Chapter 7: Pain

Edward's POV

"Oh, uh, no reason at all" Really?! That was the best that I could come up with?! Yeah because that doesn't sound suspicious at all.

Bella moved from where she was standing and sat right next to me on the bed. She folded her arms across her chest and stared at me. She was making it very clear that she was not going to leave until I gave her a real explanation.

"No reason? Really Edward? Is that the best that you got? A man who hates stuffed animals is suddenly buying one from SeaWorld for no reason at all? Edward, even a human could see right through that lie"

"I've taken a sudden interest in stuffed animals"

One look at Bella's face told me that she wasn't buying my lie for a second.

"Edward you are hiding something and I want to know what it is and I want to know right now"

Why did my wife have to be so stubborn?! Couldn't she just let this go?!

"Bella I'm sorry but I can't tell you" I told her just hoping that she would drop the subject already.

"So we're keeping secrets from each other now. Is that it?" The look of hurt on my wife's face was enough to make me feel guilty. Mainly because for so many years now I had kept a secret from her. A secret about our own daughter and now I was adding another one.

"Bella I'm sorry but I just can't" I told her letting the regret seep into my voice.

"Okay, fine. Don't tell me. But until further notice we will not have anymore sex-"

"What?!" I just couldn't help myself. But really?! No sex?!

"Yes. That is your punishment for keeping secrets from me. Your own wife"

"Okay. Okay. Fine. I'll tell you. It's for Nessie" I stopped right there to let the reality of what I had just said sink in.

Bella looked at me as if I had completely lost my mind.

"Edward what are you talking about?"

I took a deep unnecessary breath to calm myself down. I was feeling really nervous because I wasn't quite sure how she would react to everything I was about to tell her. It was a lot to say.

"Remember when we found that witch and took Nessie to her?"

"Yes. We asked her to turn Nessie human and erase her memory of us. Edward what-"

"The witch only succeeded in doing one of those things and that was turning Nessie human. I don't know why and I don't know how but Nessie's memory was never erased. After that Nessie only pretended that she didn't know who were. I've kept that secret all of these years because I knew that you and Carlisle would go for her and take her to that witch again to erase her memory. I knew that you two thought that that was best for her but I didn't. I always felt that she had the right to know who and what she was. I always felt that she had a right to know who her parents were. I didn't want that ripped from her"

By now we had gathered an audience. Carlisle, Esme, Alice, Jasper, Emmett, and Rosalie had overheard everything that I just said.

"She never forgot" Carlisle repeated in disbelief.

"No" I said.

"Edward why didn't you ever say anything?!" Bella yelled.

"I already told you. I never wanted her memory to be erased. She deserved to live her life knowing the truth about us and about herself"

One thing was certain. Bella was angry.

"Did anyone else here know?!" Bella yelled.

"No" I said.

"Actually" Alice began. "Since the secret is out I might as well come clean to. I also knew the truth"

"What?" I said in shock. This was news to me. I never even had the suspicion that Alice knew. How?

"Edward do you know how many times I had visions of you contemplating the idea of going to check on Nessie? Too many to count. Not only that but I had visions of Nessie to. Sometimes on accident but sometimes I purposely searched for her future. Since she is a human now I can see her. It was my way of checking on her"

"Alice how did you manage to keep this from me?" I honestly had no idea how she managed to keep this out of her thoughts for so long.

"I kept it out of my thoughts when you were around" she answered.

"Wait so you both knew and both of you kept this a secret?!" Bella yelled.

No one had anything to say.

"Edward I think you should also know that I had a vision of what happened to Nessie over a month ago. I had the vision a few hours before it happened"

I swear if I could have had a heart attack I would have had one right then and there. She knew and she didn't tell me?! Maybe if I had known I would have been able to prevent what happened to her!

"You knew?!" I screamed. "Why didn't you say anything?!"

"Because I had a vision of you killing those men if I had told you. I couldn't allow-"

"So you rather that those men rape her instead?!" I screamed. My anger flared up once again. All I could see was red. I had never been so angry at Alice in all of my life. If it hadn't been for her maybe I could have saved my daughter!

"Edward what are you saying?" Bella asked me.

I took a few deep breaths to calm myself down.

"I ran into Nessie yesterday for the first time. Then tonight since you were all gone I decided to visit her. When she was sleeping she dreamed of three men attacking her at night. They raped her. She told me everything when she woke up. That's when I lost it and I started destroying her things out of anger. I was ordering replacements for everything that I had destroyed. That is what I was doing when you came in"

Bella started crying. Well crying without tears anyway. I held her close to me and tried to comfort her as best as I could. This was clearly a lot for her to take in at once.

"There is also one other thing. She's pregnant"

"It's true" Alice said. "She is going to have a boy"

I was begging to wonder just how many secrets my sister managed to keep from me.

After that everyone talked for some time but not for long. Everyone was overwhelmed by everything that had been revealed. I refused to speak to Alice. I was too angry with her to say anything. If only she had said something! I could have stopped my baby girl from getting raped!

When it was just Bella and I we didn't say anything. She looked angry, shocked, and sad all at the same time.

"Bella-"

"Edward please don't. You've kept secrets from me. I never expected you to keep this from me"

"Bella I'm sorry. I really thought it was for the best"

"Edward please just leave me alone for now. I need to process everything"

"Okay" I said.

"Oh and you're still being punished" she said.

"What for?" I asked her.

"For keeping secrets and lying to me. So until further notice we will not have any sex"

Oh brother. Bella and I, ahem, did it just about every night. Emmett would happily confirm that in the most inappropriate ways. Bella and I never can get enough of each other. How was I going to survive this?!

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