A/N: So sorry that this is later than expected! My beta says I can blame her, but she's too wonderful. So I'll just blame it on the fact that I'm trying to catch up my posts in Twilighted to Fanfiction.

Thanks to MsWDarcy-you are da bomb.

Thanks to nowforruin!

Warning: adult content and violence.

Disclaimer: all recognizable characters and Twilight belong to Stephenie Meyer, the rest is copyrighted 2010 ElspethGordie

xoxo

Chapter Eleven: Caveat

I shot straight up in my bed, soaked with sweat and breathing heavily. The room was dark, but something was out of place. This wasn't my room. This wasn't my bed.

I wasn't at home.

I looked frantically around the room, and found his eyes watching me wide and confused. Edward was sitting in a small chair at the opposite end of the room; it looked like he had been reading, but the book had been abandoned long ago. His hair was in a higher than normal state of disarray. But his eyes told all.

He looked at me in concern, not pity, and confusion. Then I remembered my evening. I lay back against the pillows in a sigh of defeat. It had been a blast, to say the least.

Leaning back against the pillows, I took one hand to push the hair out of my face. Crap.

I dreamt about my little girl. Well, not my little girl—I couldn't know that yet. He had come for her, for me. I remember being pushed into the pool, and Dr. Cullen checking for injuries. Flashbacks to that night. Falling asleep in Edward's arms. Asking him to stay with me.

Why can't I have a nice, boring night?

I vaguely remembered him waking me up several times during the night.

I sat up again, bringing up my other hand to keep my hair out of my face. I could feel him staring. I would be flattered that he couldn't keep his eyes off me if I didn't know better. I looked like a wreck…honestly it felt a bit creepy. Edward was a many faceted man. But the staring was getting on my nerves.

I pushed the covers off of me—I needed to get out of bed. If I didn't, I was going to fall asleep again. And I couldn't do that. I had definitely over stayed my welcome. I wanted to go home.

I turned to the side, and swung my legs off the bed. Ow. Son of a bitch. Mother flipping ass magnets. That damn bitch has no idea what's coming to her. I hurt all over.

Edward moved to help me, but I flinched away. He looked hurt, but moved back to his chair. It wasn't his fault. I did not want to be touched right now—for any reason. I leaned forward, placing my head in my hands, and took a few deep breaths to collect myself.

I looked up and he was staring at me the façade of reading completely given up; the book was propped open on the arm of the chair. His eyes glinted in the dim lighting. He had a small reading lamp on, but the rest of the room was dark.

Defensiveness is an effective way to put off explanations.

"What?"

"Good morning to you too." He wasn't sincere.

"I had a rough night. I need to get home." I pulled myself off the bed looking for my shoes. At least I still had my clothes on from the previous evening. Nakedness would be awkward.

"Whoa, whoa. Wait a minute." He snorted. "You had a rough night?" He leaned forward in his chair, his messy hair hanging into his eyes. He mumbled. "Damn talking all night, not one moment's peace."

I tried not to stare, really I did. And honestly its not that I'm blind, because I'm not—I've noticed it. Edward is hot. Even in his rumpled button down, and bare feet. Even with giant circles under his green eyes, and a long suffering look on his face.

Boys equal bad. No boys for Bella. I learned the hard way. But part of me wanted to touch. Just a little bit?

"What are you running from Bella?" He pulled my attention to his lips. Mmmm lips.

"Huh?"

"You talk in your sleep. What are you running from?" He scooted forward to the edge of the chair, but didn't get up and move towards me.

It took me a second to process his question. All thoughts of his possible tastiness flew out the window. Well, most of them.

"I'm standing right here. I'm not running." I began to look in earnest for my purse, or at least my shoes. He heard me talk in my sleep. Shit. I could have said anything.

He released a long breath, and his voice hardened. "You know what I mean Bella. What's going on?"

This is why I don't do friends.

"I already told you, Edward. Bad relationship. Bad breakup. Moved here. What more is there to say?" I found my shoes stuck in the corner, and grabbed them. I sat on the bed not looking him in the eye.

"You were begging, Bella. Pleading."

"So what? It was probably a nightmare." I yanked my hair out of my face fed up with it, and pulled it into a pony tail.

He sat still in the chair, not moving. He silently gazed at me, is jaw twitching from being clenched.

Crossing my arms I stared at him. "What?"

"I thought we were friends. I deserve some kind of explanation for last night." His voice grated.

"Strings, of course. My life it's not something that can be fixed with a wave of a magic wand." I was baiting him, but he thought he was entitled because we were 'friends.' Who the hell does he think he is?

He caught my eye, and raised one eyebrow in challenge.

I glared back. Fine. The SOB wants information—he wants to know 'what's going on.'

"The doctor at home, she says that I have post-traumatic stress disorder. But that's just the nice was of saying I have flashbacks, and nightmares, and anxiety like you wouldn't believe." I didn't think about what I was saying. I was spilling more to him than I wanted because I was going for shock value. The only reason Mom knew anything was because the doctor told her too.

His face softened.

"And that's just the textbook symptoms that I have." I stood up and began pacing the room. Back and forth, between the bed and a desk, but never near Edward. "I'm an unusual case. The whole touching shit that makes me relive the trauma." I laughed without feeling. "Trauma."

Edward stood up and walked towards me. I automatically flinched away and stopped when my back touched the wall. Trapped.

"Bella. I'm sorry."

I glared at him. "What do you have to be sorry about? It's not your fault I'm a royal screw-up."

He gingerly sat down on the bed. "Bella, come here."

I looked at him skeptically. He patted the bed. I looked around the room, I don't know, looking for an escape?

"Bella, I'm not going to hurt you."

Slowly I walked towards him, once I was close enough he reached out and grabbed my hand. I inwardly cringed. He waited a moment then pulled me the rest of the way to the bed. He dropped my hand and wrapped his arm around my waist forcing me to sit next to him.

I sat, remaining as stiff and as stoic as possible. I had said too much. He had goaded me into telling him stuff I didn't want to share. Why did I tell him when experience told me not to?

He slowly wrapped both arms around me, pulling me into his chest. I rested my cheek against the firmness of his muscles. I listened to the steady thumping of his heart, and slowly relaxed into his embrace.

He rubbed slow circles into my back, and rested his head on top of mine. "I'm sorry, Bella, that you have had to suffer so much pain. You don't deserve any of it." I tried to respond, but he just shushed me.

The time he held me for, could have been minutes or hours. He didn't let me protest; instead he just comforted me without words. What he said was deafening.

A knock on the door broke us out of our reverie. I leaped away from him, feeling for something else solid to hold on to. I looked between him and the door. He sighed, closing his eyes, "And we were doing so well. Bella, sit and calm down, you're going to hyperventilate."

He was right. I was breathing really fast, but I didn't even notice it. I placed my hands on my stomach and breathed slowly, trying to think calming thoughts. But mostly I just thought about my baby.

He walked to the door and opened it. His father was standing in the doorway. I glanced at him, confused, because he looked royally pissed off. The few times that I've interacted with Dr. Cullen he was kind, and compassionate, and maybe made me drool a little, but right now he looked scary. I must have whimpered, because Edward stepped protectively between me and his father.

"I'll be right back." He stepped into the hall with his angry father. I tried not to listen, I tried to focus on my breathing. But I couldn't help it.

"What do you think you are doing with that girl, Edward?"

"Nothing, dad. I'm just trying to help her out." Nothing?

"She has way too much going on for you to be butting in and bothering her."

"I'm not bothering her! What the hell, dad? What do you think I'm doing?"

"You better not be messing with her. I don't want another Victoria on our hands."

"You don't know hell about that psycho bitch." I thought I heard him growl. "Mother f-"

"Watch your language young man." I heard a bang on the door, like a fist had tried to go through it.

"Edward." Dr. Cullen sounded tired. "You are just putting your life back together again. I just don't want to see you mess it up. You have enough to deal with; she has enough to deal with."

"What are you saying dad? You think I'm going to mess up Bella's life?"

"No, no, what I'm saying is that maybe you should back off, let your sister take care of Bella."

"I can't dad. I'm the only one she can touch, uh…other than girls. I think she might need me."

"She can touch you? Interesting." He paused for a moment mulling it over. I bet both of them had pulled extra hair out in the past twelve hours. "You just need to be careful with her. There is a lot you don't know."

I gasped. So much for doctor patient confidentiality.

"What do you know dad?"

"Enough, to tell you—be careful. She has problems. I don't want you…"

The rest was muffled. Their voices finally lowered enough that I couldn't hear them through the door, unless I wanted to go put my ear against the slit between the door and the door jam. I thought that might be a little obvious when I fell or got another concussion from being smacked in the head when Edward came back in.

I needed to go home. I wanted to curl up in my own bed.

OoOoOoOo

I stood up and straightened my rumpled clothes as well as I could. Purse. Check. Shoes. Check. Now I just have to slip out of the house, without coming in contact with anyone. Too bad I never went to that super spy summer camp when I was thirteen. Yeah, that would have helped right about now.

I made my way across his room, and listened carefully at the door. The voices were still there, but they sounded farther away. Like they finally realized that they could be overheard.

Slowly and carefully I twisted the door knob. Maybe if I got out of the house scot-free then I could scamper over to Emmett's and talk him into taking me home.

I peeked out the now opened door, and looked to see if the coast was clear. No one was in the hallway, but there was only one way out, to the front door. Unfortunately the voices, which were gradually getting louder, came from my only exit.

Before I could make a decision, such as finding an appropriate window and climbing out, I was caught.

"Bella! How is your head?" Alice basically floated towards me on her toes.

I froze in place. Crap. I turned, planting a smile on my face. "I'm fine. Nothing a little advil won't clear up." Not that I could take any. Damn pregnancy restrictions.

She cocked her head and squinted her eyes a little as she looked at me. "Okay." She grabbed my hand. "You wanna get cleaned up?"

Before I had a chance to answer, she was already pulling me down the hallway. Sitting me down on her bed, she turned to her closet and pulled out a comfy top and a swooshy skirt. She sent me back out of the room and to the bathroom to clean up and change. Part of me expected her to follow me in, but she actually allowed me to pee in private.

I took care of my business, and proceeded to change. I don't know how Ali had clothes that fit me, especially now. I washed my face, wincing at the slight bump on my temple. Searching the drawers quickly I found Alice's brush and a hair band to comb and fix my hair.

Mostly presentable I left the bathroom, to find Alice waiting for me. If she hadn't been there, I would have tried to sneak out. Dammit.

I smiled at her sheepishly. "Thanks for the clothes, Ali"

She smiled and winked. "Just wait to see what I have planned for you to wear this week!" She ushered me into her room, while I silently groaned, and proceeded to bounce on her bed. She beckoned me to join her, but the slight ache in my head held me back.

"I told Dad and Edward that we were going to have some girl time. Mom is making Dad grocery shop with her, and Edward went on a run, so we have the house to ourselves for a while." Good to know that Edward wouldn't be asking more questions.

Finally settling down, Alice sat and grabbed a pillow to hold in her lap. "Okay Bella." She patted the bed, a command not a request. "Spill."

I sat. I already learned better than to evade or ignore her. "About what?" There were too many things I was hiding.

"The walls are very thin here. I heard you talking to Edward this morning. Or perhaps I should say shouting."

I raised my eyebrows. I had not known that I was loud enough to over hear. "Uh… you first." She squinted one eye. I jogged her memory. "Last night, pool party, outrageous flirting with Jasper that even I noticed?"

Her face broke into the biggest beaming smile I had ever seen right before she let loose the highest pitch squeal I had ever heard. She bounced in her seat, and grabbed my hands to hold in her own.

Leaning forward conspiratorially, "Didn't he look sooooo cute last night! He had that dark blue t-shirt, raggedy jeans, and cowboy boots! And every time he smiled, that little dimple showed up in his left cheek." She sighed dramatically, then fell back on her bed.

I snickered. "So, what did he say?"

Her face screwed up in annoyance. "He's oblivious, that's what. We talked, and he mentioned school stuff, family stuff, and friend stuff. But I swear he must have the thickest head this side of the Mississippi! I don't think he had any idea that I was flirting! I pulled out the big guns!"

"Big guns?"

She growled at my lack of knowledge. "You know, I touched him a lot…gave him a peek at the cleavage…"

I squinted my eyes at her and cocked my head. She rolled her eyes. "I wore a push-up bra."

I laughed. "Well Alice, I guess that means your going to have to hit him over the head with it then."

She grunted in agreement.

I patted her leg sympathetically. "Don't worry. One day he'll notice, and he'll be the luckiest guy in the entire world. He'll have you."

Ali sat up, pursed her lips scheming. "You're right. Now how do we hit him over the head?"

"We?"

"Of course we. We're friends, right? That means you have to help me out." She looked down at her hands fiddling.

I froze for an instant, my mouth shaped like a little O. But before the instant was over, my face felt like it was going to break in half, my smile ripping across it. Friend.

"Of course." I agreed. "You tell me what to do, and he won't know what hit him."

She nodded her little head in agreement. I chuckled to myself. He'd never see it coming. Poor Jasper.

"Alright," She sat up crossing her legs Indian style. "Your turn."

I sighed. I had really hoped we wouldn't get to my turn.

"Bella. I know that we've only known each other a week, but I feel like I've known you forever." I nodded; I felt the same way too. "You told me that your ex hurt you, that that's why boys can't touch you." She picked at the comforter for a second, thinking. "I just want you to know that you can trust me. I'll be your friend no matter what."

How did she know that that was the main source of my insecurity, in telling anyone anything? My mom didn't stand by me. Bree didn't even believe me. I didn't know if I could take rejection like that from someone else.

But Dr. Cullen had said that Alice would be my friend, and he knew. Maybe I should trust her. I really wanted too.

"What did you hear earlier?"

"Post-traumatic stress disorder. And about the symptom of touch." I nodded. "But I kinda figured that out. What I want to know is why my brother can touch you?"

I shrugged. "No idea. I freak out when any other guy gets near." I brushed the loose hairs that had escaped my ponytail out of my face, and used my other hand to gently rub my stomach.

"What I do know, is that even when I'm annoyed with him, me makes me feel safe."

She nodded, but her eyes were distant, the wheels in her head were turning. I leaned back on the bed, both hands on my tummy. Her room was a testament of all things girl. There was a gentle evolution around the room. I could see the phases of ballerinas, horses, and fairies, to music, boys, and art. Her room showed life.

"What else?" She leaned back next to me so that we were side by side on her bed, our legs hanging off the side.

"Alice?"

"Yea?"

"I promise to tell you sometime. But not yet. Okay?"

She turned her head to look at me. I waited while she studied my face. She propped herself up on one arm. "Okay. But I'm going to hold you to that."

I nodded. I was glad that she wasn't going to push. I had only known her a week, but part of me knew that how long we knew each other really didn't matter. Alice was Alice, and she would be my friend. But I just needed time, to be normal, to be me.

"You know what we need?" I shook my head. "Pedicures." I smiled as she bounced across the room and began to collect her implements of torture.

It was nice to be normal.

OoOoOoOo

Monday, September 1st My cell glowed at me. I looked at the date rather than the little phone symbol that indicated I had a voicemail—I'd been avoiding listening to it all weekend.

I'd gotten the message on Friday night when I 'passed out.' And I hadn't taken the time yet to listen to it. It was probably from Mom, but she was the last person I wanted to talk to, or rather listen to.

The weekend had flown by, and another week had already begun.

Charlie came home early on Saturday, just in time for dinner. I made steak and potatoes.

"Bells, how are you feeling?" He asked, entering the house.

I watched as he took off his sport coat and loosened his tie. "I'm fine, Dad."

"Bella." His tone sounded very dad-ish, and it annoyed me. It was great of him to take me in, but he hadn't acted like my dad in a long time.

"I'm fine." I huffed. "Dr. Cullen thought I might have a slight concussion, but he said everything looks good now. I have a few bruised, but otherwise healthy." And the baby was fine too, but Charlie did not need to know that.

He looked at me skeptically. I rolled my eyes. "You can call him if you don't believe me."

That must have convinced him because he nodded, and moved into the other room to take off his shoulder holster for his gun. I had to admit, the shoulder holster—very cool, much better than the dopy donut hip holster for normal cops. It was kinda neat that Charlie was a detective.

Reentering the room, Charlie came up behind me while I was at the stove, and startled me. I leaped nearly a foot away. He gave me a weird look, and I tried to breeze past my reaction. I was glad he hadn't tried to touch me.

I was pretty sure that Mom kept Charlie in the dark over everything that happened in May. I didn't even know what reason she told him for my coming here. I was surprised he agreed so readily. He was never enthusiastic before.

"Smells good, Bells." He grinned at me. Yea, he was happy he wasn't eating take out anymore.

But it was nice to be appreciated. I smiled back.

"Hey, Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks… for you know everything. My room is great. And you know…" I trailed off.

Charlie blushed and grunted in reply.

That wasn't awkward at all.

We spent the rest of the weekend reacquainting ourselves with each other. We talked about school, Alice's tenacity, and even baseball. I hadn't seen him in over three years. They last I spent time with Charlie was in junior high, before he was promoted to detective. It was an overall pleasant end to a uniquely begun weekend.

But unfortunately weekends always end, and here I was staring at my phone outside the girl's bathroom during lunch. Technically we weren't allowed to have our phones on at school, but honestly if a teacher didn't see or hear it they weren't going to look for it.

My mom had called a few times during the weekend, but I had ignored her calls. She didn't leave another voicemail.

Angela had seen me staring at my phone during lunch and finally convinced me to go and listen to it.

Ang had joined the rest of us at lunch today. I found out in English that her date did not go as planned. In fact it had crashed and burned. That's why she didn't call me all weekend. She didn't want to tell me what happened. It was like pulling teeth, but I finally got it out of her.

I widened my eyes, trying to look serious. "Angela, come on you have to tell me now."

She gritted her teeth. "You don't want to know, it was really that bad."

I batted my eyes at her.

"Fine." She pointed her finger at me. "But no one must know. Got it?"

"Got it."

"Eric, ugh, took me to this Mexican restaurant. But it wasn't just any Mexican restaurant, it was Latino karaoke night. Not only did he repeatedly serenade me off-key after off-key horny Spanish songs, but he also got terrible gas from his bean burrito. Then I found out he was secretly getting sloshed, by sneaking vodka into his ice tea. I had to drive him home in his car, that reeked of…. Oh my gosh, you don't want to know." She looked a little green. "The thought of it makes me throw up a little in my mouth."

I tried to keep it in, but poor Angela. That had got to be one of the worst dates ever. I snickered quietly to myself.

She looked at me annoyed. It only made me laugh harder. Soon enough she joined me, because off-key-wasted-mexican-eric was truly awful, and if you can't laugh at something like that, what was there to laugh at?

Ang came to our table at lunch to hide, because Eric promised to eat lunch with her, and she couldn't stand the thought of it.

I introduced her to everyone, and without an interrogation from Rosalie, she fit in easily. Alice and Emmett included her in their conversation about mountain goats, or something totally random like that when she noticed me staring at my phone.

Angela could be just as persuasive as Alice when she wanted to be.

Alone in the hall, I double checked for teachers, or heaven-forbid Mr. Banner, the assistant principal, and called my voicemail.

Hey Izz, where have you been? I haven't seen you all summer, and I really miss you. Come on baby, you know that everything was just a misunderstanding. It was nothing that you didn't want. You know I love you. I'm heading out to college soon, and I really want to see you before I leave. You know you're the only girl for me. … Isabella, you better call me back. You hear? I love you, baby.

He had promised that he would come for me.

It was ironic that I was near the girl's restroom, because I wasn't close enough. Fortunately there was a trashcan not two feet away. I made it in time to completely lose my lunch.

I'm never eating bananas again.

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