The Learning Curve: Chapter 85

Bella Swan's House

I stayed with Alice until her parents came home, and then I went to my house. Charlie was out. I had assignments to do for school, but I couldn't focus, so I did laundry instead. I cooked dinner for Charlie when he got home and only picked at my own plate; I was worried enough about Alice that it affected my appetite. Missing Edward didn't help with that, either.

At ten, Edward called me.

"Hi," I sighed, both relieved to be hearing his voice and wishing he was holding me.

"What's wrong?" he asked immediately.

I thought about how to explain my predicament. "Edward...you know the day we had the accident? How I asked you to drive me that morning?"

"Yeah..." he said slowly.

I swallowed. What if he got angry? "There wasn't actually anything wrong with my truck. And this next part is going to sound really crazy, but it's the truth."

"Okay," he said, and he sounded amused. For my part, I was terrified. Now I knew what Alice went through.

"The reason I asked you to drive me is that Alice had a dream the night before. A dream that I would get seriously hurt driving that day."

Edward was silent on the other end.

"I'm so sorry," I went on. "If I'd known you would get hurt, I never would have asked."

"Don't be stupid, Bella," he said brusquely. "If a bump on the head is all it takes to save your life, it's a price I'm happy to pay. But that's just...crazy that she saw an accident and then we had one. How did she know it was that day?"

Thank goodness he seemed to accept Alice's strange gift without argument. "I was wearing the same clothes in her dream as the ones I put on that morning."

"Wow." He sounded impressed and a little scared. "Has Alice done that before? Seen things coming?"

"Yes. And that's what's wrong – she's seen something else. Something happening to her parents."

"Don't her parents know about her dreams?"

"That's where it gets complicated," I sighed, and I explained Alice's history, from the death of her sister to her hospitalization.

"Oh, jeez. That's awful," Edward said.

"So she's afraid to tell them, but she has to warn them somehow. I think she talked to them tonight."

"You're really worried, aren't you?" he observed.

"I am. I promised her I wouldn't let them send her away again, but I have no idea how I could stop them."

Edward was quiet for a moment. "There might be one thing you could do."

"Tell me," I urged him.

"If her parents aren't acting in her best interests, someone could go to court and ask for a guardian to be assigned to Alice – at least until she turns eighteen."

I thought about that. "Maybe Charlie could do it?" But it seemed improbable – it would require a lawyer, not to mention evidence that Alice shouldn't be sent to a hospital. Charlie didn't have that kind of money, even if his strong sense of justice made him want to do it.

"He could be the guardian, yeah. Then she could stay with you. But my dad could help – he could find a shrink that would get it. That wouldn't want her institutionalized."

My boyfriend was a genius. "We'd need a lawyer."

"My parents have one they use for everything. They'll want to help when they find out what's going on."

I took a deep breath. "Could we really do it?"

"I don't see why not. If all else fails, the threat of losing Alice might scare her parents out of trying anything major."

I let out the breath. "Thank you."

"For what?" he chuckled. "I haven't done anything yet."

"For understanding," I said. "For knowing what to do. For caring."

"Bella, as far as I'm concerned, your problems are my problems now. That's just love."

I closed my eyes, overwhelmed as usual by Edward. "I'm glad you love me."

I could almost hear him smile. "I'm glad, too. You're easy to love."

A/N: Some questions from reviewers to answer for you.

How old am I? - I'm 23.

How long have I been writing fanfiction? - Since I was 13.

What is a "virgin for all intents and purposes?" - It means I've never had any interaction with another human's genitals. But plenty with my own... Is that TMI?

OH! Shameless pandering time - would any fans of Bonne Foi please visit a little website called The Lemonade Stand before Sunday and vote Bonne Foi as Fic of the Month? I doubt I'll win, especially when I'm up against a story as amazing as Grande Jete, but I'm not above campaigning. ;)