes."

He hoisted himself backwards on the counter. "Nice try kiddo but you know I don't do dishes, but how about I get some take away for tonight?" I began cutting the tomatoes and nodded.

That is one night less for me to cook.

"Ok it's a deal. Is it ok if Edward joins us?" I asked.

"He's Alice's brother right?" Charlie asked me from the counter.

Wait, Charlie didn't even know me?

"Yes, he's her twin actually." I added the last part on purpose.

"Ok then, sure he can join us. Do you want to invite Jacob too?"

My head shot up. "No, he's probably busy tonight anyway." Charlie shrugged and I began making the omelets. Charlie made some small talk and just as I finished the last omelet, Emmett came bounding down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"Ooh something smells nice, thanks sis." He said while helping himself.

"Well I'm off. Thanks for breakfast Bells, see you later tonight." Charlie said as he finished his breakfast first. I waved and Emmett mumbled something sounding like 'bye dad' through his filled mouth.

"Emmett, swallow first then talk. Finish up I don't want to be late for school." I said and went upstairs to brush my teeth.

I still had to wait for him by the time I was done. He came running down the stairs and playfully tucked on the loosely tied ponytail, I tied Bella's hair in this morning, running out the door before I could react.

"Stupid fool, I'll get you for that." I said as I locked the door and headed for Emmett's Jeep.

How I miss my car already.

Once we arrived at school I scanned through the crowds for Bella but I couldn't find her anywhere. I walked to where Alice and the others waited for Emmett and I to join them.

"Morning guys did one of you see Edward anywhere?" I asked as we reached them.

"No, he mumbled something before walking off somewhere." Alice informed me just as the bell rang for first period. I walked of to English class still scanning the crowds of students for any sign of Bella but to no avail.

I was still wondering where she was during class that I didn't hear the teacher calling on me in the class. I jumped when the teacher smacked the table in front of me.

"Am I boring you Miss. Swan?"

I scrambled for a not to pathetic answer in my head. "No Sir I was just distracted, sorry Sir."

That is the best you can come up with?

The teacher still glared at me. "Now that we have your attention maybe you can tell us if you agree about Shakespeare's views on love."

Great this is just what I need right now.

"I'm waiting Isabella."

Right you had better think of something to say Edward he is getting angry.

"I don't fully agree with Shakespeare sir."

He walked to the front of the class. "And why is that?" He asked sitting down on the corner of his desk.

"Shakespeare loves to make love seem so nice and uncomplicated. He makes it so that it seems like love conquers all. Take Romeo and Juliet for example. We all know where their love got them. Six feet underground. Pushing up daisies. I believe that to love is to suffer. And to avoid suffering, one must not love. But then one suffers from not loving. Therefore, to love is to suffer. Not to love is to suffer. To be happy is to love. To be happy, then, is to suffer but suffering makes one unhappy. Therefore to be happy one must love or love to suffer or suffer from too much happiness."

Please oh please tell me he isn't a fan of Woody Allen or I'm going to be so screwed.

The entire class and the teacher stared at me dumbfounded. The bell rang suddenly and the entire class jumped to pack their things for the next class. Saved by the bell had a completely new meaning to me as I left the classroom. I still hadn't spotted Bella anywhere as I walked into my next class. I concentrated on the last two classes before lunch so that I wasn't called upon, by a teacher again.

When the bell rang for lunch, I walked quickly towards the cafeteria only to be cornered by Jacob. "Bella we need to talk." He grabbed me by the arm and towed me into an empty classroom.

"Let go Jacob, your hurting my arm." I said trying to twist it out of his grip.

"Oh sorry beautiful, I didn't mean to hurt you." He said swinging around to face me.

"Its ok Jacob, what do you want to talk about?" I asked thinking of a million ways to get out of this classroom as quickly as I can.

"Jessica told me you overheard her and Lauren talking in the bathroom and I was just wondering if that might explain your behavior towards me yesterday."

Oh, he was referring to the bathroom incident yesterday.

"I just wanted to say that if you wanted to make me jealous by flirting with Edward then it worked." He tried to pull me closer for a kiss but I narrowly escaped his reaching arms.

"Jacob you're cheating on me and you think that me spending some time with Edward is my way of making you jealous?"

He looked at me startled. "You weren't just trying to make me jealous?"

I shook my head. "No I like spending time with Edward, Jacob and unlike you I don't cheat. Maybe you should go to Jessica for some comfort. I hear she is so good at that. Just so that you know this is me breaking up with you."

Great how I'm I suppose to explain this to Bella.

Something at the door of the classroom caught my eye. Bella was standing in the doorway staring at us. "You're cheating on Bella?" She asked, thankfully remembering not to screw our names up.

"Go away Cullen, this is none of your business." Jacob said not even bothering to glance over his shoulder but I saw how pain flashed across her face. She turned and began to run away.

"Go jump in front of a car asshole." I sneered at him running past him and after Bella.

I saw her run into the forest near the back of the school and I quickly followed her. She didn't run much further in and I found her leaning against a tree, her back was facing me so I couldn't see her face.

"Bella I'm sorry, but even you wouldn't stay with someone who is cheating on you." I tried to make a joke to lift the dense mood.

"Go away Edward, I just want to be alone." I heard her say in a raspy voice as if she was holding back tears.

I stepped around her to face her. "Just to let you know, I would appreciate it a lot if you don't cry in front of the entire school. I know I'm not the cool kid but I definitely don't want to be a crybaby." A small smile played around her mouth. "And for the record I'm not going anywhere." I said wishing we were in our own bodies so that I could hug her and comfort her until she wasn't sad anymore.

"You think you know someone and then they do something that you never thought they were even capable of doing. How could I have never known that he was cheating on me? Am I that blind and pathetic?" She asked throwing her arms around me burrowing her face in the crook of my neck.

Jeez Bells, what part of crybaby don't you understand?

I thought to myself while I rubbed her back in soothing circles.

If someone would come around that corner, they would see Bella comforting me. A small fragile girl holding a tall lean young man.

"You are not pathetic and it's time that he sees just how strong you really are. Stay here, ok? I'll be back in just a sec." I untangled her from me and walked to the cafeteria.

I didn't stop to think about what I was doing since I'd probably chicken out so I just kept on marching. I marched through the cafeteria doors and only stopped to search for Jacob. He was sitting next to Emmett as if he had no concern in the world. I walked up to the table and stopped next to him.

"Did you come to apologize, baby?" He asked glancing up to me. The others at the table were now looking at us as if expecting something to happen.

"Yes I did. Would you please stand up Jake?" I asked innocently, he smiled and stood up. "Jake I'm sorry I didn't see who you were from the start. So please go screw yourself!" I said as loud as I could without screaming and at the same time, I slapped him across his face.

I would have pictured him at least rubbing his face or something and yet he just stared at me amazed. My hand was burning and I knew I had injured my wrist again.

"No offense Bella, but you hit like a girl." I saw a movement from the corner of my eye and the next thing I knew a fist connected to the side of Jacob's face causing him to take a few strides to the side to keep from falling to the ground.

"None taken, Jake." Bella said suddenly next to me.

She was breathing heavily. I looked at Jacob who was now balling his fists together. "You'll pay for…." He tried to say before I silenced him by emptying Emmett's juice on his head.

"Have a nice life Jacob." I said grabbing Bella's hand towing her out of the cafeteria. "I thought I told you to stay in the forest and wait for me." I said once we were safely away from the cafeteria doors.

"Whatever Edward, I feel great, so pumped up and there's adrenaline rushing through me. Do you always feel like this when you hit someone?"

I smiled at her in wonder. "I wouldn't know. I have never hit someone before. Now would you calm down, class is going to start in a few minutes." I said laughing softly.

"Thank you Edward for standing up for me." She said as we stopped in front of my next class.

"I told you I'm not going anywhere." She smiled and nodded before walking away.

"So Bella, since you and Jake are out do you want to do something tonight?" Someone asked me as I entered the classroom. I looked at my least favorite person at school.

"Only in your dreams would I ever consider going out with someone like you Newton." I said and walked away leaving a stunned Mike behind me. I couldn't wait to get out of class so that I could get to biology and see how Bella was doing after the whole Jacob incident.

The bell finally rang and I shot like charging bull for the door, I weaved through the students and made it to biology lab in record time. I unpacked the necessary books and stared at the door until Bella finally walked in to class.

"Edward I was called to the principal's office halfway through the previous class. The headmaster called your father and he sounded pissed over the phone."

Great, yet another Edward Cullen disappointment.

"Don't worry about it. We will sort it out later. Oh and you're having dinner with us tonight. Your father is getting takeout".

She smiled and nodded. "Ok, then we can do some piano classes this afternoon and Shakespeare tonight".

I can't believe I totally forgot about that.

"Then I'll help explain what happened in the cafeteria to Carlisle." She tensed up again.

"Everything is going to be fine Bella just relax." We couldn't talk anymore as we concentrated on the class.

"Bella are you ok with the whole Jake thing?" I asked her as we walked to our cars together.

"Yes I am actually, it made me think about my feelings for Jacob and I can see now that my heart wasn't in it anymore." I almost stopped walking.

What was that supposed to mean?

"Edward, are you ok? You look worried." She asked staring at me with concern on her face.

"I'm fine. So does this mean you're over that loser?" I asked acting like I didn't really care.

She thought about it for a second. "I'll need some closure, but I'm definitely not in love with him anymore."

A spark of hope began to flame in my chest.

If this weirdness ever passes maybe I could win her heart.

"Bella what's so funny? I thought that you would be all doom and gloom after your break up with Jacob." Alice asked, as Bella and I finally reached our cars. I totally forgot that Bella might be sad after the break up and I was supposed to portray that.

"Alice you know me. I'm the, suffer in silence type. I'll deal with it in my own time." Bella winked at me from behind her back.

Ok I hope that meant that was what she would have said.

"Just remember I'm always there if you need someone to talk to."

I smiled at her. "Thanks Alice."

Emmett honked and I waved at them before climbing into the Jeep. "You ok, little sis?" He asked glancing every few seconds in my direction.

"Emmett I'm only going to say this once more and then I'm printing up bumper stickers, I'm fine."

He chuckled softly. "Fine sis, I just don't like it when people mess with you. Besides Jasper and I have a little surprise for Jacob tonight." He paused and glanced at me from the corner of his eye. "You're not even going to protest and tell me to leave him alone?"

I smiled, maybe that was something Bella would do but I'm not Bella."Seeing as what he did to me, I'll spare you the protest".

He pulled into the driveway. "See? This is why I love you."

I climbed out of the Jeep. "Whatever Emmett, remember that when I ask you something in the future, ok?"

"Remember what sis?" He asked once we entered the house and pulled my hair again before leaping up the stairs.

Stupid buffoon.

I dropped Bella's school bag in the living room. "I'm going to Alice's!" I shouted up the stairs and headed to my house.

I knocked on the front door and waited patiently for someone to open up. My mother was the last person I expected to open the door. "Bella honey, how are you? You haven't been over for ages." She said, as she quickly hugged me. I smelled her perfume as she pulled away. I actually missed that perfume it always had a calming effect on me.

"I'm sorry mo….Esme but I've just been so busy."

She smiled softly. "Of course, want something to drink? I was about to pour myself a cup of tea."

When last did I drink some tea with my mother?

I quickly nodded. She smiled again and began walking to the kitchen. I followed her and sat at the counter table. "Aren't you working at the hospital today?" I asked, curious to know why she was home at this time of the day.

"I switched to night sift so that I could be home more for Edward and Alice. You kids grow up so fast. I just want to spend some time with them before College starts."

I smiled and suppressed the urge to give her a hug by drinking some of my tea. "They would appreciate it. I know that they both care a lot about you."

She sighed. "I know they're all I have. Bella are you and Edward good friends?" I frowned, why would she ask me that?

"Uh… The friendship between Edward and I is... complicated, but I guess you could say that we are now more alike than ever."

She bit her lip softly, it was a sure sign that she was debating on saying something or not. "Would you do me a favor Bella?" She asked me softly.

"Sure if it's in my power I would be glad to help."

She laughed softly and stared at me. "Edward always says that to me when I ask him something. Anyway, I just wanted to know if you could spend some time with him. Emmett is always so busy with Rose. Jasper and Alice spend all their time together, before she goes to Paris next year. Edward seems so alone sometimes and it breaks my heart to see him like that."

I didn't even know she paid so close attention to our comings and goings.

"Yeah, I can spend some time with him". I said swallowing the last of my tea.

"Spend some time with whom?" Bella asked suddenly walking through the kitchen door.

"No one you know. Come on, didn't you say that you wanted to play me something on the piano?" I grabbed her arm giving Esme a wink before I towed her out of the kitchen.

"What was that about?" She asked as we walked into the living room.

"Nothing. Now let Mozart teach you a thing or two about the piano." I said sitting down on the bench in front of the piano. Three hours, some arguments and a burning shoulder later Bella had learned her first piece.

"That was good Bella but was it really necessary to hit me so hard?" I asked rubbing my stinging shoulder, when Bella finished the piece she got a little over excited.

"I'm sorry I guess I haven't gotten use to my new found strength yet."

She closed the lid over the black and ivory keys and we walked to the kitchen. "Whatever, hurry up. Charlie will be home any minute with the food."

Esme was sketching at the counter in the kitchen and she looked up when we walked in. "Sounds like you kids had fun." She said smiling warmly.

"Oh yeah, my shoulder is just throbbing with joy." Bella rolled her eyes." Is it ok if Edward comes over for dinner at my house tonight?" I asked and Bella made a puppy face at Esme.

"Carlisle grounded you for the incident at school today."

He grounded me? He grounded an eighteen year old?

"I'm going to plead temporarily insanity and forget about that little fact."

"Thanks Es…mom, love you." Bella said suddenly bounding out of the kitchen before my mother could even reply. "Come on Bella. We don't want to be late now do we?" I rolled my eyes and followed her example leaving my laughing mother behind me.

"Was I over doing it a bit?" She asked me as we walked to her house.

"Only a bit, she liked it though."

Bella laughed. "No shit Sherlock!" I laughed and pushed her lightly before running for the front door. We burst through it together laughing.

"Hey slow down kids, where's the fire?" Charlie asked laughing at us.

"I don't know but you could always ask Sherlock here." Bella said and we laughed again.

Charlie just shook his head. "Why don't you make yourself handy and set the table." We nodded and did as he asked.

"You know Mozart. You're not so bad after all." Bella said and I smiled.

"Don't get too attached Bella, you might never want to let go."

A/n Ok I had more free time this week and managed to write a chapter for both of my stories. (Yeah me), the love thing Edward discussed in English was said by Woody Allen. Hope you like the Jacob incident, sorry for those team Jacob fans but I'm not a big Jacob supporter and he usually gets the short end of the stick in my stories.

Thanks for all the super fantastical reviews. They make me all warm and fuzzy inside and that says a lot since its like 3 degrees outside. Thanks for the people who added the story to their favorites and alerts list.

I would also like to thank my wonderful beta, Princes Blair Rose, for editing and polishing this chapter to perfection. Be sure to check out the story she's writing "Bella Cullen" it's great. There's a link for that story on my profile page.

Thanks for reading.