Baby You Can Stop Running
Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight… It all belongs to Stephanie Meyer, I just borrowed from her genius.

Chapter Twelve

EPOV

My office seemed cold when I opened the door and for some reason something just felt off, it was as though something crucial was missing and my body ached for it. As I walked in my eyes surveyed the room desperately trying to seek out the cause of my newfound anxiety, though not so much as a book had been touched and still resting on the top of the mahogany desk was Bella's file, the file I took when I learned her name after stitching up her chin. It was wrong I knew, to take it, to want to thumb through it and learn of every ache, pain, cut, bruise, broken bone and stitch that had ever brought her to this hospital. I hoped though that if I learned about her medical records it would allow me to understand her more, to be able to look at her beautiful face and read her. It was infuriating that I could never figure out what it was that she was thinking. After so many years spent studying human emotions, for lack of anything better to do, I always thought of myself as an expert, by why didn't my gift apply to her, when she was now the only one I wished that I could understand.

Without thinking, my hands reached down to touch the thick paper of her folder, my fingers wrapping around the edges and picking it up off the desk. I collapsed into the large leather chair and pressed my head firming against the back of it, my head fighting the heart's desire to flip through the thick folder. Would I be betraying her trust if I did this, if I went through her file without her permission to soak up as much information as I possibly could? Inside my body was in the midst of a battle, my heart which thirsted to know as much about her as possible, and my head which told me it was wrong, that even thinking about getting to know this girl on that kind of level was a bad idea. My brain however waved the white flag of surrender, my heart obviously winning out.

She was born here at Forks Community Hospital on September 13, 1987, effectively making here a mere twenty-two years old. That fact, in and of itself was surprising to me as she acted much older than she was. She weighed in at a healthy seven pounds, five ounces, delivered via c-section. I thumbed a few years forward, she broke her arm when she was five, and the report said that she had fallen from the slide at the local school. Three weeks after that she had stitches to her nose, apparently she ran into a tree. I felt a small chuckle develop as I realized that grace was something she had never acquired, and it was endearing. I flipped through a few more pages only to find that many of the records had been acquired from two very different hospitals, one that was located in Riverside, California and another from Phoenix. Still, in each location she had managed to either, break a bone or need stitches. I couldn't help but wonder if anyone had been looking out for her when these incidents happened. I closed the folder and tossed it back on the desk, information should come little by little, and I didn't want to overwhelm myself.

I closed my eyes and my mind instantly transported me back to the hallway that I had been in this afternoon and in that instant I began to feel uncomfortable. The anger slowly coursed through my veins as I thought about Jacob, thought about how he had upset Bella and it bothered me more than I would like to admit. It was her eyes, the look in her eyes that caused this stir of anger within myself. They were pleading, scared, angry and I knew that all I wanted was to make it go away, to make him go away. My thoughts flashed to the pictures that I had seen of her in Charlie's house; they were of better times and I could bet that her eyes hadn't sparkled the way they did in those pictures since she left Forks. That, in and of itself, seemed like a travesty. The door opened, startling me as I had not been expecting it.

"Edward, what are you doing here today? I told you to take the weekend off." Carlisle spoke, my eyes flying open to see him as he closed the door and made his way into my small office. He walked towards the desk, taking a seat in one of the unoccupied chairs that I used to meet with patients families.

"I wanted to check on Charlie." I replied, motioning to the other file on the desk. His eyes wandered towards it and I realized that he caught sight of the other, the one that read Isabella Marie Swan in big, bold lettering.

"I should reprimand you for that." His voice was low and quiet. There was no need for him to tell me what it was he was talking about, I knew exactly what he meant. I had broken a rule when I took Bella's file, and what made it even more sick was that I was using it to get to know her better, and Carlisle knew that. He sighed before continuing, "But I won't, your mother would kill me. I don't think I've ever seen her so excited about one of her children forming a relationship. Still, don't let anyone see that."

"I won't… But, there isn't a relationship there, I gave her stitches yesterday and I needed to write it up."

"Sure…" He replied the concern in his voice all but gone and I couldn't help but notice that he seemed rather carefree about the situation. "How is the girl this afternoon?"

"I don't know actually. She was asleep when I left the house and I haven't really seen her yet."

"That's not what I've heard."

"What did Ms. Stanley say exactly?" The hospital gossip must have witnessed the exchange between Jacob and myself.

Carlisle chuckled, his head shaking from side to side lightly. "I'm afraid you've been here too long if you already know that Ms. Stanley is the town gossip."

"Come on dad, that was something I was able to spot my first few days here. Didn't she have to sign a confidentiality agreement? How does she keep that big mouth of hers shut when it comes to patient care but when it comes to people's personal lives she just runs her mouth?" His chuckle turned into a full out laugh.

"It's a small town, word would get out eventually anyways."

"So what did she say exactly?"

"She just mentioned something about Billy Blacks boy dropping by and that Miss. Swan was clearly upset about it and that you swooped in and rescued her… And something about a confrontation with the boy?"

"I just told him to leave, that Bella… Miss. Swan had asked him to leave and I would call security if he didn't comply with her wish."

"So nothing about telling him to stay away from her?" My cheeks burned with embarrassment. "Edward, don't be so hard on yourself, she is a lovely girl and quite frankly, I couldn't be more thrilled that someone is finally pulling you out of your self-imposed condemnation."

"We're just friends." I stated.

"Why do you torture yourself like this?"

"I just don't think I deserve her, she's too perfect."

"Edward, there isn't such thing as perfection, you're making excuses."

"Because when I allow myself to love someone they either end up dead, or I end up hurting them."

"You have never hurt us."

"Really? I sure remember pretty clearly how horrible I was to both you and mom when I was in college."

"You were having a rough time, we've never took what you said all that seriously." I wasn't going to budge and Carlisle knew it. "Just think about it… We've never seen you this happy Edward and it's nice to see."

"I'll think about it." I replied, just as a knock on the door caused Carlisle's eyes to shift.

The door opened slowly as Carlisle stood up to leave and as he opened the door wider, I watched and took her in. I very rarely allowed myself to think of anything more than her face but the clothes that she wore made it hard to not notice the curves of her body. The jeans were tight; clinging to her small hips and ran straight down to her small feet. Her shirt, the dark blue made her already light skin look even creamier than usual and seemed to put a soft glow, and though I tried hard not to, my eyes couldn't help but notice the plunging neckline of the shirt. I made a mental note to thank Alice for her wardrobe choices for Bella.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't realize I was interrupting anything." Her soft cheeks flushed a bright and alluring shade of red and she chewed nervously on her lower lip.

"Oh nonsense." Carlisle smiled. "I was just leaving anyways. I trust you slept well last night?"

"I did thank you." She smiled a small, soft smile, and I imagined what her full lips would feel like against my own. Get a grip Edward. "I'm so sorry for causing such an inconvenience."

"You apologize more than Edward… I wasn't sure that was possible." He chuckled. "I hope to see you around more often Miss. Swan. Please send my warmest wishes to your father and brother; they are both a pleasure to see around the hospital. Charlie as great determination and I'm certain that with Edward's care he will recover quite well."

"Thank you Dr. Cullen."

"Please, call me Carlisle." She nodded and he turned to face me. "Edward, I'm afraid if you don't leave this hospital I will have no other option then to kick you out and put you on probation. Get some rest; I cannot have tried doctors running around this hospital trying to help my patients."

"I'll leave in a few minutes dad." I smiled and he left, closing the door behind him leaving me alone with her. I could smell her in the air, and I focused as hard as I could to keep my eyes from rolling backward. Her scent was intoxicating and unlike anything I had ever been around before. It caused my blood to stir in a way that no other woman had ever been able to do. I quickly brought myself back to reality and as carefully and inconspicuously as I possibly could, I covered her file with another, not wanting her to know that I had been doing some research on her. Clearly, behavior would frighten her and send her running for the hills, which, in all reality, was probably something she should be doing anyway.

"I'm really sorry about that." She blushed again.

"You didn't interrupt anything important; he was merely reprimanding me for coming here on my day off. I work too much and it really isn't a good thing." My eyes met her own and I felt the hair on my body stand up as chills ran through my body, what was it about her that caused this in me? "How are you?"

"I just wanted to thank you for helping this afternoon. And for last night. I really do appreciate everything you've done. I feel completely indebted to you, and Alice."

"Well, then come have lunch with me." The words escaped my mouth before I had the chance to stop them and I saw her body freeze with my suggestion.

"I really should get back to the house, I'm sure Emmett will be wondering where I've been."

"Then let me walk you to your car." She smiled and I turned my computer off, picked up my bag and fell into a stride next to her.

We walked in silence and I watched as she pulled the jacket over her delicate shoulders, struggling for a minute as she seemed to tangle herself up. The rain was pouring down and I cursed myself for having forgotten an umbrella so I could hold it over her, so I could keep her dry. As we walked out the door, I watched as she looked up and closed her eyes, allowing the rain to hit her face, something that most girls would never do. Odd. I wondered what she was thinking as a smile, a small breathtaking smile played on her lips.

"Thanks…" She said as we approached her truck and I couldn't help but notice how quickly she was trying to move now. Her key was in the door of the truck in a matter of moments and she was safely inside. I found myself leaning against the side of the truck, my eyes peering through the glass window watching as she reached across the seat and handed me the jacket I purposely left there this morning, my reassurance that I would have to see her again.

"I think you left this in here." She smiled and I took it from her hands.

"I'm sorry about that." I lied, and watched as she put her key in the ignition and turned it, the car only sputtering in response. "Are you sure I couldn't persuade you to join me for lunch?" I found myself hoping that she would reconsider and I watched as her face contorted, as though she was trying to find a way to let me down easy.

"I'm really not that hungry." Her soft, musical voice spoke though I heard the rumble of her stomach.

"It appears that your stomach has betrayed you." I replied as the right side of my lip curled into a half smile. Her body froze with my words and my mouth continued to speak trying to make her comfortable again. "But if you really are looking for an excuse to not come I'll let you go anyways." My tone was low, afraid that I was giving her the out that she wanted.

"Okay…" She replied, pulling her key from the ignition to look at me. "Where to?"

"I'll drive." I grinned.

"I'm perfectly capable of driving myself if you would tell me where we are going." I merely continued to smile as I reached forward and opened the door of her car, my hand gripping onto the soft leather of the jacket she wore. True, she could have driven if she wanted to, the truth was, I didn't want her to leave me, I wanted to spend more time in her company, and in all honesty, it gave me an excuse to touch her.

"I wouldn't dare let you drive in your condition." I replied my voice giving away my good humor.

"And what condition would that be exactly?" She responded, her body sliding out from the car before she closed it, the slam making a few flecks of rust sprinkle down to the wet ground.

"Hunger… With your luck you'd probably veer off the side of the road due to your stomachs protests and we couldn't let that happen now could we?" I kept my hand on her though I moved it from her arm to her back, pushing her carefully toward my car.

"Let go!" She demanded and I did, just as we reached the back of the car, I pressed the button on the key and heard the click of the locks. "You're so pushy!"

"It's open." I replied, opening my own door, sliding into the driver's seat. I watched her body, perhaps I had been a bit too harsh, had been too forceful as her body was rigid and her eyes darted around the parking lot as though she was contemplating her escape. Luckily enough for me, I knew how clumsy she was, I could easily catch up to her and drag her back. I rolled down the window and leaned closer to it. "Get in Bella." I watched her eyes narrow with my demand and it only pushed me further. "I'll just drag you back."

I heard her sigh with acceptance and I smiled, enjoying the indignant look on her face. She was stubborn that was certain, but it seemed to be part of the draw, the challenge. I could hear the squeak of her feet along the rubber mats that protected the floor of the vehicle and her wet leather jacket made a small noise as well as it brushed against the light grey leather of the car. I turned the heater on, she was wet and presumably cold and my eyes traveled to her face quickly, noting the way her lower lip jutted out in a pout. It didn't last long though, she relaxed a few moments later and that bought a warm feeling deep within me.

"Clare de Lune?" She questioned, turning to look at me as I pulled out of the hospital parking lot.

"You know Debussy?"

"Kind of, only my favorites really. My mom use to play his music when I lived with her in Phoenix."

"It's one of my favorites too…" I smiled inwardly at the surprise of her musical tastes and I began to wonder if I might play it for her. I glanced at her though the side of my eye and noticed that she had relaxed more, her body not as rigid as it had been when she first got into the car. I began to wonder what else she might reveal to me, what else might surprise me about her, though it seemed everything about her was surprising.

BPOV

The drive to the restaurant was short and though I had protested, it was merely because of how nervous I was around him. There were quite a few people at the small diner, more than I had anticipated for a Saturday afternoon, and as I looked around, I saw Jessica and Mike at a nearby booth and looked away quickly, not wanting them to see me, to stir up any more problems.

"You miss your mother." He said it as a question though it came out more as a statement, and for a moment, I couldn't even understand what had brought him to bring the subject up, but then I remembered the conversation in the car.

"I do…" I replied hearing the hint of sadness in my voice. "She's my best friend."

"What is she like?" He seemed to be interested, though I was still unsure as to if he just was trying to make small talk. His eyes were locked in on me however, studying me with a curiosity that I had never known before and I could feel the blush creep into my cheeks.

"She looks like me, but much prettier." He raised his eyebrows and I looked down. "I have too much Charlie in me. She's more outgoing than I am, and braver. She's irresponsible and slightly eccentric, and she's a very unpredictable cook."

"Why did you move to Forks to begin with?"

"I guess it was mainly because she was unhappy and I did miss Charlie and Emmett. But mainly because of my mom. It had been us for so long and when Phil came along… I guess it was weird for a while, him being so much younger than her but he made her happy and that made me happy but when he started to travel because of his team and she had to stay behind with me I could tell that she missed him." I stopped for a moment as the server brought our plates and set them down, his eyes still did not leave my face. "It was easier that way, she could be with Phil and be happy, and even though I hated the rain, I'd be back with Emmett and Charlie."

"That was generous of you." He smiled warmly and I began to pick at the food in front of me. "How old are you Bella?"

"Twenty-two."

"You don't seem twenty-two." I watched as his eyes glanced towards Mike and Jessica.

"My mom always says I was born thirty-five years old and that I get more middle-aged every year." I laughed before a sigh escaped my lips. "I guess someone had to be the adult."

He merely nodded and took a bite of his sandwich. I watched with an intense curiosity as his teeth bit into it, his full lips curling around the outside. My heart began to race and I was thankful that his eyes were closed momentarily; it gave me a chance to look down, which I did, trying to expel any thoughts of his lips from my mind. I followed suit a few seconds later, taking a bite of my own sandwich.

"Do you approve of Phil?" His voice was curious.

"Does it matter?" I replied after swallowing. "I've only ever wanted her to be happy and he is who she wants. You can't really help that."

"I wonder..." He mused, my attention now on him completely, the rest of the diner seemed to have disappeared in the background as my heart raced with anticipation.

"What?"

"Would she extend the same courtesy to you, do you think? No matter who your choice was?" His eyes were intent and serious as they met my own and I couldn't help but wonder what it was he was trying to say. How anyone could ever consider him scary was beyond my own understanding, he was a doctor, had a well respected family, was beautiful to look at… He surely couldn't be thinking that he was scary.

"I-I think so…" I stuttered, suddenly aware that his eyes were still staring at me and he had barely blinked at all. "But she's the parent, after all. It's a little bit different."

He smiled wryly. "No one too scary then."

"What do you mean by scary? Multiple facial pricings and extensive tattoos?"

"That's one definition I suppose." He grinned as he brought one hand to his hair and ruffled it slightly.

"What's your definition?"

His face, the one that only minutes before had been smiling was now serious. "Do you think I could be scary?"

I sat back in the seat, my eyes appraising him. "I think you could be if you wanted to be."

"Are you frightened of me now?"

"No." I didn't think twice, I still couldn't imagine why he could think I would think that. It was true that he wasn't open, he wasn't someone who seemed to let people in. I recalled the conversation I had with Jessica and Angela at the bar, my questioning of him, and their inability to provide me with and conclusive answers, just that he was of a more 'brooding' nature, and seemingly cut off from the world, though he was always kind with his patients.

"So, are you going to tell me about your family?" I probed before taking another bite.

"What do you want to know?" His voice was cautious, as though he was afraid he might reveal too much.

"The Cullen's adopted you?"

"Yes."

I hesitated for a moment, his response had been short and curt and I was afraid that I was opening up wounds that he might have been trying to close for many years now. It was a feeling I knew all too well, still I was only beginning to learn that closing them only caused more bleeding when they were reopened, that they had to be healed and the only way of healing them was by talking about it. "What happened to your parents?" My voice was soft and low.

"They died a very long time ago." His voice was unemotional as though he had closed off the feelings a long while ago and I felt guilty, sorry, for bringing it up.

"I'm sorry."

"I really don't remember them that clearly. Carlisle and Esme have been my parents for a long time now."

"And you love them?"

He smiled softly, and it made my stomach flutter. "Yes. I couldn't imagine two better people."

"You're very lucky." I replied, a small smile of my own appearing on my face.

"I know I am."

"And you sister?"

"Alice is a product of Carlisle and Esme, though she was very young when I came to live with them so she doesn't see me as her adopted brother but rather as her own flesh." I noticed that his plate was now barren and that mine was still almost completely full. "You should eat."

We didn't talk the rest of the time, I merely sat there and finished what I could. I was nervous as I felt his eyes on me and I began to wonder what was going on in his head, what he was thinking about. He paid the bill before I could even object to it and we were out the door and in his car shortly after. All the while, I couldn't help but wonder why he didn't want to speak about his family. He had been so sure as to cut me off that it almost startled me. Still, I figured it best not to press him on the issue, if we truly were friends, it would be something that I hoped to learn eventually, we had, after all, only known each other for two days.

He pulled into the hospital parking lot, and into the empty parking spot next to my own truck. I opened the door and began to get out in an attempt to leave the uncomfortable silence that had fallen between us in the car. However, I tripped as I tried to get out of his car and it elicited a light chuckle from him which made my cheeks burn.

"Have a good weekend." He smiled, leaning over as I stood back up, my hand on the door.

"Won't I see you tomorrow?" I couldn't help but hide my disappointment that he wouldn't be at the hospital, that I wouldn't see him or be able to speak to him even though this conversation had ended awkwardly.

"No. Jasper and I are going out of town."

"What are you going to do?" I worried for a moment that I had overstepped a boundary again, but it was a plausible question, something a friend might ask. We were, after all, friends.

"We have to go to Seattle for a few days." I found myself frowning slightly at his statement, it hadn't told me really what I had been asking but I knew I'd have to settle for it.

"Oh, well, have fun." My voice was disappointed though I tried to sound enthusiastic.

"Will you do something for me this weekend?" He asked as I was about to close the door causing me to do a double take. With my surprise, I couldn't speak and merely nodded an agreement.

"Don't be offended, but you seem to be one of those people who attract accidents like a magnet. So… try not to hurt yourself? I won't be around to stitch you up." He smiled his crooked grin and I was filled with a mixture of emotions, happiness that he seemed to care for my well-being and yet, still resentful that he thought I needed to be watched after. I was a grown woman; I could take care of myself, kind of… Still, I had been perfectly fine until he waltzed into my life, I didn't need him to protect me.

"I'll see what I can do." I glared, slamming the door with as much force as I could muster, enough to tell him how much I hated his remark and opened my own car door. As the engine started, I turned to see him still sitting there, a smile on his face and in my anger, I put the car in reverse and drove away, trying my hardest to not turn around to look back at him though as I glanced in my rearview mirror, I saw that he was still smiling and it infuriated me, more than I would have liked to admit.

A/N:

Hey guys! I hope you are having a great weekend, lucky for you, you get an update because I have an interview in Seattle tomorrow morning hence the no going out with my friends tonight. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the new chapter! It was pretty long and took pretty much all day! Anyways! I can't wait to hear what you all have to say! As usual, I want to thank everyone who continues to add this story to your favorites/alerts! You amaze me each time because there are always more! I appreciate it so much because there wouldn't be a story if people didn't read it!

I'd also like to thank my reviewers! You guys rock and I appreciate everything you say! You are the reason why I love writing!
x-aly-x
SWChica2005:I know what you mean about Kings Cross… I lived in London last year for the whole year and went there… And other places where they filmed the movie. I also found it critical to go to the places where they filmed scenes from Pride and Prejudice as it's one of my favorites!
TwiWritier15
CullenGirl255
rainpuddle13
sprinter1
ameeona: I'm glad you like it! I hope you continue to enjoy it!
Luvntwilight
greenbuttonsx
bloodredeclipse
bellestormes
wingedvamp1107
aquakim
FRK921
justm

Thank you all again! You all are amazing!

Preview: Port Angeles (though there will be minor changes, like Alice is probably going to go with her along with Angela and probably Jessica)… Bella is going to learn soon about what Edward has been hiding… And someone is going to show up that is going to turn things completely upside down for both Edward and Bella… Though there was suggestions as to Bella's daughter showing up it's not what is going to happen… I wanted to make that part of a sequel if there is one… All I can say is that this is following as close to cannon as I can since they are all human…

I hope you all are having a lovely weekend and I can't wait to see what people think about this new chapter!