Bella suffered another sleepless night, tossing and turning. She thought seriously about packing some clothes and just doing a runner, but the thought of leaving Edward behind after he head laid his soul bare for all to see to show her his love was too painful.

In the morning she shuffled out of bed to make her family a nice, nutricious breakfast before they were off to the picturesque countryside. Lighting the candles, she dreamed about a life where sunlight would come streaming in through the windows in the morning. That was the world she had to fight for, and it was worth her sacrifices.

"Are you sure you don't want to come along, Bella?" Charline asked as they were getting into the car."

"Yes, Mom, I've already told you," Bella said. "Edward's dad is going to teach a potion brewing class, and I don't want to miss this opportunity."

"Education is important," said René. "I admire your sense of priority. We'll bring you back some pressies. Take care!"

Then they were off, and Bella dragged her feet back to bed. She was bloody depressed. It wasn't even as if she got to sleep for very long before someone knocked on her window again.

It was Marius. With the exception of Combeferre, he was the last person she wanted to see right then. He was really worried about Cosette, since they had arranged to meet up and she wasn't there. Bella half-heartedly told him the kidnap-story, but said that they had headed out to Bretagne instead. He almost fell to pieces, and Bella had to comfort him while he was sobbing helplessly.

"There, there," she said, patting his shoulder awkwardly as he lay collapsed onto her bed. "She's not coming back as a werewolf, there is no full moon this week."

"But why do you think he's even going to bring her back?" Marius sobbed. "If he's abducted her and your mother, then all promises are off! We've lost her!" He grabbed Bella like she was some sort of teddy bear, and bawled into her shoulder.

Pox onto Marius and that sensitive poetic temperament of his. It was really uncomfortable and awkward having him lying more or less on top of her, crying like a little girl. Edward was sensitive and poetic too, and he would never make such a spectacle out of himself. Bella tried her best to calm him down, clumsily stroking his hair and telling him it would be alright. It didn't work too well.

"Are you comforting all of your friends' boyfriends that intimately?" asked a chagrined voice that just had to belong to Edward. Nobody else did chagrin as sexily as that.

"Oh, Edward! Thank goodness you are here!" Bella exclaimed. "Please move this guy."

"What the hell is wrong with him?" Edward asked unhelpfully.

"Heartbreak," Bella explained. "Now please move him, he's heavy."

Edward wrapped his strong, muscular arms around Marius limp, shaking form, and placed him in a chair with no particular effort. Bella loved seeing him be manly.

"Has something bad happened to him?" Edward asked. "Anyone beaten him up for bad poetry? Why isn't Cosette taking care of him?"

"She's not here," Bella explained quickly. "My parents took her to Bretagne for the week, and..."

"He's abducted her!" howled Marius. "That dreadful father they've got is going to turn her into a werewolf!"

"Now hold on!" Bella snapped. "We have no proof of that!"

"We'll go talk to Dad," Edward said. "He always knows what to do. Go get dressed, Bella."

"Um, this is my room," Bella replied. "All my clothes are in here. You two get out!"

Soon they were in Edward's sexy Volvo, heading for the Cullen abode. Marius had finally composed himself a bit, and was so quiet that Bella forgot he was even in the back seat. She said some saucy things to Edward that she wouldn't have if she'd remembered. Not that Marius paid attention, though. He had sunk into a black ocean of depressed despair, and Edward almost had to carry him from the car.

Once inside the house, they were met by a giggling Rosalie and a grinning Emmet. They were half dressed, and Emmet had an empty bottle in his hand.

"Ooh, look!" Said Rosalie, smiling from ear to ear. "It's uncle Eddie and aunti Bella! And... that guy."

"What do you mean, uncle and aunt?" Edward asked confusedly. "You haven't..?"

Emmet laughed and held the bottle up triumphantly.

"Congratulation!" Bella exclaimed and hugged Rosalie.

"We'll need a bigger house," Edward stated practically. "Where is Dad?"

"He's gone to talk to Valjean about that secret plot," Rosalie explained. "It seems like a big thing. I hope it is the Revolution, at last."

"Our kid is going to grow up in freedom!" Emmett stated proudly.

Edward sighed, and brought Bella and Marius into the living room. They sank into the comfy sofas and started watching the newest episode of Sherlock. Bella thought that she would have liked to be a detective, solving all manners of grizzly crimes and bring justice. She wondered if her family were having fun in Provence. With vampire driving skills, they ought to be there by now.

Marius looked like a broken man. Bella felt bad for putting him through the torture of thinking that Cosette was kidnapped and possibly in danger. But he would be so happy when she returned. If she told him she had gone away voluntarily he would think she had betrayed him, and they would both be unhappy.

Esme insisted that Bella would stay with them for the week, rather than being home alone. Bella seriously didn't mind for a second. Living in that huge, cool mansion with her best friends and the love of her life was a dream come true. She tried to act a little sad, though, so they'd think she was worried about Cosette and Charline. Every time she put on a sad face, Edward was there to hug and comfort her. It was hard not to abuse his sympathy.

When Carlisle got home and heard what was supposed to have happened, he got very serious, and started working on a potion that could show whether someone was a werewolf. He was really happy to be a grandfather, although he said that Emmett would have to do the house expansion, since he had very secret plans to work on.

Little Lynette was thrilled that she was going to have someone her own size to play with. She was growing very fast and looked about 5 now. Esme didn't want her to become any much bigger, so Carlisle was working on a potion to stop her at about 8. She was so adorable that Bella started wanting one of her own. But it would have to wait until they were free. Or maybe they ought to take some hundred years off just being young and in love before they settled down. After all, Rosalie and Emmet had been together since the early Victorian era. It was time for them to start their own family now.

To her chagrin, Bella was given her own bedroom. She had hoped to stay with Edward, but she didn't complain. The room was lovely with a huge wrought iron bed that she almost sank into. There was a wide-screen tv on the oposite wall, and she watched a very romantic drama before she fell asleep. In her dreams, she lived with Edward on a beautiful farm in southern France, and fought crime under a secret identity at night.