Disclaimer- Stephenie still owns the usual suspects.
I own my original characters and original story.

*This parallels chapters 55 and 56 of V&V ('Joy Rides & Clown Masks' and 'Hallelujah & Zombie Dances' respectively)

Enjoy!

******************************************************LRM***********************************************************

Chapters 55&56 – Night Terrors for The Fatigued

That night as I attempted to sleep on the Chief's sofa, the nightmare returned. I had come to the conclusion that Bella kept it away. I couldn't remember an instance where I'd had the dream while she slept in my arms.

This time when I'd found her lying on the path, aside from being motionless, she'd also been bruised and bloody. I awoke in a cold sweat once again, my body wracked with shudders.

Even though my logic told me that Bella was sleeping soundly upstairs, I couldn't settle down enough to fall back to sleep. I needed to see her.

I crept up the stairs as quietly as I could. When I reached the top, I glared at the Chief's door as I passed, willing it to remain shut. Bella's door was standing open. When I reached it, I stood in the doorway for a minute, just taking in the sight of her.

The nightmares were really fucking with my head. I knew I needed to get a handle on this anxiety, or pretty soon I would undoubtedly start acting like a prick. I moved across the room, and sat in a chair by the window. Bella tossed and turned as I kept vigil.

She told me before that she didn't sleep well without me.

I could feel myself begin to calm as I watched her. After a few minutes, she rolled over in bed, giving me a better view of her beautiful face. She didn't look peaceful or content at that moment though. I watched as her brows knit together and she frowned, "Edward" she murmured, still asleep.

I moved then, not caring if the Chief found me. I had to hold her. She never woke as I pulled her into my arms. Within minutes I relaxed and drifted into a peaceful slumber.

When I opened my eyes it was already dawn. I had never intended to stay this long, hoping that I'd awake while it was still dark and be able to creep downstairs unnoticed.

Charlie's going to kick my ass.

I carefully slipped my arms from around a still sleeping Bella and quietly left the room. Once I reached the bottom of the stairs, I thought I was home free. That was until I saw the Chief sitting still as stone in his recliner, next to the sofa which was supposed to be doubling as my bed.

Fuck.

I sheepishly walked over and began to gather the pillow and blankets together in order to put them away until that night. As I worked, Charlie watched me silently.

After the bedding was stowed, I went back to sit on the sofa. It was time to face the music for disobeying my future father-in-law's wishes. Charlie let me squirm for a few minutes before opening his mouth to speak. "Does Bella know you were in her room?"

"No sir, she never woke up. I was having trouble sleeping, it's always better when she's there." I offered lamely as I shrugged. "Nightmares."

Charlie pursed his lips as he thought. "Yeah, I heard you." He sighed.

He heard me? Was I talking in my sleep?

"I made coffee, you should have some." He directed.

And that was the last we spoke about it. If Charlie was angry or upset with me for sneaking into Bella's room, he never showed it.

-LRM-

Unbeknownst to Bella, Emmett and Rose were bringing our prom attire with them when they arrived Saturday morning. I tried to be nonchalant when I went out to help Emmett carry everything in, but the ever observant Miss Swan kept a close eye on us as we carried the garment bags upstairs.

I assumed that Rose gave her some sort of explanation, because she never questioned me.

Bella and I would have our first Pre-Cana class this morning. The only part of this exercise that troubled me was the fact that Emmett and Rose would also be attending.

I held out hope that if Emmett did something crazy enough, Father Pat would allow us to take our classes separately from them.

As it turned out, the next couple of hours were more a lesson on pre-teen Emmett's bad behavior. After hearing about all the insane things he'd done, I had a lot more respect for Charlie.

Once Emmett explained how messed up he'd been because of his parents' divorce, I almost felt sorry for him.

Almost.

It did manage to give me a new understanding of Bella's insecurities.

Once we got past all the Emmett stories, some of which were downright hilarious, I found the class to be quite insightful as Mr. and Mrs. Combs, the married couple that Father Pat had recruited to help, imparted their wisdom of almost forty years of married life.

After spending time with Mr. and Mrs. Combs, their marriage as close to the ideal as my own parents', I had to admit that I didn't expect our marriage to be like theirs. I had hopes that it would be even better.

I didn't know what prompted the sad expression which crossed Bella's face at one point during our discussion, but whatever the cause I needed to erase that haunted look. I covered her hand with mine, encouraging her to look into my eyes and was able to coax a smile.

From that moment, I didn't lose physical contact with her for the duration of the lesson.

I was unprepared for the moment when we were asked to write a letter to our intended. Bella, being a talented writer would no doubt be able to express herself far better than I, but I did my best and wrote the words that were in my heart:

.
Beautiful,

From the moment we met, I somehow knew that you would be a part of my life. Little did I realize that you would become my entire life.

I don't think I've made you fully aware of how bleak an existence I led before I found you. My family and friends loved me, certainly, and I had my work to keep me busy. I was content, but never truly happy. I knew in my heart that something was missing, something that would, if I found it, quell the nagging loneliness which filled my waking hours.

For years, I went through the motions of living a full life, all the time waiting. For what? I didn't know.

My heart recognized what I'd been missing the moment you spilled coffee on your shirt and blushed that beautiful shade of pink. I will admit it took a little longer for my brain to catch up with my heart, but once it did I knew that I had to make you mine.

I count myself among the luckiest men on earth merely for the fact that by some miracle, you felt the same way.

I thank God every day for helping us find each other my beautiful girl, and I look forward to the day that I can call you my beautiful wife.

I love you with all my heart.

Yours forever,

Edward
.

I folded the letter, putting it away until the time was right to share it with my girl.

Before going back to Charlie's, we stopped by the Church and Father blessed the girls' engagement rings and my bracelet.

After lunch, Rose and Bella planned to leave for the salon. Rose had been such a good friend to us both, actually more of a sister to Bella, that I had decided to surprise her with the keys to the Vanquish for their outing.

The grateful smile my girl gave me before she and Rose left, was all the thanks I needed.

I went into the kitchen to grab a drink as Emmett peered through the front window, presumably watching them drive away. "Damn" I heard him mutter.

I walked over and looked at him questioningly.

He was staring intently out the window while clutching his chest. "Fuck" he gasped out before pulling himself away from the window and looking at me. "You're welcome." He said to me pointedly.

I was bewildered. "For what?"

"Rosie just buffed that fine automobile of yours. With. Her. Tits." He said with a pained expression before grabbing the beer from my hand and taking a long draught. "Fucking blue balls" he said with a sigh before retreating to the basement.

I feel your pain Emmett.

I swore I saw Charlie shaking with silent laughter from his spot in the living room.

-LRM—

While the girls were gone, Emmett and I went to the florist to pick up corsages and buttoneers. Upon entering the shop we were greeted by an older gentleman, presumably the owner.

"Emmett Swan" He said with a smile.

Emmett beamed at him. "Hi there Mr. Flowers, how have you been?"

"I can't complain." He answered. "How's everything with you? When do you start practice again?"

"Not until training camp in August. You heard I'm getting married didn't you?"

"I believe the Chief mentioned something about that, yes." Mr. Flowers grinned. "I also heard your girl has a lovely name, Rose isn't it?"

Emmett chuckled. "Yes."

"Well what can I do for you today Emmett?"

Emmett gave Mr. Flowers our order details, and less than ten minutes later we were on our way back to Charlie's.

"See, that back there is a perfect example of what I was saying about people having names that fit their occupations. Just like Dr. Fuckit is an obstetrician, Mr. Flowers is a florist."

I shook my head and laughed at Emmett's logic.

"Although Mr. Flowers carries it even further, his daughters are named Daisy, Lily and Ivy." He laughed out loud. "Didn't you notice how excited he was that I was marrying a Rose."

We laughed.

"I dated his daughter Ivy before I met Rose." He stated matter-of-factly.

"And Mr. Flowers is still speaking to you?" I grinned.

Emmett smirked. "I'll have you know I was a fucking gentleman."

I laughed again.

Maybe he'd gotten past his inappropriate boob groping phase by then.

-LRM—

Once dressed for our evening out, I waited downstairs with Emmett. As soon as I heard the girls coming down the stairs, I turned to see my beautiful fiancée looking as if she should be gracing the cover of a fashion magazine.

As soon as she was close enough, I pulled her into my arms. "You are so beautiful my love." I whispered as I kissed her exposed neck.

She wrapped her arms around me before kissing my lips. I was swept away by the kiss, totally forgetting that Chief Swan was in the room until I heard his signature throat-clearing.

Fuck

Well, at least he doesn't look angry. He looks.. amused?

"Dad, are you sure you can't come with us?" Bella asked.

Charlie grinned. "Sorry gang, but I have to work tonight."

Little did Bella know that Charlie's 'work' entailed chaperoning Forks High's prom.

Once we were seated in the Vanquish, I turned to Bella. "I have something for you." I said as I showed her the flower.

Bella chuckled. "You bought me a corsage?"

"It matches my buttoneer." I grinned as I pointed to my lapel. "Alice insisted."

"Your sister is one of a kind." Bella smiled as I pinned the flower to her dress.

"Thankfully" I admitted.

Emmett and Rose had chosen the restaurant in Port Angeles where we were meeting for dinner. Alice, Jasper and Chris were already there when we arrived, along with several photographers stationed outside.

"Hello everyone" Chris exclaimed. "My, don't we all look smashing."

I tore my eyes away from Bella for a moment to look at everyone else. Chris was absolutely right.

"I wonder how the paps knew we'd be here?" I asked out loud.

"They followed us." Jasper admitted with a shrug.

We all looked at him questioningly. "The Vanity Fair interview was leaked. Everyone now knows that Alice is your sister, and that she and Chris collectively are 'Brandon Miles'."

A little earlier than I would have liked. I hope this extra attention doesn't bother Bella.

Alice just shrugged. "I'm glad everything's out in the open finally."

Bella reached over and patted my hand as I sat there, giving me a lovely smile. I sighed and smiled back at her.

"Excuse me for a moment sweetheart." I said before kissing her cheek and retreating to the back of the restaurant, cell phone in hand.

I dialed Sidney's number. "Mr. Cullen."

"Hello Sidney, listen, there's been a change in plans. The paps have found us and I'm sure they're going to try and follow us to Charlie's. While we're attending the prom, I'm going to need you and Lou to drive to Forks High School and retrieve my Vanquish. After the prom one of you can drive it back to Seattle. I'm hoping that the paps will think it's me and follow the car. Whoever doesn't drive the Vanquish will need to spend the night here in order to drive us home tomorrow."

"Very good sir. I'll phone Lou." He responded.

"Let me know if there's a problem." I directed before ending the call and returning to the table.

"So Chris, where's Gerry this weekend?" Rose asked.

"Oh honey, this is the busiest time of the year for him with finals just a few weeks away. It's okay though, he'll be with me for the weddings." He said with a wink.

Dinner was excellent. I was pleasantly surprised that a restaurant in Port Angeles would be on par with the restaurants in Seattle.

As we ate, Emmett started pestering Bella with some bullshit ghost stories. It made me uncomfortable.

"You know Bellaboo, this place is haunted." He told her in a low creepy voice.

She tried to come off as undisturbed by his comments, but I wasn't convinced. "I don't care Emmett" She snapped before shifting closer to me.

Hm. Bella being a little frightened definitely has its benefits.

I smirked and used the opportunity to place my hand on her knee under the table.

"Yeah, they had a whole team of those ghost-hunters here recording ghost sounds and shit." Emmett continued.

"Shut up now." Bella said in warning.

"There's supposedly a bunch of ghosts here, but there's one in particular that they refer to as the Shadow Man because all anyone ever sees is a dark shadow when he appears. Those ghost hunter dudes even saw him. He darted up the stairs while they were here."

I could tell that Bella was a little freaked out. After we'd eaten, and she left to visit the rest room, she dragged Alice with her.

I turned to Jasper. "Glad to see you're in a better mood today you touchy bastard." I teased.

He glared at me. "I'm trying not to ruin everyone's evening."

"What the hell is going on with you anyway Jasper?" Rosalie sniped.

Chris and I both looked at him with concern. It was at that moment that I realized Emmett had slipped away from the table.

"Ask Emmett." He retorted.

Rose looked puzzled.

Before anyone had a chance to get any more information out of him, we were all frozen in shock by the blood-curdling scream emanating from the direction of the rest rooms.

"That sounds like Bella." I blurted before bolting from my chair, the vision from my dream suddenly hitting me full force once again.

I had to push my way through half the wait staff of the restaurant before I reached her. Emmett the asshole was laughing hysterically and clutching the scariest fucking clown mask I'd ever seen, in his hand.

It didn't take a genius to figure out what he'd done.

Fucker.

"Sweetheart are you okay?" I asked when I finally reached her.

"Emmett is the king of assholes." She said before grabbing my hand and pulling me toward the exit. I threw a couple of hundreds on the table as we passed.

We waited in the parking lot in order to follow the others to the high school. I spent the time trying to soothe my girl. Several minutes later, the rest of our group exited the restaurant.

I hope the management gave Emmett hell.

Once everyone was seated in their vehicles, I pulled past Emmett to exit the parking lot. The ass had a shit-eating grin on his face.

I made sure to flip him off.

As soon as Bella realized we were driving back towards Forks, she gave me a questioning look.

"Forgive me Bella" I said quietly "I may not have been totally truthful with you. The next stop is meant to be a surprise."

She sat there, perplexed as we drove back to Forks. As soon as she read the sign in front of the high school announcing prom night, I noticed her frown.

I parked the car and turned to face her, deciding to take the coward's way out. "You'll need to ask Christopher and Alice."

She opened her door before I could come around to open it for her, and proceeded to march straight over to Jasper's parked rental car.

I caught up to her just before she reached Chris and Alice and placed my arm around her shoulders.

Chris held his hands up, palms out in front of him defensively. "Bella dear, before you bite our heads off, I want you to know that this was my doing. Please don't be angry with Alice."

Bella looked confused.

He sighed loudly and his shoulders sagged as he began to speak in almost a whisper. "Ever since our drunken afternoon on Alice's patio, the fact that you never got to enjoy things in high school, such as prom, has been troubling me."

"Couple that with the fact that Edward never had a real prom either…" He shook his head and looked down at the pavement. "The things you both endured were, well, tragic is the only word that fits." I noticed his lip tremble as he spoke. I struggled to swallow, my throat suddenly tight.

Come on Edward, don't be a pussy.

By this time, our entire group had gathered around Chris, Alice and Bella.

"I had inquired and kept the date of the Forks prom in the back of my mind for weeks, just in case by some miracle Edward was able to make it back in time." Bella smiled. "Then, lo and behold, to everyone's surprise, he flies back on Monday. I immediately sprang into action."

Alice interrupted. "It's true Bella. I've never seen Christopher like that before, he was like a man possessed." She smiled, tears glistening in her eyes. "He got in touch with Emmett and Charlie, and while they arranged things at this end, we arranged the clothing and hauling our tushys up here from Cali."

Bella took a deep breath, clearly overcome with emotion. "I don't know what to say." I squeezed her shoulder lightly and smiled down at her.

"Technically, we're all here tonight in a 'chaperone' capacity, but that doesn't matter." Chris said. "Bella, remember what we talked about that day?"

She nodded, smiling at him through her tears.

"For you and for Edward, tonight is all about replacing those bad memories with something magical." Chris said as his voice cracked. "You both deserve this."

"Thank you Chris and Alice, and everyone." Bella stuttered out as she hugged Chris and Alice to her. "I love you guys." She whispered.

"Love you too honey" Chris replied.

Alice looked at me over Bella's shoulder, and gave me a sweet smile.

"Love you Bella." Alice whispered before mouthing Love you Edward to me.

As soon as we entered the building, I thought about my beautiful girl and the difficulties she'd endured under this roof. Bella had only shared a handful of instances with me, I was convinced that there had to have been many more.

Before we reached the gym, Bella slowed our pace almost to a stop.

"Edward, is this really okay with you?" She asked quietly.

She's worrying about me?

Knowing that nothing short of perfect honestly would calm her fears, I smiled before I answered. "Bella, I'll admit that I wasn't sure about this when Alice phoned to ask the other day. She was worried then for the same reasons you are now." I stopped walking and took both her hands in mine before turning to face her fully.

"I am so much in love with you Bella, that what happened on prom night all those years ago has become nothing more than a bad memory. I can say without a doubt that the shitstorm I suffered through no longer determines the way I live my life." I smiled again. "I live my life for you now." I said before kissing her hand.

She reached up and placed the palm of her hand on my cheek before leaning up to kiss me. "You make me so happy Edward."

It's nothing compared to the way she makes me feel every single day.

"So, how about you?" I questioned. "How do you feel about being back in your old alma mater?"

She took a deep breath before answering. "It's a little strange, but not upsetting." She looked around. "I haven't set foot in here for so long that it now feels almost unfamiliar. It's hard to believe I spent four years of my life in this building."

I grinned before winking and offering my arm again. "Let's make some new memories Miss Swan."

-LRM—

Upon entering the gym, we immediately garnered a lot of attention. The feeling of chagrin that came over me, knowing that we were disrupting a very important event in these students' lives didn't last long when I thought of how much this meant to both Bella and myself. There aren't many times in life that you're gifted the chance for a 'do-over'.

We'd only been seated a moment or two before Bella was being dragged to the dance floor by Rose and Alice. I objected at first, wanting her first dance to be with me. Once she started to dance however, I was very glad I'd relinquished Bella to the other 'not so single' ladies.

Dear God, I've been meaning to question you for a long time about this. Is it possible to die from blue balls?

Seeing that Emmett and I were in sort of similar circumstances now, I thought maybe I'd ask him if he had any information about the long-term consequences of such a state.

But then I remembered that I'd be talking to the brother of the vixen that put me in that state to begin with, and decided my best option would be to suffer in silence. At the moment though, all I wanted was to stare at my girl, and possibly drool on my shirt.

Fuck she's sexy, and completely unaware of that fact.

The few boys that had tried to stay out there dancing with the 'ladies' eventually gave up and joined the rest of us on the sidelines. I noticed one fucker kept moving along the edge of the dance floor until he was close enough to reach out and touch my girl.

I could feel a growl building in my chest as I glared at him. He must have felt my eyes boring a hole into his stupid face because before he'd fucked up royally and laid a hand on my Bella, he glanced up and met my eyes.

That's right douchebag, back away and no one, meaning you, gets hurt.

Ten seconds later I couldn't see him for dust.

How I enjoyed watching her dance, despite the uncomfortable situation in my trousers. Thankfully the jacket was long enough to prevent anyone around from being the wiser.

Bella, Rose and Alice suddenly seemed to be distracted by something off to the side, causing them to collapse in fits of laughter as they stumbled their way off the dance floor before the song ended. I glanced over to see what had gotten their attention, only to witness an amazing display: Single Ladies being performed by none other than Christopher and Emmett.

Jasper and I cracked up, and he pointed to a kid videotaping their antics.

I really hope that's on Youtube tomorrow.

We sat out a couple of songs. I really wanted our first dance to be a slow one, so Bella snuggled into my side as we waited, and enjoyed watching Emmett and Rose on the dance floor.

As we sat there, an attractive woman who looked to be in her thirties stopped by our table. "Hello Bella."

Bella turned to her. "Hi Miss North, it's so good to see you." She answered sweetly. "Let me introduce you to my fiancé" She said, turning to me, "Edward, this is Miss North, my eleventh grade English teacher. She's the reason I love to write."

I smiled and nodded in her direction.

"I merely helped you realize what was already there." Miss North smiled. "It's very nice to meet you Edward. I find that I don't really need to ask how you are Bella, because the news media seems to think it their mission to give us daily updates." She remarked with a laugh.

Bella good naturedly rolled her eyes and laughed, "Promise me that you won't believe everything they say Miss North."

"Don't worry." She smiled and glanced around. "Well, I'll let you get back to your evening."

Bella smiled.

Miss North hesitated before walking away, and then suddenly leaned in close to Bella, speaking low in her ear.

Bella got quite emotional at whatever Miss North had said to her. She jumped to her feet and pulled her in for a hug. I suddenly felt as if I was intruding on a very private moment.

"Thank you so much Miss North. Thank you for believing in me. Thank you for everything." I heard Bella say.

"Don't thank me Bella, just have a happy life." Miss North said with a small smile, before giving Bella one last hug, "and please, you're an adult now, call me Suzanne", she smiled again before walking back to sit with the other teachers.

When Bella sat down, I pulled her back against my side. I breathed in her scent, as I nuzzled her hair before leaving a soft kiss on her temple.

A short time later, deciding that Bella needed a drink, and assuming that I had a little while before a slow song began, I left her in the care of Jasper while I ventured over to the refreshment table.

That turned out to be a bad idea.

I reached the table without incident, but once there I was accosted by several people. The first introduced herself as Barbara Wells, who taught Languages and Theater at the school. I remembered how much I liked my drama teacher in high school, so I conversed politely with Ms. Wells until she started babbling on about the origins of method acting, then I tuned her the fuck out.

As she rambled, several other women gathered around us. From what I could tell, all but one of them taught at the school. The non-teacher was a parent, and happened to be wearing the most provocative dress I'd seen since leaving California. When I felt her fake tits brush against my arm, I took a step back and glared at her. She tried to play it off as an attempt to 'sniff' by buttoneer. I started to plan my exit strategy, wishing to place as much distance as possible between me and her tits.

I was trying to keep my cool, while also trying to remember when I'd last had a tetanus booster. I glanced around the room until my eyes met the expectant gaze of my beautiful girl.

At that exact moment the music changed, and Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley began to sound through the speaker system. Bella got a determined look on her face, jumped from her seat, and proceeded to march in my direction.

She looked hot.

I immediately set the drink down, excused myself, and made my way over to my girl. When I reached her, I pulled her into my arms and onto the dance floor.

.
Well Your faith was strong but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you
.

"Sorry my love." I whispered as I pulled her close and we swayed to the music.

She smiled. "It's alright Edward. I usually don't mind your adoring fans, but tonight I'll admit to being a little selfish."

.
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
.

"I like selfish Bella." I admitted. "The look on your face as you charged across the room to find me was very sexy." I said as I brushed my lips along the shell of her ear, "very sexy indeed."

I heard her draw in a surprised breath when I bit down gently on her ear lobe, causing her to actually whimper.

I chuckled at her reaction, but it also gave me hope. Hope that, despite whatever was bothering her, she still wanted a physical relationship. That she still wanted me.

.
I've seen your flag on the marble arch
Love is not a victory march
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah
.

As I listened to Buckley's voice, the epitome of raw emotion, I thought back to the first time I'd heard this song. The lyrics spoke to me then of betrayal and lost love. I'd always associated it with the hell I'd endured at the hands of a woman I thought I loved at one time. It was a song I'd listen to when the memories were particularly painful.

Bella has changed everything.

How little I knew of love back then. It was appropriate that I heard the song again tonight. This evening was all about making new memories. Hallelujah would serve as a reminder of a perfect evening spent with the woman who was my future.

A woman so breathtakingly beautiful, that the majority of male students and faculty of Forks High were finding it difficult to keep their eyes off of her.

"You're so beautiful Bella." I whispered. "For the rest of the night, I'm not letting you out of my sight."

"Edward, no one is going to bother me, it's you who's in serious danger of being molested. And the fact that the molester may be one of my former teachers is seriously creeping me out."

I blurted out a laugh.

.
Well there was a time when you let me know
What's really going on below
But now you never show that to me do you?
And remember when I moved in you?
And the holy dove was moving too
And every breath we drew was Hallelujah
Hallelujah
.

"You're so wrong Bella." I said.

She looked at me questioningly.

"Every guy in here can't keep his eyes off of you. I've had to glare down several already."

I could tell that she didn't believe me. I smiled and shook my head. "My beautiful, clueless girl."

I held her closer as she laid her head against my chest.

This moment is as close to perfect as any I could imagine.

"What are you thinking about?" I murmured low in Bella's ear.

She smiled up at me. "About how happy I am right now."

"Me too."

.
Well maybe there's a God above
But all I've ever learned from love
Was how to shoot somebody who'd out drew ya
And it's not a cry that you hear at night
It's not somebody who's seen in the light
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah
.

I was overcome with the sudden urge to kiss her here, in full view of the tools that wouldn't stop staring. I bent my head down a little until our lips were almost touching. "Do you think we'll get thrown out if I kiss you?" I teased.

"Chief Swan may be tempted, but I think he'll behave." She answered with a grin. "It's definitely worth the risk."

Abso-fucking-lutely

I leaned down a little more and captured her lips with mine, willing the world around us to allow us this moment.

We continued to kiss as the song played on. When it finally ended so did the kiss. I glanced around giving all the teenage boys in the immediate vicinity a 'fuck you' smirk before we slowly made our way back to the table.

I left Bella laughing and chatting with Rose and Alice as I went in search of the rest room. After exiting the gym, I turned down the hall as I'd been directed and found the men's room on the other side of the cafeteria. I took a look around, spying a bulletin board reminding seniors of the graduation schedule.

Bypassing the urinals, I made my way into one of the stalls. Emmett would probably give me shit if he knew I didn't use public urinals, but he'd never had some asshat try to take a picture of his dick with a cell phone.

Talk about traumatic experiences. It happened just after I'd made my second movie. I had no clue what the douche planned to do with the photo, but in the end it didn't matter because I knocked the shit out of him before smashing his phone.

I'm lucky I can even take a piss in the stall of a public men's room after that.

"Dude, Amanda just gave me shit for staring at Bella Swan." I heard a voice begin from the direction of the urinal.

Fucker

"You're definitely not getting any pussy tonight Kevin." A second voice stated with a laugh.

"Fuck you" The first voice retorted. "I accused her of eye-fucking Masen, so I guess we're even."

The second voice laughed again. "She sure is hot" He stated.

"Amanda?" Kevin asked.

"No asswipe. Your girl's pretty, but Bella Swan and those other chicks with her are smokin'."

"Don't waste your time Mark. She's with Masen. I don't even know why I'm looking at her. I suppose I like torturing myself."

I'd like to torture you dickhead.

"No, you don't waste your time. Some of us aren't obvious losers like you." Mark laughed. "If I could get her alone, I'd show her what I had to offer."

I gripped the handle to the door, ready to show this douche what I had to offer, by way of my fists, when Kevin spoke up again.

"You're such a jerk. She's not that kind of girl. She's nice. Haven't you heard all the stuff that's been said about her? They're getting married for Christ's sakes. Masen is one lucky motherfucker."

I had to agree.

"She seems to like the bad boys though"

"I think a lot of that shit about Masen was made up. There's a chance he's a decent guy." Kevin answered. "So, no, Bella Swan wouldn't be interested in you or your tiny dick." Kevin laughed.

"Shut the hell up."

I heard some shuffling and low cursing as the door to the bathroom opened and then closed again. When I exited the stall, I was alone.

Even though the blatant disrespect shown my girl had angered me, the guy Kevin more than made up for Mark's stupidity. As much as I hated it, I'd have to accept the fact that because we were in the public eye, people thought that entitled them to speak casually about the intimate details of my relationship with Bella.

I had to accept it, but that didn't mean I had to be happy about it.

Upon exiting the bathroom, I immediately wished I'd stayed there. A group of girls were giggling and laughing in the cafeteria as I tried to sneak past them on my way back to the gym.

Within seconds they'd swarmed me. As it turned out, they were harmless. Most just wanted a photo with me, and a couple asked me to autograph their prom programs.

When I finally got back to the gym, it felt like I'd been gone forever. I was greeted by the sight of Bella, Alice and Rose dancing to Pokerface. The boner that had left long enough for me to piss, returned with a vengeance as I watched Bella's hips swivel suggestively to the beat. Then to add to my torture, it was followed up by Bad Romance.

When Shake Your Money Maker began, I surprised her by pulling her back to the dance floor where I proceeded to grind against her, proving to myself once and for all that I am a fucking masochist.

I finally calmed down by the time Bella and I got to dance like zombies to the strains of Thriller.

When the evening was finally over, we thanked Chris and Alice one more time before Sidney drove us back to Charlie's house.

My plan to elude the paps seemed to have worked, and I went to sleep a very happy man, despite the fact that I was, once again, sleeping on the Chief's sofa.

-LRM—

I knew the nightmare would return. Without Bella in my arms to ward if off, I was defenseless against it. I could see her lying on the path, sickeningly pale…

"Edward, please wake up." The voice of my angel called, but her eyes were still closed and her lips weren't moving.

"Bella…." I moaned as I reached for her.

"Edward, please you're scaring me." She whispered. I opened my eyes blinking several times before I could focus, only to find her sitting beside me, her hands on my face.

"Bella" I rasped. "Are you really here?"

"Yes Edward, you were having a nightmare." She soothed.

"I couldn't find you. I tried, but you slipped right through my fingers. I ran for hours through the woods. I couldn't find you." I scrubbed my face with my hand before pulling her close. I never wanted to let her go.

"It was just a dream Edward. I'm here, I'm not going anywhere. Please try to forget it."

"I would if this were the first time." I mumbled.

"This is a recurring dream?" She asked.

I nodded. "They started while I was still in England. I've had the same dream a couple times since I've gotten back."

"Edward, you were exhausted. You were working fourteen hour days just before you came home, and we really haven't had a lot of 'down time' since your return."

I calmed down and took a deep breath. "You're right."

"What happened in the dream?" She asked.

I hesitated. I needed to not make a big deal out of this. "It was nothing. One minute you were there, and then you disappeared. I ran through the woods, but couldn't find you. Just a silly dream."

She wasn't buying it. "Edward, I know it was more than that. Look at you, you're still pretty shaken."

I grimaced and shook my head, a little embarrassed. "All this over a dream" I muttered. "I'm such a pussy." I admitted with a chuckle.

Bella smiled then. "I don't think so. Even in your dreams, you're trying to save me." She fluttered my eyelashes doing her best 'damsel in distress', "My hero."

I laughed and pulled her closer. "Stay here?" I whispered.

"Always." She answered.

-LRM—

"Pardon the vulgarity ladies, but you, Emmett Swan, are one sick sumbitch." Jasper glared at Emmett from his side of the booth. We were all at the Forks diner having breakfast the day after prom. Jasper was pissed at Emmett, and I was certain we were finally going to hear what had caused Jasper to be in such a foul mood for the past few days.

Bella, Chris, Charlie and I all blurted, "What's going on?" at the same time.

Rose and Alice exchanged knowing looks and couldn't stop their ridiculous giggling, so I knew whatever Jasper was going to say wouldn't be a surprise to them.

Jasper, still looking pissed turned toward the rest of us to explain. "A few days ago, Emmett informed me that, because he was getting married in a Catholic church, everyone in the wedding party had to go to confession beforehand, whether they were Catholic or not." He explained in an angry tone.

"Emmett Swan, you big liar." Bella said to her brother. Emmett grinned and shrugged.

"I have been agonizing over this for days." Jasper muttered while shaking his head. "I mean, literally waking up in the middle of the night, and freaking out about it. I had no idea how to make a confession."

What a tool. Even I've knew not to believe anything Emmett says without getting confirmation from a third party.

"This morning, I finally decided to ask my sister if there was any way I could still be in the wedding without going through that, only to find out that whistledick here had been playing me for a fool."

I laughed at Jasper's colorful vocabulary.

After that, everyone calmed down and went back to eating. By the time we were through, Emmett had questioned Jasper on what he was so afraid to confess, and Jasper had made a veiled threat on Emmett's life.

Just a typical morning with friends and family.

-LRM—

When we arrived back at Bella's apartment, she insisted that I take a nap. After she agreed to sit beside me on the bed while I slept, I was able to fall asleep to the sound of Bella's fingers quietly clicking on the keys of her laptop.

Just as I had suspected, no nightmares plagued my sleep while Bella was there.

After I woke, she wanted my opinion on which story to submit to the publisher.

I'd had an inkling of Bella's talent, but seeing it this way, framed in a manner that put no limitations on her imagination, I was very impressed by what she could do. The stories were entertaining, lively, vivid, and sometimes humorous.

The one about a little boy and a swallow in Capistrano could even be described as magical. It was my favorite.

Not surprisingly, once I shared that with Bella, that was the story she chose to submit.

-LRM—

"Nervous?" I asked as we sat in Bella's therapist's waiting room. She'd been bouncing her leg since we'd taken our seats.

She shrugged. "A little, I suppose."

"Bella, you can go back now." Dr. Miller's receptionist informed.

She gave me a small smile before exiting the waiting room.

I decided to read a magazine.

The first one that caught my eye was an old issue of GQ with Johnny on the cover.

Alice never told me I made their list of the 25 most stylish men in the world. So did Johnny.

Cool.

I was pleased to see a couple more friends on there as well.

Jesus Edward, like the 25 most stylish list is actually fucking important?

What the hell is wrong with me?

I chuckled to myself as I picked up an issue of Entertainment Weekly and began reading about the season finale of Lost.

After I'd had enough of that, I glanced at the latest Cosmo.

Hm, that seems a little risque for a doctor's office.

The glaring headline read 'The Seven Best Orgasm Tricks In The World!'

I remembered Bella telling me that Rose made her read Cosmo for the sex tips.

Holy shit.

I glanced at the headline below that one: 'Give yourself a Brazilian without bursting into tears'.

Holy shit again. Is that something Bella would ever want to have done? If so, I hope she'd leave it to the professionals.

Female professionals obviously.

That area of her body is going to be very important to me very soon.

I realized that I didn't give a fuck if she had a Brazilian or not just as long as I was the only male ever granted access to her pussy.

I really want to have access to that pussy.

I sighed.

I am such a douche.

Just then the door to Dr. Miller's office opened, startling me. I quickly shoved the issue of Cosmo to the bottom of the pile.

I looked up to find who I presumed to be Dr. Miller standing in front of me smiling. She held out her hand. "Hello Edward, I'm Kim Miller."

All that thinking about Bella's pussy had caused an uncomfortable situation. I stood to shake Dr. Miller's hand, hoping she wouldn't notice the bulge in my jeans.

"Hello Doctor, glad to meet you." I said as I plastered on my Hollywood smile.

I couldn't believe I was meeting Bella's therapist for the first time while sporting a semi.

Could I be any more disgusted with myself?

I doubted it.

******************************************************A/N***********************************************************************

A/N Only song from the prom not mentioned in V&V was 'Shake Your Money Maker' by Ludacris. It's a good 'grinding' song, but you will find nothing by Ludacris on my ipod. Shocking I know.

I'll post a teaser on facebook and the blog for the next V&V. It usually posts about 24 hours before the full chapter. Anything further I have to say, I'll say on facebook. (I love reviews, but you already knew that). TTFN