.A/N: Thank you guys for all of your awesome reviews. They make me want to hunt you all down and give you a big bear hug :). Ok, so this chappy is dedicated to ".inc" because she figured out a part of the poem. Way to go!!!!

Hope you guys like the chappy.

Recap:

"Edward" she mumbled sleepily again. I smiled so wide that it should have hurt my face.

I carefully reached for her cell and turned it off, so that I could start humming for her, just like before. With her sleeping in my arms, murmuring my name, I couldn't have ever felt more joyful.

9. Dead heart

Your pull is strong

My resolve is weak

Your love might be gone

That makes me want to weep

Maybe that sent angel

Could stop that hate

From going to deep

EPOV

I laid there with Bella still in my arms, completely content. She sighed my name more than once, and each time it would send a whole new wave of joy throughout my body. I kept humming her lullaby, running my fingers through her soft locks, touching my lips to her forehead. The feeling of having her back in my arms, where she belonged was……..heavenly.

She stirred a little in her sleep like she always did, but this time Damien came in. He looked up at him and found him smiling as he watched us both.

I promise you Edward, that one day you will hold her like that with her knowledge and happiness. He vowed.

My smile widened, "Thank you" I whispered.

He sighed, "I'm sorry, but you'll have to leave now. I have to wake her up, it's time for her medicine" His smile turned apologetic.

I winced as I tried to smile back in return. Medicine. If it wasn't for me, she wouldn't have took it. I nodded and looked down at Bella again.

I had stared at her for a whole three hours and I didn't seem to get enough. There was an familiar magnetic wave pulling me to her. I couldn't just pull away.

I tried to unlock my arms from around her……but I couldn't. My body wouldn't respond to my mind's order to let her go. I've let her go once before and my body shied away from the feeling of letting her slip away from me again.

I tried again but I was unsuccessful. It was almost ……no, not 'almost'….it was painful to pull away.

I looked at Damien for help and he looked like he was holding back his own pain of seeing me this way. I didn't understand why I would matter to him but I appreciated his generous nature.

Damien came to me and carefully pulled my arms away from Bella. I tried hard to order my body not to fight him, but my body was disconnected from my mind. Damien seemed to understand and didn't comment.

"I'll be back later'' I whispered to her, "won't I?" suddenly unsure as I looked at Damien. Now that that there was a way that I could be with Bella, I couldn't ignore it. Now that I've felt how marvelous it could be, I couldn't hold my eagerness back.

Damien stared at me for a moment of hesitation, then smiled, "yes. I promise when she sleeps again" He promised sincerely.

I smiled and whispered, "thank you" again. Because I couldn't seem to thank him enough. He had no idea what he was giving me. It was like giving a dead body it's soul back.

I jumped out of the window after one glance at Bella, then I took my place back on the tree as I watched Damien wake her up.

"Bella" he whispered.

She didn't respond.

"Bella" he repeated.

She turned her head a little and a low moan escaped her lips.

"Rise and shine, it's time for the vine" he rhymed. I smiled a little.

"No vine, more sleep" She slurred. I chuckled and so did Damien.

"Aw Bella" he whined, "must we go through this everyday? You know I always win. Don't make me go get that bucket of water again" he threatened.

Her eyes snapped open and she flipped her position to face him, "please no water bucket" she pleaded, and he smirked.

I felt myself vibrate with laughter that threatened to escape as I read that he had actually spilled a bucket of water on her when she didn't wake up. The look on her face, like a cat who thought herself to be a tiger, was so laughable.

"Then Damien give Bella medicine now" he said imitating a cave man. She huffed.

"fine" and sat up with the help of Damien.

He gave her the pills and a cup of water. She swallowed them easily and gave the cup back to Damien who put it on the bedside.

"How was your sleep?" He asked as he sat beside her on the bed. In his strange upside down form.

Hey, remember, no jealousy, Bella sister, Damien big brother. He thought to me, again, in his cave man accent. I smiled.

"I know" I whispered. He seemed to be fighting back his own smile as he awaited Bella's response.

It was strange how Damien and I seemed to form some kind of friendship together. I just met him a few hours ago, yet he seems to know how to get right into anyone's heart. He was so pure and carefree, it was an impossible task to not like him. He promised to help me with Bella, and I feel a bit more relaxed now that I have some help. That, of course, doesn't erase the terrible fear that's with in me, but still it gives me a little comfort. Knowing that if I was resented, he would lessen the resentment. Maybe he could make her……not hate me.

I know he can not help me return her love back, that's something that I'm on my own retrieving, but he could lessen the hate. That's all I need. For her not to hate me. I could live happily with the knowledge of that. That she doesn't hate me. That's all I want and that's all I wish for.

"It was strange. It was the most peaceful sleep I've had in months" She said with a smile.

My

Joy

Was

Beyond

Comprehension.

She slept peacefully because of me. I did that. I am still capable of doing that. Every cell in my body was alive again, I could even feel a little warm as I felt my heart grow in my chest. If it wasn't for my ribcage my heart would be in her room.

Ha! I knew it. Can you hear that Mr. I-believe-that-she-resents-me??? Or do you need a translator?

My smile was impossibly wide. She still felt safe in my arms. Even when she didn't know she was in them. Could a dead heart beat again? It felt like mine could.

"Which reminds me, I felt something yesterday……something cold" I froze, "Did you lay beside me?" She wondered.

"Say yes" I whispered to him quickly.

"yes" he said a little too quickly, but thankfully she didn't notice.

From Damien's memories with her, I found that sometimes he laid beside her, waiting for her to wake up in the night from a bad dream so that he could comfort her. So that's why she didn't acknowledge the difference in temperature yesterday. She was used to it.

She smiled, "Thank you, but don't worry, there were no dreams yesterday. It was weird but I'm not complaining" she shrugged.

And my smile that had wavered returned slightly.

"I'm not taking chances, missy" He said casually, but I could hear his brain attempting to find a way to bring up my name in their conversation. I was so nervous that my fingers started digging in the tree.

"So what are we doing today?" She asked distractedly.

"Dunno. I think Carlisle will come again today" he said slowly.

He had her attention, and her face looked hopeful, "Really? What makes you think that?"

"Well, he looked like he didn't want to leave. And he was so happy to see you. So he's definitely coming back" he said with a chuckle.

Right? He added hesitantly, suddenly uncertain.

I chuckled, "Of course" I would make sure of it.

"I hope so" She whispered. They were both silent.

I could hear his resolve in his mind. He was going to ask her and I was going to either explode or die from the anticipation or fear.

"Which reminds me" he said as casually as he could, "don't freak out or anything, I'm just asking"

She looked at him cautiously.

"What…would you…do…if Edward…Showed up?" He asked hesitantly. I saw the wince that she tried to hide when he said my name, and flinched

She looked down at her fidgeting fingers and whispered, "he won't"

"I'm saying 'what if' I didn't say he was coming" He said quietly.

Bella played with her fingers and her forehead ceased, "I don't know" she mumbled after a long time of thought.

I heard the branch cracking as my fingers dug in deep. But I couldn't control myself.

"Think about it" he urged.

She shook her head quickly.

"Why not?"

"I don't want to think about it" She said her voice rising a little.

My teeth grit together as I tried hard to stay in my place and not run away from the sight of her held back pain.

"Bella, you have to be prepared, what if….." but she cut him off.

"Damien! Don't you dare get my hopes up, okay? I want them crushed as they are. Those sets of 'what if…'s are bound to make me think about things that are nothing but painful. He's not coming back, he doesn't care about me anymore. End of story" She exploded and I watched, frozen, as her tears of pain gushed down her face.

I heard sobs and was surprised to find out that they were mine. I tried to hold them back to prevent her ears from hearing them. The branch turned to sand in my hands and I let it fall to the ground. I watched helplessly as Damien apologized for upsetting her. He even tried to soothe me.

Don't lose faith. She was bound to react that way in the first time to mention you. Be patient. I tried to will myself to think of nothing but his words. I repeated them in my head over a million times. Of course they did nothing for the pain that engulfed me, but they did trig a little of my crushed hopes. I had faith in Damien to make Bella's resentment lessen, but I didn't have faith in myself to return her love. Could a dead heart break? It felt like mine just did.

"I won't lose all my faith Damien. I have faith in you"

A/N: Nothing much in this chappy, but this had to be written. I think I bored you with it. So sorry if I did, but you had to see that reaction now, to compare it to later reactions.

Thank you for reading and hopefully reviewing,

Love

Mai