DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE CHARACTERS FROM TWILIGHT. THEY ALL BELONG TO STEPHENIE MEYER.

EPOV

I was so grateful to be out of the clinic, just so I could finally be a teenager. During my time in there I'd realised what I'd missed out on. If you took away the fact that we were all a little - well a lot - messed up and had serious issues with food then all we were were teenagers. I made some great friends in the clinic, and I told them and myself that I would keep in touch with them. Michael had been discharged about a month after Bella left and Diana not too long afterwards. I felt sad to see my friends go, but I knew that they were ready and I was so happy that they would finally be able to move on with their lives, leaving this nightmare behind them, as I wished to do.

I had been improving steadily over the weeks. Jennie had stepped up my muscle building regime slightly, so it was slightly more intense and I could feel it working. This was something that I could and probably would continue with when I was discharged and I couldn't thank Jennie enough for introducing me to it. I felt like I was finally getting on track with my recovery and that I would be out of there soon. Derek and Dr. Martin were both very impressed and proud of my improvements and I hoped to keep it that way.

That is until the beginning of February.

I had been called in to see Dr. Martin. Confused about what she could be calling me to her office about I went straight away. Only to wish that I hadn't. She had told me that I was needed at James' trial. She'd told me that my testimony was needed to bring him to justice and without it there wasn't enough evidence to put him away. I'd pleaded with her to not allow me to do it, but the courts had been adamant that my testimony was needed. I didn't want James to walk free and have the opportunity to do what he did to me to someone else, and not get stopped before it was too late. But I couldn't face him again. I just couldn't.

I knew I had to though. I thought that I was strong enough to face him again, but as the date for his trial got closer and closer I had begun to fall back into my old habits of refusing food and I was losing again. Jennie had stopped my programme and I knew that if I didn't fight back then I would be back to square one. I still spoke to Bella on a daily basis and she constantly assured me that I could do it. I didn't know if I could. I needed her there. She knew that, but she, quite rightly told me that I was strong enough to get through this on my own. I had to be strong enough.

I managed to get through the trial, but not without some harsh reminders of what had happened. As soon as I saw him, with that stupid smirk on his face, I felt myself withdrawing back into myself and I felt the fear that I had felt back then creeping up my spine. Derek had come with me on that day but I knew that the only person I needed was Bella. I needed her to get through this day.

And she was there.

I had turned around before going in to see her standing there smiling at me. She had known that I would need her there on that day of all days and I was so relieved to find her there. Walking into the courtroom I saw her eyes settle on James and I saw a look in her eyes that I never wanted to see there again. Her eyes were murderous. I didn't think that Bella, my Bella, my sweet and innocent, gentle, caring Bella would ever be able to wish that kind of hate and pain on anyone. Obviously she could, and she did.

I'd managed to get through the trial okay and James was sentence to six years in jail for attempted rape but I wasn't so lucky when it came to getting my focus back. It turned out that it would take me until the beginning of June to get discharged. By the time I left everybody that I had gotten close to while in the clinic had left and begun rebuilding their lives. I couldn't wait to do the same with mine.

As I'd walked out of the clinic I couldn't help the huge smile that spread across my face as I saw the most beautiful person standing there. The one person that I wanted to see most of all. Bella. She was standing there, on the steps of the clinic just like she had promised she would be. I nearly ran down the steps to meet her, but didn't because I knew that once I had begun to run down them I wouldn't be able to stop. Stopping in front of her I'd bent down and wrapped my arms around her waist, before crushing my lips to hers only to feel her kissing me back with the same amount of force.

When I'd gotten home I'd been watched quite carefully. If I said that I wasn't expecting it then I'd be lying. I knew that they would be watching me, waiting for me to slip back into my old behaviours but I was determined that that was not going to happen. There was always someone around when I was eating. After being watched for months it didn't really bother me too much anymore. I mean, it did a little, but I could understand where they were coming from now. I could learn to live with it. For now at least. But if it got to how it was just before and after we'd moved to Forks then I would be having serious words with my family. I hadn't gone through all that time in the clinic just to come out and be treated like a child again.

Thankfully, though they gave me my privacy. Something that I was grateful for. I hadn't had any privacy really before I left and at the clinic it was minimal to say the least. I was just thankful to have the chance to have time to myself for the first time in months. That is until Bella came over after school. That was the time of day that I couldn't wait for.

Esme and Carlisle had thought that it wouldn't be a good idea for me to go back to school until the start of Senior year. I have to say I agreed with them. I didn't really want to go back to school for a few weeks and then break for summer. I wanted to be able to go back at the beginning of a new year, with a new leaf, with Bella and my family. Then at least I would be able to handle going back. No doubt there were rumours about mine and Bella's disappearance after the situation with Newton. The fact that he had said that he had found me and had gone to get help made my blood boil. I was thankful that Bella had put that straight on her first day back. That bastard deserved to be put back in his place. And he still had the audacity to try and go after Bella again. The nerve of that guy. I was just thankful that Bella had Emmett and Jasper there for her, although from what Alice and the others had told me, she wasn't really in need of any protection from those two anymore. It made me smile but all the same, I was glad those guys were there.

At this point in time I was lying with Bella in my arms. Something that I had missed when she had left the clinic and something that I told myself I would never let go of again. She was too precious to me, something I would never leave again, for whatever reason.

I looked at the phone that Esme and Carlisle had gotten me as a welcome home present. It was the new T-Mobile G1, the new google phone and I had to admit it was pretty cool. I looked at the date and realised that it was my birthday. I set it back down and laid my head back on my pillows, my arm encircling Bella's waist a little tighter. She had fallen asleep there last night and I hadn't had the heart to move her. I was eighteen today. Somehow it didn't really sink in. I guess I didn't really want it to.

I felt Bella stirring next to me. She lifted her head up and looked at me, smiling sleepily. "Happy Birthday, love." She whispered lifting herself up and pressing her lips softly to mine. She tried to move away from me, but I held her closer to my side and she giggled, looking up at me. "Don't worry, I'm not leaving you. I just want to give you your birthday present."

"You didn't need to get me anything." I whined. I really didn't like presents. And she knew that. I knew that my family would go all out for my birthday. They always did when it was someone's birthday, and with it being my eighteenth, hell, I didn't know what to expect. And when it came to Alice I always expected the worst.

"I know," She smiled at me again. "But I wanted to. It's your eighteenth. Now come on, let me go. I want to give it to you before your family comes bounding in here, because you know that they will." I relented and she slid off the bed and picked up her bag. Opening it, she pulled out a long black box with a small silver bow on the top. She turned around and gave it to me, grinning and blushing slightly. "Here you go."

I took the box from her and removed the bow. Opening the box I saw that she had gotten me the latest Gucci watch. It was completely black made of PVD with the hands and dial shining a bright white against the black background. It also had "gucci" written on the face just below where the nine on the face would be. I knew for a fact that it was quartz movement, waterproof and incredibly expensive. I gaped at it and looked at Bella who had a smile spread across her face.

"I guess you like it then?" She said in a small voice.

"Bella, I love it. Thank you so much." I leaned forward and placed a kiss on her lips. I felt her smile against my lips and I pulled away grinning.

"Look that the back." She giggled as my brow furrowed. I took the watch out of the box carefully and turned it over. I couldn't help but smile at what was there. She had had it personally enscribed.

For my beloved.
I love you
ExB

I grinned and kissed her again, my arms encircling her waist. I trailed kisses all down her jawline and up her cheek, across her forehead, down the other cheek and down the opposite jaw to which I'd started on, stopping at her earlobe which I took between my lips and sucked on gently. She let out a gasp and I smiled, taking her it between my teeth, gently nibbling at her earlobe. I felt her breathing increase slightly and I let her lobe go and kissed her jaw again. I pulled away smiling and she scowled at me playfully.

"That was mean," She pouted at me and I kissed her softly, taking her face in between my hands.

"Hey," I whispered, planning on using this day to my advantage. "It's my birthday. I can do whatever I want." She scowled at me and then gave me a look of defeat. I grinned at her again and she smiled at me. She took the watch from my hand and gently placed it around my left wrist, the opposite wrist to the one that held the Cullen Crest. It fit perfectly. She leant forward and kissed me again, drawing this one out tenderly.

"I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU TWO ARE DOING IN THERE, BUT I WANT TO SEE MY LITTLE BROTHER ON HIS BIRTHDAY!!!!" I jumped when I heard Emmett screaming through the door, moments before the door flew open and my siblings bounded into the room, each of them dive-bombing on the bed. I couldn't help but grin when Bella shot me a look that said "I told you so". I nodded at her to show that she had been right.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY EDDIE!" Alice squealed jumping up and down on my bed like a five-year old on christmas morning. Actually a five year old on crack would be a better way to put it, but for Alice's sake, we'll go with the christmas analogy.

"Thank you Alice." I choked out as she hugged me. It made me uncomfortable, but I allowed her this one, seeing as she was over-excited and I hoped she would calm down as the day wore on. I say, I hoped, but I had little reassurance that she in fact would. "Now, if you could stop bouncing up and down that would be great." She stopped bouncing and scowled at me playfully and I laughed at her.

"Come on lil bro," Emmett said. Now he was the one bouncing up and down on the bed. Up until that moment I didn't think that it was possible to become seasick without the actual sea but, nope, Emmett managed it somehow. "Presents!"

"No!" Alice cried defeaningly. I pouted at her.

"Why not?" I asked indignantly, still pouting and she laughed at me.

"Because, brother!" She chirped, looking smug for some reason. "I know for a fact that Carlisle and Esme still need to put the finishing touches on your present and it wouldn't be fair to open presents from everyone else before theirs was ready, would it?" I narrowed my eyes at her, knowing that there was more to her explanation. Even though I knew that there was something else going on there was no way that I was going to be able to get it out of the pesky little pixie, known as my sister, that was sat in front of me, her little eyes glinting at me evilly. On second thoughts I didn't want to know what she was planning or what was going on in her mind. I think that it would be too much for me to handle at this time in the morning. Maybe I would attempt to get it out of her later on in the day "Besides, I've already hidden them all so you can't find them!" At that she jumped off of my bed and out of my reach as my jaw dropped.

"Alice!" I cried. "Why?! Why would you do that?!"

"So you couldn't sneakily open them." She grinned at me evilly again. I was convinced that someday that pixie was going to rule the world.

"Fine!" I gave up and she grinned. "When do I get to open them?" I asked her and her evil grin turned into a knowing smile.

"When you get back."

"When I get back?" I was confused. I was going somewhere? Where the hell was I going today?

"Yes," Bella said, scooting over to me and wrapping her arm around my waist. "We, as in you and me," she pointed to me and then herself, "are spending the day in Port Angeles. I have some things planned for us today."

"Oh really?" I raised my eyebrows at her.

"Ah-ah," She waved her finger at me. "It's a surprise." She tapped me on the nose with her index finger.

"What is it with people and keeping things from me today?" I asked indignantly, feeling as though they were all in on something that I was missing. Something that I had the sneaking suspicion that I wouldn't like.

"Well....." Bella shrugged, acting as if she didn't know what I was talking about.

I guessed that there was no other way of finding out, other than to wait.

*comes out of hiding long enough to post chapter* there's chapter three. *runs back to hiding place and pokes head out quickly*
Please review!!!! *hides again*