The cell phone Edward left Bella for emergencies rang next to her nightstand while she was doing her homework. This was the time Edward usually called. Too late to still be at her house, but too early to sneak through her window. She answered quickly.

"Edward!" She breathed excitedly into the phone. A deep rumble of a sigh responded.

"You know, it sucks to be in a family with that kid. Doesn't matter that I'm bigger, or stronger, or ridiculously more attractive, and far less moody. Everyone's still talking about Edward. Edward, Edward, Edward!" This last was said in his best Bella impression. It was actually quite good. She laughed out loud.

"Emmett!" She squeaked, delighted that he was okay. But there were more pressing matters. "Where are you!? Why'd you leave? WHy'd you leave Rosalie? Have you seen Rosalie? Talked to her? She's terrible, you know. You should call her. Why are you calling me? How'd you get this number?" The questions came, rapid fire, until Emmett laughed. "Minnie, take a breath!" She did, noticing that she had indeed forgotten to breathe, and was feeling rather light headed from all the talking. "This is why Minnie Mouse should stay quiet," he muttered, "not enough air for all the questions she has." Bella glared at the phone. "They're good questions Emmett. They need answers. You need to come back." She said quietly. She didn't know why he'd called her, but she was going to do her best to make sure she got the message through to him as well as anyone else could.

Emmett took a deep breath. "Well for one, the whole family has this number, just in case Edwards somewhere else and we need you. Or you need us." Lie number one. He'd stolen the number from the glove compartment of Edward's car before he ran. "I called you because you're the least intimidating." Lie number two. She was definitely the scariest phone call. He'd called her because his want to touch her had escalated to need, and then morphed into a need to be near her at all. "No, I haven't seen Rose, or talked to her. I don't plan on it. Don't push that Minnie." Lie number three. He had seen her. In the distance, he watched....making sure to run again when she noticed. He couldn't speak to her, but he heard her screams sometimes, and they made him sure that he couldn't come back to her just yet. "I'm in Denali. And I left because...." He let the sentence hang in the air. He'd slipped, spoke without thinking. What could he tell her? He wasn't going to answer the question, he wasn't even going to address it. Why had he? Oh God.

"You left because....?" Bella prompted. And it spilled out.

"I left because I was having inappropriate thoughts about a close friend of the family. I knew that these thoughts would have a serious effect on certain mind readers in my house and I didn't want anybody hurt. I just didn't want anybody hurt, Bella." He said it very quietly. Bella forged ahead without thinking.

"Rosalie's hurt Emmett! Esme's hurt, so Carlisle's hurt, so Edward's hurt, so I'm hurt. And Alice and Jasper and -- OH!" she cried. Then silence. Then a whisper, that only a vampire could hear, laced with fear and uncertainty. "Inappropriate thoughts that would hurt certain mind readers....and cause Rosalie to throw you into her vanity." Again silence, then a quieter, "Oh."

"I should probably...I don't know why I....Bella." He let out a huge sigh. "I wanted you to know that I'm sorry. I screwed up, I ruined everything and I need for you to know that I'm sorry." Bella sat for a moment, just listening to the sounds of their joined breathing. "Don't tell anyone I called you." And with that, the line went dead.

Bella stared at the phone for a long time, until she heard her father turn the television off. She knew it was late, and that Edward would be through her window as soon as Charlie started to snore. She smartly deleted the last incoming call on the phone, finished her notes, and beat Charlie to the shower.

It was selfish, but she stayed there for a while. She knew her father was waiting but she couldn't wrap her head around the drama that seemed to be her life. Emmett? Her and Emmett? She couldn't...she'd never even thought of him that way. He was so completely and utterly Rosalie's. As she was so completely and totally Edward's. But...like she couldn't understand what Edward saw in her, it was almost impossible to see what Emmett saw in Rosalie. Sure, there was the beauty, but to spend eternity with someone, she figured they'd have to be more than beautiful. She'd always assumed there was some redeeming quality Rosalie had, one that she just didn't want to show anyone else. Apparently not. Emmett had strayed from her. For....

"Bella! I'm going to need the hot water too, ya know?" She jumped as Charlie pounded on the door. She hurriedly turned the water off, realizing she must've been in there a long time. Charlie had never rushed her out of the shower before. She finished her routine, called to Charlie that she was out, and went to her room.

He was there, waiting for her on the bed, as always, but she couldn't look at him. No, he couldn't read her mind, but it was almost impossible to lie to him while looking at him, so she skipped in entirely. She told him she was utterly exhausted, and climbed into bed. He frowned, but said nothing. His arms curled around her and he hummed her lullabye until she fell asleep.

Later, when the speaking started, he wondered who had wronged her in dreams that she was forgiving so much. "I forgive you. It's alright. It'll get better. I'll make it better. I forgive you. I'll make them see. I forgive you. I forgive you."

A/N: I think this is the length I'm going to keep posting them at. The first felt too short and the second felt too long. What'dya think? -Shy