Hey everyone! I'm back and I hope you're all ready for another couple of updates because I've finished this one but I've got another right up my sleeve just itching to come out!

I want to give a special shoutout to Canoo and Nat who are two of my RL besties reading this story. HEEEEEEY! Especially Nat (she keeps my ass in top gear for writing)

Also to all the new people who in the past couple of days who have alerted me. Thank you so much!

WE MADE IT OVER 100 REVIEWS, PEOPLE!

You guys own me.

A special thanks to GetDrunkOnVictory who totally pwned my inbox with reviews this morning! Dude, you read and reviewed every single chapter! I totally heart you!

Don't forget to read Stripped and This Sort Of This Just Doesn't Exist. They are two very awesome fics by the lovely punkfarie and ihearthedoctor respectively.

This chapter begins in BPOV. And for everyone who has said they miss the "old" Bella... there will be flashbacks so she WILL return ;)


Two whole weeks. It had been two whole weeks since Edward came home.

I remember that I heard Alice and Emmett shouting that he'd arrived and I flew down the stairs as fast as my legs would let me, straight over to the front door and right into his arms. It was the best feeling in the whole world. He hugged me tight and when I heard him breathe nice and deep, just like I was doing, I knew he thought it was the best feeling as well.

Now it had been two weeks and it was like he never left, except that I had another best friend as well. Jacob was great. When Edward was gone, he saw that I was sad and he made me feel better by telling me jokes and teaching me cool stuff like how to blow bubbles, whistle and snap my fingers. I still couldn't whistle properly; I did it backwards – I didn't blow the air out of my cheeks like I was supposed to, I sucked air into my mouth. But it still made the right sound.

Edward and I spent most of our days together – work was busy for Carlisle and he was always muttering to himself when he was at home, locked away in his office often accompanied by Jasper. I didn't like it. Before Edward left I heard them talking, and Jasper was on the phone to someone talking about me. I don't know who he was talking to, but I did know that I was supposed to be a secret and everyone who was in on it was already in the house. Who else knew about me? It made me feel scared because even though I didn't know why I was meant to be a secret, I was being kept a secret for a reason. Edward wouldn't let them keep me a secret if it wasn't good for me.

But I kept my mouth shut. Because even though I knew in my heart that they were talking about me, they never really said so. In the office I was only ever known as 'The Girl'. How could I convince anyone else that it was me when they never even mentioned me by name? And why would they do anything to hurt me? They took care of me.

***

It was early. So early that the sun was only just visible in the pretty orange sky. I loved the sky. It changed colours every day. Once the sky was pink and it was the prettiest I had ever seen. That was at the beach when I was with Jacob and Esme. I didn't know how to swim in the water, but I liked standing in it and letting the waves crash on my legs. And Esme taught me how to make sandcastles.

I could hear her in the kitchen now, and I wondered why I couldn't hear Carlisle talking to her like he always did when no one else was awake yet. Maybe he already knew I was on my way down. Sometimes I thought Carlisle didn't like having me around.

Esme gave a start when I pulled out a chair at the breakfast bar. With her hand on her chest, she whirled around and took deep breaths when she saw that it was only me. She smiled and came over to give me a hug and a kiss on my forehead.

"Morning, sweetheart."

"Morning, Esme," I said, giving her my best smile. She pushed a glass of mango juice to me – she always knew exactly what I wanted every morning – and announced that pancakes would be ready soon. I watched her cook, sipping my juice quietly. I knew Edward wouldn't be up for breakfast so I didn't wait for him. Ever since he got back from his school he didn't have breakfast anymore, but I always went to him after I ate and we stayed in his bed for the longest time just talking and cuddling. Edward gave the best cuddles in the world. If I could be anywhere in the entire world, I'd want to be in his bed getting cuddles. There was just something about the way his arms felt around me, the way it felt when he kissed my hair or rubbed my shoulder... it was amazing.

"Where are you, darling?" Esme chuckled, passing over my pancakes. I frowned at her. Couldn't she see me?

"I'm right here," I told her, waving in case she still couldn't see. I didn't know why I had disappeared... maybe she was going blind.

"No, what are you thinking about?" she explained. I didn't understand a lot of their little 'slang' or whatever Carlisle called it.

"I'm thinking about how confusing slang is," I admitted, pouring syrup all over my pancakes and looking around for the butter. Everyone thought I did the butter and syrup backwards, but butter after syrup made perfect sense to me. It was just as tasty as well. Esme held out the butter with a smile. "Thanks."

"You're welcome, but I meant what were you thinking about when I first asked?"

"When you asked where I was?" I asked, frowning again. Talking was so confusing sometimes. Esme nodded, cutting some strawberries over her own plate of pancakes. I picked a piece of my plate and popped it into my mouth.

"I like cuddles," I told her. She smiled and we didn't talk any more for a little while. I was left alone with my thoughts of cuddling Edward and how I could possibly get even more cuddles than I was already getting. Then I had a thought. "Esme why do I have my own room?"

"What do you mean?" Esme asked. I could tell by the frown on her face that my question had confused her. I didn't understand why it would confuse her because to me it was a simple question. I had another mouthful of juice.

"I mean why do I have my own room," I repeated. Esme still didn't understand because she just kept frowning and chewing. I decided to keep explaining. "You don't have your own room and Emmett and Alice always have people in their room. But I always have to sleep alone. And Edward too. Wouldn't it make more sense if Edward and I kept each other company?"

"No," she answered quickly and sternly, as though I'd done something wrong. I lowered my gaze and pushed a piece of pancake around my plate. Why was I in trouble?

"It was only a question," I mumbled, stuffing the last of my pancake breakfast into my mouth. Esme's hard expression turned soft and I breathed a sigh of relief when she reached over and took my hand.

"I sometimes forget how little you know, Bella," Esme said gently. "Sweetheart young men and young women don't share beds unless they are a couple."

"A couple? That means two. I don't-"

"Do you remember when I told you about love?" she asked, leaning closer. I sighed. Yes, I definitely remembered that. It was the most confusing day of my life.

"Love is when you trust someone and want to be around them all the time and you want to protect them from all the bad things in the world," I recited, nodding my head but frowning. "I feel that way about everyone, Esme," I admitted. Instead of being confused like me, she smiled and hugged me tightly.

"Of course you do, Bella. You are the most loving person I've ever come across," she whispered, kissing my temple. "Now when you love someone, you choose them to be your partner in life. One person you want to spend all of your time with, someone you like to hug and kiss. That makes you a couple," she explained. But I still didn't understand.

"But how do you choose? I mean, I love all of you so how could I pick just one person? I like to hug and kiss all of you! How do you know which person is meant to be your partner?" I asked, dropping my head onto the bench. This whole talk was going to kill me. It was too confusing! Esme lifted my head from the table and smoothed my hair back, watching me carefully.

"Bella, sweetheart... its something you just know. In here," she placed her hand over my heart. "You feel all warm inside, and you feel safer than you've ever felt, you feel happier than you've ever been, you smile all the time and you get butterflies in your stomach when you see them," she went on, closing her eyes and smiling as though she were remembering something pleasant. "You just love them the most out of everyone. You know that they are the one person in the whole world that makes you feel that special way. And that's how you know you love them the most. Do you understand?"

I nodded my head, still absorbing it all but getting the general idea. Except that whole butterfly thing. With a grimace, I looked down at my stomach and covered it. I didn't want bugs in my belly! As Esme was explaining that it was just a 'figure of speech', Alice joined us in the kitchen and was soon met by Jasper. I didn't want to be around him so I made my way upstairs to cuddle my Edward.

***

EPOV

The soft click of the door shutting roused me from slumber. Rubbing my eyes, I automatically scooted over and pulled the blankets down to let Bella in. This had become our morning routine – she would wake and have breakfast, then climb into bed with me and we'd talk for what seemed like forever. Sometimes we didn't even talking, we just laid there all comfy and warm, just the two of us.

I felt the mattress dip and the smell of roses and jasmine drifted over. Amazingly, she still smelled slightly of Doritos. I often found myself finding ways to explain this mysterious scent that seemed to constantly be on her skin, but maybe it was better that I just accepted that Doritos was just part of her natural smell.

"Hey," she whispered, wriggling into place and squeezing me around my waist. I pulled her closer and kissed her forehead, still trying to wake up. "Esme taught me something cool just now," she told me, rolling over so she was on top of me – this was her preferred position when we were talking because she liked the more direct eye contact – supporting all her weight on her little arms. I tied her hair back for her when it fell into her eyes.

"What did she teach you?" I asked, securing the elastic and tucking a stray strand behind her ear.

"She taught me what a couple is," Bella chirped, grinning proudly. "Its when two people love each other more than they love anyone else and you feel safe and happy and you get bugs in your belly," she continued, still grinning like a fool. I was still half asleep so I didn't quite share her enthusiasm when I responded.

"That sounds just about right to me. Except I think you mean butterflies in your stomach," I teased, tickling her stomach. She giggled and lost the strength in her arms, dropping onto my chest. The sound of those bubbles and chimes woke me up completely, warmth washing through me. An all-out tickle fight broke out then, Bella squealing and laughing as she thrashed about, trying to get away from my relentless fingers. "Say uncle!" I commanded.

"I don't have an uncle!" she replied, trying to writhe free.

"Say it!"

"But I don't have an uncle! Jake plays this stupid game too! I won't say it! I'm not giving up!"

"Aha!" I shouted, tickling harder. "You're just playing dumb, you know what uncle means!" Bella laughed harder, trying to deny it but I kept on tickling.

"Okay uncle! Uncle UNCLE!" she screamed, trying to slap my hands away. "You butthead," she panted, catching her breath as I did a victory dance beside her. "No dancing!" she pouted, throwing my pillow at me. Satisfied with the outcome of our game, I sat on the edge of the bed – I had rolled off moments before as she was slapping me – and she immediately came up behind me and wrapped her arms around my stomach, her cheek resting against my back. I sighed contentedly when I felt her lips brush against my skin. "Edward, will you take me to the beach to see Jake?" she asked, and my content little bubble burst right there and then.

"Sure Bella, we can do that today if you want. We're supposed to be in a heat wave starting today anyway," I replied, standing and shuffling over to my window, ripping the curtains open. Sunlight poured in, the heat already blazing through the glass. "Woah," I muttered, squinting against the brightness. Bella came up from behind me and wordlessly took my hand, just looking for affection. When my eyes adjusted to the light I saw that she was watching Emmett and Rosalie kissing by their car.

"What are they doing?" she asked, her head tilted curiously. She didn't take her eyes off them. The way her little brow furrowed as she watched them was almost comical. It was like she was trying to figure out a puzzle.

"They're kissing."

"That's not a kiss," she argued, turning to me and looking at me like I was some kind of idiot. She leaned over and pressed her lips to my cheek. "That's a kiss."

"You're right," I nodded, moving away from the window to save myself feeling nauseous. "But there are different kinds of kissing," I explained, pulling the covers back over the bed and smoothing them out. Bella joined me, putting my pillows back in place.

"Like there are different kinds of love?" she asked, handing me the shirt I'd been searching for.

"Exactly. They're kissing the way couples kiss."

"So kissing someone means that you love them, and the different ways you kiss them means you love them a certain way?" she asked, trying to make sense of it all.

"Yeah I guess so. Bella I'm not good at explaining this stuff to you."

"But I wanna know!"

"I'll tell you another time – when I've had coffee," I promised, hoping she would drop it for now and forget to bring it up again. I wasn't entirely comfortable with the subject. Not when I felt this way about her. "Are we going to see Jake or what?" I asked, distracting her before she could argue with me.

Bella squealed excitedly and showered my cheek with kisses before turning on her heel and calling out to Alice – her personal stylist. I picked up my cell phone.