Chapter XXIII: Hardest of Hearts

Vee paced back and forth in front of the door to one of the spare rooms in her parent's house. Her mom and dad had turned it into a make-shift operating room. Edward was in there now, being prepped for surgery. She rubbed the back of her neck and took some deep, calming breaths. Unfortunately, nothing she did was really helping her anxiety.

Her mother stepped out of the room and shut the door behind her. "Everything is ready and your father is helping Edward change into a hospital gown. Then, we can get to work." She sighed, and shook her head. "Your dad tried preparing me for this, but I truly thought he was playing a monumental prank on me. That is, until I met your Edward."

Vee smirked at the memory of her mom first seeing Edward walking through her door. "I thought we were going to have to manually shut your mouth, your jaw was hanging open for so long."

Her mother's eyes narrowed, as she dryly asked, "Can you blame me for being shocked? I mean, I know it wasn't professional. I have never reacted in such a way to any of my patients. However, I've never seen anything like him."

"Nope." Vee smiled. "He is very unique."

Her mom gave her a knowing look. "I suppose that's why you're so taken with him. I can't say I approve, or even understand it; but I will do my best work in there. I can see how you feel about him."

Every once in a while, her mom surprised her. This was one such time. Having a eureka type moment, Vee realized the reason her mother was always on her case was because she cared about her so much, and wanted the best for her. It was just that she went about it in an unbearable, frustratingly annoying manner. Vee finally understood why, and she suddenly felt very guilty for always avoiding her parents.

Vee agreed with her mom's comment; she would do her best. Her mom was adept at her job, and had a wonderful bedside manner. Probably, that's why she was so successful; other than being a skilled physician, she was also sincerely compassionate to her patients. Vee felt an overwhelming amount of gratitude toward her mom, and hugged her. "Thank you." Pulling away with a tear in her eye, she added, "Can I see him alone before you begin?"

"Of course you can. There's your father now." The door opened, and her dad emerged. "Victoria wants a moment."

He held the door open for Vee. "Go right on in, we're good to go when you are." He looked a bit sleep deprived. Vee figured he had been pouring over the books, and finishing the hands, ever since her phone call. She had alerted them hours before that they were on their way, and had the ingredient he needed. Her parents had pulled everything together in the amount of time it took her to drive there.

Vee entered the room, and closed the door behind her. She wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry at the sight of Edward in a hospital gown. It was so very weird to see him like that. Without all the leather, he looked even more ghostly pale. He sat on the edge of the operating table, and smiled when he saw her.

Vee walked up to him, feeling very surreal. She couldn't believe this was actually happening, right now. "How do you feel?"

He admitted, "I am a little nervous."

"Me too." Vee placed her hands on top of his, which were positioned on either side of him, the sharp blades resting on the table. "Edward, you don't have to go through with this."

His eyes grew larger. "You deserve to be with someone who is somewhat normal, and not a monster. I can not even touch you without hurting you. Every time I see your face, and the scar I caused-" He paused, and shut his eyes tight. "It rips me apart."

Vee placed her hand on the side of his face, coaxing him to open his eyes. When he did, and she had her eyes locked with his, she solemnly professed, "Edward, I love you. I fell in love with you just the way you are now. And trust me, these-" she motioned to his hands, "Don't make you a monster. They don't define you, and change who you are inside. I've accepted your scissorhands as a part of who you are. I love you; regardless of your exterior. Don't do this, thinking it's what I want. I only want you to do what makes you happy. If you're going to so drastically change yourself; do so for you. The scars aren't a reminder of something you did that was wrong; they are a reminder of why I am still alive. Of how you saved me. They will always mean that to me."

Edward had tears shining in his eyes. "I am sure that this is what I want. I have always wanted this, for me." He gave her a crooked smile. "And now I have another reason for wanting it more than before."

He leaned in, and kissed her. She returned the kiss, then wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his neck and hair. Shedding a couple tears of her own, she sniffled. "Edward, I'm so sorry I didn't tell you how I felt about you a long time ago. I'm afraid that in an attempt to not be hurt, I never let anyone in. I walled my heart in, and refused to listen to it. I had to harden it, to toughen up; because I always felt that I was too sentimental, and that made me vulnerable. I never would let anyone get to really know me, that is...until you came along. My walls have crumbled at your feet, and you have my heart. I just wanted you to know the truth, before you did this." She wiped her wet face off as she pulled back to look at him again. She smiled at him, and wiped his face dry as well.

He gazed at her with wonder. "Thank you for telling me. I am sorry you felt that you needed to protect your heart like that. I could never harm it." He kissed her once more. "I love you too, Vee."

She gave him an incredulous look. "I don't know if I'll ever understand why."

He laughed with a look of disbelief. "I could say the same thing to you."

Vee grinned at him, and patted him on the knee. "Are you ready?" He nodded his answer. She gave him another kiss before walking away, and opening the door. She let her parents in, and rejoined Edward with them in tow.

Her father went to a table that had various glass bottles on it, (including the one Vee and Edward had provided.) It looked like he was staying true to the books, and not letting Vee's mom use any modern western medicine on Edward. He picked up a yellow one, and turned to Edward. "This is the sleeping formula. Here you go, drink this."

He held it to Edward's lips, to let him drink it. Edward did as he was told. Once he finished, he thanked her dad in his quiet, courteous way. Vee helped him lay down on his back. Continuing to hold him around his shoulders, she gazed in his eyes until they got heavy and closed.

Her mom looked at her with concern. "You better wait outside, hun. This may be too much for you to see."

Vee nodded and left the room. After closing the door behind her, she rested against it. She held a hand up, to see it shaking. Edward was in good hands, yet she couldn't help but be worried. It would kill her if anything bad happened to him...if he didn't wake up. She shuddered at the thought. Blinking back tears, she squeezed her eyes shut, and stayed there for an unquantifiable amount of time. Poe circled around her feet a few times, before getting bored and wandering off to further explore the house.

She had forgotten about leaning on the door, until she almost fell over when it was opened. "Whoa!" Her dad yelled, catching her. "Have you been there this whole time?"

She nodded, and quickly asked, "How is he?!"

"He's doing good. We moved him to a bed, he may sleep through the night." Her dad yawned, and rubbed his eyes.

Her mom walked out of the room, and looked at Vee. "Before heading to bed, we're going to get something to eat. Do you want to join us?"

Vee entered the room, and glanced at her mother over her shoulder. "No, I'm staying with Edward." Walking directly to him, she pulled the blanket up around him a little, and looked at his hands. They were completely covered in bandages, and lay on either side of him. Already she could see that they were a completely different shape than what she was used to. She pulled a chair close to the bed, so she could reach out and hold onto his shoulder. Vee rested her head on the bed next to him, and cried in relief.

A noise in the room distracted her from Edward, and she looked up, wiping away her tears. Her mom was setting up a tv tray next to her. She put a plate of food on it, and sternly said, "Victoria, after that nightmare you went through with Jack, and now this...You really need to eat, and take care of yourself." Her mom traced the line of the scar on her cheek. Vee had told her parents it happened during that night, but didn't mention that Edward had done it by accident. The last thing she wanted was for them to hold any grudges when she needed them to care for him.

"Thanks, mom. It smells wonderful," she said, as she picked up the fork and dug in. She was far hungrier than she realized and her stomach let out a loud growl to prove it.

Her mom smiled in satisfaction, yet still wore the stern expression. "Sleep in a bed tonight. I don't want to catch you sleeping in that chair."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Vee mumbled through a mouthful of food. Fully intending to do just that.

Her mom tsk'd and walked away, shutting the door behind her. Vee greedily finished the food and almost licked off the plate. She stood up and walked to the en-suite bathroom. Turning on the faucet to fill a glass with water, she gulped it down.

Quickly returning to Edward's side, she noticed he had moved his head a little. She leaned over him, and peered at his face. "Edward?"

His eyes blinked open, and he grinned. "I would always like to wake up to the sight of you."

She laughed while hugging him. "I'm so relieved you're ok."

He held an arm up, frowning at his bandaged hand. "I can't feel anything in my hands."

Vee rushed to quell his fears. "Remember what my Dad said? It's going to take some time for your body to accept the additions. New nerves need to be made. It shouldn't take too long though, according to your father's writings."

"Yes, I do remember. I just didn't realize how strange it would feel." He set his arm back down and Vee rubbed his shoulder.

She reassured him. "don't worry, you'll be wiggling your fingers before you know it."

"Fingers," he repeated, with a toothy smile. Amazement and happiness showed in his expression.

Vee took a bottle of Edward's tonic from the bedside table. "You need to drink extra tonic, so you heal faster." She gently lifted his back, so he was sitting more upright. She held the bottle up to his lips, allowing him to drink it. After he finished it all, she lowered him back onto the bed, and set the empty bottle down.

She settled back down in the chair, leaned her torso over the bed, and wrapped her arm over his chest. Resting her head on the bed, she sleepily blinked a couple times. Vee absentmindedly rubbed her thumb over his collarbone, enjoying the feel of his amazingly smooth skin.

Edward gazed at her with concern. "You aren't sleeping like that, are you?"

She playfully teased, "You'd rather me leave?"

"No. I would rather you sleep next to me."

Vee cautiously eyed the bandaged hand closest to her. "I don't want to disturb your hand. What if I roll onto it, or nudge it?"

Edward moved his arm away from Vee, and rolled to his side. The hospital gown was wide open in the back, exposing the pale skin of his back down to his black shorts. "Here, now you need not worry."

Vee smiled at his persistence, and climbed into bed next to him. She pulled the blanket up and around them and snuggled up against his back, spooning him. It was impossible for her to not touch the exposed skin of his back, her hand was drawn to it as if it had its own mind. His skin was unbelievably silky and smooth, and she found herself drawing little circles with her fingers across the length of his spine. He quivered under her fingertips, she wasn't sure if it was from the contact, or if she was causing chills. Whatever the reason, she continued to caress him, until another wave of fatigue hit her. Yawning and blinking heavily, she leaned closer to kiss his neck right below his ear. When she did so, she noticed that he wore a large grin. She also smiled, and wished him a good night. Only then did Edward start to breathe normally again.

"Indeed. It is." She wrapped an arm around his waist, and cuddled up even closer to him. They remained in the same position all night, both of them peacefully resting and getting much needed sleep.

Vee was startled into consciousness by the clatter of her mother picking up her dirty plate and fork. She stretched and gently got out of bed, trying not to disturb Edward's sleep. Her mother raised her eyebrows at her, and whispered, "Well, at least you didn't sleep in that chair." Vee smiled shyly at her, turning a shade of pink. "Jack's parents phoned, and want to set up a meeting with you and their lawyer today."

Vee looked confused. "Why?"

Her mom shrugged. "Maybe they want to make a settlement, and avoid you suing them. Which you totally could do. They knew their son was a menace, and never did anything about it. They are as much to blame as Jack is. Always getting him out of trouble and covering for him, so he never had to own any of his actions."

"I would never do that, though," Vee confessed.

"Don't tell them that." She opened the door, and glanced at Edward. "Looks like our patient is awake. How do you feel, Edward?"

Vee turned around to see Edward sitting up, and looking at them. He cordially smiled. "I am well, thank you."

Her mom smiled back at him. "Good. Be sure to drink plenty of your tonic and rest. I will be back in to check your hands, and re-bandage them." With that, she left the room.

Vee returned to Edward's side. "Looks like I'm going to need to leave for a little while."

"Yes, I overheard. I wish you well on your meeting."

Vee helped Edward drink another tonic, and then turned on the tv for him. She put it on Discovery, thinking he would enjoy the programs about animals and different parts of the world. She excused herself from him (with a few kisses, of course,) and made a phone call to the lawyer. Wanting to get the meeting over with as soon as possible, she set it up for that day and went to her old bedroom to get ready. After she was showered and dressed, she went to visit Edward again.

Vee sat on the edge of his bed, and put in a movie to watch with him before she had to leave. It was hard for her to watch the movie and not Edward's expressions. He had a way of wearing his emotions on his sleeve, and Vee was constantly amused by him. Only too soon, her phone's alarm was alerting her that she had to leave. She hated leaving him, even if it was only going to be for a short while. Begrudgingly, she kissed him goodbye and went to the mysterious meeting.

Later that day, Vee sat in her car and held a check in her hands. She didn't realize it could all happen so quickly, or just how much hush money Jack's parent's wanted to pay her. All she had to do was agree to not sue them, or go to the media in any way. They had assured her that Jack would be in a high-security mental institution, and would never bother her again.

Vee inspected the amount of money typed out on the check, yet again, and shook her head in disbelief. She was also waiting for a settlement check from her home-owners insurance for damages from the fire. With all that money, she would never need to work again. That is, if she didn't want to; she actually enjoyed working (most of the time.) She wondered what she would do with her new-found wealth, until it dawned on her.

Vee pulled out her phone, and looked through her contacts until she found it and dialed the number. Listening to it ring, she mentally prepared herself for having a conversation with her old real-estate agent, Anne.

While she sat in her car, she made several other phone calls. The entire time she did so, she had a wild grin on her face. Any who passed her, most likely thought she was crazed. Vee sighed in satisfaction and leaned back in the driver's seat. Having loads money had its advantages; she could do most everything long distance, and get it done fast.

Alas, part of this plan would involve needing to leave Edward's side briefly, but his surprise would be worth it. Even so, just the thought of needing to be apart from him again made her heart feel like it was tearing out of her chest. Yep, she was definitely in love. Head over heels. She would do anything for him. And what she had planned was going to make Edward so happy. He deserved happiness more than anyone she knew, especially seeing as how he had endured so many years of isolation and torment. Not anymore, though. Vee would make sure he was happy for as long as she lived. She only wished that she could live forever to do so.