Bella dreaded leaving the safety of Alice's guest bedroom. She had been awake for almost an hour, but fear of the imminent conversation that she and Alice were long overdue for kept her tucked away in bed. Her mind took advantage of her self-imprisonment and thought back to Emmett and his heartfelt apology.

She now wholeheartedly regretted the way she turned him down. Part of her still agreed with the revelations she had during that brief minute of clarity; Emmett was insecure and Edward would forever be between them…but surely they could work past that?

Bella sighed, suddenly uncomfortable in Alice and Jasper's plush bed. The apartment had been relatively quiet all morning, though she knew Alice was still home. The sudden light footsteps approaching her room made her stomach knot in anxiety.

"Bella?" Alice called, knocking on the door.

Bella hesitated, wondering if she could pretend she was still asleep. Almost immediately she felt guilty, and knew putting off this conversation any longer was childish.

"Yeah," Bella replied, sitting up in bed.

Alice opened the door and stepped inside, looking completely together. She had cropped her hair shorter since Bella saw her last and if possible, looked even more polished.

She held up her hand, holding a phone and covering the mouthpiece. Bella saw the look of concern and helplessness on Alice's face and immediately suspected the worst. Emmett? Edward? Did James find one of them? Did Emmett find James?

"Bella," Alice began worriedly. "Your dad is on the phone. He said he's been calling yours but it goes straight to voicemail…and he's a bit upset that you didn't call him when everything happened."

Fuck. It was worse than the worst.

"He's really pissed off," Alice whispered, passing her the phone. "I tried but…"

Bella stifled a groan and nodded her thanks. Alice gave her another sympathetic look before slipping out of the room.

"Hi Dad," Bella said into the phone, already cringing.

"Isabella!" Charlie's voice was tense and obviously irritated. "Do you know – "

"I know, I know!" she said quickly. "I'm so sorry I didn't call. I was just so overwhelmed, and with everything that happened I wasn't thinking right. I didn't pack my phone charger and it died last night."

"You still should have made an effort to call me," Charlie said tersely. "I was worried about you."

"I'm sorry," Bella apologized again.

"At least Emmett had the presence of mind to call me," he grumbled. "But I guess I can understand. You were shook up. I'm happy you called Emmett to come get you. That was smart, Bells, but next time don't be afraid to call the police. That's what they're there for."

"I know," she admitted reluctantly. "But I would hate to take them away from something really important just to walk me to my car."

"Bella," he said in an exasperated voice. "Your safety is important. Especially if there's some sicko out there waiting for you."

"Emmett said you were going to talk to some contacts about him?"

She heard Charlie clear his throat and shuffle some papers around. Bella could see him clearly, sitting at the wooden kitchen table, a cold beer leaving a circle on the scarred tabletop. "Yep. Not much on paper. He's got a sealed juvie record and a few parking violations. Talked to a buddy, though, and he's going to ask around."

"I didn't think James was that bad," Bella said. At Charlie's shocked breath, she hastily added, "You know, before the whole creepy after work thing."

"Yeah," Charlie replied in a clipped voice. "You know I'm a firm believer in following your gut. Human instincts are protect us. They mean something. You get that feeling that something's wrong, you listen to it."

"I did. I called Edward and Emmett."

"I like Emmett," he remarked. She knew those seemingly innocent words were loaded.

"Have you even met Emmett?" she asked lightly.

"I think I might have broken up a party at his place a few years back," Charlie thought aloud. "Neighbors complained, but that was typical teenage stuff. It seems like he handled himself with this James character, though."

"I wish he didn't hit him. I feel like that only provoked James more. If anything it'll make him want to retaliate."

She could hear Charlie take a drink and visualized him thinking; his eyebrows pulled together and a slight frown on his face.

"Well, now, I think it was good that he took a strong stand. It shows James that you have someone who obviously cares about you and will fight for you. It might be enough to make him keep his distance."

"I guess so," Bella said doubtfully. She thought the part where James slashed her tires sent a pretty clear message about how he felt.

"So…I guess Emmett cares for you, then," Charlie said. He paused, waiting for her reply.

"Um…yeah," she admitted. Since moving to Seattle, she had kept the details of her personal life rather sparse. She found it was easier to spare Charlie the details rather than worry him. "We kind of dated but it's over now."

"Huh," he grunted. "Didn't sound over, the way he told it. Didn't you spend the night at his place?"

"Yes," Bella said through her teeth. "In his spare bedroom. We're still friends."

"Okay. Well. Listen, I gotta get down to the station. I'll call you when I find out more about James. You staying with Alice now?"

Relieved that the conversation had been steered away from Emmett, Bella told him about Alice's generous offer of her guest room. She would be staying there until the James situation was resolved.

"All right. Love you, kid, and keep me in the loop from now on, okay?"

"Okay. Sorry again. Love you," Bella said goodbye.

She ended the call and the photo set as the cell phone's background caught her eye. It was a picture of their group from happier times. She and Alice stood in front of the boys, arms around each other and eyes shining happily. It sent a pang through her heart. She flipped it shut.

She stood and dressed quickly, suddenly eager to find Alice. She was seated at the kitchen table, nothing in front of her, just waiting.

"Hi," Alice smiled. She looked cautious but hopeful. "How are you feeling?"

Bella shrugged and sat down. She slid Alice's cell phone across the table. "I'm okay. I slept well. I, um, I wanted to thank you for letting me stay here. I know things haven't been – "

Alice leaned forward and grabbed her hand. Her big brown eyes were suddenly tearful and she took a deep breath. "I'm sorry I was such a bitch. I was afraid someone was going to get hurt, and just wanted to make sure it didn't happen. I didn't know how to express that and I did it poorly. I'm so sorry, Bella."

"I missed you a lot," Bella said softly. "But you really hurt me. The things you said…I don't know how you could think that way about me."

Alice stood up and came around the table to wrap her arms around Bella. She squeezed her tightly. "I'm so sorry. You know I love you. You're like a sister to me. Can you ever forgive me?"

Bella rolled her eyes, secretly enjoying Alice's overly dramatic plea. She missed this. She missed her best friend, but knew that the process of truly forgiving Alice would be a long one. "Yes. And I really do appreciate you guys letting me crash here. Are you sure it's not a problem?"

Alice straightened and shook her head. "Of course not. Did Charlie have any information about James?"

"Nothing really," Bella sighed. "He has someone looking into it, though. Have you talked to Emmett? I'm worried that James will go after him."

"If anyone can take care of himself, it's Emmett," Alice assured her.

"I know…I'm just worried that James is going to retaliate in some way. If he knows where I live, he probably knows where Emmett lives, too, and we really have no idea what he's capable of."

"Jasper wants to have the boys over for dinner tonight," she said. "So we can get an idea of what happened and how we need to proceed."

"I can't. I'm supposed to close tonight."

Alice laughed. "Oh, Bella. Emmett talked to Sue the morning after the James thing. You're off the schedule for now, just to be safe. We don't want you in a place that he's so comfortable with."

Bella frowned. "I have to work; I can't afford not to. Besides, the store needs me."

"You could afford to take a break," Alice pointed out. "You've been burning the candle on both ends for far too long. And I'm sure the store will somehow manage without you, Wonder Woman."

"It doesn't really matter. I want to work. I refuse to change my entire life because of this. I have no problem being extra careful, but I'm not going to curl up in a ball and hide in your guest room forever. This is temporary."

Alice looked at her sympathetically. "That's a battle you'll have to win tonight at dinner. Good luck, but I highly doubt Emmett is going to be okay with you working. You know, at night, by yourself, where James almost attacked you."

Bella sighed. "Well. I guess I have nothing to do today."

"Maybe we can do something together?" Alice asked shyly. "Ridiculous movies and junk food?"

"That sounds really good," Bella replied truthfully. She couldn't help but return Alice's smile.

Emmett showered, shaved, and then spent fifteen minutes trying to pick out a t-shirt to wear to Alice's. He didn't want anyone to think he put too much effort into his outfit, but he didn't want to look like a slob, either. After another ten minutes he threw up his hands in disgust and grabbed one at random.

It was a Polo that Bella bought for him.

His nerves rarely got the best of him, but he was so anxious at seeing Bella again that he left early for Alice and Jasper's. He had plenty of time so he stopped at a liquor shop and picked up Bella and Alice's favorite wine.

Jasper opened the door and took one look at him, flustered and carrying a bottle of wine instead of his usual six pack, and started laughing.

"Shut up," Emmett grumbled, shoving past him.

"The ladies are in the living room, slacking off and watching television," Jasper said, raising his voice so they could hear. "I'm in charge of dinner tonight."

Emmett's eyebrows went up. "Really? Do you actually know how to cook anything?"

"That offends me," Jasper frowned. "You're in charge of the salad and garlic bread. Edward should be here within the hour."

"Okay," Emmett said agreeably. He would need to be careful about his expressions and tones wherever Edward was involved. He was a mature adult and not threatened at all by Edward's relationship with Bella.

Yeah, right.

Bella and Alice were lounging on the couch, heads at opposite ends while they shared the same blanket. Alice's eyes lit up when she saw him, and she threw back the blanket and rushed him. She squeezed him so tightly he almost choked.

"It's so good to see you," she whispered. "I missed your face."

He had forgotten how petite Alice was, and her fierce hug warmed him to the core. Her touch was soothing and for the moment, he felt okay. When Alice pulled back her eyes were shining, almost like she was about to cry. She stared at him for a long moment and placed a hand on his cheek, which he found oddly comforting.

"Hi, Emmett."

Bella didn't get up off the couch, and her voice was quiet. Timid. He turned away from Alice and looked at her, embracing the rush of emotions she caused.

"Hey Bella," he greeted her. After a split second of hesitation, he leaned down and gave her a quick hug. The scent of her shampoo made his heart clench, and Emmett found it difficult to pull away from her. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted Alice edging towards the door. She was giving them a moment of privacy, and he greatly appreciated it. "How are you doing?"

She shrugged and smiled wanly. "I'm okay. I haven't really let myself think about anything. I was worried about you, though."

Emmett sat down on the edge of the couch, making sure there was plenty of room between them. Bella was wearing sweatpants and an old hoodie of Jasper's. Dressed down and without makeup, she looked like she was fifteen. "Why would you be worried about me?"

"James," she said softly. "I was afraid he would find you."

The fear in her voice was real, and Emmett cursed the awkwardness between them. Any other girl, any other time, and he would have just scooped her up and hugged the shit out of her until she felt better. But his relationship with Bella was already strained, and he didn't want to risk damaging it any further.

Emmett angled his body and moved slightly closer to her. She didn't shy away and he took that as a good sign. "Bella, you don't have to worry about me. I can take care of myself."

"Not if he breaks into your house in the middle of the night," she protested.

He rolled his eyes. He'd bet his left nut that she was up half the night worrying about stupid scenarios like that. "You know that baseball bat right by my bed? Well, let's just say that's not the one I use for batting practice."

"Nothing you say will make me stop worrying," Bella shook her head.

"Well, if nothing is going to stop you from worrying, I want you to redirect your worries," he said seriously. "I want you to be careful. Don't go anywhere alone. Make sure you're aware of your surroundings. And I want you to take a self defense course."

"I don't need to take one," she immediately argued. "Charlie taught me everything I need to know."

Emmett's eyes narrowed as he studied her. Bella found she couldn't maintain eye contact, and let her eyes fall to the ground. More than ever she craved the safety of Emmett's strong arms. He was like comfort food to her soul, and she desperately needed his soothing touch.

"Okay. Then we'll meet a couple times a week at my place and brush up on your defensive skills," he finally said.

His voice was low and calm, but Bella's heart reacted as dramatically as if he'd grabbed her and kissed her. Spending time alone with him each week? Presumably this time would be spent in his weight room, and he could possibly sweat. He knew what that did to her. She swallowed hard.

Was this his innocent way of helping, or was he opening up to her? Was this him making an effort and letting her back in?

Was it really too late?

"I – I, um, okay, I guess," she stuttered. She felt her cheeks warm and ducked her head so he couldn't see. She hadn't been prepared for this. An awkward pause descended upon them, and after a few seconds Emmett stood up.

"Okay. I'm in charge of the garlic bread, so I need to get back to the kitchen. You want a glass of wine or something?" he asked, shoving his hands into his jeans.

"No, thanks, I'm okay." She gestured to the full glass on the coffee table.

Emmett nodded and backed out of the room. He had just stepped into the hallway when Bella called his name. He turned.

"I like your shirt," she said softly, the corner of her mouth lifting.

And that one little sentence – with that small, small smile – suddenly gave him hope. Emmett returned her smile wholeheartedly, and couldn't even wipe the goofy grin off his face before he entered the kitchen.

Jasper took one look at him and rolled his eyes. A brief, reserved smile crossed his face but quickly disappeared. The wrinkle between his eyebrows reappeared and he stared at the bubbling pot of sauce.

"You alright?" Emmett asked, grabbing a beer from the fridge.

"Yeah," Jasper shrugged. "What about you?"

Emmett paused, the beer nearly touching his lips. "I'm fine. Why?"

Jasper stirred the tomato sauce with a wooden spoon, obviously thinking carefully before he spoke. "You look a little too happy."

His buzz, the one that he got whenever he spent time with Bella, slowly began to dissipate. It must have reflected on his face because Jasper sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair.

"That came out wrong," Jasper apologized. "I mean, you came in acting like you were going on your first date or something, and five minutes with her and you can't stop smiling. I just want you to watch yourself. You were so unhappy when you guys broke up."

"I broke up with her," Emmett replied quietly. "It was so stupid. I was afraid that she'd leave me, so somehow I thought breaking up with her first would spare me the pain. But it didn't. It just guaranteed me that pain I was trying to avoid."

"Psychoanalyze yourself much?" Jasper joked.

A grudging smile pulled at Emmett's mouth. "I've had a lot of free time on my hands in the past few weeks. Did a lot of soul searching."

"So…?"

"This thing with James really put everything into perspective. I'm not going to let that bastard anywhere near her. She's already terrified, which is bad enough." Emmett took a deep breath. "I love her. I really love her, and I don't want to lose her."

Jasper's blue eyes narrowed slightly. "So you want to get back with her?"

"If she'll have me. I think it'll take some time but she seemed open to me just now," he smiled. He felt more relaxed than he had in a long time, and that just confirmed this was the right path.

"That's great," Jasper said slowly. He scratched his head and kind of grimaced. "But what about Edward? I know they've been hanging out a lot. They got close, man."

Emmett kept a brave, strong face on despite the sinking feel in his stomach. If he and Bella were going to try again, he'd have to come to terms with her friendship with Edward.

"Well…just hanging out, right?" he heard himself ask.

Jasper cocked his head to the side and poked at the ground beef browning on the stove. "I don't know. I guess. Neither has mentioned being more than friends."

Emmett mumbled something and crossed the room to sit at the kitchen table. He busied himself with the garlic bread, going through the motions of preparing it, but Jasper could see he was perturbed.

He had a sick pit of guilt in his stomach. Edward mentioned the kiss he gave Bella. He said it was nothing, barely a kiss, but the fact that he mentioned it at all told otherwise.

Was he a terrible friend for not telling Emmett about it?

Jasper closed his eyes, wishing that he and Alice had never left the bar that night. If only Peter hadn't gotten sick…then Emmett never would have made a move for Bella.

There was a knock on the door and his guilt swelled when Edward stepped into the apartment.

Emmett stopped chopping garlic and waved the knife. "Hey Edward."

"Hey guys," he greeted them. He was freshly showered and wearing jeans and a sweatshirt. "I brought a bottle of the girls' wine."

Jasper slid a glance over to Emmett, who was back to chopping garlic. He was concentrating awfully hard on that garlic.

"Ah…they have a bottle open. Just put it on the counter," Jasper suggested.

"So how's Bella?" Edward asked. "When I left last night she seemed better. More relaxed, at least."

Emmett's head snapped over so he could look at Edward so quickly that Jasper almost laughed. Almost, but the stark pain and unshielded curiosity on Emmett's face had a sobering effect.

"She's uh…she's doing okay," Jasper shrugged. "You know. Still creeped out, but she talked to Charlie and I think that calmed her down."

"Yeah, I talked to Charlie, too," Emmett spoke up. His voice was gruff and he didn't look at them as he smeared butter on the bread. "Bella's coming over to my place a couple times a week and we're going to work on some self-defense."

Edward frowned.

Jasper blinked.

"Oh hey, look who's here!" Alice trilled, stepping into the kitchen. She gave Edward a kiss on the cheek. "Bella! Bella, Edward's here." She dropped her voice to a very loud whisper. "We're drinking wine and getting tipsy. We need refills."

"Should we hold off on more wine until we get everything settled?" Edward asked, looking at Jasper for back up.

"Get what settled?" Alice asked. She cocked her head to the side and looked at Edward curiously.

"You know…" he trailed off. "The whole James thing."

"Oh, that's over and done with," Alice said, dismissing the situation with a wave of her hand. "Emmett's gonna train Bella so she can kick James's ass!"

"I think our plan should be a bit more secure than that," Edward frowned again. He looked at Emmett and ran a hand through his hair. "You honestly think that's enough to deter James? Teach Bella how to punch and she's safe? She'll probably end up breaking her hand and making the situation worse."

"Thanks for that vote of confidence, Edward," Bella said lightly, stepping into the kitchen. She looked at Alice and held up her empty glass, which Alice was quick to refill.

"You know you're accident prone, Bella," he said gently. He snuck another glance at Emmett, who was too busy watching Bella to notice him. "Besides, I think what we need to focus on is prevention. I don't want you to be in a situation where you have to defend yourself. That's a shitty plan."

Emmett stood up, his chair scraping across the floor. "I think it's important that Bella knows how to protect herself. She can't be with someone every second of the day, and regardless of whatever kind of prevention we can come up with, nothing is foolproof."

"But you can't expect – "

"Okay," Bella said, holding up her hands.

"Okay what?" Edward asked, eyeing the glass of wine in her hand and wondering how many she had.

"Everyone shut up," she smiled. "I've decided that we're not going to do anything. I don't want any drama tonight. I'm going to live my life as I usually do. Emmett will help me brush up on my self-defense, and if I ever see James I will call the police. That's it."

"That's not enough," he argued, crossing his arms over his chest. "He's obviously deranged, Bella. I wasn't even there and I know that. "

"And what exactly do you think she should do?" Emmett asked. The hard edge to his voice gave away the brewing anger inside him. He set down the knife and stared at Edward.

"I think you need to take a leave of absence from work. Both jobs," Edward explained, looking to Bella. "We'll get a restraining order and you can just take it easy until we find him. We'll make sure someone is always with you."

Emmett snorted. "That's completely unrealistic. You're asking her to give up her entire life."

"It's not unrealistic! It's careful."

Jasper leaned against the counter and inhaled deeply. The mounting tension was giving him a headache; he hated seeing his family at odds. Alice intuitively moved closer to him, her arm slipping through his.

"Edward…I get what you're saying," Bella began. "But Emmett is right. I don't want to give up my entire life, not to mention I can't afford it."

"I'm not proposing that you do this indefinitely," he said defensively. "Just as long as it takes to nail this guy."

"But for what? He technically hasn't done anything to me," she replied lightly. She shrugged and grabbed his hand, giving it a quick squeeze. "I know you're worried about me. Trust me, no one is more worried than me. But I refuse to do anything drastic. We'll just see what happens. Maybe Emmett's fists convinced him to stay away."

"The whole point of this dinner was to come up with ways to keep you safe," Edward said stiffly.

"And now the whole point is for our amazing group of friends to come together and have a wonderful dinner!" Alice announced. "Em, get that garlic bread in the oven. This sauce is almost done. Jasper, don't let the noodles get soggy."

Edward waited until Alice went over to the table to spot check Emmett's work, then grabbed Bella and ushered her out into the hallway. He didn't appreciate her commandeering the conversation, especially when he wasn't finished speaking, but Alice provided him a nice distraction.

"I know you're worried about me," Bella said softly. "And I appreciate that. But if I stay home from work and hole up in this place it's like he's winning."

"It's not a competition." Edward kept his voice as low as his and took a step closer. Bella's eyes widened slightly and she looked over his shoulder at the kitchen door. They were shrouded in darkness but not safe from discovery. "This is about keeping you safe." He reached up to brush her hair out of her face. "Let me keep you safe, Bella."

Her eyes closed and her breathing was the only thing he could hear. Edward took one more step and his chest touched hers. The sounds of the kitchen began to fade away.

"Edward…" she whispered. "We can't."

"Sssh," he inhaled her scent, burying his face in the crook of her neck. His hands began to trail up her arms and Bella forcibly shivered. The movement went straight through his body and the sexual tension that had been building between them for weeks was suddenly bubbling over. He pulled back and brushed his lips over hers.

He caught her exhalation and deepened the kiss. One hand worked its way up her neck and into her hair, cradling her scalp. Bella moaned quietly, her back arching away from the wall.

"Dinner's almost ready." Jasper's voice floated through the darkened hallway.

Bella ripped her mouth from his so quickly that she banged her head against the wall. Her cheeks flooded with color and she ducked under his arm, practically running down the hallway.

Edward discreetly adjusted his pants and turned to face Jasper.

"Really, Edward?" he hissed. "Don't do that shit in my house. It's not cool."

"They broke up. Bella is fair game," Edward responded, irritated at the interruption. He was getting tired of Jasper's constant implications that he was doing something wrong.

"Yeah, that's the impression that I'm getting. That this is a game for you."

"That's a shitty thing to assume about your best friend," Edward snapped.

"Then don't act in a way that makes me assume that," Jasper retorted. "Don't do anything with her in my house. Don't act like that when Emmett is here. Just show a little respect, man."

Jasper didn't want for a reply, just turned and went back into the kitchen. Edward stood there, fuming, until Alice began yelling for him and Bella to set the table. He figured she needed a few more minutes to pull herself together, so he started the job solo.

By the time Bella reappeared, Alice was giving him shifty looks. She obviously picked up on something and didn't approve. That just increased his shitty mood. He was tired of having his motives constantly questioned.

Emmett snagged the seat next to Bella, which pissed him off even more. Emmett started joking and laughing, laying it on a little too thick, but Bella looked like she was eating it up. Before dinner they had made plans for her to go to his place Monday and Wednesday for "self defense training." Edward wondered what Emmett really had in mind.

He couldn't snag Bella again until dessert. Emmett excused himself to go to the bathroom and Alice was helping Jasper cut the cheesecake in the kitchen. A heavy silence fell over them and he waited, still pissed off about Emmett.

"Stop pouting," Bella finally said. She took a sip of wine.

"You're spending time alone with Emmett."

"I spend time alone with a lot of people, and you don't pout over them," she countered.

"You dated Emmett," he said flatly, not in the mood for games. "That's different."

"What do you want me to do? Never see him again?"

"He had his chance with you, Bella. Do you remember how upset you were when he broke up with you?" he asked, leaning forward. "Don't let that happen again."

Her eyes flashed with pain and she stared at the tablecloth. "It's not a date, Edward. It'll be like an exercise class."

"Then go out with me," he said quickly, his voice hushed. "Go on a date with me."

Bella looked down the hallway, looking worried and tired. "I don't know. Emmett is helping me, and we're just friends. Like you said, he broke up with me. There's no reason for us to rush things all of a sudden because I'm spending time with him."

"You know he still has feelings for you. Please, Bella. Let's just try," Edward pleaded. "Give me a chance."

"Okay," she relented, her voice reluctant. "But please don't tell Jasper. Don't tell anyone. I just don't want to hurt anyone."

She sounded anything but excited, but Edward immediately felt better.

Let Emmett have his time with Bella. Like she said, it would be an exercise class. A formal, boring exercise class. He'd make sure his date with Bella was something she'd never forget.

He reached across the table and took her hand, bringing it to his lips. "Thank you, Bella. You won't regret this."

She looked troubled and unhappy, but he knew he could fix that.

thank you tracie and lashawn for your help with this chapter!

i also want to thank the person that nominated me over at the twinklings awards. torn is up for the angst goddess and the mistress of mystery awards! voting begins on 1/15. THANK YOU!

xoxoxo

LUNA