Sorry for the delay … hope you like it … thanks for the reviews

Chapter four - Ready

Carlisle had forced me to stay in the hospital for another two weeks after I awoke, running every test imaginable, it was awful. Edward of course had backed him up, telling me that until he knew exactly what was wrong with me, he was going to keep looking for the answer. He underestimated me. I slyly waited for the perfect moment, taking it two weeks to arise when I pulled out my last trick.

"Bella, I was thinking" he begun, taking my hand and rubbing small circles "maybe we should move the Wedding date, make it further away. Lets go to College, see if you like it…" he trailed off. I knew what he was really saying. He wasn't ready to turn me and as to our agreement, the sooner the wedding, the soon the transformation.

"No way" I stated blankly. His forehead crinkled and I watched as the pain spread evenly across his features. "Why are you trying to delay it Edward? I thought you were desperate to get me down the aisle?" I asked mockingly.

"I am" he was silent for a long moment before continuing, choosing his words carefully before he spoke them. "Thing is Bella, I've always said that I want you to join me of your own free will, I want it to be completely your choice. Not because there is something wrong and we don't know what." there was more to it then he was admitting.

"Edward, I feel fine, nothings happened since that night and no matter how hard I try I cant seem to find my block to lift it. There is nothing wrong with me." I was using my calming tone, knowing its affect on Edward. I gazed into his eyes as he tried to read my mind, yet again, to see if I was telling the truth. "Are you really that set on me going to college?" I asked him again, for the one hundredth time, fully aware of his impeding answer.

"Yes, you know I am… Bella I want to give you things, make your existence better, not take from it, from you. Already you've given me so much and all I've done is put you in harms way." he was shaking his head in self disgust. I hated when he did this, not only did it annoy me but I usually gave in because I hated seeing him hurting. It was at the exact moment I was about to give in when I realized exactly how I could get him to release me from this good awful prison, away from that stupid painting of a little girl dressed in red walking out of her front door with a tiny dog, covered in snow. For two weeks I had stared at it and I was contemplating throwing it out the window if I didn't get out soon.

"Edward, I want to go home." I said sternly. He lifted his head to look at me and I could see the harsh irritation take over his eyes.

"For the last time Bella, No. Not till we know what's going on, Carlisle's got more tests." he was glaring at me which only sparked my anger further.

"Edward if you do not get me out of this hospital tonight, not only will I attempt to throw Carlisle out that window along with his damn tests but you will be going behind him even if I have to call the entire wolf pack to come help me." The utter amazement on his face was absolutely priceless and it took me all I could do to keep a straight face. Also, forget changing the date for the wedding because there will be no wedding," the amazement turned into pure agony as he took in what I meant "there will be no nothing." I growled at him. "Ab-sol-ute-ly no-th-ing" as I spoke slowly, my voice turned harder. Of course I didn't mean it but as long as he thought I did that was all that mattered. It was utterly astonishing to me, after everything we had been through he still wasn't certain that I wasn't going to run away screaming.

His face fell and I felt his grip on my hand tighten. "Don't… Don't say that Bella… please… I don't…" he trailed trying to find the words to say that would change my mind. I raised my eyebrow at him, and he flinched away.

I lost it then, staring into his beautiful golden eyes, it had taken this long to get him to go hunting, he had only returned a few hours previous. In the whiniest voice I had ever used I let out "Please Edward, let me go home. Please." I begged. He looked torn as he watched me. I slumped back in the bed turning away from him and smacked my head off the metal headboard. "Crap!" I sighed as I rubbed it softly. Before I knew it he was bent over me rubbing my forehead and pressing his other hand to where I was after hitting. His cold touch was exactly what I needed to dull the pain, better than any ice pack imaginable. "Please" I asked in the smallest voice I could create. I could see it was starting to work, his weakness was always giving in when I begged but he had been so confident that finding out what was wrong was more important and that I would eventually thank him that he somehow managed to refrain from giving in. The one thought that had come to me but that I didn't want to agree to kept flashing before me and I knew if I ever wanted to see anything besides these four walls and the annoyingly boring walls of the corridors outside then I needed to give in and use it. I sighed "what if I agree to six months at college before I join you?"

His face snapped up and I could see it working as a different expression replaced the last before the last had time to be fully processed. "You would wait? You are truly that desperate to get out of here?" he asked, dazzling me with his perfect smoldering eyes.

"I would" I said quietly, nodding and pulling my miserable puppy dog expression. He stepped back from me and began pacing across the floor in front of my bed, he just kept walking and then his eyes would suddenly flash to me and the back to the ground. A few times his hand went up the squeeze the bridge on his nose. I waited anxiously. I had never seen him debate something this much before.

He stopped, looked at me and sighed "Carlisle" in a whisper. He never took his eyes off of me, his expression completely blank. Carlisle ran through the door seconds later, I was guessing it being passed midnight, there was no one about to witness him walking at vampire speed.

"What's happening?" he spoke softy "are you ok Bella?" I hadn't realized how worried he had been about me until that moment. He was analyzing everything I did, every breath trying to see what he had missed.

"She's fine" Edward growled low "not playing fair as usual" both of them turned to glare at me and I couldn't help but smile at there likeness. It was uncanny how much they looked alike, unbelievable to think that they truly weren't related.

"What did she use on you now?" He muttered to Edward without taking his glaring eyes off of me. I returned a more innocent smile.

"six more months, six months of uni… of my choice" he added, raising his eyebrow at me daring me to disagree. I kept quiet and smiled widely now showing all my teeth. Carlisle's forehead creased and his eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"Well… that is something I know you cant just turn down" he said to Edward again without looking at him. His eyes tightened and he stepped forwards "and what is it exactly you want in return?"

"My freedom" my best innocent expression was in full glory.

"Freedom from this room right?" Edward corrected. "That is your terms?" I instantly knew there was something about what he was saying but I got so excited that I agreed before I had really thought about it.

"Tonight?" I raised both eyebrows "Then we have a deal."

"Ok" he nodded back at me and my happy expression was a real one this time. Carlisle turned to look at Edward in shock, I could imagine he was feeling a little undermined at this moment. I watched as a smirk touched Edwards lips and I knew right then I had said something wrong and it wasn't going to work out the way I had been planning.

"Edward…" I spoke his name and he was in full smirk mode now knowing that I had finally figured out he won.

"I'm going to need you to call Charlie" he spoke to Carlisle. "Tell him that Bella is desperate to get out but you don't think it's a good idea to leave her unsupervised, talk him around to letting Bella stay at ours, promise him the world if you have too. Explain to him she will always be supervised by you or Esme…" before he had finished I let our a gasp, realizing my mistake. "You said this room, you never said anything about going home." he turned looking back to me as he spoke, raising an eyebrow daring me to argue back.

"Anywhere is better than this hell hole" I moaned under my breath. Although I was sulking, I knew I was happy about this, if Charlie agreed and that was a big if. If he agreed I would be staying with the Cullen's, with Edward everyday. It was a wish come true but I wasn't going to tell him that.

"Give me two years and you can go home?" he threw out slyly. HAH! Was all I could think.

I huffed. "Yeah Right. I would prefer to stay here till August 13th and make you change me before we even cut the cake." I threw back at him. That wiped the smile off of his face. Carlisle just laughed before heading out the door, but I saw the smile touch Edwards lips and I knew Carlisle was after saying something in his mind about me. "What did he say?" I inquired, squinting through thin eyes.

"Quote: Your going to have your hands full for the rest of eternity. Are you sure you can handle it?" in his best Carlisle impression. My mouth dropped open. Was I really that bad? The smile grew more pronounced as he took in my shocked expression. He walked over and leant down over me, his face barely centimeters away, capturing my eyes he whispered "I look forward to it." Kissing me suddenly and letting just a little bit of his self control loosen. "I cant wait for it" he pulled away kissing my forehead before walking towards the door.

Of course Charlie couldn't fight with Carlisle, no one could. There was just something so trusting about his open honesty that it was hard to never give in immediately. By one o'clock my bags were packed, my discharge papers signed and Carlisle was bringing the car around to the closet exit as Edward unnecessarily made me sit into a wheelchair as he pushed me down the corridor to the exit. Thank God no one was around or I would have died from shame.

It was a strange feeling, walking into the Cullen's home, knowing that this was pretty much my new home now, at least until Carlisle decides I'm well enough and Edward gets bored of me. I had mentioned this in passing on the way home, all I got out of him was a long dark stare and a slow and very deliberate head shake. I let out a sigh, knowing what he was thinking.

The house was even more beautiful than how I remembered it, Esme and obviously Alice had gone to the extra effort of adding more flowers, filling the air with the perfect mixture of scents and adding extra touches they thought would make me feel at home. Just inside my bedroom door, only last Christmas Renee had bought me a Monet painting print and insisted to Charlie to put it up claiming it would help me move on. Yeah right. Alice must have mentioned the new poster to Esme because hanging on the wall adjacent to the small white love seat was none other than the original Monet painting. I couldn't even comprehend how they had managed to get their hands on one, let alone what it must have cost them.

Edward lifted me into his arms and began walking up the stair as a human pace. "What are you doing Edward? I can walk you know." I said in a playful tone.

Smiling his brilliant crooked smile he answered me, taking my breath away. "I know, but I want to show you that I would do anything for you here, even carry you around all day if you requested it. Nothing about you Bella will ever bore me silly." So that is what his strange behavior was about. "Besides, I didn't want to make you feel lightheaded or sick if you really were feeling fine."

This time I shook my head, he was so silly and protective over me it was beginning to be ridiculous. "Edward I can look after myself" as I said it he stopped right outside his door and looked down at me, curiosity lighting every feature, every scar, every dent… I stood still looking up into his perfect eyes waiting for his reaction to continue. He stumbled around puffs of air before finally finding the words he wanted to ask "Do you want to be here Bella?"

"What?" I was in complete shock. "No I want to be at Mike Newton's!" I slung at him, what a stupid question. He flinched back but then as it set in that I was mocking him, he leaned his head closer to mine, touching our noses.

"I'm being serious Bella. I can't do and say what I am about to if I think that I can lose you. I couldn't handle that." by the end of his sentence his voice was so low it was barely audible. I stared at him, mouth opened, not breathing. Could he really be doubting me now?

"Edward why are you doubting me?" I asked just as low. Worst thing about being in the Cullen's home was the other six nosey vampires with over sensitive hearing.

"Once I say this and truly mean it, I wont be able to take it back and I need to make sure your right there with me on this matter… I cant lose you again Bella. I cant even think about losing you again or for another few weeks, not without…" he trailed off, his jaw going tight and I could see this wasn't an easy conversation for him.

"Edward, I am here to stay with you. I wont leave you and you better never think about leaving me again. I mean that." I raised my left eyebrow at him.

He pulled me tighter and inhaled. Placing one hand on the door handle, twisting it down he took a deep breath, smiled and spoke the words as quiet as the wind into my ear. "Welcome home Bella" was all he said before stepping over the threshold and pulling me in for one long, tight, longing kiss.

He pulled away, walking and sliding me on to the large metal framed bed. I pulled back the covers he had placed over me without me even seeing him touch them and slowly pattered the space next to me. He laughed a short burst before appearing right next to me in a single blink. Wow I loved this man! Ran through my head over and over and I knew that I was finally safe in my surrounds, I finally knew I wasn't going anywhere or I wasn't going to be left behind again. He was serious on keeping me and I was happy to stay here for eternity with him.

I lifted my head to lay it on his now shirtless chest and he started stroking my hair, slowly twisting his head every now and again to take a whiff or kiss my head. We must have just lid in silence for ages, although I had trusted Edward, in the back of my mind I had never really let go of the idea of him throwing me away again like a raggy doll a child has twisted and thrown so many times that they are now bored of playing with. Right now though, in this moment, after what he had just said, after everything that had happened. I had never been more sure that I wanted to be with him, it had taken me a long time but I had truly come to terms with what I had to give up to have only him for the rest of our existence. I was really ready, I wanted to join his world.