Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight and the characters that make it amazing. I'm just borrowing them for a little while.

Chapter 5

Speaking Candidly

"Very good, Isabella," Esme smiled, looking down at the small outfit Isabella was sewing for the new baby. Before Edward had left, he suggested she help his mother and Rosalie prepare for the baby to keep her occupied. While they weren't each others biggest fanatics, it was as if he realized that he was the one she stayed beside when he was home. With Rosalie resting most of the day and Esme busy with the servants, she really had no one besides him and little Emily to keep her company. Edward had admitted to her that Rosalie was a good friend of the younger Denali girls, Tanya and Irina. Rosalie had been appalled by what Tanya had said a few days prior.

Since that day she had disappeared, it was very evident that he worried for her. He watched her like a mother bear would watch her cub. Instead of making her feel more comfortable, he was making her much more anxious. Everything she did was arranged by him and she honestly could not bring herself to be upset with him for it. He was doing what he thought he must. While she didn't love him, she was beginning to care for him a little more and even learning to trust him. Of course, it had only been three days since he had found her, but the night before was spent without him for the first time. Depression had set in even more in his absence than when he was present—something Isabella could not believe was even possible had she not been feeling it herself.

"Esme, will you tell me about the late princess?" Isabella asked quickly, worried if she did not say it fast she would lose the nerve to say it at all.

Esme's head snapped up, she opened her mouth and closed it again before sighing. "Of course. What would like to know?"

"What was she like? Was she beautiful? Was she kind?"

Esme smiled ruefully. "She was beautiful and very...open. She was very trusting of the world and the people in it. If ever there was someone who needed to be stood up for, she did so, not caring that she was of royal blood. Our lovely Kate was a fighter, Isabella. She was so full of life. That is why no one expected such a horrible fate for her. Especially our Edward."

"How long has it been?" she asked, figuring it was at least over a year.

"Two months."

She nearly jabbed herself with her sewing needle. "Two months?" she whispered, as if in disbelief.

"Yes, my dear. The Lord took her just a few weeks before your father was found..."

"I thought Edward discovered him..."

"Indeed. They found him on their travels. They trade at different posts for the town. When the princess perished, he inherited everything but he still continued this as he had before they even met. We had no idea he would have gotten this inheritance and even then...it is not like Edward to receive hand-outs."

"What about the Denali's?"

"The King and Queen have long been dead. They died before the marriage. Irina Denali is now married to a man in a different part of the country. Tanya, the one who you so harshly met, was the one who really took her sister's death to heart. I do not know who was more devastated, she or Edward."

"I'm very sorry for your loss, Esme. Truly I am," Isabella said quietly, shaking her head in disbelief over how short of a time it had been since Katherine had died. No wonder he had kept everything.

"It is sad, Isabella, but Edward is young."

"Esme," Isabella contemplated her next question, not knowing if she wanted the answer. She also didn't know if she could remain emotionless if given the answer she suspected. "when did Edward find out about me? He said my father was agreeable, did he have the opportunity to speak with him about me?"

Esme's mouth set into a firm line and Isabella closed her eyes to hide the anger behind them. "My dear, he spoke to your father when he was first brought to Carlisle. Before coming to live here, Carlisle was the doctor in our village. He was nursed back to health by my husband but Edward had left before your father mentioned the wonderful daughter he had back home. He loves you very, very much, Isabella. He told us that he worried for you, unprotected back home. He had to get back as soon as he was able. The way he described you, so young and full of life, reminded us all of our dear Kate.

"Isabella, you have to understand, we came to live here only after Katherine passed. Edward had three days with his wonderful son before the baby just could not breath any longer. The child had just simply come to us too soon and the Lord took him even more quickly from us. Edward brought him to us, wrapped in one of Katherine's robes. I knew as soon as I saw the devastation on his face... It took us many days more to get news back to Irina and Tanya that their nephew had left us as well. The only reason our Edward made it through those days after Katherine passed away was that child. I believe the good Lord knew he would not have been able to handle the loss of both of them at once.

"I thought for awhile that we were going to lose our own son as well. Carlisle handled everything with the state and I think that Edward still resents that we fought to keep this property and Katherine's wealth. He had been through so much, Isabella, we just wanted to make sure he was taken care of. You understand that do you not?" Esme looked almost guilty but Isabella felt they should be even more guilty about bringing her into this desperate equation. She kept her mouth shut, just nodding that as far as Carlisle handling things went, they did the right thing. It was the matter of their son's marriage that was wrong.

"Poor Edward would not even stay around long enough to know that your father was back to health. In fact, I worried that he wouldn't return before you arrived. I worried often within those weeks after her death that he would leave on a trip and not return with everyone else."

Isabella swallowed hard, wondering if this was still something to worry over. Esme shook her head, though, as if reading her mind. "No worries, dear. I think that he is quite taken with you."

Isabella just went back to sewing, not responding to Esme's comment. That night, she went to bed feeling irritable. Neither she nor Edward were particularly happy with the situation they had been thrown into yet he was hurting for other reasons as well. With his family acting as though Katherine's passing was just a matter of fact and in the past, he probably felt just as alone as she did. The desperate need to have him there with her, to comfort him, even to just hug him began to grow. It had been two days since he left and only one day more until he would arrive home.

A cold chill traveled down her spine and she pulled the blankets closer before sighing and getting out of them. Heading over to his wardrobe, she pulled out each one of his shirts and pants to get a good look at them and then snuck into the servant's closet to get her sewing kit. Whether his shirt was missing a button or his pants had a hole in them, they would be fixed for him when he came home. As she worked, she fought her tired mind for the image of his face. It never did come to her. It was like she couldn't remember what he looked like, as if beauty such as his was too much for her mind to bear. When his face would come to her, or at least the image that would come to mind when she tried to think of him, she only saw the tormented face he carried so heavily.

"Isabella?"

Jolting awake, Isabella realized she was still holding a needle in one hand and a bobbin of thread in the other. Esme looked down upon her with a confused expression and she looked up at her with a mirrored look. She finally realized she'd never made it back to her bed the night before. She must have fallen asleep in the large dining hall.

"I am sorry, Esme..."

Esme just smiled, "Perhaps tonight you should stay with Rosalie. The baby will be coming soon and it is getting more and more difficult for her to move around much. She would love the company."

Isabella knew Esme felt sorry for her and she realized that she was missing Edward. She was missing Edward a lot. Shaking the thought from her head, reminding herself that he might not even return, she nodded. "Of course."

"It might be good for you to be around Rosalie when she is with child." Isabella flushed, trying not to dwell on what exactly Esme meant by that. Folding up the shirt she had been adding a new button to, Isabella stood and picked up the other articles of clothing.

~EA~

"Ugh," Rosalie groaned, sitting back on her large bed. Isabella could not refrain from watching her very pregnant stomach. She could literally see the baby moving around, even against the fabric of Rosalie's clothing. "I verily hope my Emmett returns in time for this little one's arrival but I would be lying if I said I do not want to be done with this pregnancy. I want to hold this little one."

"They should be back tomorrow," Isabella responded as cheerfully as possible.

"I hope so. I try not to complain too much about their travels. I want to apologize again for what happened with Tanya. It was wrong of her to say those things about you..."

"Rosalie, it is fine. After all, were her words so wrong? He has just lost his wife...was I not brought here to replace her?" Isabella asked, feeling like she could be honest with the girl beside her.

"With no offense to you, Isabella, I do not know that he would ever allow that to happen. Esme and Carlisle are both very kind and generous...and I do not think they realize that they are coming across as slightly heartless throughout this whole ordeal. They just want to see Edward happy. Edward, though, will never allow her to be replaced."

"Can I tell you something? Something that will stay between the two of us?"

"Of course. I love Esme but I could complain a little on my own about her behavior sometimes. Besides, the only other person I really talk to is Tanya...and that will not be happening again anytime soon."

"I suspect that Edward did not want to take me as his wife. Will you please tell me the truth? Did he even know about me before I arrived?"

Rosalie turned from her before turning back and making eye contact. "This should not be coming from me..."

Frustrated, she threw her hands up and leaned back on the pillows. "If it is not to come from you it is to not come from anyone! I implore you, Rosalie. Did my husband know about the marriage before that day even?"

"No," Rosalie confirmed quietly. "He had returned the night before from the first trip he had taken since everything happened. He went with only Jasper-and Esme worried he may not return at all. Esme had the chapel set up for days in anticipation of the wedding. He was not aware of it until a few hours before your arrival..."

"Why was it not stopped then? Why did no one think that this might be a horrible idea?" Isabella asked, tears flowing down her cheeks.

"The priest had come and was there to help break the news. Edward contested it at first," Rosalie relented, "but when he heard that you had already been sent for, that you were making the journey, he couldn't bring himself to turn you away. Isabella, dear, why are you crying? Has he hurt you? Is that why you hid from him?"

Shaking her head, she wiped her tears and tried to slow her breathing. "He is very...tormented, Rosalie. He is not happy and I truly do not know that he will ever care for me the way Emmett cares for you. I do not mean to sound ungrateful but I feel that I have burdened him more than helped him as Esme had so hoped. Please do not breathe a word of this..."

"I would not say anything. You can trust me. You speak of him being unhappy. Are you, yourself, unhappy as well?"

"I...I don't know," she answered honestly. "A part of me wanted to die in that room I was hiding in...to just waste away to nothing so that I did not have to feel so alone anymore. There are times, though, times that I yearn to see Edward...to know that he is at least slightly happy as my husband."

She wanted to say that there are times when she misses Jacob so much it hurts but realized two things. Rosalie should not know about that and over the past few days she had come to miss Edward almost as much. In fact, the absence of Edward caused for her to think about him as she fell asleep instead of her usual thoughts of Jacob. It scared her to think of what that could mean.

"You are never alone, Isabella. You have all of us, including Esme who I will admit can be trying at times. She loves both of her children dearly and I would like to think that she loves us just as much. She does not act the way she does to be hurtful. You will understand someday when you are a mother, Isabella. Which, if you have any questions about carrying a child, please just ask. We are all here for each other. Emmett and I have felt included in this home since Esme asked Emmett, Emily, and I to join them here when she began to worry for Edward. I think she felt Emmett could help him through everything that she could not. Now, I suppose she is expecting the same thing of you. He'll come around, Isabella. Until then, we can help to support each other. Tis nice having another girl around and we can experience future pregnancies together," Rosalie laughed, rubbing her belly tiredly.

Isabella felt sick but gave a forced, small smile before standing up, "Would you like for me to check on dear Emily before we retire for the night?"

"Verily. Thank you, Isabella. I am glad you are here."

~EA~

"They are lowering the bridge!" Rosalie said with relief the next night as they were just getting ready to sit down for dinner. Standing back up, she waddled out to greet the men with Esme, Isabella, and Carlisle following behind. Isabella could tell that the lone horsemen tearing across to them was Emmett and her heart sank. She wondered what they would do with her if he wasn't to return. The idea of returning home for the first time since she arrived made her feel sick instead of excited.

She turned to Esme who actually looked kind of embarrassed. Emmett was almost to them, and when he finally arrived, he jumped off of his horse and practically ran to Rosalie. "The child has not come yet?" he asked, as if her big belly was not confirmation enough.

Isabella did not wait for her response because just as she began to talk, the sound of hooves hitting the bridge could be heard again, and this time the ruckus was made by two horses. She could not help but smile as Edward made his way over with Jasper at his side. They were not overworking their horses as it was obvious Emmett had done. Esme seemed to be relieved now as well and hugged her husband around the waist. As the two other men dismounted, Edward looked Isabella over, as if she was the one returning from a long trip, and returned a hug from his mother. Jasper received a hug as well and nodded to everyone before taking the three horses and heading towards the stables.

"Dinner is ready for when you are!" Siobhan called from the doorway.

Everyone began their trek into the house, accept Edward, who stood watching his wife curiously. Taking a step towards her, as if trying to decide to give her a hug or not, Isabella chose to decide for him. As soon as the peanut gallery were all through the door on their way to dinner, she threw her arms around him. He was tense at first, as if in shock, but then he relaxed. As her body melted into his, she dug her nose into the side of his neck and breathed deeply. It felt good to have him home and the relief that he had returned to her made her want to cry.

"Are you hungry?" he asked, surprising her because he sounded like he wanted the answer to be no.

"Not really," she replied.

"Then come. Let us walk the paths."

She allowed him to take her hand and guide her back to their swampy field. To her surprise, it was much dryer and only the very center of it looked muddy. Sitting down on the bench with him, she watched him pull something from the large satchel he was carrying. "I...um...found someone who...they have a small shop...well...here. I think you might want them...I saw them and thought...of...well, you..."

Isabella tried to not laugh at her husband ,who was usually so in control, now fumbled for words. He handed her the brown package and she looked at him curiously. "Open it," he prompted.

Pulling the brown paper off, she handed it to him and put it back in the bag, leaving her with two beautiful books. The first was a novel she had never read before and she smiled at the idea of having a new book. The second, though, was even more amazing. It was a hard covered book with small diamonds around the edges and what looked like gold leaf paper. Inside was blank. "I thought you would like to keep a journal...or even write a story of your own...I know you enjoy writing and reading both."

"This is beautiful, Edward. Thank you."

She was quiet for awhile, just running her fingers over the embellishments on the journal. "I hope you had a few good days free of me," he said with a small smile. He was not fooling her, though. He just looked sad. The feelings that she felt the night Esme clued her in on just how recent Katherine had passed away came back to her. She wanted to hug him again. She refrained, though, and decided that she needed to talk to him, regardless of whether or not he wanted to hear what she had to say.

"Edward, will you allow me to speak candidly?"

He looked at her, concern evident, but he nodded. "Of course. Here, give me your books. I'll put them back in my bag until we return to the dining hall. What do you have to say?"

"I know that it was not you and my father who arranged this marriage. I know that you did not want it..."

"Isabella, please, it is complicated..."

"You are gone for four days and return to call me Isabella?" she asked, cutting him off.

He frowned, "Bella, it is not that I did not want you..."

"I understand. It has only been two months..."

"Who told you?" he asked, obviously upset.

"Did you plan to keep it from me forever? Do you not realize it is on their tombstones? Did you not realize that I would see that the date on the little tombstone is different from that of Katherine's?"

"Garrett's," he corrected, standing up and shaking his head.

Just as he was about to walk away, Isabella stood up, wanting to explain that she wasn't upset with him and that he didn't have to go through all of this on his own. "Was that his name?"

"Don't."

"Please, just talk to me!"

"About what? Do you want me to stand here and tell you that I can't love you because I love someone who's dead? That I don't want children because every time I think about a baby, I think of holding my dead son?"

She felt like she'd been slapped and her heart clenched. She let herself cry from both frustration and hurt. Hurt for him but frustration from not knowing what to say. She let him walk away, leaving her in the field to think. She sat there, wondering if he was going to come back for her. He never returned and it was getting cold...not to mention the fact that it was getting dark. Finally, she stood and began to make here way back towards the house. The sound of boots crunching along the path made her freeze in her spot.

Ducking down, she hid behind a large tree trunk, her hand resting on her heart as it beat faster. A second set of footsteps joined the first and then she heard the heard the voices. "Edward, you really need to be more careful with her. She should not be out here on her own...what if she gets sick...or lost...or what if she's with child?"

"She is not with child. Jazz, this is wrong. I care much more for her than I should."

"Maybe you should show that a little more...I have told you before, she is your wife! You are allowed to love her..."

"Katherine has barely been gone a couple months. What does that mean? I am not a good husband...to either of them."

Their voices were fading out as they passed by her and continued walking. Jasper carried a torch and she had to duck out of the way. The last thing she heard was Edward. "I have to find her, Jasper...I'll worry about what should be done about our marriage once she is safe. Isabella! Bella, please, come back to the castle!"

She listened as they continued closer to the field before stepping onto the path and debating about what to do. He sounded truly scared as he called for her and she decided to head towards them. "Edward?"

Neither of the guys were near enough to hear her and she continued, ending up following the path past the field and it was then that she noticed the forest was getting thicker. Telling herself that they had to be close, she continued on, calling out to both of them. Neither answered and she kept going. With a sigh, she decided to turn around and head back to the path.

"Edward!" Isabella all but screamed for him a while later as she walked faster, desperately trying to find the path that would lead her to the castle, to safety, to warmth. Her entire body felt cold and she shivered,yelling for them again. The ground was covered in leaves and the leaves were covered with heavy dew. Nearly in tears, she felt her toes go numb as the cold soaked through her shoes. "EDWARD! JASPER!"

She had been walking for what felt like hours. Tired and shaking, she tried to run, only to slip and land hard on her right side. It was at that point, with her hip bloody and bruised, that she stayed on the ground. Feeling that she just needed to rest, to close her eyes and try to figure things out, she let the dark grow darker behind her eyelids.

"Wake up." The voice came to her like a mirage in a dessert. "Can you understand what I'm saying?"

"Jacob? I do not know how to get back..."

"You have to wake up."

"I do not want...do not leave me. Please. Please...I miss you..."

"Jasper, help me lift her. We have to get her back home."

"Jacob, I can't go back home," Isabella mumbled into him as she felt him lift her in his arms. "I...Edward...oh, no. He must be worried...I did not mean to..."

"Bella? Isabella, can you hear me? I am right here!"

Everything came back to her, then. Just as she heard Jasper ask if she had any head wounds, she opened her eyes to find herself looking at Edward's shirt. He felt wet and she realized he was sweating despite the freezing cold, fall air. "Edward?" she asked, disoriented.

"Thank the heavens! Jasper, she's awake!" his footsteps sped up as she started crying again, relieved that he had found her and that she was safe. That was the only feeling she had...the feeling of safety. "I've got you. Try to stay awake. I'm sorry, Bella, I'm sorry. I should never have left you..."

She tried to apologize but they were stepping into the castle then and the lit torches hurt her eyes, disorienting her even more. "Father!" Edward called out. She felt herself being laid down on a bed and realized just how sick she felt. It was definitely not a soreness in just her hip. Her head pounded, her stomach was rolling, and she was just as wet as Edward felt. Isabella felt someone prop her up against them but just as she realized it was Edward and she went to apologize, darkness took her again.

By mid-morning the next day, she began to come to. Voices could be heard around her and as if by instinct, she turned her head towards Edward's. His words made her want to go back to the blackness. "I am sending her back to Forks. Father, I refuse to do this to her any longer. I want to love her...I do love her...but it is not fair to her that I can not care for her the way I should. I try to do what is right for her but then I remember them and I feel as if I am betraying them..."

"You just need to give it time, Edward!" Esme pleaded.

"Esme, love, he is hurting! Look at her, look at Isabella, do you see what this is doing to each of them? Perhaps we should just send her home..."

"He is her husband!" Esme cried.

Unable to control it, she coughed loudly, causing silence to follow in the room—except for her hacking up her lungs. "Please, leave me alone with her," Edward requested, walking over to where she was. She tried to sit up but he told her to lie back down and relax.

"Please, do not..." she choked out, wanting to beg him to not send her home. She held onto the hope that he did love her, that what she heard was not a lie or a ploy to talk his mother into letting her go back to her father.

He must have thought she was truly afraid of him, that she didn't want to be left alone with him, because he shook his head. "I do not want to hurt you..."

"I know," she whispered, silently begging him to let her stay. "I do not want to return to Forks. Please."

"You want to stay? You want to stay here with me at the castle?"

"Edward, I heard what you said...is it true? Do you really, truly love me?"

"I still love them," he admitted, shaking his head.

"That was not what I asked you!"

"I was scared...why did you not come back to the castle? Why were you in the woods?"

He was avoiding the question. "Do you love me?" she asked, making it obvious that she was frustrated.

"Who is Jacob?"

Her breath caught and she remembered the walk back to the castle, imagining Jacob's voice, of course he had heard all of that. "He is a friend..."

"You mentioned Alice, she is your friend. You mentioned your father and your servant, but you never mentioned him. When I find you, unconscious in the woods, you beg him not to leave you. He is not just a friend." Falling into a coughing fit again, Isabella tried to explain but her body was just not going to allow it. "Isabella, please just rest. I will not leave you. I promise."

"Edward...please...there is nothing between Jacob and I..."

"Rest. I will not leave you."

"Do not send me back."

"Rest."

She slept until the next evening, dozing off and on in between waking to eat something small and use the washroom. Edward, true to his word, never left her side. Her hip was really swollen and bruised but she otherwise felt fine after getting some sleep. Edward seemed to be watching her even more closely, as if he was waiting for her to jump from the wooden bridge outside. She wondered if it was possible to feel so attached to him when she barely knew him, when he acted so coldly towards her, and when he seemed to be completely confused concerning whether or not he should send her back to her family. Even for Jacob, she knew she was not willing to leave Edward, and that thought scared her more than anything.

The next night, Isabella was curled up in their bed, drinking hot tea and reading her new book when Edward came in. "The baby is on it's way. I trust you are feeling better?"

"Very much. Are you ready for bed or do you want to stay up for your new niece or nephew," she asked, smiling at how giddy he seemed. He actually seemed happy.

"You need rest, beauty. My mother is going to come get us when the baby arrives."

"Edward, I have rested for hours upon hours...we should talk."

"The last time we talked, Isabella, you ran into the woods and I thought you were gone. Really gone."

"You want to send me away!" she accused.

"Only because I know you are unhappy here. You care for another man. Good heavens, Bella, you could have died out there! Do you know how cold it has been getting at night? What would have happened if I had not found you when I did? There are animals...and..."

"I wasn't running from you, Edward! I was running towards you. I heard you and Jasper and I did not want you to know that I had heard you...so I waited until you were closer to the big field...and I yelled for you but you were not there..."

"You heard what I said to Jasper and my father?"

"Yes. Do you truly care about me?"

"Yes."

"Rosalie said you wouldn't turn me away. She said you would not send me home, even though you were hurting, even though you did not want this marriage."

"Bella, I am giving you the opportunity to go home to your family and to be with the man you love. If it is money that your father saw in me, I will gladly make sure you are taken care of. I can give money to this Jacob..." His giddiness was completely gone.

Wanting to try to redirect his thinking, she said, "I do not want to keep secrets. Do you see what secrets are doing? We are spending all of our time together trying to keep things from each other instead of trying to just be together! I know you care for me. I know you miss Katherine. I know you do not love me as you have loved her and I know that you love Garrett even though you can no longer hold him!"

"You love Jacob and you are young and confused. I do not know enough about you to make this decision..."

"My birth name is Isabella Marie Swan," Isabella began, sitting up on her knees, and wincing as her hip screamed in protest. She had to convince him to let her stay. "I have a wonderful father and a mother who was killed for no reason. My best friend is Mary Alice Brandon, but we just call her Alice. Her father died as well and so she visits with us a lot. We only have one person who works outside, besides Jacob, his name is Peter and he has always been nice to me. Jacob is what my father calls a 'wanderer', he came to live with us after just kind of showing up one day.

"I do not very much care for the winter as I am always cold. I like to be outside but I am clumsy. I like horseback riding, though I am not very good at it. I like books. A lot. I love writing but I don't like it to be shared with others...accept Alice."

She stopped talking, suddenly feeling a blush break out across her cheeks as she saw Edward's amused smile. He was not saying anything but he was definitely half smiling, which was good. It meant he was not going to walk out and be angry with her. "I think that is the most I have heard you say in the entire time that you have come to live here."

"It is your turn, Master Cullen," she said quietly.

"My birth name," he started with a smile, "is Edward Anthony Cullen. I live here with my mother and father."

When he didn't say anything else, she frowned. "And?"

"And...my brother and his wife live here as well, and their daughter Emily...and my best friend and our guard, Jasper."

"And?" she prompted again.

He looked like he was getting agitated. "And I like the cold, as I am always warm. Reading is far from my favorite thing to do, though I liked to hear you reading out loud. And...I am very jealous of a man I have never met before," he relented.

When she raised an eyebrow and the 'and' went unspoken, he sighed. " And I was married once...and had the opportunity to be a father for three amazing days...and I love them still."

Her hand had found his and she sat up on her knees even straighter so she could be closer to him, despite her protesting hip, "And..." he finished, "I was given the daughter of a very wonderful man to keep safe...and I'm failing miserably at it. I should be sending her away...but instead...I am selfishly going to give into her wish of remaining with me—though I can not fathom why she would want to."

She held his hand tightly, wishing she could explain something that she did not understand either. "I can stay?"

"We will take it by day, Bella. If you decide you can not or do not want to do this anymore...just say the words. You must promise me that you will stay away from the forest by yourself...I regret leaving you out there more than you can ever know. Promise that you will be more careful with keeping yourself safe. I could not bear to be the cause of yet another death."

"What happened was not your fault..." she argued, standing to undo her gowns so that they could settle in for bed. Instead, she felt him come to stand behind her.

"Do you think this gown is warm enough for you?" he asked.

She looked down, forgetting her train of thought, she was wearing the silky one that Emmett and Rosalie had given to her. "Yes..."

"Then come to bed, Bella. I swear that I will do a better job of protecting you."

She suddenly felt warm all over and he lead her gently over to their bed. Lying down beside him with her warm clothes still on, she felt him wrap around her like normal, and could not help but to smile. She had waited for him to return and he was finally here. Holding her like it was second nature, he began to snore and she just listened.

I am still very excited for this story and hope you are too. I hope you enjoyed learning a little more about Edward's lost family and that you will let me know what you think of things so far. Your support means a lot and I will be sending out previews again if you review. You can also follow me on twitter letzigprincess.

I have a recommendation to make. The story is called 1979 by Scorpsifer. It is an intriguing story involving another devastated Edward, only this one is reflecting on his past. His past, of course, is Bella...who during high school struggles with an eating disorder. This is a must read...so check it out and let her know what you think!