Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, or any of its affiliates; they are the sole property of Stephanie Myer and always will be.

This story is set in an Alternate Universe.

ECHOES OF THE SOUL

Chapter Three

All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on.

– Henry Ellis

- Some time later -

"Bella...?"

Attention piqued by the soft, anxious tone of her friend's voice, the curious brunette looked up from her resting place on Edward's bed and paused only a moment before moving. Putting aside the worn novel of his mothers that she had borrowed, she lay it face down and open to the page she had been reading so voraciously; she turned her attention to her young friend, but did not speak. Instead she merely waited, with her head tilted slightly to one side and her gaze locked onto his, for Edward to gather his thoughts and tell her of his problems.

The quiet acceptance was something that Edward had come to adore and cherish in his curious little friend; the girls at school were giggly, annoying creatures that seemed to have a strange language all their own. Bella was nothing like that; she was cheerful, and she did laugh, but Edward thought that the bell-like sound was beautiful. And then there was the fact that she never rushed him like his other friends did, especially when he was very hesitant to broach a subject. She merely listened, and gave him advice when he needed it, or distracted him when he need that.

Now, as he watched her nimble little fingers twirl the yellow fabric of her dress, Edward pulled his thoughts together and then swallowed loudly, before walking over to Bella and settling down beside her. They were nary a hairsbreadth away from touching one another, but both Edward and Bella knew that neither would close the minuscule gap between them. As much as he'd come to cherish her, Edward would still shudder at the feeling of his hand passing through her like smoke, and Bella would always grow inexplicitly sad when she was once again reminded that she was incapable of physical human touch.

"Alec and the guys want to take me out camping for my birthday."

A little startled by his explosive confession, Bella hummed softly to herself as she gathered her wits and turned her soft brown gaze directly onto the confused young boy. Puzzled as to why Edward felt and sounded so conflicted by something she assumed he would enjoy, Bella parted her lips and then paused. A sweet scent washed over Edward's face as Bella's brown gaze grew only more confused with the situation, but before he could speak, Bella interrupted. "Do you not like them anymore, Edward? You all have been friends for nearly a year now."

Sighing miserably the auburn-haired eleven-year old let his body fall back onto his bed, somehow managing to be lethargically boneless and extremely tense all at the same time. Roiling with peculiar mixed emotions, Edward was helpless to do anything else but peer up at his friend with darkened jade-coloured eyes. Bella smirked when she noticed that his always mussed hair became a veritable bird's nest because of his action, but still when Edward reached forward with one hand.

Time seemed to stop as the now tanned hand stopped barely a millimetre away from her shoulder-blade, and both held their breath as he pressed forward and closed the gap. For a split second, every little thing was right in the world, but once again, Edward's hand slid right on through her clothes and her skin, as if the girl in yellow was nothing more than a mere apparition.

Instead of shuddering as he was known to when this happened, Edward simply sighed wistfully and Bella's heart ached at the despairing sound. She knew that her incapability to touch him annoyed Edward, but she was often able to divert his attention; yet in the face of this resignation and gloom, Bella was at a loss as to how to help him.

In the end, it was Edward how helped himself out of his depression. Eyes spying a particular object, the youth's gaze sharpened and focused, losing all sign of misery, until he was practically glaring at the perfectly innocent item that lay abandoned on hid bed. Bella could not help but watch with an amused eye as she took in the fiery glare that Edward had for the book she had been reading; it was as if he wanted to incinerate its pages with his glare.

She knew the problem immediately, after seeing the vehemence on his face and the anger in his eye, but was still at a loss. She could not do anything about the issue, and neither could he; but he still worked himself up into a fury about it. Such a silly boy...

Lost in her musings, Bella jumped a bit when Edward's livid, and frustrated words spewed from his lips with a helplessness that the raging anger could not quite mask for her. She had known him for quite a while now, and knew him almost inside out, back to front.

"Why can't I touchyou? You can touch everything else, like that stupid book, but not me!"

A shiver of something crept up and down Bella's spine at the possessive look on her friend's slowly, but surely ageing face and the doe-eyed girl was deeply unsure whether or not she liked it; there was something there that frightened her immensely and she shuddered under its weight. Pushing the unpleasant feeling to the back of her mind, Bella could not help but feel a little happy about the acknowledgement that Edward really did care for her.

That aside, Bella thought that Edward was overreacting just a little; she had thought that her young friend had accepted after just a few weeks into the move that they wouldn't be able to touch. It was apparent that Edward had not, even though it was now approaching a year since he and his mother and father had left Chicago.

Deep in thought, Bella ran her finger mindlessly along the spine of the classic she had been reading blissfully on minutes before; she did not have an answer for him, especially not one that he wanted to hear. Choosing to ignore, no matter how hurtful it was, the resentment and frustration Edward was sending her way, she simply acknowledged to him what she knew about the matter, little as it was, "I do not believe I am truly alive, Edward. I get flashes sometimes, and they scare me. I also do not believe you should even be able to see me, Edward, but like I have said, you can and that is what makes everything okay."

Expelling the breathe that he had been holding in anticipation of some answers, Edward's face all but crumpled at her vague response, before hardening into a blank expression. A twitch at his lip, Edward pushed outward, in a useless and wholly unsuccessful attempt to shove the petite brunette, and then jumped off the bed and stalked to his piano. Seating himself on the stool, his finger began to lash out at the key, belting out anger-filled and bitter tunes; a stoic look to his face during every single second.

Bella's heart tore.

Both of them knew well enough that he could actually hurt her, because he couldn't even touch her, but it wasn't that that caused the hole in Bella's heart at the angry young boy's actions. It was not the gesture itself; it was the clear meaning behind it. Edward wanted Bella to know that he was very angry and hurt and upset with her. He wanted to hurt her.

And he did.

Yet behind that throbbing hurt, Bella knew that Edward was still just a young, clueless boy, and that his emotions were extremely volatile. He had hurt her with his actions, but it was only because he was hurting as well that he had acted out in the first place. Besides, Bella had already resigned her mind to the fact that while her Edward was an remarkable prodigy with chivalrous manners, and was surprisingly mature for his eleven years, he also brought along with him a notoriously short temper and a broodiness that was unrivalled by any that she had ever witnessed.

Still, he was so beautiful when he played; whether it was weaving a soothing lullaby or coaxing a difficult and complex concerto from the dark wood of his piano. Or even now, when he was striking the keys with all the negative emotions that churned within him, until even the darkest, harshest noise became a song even in of itself.

There is no other way to explain it... he's Edward, and that's all there is to it.

"I'm sorry.

It took Bella only a split second to realize that the thundering, crashing music had come to an end and that Edward had whispered his apology to her with his face buried deep in his hands. Wrought with guilt at his actions, Edward's fingers curled and pulled tightly at the thick, dishevelled strands of his auburn-hued hair. Sensing his inner turmoil and heart-felt regret, Bella rose to return to his side once again; the innocent and yet somehow guilty book knocked carelessly to the floor from her move and then left there, abandoned. As she reached out for him with soft eyes, Edward's lips parted and everything came spilling out of his mouth in a rush of mixed emotions and words and feelings and need.

"I want you to be able to come camping with us! And I want you to be able to meet all my friends... and meet mom and dad. And I want you to come to the park with me, and to school, and to eat ice-cream sodas down at Maria's on Saturdays. I want you to be there for everything, Bella."

Tearing prickling and threatening to fall from her steadily filling eyes, Bella impulsively grabbed the light blue jacket off the floor that Edward had discarded, and pressed the soft material against her friend's body. Ignoring the brightness of his eyes and his confused gaze, Bella gradually, carefully, pressed her own body against the jacket; wrapping her best friend in a tight, pseudo hug – the best she could give him. It's the best I can do, Edward.

Seeing the broad and dazzling grin on Edward's face was enough to put Bella's mind to ease, and though she knew that this was not the end of this issue, for now, it was enough for him. And it was enough for her too... she had been alone a long time.

But now, despite his many faults, Bella was eternally grateful for Edward. He made her feel alive; alive and happy and free. And there was no way in hell that she was letting that go.

Carding her hands through his hair, though she knew he could not feel it, Bella hummed softly under her breath and rocked against her favourite person in the entire world. Soon Edward's hum joined hers, and Bella smiled peacefully. "You know that I will always be here for you, Edward. I am not going anywhere, promise."

Bella watched Edward move about the room rambunctiously, eager hands gripping this and that and mouth running a mile a minute as he told her everything his friends had told him about the camping trip that would start today. Edward had been studiously counting down the days on his calendar, and now the day had finally arrived in all its sun-shone glory.

March 23rd – Edward's eleventh birthday.

A soft smile crossed her lips from her place on the bed, as her friend threw mountains of clothes into a small camping rucksack, along with shoes and swim trunks and various other miscellaneous items, most of which Bella thought had absolutely nothing to do with camping. Carding her fingers through her long tresses, a habit she had quickly picked up from Edward, Bella sighed when she thought of the dull weekend ahead. Edward's birthday fell on a long weekend, so she wouldn't see the jade-eyed youth for two long days. It would be the longest time the two had gone apart, but Edward, in his excitement, seemed to be oblivious to the fact.

It was for the best, Bella knew, but it still hurt to be so wholly pushed to the side and forgotten like a broken or outgrown toy. She wasn't a toy, she was a person; a person that had stuck by Edward's side for an entire year and listened to him and cared for him.

Resigned to the nature of little boys, Bella toyed with the simple chain necklace about her throat, twirling the pendant easily between her fingers. Edward would be fine there without her, he had managed for the other ten years, and she had managed to live without Edward for the many years that had passed. He would be back in three days, and life would continue as it had for the past year. She could endure, and moreover, now she could read the books that Edward seemed to find delight in hiding from her; she would be completely undisturbed. The sweet poetry and old-fashioned words of Jane Austen's novels would pass the time pleasantly, and sooner than she knew it, Edward would be home.

Besides it would be good practice for her; for one day Edward would become a man, and go out to meet the world all on his own; to getting married, to have children and to grow old.

And Bella would remain here, frozen as a ten-year old girl in a yellow dress.