Disclaimer: I haven't written for two weeks, I'm sure you want my "originality" to go into the chapter rather than into saying "I don't own Twilight."

Chapter 17—Edward P.o.V.

Edward had never enjoyed shopping with Alice. She always got too focused on the clothes, running from rack of clothes to rack of clothes thoughtlessly, and forgot all about him. He was usually just there to carry her bags. This time, however, it was different. Because this time Bella was with them, and she seemed to enjoy shopping even less than he did.

We aren't really going to buy anything, right? I mean, I can't let you buy me clothes, and I don't have money to spare, she signed worriedly, eyeing Alice nervously as they walked into the mall. Edward struggled to hold in his laughter; Bella obviously did not know Alice very well yet. He appreciated the fact that she was signing at the same time she spoke, though. He hated to have to guess what they were talking about.

Bella, I want to do this for you, OK? Please, please, please, let me? Alice replied, her face the perfect puppy-dog replica. Edward could see Bella's resolve crumbling. He did not know much about her yet, but he did know that she always wanted to please everyone. That disturbed him slightly; he could not imagine it would be at all easy to keep a life in which you are always working for others. How could she look out for herself at the same time?

Edward! Come on, you're lagging behind. Where shall we go first?

Edward didn't bother replying; he knew that Alice would pay no attention to whatever he suggested anyway. She probably wouldn't even notice if he had replied at all. He was not angry at her for it—not at all—t was just how she was when they went shopping. But with Bella going along, he had felt he should go. From what he had gathered, Bella did not like shopping. He would never subject anybody who disliked shopping to a shopping trip with Alice alone. He would never subject anyone who liked shopping to it either; such trips were like an extreme sports outing.

As Edward had predicted, Alice immediately made up her mind as to where they were going to start and, grabbing Bella's wrist tightly, set off in that direction at an amazing speed. Edward followed closely behind them, struggling to hold in his laughter at Bella's terrified expression.

It's OK, he signed to her, she won't kill you. I can't promise she won't inflict permanent mental damage, however.

When Bella's expression became even more horrified, Edward really did laugh out loud. That did not seem to calm Bella down in the slightest, and she was tense and jumpy for the greater part of the morning. After about two hours of Bella refusing to buy anything, Alice decided that a stricter mode of persuasion than simple threats was needed. Edward watched wearily as she pulled Bella aside. His fears of physical harm coming to Bella, however, were unfounded.

Bella, she signed, slowly and clearly, it would mean a lot to me if you let me buy you some clothes. Please? I thought we were friends, but you aren't acting like it.

At Alice's puppy eyes, Bella's expression turned from annoyed to horrified. Edward realized with anger that she was horrified at herself, probably for disappointing Alice. He glared at Alice; she was faking, of course. Could she not realize that Bella would not notice that? That Bella would feel bad and think she was being a bad friend? He stomped over to the two girls and grabbed Alice's wrist tightly to pull her up from the bench she had set herself down on.

Alice, you are not being fair to Bella. It's one thing to bring her shopping with you, but it's another altogether to make her feel guilty for not wanting to buy unnecessary clothes. You are supposed to be her friend and, instead, you are making her feel as if she were at fault.

Alice looked at him, bewildered, then back down at Bella. Her horrified expression had turned to one of anger.

Stop it! Stop fighting about me as if I weren't here. We can figure this out like normal human beings, alright?

Surprised and more than a bit scared, Alice and Edward merely nodded. Bella had a spark in her eyes they had never seen before, and she really did look angry.

Alice, does it really hurt your feelings that I don't want to buy anything?

Well, Alice replied, trying to defend herself, it kind of bugs me. I don't understand why you won't let me buy you pretty clothes!

I don't need pretty clothes, Alice, Bella replied calmly, I have my own clothes, and I'm happy with them. If it makes you happy, I'll let you buy me one thing. But one thing only, OK?

Alice nodded eagerly and Bella turned to Edward.

Now, Edward, why are you angry?

Alice was treating you horribly, taking advantage of you.

Do you really think I'm that easy to control? Bella asked, her face somewhat sad and hurt. Edward wanted to reply that he didn't, that he thought her much stronger than that, but, in reality, as much as he wished he knew her better, he didn't. And he had only ever seen her being rather weak and subservient to Jasper. His lack of response told Bella everything she needed to know.

Alright, she replied, the hurt expression still on her face, you can think that. But I'd like to think I'm not. If you think I'm being taken advantage of, tell me, don't try and act like a knight in shining armor. It's best not to meddle in my affairs, they're not very pretty.

Edward cocked his head to the side, looking confused at the last statement. He was, of course, hurt by Bella's dismissal of his protecting her, but, in a strange way, he could understand what she meant. He did not like it at all when people thought that he needed to be saved and protected because, since he was Deaf, he could not take care of himself. It was not true, just like, he supposed, it wasn't true that Bella was entirely helpless.

Now that that's all been fixed, let's get back to shopping, alright?

They all agreed readily, and they set off to shop some more, albeit much more calmly. Alice seemed much more meek, although that meant little; she was still bouncing around from store to store and, although she stuck to her promise to only buy one item for Bella, she made Bella try on just about every item in the entire mall. By the end of their excursion, Alice had five new dresses, seven new shirts, three skirts, four pairs of jeans, nine scarves, an umbrella, three pairs of sandals, two pairs of boots, and a new hat.

Bella had, much to her despair, a new dress. She had started to feel guilty about "screaming" at Edward and Alice not five minutes after the event, and she had been trying to placate their possible anger by agreeing to their every request. There had been no anger to speak of, as both Edward and Alice saw the reason behind Bella's outburst, but it was in her nature to attempt to please others.

Well, that was a productive trip, don't you think? Alice asked excitedly as she skipped towards the car. Edward was behind her, carrying most of the bags. Bella was walking beside him, carrying the rest. Alice seemed oblivious to the giant piles of clothes and shoes that her brother and friend were carrying.

I'll drive back, so that you can talk, alright, Edward? That way, if I want to say something to you I can tell Bella and she can sign it, and vice versa.

And with that she fished Edward's keys out of his pocket and got in the driver's seat. Since Edward was still carrying the bags, he was not able to tell her to stop, to remind her that nobody was allowed to drive his precious Volvo but himself. By the time he had put all the bags in the trunk, Alice had already adjusted the seat and the mirrors, and so Edward resigned himself to riding as a passenger. Both he and Bella got in the back so that they could see each other better, leaving Alice alone in the front seat.

That wasn't all that bad, was it?

Bella shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant, but the way her eyes widened and shot to the overly-stuffed trunk told a different story. Edward laughed.

That's normal for Alice. What's not normal is that she didn't do the same for you! I'm glad, though; I don't know if I'd been able to carry the bags if she had!

Bella smiled, but it was a tight smile, obviously not entirely sincere.

Bella? What is it?

It's just…please, don't think I'm being intrusive, I don't mean to be rude, but…where do you get all the money?

Edward was surprised at the question; he had not thought that Bella would be much bothered by their having money, since the Hales seemed to be rather well-off themselves. She did not seem to be as comfortable as Jasper and Rosalie about it, though. In fact, now that he thought about it, Edward realized that Bella's clothes were much more demure and worn than her siblings'. He was drifting off, wondering as to that, when he realized that Bella was still waiting for an answer. She was blushing and avoiding his eyes, and he realized she thought he was angry or offended by her question. He reassured her quickly.

I don't mind at all, it's normal for you to wonder. The truth is, my dad's dad was big into investing. He had learned from the Great Depression, and was wise with his money. He got rather wealthy that way, and when he passed away, he left each of us a trust fund. We don't like to use them much, for the most part, but Alice…well, Alice will be Alice.

Bella seemed rather shocked by this new piece of information, and Edward wanted to know why; it was inherited wealth through Wall Street, what was so shocking about that? So he asked.

Oh, it's just…you have to be very, very well-off to each have a trust fund, no? I mean, and for Alice to use it up like that without denting it…I'm kind of shocked. I don't even have a college fund, let alone my own personal fortune!

She seemed mortified at her words, because she immediately blushed, put down her head, and let her hair cover her face while she fiddled with her hands on her lap. Edward was instantly embarrassed himself, wondering if his words had come out in a conceited way. He leaned over and patted her shoulder to get her attention.

Bella, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound rude.

Oh! Bella's eyes widened with surprise, you weren't rude at all. I just speak too much. I'm sorry.

Edward shook his head, smiling at her.

You don't speak too much at all. I want to learn more about you. Don't feel bad for telling me anything about you, OK?

Bella's blush, which had began to subside, came back with full force. She nodded and smiled back at him, but then turned to look out the window. That was a bad idea, however; before, she had not realized the speed at which Alice was driving. The trees around them were zipping by at incredibly speeds. They were almost to Forks already. She called out, and Alice turned to look at her, not slowing down at all. They had a short conversation, which Edward did not understand, and which ended on Alice smirking at Bella and Bella cowering against the back of her seat, her eyes closed.

Bella? Edward signed, touching her shoulder with one hand to get her attention, are you alright? What was that about?

Bella opened her eyes and looked over at Edward, and Edward saw the fear in her eyes.

I don't like speeding. I really don't like speeding.

She was biting her lip, and her eyes kept shooting past Edward and out the window. She looked really terrified. Edward nodded, a determined look on his face, and he leaned over to tap Alice's shoulder. She turned to look at them again, and this time the car swerved slightly, making Bella slide towards Edward as much as her seatbelt would allow. She was shaking now, her eyes tearing.

Edward started to get angry at Alice; was she purposefully teasing Bella? Could she not realize that she was truly afraid? Edward was sure that Bella must have made some sort of noise, so why was Alice not responding? What seemed like hours later, but was in reality just over a minute, Alice pulled over and turned around to see what was going on. She glared at Edward, taking no notice of Bella's curled up, shaking form.

What was that for, Edward? I was driving perfectly well; I wasn't going to crash your precious car!

Edward motioned towards Bella. When Alice noticed her, her eyes instantly widened before softening. She looked repentant, but Edward didn't know whether to believe her or not. He unbuckled his seat belt and scooted down, over to her. He pulled her onto his lap, placing his chin on top of her head and rubbing her back, trying to relax her. It did not seem to be working much at first, but she then started to slow down her shaking and she relaxed onto his frame. Edward felt his own muscles relax; he hadn't even noticed how tense he had gotten when Bella had freaked out.

Bella? Bella, I'm sorry, OK? I won't do it again.

Bella nodded, accepting her promise wordlessly. Edward was not quite as satisfied, wanting to know just what was wrong, but it seemed Bella was not willing to volunteer that information. He was surprised, however, when Bella made no effort to pull away from his arms quite yet. She remained in his embrace until Alice finally started up the car again, at which point she reluctantly pulled away from Edward's arms and got back in her seat, buckling her seat belt sheepishly.

Thank you, Edward. That was very nice of you. I'm sorry to have bothered you.

It's perfectly alright, Bella. Could you tell me what was wrong, though? You were really scared.

Bella shrugged, not wanting to answer. She had been afraid of speeding ever since she was a child, when her mother and she had gotten in that terrible accident. She did not usually go in cars at all, so it was usually not much of a problem. Today had obviously been different.

Alright. If you ever want to tell me, though…Edward drifted off, a hopeful look on his face. Bella felt guilty for keeping secrets from him but she did not want him to find out about her real home life. She did not want to be pitied, and she did not want to put that load on anybody else. She realized that if she were to tell them they would probably feel as if it were up to them to make things better for her, like the Hales had felt, and she did not want that to happen. She could manage on her own. Or, at least, she would try.

Author's Note—Hey, guys!!!!! So, to start, let me tell you how incredibly, absolutely, and incredibly sorry I am that I haven't been updating. I really have not had the time, it's not that I've been avoiding you. I know I had been telling you how happy I was that exams were over but…exams being over means drama picks up. What does this mean? It means I have rehearsal until 6.30 every day (including Saturdays). And this Saturday we start going until 10. So, Sundays are spent catching up on sleep, and I haven't had time to write. And then, add to that the fact that I have some serious writers' block and you get…well, you get my not updating for almost a month. Again, I'm so incredibly sorry! I will try to not let life get in the way of my writing, but sometimes it's harder than others. Hopefully you will not get another unannounced update-less month again. I know this chapter is shorter than usual, and that nothing very big happens, but it's the best I've been able to do. I promise that, within the month, I will go back to longer, more frequent chapters, alright? Just hold on!

Thanks to:

Viper003

Kolored

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FRK921

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Music ADD

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SleepThroughTheStatic

A. Fire. In. The. Attic—You got a sign name? Congrats! Do I get to know it? I'd be very interested (as well as jealous, but…). Anyway, I'm glad you liked this!

Mimaindi

DontBeVain—I'm glad you like this!

ObsessedTwilightFan09—I'm glad you like my story. However, could you, please, refrain from making comments such as "fagtard?" It's offensive, both in the "retard" and in the "fag." I happen to be quite active in the LGBTQ community.

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Twilight Is My Second Language

JustMe—sorry!

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Twilighter1598—oh, wow, thank you! I actually have read A World Without Sound (I read all the Deaf Edward/Bella stories around…), and I'm very flattered!

Questions/Comments:

Special Thanks to:

Johnny—*Squee!!!* I'm so excited to finally get a message directly from you! Thank you so much, your compliments make me feel so happy!!! And I will not doubt to ask you if I have any doubts, if you don't mind!

Erin Cade—Yay! I'm glad you liked what I'm doing. But don't be impatient! Alice and Jasper (and Edward and Bella) will get together when the time is right. We don't want to rush things, right?

HannaJamesNivek—So, yay, exams are over, but, boohoo, drama is on full-time…don't kill me for not writing! I like your suggestions for Edward-Jasper-Emmett time…I think I'll act on that. And on the whole Emmett-as-big-brother thing. And I'm glad I'm deviating from the Jasper-Bella trend I'd apparently started. I also see and like what you're saying about Rosalie. As I said before, I don't think her book past fits in here. I'm glad you agree. Moving on to Esme now… I do see her as taking on a motherly role, but I don't think I'll have the overly-clichéd meltdown-and-consequent-fluff scene. I will, of course, have some drama and some fluff, but not to the degree you seem to want it. Sorry. Then, Carlisle…He is not as oblivious as you seem to have pegged him. He /did/ notice Bella's silence. It is precisely because he noticed this that he was so cold to Edward; he did not want to make things more awkward. It shall be developed further as we go on.

You put so much weight on this chapter, and I feel I might have disappointed you. On top of drama, which means a heck of a lot of sleep deprivation and much-too-little free time, I had some horrible writers' block, and I'm not entirely satisfied with this chapter. Grrr…. Anyway, sorry this reply is so short compared to your review, I'm practically falling asleep over the keyboard….

PrettyLydia—I'm flattered! I'm glad you and your friends all like my story so much. I'll try to keep up to the standard! And, don't worry, I'll try to get back to my one-chapter-per-day rate from /before/ drama and exams.

HONVampyreChick—I'm glad you liked it…And, yes, James got the number from the school.

AboveTheNightSky—again, oh, wow, fancy meeting you here! . Anyway, I've already replied to your message, but whatever…Of course I extend the same right to bash me to you as I do to the rest of my readers….so, seriously, don't be afraid to hurt my feelings and be as mean as you want if you feel the need. Oh, and thank you for the comment about my writing style…I've gotten some reviews telling me that I read just like SMeyer, and it's beginning to worry me.