Author's Note: Here's a new chapter for you all, I hope you like it.

I would like to dedicate this chapter to SonofHell666for their continued support of this story, thank you so much for your kind reviews. I would also like to thank everyone that has reviewed/made favourite/and put this story on alert, it means the world to me and I hope you all continue to do so.

I have now found a new beta, msemoglasses who has done wonders on this chapter.

Disclaimer: I own nothing Twilight related (sadly). Enjoy.

Chapter Eighteen

Bella's POV

I was pacing back and forth across my living room when I heard the sound of someone approaching the back door and from their scent I realized it was Simon. I wondered what he and Edward had spoken about. Simon had been gone a fairly short amount of time so I doubted that they had gotten into a fight – but I still was worried about what might have taken place. Simon can have a very fiery temper when he gets angry and I knew Edward was good at pressing people's buttons.

Relief flooded through me as Simon walked back into the living and I noted from his appearance that it didn't appear that a fight had broken out. That was a good thing; I didn't want the two most important people in my life to be at war with each other. As relieved as I was that Simon did not look dishevelled or angry, I was still anxious to know what had been said.

"What happened," I asked nervously, still slightly afraid of what the answer would be.

"We just had a little chat, Bella, and now I think everything will be fine," Simon responded, and from his tone I knew I wasn't going to be able to get out of him what had actually been said out there. That still wouldn't stop me from asking Edward tomorrow at school.

"I'm glad to hear it. I know what you must think, Simon, but I really just want to be happy and as much as he has put me through, Edward truly makes me happy."

"Well then that is good enough for me, but I'm warning you now Bella, if he hurts you again in any way I will not be responsible for my actions." Simon said, his tone very serious and I knew he meant it.

"He won't," I said sounding sure but inside I wasn't.

To hide my uncertainty, I moved towards Simon and hugged him tightly, "I really have missed you; thank you for coming ever since I've met you – you've always been there when I've needed you," I said against his chest.

"I've missed you too, Bella, and you're welcome," Simon replied hugging me back, "shall we go for a hunt? I feel like killing things."

"That sounds nice," I replied ignoring his comment about his needs and instead I headed for the door.

After a few good hours of hunting, Simon and I returned to my house and once again sat on the sofa to continue our catch up. We had a lot of things to share with one another. I had not seen Simon in 4 months as my move back to Forks had demanded much of my time, as there also had been a demand for his time in Paris. We had lived together for many years and we had lived apart as well, so separation was no particular hardship for us, but it didn't mean we didn't miss or need each other. There were just moments in time when we needed to be on our own, to be solitary and reflect on what this new life has brought us.

So I sat and listened to Simon's tales of Paris and the night course he was taking in Psychology, and then he listened to my tales about my return to Forks and my feelings which accompanied it. Before we knew it, morning was upon .s once again…

"I'm sorry Simon but I have to go to school now," I said, genuinely sad that I had to leave his side. It was important to me that I speak to Edward as soon as possible.

"It's that time again is it," Simon asked, slightly surprised at the time.

"Yes and I have to go get ready," I could hardly turn up to school in the same clothes as I had had on yesterday, people would get the wrong idea…

"What will you do all day," I asked Simon.

"I'm not sure yet, but I know I'll be able to think of something," Simon said grinning at me.

I reluctantly left Simon on the sofa and ran upstairs to shower and change. Within a few minutes I was back downstairs and picking up my bag I had discarded yesterday. "Are you sure you'll be ok?" I couldn't help but ask again. I felt awful for having to leave him when we had just reconnected after all this time.

"Bella, I'm a very old immortal vampire – I think I can manage without you for a few hours," Simon said grinning at me.

"Ok well remember we promised to go over to the Cullen's tonight, we'll leave when I get back," I reminded him as I grabbed my keys.

"Oh joy," Simon said sarcastically.

"Simon you agreed, promise me you'll behave."

"Ok love. Now leave before your late for school," he said with a mischievous grin.

"Ok bye," I said as I left the house and got on my bike to head to school.

When I arrived, I didn't see Edward or the rest of his family as I pulled into a parking space at the school. Anxiety filled my body at the lack of their presence. Had they left me again so soon? Had Simon lied about his talk with Edward? I couldn't help the irrational fears that coursed through my body and corrupted my mind. I glanced around the parking lot and noticed that their car was parked across the lot.

Instantly my mind calmed leaving me feeling stupid at my over-reaction. It unsettled me how much I was reminding myself of how I used to be, it made me question whether I had ever really been over what had happened. I had sworn (when I had become a vampire) that I would never again but myself in the position where I could emotionally be so destroyed by another person.

But here I was doing exactly that. But I couldn't bring myself to care about the unforeseen future. I was happy. I loved Edward and we had a second chance when I never thought that would happen. I wasn't going to let anything spoil it this time.

I couldn't keep the smile off my face as I grabbed my bag and headed to class, just knowing I was about to see him was enough to have joy spread through my whole body and to make me feel like I was floating in mid-air. No matter what happened between us I'd always believe me and Edward were meant to be together, regardless of what a small part of my brain sometimes said…

My smile widened when I walked into my English class and saw Edward sitting at our desk waiting for me. He was so incredibly gorgeous, I had that same thought when I had been alive and I still thought it now I had joined him as a vampire. I knew if my heart could beat it would be thundering in my chest.

He returned my smile with one of his own. I loved his smile, his sexy, sensual, crooked grin that always seemed to touch my soul. It warmed my soul that he looked so happy to see me.

"Morning," I said somewhat breathlessly as I sat next to him, but too happy to really care about how I sounded slightly pathetic.

"Morning love," he replied, sounding so sexy I couldn't help but want to kiss him right then and there. Regardless of who was in the room with us.

As if he read me mind, Edward gently caressing my arm, in a teasing gesture that sent a bolt of electricity through my body. As our teacher began another hour of sheer boredom, I reached for Edward's hand and pulled it under the table with my own. I rested our joined hands gently on my knee and spent the rest of the lesson gently playing with Edward's hand.

Once our class had finished, Edward politely walked me to my next class and gave me a not so polite kiss goodbye. It was a passionate kiss, one filled with promise and one not entirely appropriate for school. I stood watching him walk away, needing a moment to compose myself before I headed into class.

The next few hours before lunch were a torture I had never endured before, I longed to see Edward. I needed to see him. But I couldn't, and the fact that I couldn't, had me getting more agitated as every hour without him passed by more and more slowly.

Finally, when I thought I could stand it no longer the bell thankfully rang signalling the start of lunch and I almost sang with relief. As quickly as I could get away with, I hurried to the dining hall, my need to see Edward so strong that it almost felt like some unknown force was pulling me directly to him.

Edward was already seated at our usual table as I all but ran into the dining hall. As soon as I saw him my mind and body calmed immediately, leaving me feeling almost euphoric just from being in his presence. I didn't have time to analysis my bizarre reaction and instead headed straight to Edward and sat next to him again.

"Hi, I said turning my body to face him, my smile so wide I thought I might look like dork. But his returning smile was just a big and I felt my still heart melt.

"Hi," he said back, and he surprised me by curling his hand into my hair and pulling me towards him so our lips meet in our second kiss of the day. I just had time to notice that this kind of public display wasn't really what Edward would normally do, before my brain effectively shut off from the power of his kiss.

I had lost myself completely in his kiss, barely noticing when my hands moved to his hair. I was so lost I had no idea how long we were kissing. To me, it felt like we had been at it for hundreds of year, which still to me, wasn't even close to being long enough…

"Geez, would you two get a room already!" Emmett's booming voice interrupted us. Annoyance flared inside me and was overcome with the urge to tell Emmett where to go for interrupting my moment of perfection.

Luckily, for Emmett, Edward took control of the situation by ending the kiss and slowly pulling away to rest his head against mine before finally facing his family. He smiled that gorgeous crooked smile at them as they sat down and again anger and annoyance filled me at the blatant interruption.

"We already did. Yours to be exact. Nice batman boxers though Emmett," I sniped, satisfaction replacing the annoyance as I watched Emmett's face drop, Rosalie tried to hide a smile, Alice and Jasper burst into laughter and Edward look at me with a somewhat stunned and amused expression on his face.

"How do you know about my boxers? Rose did you tell her?" Emmett asked in shocked confusion.

"No she didn't Emmett, you just seem like the type." I said, as everyone laughed.

When the laughter finally faded, Edward again took hold off my hand and we absentmindedly played with each other's fingers. "How was everything between you and Simon after we left?" Jasper asked.

"We were fine; we went for a hunt and spent the rest of the night catching up. I don't think I want to know what you guys did." I said grinning at them.

"We played chess," Emmett said and everyone laughed again, "…well Edward did."

Edward scowled at Emmett and we all laughed harder. "What have you guys been doing in the 80 years since I last saw you?"

"Nothing much, we've gone back to school about 20 times, lived together, lived separately, visit almost every country again, oh and Rose and Emmett got married again," Alice said sounding rather nonchalant considering the news she was telling me.

"Congratulations Rose, Emmett," I said genuinely happy for them.

"Thanks Bella, but it wasn't the best ceremony we've ever had," Rosalie said returning my smile.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well Eddie-boy never turned up," Emmett said, staring accusingly at Edward.

"What? Why?" I asked, shocked that Edward hadn't attended his siblings wedding.

"Edward wasn't the same after he left you." Jasper said.

"What does that mean?" I asked, wanting to know what Edward's reaction to our "separation" was.

"After I…left you…I isolated myself from everyone else for many many years."

"What he actually means is he ran away from us and became catatonic," Emmett clarified.

"No I didn't…not exactly," Edward said defending himself.

"Dude, you didn't even hunt unless you absolutely had to and that's only because we held an intervention," Emmett retorted.

"Emmett's right, Edward, you were completely destroyed when you left Bella. It took him decades to get out of that state and then it was only a show for Esme," Rosalie said, shocking me with her words.

"Edward –" I started…

"No Bella, I thought it was the right thing for you but now I realise it was the biggest mistake of my existence."

I couldn't say anything, stunned into silence by their revelation. I couldn't think of anything to say, so I did the only thing I could think of and kissed him gently.

"I'm never going to lose you again Bella," Edward whispered to me.

"That's fine by me," I replied meaning every word, desperately hoping he meant his words as well.

"Bella, are you and Simon still coming round tonight? Esme and Carlisle are really looking forward to seeing you," Alice asked me pulling me away from Edward's intense stare.

"Yes, we are Alice," I answered her.

"Good, well we will see you tonight," she said as she stood up pulling Jasper with him and just as they were walking away the bell rang signalling the end of lunch. I had to laugh at Alice – she never stopped surprising me with her gift.

Rather, reluctantly the rest of us got up and Edward and I headed off to Biology hand in hand. It was weird holding his hand as we walked to class, I guess I hadn't quite gotten used to the fact that he was back in my life again. We didn't say much as we meandered our way through the corridors on our way to class, instead enjoying our time together.

As we took our seats next to each other and the teacher began our class, I once again, noticed the weird electrical current that seemed to emanate from him and flow through me. Suddenly, all I could think of was Edward, how close he was to me, how I could smell his delicious scent, how his hand was held tightly in mine… it was driving me insane.

This hyper awareness carried on as the teacher set us a extremely simple experiment to carry out. As Edward and I started our work I noticed how often he touched me. When he asked me to hand him things (or vice versa) he would make sure his finger brushed my hand, or he would carelessly brush my arm or thigh with his hand when we had finished our experiment.

I didn't know if I was relieved or annoyed when the lesson was over and Edward escorted me to my Gym class. All I knew was it was just as bad being in his presence as it was without. Now that Edward wasn't near me my whole being became agitated. As a result I wasn't the nicest person during that lesson as I was so on edge to see Edward again.

As soon as my lesson was over, I all but flew out of the Gym Hall and raced toward the parking lot, desperate to see Edward one more time before I went home. I didn't have to go very far to find him as he was leaning up against me bike waiting for me.

"I'll see you in a few minutes round mine," he said as he pulled my body against his and gave me a slow kiss.

"Ok," I said reluctant to even leave him for a second. But I resigned myself to my fate as he gave me one more kiss before headed over to his family car.

Not wasting a single second, I got onto my bike and raced home, eager to see Simon and head over to the Cullen's house. But as I pulled into my driveway apprehension set in. I was about to see Esme and Carlisle for the first time in 80 years. They had been like second parents to me and they had left me just as easily as he had done. Did they ever care for me at all in the first place?

"Bella, it will be ok, they wouldn't have asked to see you if they didn't care about you or hadn't missed you." Simon said, reassuring me. I had been so wrapped up in my thoughts I hadn't even heard him approach. He always seemed to know when I needed him and always said the right words to comfort me.

"Your right, I'm just being silly," I said, "wait here while I change quickly."

I raced into the house and quickly changed into a pale blue dress that covered most of my tattoos. I didn't know why I was changing – I guess I wanted to please the people I had always thought of as my second parents. With a quick look in the mirror to see if I was descent and a brush of my hair, I raced back downstairs.

I reached out for Simon's hand as we ran over to the Cullen's. They only lived a couple of miles away from me so in a minute we were standing on their front porch. I knocked tentatively and stood listening for the sounds of someone's approach. Soon after we heard the sound of someone approaching the door opened…

"Bella!"

Words of thanks for the last chapter's reviewers:

Lionnara: No, I'm the one who's flattered by your kind reviews.

Priya-101: Thank you for your review, I'm glad you like my story and I hope you equally like this new chapter.

Draco2: Thank you for the kind review, hope you like the new chapter.

Bamboothebear: Thank you for the review, I hope this chapter is long enough for you.

Fanpire911: Thank you for your lovely words, I hope this wasn't too long of a wait for you.

8thweasleykid: That's ok life sometimes gets in the way, I just appreciate the time you've taken to review again, thank you so much.

The Red Teardrop: Thank you very much, I hope you like this chapter as well.

SonofHell666: Thank you for the review.

Heyitsacookiemonster: Thank you for the kind review, I have also PMed you in regards to your review.