A/N: Almost 6 weeks since the last one…anyone still willing to read? Haha

Also I'm not too confident of the house layout so please just go with me on this one ;)

We hardly spoke to each other as we walked steadily towards home - our home. There was a comfortable silence between us because words no longer seemed to matter. Sometimes in life the things you share with people make you so connected, so close that you are completely in tune with that person to the point where you feel like they are an extension of your own being.

That was where Bella and I found ourselves, our lives so intertwined that we knew fate would never cease drawing us to each other and for once I was happy to accept that fate.

When we reached home I took her by the hand, which she again accepted instantly, and led her upstairs. I hesitated as we reached the room which Esme had once mapped out for Bella, situated between my room and Edward's.

Choosing to ignore the selfish impulse begging me to make her sleep right next door, so close that I would most assuredly be able to hear her every move as though she were lying beside me, I took her to a familiar place.

"This is Edward's room." said Bella, stating the plainly obvious. She looked confused, almost hurt that I had brought her here and I instantly regretted having done so.

"I just thought you might like it as your room from now on Bella." I was treading carefully trying my best to justify my choice for her.

"It's a lovely gesture Carlisle but I think that after all this time…" she was struggling to find the words and for a brief moment, even though I knew it was not possible, I was convinced I saw a tear sparkling in the corner of her eye. "It's time to move on." she said, withdrawing from Edward's room and leaning against the wall just outside it, waiting for me to offer her something else.

"If you're sure." I said closing the door to his room behind me, my inner self rejoicing that my original idea of having her room beside mine was looking like a much more positive prospect.

I walked a few steps further along the corridor and opened the door to the room which not so long ago had been set aside just for human Bella. Stepping back from the door I urged her forward and she obeyed stepping into the room just ahead of me. Her mouth was agape, her whole face lit up with joy and awe as she saw the sight before her.

The room was so close to being completed when life intervened, as it always did and Esme and Edward were taken from them. The walls were a brilliant white and in the middle of the room was a large circular bed which was partially concealed by a canopy made of strips of white and lilac material. A glorious pale wooden floor was covered in part by a large white rug upon which the bed was nestled. Various pieces of floral and patterned artwork adorned the walls and the ceiling was dotted with many small spotlights, designed to look just like stars when night falls. More floaty lilac fabric framed the windows which opened out onto a balcony over the woodland. Some might have said it was a bit too girlie for Bella but Esme had known her better than that. It was perfect for her.

"This is the surprise Esme had for me, isn't it?" She whispered.

I nodded as she sat on the bed looking downhearted.

"You don't like it?" I asked, confused for I was sure that she loved it.

"It's not that" she said sadly, "I just miss her. I wish she'd had the chance to show it to me." She smiled sadly.

"I'm sure she knows Bella."

She lifted her head and our eyes met momentarily before she hastily looked away mumbling something about needing a bath.

I looked at her and realised I'd completely missed the layer of mud caked into her hair and the blood on her clothes. Looking down at myself I saw a similar sight and together we laughed lightly at the state we had gotten into. We both went our separate ways to bathe, washing away the toils of the past few days.

Once clean and dressed I made my way to my room and sought out Jane Eyre, an old classic I never tired of reading. Unfortunately even the tale of Jane and Mr Rochester could not distract my mind from Bella. I could still hear the splashing of water as she continued to soak in what sounded like a copious amount of bubbles. I smiled as I heard her lightly humming, a sound of contentment which filled me with happiness, a happiness which had long since left me now returned and all because of her.

But she wasn't mine in the way I wanted her to be. I was her creator and her friend but I was her dead boyfriend's father and, much as it pained me to admit it, that undeniably felt like a line which should not be crossed and one which she perhaps never could.

At the very least I had to give her time to think. I'd already settled upon that idea but now I had to be firm with myself - that that time had to start for real from now on and so I put on some soothing music and walked over to the window. The day had passed by so quickly and night was already beginning to fall. The twinkling of stars began to flutter in the sky as the moon glimmered casting a ghostly light across the trees.

I made my way back to the bed and lay there breathing in and out evenly trying to relax myself and let go of the feelings that had been tormenting me. I closed my eyes in a vain attempt to find sleep that would never come. It was something that I often missed, just being able to shut everything out and become part of your own little world. Often I would just lie there with my eyes closed and relax so much that it was almost like sleeping, or at least what I remember of it from all those years ago.

After a while I heard a gentle knock at the door and glancing around at the clock I noted that several hours and passed and we were now in the very early hours of the morning.

"Come in." I whispered rather groggily, almost as though I had just woken up.

Bella tip toed quietly into the room looking embarrassed as she began to shuffle nervously in the corner.

"Can I help you Bella?"

She shook her head and still couldn't quite bring herself to look at me.

"Well you came here for a reason." I said smiling at her through the darkness. I wanted her to know that she was safe with me but apparently she already knew that for before I had time to react she was sitting on the edge of the bed at my feet.

"I can't sleep."

I don't know what made me do it but I laughed. Perhaps it was a mixture of relief that nothing serious was wrong, perhaps I was a little too pleased that her sadness at no longer being able to sleep was yet another little thing we shared.

"It's not funny!" She wasn't really angry but she still saw fit to slap my arm playfully.

"I know, I know but you'll get used to it. You know sometimes I like to just lie back and pretend. Not as good as the real thing but it makes me happy."

"What do you do?"

"Well the music helps," I nodded towards the iPod speakers in the corner, "I like to pick a nice thought or memory too, something which makes me smile and then I…what are you doing?"

Bella had crawled over to the other side of the bed and lay there staring up at me expectantly.

"I want you to help me fake sleep"

"Bella…isn't this a little bit…" I didn't want to say inappropriate for to me it felt perfect but I didn't want her doing something she might regret.

"No it's not." she said as though she'd read my thoughts "I feel happy and safe around you" She took my left hand in hers and asked me to continue. As she closed her eyes she whispered the words "I trust you" and squeezed my hand just that little bit tighter.

We stayed like that as I talked her through my little routine and slowly but surely a peace came over her that could most certainly have been mistaken for sleep. For a while I just watched her breathing evenly, her face radiant even in semi sleep. She snuggled closer to me, seeking the comfort of another being, something which Edward had mentioned she liked to do when he was struggling to resist the urge to attack her.

She was in no danger of being bitten anymore, I had made sure of that. A pang of guilt clutched at my chest as I stared at her. I was the reason she was like this and her forgiveness meant the world but still I wished things could have been different. Then of course there was that thought of just how close Bella and Edward were which was enough to make me feel like a total monster - how could I do this to my son?

Gradually I felt these feelings drift away into the darkness, getting lost and carried away in the music.

I'm not quite sure how long it took but gradually I felt myself succumb to the half sleep I had eased Bella into.

It was the closest I'd ever been to real sleep in so many years and I knew I had her to thank for it.

Bella, my half sleeping beauty.

A/N: Not really sure how this one came about…I just figured night time must be quite dull for vampires and I bet they miss sleep-they don't sleep at all, right? They do in this anyway ;)

Should be a quicker update as I have finished uni for the summer!