Hey!
Sorry about the long wait. Thanks for your patients! The next chapter is already with the beta's!

Huge thank you to Whatobsession, Kimmcarr and Jessypt for fitting my story in your busy lives and working your magic. MWAH!

So a lot of people were upset with Alice last chapter because she "forced" Bella to go shopping. I totally get it because that's generally Alice, but remember, this Alice is more non cannon. I really can't stand the shop-aholic Alice... so I will try to stay away from that ;)

Thank you so much for reading and a special thank you to those that review! You guys make this story worth writing!

WARNING!

This story contains subject matter which may be offensive to some readers. I will try to post a warning before each chapter if I feel there is a need, but the story in general deals with mature themes.

All along, not so strong without these open arms.

Hold on tight.

All along, not that strong without these open arms.

Lie beside.

All along, not so strong without these open arms.

Ride beside.

-Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs

EPOV - Day Five in Forks

"Where do we go?" I ask, walking into the hospital with Carlisle. Alice and Rose walk in and come up behind us.

"Let me find out where they're taking her." He walks up to the counter, and I pace.

The chaos at the mall was too much, and after pushing the paramedic in the store, they weren't eager to let me ride in the ambulance. Bella was so out of it I don't think she'd even realize if I were there or not. Carlisle made it to the hospital just in time for me to walk with her on the stretcher. I was with her until they took her behind doors we weren't permitted to go behind.

When Carlisle walks back, I meet him half-way, eager to know where they took Bella.

"They're getting her set up in a room; we'll know soon." Not good enough for me.

"You're a doctor, can't you do something? Why aren't you the one taking care of her?" He's a doctor and he's just standing out here with us.

"Edward, I'm an oncologist." When I look at him having no idea what he just said, he explains.

"I work with cancer patients, Edward," he says, my name coming out in an exasperated sigh. "Bella had a panic attack and was sedated. I don't think there's any trauma; they'll just let her wake up and probably do some test before they let her come home."

Accepting there was nothing any of us could do at this point, we all sit. No one is saying anything, and it's pissing me off. I want to know why the hell Bella was at the mall.

"Who took Bella to the mall?" I ask, looking at the tiles on the floor, my elbows leaning on my knees.

"Well, I took her but-"

"What were you thinking?" I ask coldly, looking at Alice. Her face blanches and she sits back in her chair. "Why would you think she could go to the mall?"

"Well, Edward. It was her idea. We used to spend our weekends at the mall and when she saw me upset, she insisted we go and have some fun - like we used to. I didn't think it was a great idea, but she was insisting she would be fine. I assumed she knew herself better than I did, so we gave in and the three of us went."

Well shit. It was Bella's idea.

"Why wasn't Emmett with you guys?" Alice is obviously pissed at me and done answering my questions so Rose piped up.

"Why would Emmett go to the mall?" she asks, looking confused. "It's Sunday; he was watching sports and watching Seth. He's on his way now." Sports. He seriously put sports over making sure Bella was safe.

"Why would he go to the mall?" I ask with a laugh of disbelief. "Maybe because there's a sick psychopath looking for Bella; you two being with her put you in the line of fire too. Maybe that's why."

A look of shock crosses their faces. I stand and walk away feeling too frustrated to continue the conversation.

One thing's for sure. I won't ever be leaving Bella with Emmett again; that was my mistake. The first time I'm convinced to do something I don't think is a great idea, it goes horribly wrong. I won't be making that mistake ever again.

I look over and see that Rose and Alice are upset. I feel a little bad because, really, it wasn't their fault. They don't know most of the details of what happened to Bella and had no way of knowing how badly Bella would freak out. I didn't even know it could be this bad. I didn't give Alice very much information, and I have no idea if Rose even knows much of anything that happened to Bella.

I can't dwell on it for long because a nurse comes out, and I scramble back to where everyone is waiting.

"Ok, she's in a room and slowly waking up."

The nurse reminds me of my grandmother, older, with red hair piled on top of her head and kind eyes.

"We don't want to overwhelm her. We also don't want her waking up in a strange place alone, so one person can go back to start. We'll see how it goes from there."

"Edward, you go ahead," Carlisle says.

"You're family?" the nurse asks. Fuck, what does that have to do with anything. Before I can ask her just that, Alice pipes up.

"Yeah, he's her fiancé."

"Fiancé?" the nurse asks me skeptically.

I nod, too shocked at what Alice said to speak.

She shrugs. "Well, that works for me. "Follow me this way."

She walks down the hall, and I mouth thank you to Alice before I follow her down the hallway. When Alice nods and gives me a small smile, I take it as a peace offering.

When we walk into the room, Bella is awake but really out of it. Her eyes are glazed and heavy looking.

"Knock knock, sweetheart. Your fiancé is here to see you."

At that, Bella's eyes widen, and she struggles to see who her 'fiancé' is. She smiles when she sees me but doesn't try to speak. I kiss her forehead and pause for a second, my lips resting on her heated skin. I'm so happy to see she's more or less ok.

"I'll just leave you two alone. The doctor will be in soon." The nurse smiles sweetly at us then shuts the door as she leaves the room.

Quickly, Bella's eyes fall shut but she reaches until she finds my hand and holds on tight.

About an hour later, there's a light knock on the door, and a doctor walks in.

"Is she still asleep?" he asks, as he walks over and takes a seat. I nod, caressing the hand I'm still holding.

"I'm Dr. Yorkie."

His hand comes out as an offer to shake. I lean forward and take his hand in my grasp.

"Edward."

"Has she woken up at all?"

"About an hour ago but just for a second. She was really out of it and didn't talk at all."

"That's normal. She should be fully alert soon, and I expect we'll be able to discharge her this afternoon." I nod to let him know I'm listening.

"Do you know why she panicked in the first place?"

"Not really. I mean, I assume it was just being around so many-" Bella's sharp intake of breath breaks me out of the conversation with the doctor.

"Edward." Her voice is raspy, I assume from all the screaming she was doing.

"Hey," I say softly, giving her a smile.

Her eyes rapidly move around the room. She grips my hand tighter but at the same time struggles to get out of the bed. I assume she's panicking, because she's confused by her surroundings. Her breathing gets even raspier, and the doctor steps in.

"Bella, I need you to calm down. Shhh, deep breaths. You're in the hospital. You had a little-"

"I know what happened," she shouts cutting the doctor off. "Edward, he was there. I saw him!" Her whole body starts to shake.

"Go get Carlisle, and call the police," I order the doctor. When he doesn't move, I shout the same thing at him again.

Hesitantly, he sticks his head out of the door. A nurse quickly appears, and he relays the message. Then, he walks over to Bella's bedside.

"Bella, I need you to calm down." When she shakes her head and frantically tries to explain what happened he speaks again in a sterner tone. "Bella. You have to calm down." He reaches for her hand, his fingers on her pulse. "If you can't take deep breaths and calm yourself, I'm going to have to sedate you."

Her eyes go wide as she looks to me for confirmation. I nod sadly at her and run my hand through her hair, encouraging her to take deep breaths. With the threat of being knocked out she quickly calms.

"What happened?" I ask.

"Alice... she was upset. We used to... I mean, I loved to shop. I thought if we went to the mall it would be just like it used to be. They kept saying it wasn't a good idea, but I insisted. Alice... she feels so bad about herself. I just wanted her to buy something to make her feel nice. I really thought I could do it, Edward." Tears leak from her eyes, and all I can do is rub her arm and let her know it's ok.

"Since we've been here, I really thought I'd gotten better." She looks down to her lap, and her voice is barely loud enough to hear. Defeat laces her tone. "I really thought I could do it."

"Bella, it hasn't even been a week," I say softly, not wanting her to feel bad about herself. She doesn't respond to me but continues on with what happened.

"I was already freaking out right when we got there. There were so many... men there."

Taking a big breath to control her panic, she continues on. "I was embarrassed. I didn't want Rose and Alice to see me freak out, so I told them I was going to the bathroom." To hear her say she just walked to the bathroom on her own sent a spasm of fear down my spine. I know she wants to be normal, but shit, it just takes one second for something terrible to go wrong; she should know this.

"Bella, you can't ever go off on your own. Ever." Her tears are flowing quickly out of her eyes; she's nodding frantically. I don't mean to upset her but she needs to really grasp this.

"I... I..." She's gulping for air. All I can do is rub my hands up and down her arm and leg and wait until she calms.

"I know, Edward. I'm so sorry. It was so stupid... to want - I just wanted to be normal, just for one afternoon, but when I came out of the bathroom I saw him."

Tears were streaming so fast she couldn't wipe them away. Her shaking starts to increase. The doctor hands me a box of tissues and a wash cloth. Slowly, I wipe her face and help her calm down. The doctor steps out saying he's going to see if he can find Carlisle.

My blood runs cold. He was right next to her, and she was alone. "Did he see you?"

"I... I don't know. I just saw his back... but I don't think he saw me." Just saw his back?

"Honey, what do you mean you just saw his back? How do you know it was him?" At this moment the door opens, and Carlisle steps in.

"I... I don't know. I just... it was him, Edward." She bursts into tears, and I pull her into my arms. I hold her close, thanking God and anyone else I can think of that she's here in my arms. I don't know if it was Alec at the mall or not, but it's a swift reminder that he could show up at any moment.

"The detective in charge is on his way... and so is Charlie." Great, that's all I need right now.

I nod at Carlisle but continue to calm Bella. Carlisle sits on the other side of her bed and does whatever he can to help. When the detective arrives, Carlisle steps into the hallway to speak to him. I'm grateful, because Bella just calmed down. I know the entrance of the detective would have made her nervous.

"Edward, could you come out here for a second?" Carlisle asks, peeking his head inside the door. I nod and reluctantly start to release Bella from my hold.

"Edward, no! Please don't go... please, I need-"

"Shh, calm down. I'm going to stand right in the doorway where you can see me the whole time, alright?"

I get a tearful nod and realize it's the only response I'll be receiving. I run my hand through her hair and across her cheek not wanting to leave her anymore than she wants to be left.

Walking over to the door I keep my body turned and my eyes on her. She's obviously upset but holding it together. When I get to the door, I'm forced to turn my back to her in order to address the two men standing with Carlisle.

"Edward, this is Detective Jenks and his partner, Officer Whitlock."

Jenks is short, chubby, balding and obviously aware of it as he stretches to make himself look taller and more important than the younger man next to him. He's all business, barely looking up at me when he shakes my hand. Whitlock is about as tall as me and doesn't look much older. I'm not impressed so far at the team who's been put on Bella's case.

"Uh, you can call me Jasper," Whitlock says as he shakes my hand.

"Listen," Jenks jumps in, cutting his partner off. "We need to talk to her. Carlisle insists we talk to you first, and the only reason I'm not in that room already is because I respect him," he says, pointing his thumb at Carlisle.

Oh really? I raise an eyebrow at him but keep my mouth shut.

Carlisle rests his fingers on the bridge of his nose and shakes his head. Without looking up or moving from his stressed out position, he speaks.

"What Jenks was trying to say is that I thought Bella would handle it better if you were the one to introduce the officers." I nod and agree, letting the three men follow me in.

When Bella sees me, her face calms and she smiles. As soon as the two strangers behind come into her view, she pulls the sheet up higher around her waist. The fact she isn't pleased is evident when she looks down and scoots as far away as the bed will allow.

"Bella, this is Officer Whitlock." I purposefully ignore the rude bastard and only introduce the one who seems less likely to say something stupid.

"J. Jenks." The fat fucker pushes his way between Whitlock and me and thrusts his hand out to Bella. She lets out a terrified scream surprised by his quick movement.

Quickly, I push his hand out of her face. "What the fuck! Do you even know why she's here?" He looks too stunned to answer. "Look into her case and realize you can't come at her like that!" I'm furious and he must see it in my expression, because he retreats with no argument and embarrassment colors his face.

After the tension in the room settles, we try for introductions again.

"This is Officer Whitlock. He needs to know what happened at the mall," I explain and Bella nods. The officer slowly walks up, making sure to keep his distance from Bella.

"May I?" he asks her, pointing to a chair that's a little closer to her bed.

She looks at me with wide, fearful eyes. I walk over and sit on the opposite side of her bed. Once I'm fully seated with her hand in mine, she hesitantly nods her head. Then and not a second before, he walks over and sits in the chair.

"So... It's been quite a day, huh?" he asks with a nervous laugh. It's obvious he hasn't been on the job long. When no one responds, he clears his throat and pulls out his notepad and pen.

"Isabella-"

"Bella." He looks up and gives her a kind smile.

"Sorry. Bella, can you tell me what happened this afternoon?"

It took her some time and a few tries, but she was able to relay the day's events. My opinion of Officer Whitlock grows throughout the interview. He's patient with Bella, never rushing her and encouraging her to take her time. He's obviously done his homework, unlike his partner, and knows the ins and outs of how she went missing and what Carlisle had told them about what had happened while she was gone. Jenks leaves the room half way through their talk, obviously bored since he isn't running the show.

It's clear Bella is somewhat comfortable with Whitlock. Even though her hand still clings to mine, she's able to answer all his questions. I appreciate him taking such a gentle approach with her.

"Ok, you said your friends were with you?" Bella nods. "Could I speak with them?" he asks, looking more at me and Carlisle than at Bella.

"They're in the waiting room," I say, nodding my head towards the door.

"Ok, great. I'll just stop by on my way out," he says, smiling.

"Thanks for letting me talk to you, Bella. I'll leave my card here, and you can call me if you remember anything else before we talk next." Bella nods and Jasper heads out the door.

I stand and follow him out with only minor protests from Bella. Carlisle looks at me curiously as I walk out the door.

"Hey." Whitlock turns around and looks at me expectantly.

"Uh... I just wanted to say thanks, man. You know, for how you handled the situation in there." I have no idea what's come over me, but I have to thank him for not making my life harder. After dealing with Charlie and dip-shit Jenks, I felt like I needed to tell him thank you.

"Oh yeah, of course."

"So, how long have you been doing this?" I ask. His face turns a little pink, and I can tell he'd rather not answer.

"I've been a cop for three years. I just started working with the special victims unit this year. Jenks... he's a good cop, but he deals in narcotics. Being gentle isn't... his thing," he says, laughing, scratching the back of his head.

"So, will it be you from now on handling everything?" I want to know if there's a chance of Bella having to deal with anymore douche bags.

"I'm not sure. I was on duty today so... I mean, this... this is big. There was already a PD in Arizona on this Alec guy's trail for trafficking." I was afraid of that. "I'll make sure to keep you updated though. No more surprise visits; I can tell she doesn't handle that well."

"Thanks, man," I say, shaking his hand as we go our separate ways.

Five minutes of being back in the room, and Bella is out again. Between the attack and the medicine, I imagine she'll be sleeping awhile.

"I'm going to go check on Rose and Alice. Esme and Emmett are here, too. Just come get me if you need anything." Carlisle looks exhausted, and I feel guilty.

"Carlisle." He turns and walks back into the room.

"I'm... uh, I'm sorry today didn't go well... with Charlie and all. We really do appreciate your and Esme's help though." It's hard for me to say, but it's true. If it weren't for Carlisle, Bella and I would have been doing this all on our own. Even though things haven't gone smoothly, it could be a lot worse.

"Thank you, Edward," he says as he leaves the room.

A couple hours pass, and there's another visit from the doctor. Bella hasn't woken up, and he wants to let her rest and monitor her a little longer before she goes home.

I can't hold it anymore and wonder down the hall to find a bathroom, hoping Bella won't wake before I get back. Stretching my legs feels good after sitting in the same position for so long.

This hospital looks small, but it takes a few wrong turns for me to find the bathroom. When I get back to Bella's room, I almost turn and leave, thinking I have the wrong one, because there's a man sitting next to the bed. When I look closer, I see it's Charlie.

Instinct tells me to retreat and leave the room, but I can't do that. My place is with Bella, and no one will tell me differently.

I walk in and ignore the fact he's even in the room. I'm not looking for a fight, but at the same time, I won't be scared off. I sit right next to her and hold her hand like I was doing before. At the same time, the red haired nurse comes back into the room.

"Who let him in here?" Charlie asks her gruffly.

"What do you mean, 'who let him in here'," she responds annoyed, mocking Charlie's voice. I can't help but smirk at her attitude. "He's her fiancé."

"Fiancé?" He's not her fiancé! He's a homeless kid she brought home like a stray puppy!"

My fists clinch, and the nurse's face blanches.

"Well, from what I've heard Mr..."

"Williamson."

"Mr. Williamson." Her voice is low and calm as to not wake Bella up, but there's no hiding the fury in it. "Is that he brought her home. This young man saved her, and you'd do well to remember that. Another thing you should remember is that this young lady is over eighteen, so you have no parental rights over her. Until she says different, this is her fiancé, and if you don't like it... well, you can just leave."

Flustered, she checks Bella's IV and temperature. She walks over and grabs my free hand placing it on a button on the bed.

"You just push that button, and I'll be right back in here," she promises. "I've talked to Carlisle and most of the town's a buzz. You've done a good thing by her, and don't let anyone tell you different." She gives me a smile, throwing a nasty look Charlie's way she leaves the room.

After she leaves, I look over at Bella surprised she slept through all of that. I'm unsure how she'll react to Charlie's presence, and that makes me nervous. Even with that thought, I can't keep the smug smile off my face as I look over at Charlie.

I can't help but let my mind wonder what Charlie is really thinking. He's a gruff man that's used to being alone. I entertain the possibility that maybe he isn't a horrible human being. It would be easier for me to sit here and assume he has shit for brains and couldn't care less about Bella. I have to face the facts though. He has been looking for her and has been fighting to see her again - fighting me. I have to take some responsibility for provoking him in the restaurant, even though I don't want to.

I dig deep - really deep - and try to find some compassion for Charlie. He didn't treat Bella unkindly. No, he did what in his mind, was good for her. Most people would have given up, but he's still here trying, in his own shitty way, to help her. If I were being completely honest with myself, I would shit bricks if my daughter came home with someone who has a criminal history like mine.

I can't get over my anger though. Truth is, I don't give a shit what he thinks about me, and that makes it hard for me to find compassion for him. I would never stop Bella from seeing him though, so if she's going to want to, I'll need to figure out a way to be ok with him. He needs to understand this too.

"You think you could stop being a prick so we could get along for Bella's sake?" I ask, giving him a cold look. He snorts and crosses his arms.

"You do realize you don't even know her, right?" I'm not trying to be cruel, but I can't figure out what he's thinking.

"Of course I know that. I'm trying to change that."

"How? By treating the person she loves like shit?" It feels good to say it out loud. To let myself accept the fact that she loves me - all of me, even the parts Charlie throws in my face.

"The person she loves?" he laughs. "What, you shared your cardboard box with her? Is that how you showed your love?" Before I can defend myself I hear a small voice coming from the bed.

"Get out."

I look at Bella and see a fire in her eyes I've never seen before. A tear rolls down her cheek, and she squeezes her eyes shut.

"Bella, I just... I..." Charlie stumbles over his words, but it's no use. Bella cuts him off.

"I said get out." Her hands ball up into fists, and she slams them on her legs.

Charlie knows he's fucked up now. You can see it the way his face crumples. With a resigned sigh he stands to leave the room. When he gets to the door he turns around.

"Bella...I want to make things right... please just give me the chance."

Bella says nothing and when Charlie realizes she has no intention of responding to him, he leaves the room.

I stay silent for a second after he leaves, letting her collect herself. After not seeing her father, whom she barely knows after so long, this was not the way I wanted it to happen for her.

"I'm sorry," I say quietly kissing her forehead.

"Sorry? Why are you sorry? He was being awful to you. I heard him." She looks me in the eye.

"He was awful to you the whole time, wasn't he?"

"No... I mean, Bella, that isn't something you need to worry about."

"Are you kidding? Someone's not treating you right, and you don't think that's something I need to worry about? C'mon, Edward." She rolls her eyes, then brings her hands to her forehead, rubbing her temples.

"Does your head hurt?" I ask quietly, feeling like shit that she woke up to that.

"No, I just... this is just all too much." She's actually handling it all better than I assumed she would. All this change, thinking she saw Alec, seeing her dad for the first time the way she did.

"I know, baby. I'm sorry."

"Do... do the cops know anything yet?"

"No," I say feeling badly. I wish I could tell her they've caught him and she doesn't have to worry anymore but I can't. Whitlock called about an hour ago to let us know that no one has seen anyone that matches Alec's description. They assume she just saw someone who looked like him. I'm not convinced it's that easy, and Bella won't be out of my sight again.

"It's ok though. I won't leave your side again. I'm sorry I left you today; I shouldn't have."

"Edward, you can't blame yourself. I was stupid... so stupid to think I could go out and be normal. I should know better by now. If I had stayed at Emmett's like I promised then none of this would've happened."

"You aren't stupid and don't worry, you'll get there one day. It'll just take some time, Bella." Our conversation stops there, because the nurse and doctor walk into the room.

"Hey there, look who's awake." The smiling nurse walks over and fluffs Bella's pillow. Bella gives her a shy smile but cooperates with the jostling.

"How are you feeling? All things considered..." The doctor asks.

"Ugh, a little tired still but overall ok, I guess."

"Well you're in good hands with Dr. Cullen, so we're going to go ahead and send you home. Just make sure you let him know if you start to feel dizzy or nauseous, anything out of the ordinary really." Bella nods.

"I've been informed from the police and Dr. Cullen about the details of your past, Bella." She immediately looks down to her lap.

"What happened today is completely normal. You're functioning quite well considering what you've been though, but episodes like the one that happened today are bound to happen more frequently and violently. I see on your chart that you've seen Dr. Cope. Did you make any mental health arrangements with her?" Mental health arrangements? He's making her sound like she's crazy.

"Um... yeah. I'm supposed to start therapy tomorrow," Bella replies quietly. Her face is flushed with embarrassment, and I kind of hate him for making her feel that way.

"Good! I wish all the best to you, Bella." With a soft smile from him and the nurse, they exit the room. Bella has to change her clothing and then we can go back to the Cullen's. We've been here for less than a week, and there's been so much stress. I look at her; she's tense. The muscles in her face are tight, her jaw stiff and her hands are still in fists. I grab the clothing she was wearing and set it at the foot of her bed. Leaning over, I press my forehead to hers. Our eyes lock and she whispers she loves me.

"Tomorrow... tomorrow, I'm going to get up early and finish the shed. Then you and me - just you and me... we're going to do something fun, ok?"

She smiles and nods her head eagerly. "Ok."

"I'm just going to stand outside the door while you change, ok?"

"Just in the hallway, Right?"

I lean in and kiss her forehead. "Yes, just in the hallway. I love you."

A genuine smile graces her lips. "I love you too."

I walk into the hallway and take a deep breath. Just when I lean against the wall, I look to my right and I see Charlie coming right for me. I stand and square my shoulders. Like hell am I letting him into that room. His hands come out in front of him and he stops a few feet from me.

"Edward, look... I really am sorry. I've jumped to conclusions about you. It's obvious you care for Bella... and she made it very clear how she feels about you." I laugh, and he looks at me questioningly. She did though. There was no doubt of whose side Bella was on. I know anything I'll say will be full of attitude, so I keep my mouth shut - for the time being.

He rubs both of his hands over his face. "I should know better to judge like that. I'm a cop; I've seen some awful stuff, but I know kids like you don't end up on the street by choice. I was unfair to you. You haven't been in major trouble since you became of age..." Again he runs his hands over his face I can feel his discomfort from where I stand.

No, I haven't been in much trouble since I turned eighteen. Before that it was stealing, dealing drugs and fighting. Around the time I turned eighteen I truly realized my situation. I grasped the concept of being able to change my life. I started looking for honest work and stayed out of trouble - for the most part. I'm not even sure what's on my adult record. There has to be assault and some minor theft, but I stayed away from the drug groups and major rings. Charlie's voice pulls me out of my thoughts.

"I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions," he says more to himself than to me as he stares at the ground. His stance is wide, and his hands are on his hips holding his jacket back. After a pause he looks up. "I'm sorry we started off on such a bad foot. I really am." When I don't respond he continues. "Look, I feel guilty. I know I failed her in so many ways when I didn't even realize it was happening."

He starts to speak but stops himself. Taking a deep breath, he looks me in the eye. "Thank you for taking care of her when... she felt like she couldn't count on me."

He reaches his hand out to shake. He's offering to mend the bridge that we burned down in one afternoon. I take his offer and shake his hand. I can tell Charlie isn't used to apologizing or admitting fault, and this wasn't easy for him. I don't know if what he's saying is the truth or if he's just saying it to get on Bella's good side, and frankly, I don't care. Bella needs to have the opportunity to at least get to know this man if she wants to - he really is the only blood family she has left - and she can't get to know him if I'm selfish.

"Bella and I have plans tomorrow, and she has therapy. I'm sure you'll be involved with the police..." I wave my hand awkwardly around not knowing what to say. "Uh, I'll see if I can get Bella to call you." It's as close to an apology as he's going to get from me.

"Thank you," he says before turning to walk down the hall.

I take a deep breath and try to remove all signs of stress from my face before I go into Bella's room.

I knock lightly on the door and step in to see Bella sitting on her bed dressed and ready to go. I won't tell her about this right now. She needs time, and she needs some good times. Other than therapy - a necessary evil - tomorrow will be nothing but fun for Bella. Too much has happened in the five days since we've come to Forks, and we need some time to ourselves.

"Ready?" I ask. She gives me a big smile and asks what we're going to do tomorrow.

"We... are going to have our first date."

We're looking at a time jump soon...

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