A/N: Okay my lovely readers and reviewers, I wanted to tell you that this chapter is kind of a big deal to me. I wasn't going to write it this way, but once I did, it just clicked. And so I just wanted to say that I am explaining a bit about James. Now, he wasn't a bad guy, okay? He just really loved Bella and he thought it was unfair that she didn't love him back. She liked him, but not as much as he liked her. And you know what crazy stuff alcohol can do to a person. So, don't hold a grudge against James. Anyway, you won't hate him as much after this chapter. I don't like holding grudges with characters that don't even exist. Oh and I forgot to tell you.

My school just started a Reading Society and to announce it, they quoted a piece from Twilight over the intercom during the morning announcements. Well, I want to join, but I fear that I will be surrounded by a large swarm of fan girls. Seriously, when the announcer said the name "Edward Cullen", there were gasps, oohs, and aaahs, throughout the entire class room. I'm surprised no one swooned at it. It's really annoying.

Oh yeah, and I'm sorry I changed POVs so much in this chapter. I needed to describe things a certain way and this just happened to be the best way. So hah, in your face! Just kidding XD

Disclaimer: I, sovoyita, to do not own the Twilight saga or any of its characters. Dang ye all to heck.

BPOV

"Bella! What are you doing over there?" The voice sounded so familiar, like a memory that my mind wouldn't let me forget. And something strange was going on. I could see. I turned to the voice and found myself face to face with someone I had left behind, someone I had destroyed unintentionally. His blonde hair was tied back at the nape of his neck, his light blue eyes surprisingly bright. The last memory I had of him was after the accident, the ambulance taking his body away in a body bag, but not before I had caught a glimpse of his open, dead eyes glaring back at me. They had been so dark that night, nearly black, like pools of ink.

"James," I whispered, almost scared to raise my voice. He smiled kindly at me and raised his hand to my face. It made contact and for some unknown to me, I expected something to happen. A spark or flame to spark within my skin. But nothing. The touch felt empty, as if you touched a stranger. He smiled sadly at me and bowed his head a bit. "I should have known you would have fallen for someone else. I wasn't good enough for you." When he lifted his head, the smile was still in place, but unshed tears glistened in his eyes.

My head shook back and forth, my mind and mouth not forming the words that I wished to speak. He stared at me again before continuing. "Don't try and object Bella. You and I both know it. Anyway, I pushed you too hard. I should have given you time, but no! I was so stupid. I ruined everything and in the process, you got hurt. I will never forgive myself for what I did."

Finally, my vocal cords seemed to work and I spoke frantically. "James, no! It wasn't your fault, it was mine. And I wasn't good enough for you! Everyone saw it except for you and you know it. I…wasn't worth your time…" I looked down, for the first time seeing that we were standing on soft-looking green grass. Tears overflowed my eyes before I could control them; anguish spreading through my very being. He was dead and it was all my fault. How could he even stand to be here, so close to me, without staring on with disgust?

"Bella, if you don't stop this, I swear that I'll tickle you until you can't breathe." I gasped, taking an immediate step back. But, the inevitable happened. I fell. He laughed as I made my way to meet my old friend, the ground, but I didn't feel anything. He lay down beside me, looking at me lovingly. I knew I couldn't stare back at him the same way, but I could still appreciate his presence. He watched me, almost like he was searching for something. After a few moments, he sighed and spoke.

"Bella, I know it's not my decision and my opinion doesn't matter to you, but I need you to know that I think that you need to forgive yourself. You didn't do anything wrong. I was stupid enough to go drinking, I almost violated you. Apparently, I was idiotic enough to think that I could win you over by trying to take your virtue. And you continuously blame yourself for what happened to me. And don't lie and say you didn't because I saw what happened when you were with Edward." My head immediately snapped to him, a move that normally would have broken my neck. He chuckled lightly, a sad laugh, before continuing.

"Oh please, don't think I didn't know. I've been watching you for awhile, you know. It's not hard to see that you love him." I opened my mouth to protest, but he quickly covered it with his hand. "Don't lie. I know it. The way you look at him…it's unreal. And…I think he's a good guy. He can take care of you better than I could, and he really cares. Plus…he doesn't care that you can't see him. And I would like to say that I'm truly sorry for what I have done. It's all my fault that you are blind. I can only hope that one day, you will forgive me."

"James, there is nothing to forgive. It was a mistake. I forgave you a long time ago. And I don't like Edward!" He just smiled at me and shook his head. "Silly…oh well, you'll realize it soon enough. But, I must say that I hope you do soon. I don't think Edward wants to wait that long."

"Wait…what? That's just stupid. He doesn't like me. That's impossible." James just chuckled and stood up, pulling me up with him. "Well, this is where we part." I stared, shocked, at him while he smiled at me once more, tears finally protruding from behind his eyes. "No, why now? Can't we have just a bit longer?" He shook his head and pulled me tightly against his chest. He kissed the top of my head before reluctantly releasing me, tears now pouring down both of our faces.

"Don't worry. Though we may never see each other again, everything will be alright. Just remember, I'm always watching out for you. So if that Edward hurts you in any way at all, just know that I'll make sure that the big guy upstairs hears about it." We laughed together for a moment before things around me started to get blurry.

My eyesight was slowly fading, darkness coming back and pulling James into it. I called to him, but he just smiled and waved. Just as complete darkness took over my mind, I heard the faint whisper of a goodbye.

EPOV

Watching Bella sleep was something I could never get enough of. The perfect look of serenity on her face showed me everything. What she was like before the accident, before she met that monster, before she came into my life. I quickly shoved the thought from my mind, not wishing to visit that time again. I was practically an empty shell that just happened to have hormones in which I let rule my body.

Strangely, Bella wasn't speaking tonight. I longed to hear her say something, anything, just to hear her voice again. And then, tears started rolling down her face. I was immediately was by her side, holding her hand again mine. I debated waking her, but then I noticed the smile on her face. How could she be smiling and crying at once? But I didn't question it any longer and went back to sit in the old rocking chair in the corner of her room. Would she wish for me to be here when she woke? I didn't think so, but I couldn't bring myself to leave.

After explaining the situation to Emmett, leaving out the details of Bella's story, he told me to watch over her while he cleaned the mess all over the kitchen floor. He had fallen asleep watching an old football game, leaving me to my thoughts.

My rubbed my eyes, trying to fight off sleep. It didn't look like Bella and I would be fit for school, so I had called Carlisle to ask him to write an excuse for us both after explaining to Charlie what had happened. He was just upset that Bella had gotten hurt, so he immediately said that she wasn't leaving home the next day.

Not without escaping my notice, Bella finally started moving around, her lips just barely moving, but no sound escaping them. She rolled over once more before going still, her body relaxing into the sheets. "Edward," she murmured. A large grin broke across my face and I crossed the room to her bed once more. My hand caressed from her temple to her jaw and she leaned into my touch. This only caused my grin to grow wider.

I pulled my hand back and her breathing got shallower. Her eyes slowly fluttered open and she gasped before jumping back slightly, only to hit her head on her wall. "Ow," she muttered quietly. A chuckle escaped my lips before I went on to assess the damage. My fingers lightly searched her head for any sort of bump or scratch…or that's what it looked like. In reality, I was truly just wishing to get my hands into her silky mahogany locks. I noticed goose bumps and a crimson blush spread across her skin when my hand lightly grazed the side of her cheek. I smiled and she got redder.

"Well, it seems there was no permanent damage. Of course, you are going to have to stay home for today; Charlie already excused you." She opened her mouth to protest, but after I pointedly stared at her, she fidgeted for a bit and sighed. "Why do you always have to win?" I chuckled and a small grin crept onto her face.

This wasn't what I was expecting. I had almost assumed she would be mad at me; perhaps she was mad that I had left her in the first place the night before and now she had to live with a scar. My eyes automatically turned to her only to see that she was facing towards me. The way she looked at me, it was like she was actually seeing me. And as much as I wanted her to gaze at me that way, there were matters at hand that I needed to take care of.

"Bella?" Her head snapped toward the sound of my voice and she instantly grew more alert. "Yes?" She gestured with her hand for me to continue. "I think…we need to talk about last night." Her beautiful, doe-like eyes instantly widened and a small blush found its way upon her face, along with a grimace. "Edward, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have put all that on you…I just lost control. But don't worry, I'll be more careful next time."

"No Bella. You will not be more careful "next time"; nor will you ever "control" your emotions like that again. You can't just control your emotions like that! You're going to kill yourself with emotional overload! Can't you see that? Are you blind?" As soon as the words escaped my mouth, I regretted it.

BPOV

"Are you blind?" And that was it. Anger washed over, clouding my judgment as heat inhabited my skin. I'm sure I was blushing the color of a tomato right now, but I didn't care.

"Well, Edward, technically, I am blind. And if you don't mind, I'd rather not be judged by someone who has no idea what the hell is wrong." I stood up from my bed and grabbed my cane from the floor. I don't remember leaving it there, but that was fine.

It unfolded, snapping together as I made my way to the door. Much to my surprise, I didn't stumble on my little journey down the stairs to the living room. I heard quiet footsteps quickly making their way down the stairs behind me.

"Bella, I didn't mean it. I was being stupid-"and that's where my memories cut off his words. I was stupid…I was stupid…I was stupid….James…he had forgiven me….he said it was all okay….

"Bella? Bella?!" I don't remember Edward pulling me into his arms and setting me down carefully on the couch, but apparently he did because it creaked beneath me, years of use finally taking its toll. "Bella, what's wrong? Bella, please, just talk to me!" But I ignored him.

When I had woken, the dream was teetering on the edge of my memories like a needle on the edge of a dull knife. Now it had come back, full blown and in color in my imagination, making me elated. I smiled a big, toothy grin and sat up. Edward took my face between his hands and faced me towards him, probably trying to figure out whether or not I should be in the loony bin.

"Bella, are you alright? Do I need to call Charlie?" Each word was spoken slowly and cautiously, as if he was afraid that I would break down or have another mood swing if he said the wrong word.

Unfortunately for hi, he was just about to get even more confused.

EPOV

My mind was going on overload as she sat there, going from blindly furious (no pun intended) to lost in the abyss to full blown happiness. I was seriously thinking about checking her calendar. Maybe she was just being a little…hormonal.

She just stared at nothing, obviously not seeing anything, but completely happy, blissful. I would have given all that I owned just to see into her mind for a mere second. Then her face went blank for a moment. Her expressions were changing rapidly, almost as if her mind couldn't decide on what to think or feel.

Her brows were furrowed; her beautiful, pink lower lip was between her teeth as she lightly bit it, deep in concentration. Finally, after about a minute more of getting lost in her own thoughts, her face relaxed and a grin broke across her face, her eyes filling with unshed tears.

Worried, I stepped forward cautiously and pulled her into a hug. "Bella, what's wrong?" She shook her head and a light, almost hysterical laugh escaped her lips.

"I…just can't…understand. I don't even know what I'm saying! He actually forgave me! It's not my fault! He just…and I…and we're…it's all wonderful!" And now I was lost. I held her closer and tried to understand why this made her so happy. Who exactly had forgiven her and for what? As far as I knew, she hadn't done anything wrong. "Umm, Bella? I need you to be a little less vague. I'm kind of lost here." A laugh escaped her lips and she pulled away from me before "looking" into my eyes.

A pang of pain was sent through me at the thought that she would never get to see how much I wanted, needed her.

"He forgave me! I can't believe it, he actually did! And he said he was sorry and that it was all great and we actually got to be friends! We were normal! Everything was okay and-" I put my hand over her lips to stop her from talking. Trying to figure this out would be impossible if she was babbling about something that I had no clue about. Who was this "he"? Green nearly clouded my eyesight again as jealousy watched over me in waves. Slowly, trying not to let my anger shoot out at her, I spoke. "Bella…who are you talking about?" Her eyes, glowing from her happiness, suddenly dulled slightly, but a sad smile appeared on her face.

"James." I froze. How could he apologize?! "I had a dream last night. He was there and everything. He said that everything would be okay, that I didn't need to be mad at myself. Even if he was just being nice, I still actually saw James. He said he forgave me! I know it sounds crazy and doesn't make sense, but he said he would be watching over me and he also said that y-"a deep blush found its way to her cheeks, "umm, actually, he said that I needed to be more careful. Falling over myself isn't something he wants to see." A nervous laugh escaped her lips while as mine pursed.

Sadness and jealousy had just taken over my mind and heart. Bella was happy that James was in her dream, even if it wasn't real. Bella liked the idea of James watching over her. She liked him more than she would ever like me. But she still needed a friend, and for that, I would be here. I began quietly, trying to be soothing. "Bella, none of it was your fault. You couldn't have stopped him no matter what. If anything, it was his fault for letting his anger take control over her actions."

She mumbled a quiet 'That's what he said.' I laughed and saw that she was trying to suppress a grin by biting her lip. But something in her features was off…but in a good way. Something was making her nervous, but at the same time, calm. Then I noticed that my hand was still on hers though I had pulled out of the hug long before. But then, it became clear.

Her normally veiled eyes, though still veiled, revealed an emotion that I couldn't decipher, but I knew wasn't something that could be covered by blindness. Some untold emotion that almost seemed to have been forbidden from her eyes before was now shining through. Whatever it was, it pulled me forward, taking control over my every nerve.

"Bella," a murmur escaped my lips but I didn't care. My hand was rising by itself; no help from my mind was needed to do this. My fingertips ran from her temple to her jaw, then down her neck. Long and slender, it pulsed beneath my hand, her heart beat rapidly heightening.

My other hand lifted itself, pushing a long strand of her hair away from her face, tucking it gently behind her ear. It then moved down to her lips, my thumb running across her lips, feeling them beneath the pad. They parted slightly beneath my thumb, releasing her sweet breath to fan across my face, making my eyes glaze over.

Everything about her had me under her spell and I couldn't pull away. Her enchanting voice sounded all around me as I slowly moved closer. "Edward," she murmured. Oh how sweet my name sounded coming from her lips!

She pulled in closer to me, her hands still down at her sides. I was a mere four inches away from her face, so close that I could just tilt my head and reach….

Her eyes fluttered closed and she moved forward. I followed her lead and slowly pulled her closer, trying to not rush into anything. I had waited weeks to do this. I could wait a few more seconds. And then it happened.

Everything that I had once thought held me down to this earth disappeared. The only thing holding me now was this moment, this girl, no woman, her face, her lips, her smile, her eyes; only she could hold me down anymore.

The most glorious sensation in the world couldn't compare to what I was feeling. If I had been murdered now, I would have died a happy man, because this one kiss was like living a full life. Shocks of electricity were shooting through my lips to the rest of my body. Her perfect lips moved perfectly in sync with mine. And just when I thought it couldn't get better, she parted her lips slightly, letting me taste her breath.

I was losing control. Surely if she didn't stop, there would be no stopping the ravishing that this girl would face. Maybe I had finally been forgiven for being so stupid in the beginning.

"WHAT THE FUCKING HELL?!"

Or maybe not.

So, are you happy? I wanted to spread this chapter out a bit more, but decided that you all had suffered enough with the wait. I couldn't just have them start making out at random (well, technically, I could because I am the author, but I don't think that is very Bella/Edwardish. And who is this person who just happens to have potty mouth? Well, it's not that hard to guess.

Anyway, you guys have rocked with reviewing. Seriously, 332 reviews?! I'm psyched!! Oh yeah, I'm sorry I haven't used any words in this chapter, but I needed to concentrate on the actual dream sequence and the kiss.

Anyway, if you review, I'll give you a virtual cookie. Unless you want a virtual Edward…but then again, who doesn't?

Sincerely the Girl Who Writes More Than She Does Her Homework,

Sovoyita