A/N: My chapter.

It wasn't long before Edward stirred again, this time sitting up fully and sliding to the edge of the bed. He then stood up and ceremoniously extended a hand toward me. I raised my eyebrow at him quizzically, but accepted it just the same. He pulled me to my feet, and I was immediately struck by an intense wave of dizziness from having been in bed for too long. I swayed slightly but he wrapped an arm around my back and caught me before I could fall backwards onto the bed again.

He chuckled, his green eyes sparkling with unmistakable good humor. I laughed along with him, because it felt indescribably good to be home, and to be here with him. He allowed me to pull myself upright but his arm remained encircled tightly around my waist, holding my body very close to his. He brushed several stray strands of my hair (which I'm quite sure resembled a rat's nest by this point) away from my forehead. Then he spent the next several moments staring at my face, if he were trying to memorize my features.

He smiled softly, and then sighed. "Let's go downstairs and fix up your hand."

We walked down the stairs together, side by side. Neither of us said anything, but it was not an uncomfortable silence. It was more contemplative, as I knew we were both thinking about all that had happened on over the past several days. Occasionally I would catch Edward taking a peek at me out of the corner of his eye. I would periodically do the same, and, on several instances when we caught one another looking at the exact same moment, we would both break into smiles and look down at our feet.

We entered the kitchen to find Angela chopping some vegetables for dinner. She was humming some lovely tune, her soft and gentle voice weaving easily in and out of the unfamiliar melody. She lifted her head when she heard us approaching, and her eyes grew very wide when she saw me. Then her lips spread open into a very wide smile. She dropped the knife and the towel she was holding, and rushed across the kitchen in order to wrap me in a suffocating, bone crushing hug. She pulled back after a few moments, looking sheepish, but still smiling radiantly.

"Good to have you back," she said sweetly.

She squeezed my hand lightly, and I flinched as a sharp pain shot up my arm again; I was beginning to get annoyed by these most inconvenient involuntary reactions. Angela's eyes grew very wide and panicked. She took in the bruised and swollen state of my hand and gasped.

"Isabella, you're hurt!"

"It's nothing," I insisted. "Please, Angela. Do not fuss over me."

She ignored my request. "I'll go fetch some cold water and a bandage."

Edward held up a hand. "That's alright, Angela. I'll do it."

Shock must have painted both of our faces, because he smirked wryly as he ducked out of the kitchen. Angela craned her neck to make sure he was gone before she rounded on me.

"Tell me everything," she demanded in a hushed whisper.

I was just getting to the part about my encounter with Jacob when Edward came back into the kitchen holding a small silver bowl and a large wad of clean bandages. He placed everything on the counter top and then took my hand so he could place it in the basin. The water was cold; uncomfortably so. I squirmed, but he firmly held my wrist in place. After about five minutes he carefully extracted it and patted it dry with a soft towel.

"You're very good at this," I commented as he wrapped a bandage carefully around my hand and wrist.

"Well, my father was a doctor," he explained, giving me a small smile. "It must run in the Cullen family."

It was touching to hear him speak of his father for the first time, admiration evident in his voice. I contemplated this as he finished tending to my injury, all the while being so tender and so gentle that it made my heart swell painfully.

The moment was quickly ruined, however. Just as he was finishing up, Rosalie entered the kitchen followed by Emmett, and then by Alice and Jasper. Alice was shooting visual daggers at Rosalie's back, but she seemed entirely unaware and unaffected by the serious atmosphere. She sauntered lazily up to the kitchen counter, plucked a large red apple from the basket in the center, and ran her long, sharp nails over its smooth surface. Her gaze shifted to me and her eyes narrowed; suddenly I felt exactly like a canary being fixed in the hungry eyes of a house cat.

"Well, well," Rosalie purred. "Look what the cat dragged in."

I didn't speak, for I suddenly found myself incapable of doing so. The butterflies in my stomach had traveled up to combine with the frantic beating of my heart and had somehow managed to create some sort of giant lump at the base of my throat. Rosalie rounded the kitchen counter with the apple still in her hand, tossing it lightly in the air and catching it without looking. She came to stand in front of me, every fiber of her being positively radiating smugness.

"You ungrateful little tramp! The outside world wasn't much to your liking, was it? I'm surprised you had the nerve to show your face here again."

Wild insults hurled themselves at her like arrows in my mind; but, infuriatingly, I still found myself incapable of forming verbal sentences. Luckily, Edward stepped in on my behalf. "Isabella has already accounted for her behavior, Rosalie. But I very much doubt you will be able to provide an adequate excuse for yours."

A malicious grin spread across her lips, pulling them back over her teeth. She threw her head back and cackled loudly, with no trace of genuine humor. "Honestly, Edward. I haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about."

He grew impatient then. "I have no time for games, Rosalie. I think you know exactly what I am talking about."

"What's going on?" Emmett demanded, finally becoming involved with the conversation. "Rose?"

Rosalie ignored him, but Edward proceeded to explain, "She offered Bella her freedom in exchange for her departure. She wants your inheritance, Emmett. Once you are married she will put the rest of us out on the street!"

Rosalie's arrogant expression wavered slightly, but she very carefully controlled it. "That accusation is ridiculous!" she shouted theatrically. "You have no proof of that."

"Actually," Alice interrupted, smiling triumphantly. "We do."

She produced a small folded piece of paper from the folds of her dress and waved it mockingly in front of Rosalie's face. "I found this in your desk drawer," she explained, opening the letter so she could read from it. "It bears the Black family seal on the outside, and inside it details your collaborative scheming with none other than Jacob Black."

I felt my eyes grow so wide it seemed as if they would fall right out of my skull. I didn't look to see anyone else's expression, but I guessed they were about the same. The room had become immersed in deafening sort of silence, but Alice continued.

"You paid Jacob Black to meet Bella in the woods and lure her back to his mansion. He agreed to seduce her, and you knew that when Edward found out he would never let Bella back in the house, even if she did decide to return. Unfortunately for you, you underestimated Bella's loyalty. She would never betray us."

Everyone else in the room was watching Rosalie's outraged expression, but I wasn't; I was watching Emmett's. For the first time since I had come to stay at the Cullen's, he turned to address me directly. "Is this true?" he whispered.

I felt awful to be the one to break the news to him, but he deserved to know the truth. "Every word," I said quietly.

Emmett nodded slowly, comprehension finally dawning upon him. I watched as the indescribable pain that can only come from being betrayed by a loved one settled upon his features, and my heart broke for him.

Rosalie, however, was gaping at him incredulously. "You take their word over mine?"

Emmett looked at her with no apology in his eyes. "I do."

Rosalie's mouth fell open. "But Emmett…"

"Rosalie, they are my family."

"And I am your fiancée!" she shrieked.

"What reason do they have to lie to me?"

Rosalie grabbed his face between her hands then, forcing him to look at her. "Because they are jealous, Emmett; jealous of our happiness together. Please do not let them ruin this for us!"

Emmett flinched away from her. "You mean ruin this for you," he corrected. Then he was backing away from her, his expression filled with disgust. "How could you do this to me? To my family?"

"Emmett," she pleaded, "I only want to be with you."

Emmett shook his head sadly, obviously wanting to believe her but knowing better now than to do so. "The wedding is off," he stated flatly before turning and walking out the back door.

"Emmett?" Rosalie called. When he did not respond, her voice quickly escalated to panic. "EMMETT!"

She rounded on me then, her face a picture of pure rage. "You'll pay for this," she hissed. She then took a few steps toward me with her arm raised, as if to strike.

"Don't you dare," Edward told her dangerously. I felt him tense reflexively behind me, but Alice was quicker than him. She had crossed the room in seconds flat to stand in front of me protectively, her arms folded across her chest.

"Rosalie Hale, you touch one single hair on her head and I swear to God I will rip you limb from limb."

Rosalie let out an inhuman, ear-piercing shriek. Without warning she lunged forward, knocking Alice out of the way so she could grip her hands around my throat as if to strangle me. I felt only pressure at first, and then pain, and then a spreading numbing sensation as the blood and oxygen were cut off from my brain. I clawed helplessly at Rosalie's death grip around my neck but she refused to release me, holding on with all of her might.

The next thing I knew she was being pulled off of me, and my eyes fluttered open just in time to see Edward grabbing Rosalie by the long mane of her shiny blonde hair and using it to harshly yank her backwards. He threw her to the ground with brutal force, causing her to collide with the kitchen's far stone wall. She struggled as Jasper crossed the room to grab hold of her. He pinned her arms behind her back and used his strength to drag her outside.

Edward was at my side in an instant. His hands were all over my face and neck, searching frantically for any signs of damage. "Are you all right?" he demanded. "Did she hurt you at all?"

"I'm fine," I rasped, my throat still a bit constricted. "Go and find Emmett."

Edwards gaze shifted to the doorway, and then back to me. Conflict raged in his expression.

"Go, Edward," I insisted. "He's your brother, and he just lost his fiancée. He needs you now."

Edward nodded, still looking unsure, but then gave me a quick kiss on the forehead before heading out the door.

I let out a shaky sigh, and took several steps backwards so I could lean back against the kitchen's stone countertop. Alice came to lean next to me.

"I must say, Bella, things are much more interesting when you're at home."

I smiled wryly. "Glad I could be of service."

A few seconds of silence passed between us before she spoke again, and this time her tone was serious.

"Bella?"

I looked down at her, alarmed by her sudden intensity. "Yes, Alice?"

"Promise me you'll never leave again."

I sighed. Silly Alice. If only I could make her understand that couldn't leave; not anymore. She couldn't read my mind, however, and she couldn't see the future either, so I knew then that I needed to reassure her. I extracted one of my arms so I could wrap it around her shoulders and gave them a light squeeze.

"I promise."

--

The remainder of the evening passed by in a relatively uneventful fashion. I ate a simple dinner with Alice and Angela. We chattered animatedly, making up for the lost time we had spent apart from one other. Once the dinner dishes had been cleared away and washed, we all went our separate ways to commit ourselves to our own diversions. Alice sat at Edward's piano playing absently with the keys while Angela stitched an old stocking with a large rip in it. Hoping to enjoy the newfound peace and quiet that came along with Rosalie's absence, I decided to catch up on my reading.

It was late before Edward returned home. I had fallen asleep in his study, sprawled across the large leather sofa where I often found him sitting by himself late at night. I was very deeply asleep, but my subconscious registered the creaking of the door as it opened and the soft sounds of his footsteps as they came in contact with the wooden floor. Then I felt his warm breath across my face, and the sensation of his lips brushing lightly at the back of my neck.

"Mmmm…" I mumbled incoherently, stirring in my sleep.

"Time for bed, Ms. Swan," he whispered, picking me up so he could cradle me in his arms bridal style.

He carried me to the bedroom, placing me gently upon the mattress. I felt the flat surface sag with his weight, and I opened my eyes to find him lying down next to me. He was on his left side, propped up on one elbow. I rolled onto my side so I could face him, mimicking his position. I yawned and then stretched, settling down contentedly. He crooked a finger at me, and I scooted my body closer to him so could I lay my head against his chest.

"How is Emmett?" I mumbled into his shirt.

Edward sighed. "His heart is broken, but it will heal over time. At least he is finally free of that conniving, pernicious woman."

"And what of her?" I asked quietly.

"I had Jasper drop her off, along with her possessions, at the train station. I very much doubt we shall be seeing her ever again."

I sighed contentedly at that knowledge, snuggling closer into his chest. His arms tightened around me immediately, and I felt one of his hands tracing lightly up and down the contours of my spine. I felt my eyes roll back into my head slightly, but I forced myself to keep my wits about me. Then I felt his lips at my collarbone, lightly nipping and kissing at the tender flesh.

"Behave yourself, Mr. Cullen."

I felt him smile against my neck. "Whatever could you mean, Ms. Swan?"

I tried my best to make my voice sound stern. "You know exactly what. We have far more important matters to discuss before we go jumping back into bed together."

"Well, first of all," he murmured, kissing along my jaw line, "We are already in bed together. And second, I've just lived through an entire twenty four hours thinking I was never going to see you again. I think more of the talking can wait until later, don't you?"

"Well," I conceded breathlessly, "I suppose you're right."

Then I felt his fingers trailing over my ribs up toward my breasts, which were aching for his touch. At that point, all hope for maintaining coherent thought was completely lost.

"Besides," I whispered, placing my hands over his, "I rather like it when you misbehave."

He groaned at that, pulling our mouths together with a sudden fierceness that nearly knocked the wind out of me. His tongue was in my mouth, his hands were squeezing at my breasts, and his hips were undulating into mine before I could even take a breath. Without warning, his hands moved down to my bottom to give it a rough squeeze, and then a slap. I moaned into his mouth, reiterating my approval of his bad behavior.

His hands were tearing wildly at my clothes, not bothering to remove them properly. I heard a loud tearing noise as he gripped both sides of my bodice and ripped it open down the middle. He gripped the fabric in his teeth as he pulled it downward over my stomach and down my legs, leaving me in nothing but my thin petticoat, which was also hastily removed. I watched him discard it, and then remove his own shirt so that it could join my garments, forgotten on the bedroom the floor.

"Straight down to business, then?" I teased breathlessly.

Edward growled, crawling up the bed so he could hover over me. "You best watch that dirty mouth of yours, Isabella, or I shall have to shut it for you."

He kissed me again. It was not gentle, but there was something different this time, something more. I wasted no time in undoing his belt buckle; I felt as if I would explode if I spent one more unnecessary second with him not inside of me. Edward must have felt the same, because he didn't even bother to fully remove his trousers before he sheathed himself at my entrance. We both groaned at the sensation; it had been too long; too, too long. How could I ever have even considered leaving this?

We had been together like this many times, but it had never been quite this way before. The strange new intensity heightened with each of his strokes, electricity crackling through the air with a palatable charge. Our collective growls, groans and moans grew louder as he quickened the pace and intensity of his thrusts. His grip tightened around me to the point of being painful, but I didn't mind; I only wanted him closer.

I wrapped my legs around his waist, trying to change the angle and bring him in deeper. Edward growled and hurriedly quickened his pace, sending the bed slamming back into the wall with every thrust. I felt my eyes flutter open slowly, and I found that his were open, too, staring down at me with such a complex combination of lust and emotion that I could never even begin to describe it. I started into his eyes, silently begging him never to close them; despite the light green of their coloring, they held my gaze with the gravitational force of a black hole.

I felt Edward begin to tremble above me as the strength in his arms gave out. This did nothing to decrease his enthusiasm, however. I could hear his fingers ripping and clawing into the fabric on the mattress as he continued slamming into me with raw, unrelenting force.

"Mine," he growled possessively. "You are mine."

The sound of his voice, so rough with emotion and desire, was my undoing. My orgasm hit me with an incredible force, causing my back to arch at such a severe angle that it suspended my torso several inches from the mattress. Violent tremors wracked my limbs, causing my hips to jerk violently. I felt myself clench around Edward from the inside, and then I felt him twitch and spill inside of me. With a groan, we collapsed together back onto the mattress.

We were a tangled mess of limbs and flesh, both of us shaking uncontrollably. The heavy sounds of our breathing were the only thing that filled the room, aside from the frantic tempos of our beating hearts. Edward rolled us onto our sides, never once breaking the connection between us. He buried his face in the crook of my neck, and breathed my name quietly.

"Bella."

Hearing him speak my name like that, with such gentle reverence and adoration, compensated for nearly every injustice I had ever experienced. It was enough to justify the existence of the entire world. I tightened my grip around his sweaty, trembling body, and held him to me.

"I am yours," I whispered. "Always."

A/N: This chapter is dedicated to my friend Rachel (americnxidiot), for no reason other than the fact that she had a really bad day yesterday. She has a profile on here; go send her some love. And check out her new story, Cascade and Cyanide. It's fourteen chapters of pure, unadulterated awesome.