The bell rang, signaling the end of Spanish class. Kit sighed in relief as she gathered up her things, unable to keep from flinching when Jessica walked by her desk. For the duration of the hour, Kit could feel the daggers that were stared into her back. Her phone had even vibrated a couple times, causing her heart to speed up. She wondered if it was possible for it to beat out of her chest.

"Kit?" Mrs. Goff called from her desk, "Stay a moment, won't you?"

"Yes, ma'am," Kit replied timidly. Considering class was over, she spoke English and slung her satchel over her shoulder, going to stand in front of the teacher's desk as the last of the students trickled out, all in a hurry to get to lunch and find their friends.

Mrs. Goff waited until the door was closed before turning her attention to the girl in front of her, "You missed school, yesterday."

Kit nodded, playing with a loose thread on her top. She wore a tan and white striped three-quarter sleeved knit sweater, a high-waisted mustard yellow swing skirt, and a pair of blair orange open-toed heel sandals which she tapped against the floor.

"I was sick," she said, "Headache," she frowned, biting the corner of her lip, "I gave a note to Ms. Cope. Did it not go through?"

"It did," Mrs. Goff sighed, nodding towards an empty desk, "Not to worry, your absence has been excused. Why don't you take a seat?"

Kit eyed her teacher warily, but did as she was asked, keeping her bag across her shoulder as she fiddled with the strap. She glanced at the door. Wouldn't Willa be coming in at any moment? And Emmett would be waiting.

Mrs. Goff moved from behind her desk to the front, perching herself on the corner and crossing her legs. She smiled sadly, her bright red nails tapping against her thigh.

"Kit," Mrs. Goff sighed softly, "Are you okay?"

"Yes?" Kit said blankly, caught off guard by the question, "I'm fine."

"Some concerns about you have been brought to my attention," Mrs. Goff admitted, "And I've taken to paying a little extra attention to you in class. You seem a little down, Kit."

Kit, who had been staring at the pencil-marked desk she occupied, finally looked up, a little defensiveness leaking into her voice, "I've been sick."

Mrs. Goff raised a chastising finger, "Ah, but it's not only that. These concerns—well, from what I've been told-

"And what have you been told?" Kit demanded quietly.

"Not as much as I had hoped," Mrs. Goff answered honestly, "Only that there are people worried about you. That you seem sad and very far from the Kit they've come to know and love."

She smiled, but Kit didn't match the expression, her gaze having returned to the desktop.

"I'm not sad," Kit said, forcing as much confidence into her voice as possible, "I'm fine. Stressed, I suppose."

"About what?" Mrs. Goff prodded, "Anything I can help with?"

Kit glanced up, "Is my grade okay?"

Mrs. Goff nodded, "A."

"Then, no," Kit declined politely. She stood up, "There's nothing you can help me with and please, tell those 'students' who have so many concerns that I appreciate it, but really, I'm fine," she smiled, but was sure it looked more like a grimace.

Mrs. Goff regarded Kit for a long while, the only sound coming from the clock on the wall. After what seemed like forever, she sighed, nodded, then returned to sit behind her desk, picking up a red pen and beginning to grade papers.

"Very well, Kit," she said, sounding defeated, "If you're sure, then you are free to go. I don't want you to miss lunch."

"Thank you, Mrs. Goff," Kit went to the door, placing her hand on the knob. She turned slightly, "I do appreciate it. Really, thank you for asking."

"You're welcome," Mrs. Goff said mildly, "Have a nice rest of your day and I'll see you after Spring Break. Be safe and responsible."

"Of course," Kit promised with a small laugh, "Bye."

Though she had laughed, she left the classroom, feeling unsteady in her heels. She was shaking like a chihuahua, small tremors that Kit learned to associate with nerves. It had been a simple conversation and she thought of turning back to ask her teacher if the principal had been informed of these "concerns," but knew better than that. It would only raise more suspicions.

"Hey, babe."

The smooth voice caused Kit to look up, preventing her from running into Emmett who stood barely a foot away from her.

Kit blinked at him and looked at her shoes, "H-hi."

"What's wrong?" Emmett scrutinized her carefully, his tone anything but, "Hey," he cupped her face with both hands, forcing her to look at him, "Kit?"

"H-hi," she choked out again, "I-I think I'm—I-I'm just…having a moment," she stammered, eyes welling up, "I'm s-sorry."

Emmett nodded slowly and held out his hand, relieved when Kit took it. He pulled her closer, wrapping his other arm around her back and holding her close.

"It's okay," Kit allowed her eyes to close, whispering her manta, "It's okay, you're fine, it's fine."

"Kit," Emmett breathed, sounding more worried than ever.

Kit shifted a little in his hold, taking a deep breath. It was a bit uncomfortable hugging someone harder than marble and colder than ice—very uncomfortable, really, but she hoped she would get used to it as time went on.

"Am I going to get hypothermia?" she thought aloud.

Despite the seriousness of the situation that Emmett had tried to maintain, he couldn't help the loud laugh that escaped him as he loosened his hold a little. He and Kit were the only ones still outside, the teachers in their classrooms and the rest of the school in the cafeteria.

"No," he said, kissing the top of her head, "Don't worry, I'll make sure your body temperature stays regulated. Stop trying to change the subject. What was the cause of this 'moment'?" he paused, sighing, "Or is it something you don't want to talk about?"

"Something I don't want to talk about," Kit tilted her head back to look at him. He masked it well, but she could still see the worry and slight irritation in his eyes, "I'm sorry. About this—the other day. You have to understand—I mean, I know you always ask me and I play dumb, but—it's not you…I'm not someone who likes to put my problems on other people and I hate being negative. Well, I'm probably being negative right now. Do I sound negative? B-because I feel like my voice-

"Kit, hey, hey," Emmett interrupted her, squeezing her hand gently and cupping her face again, "Take a breath before you pass out."

Kit took a deep breath, taking a long moment to calm down. It had been a couple days since she had seen Emmett. With their fingers still laced together, she began to lead him towards the cafeteria, still feeling a little unsteady, but better.

"I-I'm sorry," she said again, "Thank you for giving me space. I've missed you, though," she grinned, "It's really quiet when you're not around."

Once again, Emmett debated whether or not to give in to the obvious deflection, put off by the mood swing and finding himself a little irritated, but he gave in, hoping to soothe the anxiety he knew she was still feeling.

"I'll have to change that, then," he chuckled, "Perhaps we can do something this weekend?"

"Yes," Kit nodded, Emmett, now leading her to stand in the lunch line, "I'd like that very much."

Emmett piled his tray with food and paid for his lunch, his hand never leaving Kit's as he ran his thumb over the back of it.

As they made their way to where they usually sat, Kit caught Lauren and Ashley's gaze. They both glared at her as though she had committed some unforgivable crime and had walked free.

"Okay?"

Emmett's voice and the feeling of him lightly squeezing her hand caused Kit to break the staring contest and she gave a quick nod, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Fine," she mumbled, "Sorry."

Emmett kept his face easily controlled as he pulled out Kit's chair. Kit was apologizing more than usual and she seemed constantly convinced that she had done or was doing something wrong, her heart racing. Not only that, but he had noticed that she walked with her head hung low instead of high.

"You don't need to apologize," he reminded quietly, "It's okay."

Kit took another deep breath, trying to reign in her emotions that felt out of control. She reached into her school satchel, pulling out a plastic container of salad and a water bottle. She had packed more in her usual bento box, but the stares and glares she received from Lauren and her friends while Kit ate lunch made her self-conscious and she lingered over it until the bell rang and packed it away for later. She ate once she was at home.

It was silent for awhile, both Kit and Emmett being people who didn't need to constantly talk. It was when Emmett heard Kit sigh softly, that he looked up, only to see her cheek resting in her hand as she picked at her salad, her eyebrows knitted together.

He gestured towards it, speaking quietly, "I know I'm not an expert on digesting human food, but I'm pretty sure you have to put the fork in your mouth in order to eat."

Kit gave him a wry smile to placate his humor and shrugged, "I guess I'm not hungry."

Emmett pressed his tongue to the roof of his mouth. He hadn't seen Kit since Tuesday—when he had confronted her about the bullying, but he had no idea if she had eaten since then or not. He knew her family ate both breakfast and dinner together, but he also knew that she tended to skip one or both of the meals with the promises of eating a bigger meal to make up for it. If that was the case and as far as he knew, a limp salad was not considered a big lunch.

"Are you trying to lose weight or something?" he asked gently. That was a thing humans worried about, right? Their weight? Wait, was that even an appropriate thing to ask?

When Kit's face flushed, he knew he was correct. It was so rare when she blushed and when she did, he always teased her about it, but now was clearly not the time. Why was she trying to lose weight? She wasn't the least bit heavy.

"I don't know," Kit mumbled shyly, "Maybe. Just a little bit, not much," she promised quickly.

Emmett narrowed his eyes. He wanted to ask if it had anything to do with Lauren or Jessica, but he resisted, knowing how upset she would get. It was the exact same reason he hadn't mentioned their glaring as they passed, choosing instead to glare back in warning.

"Do I need to worry about you?" he asked, instead, forcing a little teasing into his tone.

"Never," Kit promised with a wide smile, "Quit interrogating me," she said playfully, "I'm perfectly fine, okay?"

She gave him another smile and turned back to her salad, exhaling a small sigh. She wasn't stupid and knew better than to be swayed by those crash diets sponsored by websites and commercials on television, but she could stand to lose a couple pounds until her stomach didn't stick out as much. And though she would never ever say it out loud, there was a naive part of her that maybe if she lost weight, then she wouldn't be teased about it because then it wouldn't be true. It was a stupid thought, she knew, but it was still there, in the back of her mind.

"My brother is requesting your presence," Emmett said abruptly, looking up from his untouched tray.

"What?" Kit asked, turning her head when Emmett gestured. Edward was in fact, staring at her and when he caught her gaze, he crooked his finger.

Emmett laughed at her expression, "He won't bite you."

She flicked her eyebrows up, "He won't? How disappointing and I was so hoping he would."

Emmett narrowed his eyes as Kit stood up, "You have a sick sense of humor."

Kit giggled and then let out a laugh, "Thank you for noticing, not a lot of people appreciate it. I'll be right back."

She was still smiling as she approached the table that Bella and Edward occupied, "Hello," she greeted.

"Hello, Kit," Edward greeted with a polite smile, "How are you?"

"Fine," she replied, "Yourself?"

"All right, I suppose," Edward sighed softly, "I was wondering if I could request a favor?"

Kit tilted her head to the side, "A favor?"

"Yes," Edward nodded, "You see, I'm leaving after lunch to hunt with Alice and I drove Bella-

"But you don't have to!" Bella interjected quickly, waving her hands, "I can walk home."

Edward frowned at Bella impatiently, "I'm not going to make you walk home. If I need to, Alice and I will go get your truck and leave it here for you."

"I can drive you home," Kit smiled at Bella, "I don't mind," she gnawed on her lower lip, "You know, it's been awhile since we've talked."

Bella coughed to hide a laugh, glancing at Edward for only a second, "Oh, yeah...we should have one of those."

"A special talk?" Kit continued mischievously.

"Very special," Bella bit her lip to keep her smile from spreading wider and a flush spread up her neck.

Edward smiled when they both laughed. From Kit's thoughts, he knew that the plan was for the two to question each other on how they each found out about vampires. He was tempted to follow them home and eavesdrop to know what Bella would say, but he needed this hunting trip and he was glad that the two girls could confide in each other, that they had someone to share the secret with.

"Okay, then," Kit agreed, "I'll drive you home."

Suddenly, Alice was standing behind Edward's shoulder and she smiled warmly at Kit, offering a wink.

Edward greeted Alice without looking away from Bella, "Alice."

"Edward," she answered in her her high soprano voice.

"Alice, Bella—Bella, Alice," he introduced the two, gesturing casually with his hand, a wry smile on his face.

"Hello, Bella," she chirped, her smile friendly, "It's nice to finally meet you."

Edward flashed a dark look at her which she pointedly ignored.

"Hi, Alice," Bella murmured shyly.

"Are you ready?" Alice asked Edward.

His voice was aloof, "Nearly. I'll meet you at the car."

"Very well," Alice nodded and turned to Kit, "Come walk with me, Kit."

"Okay," Kit agreed, "I'll see you after school, Bella?"

Bella nodded, "Wait for me after gym?"

Kit bit her lip again, a habit, and she nodded slowly, ignoring Alice's and Edward's stares.

"Yes," she said, her voice coming out a little high-pitched, "After...gym."

Bella didn't notice the hesitation, too focused on Edward to think straight. She mumbled a reply that Kit couldn't understand.

"Keep her safe for me," Edward said, "Make sure Bella doesn't fall into any washing machines."

The seriousness in Edward's voice caught Kit by surprise, but she nodded with a smile.

"Will do," she promised, "See you later. Have fun hunting, Edward."

He raised his hand in goodbye, his eyes still never leaving Bella's face.

Alice looped her arm through Kit's and began to lead her back over to Emmett's table.

"How are you doing?" Alice asked.

"Fi-

"Really?" Alice interrupted, her head cocked to the side, "You weren't at school yesterday."

"I had a headache," Kit replied, "And I hadn't sleep well, but I'm feeling better today."

The dull pounding in her head was gone, now, brought on by a lack of sleep. Her mother had stayed home with her, providing cool washcloths and cups of hot green tea. It was nice to have another break and she enjoyed spending time with her mother, lounging in their pajamas.

Alice hummed, then released Kit's arm when they were closer to the table Emmett occupied, "Very well. Have fun with Bella!"

"I will," Kit smiled, beginning to pack her lunch, "Bye, Alice."

Alice kissed Kit's cheek and then skipped off, leaving Kit alone with Emmett.

"Was that as painful as I thought it would be?" Emmett asked, pushing in his chair.

"Alice?" Kit gasped, "No, of course not!"

Emmett snickered, his bright eyes glittering, "I meant Edward. You don't seem to be in serious distress."

Kit, unsure if laughter was the appropriate reaction, intertwined their fingers as they exited the cafeteria, "Are people usually in distress after speaking with him?"

"Yes," Emmett laughed, catching Edward's dark look as he left with Alice, "He'll get back at me for that one later. I already got into it with Jazz."

"You were fighting?" Kit asked worriedly, slowing her pace. She and Emmett went separate ways for their next class.

"Playing," Emmett corrected, "Jazz won, though, but I'll get him eventually. No one ever wins against Edward."

"Because…?" she trailed off, not wanting to say it.

"Exactly," Emmett confirmed, "Gets on my nerves, sometimes," he grinned, "But I find other ways to mess with him, so it's all good."

Kit smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"I really think you should talk to someone."

The solemness that laced Emmett's voice caught Kit by surprise and she looked up, unsure if she had heard him right. Weren't they just talking about him messing around with his brothers?

"What?" she queried, "What did you say?"

"You heard me," Emmett said, "You should talk to someone. The principal or your parents. About the bullying."

"It's fi-

Emmett pulled her aside to stand against the wall of another building, allowing other students to pass and glaring at anyone who dared to give them odd looks.

"If you value my sanity," he mumbled, closing his eyes, "You will not say you're fine, because you're not. Nothing about this situation is fine. Kit, if you tell someone, they can get you help."

Jasper had told him to leave it alone and Emmett tried to play it off and talk about other things, but he couldn't. Not when he saw how upset Kit was. How utterly defeated and hopeless she looked when she faked smiles and forced herself to laugh. It was completely and utterly painful to watch and he was worried about it. He compared Kit's change to a flower withering away and dying.

Kit blinked, "Well, I can't tell anyone now," she pointed out, "There's no point. It's almost Spring Break and by the time the break is over, I bet the principal would have forgotten about it."

Emmett glared at her, his hands on his shoulders, "Stop trying to make excuses."

"I'm not," Kit snapped. She relaxed and shifted uncomfortably, "I-I'm going to be late for class."

Emmett pursed his lips, "I'm going to say something," he said firmly.

"Don't!" she said this a little too loudly and bit her lip, hard. The anxiety she felt was overwhelming and her eyes darted to the side before she stared at Emmett's chest, unable to look at him directly, "Please, don't, Emmett. I'll do it myself, okay?"

Emmett tilted her face up, forcing her to look at him, "No," he said, shaking his head, "You won't. You're going to keep putting-

"Don't pretend that you know what I'm going to do because you don't!" Kit pulled herself out of his grip and stepped away from him, "It's none of your business. You don't know how mortifying this is, I'm not telling anyone! Leave it alone and quit bothering me!"

"Fine," Emmett growled, "Don't expect me to fix it-

"I don't expect you to fix anything," Kit interrupted him once more; her green eyes hard, "I never asked you to. Ugh, just…leave me alone!"

Emmett watched her go and he scrubbed a hand over his face, irritated. Always. He always let his instincts take over and he was thoughtless. Usually, he wouldn't worry about something out of his control, but this was different. This was Kit, his mate, the girl he…loved.

Yes, he loved her already. Very much. He just hadn't found the courage to tell her yet. He wasn't quite sure how, or if, it was the right time. What if she didn't return his feelings? What if it was too early? Too fast?

Ugh, why was he being like this? These feelings coursing through his body made him—well, he didn't much care for them. He supposed that was because though still thoughtless, he did have to think a lot more when he was around Kit. Not that he minded it. As long as he had her in his life, that was fine. He would change—he would do anything for her.

And as a mate, didn't that entail protecting her? Keeping her safe, well, and happy? He didn't mean to come off so controlling, but clearly, the bullying was the main cause of her distress and it was becoming a serious issue….but then again, he had growled at her, saying he wouldn't fix it and she had told him to leave it alone. Multiple times.

Maybe he would. After all, Kit was keeping his secret. Couldn't he keep hers? But that wasn't the same thing...was it?

"Dammit," Emmett cursed softly, his bad mood only increasing when the late bell rang.

This wasn't working. He and Kit needed to have a serious talk.

Bella bit her lip for what seemed like the thousandth time. As planned, she had met Kit after gym and now, they were in the car with Kit in the driver's seat, and a tense silence between them.

"I-is everything all right?" Bella squeaked, looking at Kit nervously.

"Mhm," Kit hummed turning on her blinker. She sighed, "I'm sorry, I'm being rude," she hurried to change the subject, "So…vampires?"

"Yeah," Bella said after a pause, "La Push?"

"Yes," Kit nodded, one side of her mouth pulled up in a half-smile, "The story about-

"—The Cold Ones," they finished in unison, both laughing.

"It's crazy isn't it?" Bella mused, her laughs under control, "That this stuff exists."

"Crazy," Kit nodded in agreement, turning left when Bella gestured, "It makes me wonder what else is out there."

"What do you think?" Bella asked suddenly, "About being with a vampire?"

Kit glanced over at Bella, confused, "What do you mean?"

Bella blushed, "They're perfect, Kit," she explained, "Edward is, like...Adonis and here he is—they are—dating ordinary girls like us."

Kit tried her best not to take offense over Bella's words and she chose her own carefully, "I definitely don't think they're perfect," she mumbled, "They're not and I don't think we're ordinary. I mean, are looks really all that matter? If there's a strong emotional attraction and we can connect, wouldn't you look past physical appearances and focus more on the fluttering in your chest or the giddy feelings you get when you're around each other?"

"I guess," Bella frowned, "I've never thought of that."

"You should," Kit suggested, "I promise, you're worthy of Edward's love."

"And you think you're worthy of Emmett's?" Bella asked, cheeks flaming.

Now, it was Kit's turned to look embarrassed as the tables were turned. Did Emmett love her? And if he did, had their earlier argument changed that? She felt bad about snapping at him like that—about being so unbelievably rude, knowing he was only concerned and desired to help. It must be frustrating for him—it had to be. If it was him being bullied, Kit was sure that she would react the exact same way.

"Yes," she finally said, hoping the silence hadn't lasted too long, "I do. When did you actually find out?"

"The night we all went dress shopping," Bella told her, "There was a…problem and Edward helped me out, but I've suspected since the car accident. He got over to me too fast," she looked at Kit, "You?"

"I met some of Emmett's friends," Kit said after another moment of thinking, "But before that I never suspected anything. I had no reason to."

"Oh," Bella said, "But you're okay with it?"

"Yes," Kit smiled, "I am."

She parked at the side of the street, behind Bella's rusted pick-up truck and shut off her car, "Here we are," she announced.

Bella suddenly looked anxious, "Wait, you'll come in, won't you?"

"Sure," Kit nodded. She bit the nail on her middle finger, "I did promise Edward that I would keep you from falling into the washing machine. I should probably keep that promise."

Bella blushed, grumbling as she led Kit to the front door and pulled her house key from her pocket, her hands shaking.

"I wish you could have gone dress shopping with us," she said, going back to what she had said earlier, "Angela found a really nice one and I gave Jess your home number so that she could call you. We would have picked you up."

Kit didn't respond and followed Bella inside. She had wondered how the curly-haired prep had gotten her home phone number. Had Jessica said something about Emmett answering to Bella?

"I'm actually going to give her a quick call," Bella said, heading towards the kitchen, "Be right back. Sit down, put your feet up."

"Thanks," Kit wandered into the living room and took a seat on the couch, "You have a lovely home."

"You think so?" Bella called from the kitchen, "Than—oh, Jessica? Yeah, hey, it's Bella."

Kit politely tuned out the conversation and took out her history textbook, pulling out the homework she had slipped between the pages. It was actually a worksheet that she should have turned in yesterday, but her concentration had been lacking and she found herself spacing out even during the simplest of conversations or activities.

"Hey, Kit?" Bella came into the living room, looking nervous, her voice shaking, "I need to tell you something and I'm only telling you because I trust you and I know you won't spread it around."

Kit's eyes softened and she stood up, "What is it, Bella?"

Bella fidgeted, "I'm going out with Edward, tomorrow and if I don't come back, you can't tell anyone."

Kit frowned, placing her thumb nail in her mouth, "What? Why would you not come back?"

"You don't know?" Bella blinked and then frowned, "Oh," she said softly, "I thought Emmett had told you...maybe not."

"Told me what?" Kit asked lightly, "Why would you not come back?"

"In…case," Bella finished lamely, "You know," she dropped her voice to a whisper, "Things end badly."

It took a moment for Bella's words to register and when they did, Kit gasped loudly, horrified and her hands flew to her mouth, "Bella!"

"You can't tell," Bella said quickly, "You can't, not anyone!"

Kit worried her eyes were going to bulge out of her head, "Bella, don't go. That's...not safe, at all."

Bella shrugged as though she were talking about the weather, "No one can know I'm going with him. If…." she hesitated again, "If bad things happen, then he could get in trouble."

Kit pursed her lips, "If you don't come home, I'm going to tell someone."

Fury passed over Bella's face, "You are not."

"Yes, I am," Kit said defensively, "Bella, I have complete faith that Edward will do his best not to harm you. He won't because he loves you, okay? I believe in him, I promise. You asked me to keep it a secret if—you know…and I can't do that. I won't."

Bella opened her mouth, then closed it again, "You'd expose Emmett like that? Throw it all away and tell his secret?"

Kit flicked her eyebrows up as if to say 'try me.'

Bella nodded towards the door, "You can go now."

"Are you seriously mad at me because-" Kit cut herself off, "Fine, okay, I'll go. Can you at least make sure to call me, tomorrow? If you don't, I might think something bad happened and I want to know that you're all right."

"I'm willing to give up everything for Edward," Bella practically shouted, "Would you not do the same for Emmett?"

"I would not," Kit said slowly, honestly.

"Your relationship must be different," Bella mumbled.

"Well, yes," Kit said in the same tone, trying not to take offense, "I would hope so. We're all different people," she looked behind her at the door, "I'm going to go home, now, like you requested, but will you call me tomorrow?"

Bella bristled, floundering as splotches of red burned her cheeks, "This isn't your business," she blurted, unsure of what else to say.

"You made this my business!" Kit said in a surprisingly mild voice. She stopped suddenly at the feeling of deja vu and pinched the bridge of her nose, "If you didn't want me to tell, then you wouldn't have told me."

Bella made a face, "Hypocrite, much?"

"Hypocrite?" Kit looked up, appalled, "How am I a hypocrite?"

Bella blushed again, biting her lip and shifting her weight, "Nothing, I'm sorry. Different situations. It was a low blow."

"Oh," Kit looked at her shoes, a recent habit, "I see."

"Please don't tell," Bella begged.

"I'm sorry," Kit said again, quiet. She didn't look up and went over to get her things, "Don't go. Why do you have to go with him?"

"Charlie doesn't know," Bella told her, "So…" she trailed off with a shrug, confusing Kit even more.

"I made the choice," Bella continued, her hand fluttering to rest near her pocket, "I can't go back on it. I can't cut Edward out of my life, I need him. Surely you understand that."

"No," Kit said, speaking slowly as she sometimes did with Indigo, "I don't. Not yet, anyway," she tapped her foot against the floor.

A loud buzzing came from somewhere in the house, startling both girls and saving them from another tense silence.

"I need to put my laundry in the dryer," Bella announced, "Go home."

"Come home," Kit retorted.

"See you later, Kit," Bella sighed and turned to go into the laundry room.

Kit sat on her bed, her face buried deep into the pillow on her lap as she cried. It had been an overwhelming day. Mrs. Goff's confrontation, the small fight with both Emmett and Bella, the relief that it was finally Spring Break, and the fact that Lauren and her friends had been extra hateful that day, the text messages and emails only adding to it.

'Ur a waste of space.'

'Ur not worth the air you unfortunately breathe.'

'U suck SO MUCH. Everyone hates U.'

'PLEASE lose weight over Spring Break.'

'Be a good friend and go jump in front of a car.'

They only got worse, her phone buzzing to the point she had to put it in her sock drawer and shut it off to stifle the noise, much like she was doing with her tears.

It seemed like she was always crying nowadays and it was terrible. Her face ended up splotchy, her eyes puffy, nose running, and her entire face hurt. She had almost completely lost it before going to lunch with Emmett, but she had held it back, if only by a thread. Not wanting to upset or worry him, but she had done so anyway.

A hard, cold hand landing gingerly on her shoulder, frightened Kit and she dropped her pillow at the same time she jumped to her feet; stumbling at the head rush that came with it and grabbing the edge of her dresser to steady herself.

Emmett looked just as surprised as she was and she lowered her head, knowing that she looked like a mess, covered in tears and probably snot. She tried to stop crying, but it only served for more tears to well up. She hiccuped, unable to catch her breath.

"Hi," Emmett murmured, going to sit on her bed. He stopped when he reached it, looking back at the window he had come through, "Oh...I should have aske—I'm sorry, I can leave. Do you want me to go?"

Kit nodded and turned away from him.

"Okay," Emmett said monotonously. He went back to the cracked window, "Goodnight, Kit."

"N-no, w-wait!"

The quiet, yet sharp cry stalled Emmett in his tracks and he turned his head, arching an eyebrow. Kit was still turned away, her frame wracked with sobs she tried to keep back. He had heard her crying before he reached her house. Even without superior hearing, could no one else hear Kit's tears?

Unsure, Emmett went back towards Kit's bed, taking a hesitant seat on the edge, "Where are your parents?"

"S-sleeping," Kit choked, taking another step forward, away from him, "T-they had a," she hiccuped again, "A l-long day."

"Oh," Emmett said. That made sense. He kicked off his shoes, staring at the back of Kit's head, "Are you okay?"

Kit nodded jerkily, biting her trembling lip, "I-I'm fine," she squeaked, face crumpling. She pressed a hand to her mouth to keep in a sob, "M-m'okay."

"Kit," Emmett sighed, "Come here."

She shook her head frantically, shoulders shaking.

"Come. Here," Emmett said firmly, holding out a hand, "I just want to hold you. Please, come here."

Holding back another sob, Kit hesitated, but went forward, a sheet between them as she let Emmett pull her on his lap, his arms wrapped around her and a hand cupped the back of her head, stroking her hair.

"I'm sorry," Emmett murmured lightly to her, "About earlier. I was being controlling and I shouldn't push you or put pressure on you to speak about things if you're not comfortable. That's not right. I'll leave you alone, okay? I won't bother you about it and we can talk about other things. You know, Alice really wants to take you shopping over the break, but you might not come back," he chortled, "Literally, Alice will shop until you're on your deathbed."

"…It's not going to stop."

Emmett looked down at her, bewildered. Her head was resting in the crook of his neck, turned to the side. She was still crying, but had calmed down some, her hands fisted in his black shirt.

"What?" he questioned, though he knew he had heard her perfectly, "What did you say?"

"It's not going to stop," Kit whispered, a small pained sound escaping her, "It's not just at school, Emmett that's the problem. It's on my phone, my computer. It's constant and it…" she swallowed thickly, a tear sliding down her cheeks to soak his shirt, "N-no matter what I do, where I am, who I'm with. They—they," she let out a shuddering sigh when Emmett wiped her tears, "Just always find a way to…to get at me."

Emmett remained silent. He was floored that Kit had opened up to him and at her revelation, he supposed he understood her reasoning for not telling anyone, but that didn't make it okay. She still needed help.

"I had a small fight with Bella," Kit continued, sniffling, "About Edward."

Emmett wanted to stay on the subject of Lauren, but went with the change, not wanting to upset Kit.

"Oh?" he whispered.

"She told me," Kit mumbled, "About her blood smelling better and that's she's going with him, tomorrow. Did you know?"

"I knew," Emmett admitted. He had spent hours consoling Rosalie when Edward had come home before going to watch Bella. Rosalie had screeched at Edward as Emmett laughed and tried to calm her, then literally jumping between the two when Edward had lunged for the blonde.

"I-I told her I would tell," more tears spilled over, "I told Bella I would tell if things…ended badly."

"…Oh."

"I'm sorry," Kit tightened her grip on Emmett's shirt, "I don't think he will, honestly, but," she shook her head against him, "If he—I can't keep that secret, I'm sorry."

"Shhh," Emmett hushed, moving his hand to rub soothing circles on her back as Kit tried to quell her tears again, "It's all right."

"It's not-

"Bella shouldn't have told you all the details," Emmett interrupted, "You're under enough stress as it is, but if you tell, then you tell," he smirked, "Just make a note to leave out the vampire-thing."

"O-okay," Kit choked out a laugh.

"Don't worry," Emmett soothed, "Edward will be okay and so will Bella. Now that you know, Edward has a reason to bring her back which is exactly what he wanted. If he doesn't, then you'll tell and everything that Carlisle has built for us will be ruined."

The light and cheerful tone that Emmett used made Kit laugh again much to Emmett's satisfaction and he smiled widely.

"But I'll come back," Emmett promised her, "If we leave, I'll come back. Even if it has to be awhile, I'll always come back to you."

Kit's heart fluttered in her chest and she bit her lip, "Okay," she whispered, "I'm sorry—really sorry for being so rude to you. It wasn't right."

Emmett shook his head, "Don't. No more of that. T-tell me more about Lauren," he prodded gently.

Kit nodded against him, "It's hard," her lip trembled, "A-and I think Willa told Mrs. Goff about it. That's why she kept me after class. I told her I was fine."

"But you're not," Emmett interjected.

"I am!" she insisted tearfully, "I'm fine, it's fine, really. It doesn't bother me, it's just…a lot to deal with at times. I don't know, I don't want to talk about it."

Emmett held back a long sigh. So, they were back to that were they?

"Don't shut me out," he begged, kissing her temple, "Okay? I'm glad you opened up to me. I want to hear these things."

"I don't want to be negative," Kit muttered.

"Be negative," Emmett said, "Not everyone is happy all the time and if they are—well, they must be very disturbed. Like Alice and I."

Another laugh from Kit and Emmett grinned.

"I don't think you're disturbed," Kit replied, releasing the tight grip she had on his shirt. She smoothed out the fabric, "Not at all. I think you're lovely."

Emmett snickered, "Thanks, babe. I think you're pretty lovely yourself."

"Thanks," Kit breathed, taking in a shuddering breath to help her relax, "I guess—I just…don't know what to do. I mean, I do know—what to do, but—I-I never wanted you to find out."

"Edward was spying on Bella and heard Jessica's thoughts," Emmett told her, "It was an accident, really. He told me because he's worried about you. I almost busted through the wall of my Spanish class. Tell me, is there anything I can do? Anything at all?"

"I don't know," Kit mumbled, sniffling, "I don't think so. It's..I know I should tell—avoiding this isn't helping a-and…I need to t-tell…" she could feel her eyes start to burn and tried to laugh through it, "If we keep talking about this, I'll cry all night," another soft, but awkward laugh fell from her lips.

For once, Emmett was unsure how to find humor in this situation or find a joke to make it better. He nodded, knowing that he should move on. He didn't want to push her anymore and it was getting late.

"Sit up."

Frowning, Kit peered up at Emmett through her wet lashes, confused, "What?"

"Sit up, just for a little bit," Emmett eased Kit's head off of his blanket covered shoulder, "Slow, or you'll get dizzy."

Her frown only deepened, but with Emmett's help, Kit managed to sit up, a blanket wrapped around her. Her head felt heavy and her headache was back, pounding behind swollen and bloodshot eyes.

"Stay here," Emmett kissed her wet cheek, "I'll be right back."

"But my family…" Kit protested weakly.

"Stay here," Emmett repeated, "I'll be right back."

He was gone before Kit could say anything and she sighed heavily, running her hand through her hair, that she was sure looked a mess like the rest of her. She looked around her room, but stopped, the movement only increased the feel pressure of the headache.

It was dark in her room except for the dim nightlight that was plugged in, giving her room an eerie orange glow. It was plugged in for nights that Indigo decided to sneak in and sleep in Kit's bed. The small girl was afraid of the dark, another nightlight added a glow to the sisters' shared bathroom as well.

The soft sound of her door clicking closed, caused Kit to look up and she watched Emmett approach her, a variety of items in his arms.

He knelt down in front of her, placing a small bowl, a glass of water, and three pills on her bedside table.

"Look at me," he instructed gently already tilting her face up with his knuckle under her chin, "Close your eyes."

Kit let her eyes slide shut and she startled when something cold and wet began to blot her face, the soft motion calming against her flushed skin.

"Too cold?" Emmett asked in the same soothing tone, "I can't really judge the temperature."

"It's fine," Kit whispered, "It feels really nice."

"Good," Emmett nodded, passing the washcloth softly under her eyes and over her eyelids. It cooled easily in his hand and he dipped it into the bowl of water he had brought up. He smiled and brought the washcloth to pass over her cheeks, then to her forehead, "You're so beautiful. Did you know that?"

"No," she murmured. She paused, "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Emmett said, "Hey, we got through our first fight."

"Mhm," Kit hummed, her lips twitching in entertainment, her body relaxing as he continued to blot her face with the cool rag, "We did. Thank you, for not listening to me—for not leaving me alone."

Emmett grinned mischievously, passing the washcloth under her nose and even dipping inside her nostrils before he let it sit in the bowl.

"Are you saying that in the future, I should disregard you telling me what to do?" he asked, hopeful and teasing.

Kit opened her eyes and she glared at him in what she hoped was a playful expression.

"No," she said, sticking her tongue out, "Just this one thing. I can let myself get too closed off and it's not always what's best for me. So, thank you…for knowing that."

They stared at each other for a long while and it was broken when Emmett reached forward to mold his cold hand to Kit's cheek. He wanted to kiss her. To know how her warm soft lips felt against his cold ones, but he didn't lean forward, for fear that he would be taking it too fast. Instead, he removed his hand to reach for the pills and glass of water, holding them out to her.

"Two for your headache and one to help you sleep," he told her, "I found them in your parents medicine cabinet."

Kit blinked a few times, looking at the pills, then back at him, "You—you went through my parents medicine cabinet?"

"Well, yeah," Emmett said, blinking at her obviously, "I didn't think you had medication in your bathroom since you share it with Indigo and I figured the bathroom in the hall was your parents, but also open to guests and I'm a guest, right?"

"Um," Kit blinked again. She hadn't even thought of getting medication, planning to just endure the headache until she fell asleep, "I guess?"

"Okay, then," Emmett nodded to the pills in her hand, "Take these. They'll help."

"You're a lifesaver," Kit mumbled. She took the pills, draining the glass of water with them.

Emmett watched her chug the water and he took the empty glass from her, "You're probably dehydrated. I'll get you more. Is that okay?"

She nodded and climbed into bed, not even settled when Emmett returned with a full glass.

"Here, drink a little more," he waited for her to take the cup before he darted to the other side climbing atop the covers once Kit was comfortable.

"Thank you," Kit told him, scooting over so that she could be close.

Cold lips were pressed to her forehead and she relaxed, closing her eyes again to focus on the rise and fall of Emmett's sculpted chest.

"Will you play the violin for me?" came Emmett's voice.

Kit didn't open her eyes and her lips twitched into another small smile, "Now? I might wake the whole house up."

"No," a chuckle rumbled his chest, "But soon. I'd really love to hear you play. I've heard it's beautiful."

"My parents," Kit snorted through a yawn, "Yes, I'd love to play for you. Ugh, I'm exhausted."

"I'm sure you are," Emmett agreed, glad the pills were kicking in.

Kit bit her lip as she shifted under the covers. She hadn't been having nightmares exactly, but the dreams were unpleasant, further disturbing her sleep and making it hard to get out of bed the next day. At night her sleep was restless and she often found herself entangled in her sheets and her eyes still heavy with fatigue.

"Thank you for doing all of this," Kit whispered, "I know it's frustrating."

Emmett returned to stroking her hair, not disagreeing with Kit's statement, "I don't know what else to do other than support you and try to make you feel better."

Hearing the tone that laced Emmett's voice, Kit only became more worried, her eyebrows creasing.

"Are you mad at me?" she asked, eyes fluttering open.

"No," Emmett hastened to reassure her, "No, of course not. Never."

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, kissing her temple. When did Kit become so…so this? Worrying, self-conscious, scared that everyone was angry at her, guilty? Sure, she was always over-apologetic, but never to this extent. She was anxious all the time, fearing that the people in her life would just up and leave her—abandon her.

This was saddening to Emmett. Is this what Lauren and her clique were longing to accomplish? To break Kit down until she was a shell of the confident person she used to be?

He couldn't let that happen, though he was unsure how exactly he could keep that from happening. Perhaps he didn't need to worry about that now. It was Spring Break, a whole week off from school. Maybe this week was what Kit needed to get back to her old self. Honestly, Emmett didn't know much about bullying. Sure, people talked about him and his family, but what else was new? It didn't hurt his feelings. On occasion he actually laughed at the petty and moronic comments and sometimes those people would get bored and move on to someone or something else.

"Ahh, that feels a lot better," Kit suddenly breathed, eyes closing again, "My headache's gone."

It didn't take long for Kit to fall asleep after that and Emmett watched her, entranced by how peaceful Kit's face looked.

He had purposely avoided bringing up the specifics of the bullying, unsure of how that would play out. He knew Kit was embarrassed about the sexual nature of what was being said about her by Lauren and her friends. He wondered if that's why she kept her head down and didn't really make eye contact with him. Because she was ashamed.

She didn't need to be, but he supposed that was easier said than done. Of course, he and his family didn't believe any of the things being said to or about Kit. They were all completely far fetched and ridiculous.

"I'm sorry, Kit," he whispered to her, his eyes still on her face.

He stared at her as if expecting a reply and then, he adjusted his position, closing his own eyes and wishing for once that he could just sleep and not think.

Author's Note: Wow, this is one of the longest chapters I've ever written and I really enjoyed it.

I've gotten some complaints about Kit's behavior - that she seems whiny, bitchy, annoying, blah, blah, blah. But you have to understand, that Kit's a person (fictional, obviously) and I really want to portray bullying as realistically as possible and that includes how bullying affects someone's character and behavior, keep that in mind. I wanted to address that before I got any complaints and make it known instead of messaging people from their reviews.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter,

~FictionChic