AN: Usual disclaimers apply.

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Holiday along with your loved ones. I can't believe that this year is almost over.

To my loyal reviewers, thank you! It makes me so happy to read each and every one of your reviews. I also love hearing your thoughts and ideas, it gives me food for thought as I write.

Jagga-Love, babe, you are a Star!! Thanks so much for all your hard work!

JPOV

This was the first time in my law enforcement career that I had to travel out of Seattle for a case. The Post-it killer had started his killing spree here in Seattle and I was willing to collaborate with anyone in order to put that piece of scum behind bars.

"Gah, that was the longest flight ever," my partner, Seth said.

"You mean your first flight ever?" I chuckled.

"Yeah, well, even for a first flight it was too darn long. I was contemplating jumping off the plane at some point. I really hope we catch that motherfucker soon. It would at least make up for this flying torture," he sighed.

We walked straight to the exit. We had both only brought carry-on bags. Reagan National Airport was small. It was a nice looking airport, and we could catch the yellow line on the DC Metro right outside. I was anxious to meet the FBI agent assigned to the case.

Thirty minutes later, we were standing right outside the J. Edgar Hoover Building, the FBI Headquarters.

"You must be Detectives Black and Clearwater," a tall, muscular man said.

"Yes, that's us," I said as I shook his hand.

"I am Agent Ford. Welcome to the FBI Headquarters," he greeted us.

He led us inside the building, first taking us to a registration area so that we could get our visitor batches. He instructed us to not leave his side under any circumstances. The FBI had numerous security rules in place to ensure the safety of all of their agents.

After being introduced to who knows how many people, we were escorted into a conference room.

"Agent Lamb, Detective Smith, let me introduce you to Detectives Black and Clearwater from the Seattle PD," Agent Ford introduced us as we made our way around the room greeting everyone.

"Agent Lamb is our specialist in witness protection and Detective Smith is our contact from the Maryland PD. With your help we hope to catch this serial killer," Agent Ford said as he motioned towards me and Seth.

We met for over five hours going over all the details on the case. The Post-it killer's first victim had been Seth's sister, Leah. He had left a Post-it on her head that read, Look who's laughing now, bitch!

His second victim had been a maid at an Acapulco Hotel with the words Do not disturb scrawled on a purple Post-it.

Next was Jessica Stanley. Both Seth and I knew her from Forks. She was never fond of anyone that lived in the Reservation, but we were sorry to know of her fate, regardless.

His newest victim was Gage Evans. This was the reason we could not put a complete profile together. Most serial killers went for a specific type of victim, and up until Gage we thought it was women. Another interesting fact was that all the victims could be traced back to Seattle except the Mexican woman, Ana Rosa Cruz.

The only evidence left at the crime scene was the Post-it notes. Unfortunately there was no way to track where or who had purchased them, as Post-its are a very common item.

The creepiest fact of all though, was that the killer seemed to be ambidextrous, and there seemed to be no preference on which hand he used to stab the victims.

One thing was for sure, he was just getting started.

"Have you considered the possibility that he is not acting alone?" Agent Lamb asked. She was a beautiful woman. She had nice, wavy blonde hair that went almost to her ass, and her ass was wonderful. Too bad we were here on business. "I mean, I am not an expert in profiling, but I believe that we have never encountered a serial killer with some many variables." Her green eyes glittered as she came to this realization.

She had a good point. That would explain how the killer got to Leah in Seattle, and less than eight hours later murdered Ana Rosa in Mexico.

"We also have to figure out what Isabella Swan's connection is to all of this," Detective Smith added.

"Isabella Swan? What are you talking about?" I asked. I really hoped they were not referring to my childhood friend, and former crush, Bella.

"Sorry Detective Black, we did not get a chance to completely brief you on Mr. Evan's murder. Isabella Swan and Mr. Evans were dating," Agent Ford said.

"Her involvement, however, seems to go far beyond her relationship with Mr. Evans," Detective Smith said.

"Would you care to explain?" I asked. I had a real bad feeling at the pit of my stomach.

Agent Ford proceeded to explain that Isabella Swan was from the Seattle area, that she had been in Acapulco at the time of Mrs. Cruz murder, that she was friends with Ms. Stanley, and that the killer had left a note on her door hinting about Mr. Evan's murder.

My worst fears were confirmed. This was Bella.

"Why isn't she under witness protection?" I asked, as I glanced at Agent Lamb. Bella needed protection. I was angry at the fact that they had not moved her to a secured location yet.

"If Ms. Swan is indeed the Post-it freak next intended victim, then we believe we have a better chance of catching him by keeping her under surveillance rather than placing her in a safe house. There have been no direct threats to her, and we have no other clues that could help us figure out who this freak or freaks are," Agent Ford stated.

"That's BULLSHIT!" Seth yelled, completely irritated. Bella had babysat for Seth until he was almost eight and he loved her dearly. "I am not losing another sister to this fucking killer. She needs to be under protection ASAP."

"I agree with Seth," I added. Catching this bastard was not worth risking Bella's life.

"Sister? Could you explain your relation to Ms. Swan?" Detective Smith asked.

We explained that we knew Bella ever since we were babies. Agent Ford thought that we should be removed from the case but we refused to let him get away with that.

"Trust me Ford, you remove us from this case, and you can kiss any help from Seattle PD goodbye," I told him, not really giving him any other alternatives.

We spent the last hour talking about our witness. Agent Lamb explained what was being done to protect the person's identity. It was crucial to keep the witness safe. We all hoped that the witness could provide us with new leads.

----

After the conference was over, I called Charlie. He was really upset. Bella had not mentioned anything to him and he had tried to get a hold of her this past Saturday and she still hadn't returned his call. I explained that the FBI was keeping watch of her, and that she was being taken care of by her friends.

The hardest part was convincing Charlie to stay. I knew he just wanted to protect Bella, but I felt that his presence here was only going to hinder the investigation. He finally gave up after making me guarantee Bella's safety.

"I will have your ass if anything happens to my little girl," he threatened, his tone deadly serious.

"I promise to take care of her Charlie," I told him, really hoping that I would be able to keep that promise.

"You better keep me posted Jacob. If anything else happens, anything at all, you can bet your ass I will be in DC before you can say Oh Shit!" he snarled.

I asked Charlie for Bella's address and we hung up shortly after.

It was already passed two in the morning by the time we made it to the hotel. We decided to wait until the next morning to visit Bella. We were warned against telling her about the surveillance. They wanted her to continue as normal as possible, in hopes of catching the creep.

----

It was 9:00 a.m. by the time we were standing outside of Bella's apartment. I knocked on the door and it was opened by a tall man with bronze looking hair.

"We are Detective's Black and Clearwater from Seattle PD, and we are here to see Ms. Swan," I said in an official tone. I had no idea who this dude was, and as far as I was concerned Bella was newly single.

"Hi, I am Edward Cullen, please come in," he said rather wearily.

"Where is she?" I asked.

"She's in her room, and I'm afraid she's not available at the moment," he replied.

He explained that Bella was taking some sedatives and that she had been asleep for a few minutes. Apparently she had left her apartment in the morning and had gone to Mr. Evan's grave.

I was going to have a talk with Agent Ford about the lack of surveillance this morning. They could have prevented her from going there on her own.

I explained to Mr. Cullen that Bella, Seth and I had been childhood friends and that we had arrived from Seattle yesterday.

"We are going to be collaborating with the local police and the FBI on this case," I explained.

"Is Bella in any danger?" he asked. He looked so worried that it made me overly worried as well.

"We believe that the killer knows her, and that the murders are somehow related to her. However, given the increased force assigned to the case, we do not believe that she is in any immediate danger," Seth lied.

It was killing us to have to keep Bella in the dark like this. Last night, we had decided that we would be part of the surveillance team. We did not want anything to happen to Bella, and the best way to do that was for us to keep an eye on her, personally.

"We have to go now, but please have Bella call us as soon as she is able to speak with us," I said as we made our way out of her apartment.

I was livid. I had no idea that Bella was being affected to the point that she was being given sedatives. At least Mr. Cullen was a doctor and he seemed to be taking good care of her. It looked like he cared for her deeply. I wondered what the story there was.

"Let the hunting games begin," Seth exhaled.

Indeed.

----

EPOV

After picking a cold and tired Bella from the cemetery, I made my way back to her apartment. I called Alice from the car and I asked her to have a hot bath ready for Bella. She looked blue. Her flannel pajamas were too thin for the weather and she was completely drenched.

I cranked up the heater of my car, and I put my coat around her. I needed to get her warm soon. I was worried that she would catch pneumonia or something worse.

She seemed to relax the moment she saw me. Although she was unconscious at the moment, her breathing was less shallow, and her pulse was stronger. It made me mad to think that I could have lost her.

I parked my car and I made my way around it.

"I got her," Emmett said as he removed her.

We quickly took her upstairs and into her apartment.

"Give her to me, Emmett, I want to make sure she's alright," I told him as I grabbed Bella from his grasp. I quickly undressed her, not even taking a second to admire her naked body in my haste to get her in the bath water and get her all warmed up.

"Here, I put a pair of her pajamas in the dryer so that they would be warm for her. I also did the same with her socks, a pair of gloves and winter hat," Alice told me as she handed me the warm items.

"Please, help me get her dressed and into bed," I told Alice.

After dressing her and wrapping her in a couple of warmed sweaters, we placed her in her room. Alice brought some aromatic salts and I placed them under her nose. I needed to wake her up to assess her state better.

She started to stir on her bed and then she abruptly opened her eyes.

"Bella, love, are you ok?" I asked.

"Edward? Oh God, Edward…," she said as she started to cry. I quickly made my way to her bed and I embraced her. Her sobs were coming so fast that I could feel her body jerking.

"Shh Bella, is alright, you're home now," I soothed as I tried to calm her.

We stayed in her bed, embracing one another while Bella cried, and little by little she started to calm down.

"Why did you leave the house without telling anyone?" Emmett asked as he entered her room.

"I'm sorry," she sobbed. "I missed his funeral. I feel so horrible. He died because of me and I couldn't even make it to his funeral," she cried out as her sobs started to increase once again.

"Emmett, now is not the time. Please leave," I growled, questioning Bella right not was not going to help her mental state.

"Edward, why are you here?" she asked as she moved away from my embrace.

"Gage was my friend Bella. I also just moved to DC, I joined my father's practice and I will be residing in the area," I explained.

"I understand, but why are you in my apartment?" she asked.

I could not help the feeling of rejection that filled me. Did she not want me here? Had she forgotten all about me?

"I… well, I wanted to make sure that you were ok. I'll leave if that's what you want," I told her, hoping with all my might that she would let me stay.

"I'm fine, thank you, but I think you should leave. I am sure your fiancée is not happy about you being here," she snapped, tears still running down her face.

I realized that I didn't get a chance to explain about Tanya.

"Bella, Tanya and I are no longer together. We have not been together in over two months now," I explained.

"How could you do that to her?" she asked. It was hard to miss the disappointment in her face.

"Bella, honey, are you feeling better?" Rose asked as she entered the room. Damn interruptions. "I made you some soup."

"I am not hungry Rose, but thank you," she replied.

"Bella, you have to eat, you haven't eaten much since…," Rose trailed off.

"Say it Rose! Since I killed him. Say it," she yelled as she started to hyperventilate.

"Where is her prescription?" I asked Rose.

"NO! I don't want any more make me dumb pills… I am not going to take them," Bella screamed.

"Bella, love, this is for your own good, please take the pills," I begged.

"NO! Get out of here Edward. LEAVE BEFORE I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR DEATH TOO!"

"Isabella Marie Swan, you take these damn pills now, or so help me God, I will force feed them to you," Rose yelled as she grabbed her wrists.

"I… no… I…" she tried to say something but Rose interrupted her.

"Pass me the damn pills Edward. Here, take them, now!" she told Bella.

Bella gave us an exasperated look, and with a big sigh she took the pills from Rose and drank them.

"Shhh, Bella, it's alright honey, it's alright," Rose whispered to her while she rubbed her back.

"Edward, please wait outside, I've got it," she said as she dismissed me from Bella's room.

----

Rose stepped out of Bella's room twenty minutes later.

"She's sleeping, please don't disturb her," she told us.

"Alice, why don't you go home to Jasper?" I asked.

"Yes Alice, it's your turn to rest, and I'm sure you miss Jasper," Rose added.

"Alright, I should go then. He was gone all week, and I have not been at home much since this happened," she sighed. "Who will stay with Bella?"

"I will," both me and Rose replied.

"Rose, you and Emmett should rest, Edward can call you guys if she wakes up," Alice stated.

"Alright, but you better let us know as soon as she opens her eyes Edward," Emmett said as Rose dragged him from Bella's apartment.

"See you later Edward. Take good care of her, please," Alice said as she hugged me goodbye.

"I will Alice, go rest," I told her as I waved goodbye.

----

I was just about to get comfortable on Bella's couch when there was a knock on the door.

"We are Detective's Black and Clearwater from Seattle PD, and we are here to see Ms. Swan," a tall russet skin man said. He was taller than me, with long dark hair, his hair pulled back in a low pony tail. The other detective was about my size with spiky short black hair, they looked like relatives.

The detectives explained that they were part of the team that was handling the Post-it killer case. They also told me that they were Bella's childhood friends.

I asked them if there was any danger for Bella and they told me no, but I had a feeling that they were not being completely honest. The tall one, Detective Black, asked me to have Bella call him as soon as she could talk as they left the apartment.

I realized at that moment that I knew nothing about Bella. Perhaps she was right, and I shouldn't be here. I thought about calling Rose to stay with Bella and take my leave, but I couldn't get myself to do so.

The images from Bella at the cemetery haunted my thoughts. She looked so small, so fragile. I had no idea what the depth of her relationship with Gage was, but it was obvious that she felt extremely guilty about what happened.

What did this killer want with Bella?

None of us had a chance to speak with her all weekend about who may have done this. It broke my heart to see her hurting so much. I ached to comfort her, to be close to her.

I was also full of doubts. She did not want me here. Perhaps she even hated me because of Tanya.

I decided that I would stay away if that's what she wanted. I would respect her decisions. I did not want to be another reason for her to be upset, worried, and sad. It hurt.

I decided to check on her, I wanted to make sure that she was still sleeping. I quietly made my way to her bedroom and that's when I heard her… "Edward, please look at me, please don't go. I killed him Edward, it was my fault," she mumbled in her sleep.

I didn't know what to do. Part of me wanted to crawl in bed with her, and part of me wanted to run out of this place. I wanted to run not because of her, but because I felt so impotent, I was unable to erase her pain.

I must have stared at her for a good few hours. My body ached from standing still by her door. She stopped talking a short moment after I first heard her, and now she was sleeping peacefully.

I couldn't help admiring her beauty. Her milky skin looked so smooth. Her brown, glossy hair was messy, but in a way that made her look sexy. Her big pouty lips were a beautiful pink-red color, and her button nose was the cutest I had ever seen.

She was so small, several inches smaller than me. Then there was her scent; it was so intoxicating. Her scent was a mix of strawberries and freesias, I think, but in a very subtle way. She smelled good enough to eat.

I wanted so badly to cradle her in my arms and hum sweet nothings in her ear. I wanted to feel the electricity that seemed to emanate from our bodies every time we touched. I wanted to run my fingers through her silky hair, but more than anything I wanted to kiss those sensual, soft lips.

My Angel.

I made my way back to the living room with great effort. It was hard not to stay in her room admiring her, but I was afraid that if she caught me staring she would think I was a stalker. The last thing she needed right now was for me to freak her out as well.

----

"Edward, wake up," I heard a Rose tell me as she shook my shoulder.

"I'm sorry," I yawned. "I must have fallen asleep"

"Bella is still sleeping too. Why don't you go to Alice's place and rest? Emmett and I can keep an eye on her until tomorrow morning," she said.

I sighed. I didn't want to leave Bella's side, but I also felt like I was not welcomed here by her.

"Alright, let me check on her before I go," I told Rose. She nodded.

I needed to see her before I left. I needed to take one more look at her just in case she decided she never wanted to see me again.

I once again entered her bedroom to find her in a peaceful sleep. She looked so exhausted.

I approached her bed and I softly moved the strands of hair from her face. She sighed.

I approached her very slowly and I placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "Sleep well my little angel," I whispered.

I went back into the living room and I gave Rose some instructions just in case the cold and the rain had made Bella sick. I also told her not to hesitate to call me if Bella had another panic attack.

I left Bella's apartment and I knocked on Emmett's.

"Hey bro, I am leaving," I told him after he opened the door.

"Alright, Rose and I will be staying with Bella, and Alice is planning to come in early tomorrow morning and spend the day with her so that Rose and I can go back to the shop."

"It looks like you got it all covered then," I sighed, realizing that there was no need for me here.

"She is more than a friend Edward, she's like our sister. We'll take good care of her. You should keep your distance until she's ready to see you," he told me as he grabbed my shoulder and pulled me for a hug.

"I understand, don't worry," I told him as I left.

I slowly made my way to the outside of the building feeling defeated. I knew my family was just trying to protect Bella, and I am sure things would have been different if Bella herself had not tried to kick me out.

I was just about to get in the car when I heard her.

"Edward? Edward?" she called. I was about to call her name when she spotted me.

"Edward…"

"I'm sorry, I was so rude," she said, as her eyes welled with tears.

"Is alright, love, you need your space, I understand."

"Please Edward, don't leave…"