The Gift

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyers owns all Twilight and the Characters

Chapter 5 Outage

BPOV

"We'll take Emmett's jeep," Edward said taking Carly out of my arms once we were outside.

"Whatever is fine with me," I answered not protesting when he took her. It was probably for the best that he carried her to the jeep. I didn't want to take the risk falling and hurting the both of us.

I followed behind them as we walked to the jeep. I hated this jeep with a passion I always had a hard time getting into it. While we were walking I could her giggling and his soft chuckle as they talked amongst themselves. I smiled at the sight of them for only a second knowing that he was only being polite.

"Can you wait here for just a second," he said when we got to the jeep.

"Sure," I answered him as he opened the back door buckling Carly in.

"I know that you have a hard time getting into the jeep," he said closing the door and turning around to face me. "If it is okay with you. Can I help you get in?"

"Okay," I said looking down at the ground biting my lower lip. I knew that if I looked up and met his eyes then I would melt. I couldn't do that and I wouldn't let myself do it again.

I followed him around to the passenger side of the jeep. It was a little slippery so I held onto to the jeep slowly making my way over. He had the door open and waiting for me standing patiently. As I started to climb in, I felt his hands around my waist, and then lifting me up into the jeep. Once I was in he shut the door and started to walk around the front to get in himself. Before I buckled myself up I turned around to check on Carly, she was already asleep. It amazed me that she was already asleep, but I guess having this wonderful day I would be too.

"Thank you," I said when he got in and started up the jeep. "For taking us back home."

"It's no problem," he replied. "I wanted to do this."

We didn't speak to each the rest of the drive home. The roads were starting to get slick and the snow was starting to stick. I could tell that he was thinking about something while he was driving. I admit that I stole a few glances of him in the car, while he was staring at the road.

"Great," I said when we pulled into the driveway. The porch light wasn't on and I remembered that I flipped it on when we lift the house.

"What's wrong," he said turning the engine off.

"No power," I whispered. I started running off all the locations that I had candles and flashlights in the house in my mind. Thank goodness that I brought firewood in earlier this morning.

"Do you," he started to say before his phone went off. I knew what he was going to ask. He was going to ask if I wanted him to take us back to his parents house for the night. "Thanks dad."

"Is everything okay," I said when he got off.

"They don't want me to drive home," he started to say. "They are afraid of the road conditions since they are getting bad real fast. I was."

"The couch is free," I said before I actually realized what I said. Wait a minute! Did I just offer him to stay over for the night? Sure back in the day I would have done anything for him at the drop of a hat. Now a days it is different. What I just said came from the Bella over four years ago not the Bella of today.

"Thank you," he said getting out the jeep.

I climbed out of the jeep, and started towards the house not waiting on Edward. I needed to get in and find a flashlight before he got in. Opening the front door, I could tell that the power had been out for a couple of hours. The air in the house had a chill in it and if it was chilly down here. Then it would be colder upstairs, and I knew in my gut that all three of us would be sleeping in the living room. Safely making my way into the kitchen I grabbed a flashlight out the cabinet and went to the living room to start the fire.

"I'll do that," I heard Edward behind me placing a still sleepy Carly in the chair.

"If you want," I said standing up. He came up behind me and placed his hands on my shoulder. I guess he did this to reassure me that everything would be alright. I stood there for a minute with my eyes closed wishing that things were better between the two of us. "I'll go get some blankets from upstairs."

I took the flashlight and walked upstairs still feeling the linger of his touch. What was happening to me? This was the same person that said he didn't want me. That he didn't love me anymore and that he was in love with someone else. Walking into her bedroom I grabbed her favorite stuff animal to sleep with and her blanket. I laid her things down on the floor and opened of the linen closet. I grabbed a few blankets, a couple of pillows, and picked the rest of the things up off the floor. Coming around the corner I saw him kneeling down beside of Carly humming a familiar tune.

"Sorry," he said standing up real quick. "She woke up scared. I did the only thing that I knew would help you sleep a long time ago."

"Thanks for doing that," I said laying the blankets on the couch. The tune that he was humming was a lullaby he made up for me. When there were nights that I couldn't sleep he would lay down beside of me and hum me to sleep.

"Bella," he said. "I want things to be different between us. I want my best friend back. I've missed having that person in my life for so long now."

"Edward," I said taking a deep breath. I took Carly's blanket and stuff animal over to her and covered her up. "You hurt me in a way that I never imagined you would."

"I know," he said pleading to me. I could hear it in his voice that he was sorry before he spoke. "I am so sorry for doing that to you. I'll get my blankets and things you don't have to it."

As we laid the blankets out on the floor I wished for hope. I choose to lay down in the floor near the chair so that when Carly wakes up she won't be scared. I looked over at the couch and noticed the he was turned with his back on me already asleep.

"Goodnight Edward," I whispered before turning around. I laid there for a little while as silent tears ran down my face. Like him I missed my best friend as well. We knew everything about each, there were no secrets, and we always had fun together. I heard him turn over and take a deep breath.

"My Bella," I heard him say. I just laid there still letting him think that I was asleep. " I wish you knew the truth. I wish that you knew that I only married Tanya to protect Emmett. I never loved her at all and never cheated on you. It was you that I thought about the entire time I was married to the woman, and still to this day all I think about is you. I know that Carly is Mike's daughter and even though I just met her. She is wonderful, bright, and smart just like her mother. There is a part of me that wishes she was mine, and we were together as a family. I will always and forever more love you Isabella."

Listening to him say all of this to me not only made me cry, but brought a new insight to the whole situation. I went to sleep knowing that I could no longer hate Edward Cullen, but he still had some explaining to do.

EPOV

"We'll take Emmett's jeep," I said taking Carly out of her arms once we were outside.

"Whatever is fine with me," she answered not protesting when I took her. I didn't want her to take the risk falling and hurting the both of them. She followed behind us and it gave me a little bit of time to talk to her.

"I'm Edward," I told her as we walked. "They call you Carlybug don't they."

"No silly," she said giggling and I couldn't help but chuckle a little. "It's Carly. How did you get a ban-aide Dward?"

"Not paying attention," I said and she looked kind of wide eyed at me. "No worries your mommy fixed it right up."

"Can you wait here for just a second," I said to Bella when we got to the jeep.

"Sure," she answered me as I opened the back door buckling Carly in.

"I know that you have a hard time getting into the jeep," I said closing the door and turning around to face her. "If it is okay with you. Can I help you get in?"

"Okay," she said looking down at the ground biting her lower lip. I knew that she was somewhat nervous because she was biting her lip.

She followed me around to the passenger side of the jeep. I had the door open and was waiting for her standing patiently at the door. As she started to climb in, I placed my hands around her waist, and then lifted her up into the jeep. Once she was in I shut the door and started to walk around the front to get in myself.

"Thank you," she said when I got in and started up the jeep. "For taking us back home."

"It's no problem," I replied, the truth was I was hoping that she would at least talk to me. "I wanted to do this."

We didn't speak to each the rest of the drive home. The roads were starting to get slick and the snow was starting to stick. I could tell that she was thinking about something while I was driving. I admit that I stole a few glances of her in the car, while she was staring at the road.

"Great," she said when we pulled into the driveway. The porch light wasn't on and the whole street looked black

"What's wrong," I said turning the engine off. I figured it out before she spoke that she didn't have any power.

"No power," she whispered.

"Do you," I started to say before his phone went off. "Hello."

"Edward," my dad said in a worried tone. "Where are you son?"

"We just pulled up to Bella's," I said. "We might be coming back to the house. There's no power at her house."

"Your mother and I think that it would best if you stayed over there," he answered me.

"Okay," I said slowly.

"The roads are getting worse," he said worried. "You don't want to risk Bella and Carly's life by driving back here do you."

"No," I said. There was a little hope inside of me, because that meant I would get to talk to her.

"We will see you tomorrow," he told me.

"Thanks dad," I said hanging up the phone.

"Is everything okay," she said when I got off.

"They don't want me to drive home," I started to say. "They are afraid of the road conditions since they are getting bad real fast. I was."

"The couch is free," she said without even thinking.

"Thank you," he said getting out the jeep before she could change her mind. She walked on into the house and I got Carly out of the car.

"Are we home," she said sleepily as I got her out.

"Yes sweet girl," I answered as I held her close to me to keep her warm as she went back to sleep. As I walked into the living I saw Bella bent down on the floor trying to start a fire. I laid the still sleeping Carly in the chair. "I'll do that."

"If you want," she said standing up. I came up behind her and placed my hands on her shoulders. I did this to reassure her that everything would be alright. I stood there for a minute with my eyes closed wishing that things were better between the two of us. "I'll go get some blankets from upstairs."

She took the flashlight and walked upstairs. I walked over to the fireplace and started the fire so that they wouldn't get cold. As I was standing up I heard Carly whimpering in her sleep and woke up scared. I walked over to the chair and kneeled down remembering something. I started to hum the lullaby that I hummed for Bella when she couldn't sleep. She laid back down and closed her eyes. About halfway through it I saw Bella come into the living room.

"Sorry," I said standing up real quick. "She woke up scared. I did the only thing that I knew would help you sleep a long time ago."

"Thanks for doing that," she said laying the blankets on the couch. I walked over close to her.

"Bella," I said. "I want things to be different between us. I want my best friend back. I've missed having that person in my life for so long now."

"Edward," she said taking a deep breath. She took Carly's blanket and stuff animal over to her and covered her up. "You hurt me in a way that I never imagined you would."

"I know," he said pleading to her. I never wanted to her like I did and I wanted her to know that I was sorry. "I am so sorry for doing that to you. I'll get my blankets and things you don't have to it."

As we laid the blankets out on the floor I wished for hope. She choose to lay down in the floor near the chair so that when Carly wakes up she won't be scared. I looked over at the couch and noticed the he was turned with his back on me already asleep. I took the couch and turned around so that she would think that I was asleep.

"Goodnight Edward," she whispered. After some time passed when I thought that she was asleep I turned around. I knew that this was the chicken way of doing things, and that I would have to tell her the truth eventually. I had to get this off my chest and left some kinds of weight off. I was and still am in love with her and love her little girl already.

"My Bella," I said somewhat wishing that she awake now. " I wish you knew the truth. I wish that you knew that I only married Tanya to protect Emmett. I never loved her at all and never cheated on you. It was you that I thought about the entire time I was married to the woman, and still to this day all I think about is you. I know that Carly is Mike's daughter and even though I just met her. She is wonderful, bright, and smart just like her mother. There is a part of me that wishes she was mine, and we were together as a family. I will always and forever more love you Isabella."

I turned back around falling asleep knowing that tomorrow is a new day.

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