Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, SM does....I own only half my sanity

Progress

BPOV

Edward Cullen was nice to me. Edward Cullen invited me to his party, and it wasn't even a group invite. He had said that he would like it if I would come. That he would like it. Not that Emmett would like it, or that Jasper and Alice would like. Most importantly of all, however, was that Edward Cullen held my hand. I felt like I was still in single figures age wise when he started to stroke my hand. It was so out of the blue. One minute he is asking me if I liked the movie, looking at me like he wasn't sure if he wanted to ignore me completely or lick my neck, and the next his thumb brushed so casually across the back of my hand. I had thought it was an accident, but he repeated the action and I thought I was going to faint.

When he touched me I couldn't believe the reactions that went through my body. That weird static shock was there again, and if that hadn't happened I would have discounted it as my over active imagination. The whole time we were sitting in the near dark I could barely suppress the urge to casually run my fingers through his hair, to kiss his neck, to stroke his face, to rest my hand proprietarily on his thigh.

It's pathetic how I crumble when a man is nice to me.

And now Alice is bouncing up and down on my bed squeeing like she had just witnessed the birth of the Baby Jesus. I refuse to crack; I will not look her in the eye and return her squee. I will not act like an 8 year old confronted with the hot actor of the moment. I really, really, really want to though.

"Spill it. Spill it. Spill it. Spill it." Alice had discovered her new favourite saying.

"Spill what?" I asked, but had to turn to look out of my window so that she didn't see the dopey grin smeared across my face or the fact that my face seemed to be radiating more heat than the sun.

"You know fine well what I want you to spill lady!" Her bouncing had resumed.

I did know what she wanted me to spill. She wanted to know exactly how my fingers had suddenly become entwined with Cullen's. I couldn't tell her the how or even the why on his part. It had seemed like a good idea at the time. When I had felt the static shock as his thumb brushed my skin I had frozen, wondering what the hell he was up to. When he had paused I realised I didn't care and wanted him to keep doing it. I never wanted him to take his touch away from me in fact. That sudden realisation had compelled me to turn my hand and lock my fingers with his, it made me encourage him to resume with my own light brush of his skin. To admit this to Alice would mean admitting defeat, it would mean that she had been right all along.

"Fine. You don't have to admit it to me. I know I was right, and that's all that matters." Damn her.

"I don't know what you mean." I was still trying the nonchalance. I doubted it was working.

"Don't talk shit Bells. Bella and Edward sitting in a tree. K.I.S.S.I.N.G!" I threw the first thing that came to hand at her.

"Ow! Next time, throw a lighter book." She mumbled, glowering at me from her position on my bed, holding my biology text book in her hand. How poetic.

"I'm sorry Alice. I didn't mean to actually hit you."

"I deserve some answers for the physical abuse you just subjected me to, you realise that right?"

"Fine." Sighing, I finally relented. With Alice there is no other way.

Alice proceeded to interrogate me about every little detail, in precisely the same way she interrogates me about my dreams. She wanted to hear about every breath, every twitch, and every eye movement. It was easy to tell her everything, from the conversation in the kitchen to the final moment before she had cruelly switched on the light when I could have sworn on Charlie's life that he was leaning in to plant a kiss on my lips.

"I knew it." The most annoying thing to admit was that she was right.

EPOV

"You love her."

"Shut up."

"You want to kiss her."

"Leave it."

"You want to lick her."

"I'm warning you."

"You want to sex her."

"I want to what her?"

"You want to marry her."

"Seriously...."

"You want her to suck your..."

"Emmett! If you do not shut up right now I will kill you."

"You want to put your fingers in h....Hey! Only girls in love throw books. You might want to check yourself out in the mirror when you're practicing your alone time."

Finally Emmett slouched off, hopefully I made him bleed. Obnoxious fucker. But he was right. Ever since Alice had unexpectedly slammed the lights on when the movie was finished he had been relentless. Everyone had seen us sitting there, hands together, heads practically resting on each other. I had been seconds away from kissing her, I think my mouth was already in a vague pout shape when Emmett had guffawed and actually pointed at us. Completely ruining the moment. Ass.

I could hear Emmett whistling somewhere else in the house and as much as I hated to admit it, I might just need his help with the whole Bella thing.

"Emmett?" There was silence as he considered what kind of weapon I could have in my hands. Obviously he decided there was still too much risk involved so he stayed silent. "Emmett? Seriously. I need to talk to you."

"Yeah?"

"Yes." Then I said something I rarely said to anyone, something I rarely had to say to people. "Please?"

"What?!" He burst out from behind the kitchen door, looking at me in amazement. "You said please. You asked for my help?" He put his hand across my forehead before I could flinch away. "Yup. Lovesick." He announced with absolute certainty.

"Shove it." Growling at him I stalked away.

"Come on Eddie! Find the fun." He yanked on my arm, spinning me round and dragging me into the living room.

I didn't know how to approach this. I'd never been interested in anything more than quick tension releasing session with the girls I'd met before. Never have I yearned for a conversation with someone so much. Bella Swan made me think about her constantly and she didn't even know it.

"I need advice. I need help. I need you to tell me how to be like you." I admitted.

"I think we need Jasper." He was right.

They were smirking at me. Sitting across from me at the kitchen table and smirking at me like I was some sort of idiot. Like it was my fault that I was so socially retarded that I had resorted to asking for help. Partly it was my fault, if I hadn't imposed such strict rules upon myself regarding letting people in and loving people in return then I would not be in this situation. It was all my fault and it had to stop. If I had to subject myself to the smirking faces of my best friend and my brother on a daily basis for the rest of my life then that would be the price I would pay to be close to Bella Swan.

"What exactly do you want to know?" Jasper asked.

"He needs to know how to get into Bella's underwear." Snorted Emmett.

"He what?" Jasper stared at me coldly, his brain obviously sorting out the conflicting theories of our friendship and his absolute loyalty to Bella.

"No. That's not it at all." I reached out and smacked Emmett hard on the side of the head. "It's not like I want to swoop in and take the girls virginity Jasper." Even though that is exactly what I wanted to do, but that wasn't all I wanted to do with Bella. I just wanted to be with her.

"Too late for that anyway." He laughed and I scowled. "Newton beat you to that already in one of Bella's not so shining moments." I had already wanted to kill Newton but now I wanted to make it painful and humiliating and slow.

"Newton." I'm pretty sure I growled

"Wow, and I thought Bella was such an innocent." Laughed Emmett.

"Look, I just want to know her, to make her give me a chance." Aware that I was sounding a tad pathetic and not caring I directed this to Jasper.

"Well, considering she didn't exactly smack you down in the entertainment room you might be in with a chance." He conceded. "Bella can be closed off, but she is also one of my favourite people, Edward, and if you are just pissing about then I will hurt you."

"I'm not." I was being honest and so was he. Jasper was about an inch taller than me and I knew I was probably stronger, but I also knew that when it came down to this then he would kick my ass back to Chicago and if I hurt Bella I would let him.

"Good. Now that's out of the way then let's get to it."

"Once you've done telling Romeo about his own fair Juliet could you tell me about Rosalie?" Emmett sounded so sincere it was almost impossible to laugh, but I had to when Jasper sighed and banged his forehead down onto the table.

"When did I become Cupid?" He asked no one in particular and started to tell me about Bella.

Jasper told me about her Mother, about how Bella moved in with Chief Swan so that her Mom could travel with her new husband. I learned that she loved to read and that she had opinions on most things but was reluctant to tell them, that she had never seen snow before she moved to Forks and that she had grown to love it. That she was fiercely protective over that ridiculous truck of hers, that she never backs down from a dare even if it means she loses her virginity to Mike Newton as a consequence. That practically every boy in her year had asked her to one dance or another but she had always said no, making an excuse about being out of town even though she would rent movies and hide out in her house all weekend.

I learned about the things that made Bella who she was and I couldn't get enough of it. I had to learn everything and Jasper wasn't the Encyclopaedia Bella. I could not wait to learn all of this from Bella, all of this and more. I wanted it to be tomorrow already.

That night I couldn't sleep. All I thought about was her. Mulling over the details Jasper had given me about her life and her likes and her dislikes. I had already known that she had the same kind of dreams every night that I did. Jasper was all about loyalty but he didn't half let some intriguing information slip out of his mouth. Sometimes I wonder if he does it knowingly, that he has a plan to set in motion by some sort of comment. I could just imagine him and Alice lying together and plotting some sort of nefarious plan.

By four in the morning I had accepted that I was not going to get any more than snatched twenty minute naps in between thoughts of Bella. Snow had started to fall heavily, already leaving a thick blanket of it over the ground. Even snow made me think of her. I was turning into a pathetic idiot. I could go for a drive, go past Bella's house, see if any lights were on, and maybe knock at the door if there is. I was now adding stalker to the list of what I was quickly becoming.

Thoughts of becoming a creepy stalker did not stop me from sliding into the seat of the Volvo, revving the engine and screeching down the wooded drive.

No lights were on when I drove past her house. No police cruiser either, Daddy Swan must be at work. Parking down the street I walked back to her house. She was in there. Sleeping. Having dreams. About me? I wanted her dreams to be about me, I wanted her to be dreaming of me like I do of her. It took me less than a minute to figure out what window belonged to her.

It took me a little under two minutes to scale the tree that stood tall and conveniently right beside it. The window was open, even though it was freezing, did she want to get the flu? It was so tempting to climb into her room, to just reach over and step in. It would be so easy. I had actually gone insane. This was taking it too far. A day ago I was resolved to stay away from her, but today I'm sitting in a tree outside her window unable to stop thinking about her. Just as I was poised to jump down and go home I heard her.

"Edward." I froze, terrified she had woken and seen me. Then there was silence until she moaned with such longing that I immediately found myself turned on. Bella was sleeping and she had moaned my name. When Bella sleeps she dreams and she had just said my name. A noise escaped my throat and I froze again. Nothing. No reaction.

I couldn't help myself; I slipped in through her window, careful to make no noise. The room smelled like her, like strawberries and freesias. She had thrown off her covers, revealing to me her pale arms covered in goose bumps. For fuck sake, she was determined to fall ill. My hands gently picked up her covers and covered her torso.

What was I doing in here? What was I expecting to happen? That she would wake up, open her arms to me and welcome me into her bed? She would scream and shout and call her Dad who would not only shoot me but make it look like an accident. It would be the least I deserved.

Her room was pretty untidy, I couldn't help but note. There were clothes everywhere, over every surface, along with pile upon pile of books and CD cases. She was seriously messy. It was endearing. I sat on the old rocker in the corner, watching her sleep. I was turning into someone I didn't recognise.

"Oh. God. Yes!" She was mumbling the words but I couldn't help but pick up on the meaning. Jasper had said that Bella talked in her sleep, but I hadn't expected it to be quite so enthralling. Her breathing became heavier, her back started to arch and I couldn't look away. My eyes were glued to every move she made. There was a gasp, followed by a moan and her hips lifted up from the bed.

"Edward." She cried my name and arched her back and bucked her hips violently before groaning in pleasure. It was the single most erotic thing I had ever witnessed.

Quietly I stepped over to the bed, looking down at Bella as she slept soundly. Her cheeks were flushed red and a slight smile was on her mouth. It took all my willpower to keep my mouth from hers. I stroked the hair away from her face and she pushed her face up to my touch. I had to leave.

I threw myself across to the tree and slid down the trunk, trying to leave as little evidence as possible. When my feet crunched down into the snow an idea struck me and once I had finished I ran back to the Volvo, speeding back to the house and the safety of the shower cubicle to remember what I had just witnessed and take myself to the logical conclusion.

BPOV

When I awoke on Friday morning I had never felt so rested. I could practically still feel his touch on my face. He had been gentle and loving and I had never wanted him to stop. I could practically smell him in my room. That strange sweet scent mixed with undertones of masculinity and soap. I was addicted to that smell. I was beginning to think I was addicted to him and that's just unhealthy.

The room was warm, too warm. For the last week the heating had been stuck on high and neither Charlie nor I had gotten round to getting someone to fix it. I made a mental note to ask Rosalie to have a look at it over the weekend, she had a wicked aptitude for all things like that, and it was scary actually. Glancing at the window it registered that it was shut. Sure that I had left it open when I went to bed last night I threw back the covers and walked over to it. Throwing it open I confirmed that it was still sticky in its runs, it would not have slid shut through the night. Perhaps Charlie had crept in and shut it this morning when he returned from work.

That's when I noticed that it had snowed overnight. When I lived in Phoenix it was sunshine all the way. It was only when I moved to Forks did I discover that the year had more than one season. That's when I had discovered snow. At first I had hated it; in fact I had hated Forks at first. That was until Alice and Jasper adopted me and it felt like I had more family here than just Charlie. Not that having just Charlie bothered me, but it made life that little bit sweeter when there were people not legally required to love you in your life.

There was something indescribably majestic about snow. Ironically it made me think of all things warm, fleece hoodies, snow boots, lonely cabins, log fires and hot chocolate. Smiling I leaned over to look down into the garden and saw something that made me freeze.

Below was a heart that had been stomped into the snow by heavy feet.

There was a snow heart in my garden?

Was it for Charlie?

Was it from Charlie? No, that would just be creepy.

Who did it?

Was it Newton?

Christ, please let it not have been Newton. He just was not taking the hint; he would not let that night go. Bloody Alice and Rosalie and Southern Comfort haze.

How could the person be sure that it wasn't going to disappear under a fresh blanket of snow? Was it their plan that it would be frozen in place overnight so that it would be the first thing I would see in the morning? Did they close my window?

Oh my god. This was getting a bit scary.

"Bella? Did you see what was in the garden?" Charlie was stomping up the stairs; he must have heard me moving about.

"Yes Dad. " Sighing I turned to leave the room and I met him on the stairs.

"Do you know anything about it?" He was looking at me suspiciously, like I had planned it just to confuse him.

"No. I just saw it. I don't know anything about it. Do you want eggs?" Trying to change the subject I squeezed past him on the stairs and went to the kitchen, pulling out a pan and opening the fridge. When I closed the door his face was behind it, looking at me like he was about to ask me an awkward question. "Dad. I don't know what it's about." Sighing I cracked open an egg.

"Bella, are you seeing someone?"

"No Dad. I'm not."

"Are you telling me the truth?"

"Yes Dad, I'm telling the truth, and I'm mortified that you are cross examining me like a criminal." He flinched away from me and I felt like a complete bitch.

"I'm sorry Bells, I didn't mean it." I knew that, I knew that he didn't mean to pry and cross examine, but how could I be expected to tell him anything when I was clueless myself?

"I know."

We ate our eggs in silence, occasionally I would glance up and Charlie would look away quickly. I knew he had his suspicions, we weren't exactly best friends. We loved each other in a stoic silent way, but I knew I could always count on him in a crisis, and this wasn't a crisis.

Before I left for school I walked out into the garden. Placing my feet in the indented snow heart I traced the shape. Both of my feet sat in it comfortably and a slow grin spread across my face as I considered who I wanted to have done it. Only one name came to mind. Edward Cullen. Could he have? No, I shook the thought out of my head. So he held my hand, that doesn't mean he suddenly wants to know me.

Sometimes, in people's loneliest moments, they reach out to whoever is closest to them at the time.

There was a certified couple in the room and another two people who would be together by the time Monday rolls around if my estimation of Emmett is correct. It would make sense that he would automatically turn to me for some sort of affection. It's amazing how comforting just touching someone else's skin can be when all else seems lost.

Maybe he feels the same way you do? Alice's voice seemed to be my sub conscious go to voice as the words reverberated around my head in her lilting musical tone.

I spotted footprints leading away from the heart in the direction of the street. Crouching down I could make out the word Vans frozen in the snow. Simple. I'll find the person with snow encrusted Vans. An easy job when half the male student population wore Vans and some of the girls too, and on a snow covered day it would be easier. Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit according to some, but my brain loved unleashing it on me.

I didn't want to lose the heart if it was made by someone who means something to me. Even if it had been Alice and Jasper on the way back to her house late last night I wanted to preserve it. Running back into the house I grabbed the digital camera and took a few shots of it. Some from my bedroom window, some from the kitchen window and finally some from right beside it. I would take it as evidence and ask Alice on the way to school.

Oh shit. School. I was running late and Alice was going to kill me. If she didn't get her morning fix of Jasper kisses she was seriously cranky until lunch time and I had English with her this morning. Throwing myself into the car I carefully sped my way over to her house, keeping an eye out for any patrol cars. Charlie would just love that, his daughter getting a ticket for speeding.

"You are late." Alice said to me in an accusatory tone when she hopped up into the truck.

"I'm only five minutes late thanks to abandoning my law abiding ways to get here for you. You could have gone nuts and driven yourself to school." I mumbled at her, concentrating on the road trying not to slide us to our deaths.

"Someone's cranky this morning. Tell me about you dream." Her trusty note pad was already in hand.

"No. What did you do last night?" For some reason the dreams had become private and I was loath to give any details on what had happened last night.

"No?"

"Please Alice, not today." I was pleading with her now, but my pride wasn't as important as keeping something to myself for once.

"Ok. Well, Jasper and I watched a movie and did some other stuff, not hugely interesting. He drove me home and I went to bed."

"Did you stop off anywhere?" She looked at me confused and curious, wondering what I was getting at.

"Oh, we, um, maybe parked the car in the woods for a bit."

"Then what did you do?"

"Ok, fine Bells, I get your point. Sometimes being interested can come across as prying and I never once wanted you to think that you didn't have the right to privacy. I'm sorry."

"What?" I laughed, suddenly realising why she had been so reticent with the details. "Oh my god Alice. I wasn't asking if you and Jasper had sex in his car last night!"

"You weren't?" She was laughing along with me now.

"Hell no! What you and Jasper choose to do in the back of his Dad's Mustang is none of my business." I told her about my dream after that, about how instead of waking up straight after I had brought him to orgasm we had held each other tightly, unable to let go of each other. Then I told her about the heart.

"That's so lovely." She sighed wistfully.

"So you didn't do it?"

"No. I love you Bells, but Jasper holds my heart." She snickered at me.

"Funny. It must have been Newton then."

"I wouldn't count on that. You have more than one admirer at this school Bella, you must have noticed, no matter how blind to it you pretend to be."

I pulled into a parking space beside Cullen's car. Jasper and Edward were leaning casually on the side, awaiting our arrival. As usual Jasper's face almost broke in half with a magnificent smile when he saw Alice. Cullen smiled a crooked smile in my direction and my stomach abandoned my body.

"No one that matters anyway." I whispered to myself as Jasper pulled Alice from the truck, leaving me to get out without assistance just like every other day. Pulling the handle I swung open the door and prepared to jump out and not lose my balance in the snow when a hand appeared in front of my face. I looked up into those emerald eyes that managed to make me lose my grasp on reality and he said in that velvety voice he owns,

"Let me help you."

A/N: With any luck you are still with me and enjoying this....Enjoyed it? Review it.

I've started the next chapter and with any luck it'll be finished quickly...though once again I am snowed under with college stuff, so don't hold me to it.

Proper heartfelt thanks to my reviewers and the faithful followers.

Any questions? PM me and I'll be happy to answer them...unless it's an ETA...because I really don't know.