A.N OMG have i seriously told you ppl how much i love u heheheh. Thankyou all for reading and reviewing.

AND thanks to my wonderful beta Steeph90

I hope you all enjoy chapter 6, Human :D

Title: Quiet Guardian

Chapter 6: Human

One Minute, one knock on the door and one human was all it took, for my world to come crashing down.

He was back, and I don't know how, but he was human.

Weak, vulnerable and sick, words I never thought I would use to describe Edward… now seem to suit this entire situation all too well. He had fainted and Bella had fell right back into his arms. He needed her and although, deep down I thought that just, maybe, she wouldn't take him back… he had needed her so I knew she would.

It had been a month since he had come back and I watched, along with Charlie, as Bella continued to care for him. It worried me that her glow that she had only recently gotten back, had once again faded to nothing … but what one could only describe as grey. Everything she did now revolved around Edward and taking care of him, she no longer went to school and although I had fought with Charlie about it; he too had seem to have given up and a small part of me knew he had given up the moment he saw his daughter with Edward again.

Edward slept with Bella now, as I lay awake staring at the wall… which really didn't separate me from them. Every night I listened (watched) Bella cry herself to sleep, as Edward fell into his deep slumber, smile planted permanently on his face. I didn't understand how he could be so blissfully happy, when clearly every cough, shudder and shake was killing Bella.

Bella and I used to have this routine. Every first day of each month, we would watch the sunrise on our roof. I found myself climbing up early, at least a few hours before sunrise to wait, a large part of me knew she wouldn't come, so I wouldn't be lying when I was surprised when she showed up a few minutes before sunrise.

"I didn't think you would be here,"

"Don't be ridiculous Emmett; we made a pact to do this every first day of each month,"

And I'm not sure why, but I find myself laughing. Bella gets up and leaves after that and I find myself watching the sunrise alone.

Jacob and I find ourselves hanging out alone, we try to act like nothing is different, but both of us know this wasn't working out… we are nothing without Bella. So both of us come to this silent agreement and decide to no longer hang out. As soon as he leaves, I run off into the forest and pounce on the closet animal I find. It isn't until I've drained all of its blood that I realise I've been neglecting my vampire needs. But it's also then, that I realise I hadn't been that bothered by it.

I still sit with Bella's friends at school, although I no longer join in with conversation, I think they're to scared to ask me to leave. One day one of the popular girls comes up, a cheerleader; Brittany, Tiffany or Ashley, I don't really care she asks me if I'm up to see a movie this Saturday with her… I say yes and I don't realise why until Saturday comes around.

I'm in my room picking out something to wear, when Bella comes in… bags under her eyes and tears on her cheeks.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going on a date." Bella stumbles back shocked and I try to fight off the guilt that I feel knowing that this is what I wanted.

"Oh…"

I don't look back as I walk out the door, but I feel her eyes stay on my back and I smile, knowing that I've won.

I find out her name after all was Amber and she isn't that bad after all. Her dad is into marketing and her mom left them when she was 8, I pretend to care when she tells me this, resting my cool hand over hers, she doesn't seem to mind its coolness and I find out this bothers me more.

It's halfway through the movie that I realise why I'm out here with Amber, I almost laugh as I find myself admitting and it's almost clique to a point, 'Hi my name is Emmett and I'm addictive to humans'. I lean over and kiss Amber then, and although I know its darn right one of the most stupid things I've done… I find myself kissing her again that night. I don't see Amber again after our date, I make up excuses to dodge her at school and for any future plans she has for our next date. I decide to make my pursuits less obvious just in case something does go wrong, so next weekend I drive up to Portland and allow myself the choice from many admirers to spend the night with.

I still remember Bella's face every time I bring home a new girl, she looks at me with disbelief and hurt, but it only feeds me on as I bring home two girls next week. Charlie has altogether stopped caring and has gone into his own world, I don't talk much to him anymore. I run into a female vampire for the first time, in months and I find myself strangely dissatisfied, I turn to the next female human to walk into the bar and I take her back home to forks. Next morning I make sure Bella is up, before I kicked her out. Bella looked on and shook her head, I painfully smiled back, greeting her with; what I believed was a very rehearsed 'good morning' she didn't even reply and turned around walking back into her room.

Its the next night that I meet Ashley, a young aspiring graphic designer from Jersey, she immediately falls under my spell and I take her to the nearest hotel, not bothering to drive her back to my house. She is pressed between me and our hotel room wall, when I realise then when I close my eyes just a bit, she could look like Bella. Something comes over me then and I push her back into the wall and walk away, it's only until I don't hear her shout or yell that I turn back and see she is resting in a pile of her own blood. I rush over and immediately realise that her heart isn't beating and fall back… her blood not even tempting me the slightest, for the first time since Edward had called us monsters, I finally find myself agreeing. After chucking her body into a river, I make a promise not to sleep with humans anymore; a part of me knew it would only last a day, but I was wrong. it lasted three.

It was a week later, that I saw someone who could have possibly been Ashley's mother or older sister and I found myself outside of a church for the next six hours. I didn't go in, because somewhere deep inside me I knew, I wasn't meant to. I once heard Carlisle and Edward fighting about the after life and I once again; all though I gritted my teeth to it, agreeing with Edward, if we were to die even hell wouldn't be enough punishment for us.

By the time I got home I found myself walking past Bella's door expecting to see her kneeling beside Edward with a wash cloth. But no all I found was Edward staring up at the ceiling smiling, I made move to leave but Edward had spun around and caught me staring.

"Emmett?" I was out of the door and into the woods before I even had thought of something I could have said.

I stopped myself just before I reached the woods and found myself staring back at the house, and that's when I saw her sitting alone on our roof and I realised it was nearly time for our next sunrise.

I made my way up, and silently sat down beside her, although I knew she knew I was there.

"Edward's sick," why was she saying his name, I didn't want to here it … especially here, "And he won't let me take him to the hospital, I thought maybe he would get better… but everyday he's just getting worse."

A part of me thinks this is good… however I admittedly feel guilty and decide not to say anything.

"I don't know what to do anymore."

I feel her shift beside me and as the sun begins to rise I wrap my arm around her and bring her close, whispering sweet nothings into her ear, 'your beautiful, wonderful and breathtaking.' And that's when I realise for a small moment everything feels right again. She gets up and leaves after another ten minutes of nothing and I refuse to turn around, because I can't bear to watch her leave… again.

I leave that night but for some reason, I always find myself returning before tomorrow, and I don't have the answer for that just yet.

I don't go out next night, deciding best to stay home… Charlie's out and I try to pretend I'm here because I want to be, not because the need to protect Bella is as strong as the day I came back. I'm walking by Bella's room and although I don't have to be standing right up to the door to hear her conversation with Edward, I do anyway… it seems lately I've been finding it almost natural to be human.

"You're still so beautiful..." A loud coughing fit interrupts Edward, and I can almost see Bella's worried face, as she flusters over him.

"Edward please let me help; you need to see a doctor."

"No." He says it like any child refusing to go see their doctor, and it just makes me pity him more.

"Edward you don't understand, you could… die," Bella chokes out the last bit, like she can't possibly imagine it.

"I know." It's then I lean closer, looking through the tiny gap, of the ajar door and I see that his smiling. Bella collapses on top of him, hands gripped so tightly on his shirt that her knuckles are turning white, I hear her cry out and hold him closer. For the first time in over 2 months, I don't want him to die.

I'm lying awake staring up the ceiling, thinking about the woman who could have been Ashley's mother, when I hear a small knock on my door. It's her.

"Emmett," I rush over and have to pause just before unlocking my door; to realise I'm meant to be angry.

"What?"

I say it harsh and I feel guilty immediately afterwards, when I feel her head come to rest on the door.

"I'm … I just… I need you."

It doesn't take me long to unlock the door and pull her inside my room, my hands find their place on her head and I let my dark eyes rest on hers. She takes in a deep breath, "You're hungry, maybe its…."

"Don't go." It's weird how vulnerable I was able to sound… but it had been a long time since I had felt like the strong and tough Emmett I use to be.

She nods against my hands, like she could escape anyway now she was in my hands, flashes of Ashley fill my head, and I feel guilty, dropping my hands instantly. "What, what's wrong?"

I put on a fake smile and say nothing, If I had done this a few months ago, she would have caught me out for lying, but now that we had said 'nothings wrong' for such along time, we automatically know the other is lying and let it go. We have our own secrets now.

"Bella just for tonight, maybe can we just pretend like nothings changed… that you still love me…" She opens her mouth to object, but I don't let her, "And I still love you?" It's a lie, of course I still love her, but it allows me to see, only just for a brief moment she still cares and for now that's all I need. For now.

"Ok."

I lead her over to my bed, and allow her to lie down first, before I curve in beside her. I know she doesn't say it, but it's on the tip of her tongue and she's thinking did I do this with all of them, or is she special?

"It's easier now, I've had a lot of practise," Another lie… makes me feel better and her worse, it's sad how selfish I've become when clearly she needs me now and I'm just making things harder.

But she was allowed to be selfish and take Edward back, so why can't I be?

I move my hands up and down her shoulders, hoping she can forgive me for what I just said, she leans back into me … and I know I'm forgiven.

I start thinking of something that's been on my mind for a good few weeks now, and I decide to finally let it slip.

"I'm leaving." I was surprised by how quickly she turned around, tears shimmering in her eyes.

"NO, you can't go… you just can't… please don't leave me, please don't leave me like he did… please."

I pull her tightly into my chest, where I let her cry into, I don't care that my shirt is now moist. "It's ok Bella, shhh I'll stay ok."

"Never say that ever again please." And then she does something that surprises me… she kisses me and I find my lips moving against hers likes it's the most natural thing to do.

"Why?" I find myself breathing out, after the kiss ends.

"Because he left and you came back." She says it like it's the most obvious thing in the world, but to me it still isn't. I decide now, isn't the time to say anything… just enjoy this why it lasts. So I take a hold of her hand, leading her up to the roof.

I sit her down, then I jump down beside her, I know she knows why we are here.

"I feel bad, I forgot."

"It's ok, I remembered for us both."

It was funny how those two sentences, seemed to sum up our last few months apart from one another. I laughed at the irony and for once I felt Bella understand and laugh too.

We watched together as the sun began to open up and rise slowly into the sky, starting off purple, pink, orange and finally ending with a deep yellow.

"What happens now?"

I look over and grip Bella's hand tightly, "I'm going to help you with Edward," Bella was about to open her mouth to protest but I quickly continued, "I know it's going to be hard, watching you around him, when I know deep down you still love him… but I'll do it because I still love you."

I silence any doubts with a kiss and it seems right and final. And I close my eyes as I deepen it hoping that this isn't just the sunrise, or one of Bella's mood swings and that this kiss isn't goodbye.

A.N OK so what did you guys think???? Chapter 7 may take longer to update... but i'll try to get it up soon because im leaving for a 2 week holiday on the 17th ... so hopefully i'll be able to post at least 2 chapters for you all.

LOVE U ALL

-KATIE