A/N: I'm reminding you that I'm a simple liberal arts major, and I know little about the process of becoming a doctor. If I have any doc's reading this, PLEASE, enlighten me so this whole shitfest of a process can make sense. Getting into a little Edward/Bella lovin', here.

Major stuff brewing, especially once Bellybean walks across that stage. Woo boy. just you wait... Y'all will all be thrown; nobody'll see that one coming.

Not mine!

Bella's POV

I was quietly contemplative on the way home. I felt a shift in our friendship occur sometime today. Edward had always been unfailingly polite to me, despite the fact that our social spheres were two entities that rarely overlapped. The only common denomination was my brother.

Sweet Emmett; I didn't spend as much time with him as I'd like. I knew I'd be up all night writing this damned atrocity. I didn't even know what to call it anymore. I'd entitled it "A Nightmare Personified", and it would be sitting patiently in "My Documents" folder, awaiting my arrival. God willing, I would have to have it finished completely, by Friday, in order to submit it to my mentor before I handed it in.

I craned my neck to see Edward calmly shifting gears, his hair blowing in the evening air. I had another half hour to spend with him before it was back to reality, which is a nagging fever, little food, and no sleep. Granted, I was only supposed to be away for lunch, and it had managed to be an all day affair. Time, with Edward, flew by quickly and easily; I never noticed its passing. I began to doubt that he truly intended to spend his day carting me around the city, reliving parts of my life I thought long buried.

To see my memories all destroyed by Hurricane Katrina helped put everything in a little more perspective; those buildings looked how I felt. I felt broken, torn down, skeletal, and abandoned. It's not my mother's fault that she passed, just as it's not Emmett's fault that I'm burnt out with school. It's nobody's fault but my own. I didn't HAVE to double up my course load; every counselor in the school had been against it, but I told them to give me just one shot, and if my grades were less than perfect, I'd drop down to a more sane amount of classes. It was my only way to cope. I felt I had no other options, and now that my residency was hanging in the balance, by the point of a knife, because of it; well I could just kick myself.

I would have given it all up now, if not for Edward. He anticipated my every need; bringing me food when I was pulling a double at the clinic, making sure I shower and change clothes fairly regularly—you know, things like that. He was working on his own graduate degree, in psychology, but he always managed to find time for me. He seemed to be around fairly often, since Emmett started staying at Rosalie's more. He said my work made him nervous.

Pussy. Guess not everybody can see pictures of rotting corpses, blown up, ad infinitum, as they eat their Wheaties.

Emmett came to me late one night, after I returned home from the clinic, to discuss my "friendship" with "Fast Eddie".

"I don't like it, Bella." His baby-blue eyes pierced straight through me as he dug through our now beautifully finished cabinets.

"What, Emmett? I made Jumbolaya." I took the pot out of the fridge, and plunked it on the stove, for him to heat.

"I think you should stay away from him. I hear he has a reputation as a heart breaker, Bella." He paused as he cracked open a bottle of Guiness. "I don't want to see you be one of his conquests. I see the way he looks at you—like you're something to eat." He drained half the beer in one swallow, and I felt like this had been bothering him for quite some time.

"It's not like that, really, Emmy." Stirring his dinner, I leaned casually against the counter. "He's never shown any interest in me, other than friendship."

"You don't know how relieved I am to hear you say that, Bella. Really, I am." Emmett plunked himself solidly down on our worn out table, plate in hand, and eyed me seriously. "It's not that he's a bad guy, Bella. He isn't. I don't want you to think that..."

I didn't want to hear it; I could clearly see the passion in my brother's eyes; he meant what he was saying. The idea of being with Edward was nearly too much for my broken spirit to bear. "Emmett, I'm going out." I was the queen of evasion. Not caring that I was wearing pajamas, I grabbed my bag, my laptop, and my keys, and stormed out the door, slamming the door behind me. Jumping into my car, I punched Alice's number into my cell, and she picked up two rings in.

"Bella! I knew you'd call..." She was currently a grad student in Ole Miss; her intellectual weapon of choice, being Fashion Design.

"Did you, now?" I pulled out of the driveway, waving to my brother, staring at me from the doorway.

"I was waiting for you, silly." I heard papers shuffling, and a male voice talking in the background.

"Am I interrupting something, Alice? I can call back later?" I wasn't paying much attention to where I was going; I simply let the road carry me where it would.

"No, silly. I have a show in two weeks, and I'm trying to get my alterations done, but my models aren't being cooperative."

"Alice; do you realize it's nearly midnight where you are?" Her tinkling laugh sounded, and I wondered, once more, what pulled her away from us in the first place. She was born and raised in Biloxi; moving to Baton Rouge for her undergrad years. I missed her; we grew up together.

She was my best friend.

"I guess it's a good thing that we college students never sleep, Bella." Acting on instinct, my foot pressed the brake, and I found myself parked in front of Edward's house.

"Have you ever felt that something is just... right?" I awaited Alice's answer, as there was silence on the end of the line.

"You know the things that I feel, Bella. I operate almost entirely on gut instinct. I'm coming to see you soon, Bellaroo. I miss you." A sniffle sounded on the other end. "How's Charlie?"

"He's good. I've been pushing him away lately—that's bad, I know. I don't know what's with me; it's like I'm all tied up in knots, Alice." I took the key out of the ignition, and made my way, books in hand, to his door. I had a feeling that this was a mistake. I had the feeling that I wasn't meant to be here, this night. "Hey Alice; I gotta go. I'll call you soon. I love you." Not waiting for a reply, I snapped the phone closed, and took two deep cleansing breaths.

The windows of his house were open, and piano music drifted through the air, tantalizing my senses; rendering me stupefied. The sky was perfectly clear; you could see into oblivion, on a night like this. The crisp air swirled past me, cooling my thoughts. I reached for the door; the piano playing continued.

I curled my fingers to knock, and it flew open of its own accord. A leggy blonde stepped onto the porch, slamming into me. "Shit!" she cursed, her face contorting in irritation. "Who the fuck are you?"

"Eddie? You two timing sonofabitch!" She stormed into his house, as I stood dumbstruck. The sound of shattering glass floated through the window. Edward yelped in surprise, or pain. I could not move to check.

"I was never one timing you, Tanya!" There was a near silent 'thump', and then the sound of dead weight falling. She stormed out of the house, not bothering to acknowledge me on her way out.

Finding my feet, I ran inside. The eerie silence was deafening. I called his name repeatedly, but heard nothing. Panic was exploding within me; this was my fault. I knew that I should not be here. I began my search in the kitchen, where he made me breakfast, that first day. My memories flooded my senses, remembering those ridiculous purple pajama pants, and him sitting on the couch bare chested in them.

Next, the living room. The immense crystal vase now lay toppled onto the floor, an arrangement of fresh flowers fanned across the carpet, scattered amongst the shattered glass; resembling millions of tiny diamonds. The couch was empty, the tv was off. No sign of him anywhere; still, not a sound.

"Edward?" I thought the pressure might have me faint, as I passed the double doors leading to his patio, on my way to his music room. The piano was exactly as it should be, but the bench was against the opposite wall; it had rolled away in their encounter.

I saw him. My eyes immediately fell to his form, lying unconscious, on the floor. "Edward!" I cried, as I pulled a penlight out of my bag, and began to check his pupils. His bronze mane was disheveled, and it was nearly a pleasure to brush it from his face. My hands went to check his ribs; nothing seemed broken. "Edward, open your eyes!" I slapped him on his cheeks; no response. I could see him breathing; I knew he was alive.

Running to the kitchen, I pulled a water jug from the refrigerator, and poured it over his face. His eyelids fluttered, then snapped open. He stared at me. I knelt down beside him, and couldn't keep my hands from touching him. They roamed all through his hair, across his cheeks, slid down his neck, and all over his chest. I couldn't stop, until his two strong hands clutched at his aching head, and then grabbed my two hands with his.

Is it wrong that it felt like I was home?

Edward's POV

"Ya'alright, Yank?" The room was spinning slightly, but I felt okay.

"I think so. Bella, what are you doing here?" I was not displeased to see her, by any means. Very often, I dream of her presence, even when it's not possible. Occasionally, on nights like tonight, Tanya would worm her way into my home and try to seduce me, but all I saw was Bella. It didn't matter that she was captain of the cheerleading team; I had my mind, body, and heart elsewhere. When I looked at Tanya's long blonde locks, I only saw mahogany. When I looked at Tanya's gigantically fake chest, I only saw the soft roundness of Bella. I saw Bella's heart-shaped face, and deep brown eyes, and Tanya could never hold a candle to her, no matter how hard she tried.

I could never truly have her, my best friend's sister, but I would love her all the same. Even if she never knew how I felt; even if I danced at her wedding. Her hands were all over me; setting my body on fire. I wasn't quite sure what Tanya had hit me with, to knock me out this way, but if this is what it took for Bella to touch me; I'd do it more often.

"Does anything hurt, Edward?" I shook my head no, and attempted to sit up. Thankfully, everything stayed where it was, and she led me to the couch, past my mother's broken vase. "This is all my fault; I should not have come. You should let a doctor look at you, you know."

"None of this is your fault, Bella. You made her disappear, and for that, I'm grateful." I was thanking every god, who could possibly exist, for her presence tonight. Tanya would not back down, and I could only sit at my piano for so many hours. It was the only place she would leave me in peace. She had stood from the bench, to get something from her car, when I heard her swear. It seemed like seconds later, I was waking up to Bella's beautiful face.

"You won't see a Doctor, then?" Her disapproving stare went right through me.

"Aren't you nearly as good as the same thing?" My lips twitched into a momentary crooked smile, as she huffed and pulled out her cell phone.

"I'm going to have to wake you every hour. You could have a concussion."

"You're staying the night then?" I tried to curb my excitement, but happiness burst forth from my heart.

"Someone needs to stay with you. I'll ask Emmett if he'd rather stay, but I'm pretty sure he's with Rosalie." The distaste in her voice made me smile again; of course she disliked Rose. Rose did not have the 'Southern Belle Charm' that Bella had in spades. Rose was very blunt; she only spoke her mind. Bella was a firm believer in the Golden Rules, her favorite being, "If you don't have something nice to say; say nothing at all". Emmett and Rose had been together for months, but Bella had been so deeply entrenched in her work, that she'd only noticed this past week. He didn't pick up his phone, and her face contorted with irritation. Bella hated leaving voicemails.

"Emmett? Tanya socked Edward on the head; I'm worried about a concussion, but he won't see a Doctor. I'mma (I'm gonna) stay with him, and make sure he's okay." Quickly closing her phone, she rose from the couch. "Can I make you something? Are you hungry?"

"Bella, I'm fine; you spoil me."

"A fine man should be." She smiled at me, and made her way to the kitchen. "Oh, Edward?" She glanced up from the stove, and looked over to me, as I acknowledged her. "Kate had a baby."

"What'd she have, Bella?" The domesticity of our positions made me ache for a lifetime of these moments—moments I would never have. I smiled sweetly, thinking about her swollen with my child.

"Kate and Garrett are so proud. You should have seen their faces; a fine baby girl, Edward. Seven pounds, and twenty-one inches long."

"That's a good size. Did they name her yet?" The smell of food floated through the whole house; if I didn't close the windows soon, my degenerate neighbors would be knocking at the door again. They always came over when Bella had the keys to the banquet hall.

"Her name is Irina." She brought a tray laden with stewed tomatoes and a soft drink. Setting it in my lap, she returned to the kitchen, to get one for herself. Plopping down on the couch, next to her bag, she took out her laptop.

"After her sister, then?" Bella looked up from her now whirring computer, as she began to plug it in to the extension cord, under the end table.

"She's been gone nearly a year." I'd never met Kate's sister; she'd passed before I moved here. The victim of a drunk driver. Bella had apparently been close to her cousins, growing up. She saw Kate a lot, and I'd gotten to know both Kate, and her husband Garrett, well in my time here. They were good people, and I could see why Bella loved them.

"I have drills next weekend, Bella." She paused from proofreading her psychology paper; I'd finished mine last week.

"I hate it when you go." She returned her attention back to her computer, and my heart grew once more.

"I hate to leave, Bella, but it's part of being in the Reserves." I placed my tray on the table, next to the couch, and touched her cheek with my fingers. "I'll be back before you walk, Bella; it's just for a weekend." She had two weeks left before she graduated, and was much calmer than I ever anticipated her being in the face of her final finals. She'd applied to hospitals all over the country, and I secretly hoped that she'd be accepted closer to my home in New York. I secretly hoped that Emmett would give me the green light, and I'd never let her go.

"When will you be through with that, Edward."

"Not for a while, friend." Edward 'the soldier' brought Bella nothing but anxiety, even though I never saw any real action. Only drills. My father didn't understand why I didn't just go past Emmett and start dating her—'pull out the big guns', as he'd say. Wow her in my uniform. 'Woo her stupid', was another favorite phrase of his. The idea of my father's feminine misadventures frightened me; surely he couldn't have done anything underhanded to my mother... I cringed.

"Are you all right, Edward? What hurts?" She flung her laptop on the couch, and leapt towards me, her fingertips flying towards my face. I would have laughed, if she weren't pressing her body against mine. There was nothing, nothing, funny about that.

"Nothing hurts, Bella." My fingers found purchase around her waist, as she continued to peruse my skull for signs of a hard knock. Nothing could ever hurt me if she held me this way. I heard a very quiet sigh, and felt as she lowered herself down, to press her lips to my forehead. "Bella."

I released a breath I was unaware that I'd been holding. She began to pepper my face with kisses, and instead of panicking, I welcomed it. I would deal with Emmett later.

"Edward." She sighed, as she began to tug at my shirt.

"Bella, I can't do this. Emmett."

"Shh." I wouldn't let her take off my shirt, so she reached into her bag, pulled out scissors, and cut it off.

"Jesus, Bella. Stop!" Not even dead puppies could curb my erection. If she didn't quit soon, we were both going to end up in my bedroom. At this point, I had no doubt, that we'd both end up very, very, happy. Emmett, however, would mail my balls back to my parents with a note. I had to give Bella babies, and if I didn't wait to touch her, I never would.

She froze as if I'd stabbed her, tears pouring down her face. I gripped both of her hands with my own, and tried to gently stop her from packing and leaving. The phrase '...Nor hell a fury like a woman scorned.' came to mind. "Don't leave, Bella." I plead, but she seemed hell bent to go.

"I'll send Emmett, if you're concerned. I can not stay!" She was nearly to the door, when I grabbed her.

"I don't think you understand, Bella." I wanted to tell her that I had loved her from the moment that I saw her, and that I wanted us to have 13 kids, and a great big house. I wanted to tell her that I'd give her everything, for I could deny her nothing. I wanted to tell her that the only thing stopping me was her brother, but I couldn't. I tentatively touched my lips to hers, and she cried out. Fresh tears made their journey down her cheeks, and I was able to brush the first round away with my thumbs. She turned on her heel, and dashed out the door before I could stop her.

Bella's POV

I sat at the kitchen table telling Emmett everything. I told him how much I loved him, how he made my whole world spin on it's axis. I told Emmett that he didn't seem to feel the same way, and that's when I fell apart. My beautiful brother listened patiently, nodding his head, and looking ashamed, though for what, I could not fathom. Emmett looked horrified, when I finished. The tears wouldn't stop; I couldn't make them stop flowing for all the world. When I finished, all he did, was hold me close, and said, "I'll fix this, Bella. I'll fix this. This is all my fault, and I'll fix this."

E/N: I have a new story brewing. Be on the lookout for "Divine Providence". Hope to hear back from Den20, who's going to give me the green light. Can't put just ANY old crap up on the internet, but if this one goes through, it'll be EPIC.

Reviews inspire faster updates! Much love..