You guys rock so damn much. I love you. Like with a passion. As in, if I wasn't so naive, I'd marry each and every one of you. I was getting all these reviews in my in box and I was like "Shit, I should start writing!" I got over a 1000 words last night done and woke up to the rest of my reviews. And alas I've been working sense 9 am. So this is extra long to show my love.

I packed half the twins' wardrobe under the impression that they wouldn't hesitate to get all dirty. I was slightly more so cautious with the amount of clothing I packed for Melly and myself. Little Melly had a little more self-control and was too shy for that. In total there were four over-stuffed bags and I still hadn't packed the smaller necessities of the twins. With the three of them occupied, I went to the kitchen to collect a modest number of bottles, bottle liners, and sippy cups for them all.

When I had everything packed, I kicked the bags to the front door and stopped to take a breather.

I half wondered what the heck I was doing right now, getting ready to spend the night at a guy's house. I could always cover with the fact that Alice would be there too, but I didn't know Alice well enough to consider us real friends. Edward was pretty much it for me. But still, the distraction was warmly welcomed.

"Hey, Edward?"

His voice sounded relieved when he replied, coming out from the living room. Oh yeah, he definitely was relieved. "Yeah?"

"Can we stop at the store and pick up some three-percent milk on the way to your house?"

His perfect nose wrinkled. "Three-percent," he repeated, not holding back any disgust. "That's disgusting! But if you really can't drink skim..."

"Its for the twins," I added. "They drink it when they go to sleep."

"Ah," he said in a contradiction voice, "but I hear the alcohol can help put a child to rest. A little whiskey and before you know it..." I scowled at him. "I'm kidding," Edward laughed. "But no, really, my parents did it to me when I was a baby. I bet your parents did it to you as a baby too."

I stiffened. "Yes, but I bet it was for a different reason."

While I went upstairs to change, Edward started loading the bags into his car. This was incredibly stupid of me, but I didn't want to be alone anymore. The thoughts were too scary. Who knows what I might do. Looking through the clothes that I hadn't packed up, I slipped on my jeans but was tied with having no shirt that could match this sudden standard I had; I wanted to look good. For once, I wanted to look good beside Edward the God.

I couldn't remember the last time I really bought myself something new in the terms of clothes. Every dollar went straight for the girls. Daycare costs, making sure they had clothes – that they looked taken care of – and food to eat, that we had a roof over our head. Everything that a person needs. Every dollar I got it when toward them. The scarce bills that Charlie handed out were always for them, never me. I had a few new T-shirts, nothing special, but they were all packed away. All I had was a short sleeved black T-shirt. Plain, boring.

I slipped it on and left my room before I could start dwelling over every mistake made in this house.

With my hoodie on over the shirt, I laced up my sneakers and started onto the twins after giving Edward firm instructions on taking out the car seats. I slipped on Sophie's jacket, moved on to helping Emma only to be told no. She struggled with herself to get her arms through the holes and when I put my hands on her to help, she screamed, which only silenced after she was zipped. Then she was all smiles.

Melly was my angel. She got herself ready except for putting her shoes on the wrong feet. I fixed her minor mistake quickly when I heard Edward yell.

"What's wrong?" I demanded, poking my head out the front door. Emma toddled outside into the cool air, falling onto her bum on the concrete steps to slid down the stairs.

"How do you get these things in the car?" Edward yelled back, shaking one of the car seats over his head. Honestly, he looked like a manic but it made me smile and laugh.

"I'll be right out!" I laughed, closing the door on him. I went to pocket my debit card and house keys, handing Sophie a sippy cup when she started getting whiney. This was all so natural to me now, knowing what they wanted reflexively, that it even scared me. "Are you ready to go?" I asked excitedly.

While Sophie accentuated my last word, Melly asked, "Where?"

I smiled at her as I lifted Sophie to my hip. "We're going back to the Cullen's, sweetie. Are you okay with that?" She gave me this uncomprehending look. "Edward's house to hang out with his family. You remember them right?"

She shrugged once like it had slipped her mind and walked out of the kitchen without a word. I sighed after her with a feeling of helplessness. If only I could give that little girl what she deserved.

When I got outside and locked the door, I went over to Edward, wordlessly handing him Sophie and hooked both car seats in less than five minutes. He frowned when I gave him a pointed look, holding my hands out for Sophie. "Lucky try," he muttered, picking up a squealing Emma and handing her off.

A smirk hit my face but I said nothing, taking the baby, going to the other side of the vehicle and strapped her in. After ensuring Melly was secured in between them, I took a nice relaxing breath.

I loved them, I'd do anything for them, but there's no feeling like accomplishment. The relaxation that comes with it is just heavenly. When I opened my eyes, Edward was staring at me. "What?" I tried laughing off my embarrassment but it wasn't working.

"I still don't know how you do it." He sounded frustrated, like he was missing something that was so blindly in front of him. "The way you interact with them – its like you never get tired! You know what your doing and you just..." He exhaled. "Surprise me. Constantly."

I looked at him sceptically, unsure about his mental stability at the moment. "Are you okay?" I asked carefully. Maybe I was treading unearthly waters.

"Haven't been sleeping," he waved me off. I think he knew that I wanted to pry about this but maybe he didn't want to hear it, so I just let it go. We got in the car – the ever almighty Volvo – and headed for Edward's home. "So my mom and dad won't be home when we get there but they should be later. I actually think its just the guys home," he added as an afterthought, reaching for his phone in a divot on the dash.

But I slipped out of his grasp before he could wrap his fingers around it. "Not in the car," I mumbled, glancing back at the girls.

"Right. Of course." He seemed flustered. "I, uh, forgot and all."

"And all," I repeated, amused. "Edward, you don't have to be embarrassed for something about this. I'm just thinking about their safety, okay? I want to say its no big deal but it really is a big deal."

He nodded and the movement seemed to sober him up. He grinned at me with that twinkle in his eyes. "My apologizes, Bella, and," he glanced behind him, "little girls who have no idea what I'm saying. Anyway, could you text Alice and ask her where she is? She's under my contacts." I nodded and conveyed the message, slipping the phone under my right leg.

Edward gave me a pointed look that I had to smile at. "Just for safe keeping," I explained innocently. A few minutes later there was a steady beep that made me jump, crackling through Edward's vicious rock music, and while he laughed at me I answered Alice's text. "She's at home and is going to Port Angeles with Rosalie, leaving in half an hour," I told him in that drawled, slow voice people always used when trying to talk and text.

"Tell her you guys are coming over," he suggested, just a distracted as he turned a corner.

When I realized which corner he was turning, I started laughing. "We're here, why would I text her?" I gestured to the Cullen Mansion.

Edward grinned again, and I started to wonder why every time he did that, I also had to smile and felt this weird constriction in my chest. "I don't know," he laughed. "The drive from your house to mine is much longer in perspective."

And there, my smile widened. I had to look down at my lap before I said or did something stupid. Like reach other and touch him.

While Edward started unloading the bags I worked to get every girl out of the seats. I remembered as I was unbuckling Emma just how difficult this had been in the beginning – I used to break a sweat doing it! Little girls only wanted to help in theory; Caitlyn had always stayed back and away from helping like she was avoiding the plague. But now I was used to it and it was as if they understood not to make it any harder. I set Emma down, helped slid Melly out of the backseat from in between them, and went to get Sophie out. She held onto me before I could put her down. I gently pried her off of me and stood her on the ground.

Such a suck.

"Bella!"

The scream could shatter the very fabric of our earth, break the pieces apart and throw us into pools of boiling lava. I turned around cautiously, scowling when Edward laughed at my expression. "Hi, Alice," I called back.

She came running down the steps and suddenly I was really glad I set Sophie down. Alice launched herself at me, her arms went around my neck and her legs around my waist. Her excitement was terrifying. Not scary, terrifying. The force behind her action sent us right into the side of the Volvo and I think I heard Edward screech like a little girl. There was a chorus of small, baby laughs, followed by deeper chuckles. At least they could share amusement over this because I didn't find it funny.

My back dug into the handle, my head whipped back and slammed right on the corner. An imaginable amount of pain sprouted down from my skull to my neck, continuing down, and I felt it in the back of my stomach, down my legs.

If the world really would end, it wouldn't be because 2012, it would be Alice's fault.

"Shit, Alice!" Edward yelled, but his sister was oblivious to it. She was bouncing, which felt, and I'm sure looked, awkward in the position we were still in. I was still pressed painfully pressed against the car. "Get off of her!"

"Jesus, Edward! Such a prick!" Alice yelled back. Right in my ear. Suddenly I wanted to be home again. Safe and cozy, alone. Not in so much pain. Alice jumped down and I immediately crumpled forward with the lack of pressure now emitting more pain, releasing a groan. "Oh my God, Bella, did I hurt you?" Alice shrieked, worried, taking a step in my direction.

But Edward grabbed her arm and pulled her away. "You take the bags inside," he commanded. To distract myself from the pain, I tried to think of how I would describe his voice. Furious. Livid. Irate. Incensed. Outraged. He really did care about me. "Now, Alice, I'm not playing here." There was no reply but distantly, whispers could be heard, so the others had to be present. There was a lot of shuffling before it felt more empty and silent than previously.

"Bella, are you okay?" Edward murmured. Bent over with my hands on my knees and hair shielding everything, I barely got a glimpse of Edward as he bent down on one knee, moved my hair with one hand and his other hand rested on my back.

"My back hurts so back," I said through gritted teeth. "And my head. Christ..."

He groaned as he got up, offering his hand, which I took gratefully. I straightened slowly, feeling weird pulls in my muscles but most of all lots of pain. "Come on, girls." He used that over exaggerated happy voice. "Let's go inside and play."

I had to smile slightly but it faded when I caught everyone's eyes. They were all standing on the front porch just outside the doorway and Alice did seem quite upset. That at least made me grateful. However everyone else looked cynically at us all, like something was wrong. Did there being no Caitlyn send a light bulb off in their heads? Or did it have to do with us staying the night? I decided, almost instantly, that it did at least have something to do with the girls. It always had something to do with the girls.

Edward grabbed my hand and I didn't complain because it felt good. Good and reassuring. That someone wasn't going to let me go down without a fight. When I glanced up at him all he did was flash me his blinding smile, which made me shift my eyes away. His hand that held mine pulled me closer to him until our sides touched. My stomach felt hollow at that moment while my heart felt very heavy. Our hands released and his arm when around my waist.

Melly came up to me to grab my free hand and asked me to pick her up. With the pain I was in I had to decline. We were met halfway down the walkway by Emmett. I stared wide-eyed up at him.

His expression wasn't like the others. He looked like he almost got it. Whatever the "it" to him was, I didn't want to know nor did I have an intention of finding out.

He ruffled my hair, saying Alice was upset about what she did, then moved onto Melly. She smiled widely at him. I think the little girl had a crush.

"And there are my two favourite girls!" Emmett called, opening his arms above his head like he was the God almighty. I looked behind me in time to see Emma's blinding grin and Sophie's laugh.

I fought to swallow the tears, at least bury them for a few hours, but they threatened painfully when I heard those little girls laugh. It twisted so deep. I didn't know what this emotion was that I was feeling, though I did know I never wanted to experience it again. It felt something like regret mixed with sorrow and a pain that couldn't be fixed.

"Are you okay?" Edward murmured as we started up the stairs. My back ached at the new angle.

I didn't reply until we passed Rosalie, Jasper, and Alice. They're stares were just as painful as the pain Alice caused me, which was almost as painful as what Renee and Charlie have caused me. I didn't want to stay in a place where I wasn't wanted. Of course, though, I have been doing that for eighteen years of my life.

"I...I don't feel wanted here," I replied carefully, releasing Melly's hand to run it over his head. "They're giving me these weird looks."

Edward sighed. "Well, I don't know what's wrong," he said. "At least Emmett feels the need to play with the girls. You can rest after that little, er, after what Alice did." He paused. "I'm sure she didn't mean it."

I smiled down at the floor. "You were more angry than I was. I'm just in pain," I replied helplessly.

When Edward released me I had a protest on the tip of my tongue, however I decided to keep it to myself. Now wasn't the time for me to be fawning of him. Edward told me to lay down on the couch while he grabbed some ice for my head.

Melly crawled on my lap before I could lay down. "You okay?" she asked quietly.

"I'm fine," I sighed, holding in every other response I could have given. She wouldn't get it and didn't even need to hear it. "How are you?"

"Happy," she giggled, bouncing on my lap. "I'm excited."

I grinned at her. "Me too. We're going to have lots of fun here, okay, no matter what," I told her. No matter how much I wish Caitlyn could be here with us, with the Cullens, and be able to enjoy this. No matter how much you miss your older sister, just let it go. "Just have fun, okay?"

"Imma have fun!" Melly cheered, clapping her hands in my face.

"And we wouldn't have it any other way," Edward added as he came back into the living room, holding a dishtowel. He moved Melly, had me lay down and placed the towel under my head, which was wrapped around an ice pack.

The feeling of the coolness pressing against my skin was so relieving that I wished I could have a giant icepack to cover my entire body.

"Hey Melly, why don't you go see what your sisters are up to?" Edward suggested, still talking in that over exuberant voice. I grinned at him, barely containing a small laugh. You know the world's about to have a revolution when you see a teenage boy talking goo-goo to a little girl.

"Where are they?" she squeaked, looking around the room with her curious gaze.

"You remember the way we came in?" I asked, and she pointed to the doorway leading out of the living room. I pat her back once and gently pushed her forward. "Go see what they're up to." She skipped out of the room, bouncing from one foot to the other like she was in one of those dream sequences, with the tall green grass, bright sun and very blue sky.

Edward was watching after her too, a small smile on her face. "She's handling the situation well?"

I shrugged, sighing. "She doesn't know any different," I replied briskly. "She's hardly even used to seeing Renee and Charlie around so its not like that's effecting her. But she's asked a few times where Caitlyn is, and I don't really know what to say. I think the whole 'she'll be back' thing is getting old."

Edward nodded in understanding, and I was struck again with my same train of thought.

He cared. Edward cared about me, he cared about the girls, he cared about whether or not I am okay. And if that wasn't touching in itself, I didn't know what was. Edward just moved to Forks too, he was getting used to things around here and the school, along with its students. An clique would gladly take him, especially the popular one. He probably belonged there too. Why was he hanging out with me? Why did he care? I still couldn't get it or wrap my head around it.

Then I realized something that shocked the crap out of me. I could always ask him.

I knew we weren't so open that I could confine in some of the smaller things, but we were open to some extent. He knew about the things I didn't want anyone else to know and he took it all in stride, always asking if I was okay, offering his help. Why? And I wasn't about to get my answer by thinking the question repeatedly.

My gaze moved up to look at him as I opened my mouth to speak, but his face had this impassive look that made me snap my jaw closed. His eyes had this thought process in them, which I couldn't determine. His lips, red from being chewed on, was just being released from his teeth and looked puffy, swollen. Why did that seem so attractive? I've never realized how striking someone could be, as I've never felt like this before; only ever read about crushes and lovers in books or on TV.

This is the first time I've ever experienced something remotely to what I've imaged thousands of times.

His hands came to rest on the couch, one next to my ribs and the other gently on the back of the couch. Our torsos almost touched. I arched myself into the couch, embarrassment getting the best of me and trying to put a little space – even a centimetre – between us. Edward's face was inches from mine, his breath on my lips, just grazing my skin.

My heart fell into my stomach before launching into my throat.

I felt something pressing on my side, gently stroking, making me lost in the soothing motion. Edward's thumb continued to move slowly over my clothes skin, spreading goose bumps, shivers up my spine.

The way he touched me was distracting, the only thing on my mind. When it stopped I focused on his face, though avoiding his eyes, watching as his lips parted, dangerously close to mine.

My body didn't move, didn't respond when his face finally came down to mine. I use the word "finally" because the suspense was killer, but also because I knew I've waited to feel this for years and years on top each other. This was one of the most special moments in my entire life, something I wasn't sure when I would finally feel. It was something that I gave up looking forward to when my responsibilities started growing and taking over every inch of my life.

Edward's lips stopped over mine, probably animating in the same bliss and shock I was feeling. His lips were softer than I ever could have imagined or fantasized about, but what caught my attention was how gentle it was.

Not like raw passion on TV but not quite back at the line of a "peck." I almost wanted to open my eyes to see his expression but the moment was too cozy to be ruined. I didn't want for it to be ruined. All I wanted was for him to stay like this for at least five more seconds.

However, he pulled back after a few more minutes to synchronize my expression. Under the weight of his green eyes and the warmth of my cheeks, I had to look away.

What was that expression on his face?

Bella and Edward just did what!

Okay, this is over 3800 words, which to me is surprising. I could have split it in half but I decided after last chapter, you all deserved this. Um, its 20 after 10 pm now and there were some events today that put writing off, so this was delayed by a few hours. I hope you enjoyed, and one more time...

If you guys get me to 289 or over in REVIEWS, I will update the day I receive such number. I am going to Niagara Falls this weekend so I will find a wi-fi spot if needed.

Review for Caitlyn to be saved and more ExB kisses.

Love Glitter 3