Bella's POV

A million things ran through my mind when the caller on the other end of the line identified himself as a detective from the Port Angeles Police Department. Charlie wouldn't have any reason to be there. Angela and Ben were in Seattle, hosting Thanksgiving for their families at their house. I didn't have any other close friends or any family there. The only thing I had was...

My store.

"O-Okay," I mumbled, suddenly apprehensive about hearing whatever the man was going to tell me.

Edward had woken up when the phone rang, and from the way he was gripping my hand, I knew he could tell something was wrong. He reached over with one hand to flick on the light by his side of the bed, and then he motioned for me to put the phone on speaker.

Just as the detective began talking again, I pushed the speakerphone button so Edward could hear the conversation.

"Ma'am, we got your cell phone number from your alarm company," Detective Jordan said. "I'm sorry to have to call and tell you, but your apartment was broken into tonight."

I gasped, squeezing Edward's hand tighter. "I—" My voice cracked, so I swallowed hard before attempting to continue. "I'm down in Forks for the holiday. Did you, uh..." I stopped, my mind drawing a complete blank as to what I needed to ask. I simply couldn't focus; I was numb with shock.

When I looked at Edward blankly, he held his hand out, offering to take the phone. I gave it to him gladly and then curled into his embrace when he dropped my hand and opened his arm to me.

"Hello?" he said into the phone. "This is Bella's boyfriend. I own the music store next door to her place. She's a bit overwhelmed at the moment."

"Your name, sir?" Detective Jordan asked.

"Edward Cullen," he answered impatiently. "Can you tell us any more about what happened?"

"The silent alarm was triggered at Ms. Swan's apartment just before midnight tonight. Patrols were dispatched within minutes and arrived at the apartment at ten minutes after twelve. On arrival, they found a man inside the apartment. The suspect had been able to do some damage already. Most was done to the bed—the mattress was ripped to shreds by a knife we found in his possession—and he'd begun work on the clothes hanging in Ms. Swan's closet. We also believe he rifled through the dresser—uh, specifically the drawers containing more intimate items of clothing."

I immediately felt like I needed a shower, knowing someone had been in my apartment, had touched my clothes—my underwear, for fuck's sake—and had done damage to my new bed. I felt dirty. Used. Edward must have sensed it, because he pulled me in tighter to his chest.

"How did he get in?" Edward asked the detective.

"We found a set of lock picks in his pocket that we believe he used to jimmy the deadbolt and knob." He cleared his throat. "I know it won't be comfortable, but we'd like Ms. Swan to come down to the station as soon as she's back in town to see if she recognizes the man who was in her apartment."

"Okay, well, we'd planned to be back sometime tomorrow evening, so would—"

I interrupted Edward with a shake of my head. "No, we'll...uh, we'll be there first thing in the morning. I'm not so much in the Black Friday shopping mood anymore," I muttered, feeling tears welling in my eyes.

"That would be good," Detective Jordan replied. "Just ask for me when you come in to the station later today. And Ms. Swan, I am sorry for having to call you with this news."

"Thank you, Detective," Edward said before hanging up the phone and pulling me more fully into his arms.

I trembled as he held me, but I willed the tears back. I'd gotten through much worse than this, and with Edward by my side, I felt as if I could get through anything.

~*~*~CIBD~*~*~

Edward's POV

After hanging up with the detective, I cradled Bella protectively in my arms, simply holding her, pressing kisses gently to the top of her bed head, until her trembling slowed. I knew we needed to tell the rest of the family about the break-in and that we wouldn't be going shopping with them, but I also knew that any minute, Alice would be banging down our door if she didn't hear us stirring.

"Bella, love," I murmured softly, hesitant to interrupt what tentative peace she'd found.

"Hmm?" she sighed.

"Do you wanna come out and tell the rest of the family what happened, or do you wanna stay in here? You can go back to sleep, or get up and take a shower, or…" I shrugged. "You just let me know what you wanna do, and I'll do whatever I can."

She shook her head. "I'll go out with you, if that's okay."

I nodded. "That's fine." Pursing my lips, I thought for a moment before continuing. "Do you wanna get dressed while I gather everyone in the living room? That way you don't have to put yourself through the pain of telling the story more than once."

Bella looked at the clock beside the bed. "Yeah, that would be fine. Everyone's supposed to be getting up about now anyway." She leaned up and kissed my jaw before saying softly, "Thank you, Edward."

"No need to thank me, baby. I'm here however you need me," I promised.

I held her for another minute before climbing out of bed. After throwing on some sleep pants and a T-shirt, I headed to the door. "Come out when you're ready," I told her before slipping out the door.

I made a quick circuit of the bedrooms, knocking lightly and telling first my dad, and then Jasper and Emmett, about needing a quick family meeting in the living room. They each promised to gather the others and meet me downstairs.

"What's going on, Edward?" my father asked as he and Mom walked into the living room. The other four walked in right behind them.

"Something happened at Bella's apartment earlier. Please, just sit, and as soon as Bella comes down, I'll explain. She wanted to be down here, too."

I was on one end of the couch, and my mom at the other, with my dad perched on the arm beside her. Jasper took the chair before pulling a tired-looking Alice down on his lap. Emmett and Rose collapsed on the floor beside the chair, and Rose immediately lay down with her head in his lap.

We only had to wait a couple of minutes before Bella came in, wearing a pair of pajama shorts and a long-sleeved pajama top. She'd pulled her hair back in a clip and added a pair of thick wool socks to her feet.

"Morning," she mumbled, looking around the room. She sat down beside me, pulling her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them.

"What's going on, Bella?" My mother repeated my father's words from a few minutes before. "You can talk to us, honey." She turned in her seat to face Bella and placed a comforting hand on Bella's knee.

Bella looked over at me, her eyes welling with tears, obviously overcome. Her sad brown eyes were silently asking me to tell the story.

I smiled gently at her before turning to my parents. "We were woken by a phone call from a detective with the Port Angeles Police Department. Bella's apartment was broken into at midnight tonight."

There were gasps around the room, and Alice and Rose sat up from where they'd been lying on Jasper and Emmett. Everyone looked shocked and worried.

"Did they catch the person?" my father asked immediately.

I nodded. "The police arrived about ten minutes after the silent alarm was tripped and found him destroying her clothes."

Alice growled, earning an almost hysterical chuckle from the woman beside me. "Sorry," she murmured, glancing at Bella with a sympathetic frown.

"I'm assuming you're going to go back home in the morning?" my mother asked, looking at Bella and then me.

"Yes," Bella agreed, glancing at me worriedly before looking over at Alice with a frown. "I'm not a huge fan of shopping on a normal day. I'm really not up for fighting the Black Friday crowds. Sorry," she murmured, clearly worried my sister would be upset.

Rubbing her arm lightly, I said, "Don't worry, Bella. Alice understands." I looked at my sister. "Right?"

"Of course," Alice answered quickly. "I wouldn't even feel up to it if it were me, Bella. Don't worry, okay?" She smiled, and it brightened when Bella smiled slightly back at her.

"Bella," my mom began. "Sweetheart, would you like me to go to Port Angeles with you? I know Edward will be there, but it might help to have a mom there, as well."

Bella's eyes filled with tears again. When she nodded, she couldn't hold them in, and they began coursing down her cheeks. My mother pulled Bella into her arms and simply held her quietly.

Emmett asked softly, "Do you need us, bro? You and Bella are more important than any shopping we'll do today."

The rest of the family nodded in agreement.

"No," Bella said, looking around as she wiped the tears from her face. "Please, you all go and have fun. No one was hurt; it was just things. It doesn't sound like any of my more special things were damaged—just clothes and the bed. I'll be fine with Edward and your mom." She smiled, chuckling softly. "Besides, Ali, this will give you and Rose a chance to get me some new clothes. I know you've been dying to go shopping for me."

"Excellent!" piped my sister and Rose.

The whole family laughed in response.

"Okay, then," Alice said, checking the clock over the TV. "Let's get moving. We need to be out of here in half an hour."

She came over and pulled Bella into a hug, murmuring softly into her ear—something about calling her if she needed her, and shopping could go fly a kite—and then skipped out of the room with Jasper, as soon as he'd given Bella a smile.

Rose came over and patted Bella's shoulder. "Don't let this get you too down, okay, honey? Like you said, they're just things. The most important things are you weren't there, and they caught the guy. Listen to Edward. He's a good guy, and he loves you. He'll take care of you."

"Thanks, Rose," Bella said, smiling at her. "Have fun."

"We will. I'll try to keep Alice from going too crazy, okay?" she said, winking at my girl.

Bella nodded, chuckling.

Emmett came bounding over and pulled Bella into an Emmett-sized hug. "Call if you need us, okay, Bella-boo? I don't mind getting together and kicking a little burglar ass."

"Emmett," our mother sighed, shaking her head.

Bella giggled and nodded. "Thanks, Em, I will."

He and Rose left the living room to get ready, leaving just Bella, myself, and my parents in the room.

With his hand on my mom's shoulders, my dad asked, "Bella, if there's anything I can do, please let me know, all right?"

Bella nodded once. "Thanks, Carlisle, I will," she told him before yawning sleepily.

"Get some sleep, kids. I'm going to go get ready and go with the others to Seattle, but remember," he prompted, "I'm just a phone call away."

"Thanks, Dad," I murmured before standing. "Mom, let's plan on getting out of here before nine, if that's okay?"

"Of course," she agreed. "I'm going to see the others off and then get some more sleep myself." She smiled at us both before taking my dad's hand and heading upstairs.

Bella's eyes were half-mast when I leaned down and scooped her up. She'd been tired before the phone call, but the stress of the current situation had completely worn her out. She gave a halfhearted protest, claiming to be too heavy, but I ignored her, carried her upstairs, and slid her into bed.

After climbing in beside her, I set the alarm on my phone and put it on the bedside table beside the lamp. With a flick of my finger, the bedroom was plunged into darkness. I pulled Bella into my arms, her back to my front, and heard her sigh softly. Just before sleep pulled me under, I felt her fingers wrap around mine, holding my arm securely around her waist.