Disclaimers to Stephenie Meyer and Tomoko Hayakawa.

ICT again. –Sings- 3 more chapters until something happens. Review please :P

"I wonder where those two are." Jasper said aloud. Carlisle lay on the sofa, not daring to cook himself, and moaning in hunger.

"I brought my stove as well," Alice complained, pacing in the living room.

"I think we should look for them," Emmett suggested. Carlisle, Alice and Jasper agreed and then clambered around to get something warm to wear.

As they opened the door, they saw two figures sprawled on the driveway.

Jasper ran towards them.

"Bella?" Jasper asked, seeing Bella, and then realising the person next to her was Edward.

"Edward decided to walk home," Bella muttered, her feet unable to walk anymore.

"You walked home with me, you could have easily taken the bus," Edward mumbled, pushing the blame back on Bella. Bella had no strength to retaliate. Emmett and Carlisle helped Edward into the house. Jasper and Alice helped Bella.

Edward finally stirred, his eyes opening. Bella lay on the sofa next to him, her eyes closed.

Edward was immediately handed a hot cup of chocolate. The heat burned his hand, but he drank it quickly. Bella's eyes finally popped open.

"Thank God," Jasper said, handing her a cup of steaming chocolate.

"You both actually had us scared there," Carlisle said. Edward and Bella felt a large blanket over them.

"A letter came for you," Emmett told Bella, handing her the envelope that had arrived, mysteriously after they had gotten Edward and Bella inside the house. Bella had never received mail like this before. It was handwritten. Making sure that she wasn't going to be disturbed whilst she read it she opened it carefully. She unfolded it. It was a short letter.

Dear Bella,

I hear that you've used your card and withdrawn some money.

I am so proud of you. I never thought that you'd use it, even once. Don't forget, that it is your card to use and no one else's. I don't care how much you spend, just as long as you spend it wisely.

Love from,

Auntie.

Bella smiled and folded it up.

"We'll cook tonight," Carlisle said smiling.

"We don't want to trouble you, seeing as you've only just revived," Emmett said smiling.

"Did I give you the wrong impression?" Bella asked lowly, "I just to happen to love cooking!"

Bella bounded into the kitchen and Alice went to help her. There were several bangs and chaos before Alice left the kitchen with a weak smile.

"I don't know a thing about cooking," Alice said, blushing.

--

A delicious aroma lured, Emmett, Alice, Jasper, Carlisle and Edward into the dining room. In front of them was the hot pot, and there were several vegetables, meat and seafood around it. Bella was just finished cooking several items of food.

There were also condiments.

"Don't touch anything," Bella warned, "apart from those two plates." She pointed towards the two plates with the cooked food. There were chopsticks and the specially crafted chopsticks for Emmett and Alice.

Edward ignored her and grabbed chopsticks in the pot to put something raw in.

"No!" Bella exclaimed, snatching the chopsticks back. "I asked you not to touch. You can't you those chopsticks to put something raw in."

"Why?" Edward frowned.

"Food poisoning. If you want to have Salmonella or whatever bacteria in your food, then it's up to you. But, I doubt Alice, Jasper, Carlisle and Emmett would be happy if you food poisoned them."

Edward recoiled. Bella had a point and then he happily let Bella do all the cooking.

"Don't put any carrots in!" Edward said, unhappy that he wasn't allowed to put anything in.

"Everyone else likes carrots," Bella said heavily. Edward glared at Bella.

"I'll put some meat in for you then," Bella told him, unable to look up. Edward smiled happily.

At long last, everyone was fed.

"That hotpot thing is different," Jasper mused. Jasper smiled and relaxed in his seat. Alice and Bella were cleaning. Edward smiled.

"It was something I'd never forget," Edward said. Carlisle looked up.

"It was something perfect for the cold weather," Carlisle said. Alice and Bella came into the dining room carrying fruit.

"After meals, you should really have fruit," she said, more to Edward than the rest. Edward hadn't really eaten any vegetables. He preferred eating the meat and seafood. He scowled every time he was told to eat his vegetables. It brought back memories for Bella, she had always hated her vegetables as a child but as she grew up it didn't bother her much. Edward must have missed out on being told off for not eating his vegetables. Carlisle was compassionate towards Edward. Carlisle had come into the mansion, his family keeping in contact, sending money to him. Edward had no one. All Edward had was his fans. Even Jasper sometimes had their parents, and as for Bella, her auntie doted on her. He didn't know much about Bella's parents – she had never mentioned them.

"I better get going," Alice said, putting on her coat. Jasper stood up too.

"I'll drive you home," he said quickly. He blushed and he also, put on a coat. They left the room. Emmett retired to his room and Edward went to have a shower. Carlisle and Bella were left in the living room. There was an awkward silence. Carlisle took the last slice of orange and ate it. Between bites, Carlisle considered asking Bella about her parents.

"Bella, what are your parents like?" Carlisle had asked thoughtlessly. He took a large bite of orange to shut himself up.

"They're nice." Bella answered quietly, "They live in Phoenix."

"Oh?"

"Yes. They're called, Charlie and Renee."

"Oh."

"What about your family?" Bella asked in return.

"My parents are called Andrew and Holly and I have 3 brothers," Carlisle smiled, "Do you have any siblings?"

"No. I'm an only child."

"So it wasn't hard to..." Carlisle began

"Hard to?"

"Seclude yourself."

"Seclude?"

"Bella, it wouldn't be hard to open up once in a while would it?" Carlisle said. Bella didn't reply. It was something she avoided answering, for the past four years. It was an action that she had stopped doing since that day. She hadn't realised that she had kept herself to herself that badly. By the time she had taken the plate into the kitchen, thrown away the peels, cleaned the plate and walked back into the living room, Carlisle was gone.

Bella sat, and took out the letter from her pocket.

And for the first time in a long time, a tear dropped onto the letter, smudging the ink.