I do not own Twilight or any of its' characters

BPOV

Chapter 49

Rock

I couldn't remember how I had gotten there, but I somehow found myself in our bed, tucked in, with fresh clothes on. I wondered how many vampires had seen me in my underwear at this point. My head hurt, I was so woozy and thirsty, I felt like some kind of waif, I wondered if I needed to go to the hospital. I looked down at my wrist and saw that there was no mark left behind from the broken glass. I wondered if it had all been a dream and sat up to turn on the light. As I sat up I suddenly felt a cool hand on my shoulder push me back down against the mattress lightly.

"No you don't." A smooth, familiar voice purred against my ear.

"Am I dreaming?" I whispered.

"I wish you were." The voice whispered back.

I slowly turned onto my other side to face him, afraid that he would disappear if I moved too quickly. My hand trembled as I reached into the darkness groping around to find his face. He held his hand out and took mine and guided it to his cheek for me and laid it softly against his cold skin.

"Oh Edward, I'm so sorry," I said sadly.

"It's alright love, it's probably better for both of us if I'm this way." He said calmly, but I could detect the disappointment in his tone.

"I want to see you." I demanded.

"I…wouldn't recommend it." He said uneasily.

"What happened?" I whispered, "What happened to Gordon Scott and the others?"

"We took care of them." He answered softly, kissing my wrist gently.

"How did you change so fast? I thought it took days." I blurted out.

I felt him shift his position slightly and drop my hand from his face. "I'm not sure, I think it was the" he swallowed hard, "…the blood. I think it accelerated the process."

"Glad I could help." I said proudly.

"Bella," he said in a very serious voice, "that was by far the dumbest thing you have ever done. What were you thinking?" He sounded angry, "you could have been killed."

"You were dying." I said quietly.

"You could have died, I could have killed you."

"You wouldn't have."

"Your faith in me never ceases to amaze." He murmured, running a finger along my forearm.

I couldn't stand it anymore, I needed him in my arms, I needed to feel him against me, warm or cold, heartbeat or no heartbeat, I didn't care, I needed to be as close to him as possible. I squirmed up against him and wrapped my arms around his neck and hitched a leg over his hip. He was freezing and hard, a rock I could break myself against, but I didn't care, he was my Edward and he was here with me again. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close to him, his scent was the same as it always had been, sweet and intoxicating and more pronounced than I had expected. I rubbed my face against his clean shirt and felt his nose in my hair, I wondered if he was having the same sensory overload as I was having.

His next gesture assured me that he was as he slowly pushed him away from him.

"No, Edward, no!" I protested loudly, "not this again, it can't go back to being like this."

"It has to for right now." He whispered tensely, "I'm sorry Bella, I just need some space for a little while. Just for a little while, just until, your…blood is out of my system." He assured me rapidly, touching my shoulders frantically.

I understood what he needed, just like I always had in the past, but that didn't make it any easier, I had just witnessed the torture and death of Edward Cullen, and now that he was okay, I couldn't be with him. It was the same story it had always been. I longed for his human alter ego to be back.

"Okay." I sighed, "I understand. You're right, just being near me is probably too much for you right now. Am I right?" I asked turning my back to him, trying not to burst into tears.

"I'm sorry love," he murmured behind me.

"Its fine, maybe I should leave you alone for awhile." I said sadly, getting up and preparing to leave. I took three steps toward the door and started to fall to the ground, dizzy. Edward was beside me and catching me faster than I could bat an eye. He lifted me up and carried me back to the bed and placed me down, bringing the blankets over me.

He knelt on the floor beside the bed and ran his cool fingers across my forehead, smoothing my hair out of the way.

"Let me see you." I pleaded.

He sighed and got up and reached for the bedside lamp and clicked it on and settled back on the floor beside the bed. I sat up in bed slowly so as not to upset my balance or Edward, I studied him closely. Gone were the laugh lines and occasional stubble I had gotten used to over the past six months, gone were his soft brilliant green eyes that lit up every time he saw me. His skin was perfect and smooth and ageless and his eyes were a harsh, frightening, maroon color behind his thick black lashes.

"They'll change back in a few days I promise." He said as he noticed me looking at his eyes. Then for the first time in his new form, he flashed me his absurdly charming crooked smile, and I saw Edward again.

"You look like some kind of freak." I teased, smiling at him.

"You're the freak, he said grinning widely, "You've got 57 varieties of blood swirling around in you now."

"What are you talking about?" I asked confused.

He reached toward me and pulled out my maimed wrist and flipped it up so I could see. I was right, there was no wound left from where the glass had cut me, there wasn't even a scar. "It works topically, but apparently systemically, it's lost its' potency and is just like regular blood now. This is too bad because if anyone could use blood that has healing properties, it'd be you Isabella Swan." He said with a smirk.

"This is your blood?" I asked.

"You needed a transfusion, immediately, and we couldn't very well take you to a hospital and tell them you survived a vampire attack could we? Besides, now you'll have to marry me." He said nonchalantly.

"You'd think so wouldn't you?"

"I know so." He said confidently.

"What if I say no?" I chided.

"Well, then I suppose I'll have to take my blood back." He said raising an eyebrow at me.

I smirked at him and he leaned forward as I sat patiently, unmoving against the pillows. "I thought you needed space." I breathed, holding my breath in anticipation.

He shut his red eyes and gently placed his lips against mine taking my bottom lip in his mouth, kissing me softly. His eyes flickered open and he watched me watching him. I felt my pulse quicken and my cheeks flush as placed his mouth over me and kissed me deeply, letting his tongue slip into my mouth. I reached my hands toward him and found his waist, pulling him up off the floor. I felt him touch the sides of my face and he climbed into the bed, straddling me. I curled my hands around his waist more tightly and let them slide lazily under his shirt, touching his granite skin. He pulled his face away from mine and stared at me like he was seeing me for the first time all over again.

"Thank you for saving my life Bella." He said in a warm voice that reminded me of dripping honey. "Now in more ways than one," he added with a smile.

"I knew I'd return the favor to you someday." I said running my fingers up and down his spine.

"You did that long before any of this happened love. Believe me."