a/n: Sorry this took so long to post – I was busy, then I was away! RL!!

Ohhh we have a visitor!!

Enjoy! xx

Hermes

EPOV

I could tell it was morning even though I still had my eyes closed. The morning sun was shining through my window and creating a warm orange glow from behind my eyelids. A faint cough that came from Bella only made me pull her in closer to me as I felt her still in my arms.

I could smell her hair in my face, it smelled of strawberries and something else that I couldn't quite put my finger on. It didn't matter, not really, it was her smell, it was how she always smelled and it was intoxicating to me.

"Did you just smell her hair?" a voice almost shrieked from the door of the room.

I jumped up knowing only too well who that voice belonged too.

Alice.

Looking up across at her, I was stunned. Firstly, the fact she was in Forks and the second being that she had somehow broke into my apartment.

Bella was a little slower in her realization but as soon as her eyes focused on her she instantly jumped up, and crashed right into her.

"Jude." Bella called as she wrapped her arms around my sisters neck. Alice reacted in the same exact manor but let out a squeal as well as she swung her from side to side in her deathly embrace.

I sat there a little shocked at there contact, it was obvious that even after being pulled apart for so long there was still some deep connection between the two.

My gaze shifted across to the tall blonde guy who I recognised from Alice's profile picture as the boy she was kissing. He looked a little awkward as he looked from Alice and meeting my eyes.

His head bowed down and he took a step back, retreating from my bedroom completely.

Alice broke contact with Bella only slightly, keeping a firm arm around her waist as she pulled back calling on the blonde.

"Jasper, come here. I want you to meet my best friend and my brother, well my younger brother." her smile was huge and as she eyed up Bella I could see that no matter what would happen between these two, no matter the time apart, this obvious bond that they had, it was infallible, it was infallible through hospital trips, overdoses and parents pulling them apart.

Finally I found the will to speak, "How the hell did you break into my apartment?" I was positive I had locked up the apartment last night.

Alice shrugged. "A little something that Jasper taught me." her smile never failing despite the look of Jaspers face dropping.

"All innocent, just something I learned, nothing lawbreaking." he rushed out, looking as nervous as hell. He looked like he was in pain after Alice letting that one out.

I waved it off, it didn't matter. What mattered was why she was back in Forks. She had barely left the place five minutes ago.

"Why are you hear?" I asked as I looked back at my sister, she cradled Bella's cheek, playing with her hair as Bella played with the ends of Alice's hair too.

Her attention snapped back to me but her fingers remained in Bella's long locks.

"I didn't get twenty questions about...about...well..." she looked up at Bella, stumbling on her words. "About the little incident last year so I figured you hadn't told them yet, so were going to do it together." she nodded sure of herself.

"Me and you? Today?" I asked, still more than a little dazed.

"Me and you...and Bella." she let out a little hesitantly. "And of course Jasper is coming too." she smiled back up at the guy and he smiled back at her, reassuring her.

Bella panicked, the look on her face froze as she tried to get out her words. "I... can't. Alice, they don't want to see me." her breath caught in her lungs as she pulled out away from my sister.

"Yes you are, you lied too long for me, Bella. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have let it go on as long as it did. We're going to go to them and explain everything." She reached out for her again, stroking her hair so affectionately. It was nice to see Bella be treated so well, I just never thought that Alice would be the only one to give her it.

This wasn't anything shocking from Alice, she was always over affectionate, I just never thought Bella would be so accepting of contact like it.

Alice sharply turned to me, "We tell them everything." she told me pointedly.

"Okay..?" I asked a little unsure of her words.

"Everything," she looked back to Bella before me again "Even you two."

"What, there isn't anything to tell." I jumped up at the thought. I couldn't tell my father that I had been spending time with Bella, he had warned me to let it go and to keep away from her.

"No...so you hugging her in your sleep is just...nothing..?" Alice shrugged lightly as her eyes went back to Bella.

Bella looked deflated at her words, that I would think of her as just nothing. She wasn't just nothing to me but I couldn't be so honest about my feelings, especially when they were so confusing for myself.

"Alice, don't." I warned.

"Don't what?" she pushed looking for a reaction. "I come in here and find her in your bed, that isn't nothing, Edward."

"I never said it was nothing, I said it wasn't anything, it isn't anything that they need to know."

"Edward you need to be honest, just like I'm going to be. Bella isn't suffering any more because we're keeping secrets."

"She just stayed over..." I sighed, not knowing what to say.

"Yes and it isn't the first time either." Alice reminded me.

Bella rubbed her face before making an excuse and heading to the bathroom swiftly. She was uncomfortable but I didn't know what at.

"Edward, what is she doing here? I expected you to help her, but I never imagined it would be like this...so quickly."

"Like what?" I almost shouted at her, was she accusing me of something.

"She was sleeping in your bed. Please tell me you haven't..?" she nodded he head a little to the bed, asking if I had been intimate with Bella.

"God, no. Alice, she has nightmares, she was sleeping, that's all it was." I promised. It was all it was, wasn't it?

"I know she has them. And I know you can help her, I just didn't imagine you to buckle with her so quick." she smiled at me a little smugly. "She is something, isn't she though?"

Did Alice feel it too, the strange pull that she seemed to have on me. I was getting involved and thinking about this girl way too much. I knew it and now Alice did too. I couldn't help it though. I only knew I had to keep it as professional as possible to help her.

"She's..." I shook my answer out of my head, focusing on what I needed too. "I'm only trying to help her, that's it." I told her sharply.

"You need to be more than the doctor to her, Edward. You need to be a friend too, she doesn't have anyone and I'm in Seattle now. You need to make your friendship public if you're to make her better, make her feel accepted." she she softened on her last few words and I knew she was right, no one in this small town had anything but nasty gossip to say about her. I needed to show I wasn't ashamed to be around her. I wasn't, not really at least.

She sighed a little as she moved over to the corner of my bed and sat down, Jasper still stood in the door way. "I'm not saying tell them that she was in your bed, just that you want to help her, be her friend." she nodded, encouraging me.

I pulled at my hair, I didn't know what to do. I knew what Alice was saying was right, but after being warned by my father, I felt like I had deliberately gone against him, and I suppose I had. But they didn't know the truth.

That would surely change things.

I stood leaning up against the kitchen counter as I watched Alice and Bella talk and play away with one another on the couch. She was so animated when she was with Alice, it was as if she was brought to life all over again.

She pulled at the ends of Alice's hair again, amazed at the small length it had grew from the last time she had saw her, which must have been graduation.

"So, Jude, tell me about the blonde." Bella asked as she gave a not to subtle nod in the direction of Jasper, who was standing right in front of me talking away.

I had noticed Bella refer to Alice as Jude a few time since she had arrived and I remembered back to Alice telling me that she was Jude and that I was to figure out who I was.

I didn't know who I was, but to Bella, I was obviously going to be someone else as well, not just plain old Edward.

Who was I? Was I even anyone else at all?

I tried to forget about the cryptic words that Alice had gave me and concentrate on Jasper.

He was a decent guy, Alice was right.

He was from Texas and had a southern drawl just like Alice had told me. He thought about joining the Army, serving his country and all that but he said he had a feeling he should at least try college first. So he did, and he met Alice.

He knew everything about my sister and the looks he would give to her, even if she wasn't looking, and I could tell the boy was whipped. My sister had him twisted around her little pinky and the boy couldn't be happier for it.

"So you figured it out yet? Who he is?" Alice asked Bella, giving a quick glance in my direction. I tried to pretend I wasn't listening to there conversation but I liked this Bella, she always seemed a little guarded around me but here she was, and she was glorious.

She shook her head answering no.

"Least give it a guess." Alice pushed with an elbow and a mischievous smile.

"Hmmm..." her eyes flickered up to me and I looked away, pretending to be deep in conversation with Jasper, I was, I was jut multi-tasking. "Saint...Saint Valentine..?"

Alice burst into laughter as my eyes flickered up to my sister again and saw a beetroot read Bella.

"Oh, come on, this isn't some commercialised crap, Bella. You want you're saints, they have to be real." Alice tried to hold in her giggle again, obviously trying to relax Bella a little more once again.

"Isn't he real?" Bella asked a little confused.

"Noooo." She chaste. "Saint Valentine is a bunch of martyred saints. Nothing romantic about it. Don't believe the commercial bullshit Bella." She smirked a little though "Interesting to know that you have the hots for my brother, though." she laughed a little and Bella turned red again.

I practically choked on my coffee at Alice's flippant words but I didn't want to seem like I was eavesdropping so I ignored them.

Did Bella like me more than that? I know what we had argued about, but did she not just do that trying to thank me? I hated the idea of her thanking me like that, it wasn't wrong, not if you loved them or something, but to do that as a thank you.

It was only as a thank you? I guessed it was, but what Alice had said had me confused.

It couldn't be like that between Bella and I, I was too old for her for a start. She still needed a little more life experience. She was so innocent to the rest of the world.

"No I don't." Bella tried to protest. " I just know what you are like and thought that would be who you would pick." she shrugged with a little defeated sigh.

"Well, no. And I don't pick. This is written in the stars, Bella babes." she winked at her. "Guess again. A real Saint this time." she mockingly sighed.

Bella sat there, confusion on her face, her brow creasing a little too.

"Something..?" Alice pushed.

Bella shook her head, still clearly deep in thought. "Are you sure?" she asked.

Alice nodded as she practically boubnced in the seat next to her. "Of course I am. He's one of them."

"I can't think." she eventually gave up. "Tell me."

"It's the best one." she told her quizzically.

This didn't appear to help Bella either, she shook her head before telling her she gave up.

"Fine, you're no fun at this game anyway." she joked. Alice's smile got wider as she pulled into Bella's side a little more.

"He's...He's Hermes." Alice told her as if she had won the lottery or something.

Bella's face dropped, shaking her head before shouting. "No, he's not."

"Yes, he is." Alice corrected her flatly.

"No, don't lie. He can't be. You don't know what you're talking about." Bella stood up, scowling at my sister as she shouted with rage.

"Yes he is Bella, you just have to accept it." she argued back just as firmly.

"No, I wont. Because it's not true. It's all just a bunch of crap." She spat.

Alice stood up, looking Bella square in the eye. "It's your bunch of crap, Bella. It's you and your god damn sign. If you don't believe it, don't. Just don't tell me I'm a liar because I'm right, this time I'm right." She bit at her.

"Alice." I snapped at my sister from across the room and as I did, Bella fled the room, bursting into tears.

"What the hell did you say to her?" I demanded.

"The truth, she just has issues with the truth is all." she sighed as she crossed her arms.

"You just upset her, why did you do that?" I asked again, totally confused at what had just happened.

"Because she needed to hear it. She has been living in her own little world of self-exile for too long, she needs a foot up her ass." Alice shouting the last part of the sentence out the door, in the direction of Bella.

I cupped Alice's mouth, trying to shut her up. "Apologize, now." I ordered.

She shook her head as she pulled away from my hand. "No, she needs to learn. Everyone needs to admit the truth." She shouted towards the door again.

"Alice, will you quit it." Jasper was by her side instantly, pulling her into him as I shouted at her again.

"Edward, you don't know anything, no one does. She needs to face reality and you need to help her. Please do it for me. Help her with everything." she practically begged me.

I wasn't sure what I was getting into, but I knew I was already there. I had been since I had looked at her notes in the hospital.

"Edward..." she begged.

I nodded. "Only if you apologize to her."

She nodded silently as she gave a look to Jasper as he let go of her, Alice then leaving through the door Bella had walked through moments before.

Pulling up outside my family's house, I tried to gear myself up for it all, for Alice to tell them what really happened that night and for me to tell them that I was friends with Bella.

It sounded ridiculous having to explain myself at twenty-three, but here I was, and I couldn't help but worry about it. Not just the reaction of my family, but the reaction of the town eventually as well.

I was a new doctor and I was spending time with possibly the biggest walking disaster in Forks.

I hated to think about Bella like that, I did, but it was the truth of the matter.

I looked to my right, Bella sat next to me, fidgeting with her hands, trying to keep her breathing calm. I knew my family had been fond of her, despite all what they had heard and I knew it wasn't a decision that they took on lightly to separate her from Alice.

The truth coming out was only a positive for one out of the three of us, and that was Bella. She deserved it.

"Come on, you will be fine." I hoped. I knew that Rosalie would be in there, Alice called Emmett, demanding that the two of them be there. Alice was fully aware of the cold words Rosalie had used in Bella's name so I presumed that she wanted Rose to hear it for herself and had asked them instead of it being second hand news from my parents.

"You think so?" She asked and I didn't really know. I could only hope that it wasn't traumatic for her that she slipped into another binge of alcohol. It was her coping mechanism and I knew there was a high chance of her using it to forget about today, once we were finished.

I would keep her by my side if I could, try to protect her from herself but I had no right to do that, I knew that but it didn't stop me from wanting to try it.

I placed my hand on her knee, squeezing it gently, reassuring her. She would be fine, she had nothing but some good coming out of this for her. We already knew what she did was wrong, getting her hands on drugs like that but this was about the reason for doing it, her loyal protection over my sister that had helped Alice keep the truth a secret about the bullies and the trauma they inflicted on her.

Her eyes darted down to my contact but I didn't shift my hand, she seemed accepting of my touch going by the tiny hesitant smile on her face.

"Things are going to start getting better for you, Bella, I promise, even if it's the last thing I do."

She let out a tiny nervous laugh and wriggled in her seat. "So serious, Edward." I knew the sincerity of my words had made her feel uncomfortable but that's because she didn't have faith in me, not yet at least.

"I am, Bella." I removed my hand and palmed my forehead, screwing my eyes tight shut. "This is serious, what you do to yourself, it is serious. I can't take you doing this to yourself."

"Always the doctor, eh?" she replied flatly, still avoiding the true nature of my words.

I shrugged. "Maybe." I didn't know if it was the doctor in me or just this pain in my gut that drew me to her. It felt like she was dragging me to her and I couldn't fight it.

Alice's little car pulled up behind me, even though Emmett knew Alice was here, my mother and father didn't. This was going to be a bit of a shock, Alice walking in with Bella when she should be in Seattle.

I opened the door, swiftly making my way to Bella's side and helping her out, taking her hand before she nervously pulled it away as she stood up.

Alice was by our side instantly with Jasper, Alice taking Bella's hand, reassuring her in a way that I would never be able to manage or understand.

"Come on, lets get this over with. I though about diner, the four of us tonight at the café?" Alice was always a sly one with aversion tactics and Bella's mind relaxed for a moment as Alice pulled her up to the front door.

Opening the door she walked in with out hesitation as she pulled Bella along side her. "Mum...Dad..?" she called out as my mother instantly appeared at the top of the stairs, her face only faltering slightly as she looked at Bella.

My mothers eyes darted to Jasper before back at Alice and then finally landing on me.

I swallowed hard at the unusual look on her face.

"We have something to tell you." Alice's smile didn't falter at all, she was so damn sure of herself it was scary.

My mother only gave a little confused nod as she made her way down to meet us.

"What the hell is she doing here?" Rosalie's voice screeched from along the hall, from the entrance to the kitchen.

I didn't even notice I was doing it until I felt her soft skin. I took hold of Bella's hand, silently reassuring her that this was all going to be okay.

"We have something to tell you." Alice replied to her as chiper as ever, as if she hadn't even take on the tone of Rosalie's words.

"She shouldn't be here." Rosalie reminded us as she walked towards us, Emmett following her out of the kitchen and looking completely gob smacked at Bella standing there with us and I could see him look over at out clasped hands.

Alice still held on to her other hand so I knew there was no way of Bella doing a runner.

"Well, I invited her, and this is my house." Alice spat, her anger at Rosalie's negativity getting to her.

"You shouldn't even have contact with her, never mind asking her here." Rosalie crossed her arms, defensively. My dad wandered into the background, obviously wondering what all the noise was.

"I asked her here. She told me something that you all need to hear. She is my guest and if you turn her away, you turn me away."

Rosalie's mouth dropped at the assertiveness of my words and the fact I was standing up for Bella.

"I knew it, you are screwing her." Rosalie jumped to the conclusion.

"Rose." both Emmett and my mum scolded her in unison, Rosalie's head whipping in both direction, assessing there own look at the situation.

"Will you keep you mouth closed for just a second." Emmett tried to pull her into line, disgruntling her in the process.

"Edward..." My mum pushed a little, looking for some answers.

I sighed "I'm not screwing her." I spat at Rosalie, disgusted at the word she had used. "I'm wanting to help her. Our paths crossed a couple of times and...well I found a few things out." I shrugged a little looking back down at Bella, her eyes shining with intensity and unshed tears, worried that I would use personal information against her.

"She told me about that night, about what had been really going on. She deserves a fair hearing. Please."

My mother smiled a little and so did Emmett, My dad looked anxious and Rosalie, well she was still just pissed off by the whole thing.

Making our way to the dining room, as directed by Alice, we settled in the seats, Bella sitting between myself and Alice.

Rosalie just seemed to glare at Bella as she sat across from her.

I only glared back at Rosalie, not that she noticed, her attention was fully on Bella.

I started to speak as everyone's eyes seemed to land on me or Bella. "I thought...Alice thought it was time to let a few things from the past, rest." I shrugged not really sure of what to say exactly.

Alice jumped in though. "I told Bella she was to tell Edward the truth about that night. They had a run in and he had a go at her, she let some things slip and had mailed me to warn me. That's the only contact we have had, except a email I sent her on her...her...birthday." She shrugged herself as her eyes floated across between me and Bella. Bella shivered at the mention of her birthday and I really struggled to understand why. I knew she had issues with it, calling it something else...opening day, was it? All I knew was I would have to asked her about it, and she wasn't getting away from it.

"Bella didn't cut my hair." she told them sharply, my mother and father faces looking confused with the revelation.

She sighed a little "It was that bitch Lauren and the rest of her crowd. Bella wasn't there that day at school so they came after me." Alice's eyes dropped to the top of the table and I wanted to offer her some support, to help her but my hand was still firmly clasped in Bella's and I wasn't letting go. Alice had Jasper for support, Bella needed someone too.

"I rushed to Bella's and told her all about it, she knew I didn't want to tell you so she let me use her as an excuse, and you believed it."

Bella's head bowed in shame knowing that they didn't question it, that people thought she was capable of that, her reputation for drinking and daft stunts had made them believe it.

I squeezed her hand letting her know it was okay.

"That still doesn't explain the tequila or the cocaine." Emmett reminded us, he wasn't being mean, he was only being logical.

I spoke up because it was hard for Alice and I remembered the struggle Bella had when she told me, she would never manage having to face all them. I sat there and told them all the words that Bella had told me.

They looked sceptical and they were still mad for the whole fact that Bella had given her the stuff in the first place but I pointed out that it was Alice's choice to take it in the first place.

Alice wasn't stupid, she didn't do anything if she didn't want too, hence the lack of popularity at school. She had taken it of her own accord. It perhaps wasn't the best time for her to make a decision like that, to take it when she was feeling so low and self conscious but she had and it was in the past.

Rosalie sighed a little impatiently "Bella, lets face it you are a mess. You have no friends and you stuck to Alice like glue-"

"Don't you speak to her like that." Alice interrupted her instantly. "You don't know shit, Rose, all you do is listen to petty gossip. Have you ever even listened to anything she has said, when she used to hang out here. You ignored her."

Rosalie was a little stunned at the words coming from Alice, but she sat there, taking in her words.

"Rosie, Alice is right. You never gave her a chance, don't come here judging her." Emmett spoke to Rosalie before averting his eyes and words to Bella. "Bella, I know what you did was wrong, I know you know what you did was wrong." Bella only nodded as a small tear made its way down her face before she rubbed at it with her free hand.

Emmett wasn't telling her off, she had already had that last year. "As far as I'm concerned you're both to blame, it was stupid and you really should have told me about that Lauren. She shouldn't have gotten away with it but I could see why Bella let you use her as the escape goat." He sighed a little and ruffled his hair a bit. "But, Bella, we like you, we do, but you need to get your head sorted. We don't know anything about you, nothing more than the gossip that the town made up and I'm guessing that's no where near the truth. You're a sweet girl and the way you two would play about..." Emmett smiled, clearly reminiscing about a situation probably not to different from the one they were in this morning. "You were someone else, your not the Bella that the rest of this place thinks you are. Don't do your self an injustice letting them think that."

With his warm words Bella welled up more and my mum passed her a bundle of tissues. "Emmett is right, you were both to blame. I think it's time to let go of it. Alice has moved on since then and I think its time you do the same Bella." my mum told her.

I pulled her into my side, giving her a little strength and show her that she had got through it. I only hoped she was able to process it all okay, not to worry and panic about it, to let it pull her down.

"Edward..." My dad began and I knew what was coming. That he was going to tell me off, that I should have stayed back, that I shouldn't have let her get close. "If this is a friendship thing...or whatever..." he shrugged. "You can't treat her if she comes into the hospital, you can't look through her notes. She is an acquaintance, not a patient. Do you understand?"

I was a little shocked at not being told off, I was expecting something but instead all I got was him telling me I couldn't treat her if she came in to the hospital. I could handle that, because I knew that if she made another trip to the hospital, it would be something ridiculous like taping up staved fingers.

I was going to help her, fix her and she would never need the hospital like she had in the past, again.

a/n: Ohh I think it could be Edward that is a little nieve and not Bella.

Please let me know what you think.

And yes – Saint Hermes is a real saint – you can google it if you want, it will give you a little insight to the story

it's up to you if you want to check it out – but just don't come a runnin if you think you have ruined the surprise!! lol It doesn't give any clues to what happened to Bella though so that's safe if you haven't guessed yet.