DISCLAIMER: Stephanie Meyer owns the Twilight universe.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I am so sorry it took me forever to post the new chapter! Life happened. Ugh. Again

-BPOV-

We had been driving for what seemed like an eternity but what was really half an hour. I frowned as we passed a sign I recognized.

"Seattle?" I asked.

Edward simply grinned smugly leaving me to my silent speculations because I knew he wouldn't tell me if I asked anyway.

Edward glided the car up to the side of the curb in the middle of a little street beside a telephone pole. He slid the keys out of the ignition and turned to look at me with a mixture of anxiousness and amusement. I studied our surroundings for a moment before opening my mouth to question him when I saw a small restaurant across the street.

"La Bella Italia?" I choked out in surprise.

Edward chuckled.

"I thought you would have realized sooner my love."

I pouted but my enthusiasm could not be kept at bay for long.

"Let's go." I said, exiting the car before he had the chance to come open my door for me.

Edward snaked our fingers together as we walked up to the restaurant and I smiled as I remembered the first time we had come here. Entering the restaurant then I had been sad because I didn't think Edward wanted to be with me. Edward's thoughts must have lingered in the same place because he gave my fingers a squeeze and kissed my forehead before opening the door for us.

"Remind me to think Alice for abandoning us that day." He whispered and I smiled.

"Who knew that day would lead to something more?" I thought aloud.

"Alice." Edward snickered.

I laughed lightly. Alice always knew.

"You do realize why I decided to bring you here for our first date?"

I looked at him with my head cocked to the side.

"Because this is the place where I first realized I was in love with you." he said and an ecstatic smile broke out over my face, making my eyes light up as Edward brought out.

When the hostess saw us she zeroed in on Edward and she almost tripped over her own feet as she approached us, her eyes gliding over him. I tightened my grip on his hand, seemingly possessive all of the sudden. Her eyes came to rest on our clasped hands and she snapped her head in my direction as if just now realizing he wasn't alone. Wishful thinking, I thought critically.

She seemed to survey me for a moment as well and her conclusion was obvious; you could almost see it written on her prettily pompous face. 'How did she end up with him?'

I sighed and Edward looked from me to the hostess and gently released my grip on his hand, only to slid his arm around my waist.

"We would prefer something private." He notified the hostess with authority and her eyes widened but she nodded and directed us towards a partially secluded corner of the restaurant.

She walked with the air of an inebriated person carefully being scrutinized by police officers; she was under Edward's spell but she was aware of it enough to try to hide the effects.

"The dance is tomorrow." Edward stated after we were seated in our more "private" corner of the restaurant and the hostess had walked sorrowfully away, probably to notify the waitresses of the Greek god sitting in the back corner.

"Do we really have to go?" I asked.

Edward feigned a hurt expression.

"You do not want to dance with me?" he asked, looking at me like I had just run over his pet.

I stuck my tongue out at him but answered truthfully.

"You know I want to be where ever you are but… no. I do not want to dance."

Edward seemed to think about this for a moment and then he smirked.

"Do you need more proof that you will not fall?" he asked smugly, his eyes smoldering at me from under his lashes.

I blushed as I remembered the day at our meadow when I had first confided m fear of dancing. I hadn't fallen then.

"We are in a restaurant." I reminded him. "And we have an audience."

I nodded in the direction of the three women staring at us, or more accurately, at Edward. It was the hostess that had seated us and two waitresses. Edward looked over, saw them, and shook his head with an un-amused look on his face.

The hostess and one of the waitresses looked away quickly, seemingly embarrassed at being caught. The other waitress was unabashed and smiled as she caught his eye.

"You do not think we should put on a show for our eager audience?" he asked and I scowled.

"No. I do not." I answered immediately but my voice hitched and it didn't escape Edward's notice. Nothing ever did.

"You will not fall." He assured me confidently and I could do nothing but believe him.

"Besides." he continued. "This all started with 'operation fake date' and I for one am glad we can go without faking it. That was killing me."

I smiled timidly, reveling in his words. I was going to say something more but one of the waitresses that had been ogling Edward came up. I sighed. At least she was the one who had looked away.

"Hello. My name is Kierstan and I will be your waitress today. Is there anything I can get for you today?"

Edward smiled but motioned for me to order first.

After the waitress left, with surprisingly courteous behavior after she recovered from the initial shock of seeing Adonis in real life Edward smiled at me all most warily.

"If we did not attend the dance we would be spoiling all of Alice's fun."

I looked at him quizzically and he gave me an apologetic look.

"She wants to get your ready of course."

I scowled but didn't bother to argue; resistance was futile.

"Fine." I sighed in defeat and Edward seemed to release a breath.

"Thank you Love."

---

My luggage had been tucked safely under my bed since my arrival in Forks and I had almost forgotten completely about the old bag that was no doubt gathering dust by this time. But now I was acutely aware of it presence as I paced back and forth in my small bedroom, wearing a path in front of my bed.

Finally I took a deep breath and crawled onto my hands and knees to slid the bag out from its resting place. Sitting cross legged on my bedroom floor I bit my lip and opened the outside pocket of my luggage. I slid my hand into the unknown before I could change my mind and pulled out a photograph.

It was the picture I had brought with me of Zach, the one I had been unable to look at all this time. I had attempted to look at it at my first day here when I was unpacking. I had even tried to put it in the elegant silver frame on my nightstand beside the picture of Renee but I just couldn't. I simply hadn't been ready then.

Every time I looked at it I had not seen my brother, but what had happened to him. Now that I was reliving the good times and working past my bad memories I had a feeling I would be able to handle this picture. If I could handle all of my memories when Edward asked about him I should be able to look at a photograph… shouldn't I?

The first thing I noticed about the picture was that my brother had his head thrown back, his hair flying every which way, and he was laughing. I tried to remember what he had been laughing about but I couldn't even remember where the picture had been taken. I close my eyes and desperately tried to remember the scene because more than anything I wanted to relive this moment, a moment when my brother was so full of life. He was so happy. You could almost feel the joy radiating from him, even here in a simple photograph.

"Bella!"

I jumped and looked at my door. Alice had just walked in and now she was watching me with her head cocked to the side, probably wondering why I was sitting in the middle of my bedroom floor, holding onto a picture like it was my lifeline, with a few glistening tears sliding down my cheeks.

A smile burst out on my face, effectively completing the lunacy picture I had going on. Because I realized my tears were not caused by the agony and sorrow as they had been for so long, but they tears of happiness as I realized I had looked at the picture without a thought of the horror and had only seen my brothers happiness.

Alice wrinkled her brow in confusion and I laughed, jumping off of the floor and running down the stairs.

"Bella?" she called after me. The usually energetic, peppy, pixie was calling after me anxiously, uncertainly, her bell like voice marred with worry.

"I'm fine Alice!" I called up the stairs as I opened the drawer that housed the tape, tacks, and bills Charlie would rather avoid until a couple of days before the due date when they could no longer be ignored.

I grabbed a tack and ran back up to my bedroom, where Alice was standing in my doorway with her hands on her hips, an annoyed look on her face.

"What is going on?" she demanded.

I stuck the picture to my wall, right beside my bed, and stepped back to look at it. Even if I could not remember when or where the photo had been taken it was my first real look at the Zach I used to know before his remembrance was clouded over with nightmares.

"I see my brother." I told her, while I continued to stare at the photograph almost reverently.

Alice came and stood beside me, looking at the picture and then at me as if she thought the answer that was alluding her would become clear if she looked long enough.

"That's my brother." I whispered happily. "Zach."

Alice glanced at the picture once more and slid her arm over my shoulder.

"He looks like you." She decided.

I smiled at her realization and nodded without taking my eyes off of the picture.

Alice was respectfully silent for an immeasurable amount of time and then she squeezed my arm and turned on her heel.

"Time to get ready!" She chirped.

---

Once I look at Alice I groaned. She looked stunning as usual.

I was thankful Alice had taken me to Port Angeles ahead of time to get my dress for my "fake date." I was still going to pale in comparison to Alice, and I didn't even want to think about Rosalie, but I would admit I looked better in the dress Alice had chosen.

Alice wore a green dress, although she had become indignant when I said this. She told me it was "clover." I just rolled my eyes. Whatever the exact shade of the dress was it looked perfect on her. It was strapless and hit right above the knee, with a green silk ribbon tied under the bodice, and she had dyed her shoes to match. Of course. (AN:Alice's dress is on my profile.)

I was surprised when Alice let me go after only fifteen minutes of torture and I looked up at her quizzically as she stood back to double check her handy work. She smiled and nodded once in a job well done.

"What's going on Alice?" I asked suspiciously.

"I can control myself!" She defended.

I shrugged. I wasn't going to argue with her if it meant cutting my Bella Barbie session early.

"Fine." She sighed although I hadn't said anything more. "Edward threatened my Porsche if I 'hid her natural beauty' under 'loads of makeup she doesn't need.'" she did air quotes around Edward's words in a way only Alice could get away with and she cringed at the talk of "unneeded makeup."

She rolled her eyes.

"I never cover up your natural beauty anyway!" She huffed indignantly. "He knows darn well I always work miracles!"

She looked at me quickly.

"No offense Bella! Everyone knows you're gorgeous."

I blushed and fiddled with my fingers.

"But if Edward had his way you would be able to attend in you jeans without a hint of makeup at all!" she continued, clearly exasperated.

I laughed lightly to myself.

"I love that man." I sighed.

Alice smirked.

"Everyone knows that as well."

I looked down at my hands. It was so painstakingly obvious that I was head over heels in love with Edward Cullen. I couldn't live without him. I didn't know when or how I had become this dependent on him but I did know I never wanted to be apart from him for as long as I lived.

"Let's see what you think!" Alice chirped, breaking me from my reverie.

We both knew whatever she did looked great. But I got up and walked to the mirror anyway to appease Alice.

"Bella! A little enthusiasm huh?" she chided me and I rolled my eyes.

"Oh my god." I said in disbelief as Alice turned me to face the mirror.

Alice really was a miracle worker. She had kept the makeup to a minimum and very simply, clearly finding some real fear in Edward's threats to her car, and she had simply clipped a sections of my hair up with sparkling clips. They looked like diamonds and I cringed internally because knowing Alice they were. She left a few wispy strands of hair to frame my face and the majority of my hair hang in loose curls down my back.

"Thank you Alice." I said with emotion and gave her a tight squeeze.

Alice laughed, filling the room with beautiful trilling bells.

"Of course Bella! Now Edward will be here in fifteen minutes. I am going to meet Jazz. Love you!"

I smiled brightly at the thought of seeing Edward again. It had only been two hours since I had seen him last but I missed him profusely. I was in trouble.

"Love you too Alice. I'll see you at the dance."

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hope you liked it. Next chapter is the dance and then there are three chapters left, including the epilog. I wrote them all last night! Phew. Read and review please.

-PREVIEW OF NEXT CHAPTER-

"Do you doubt my persuasive abilities Ms. Swan?" he asked playfully as he helped me out of the car.

I pretended to ponder over his question and Edward quirked an eyebrow at me in amusement.

I tried desperately not to smile as I tapped my chin with my fingers.

"Hmm…"

Edward pouted and before I knew what he was doing he stepped towards me until my back was against the side of the car. He placed both hands on either side of my head and stared at me with a devilish grin as he leaned towards me.

"I am quite persuasive Bella." he breathed, probably wafting his mouthwatering breath over my face intentionally.

"I… I believe you." I chocked out.