Authors Note:Okay, so sorry! I haven't updated for like a week, but, honestly, if I had, you would have heard nothing but things about music because I was freaking out all week about my NYSSMA solo. So I was writing this chapter Friday during my day of silence, since I didn't say anything anyway, it gave me time to just think. So, yeah! I'll post my next chapter sometime this week.

Oh! and I did good on my NYSSMA solo, so the time away payed off. :)

Disclaimer:I don't and never will own Twilight or any of it's contents, so if I ever quote something from the book...yeah, I don't own it.

I woke up, feeling groggy, trying to get my eyes to open. I felt a slight pressure around my waiste and froze, wondering what it was.

Last night kept playing over and over in my head, Was that a dream? What happened? Then I remembered the end of it and my eyes snapped open, feeling beside me. It was empty. It was a dream then? I thought, confused.

I looked over out the window and saw it was open. That's odd. I thought, stepping out of bed. I still felt a little pain in my torso and held it, willing the pain to go away. Stumbling over to a light, I turned it on and saw there was a note on the table. I picked it up and started reading it.

Bella,

I am sorry I wasn't there when you woke up. I went to go get ready. I promise to see you soon.

Edward

The next lines made me freeze.

Bella,

You can't get away that easily. I own you, no one else. Never forget that. I am sure you will see me soon, my Bella. Oh, and, don't worry about me not finding you. I have help this time around.

I didn't have to see who signed it. I knew who it was. How did he find me? I though. "Should I have told them?" I was shocked they believed me, but was it the right choice?

I am sure Carlsile is going to ask me why I was in the hospital so much back at home. "I will make sure you never get close to anyone, Bella. No matter where you are. Remember that." He once said that to me. I didn't believe him. I didn't think he would find me.

"Bella?" I heard a voice behind me. I started thinking Did he come back to finish me off? A tear slid down my cheek. Why torture me with games, why not just finish me off? Oh right, he is all about games.

I felt arms around me and fought, trying to get him off of me. "Bella! Calm down! Please, it is just me!" I stopped struggling, trying to remember the voice. He spun me around and I flinched, ready to see my nightmare personified. I looked up, shocked.

"Edward." I breathed, so relieved in that moment, I was having problems functioning. I wrapped my arms around him tightly, willing him to not go. He chuckled, even though it sounded strained and carried me over to my bed.

There seems to be a trend where he carries me everywhere. I thought, smiling a bit. I sat down and looked up at him. "Why are you here?" I whispered, not wanting to break the silence, but having to ask.

"I told you I would see you soon, my dear Bella. I will never leave you." he said gently, stroking my cheek. I closed my eyes and let my head fall onto his shoulder. "What is wrong, Bella?" he asked, worry covering his voice. I can't let them get hurt. I thought, and smiled gently at him instead.

I kissed him on the cheek and hopped off of the bed, hoping he didn't leave when I was in the shower. "It was nothing. Just a nightmare. I need to take a shower. Will you still be here when I get back?" I asked, needing confirmation.

"Of course I will, Bella." He looked like he wanted to say something else, but I wouldn't let him, instead just walking out of the room and into the bathroom across the hall with my toiletrie bag and clothes for the day.

He'll figure it out, eventually. What about the note? He will want to know what it is about when he finds that, too. My concious taunted me. I froze, remembering the note on my dresser. I was about to walk back out of the bathroom to get it when I heard a knock on the door.

"Bella?" A small voice asked me. I opened the door to see Alice on the other side, smiling at me. "I was just wondering if you would let me dress you for your first day back to school?" I groaned and was about to decline but I saw her hopeful eyes and sighed. What harm will one little person do? I nodded my head and said "Let me take my shower first."

She jumped up and down and took my clothes out of my hands and saying she would have more appropriate clothes on my bed when I was out of the bathroom. I smiled at her, getting nervous and shut the door, getting ready for my shower.

Why is my side the only thing that hurts? I thought, letting the water pour down onto me. I looked down at my left side and my eyes grew wide. That cut and bruise wasn't there before... I panicked and got out of the shower. I was done, anyway. I was just savoring the hot water. That was the last thing on my mind at that moment, though.

I called out to Alice, putting my towel on and asked her if Carlsile was still here. "Yeah, he is in his office, Bella." She said, opening the bathroom door. I looked at her and made myself look normal so she wouldn't worry.

"Alice, I need to talk to him for a few minutes before my makeover, could you please grab me a tanktop and some sweatpants or something so that I can go down there and talk to him, first?" I asked her, looking at her hopefully.

"Of course Bella. Just hurry up, we only have an hour and a half before school." she said, smiling at me before she ran back to the room and got me the clothes I requested. She came back about a minute later and handed me the clothes before saying she was going to go talk to Jasper.

I nodded and tried to quickly change, worried about what was to come. I walked out of the bathroom and back into my bedroom, grabbing some socks when I saw Edward still on my bed. He looked at me and quickly came over to me and hugged me, more forcefully than normal. I looked at him, confused and he looked over at the bed with apologetic eyes at the note. "I am sorry I read it, I just saw the writing under what I said and thought maybe you wrote me back or something.." I looked at him, shocked that my brain was right.

I stuttered out a incoherent response and was about to walk out of the room to go to Carlsile's office when I felt him grab my hand and hold it there. I looked down at our hands and then back up at him, questioning. "Please tell me, Bella. I want to know what to protect you from." He looked at me with pleading eyes and I looked at him, nodding slowly.

"I need to go down to Carlsile's office first to ask him about something. Come with me and I am sure you will hear what you want to hear." I started walking towards the door again and found myself being stopped again because Edward was still holding onto my hand.

I looked up at him and got lost in his eyes. They were so full of emotion, looking back at me as he came closer to me. He bent down slowly, still keeping eye contact and kissed my cheek, leaving it burning from his touch. He straightened back up and said, "You know I will protect you, right Bella?" I looked back at his worried eyes and felt a pull towards him.

I noticed myself coming closer to him and made myself stop. "I know." I whispered, looking up at his searching eyes. He smiled and started walking forward, still holding my hand as we both walked out of the room.

"Well, then lets go talk to Carlsile." He smiled at me once we got there and knocked on the door.

"Come in." I heard his voice come through the door and I cautiously opened the door, trying to let go of Edwards hand, thinking he wouldn't want his dad to see him holding it. He looked down at me with hurt in his eyes but did not let go so I curled my fingers back around his and smiled at him, hoping to see him smile again.

It worked and he smiled back and started towards Carlsile. "Dad, Bella wanted to talk to you about something." He said, looking at his father and then back at me.

"Of course, what is it that you would like to talk about, Bella?" He looked over at me and smiled, encouraging me to tell them what I discovered.

I looked back at him and looked down at the floor. "I found another bruise and cut." I mumbled looking yp at Carlsile to see his shocked expression. Edward squeezed my hand slightly and I looked back over at him, his eyes burning into my own with such intensity I barely hear Carlsile's request to see it.

I made myself break my gaze with Edward and looked back at him, nodding and coming closer to him, letting go of Edwards hand to show him the discovery on my left side. I immediatly felt the loss but made myself not think about it, as I showed them my cut.

Carlsile gently felt it, looking for anything that would be wrong with it besides the cut and I winced at the pain. Edward walked over to my side and put his arms around me, trying to calm me down. I smiled back up at him, grateful and looked back at Carlsile to see he was looking at me with a serious expression on his face.

"Bella, when did you discover this?" He looked at me with a look that told me to tell the truth.

"This morning, I felt pressure on my side and that woke me up, and then I saw the window open and found the...note." I finished off, hoping I was making the right decision. I looked up at Edward and he looked dangerous, looking straight ahead. I touched his cheek, trying to get him to look at me and his eyes softened as he looked into my own and he kissed my cheek tightening his grip around my waiste and looking back at Carlsile.

"Do you have any idea who would have done this?" his father asked, looking straight at us, once again. I nodded my head at the one question I was hoping would not be asked.

"I know who it is...Please don't be mad at me. I lied to you and I am sorry. I just don't want any of you to get hurt..." I trailed off when Carlsile held up a hand, silencing me.

"Bella, it is about time for school, so I am going to let you go to get ready and get your thoughts together before you tell me, but when I get home from work, I would like you to please tell me everything. And I don't want you to be alone at any time." He looked at me and I nodded, relieved I would be able to think about this a little more before I had to tell them everything.

Edward looked at me with sorrow filled eyes and gently steered me out of the office and up to my room. We got there and Alice was there, looking expectant until she saw Edwards expression. "Alice," he said, calmly. "Would you mind if we postponed this session. There are some things going on and I want Bella to be able to focus right now. And besides, she looks beautiful as she is." He finished off, looking at me.

Alice nodded her head and said "That's okay. I have to get to school early, anyway to catch up on some things." She walked out of the room, throwing over her shoulder, "I already picked out your outfit, it is on your bed."

I looked over at the outfit and was relieved to find it was just a dark blue long sleeved shirt with jeans. Edward excused himself so that I could get ready and I quickly put on the jeans and brushed my hair before walking out of my room and downstairs.

I went into the kitchen and saw the time was 7:20. I quickly grabbed an apple and my bookbag that Esme got me over the weekend and started walking towards the door, only to see Edward there waiting for me. "I hope you don't mind me taking you to school, everyone else left and I don't want you to be later." He flashed me a crooked smile and I blushed, nodding my head.

We walked out the door and he held the passenger door open to his volvo. "Thanks." I said as I slid into my seat. He quickly came over to his side of the door and started the car.

We drove to school in a comfortable silence and I breathed a sigh of relief. I was afraid he would ask me about everything but I guess I don't give him enough credit. He is too much of a gentleman to push you to tell him something.

He parked into a spot in the parking lot next to his siblings car and walked around to get my door as I was taking off my seatbelt and getting my bookbag. I smiled and we started walking towards the school, his hand in mine, as we walked to my first class, English. "Well, Bella. This is where we part. I will be here to pick you up from your class once it is over." He gave me a hug and waited for me to walk into my class before he started towards his destination.