Disclaimer: I own zilch.

"Thank you, Edward." She said softly her small smile still lighting her features.

"It was my pleasure." I responded "So, how about that dinner?"

EPOV

I flipped on the radio on the way back to the hospital and the music filled the car. I didn't really pay attention to the lyrics as my mind wondered to strategies on how to hunt down that scum that called himself a man.

By the time I was back with Bella's dinner, I had come up with several ways to deal with that pervert if I ever saw him. I needed to find out who did this so at the least they'd get thrown into jail for the rest of their miserable life. I walked to the elevator and waited patiently to arrive on Bella's floor. The elevator doors opened and I started walking down the hall when I thought I heard a muffled scream.

Bella.

I sprinted the rest of the way down the hall to her room and burst in. There, Mike and Tyler were both standing by Bella's bed trying to calm her and Karen was nowhere to be seen. Bella was curled up in a ball on the bed, her head in her hands and her eyes squeezed shut.

I ran forward and pushed both of those idiots back to get to Bella, forget Carlisle's rules. "We don't know what-" Tyler started to explain but was cut off by Bella screaming again, telling them to leave and stop touching her.

"Get out." I growled at them and they nodded vigorously before running out of the room. I went over to Bella and pulled her into my arms and rocked her gently as I sat down on the bed. For a few seconds she tried to push away screaming a little louder, but only for a few seconds then she completely stopped screaming and clutched herself closer to me. Just because she stopped screaming didn't mean she stopped crying though so I just kept rocking her as she ruined my shirt. She fell asleep within two or three minutes and then Carlisle and Karen both barged on to the room, their eyes widening in shock as they took in me sitting on the bed and Bella asleep in my arms as I quietly hummed a tune that I had always sung to her at night when she was upset.

Carlisle regained his composure quickly "What happened? I was talking to Karen about Bella and all of the sudden Mike Newton and Tyler Crowley are telling me something is wrong with Bella and you're here with her." Carlisle didn't raise his voice above a whisper so Bella didn't wake.

"I don't know what happened. I was bringing her her dinner when I heard a scream from down the hall. I ran down here and Mike and Tyler were both touching her as they tried to get her to stop screaming. I pushed them away and told them to leave; I assumed that's when they went to talk with you. I comforted her and she fell asleep, just like she always does."I concluded the story quietly and looked 

down at Bella's sleeping form; I kissed her forehead gently and looked back up at them. They both watched me silently for a moment before Karen spoke up.

"You really care about her, don't you?" She asked kindly.

"Yeah, I do. More than I think I should."I mumbled the last part under my breath and it was true. I cared a lot about her but it had seemed like a different kind of caring than it had been a few months ago.

"Edward?" Bella mumbled and her eyes fluttered open. She stared at me for a few seconds and seemed to recollect what had happened the past half hour or so and started to silently cry. She buried her face in my chest and I began rocking again, Karen took a few steps closer to us.

She reached for Bella as she spoke "Maybe I should take her." She took another step forward so she was right next to us, Bella recoiled into my chest and screamed.

"No, don't touch me!"She yelled in a panicked voice as she clutched my shirt and pulled herself closer to me. I automatically wrapped my arms around her protectively and shushed her softly. Karen took a few steps back like she'd been shocked and Carlisle took a step forward so he was next to her. He whispered something in her ear and they both left the room, leaving me alone with Bella again.

I shifted my position and lay back on the pillows, still cradling Bella in my arms. She stopped crying soon after the door closed and we sat in silence for awhile. "Thank you."Bella murmured after a few minutes and I smiled.

"My pleasure." I whispered in her ear and that same small smile lit her features, I smiled in response. "You know even though it was just over a day I still missed being able to be with you like this. Not being able to comfort you earlier nearly killed me, I envied Karen a great deal then… Well, until a minute ago, that is." I grinned at Bella and her smile grew, but then I turned serious and my smile faded. "Bella, what happened?" It seemed everyone was asking that same question lately. "What did they do to you?"

Bella's face turned somber "Karen went to talk to Carlisle and they came in soon after. They walked right up to me even though I told them to go away, they said something but I was too scared to listen and then they were hugging me and…. I just freaked out, all the memories came flooding back and they tried to calm me by touching me more. And then you came." She smiled up at me. "Just hearing your voice made the flow of memories slow, but when you picked me up they got even worse than before for a few seconds and then they stopped completely. I don't know why it happened but I'm glad it did. Then, when Karen tried to take me, just the thought of leaving you terrified me. I don't want you to leave." Tears welled in her eyes at her admission and she hugged her herself close to me. I looked at my watch and it was already ten o' clock. It was a Friday so it couldn't hurt if I stayed.

Bella looked up at me with hopeful eyes.

BPOV



Edward looked down at me as he deliberated and I could feel the hope in my eyes. He smiled tenderly "Of course, I'll stay." He whispered and I smiled at him as I laid my head on his chest so I could still see his face. Edward pressed a button to turn off the lights in the ceiling but turned on the lamp so the room was still dimly lit. "Good night, Bella." He murmured before humming the lullaby he always sang to me at night. It wasn't long before sleep overtook me.

A/N: Sorry, that took so long and that it's short, guys. I got an idea for another fanfic and I've been writing in that. Tell me in a review if you guys want the summary to that or for me to post the first chapter of it or if you don't want anything to do with it. Now, I want twelve reviews and ten votes in my poll for the next chapter! And it wouldn't hurt to give me some ideas about what you want to happen. Oh, and sorry this chapter wasn't that great, I couldn't seem to think very well when I was writing so please forgive me!