I'd never seen a man really cry before, let alone a vampire. It was strange.

The shoulders of the boy in front of me - and he really did seem to be a boy in this moment - wracked with heavy, dry sobs. While his face was scrunched into a very painful expression, I didn't see any hint of snotty tears or blotchy cheeks. In fact, I couldn't see a single tear escape his eyes. The horrible expression and even more painful keening sound aside, he still looked… perfect. It occured to me that perhaps he could not cry - physically unable. I hoped it wasn't the case.

The idea felt cruel to me. Had the one consolation prize for despair - the catharsis of an ugly cry - been another sample of the humanity so ruthlessly ripped from him?

I sniffled slightly, surprised to realize that I'd begin to cry in Edward's stead. I knew that to feel compassion for my would-be murderer was beyond idiotic, yet here I was nonetheless. Crying for him.

I felt a laugh bubble out of me and I rested my forehead on the glass. "Helpless," I muttered to myself. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the hand in his lap curl into a fist.

I glanced up hesitantly - he was looking right at me! I quickly returned my gaze to my lap, blushing. "Can you hear me?" I whispered almost silently, my face still a beet red. The glass around my face fogged up slightly. I fingered patterns in the condensation aimlessly.

I saw his chin move up and down as he nodded softly; my breath caught.

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. I berated myself, closing my eyes to shut out the confusing vampire on the other side of the glass.

.

.

.

"Bella." I heard the voice coming from down the hall, instead. That same woman from earlier - Edward's "mother," I guess - was standing over me, and she held out a phone. "Please feel free to answer however you feel fit."

Although she meant to sound comforting, I couldn't fight the automatic cringe when she reached toward me. I grimaced in apology.

A phone? Who could possibly be calling? No one should know I was here - I mean I hadn't spoken with anyone in days.

I gasped, dropping the phone I only just received. I looked at the woman. "Please, do my parents know I'm here?"

I didn't need to wait to hear her answer. Of course they wouldn't know. Under what pretense? "Sorry, we couldn't let her go home because we're trying to stop our son from killing her"?

No, nobody would know I was here. Then who…?

I looked at the woman again quizzically as I raised the phone to my ear. "Hello?"

"Bella," Charlie said. "Hon, what were you thinking?"

"Ch- Dad?" My mind was reeling, trying to figure out a story - or at least to figure out what day of the week it was.

Dr. Cullen held out his hand. "May I?" he mouthed.

I nodded and shakily handed him the phone.

"Hello, is this Chief Swan?" He paused. "Yes, that's right." Another pause. "No, not at all."

He handed the phone back to me and I raised it shakily to my ear.

"Bells," Charlie sighed. "I know you're a teenager and all but you can't disappear like that. I almost had a heart attack. I even reported you missing, hon."

My head could not process this totally normal conversation as I sat facing seven vampires. I nodded weakly and then realized stupidly he couldn't see it. "Sorry, Dad."

"Now, I didn't realize you and Edwin and the Cullen girl were close enough for you to see Dr. Cullen at their house. It's alright for today - I know you hate the attention - but be sure not to take advantage of them or their hospitality, okay Bells?"

"I'm really sorry, Dad." My throat was thick and I realized I was crying.

"Bells, I know I'm no doctor, but I can handle waking you up every couple hours for your concussion, hon. You don't need to go to the doctor for that." Was his voice always this rough? Why did I imagine him also tearing up on the other end of the line?

I suddenly felt a strong urge to warn him, to protect him. "Dad, it's not a concussion, I-"

Someone gagged loudly. I looked up sharply and saw the big, burly one - Jasper? - laughing on the other side of the glass. Edward was still watching me with those unfathomable, bottomless eyes.

"Oh Bells, you have the worst luck," Charlie laughed sympathetically.

The phone disappeared from my grip. "Hi, Chief," Alice chirped. "Yes, I'm so sorry. I was so worried about Bella yesterday that I had Edward ride with her yesterday. And then Edward got sick in her car. So she started driving him home but then she threw up, too! It was so so crazy. And my mom was so busy taking care of them we all forgot to let you know." She paused. "Mhmm! Here she is."

Esme was next. "Hello, Charlie." She nodded. "Yes, Charlie, it's not a problem at all. I am so sorry for the distress we caused you." She paused again. "She told us she didn't want to risk you getting sick. No, I understand you don't mind - of course you don't, as a parent. But you can't blame her, sweet, considerate girl that she is." She laughed. "Yes, she does seem particularly mature. Yes, here she is."

Esme handed the phone back to Alice who handed it back to me. While she smiled at me, there was a hard glint in her eyes that wasn't there before. I shuddered.

"Hi, Charlie."

"Bella, the Cullens have offered to take care of you until you feel better. Now, you know I don't love the idea of it, but I also know if I got sick, you'd make yourself even sicker by trying to take care of me. So just focus on feeling better, hun, and call me when you're ready to come home."

Come home.

I felt guilty lying to Charlie; I felt even guiltier knowing I might not come home at all. "Okay," I said weakly.

Alice took the phone and hung up.

I stared blankly at her. Stomach flu, huh? I couldn't get the words to come out. I felt emptied out on the inside, scooped clean. When had the fight slipped so quietly out of me? I wondered. Just days ago, I fought with, yelled at Edward Cullen, unafraid, unintimidated. Now, here I was, trembling, scared out of my mind. A mouse caught in a den of lions.

I blinked and laughed shakily. Quite literally! I realized, glancing around at the seven vampires towering over me, looking at me curiously - the little mouse sitting, cowering against the wall.

I laughed and laughed, and my laughter got louder and shakier and scarier and gasping and horrible. I pulled the ratted sweater sleeves to my eyes and just gave up and gave in.

A/N: Did you have a magical Christmas??

As you've probably clued in by now, I didn't make it in time for the Christmas episode - I know, I'm sad about it, too.

The good news is things are about to get interesting! So far, Bella and the Cullens have been pretty lost in their own world, huh? Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about Charlie or Forks yet!

I've heard a lot of great reviews about what you think is going on in the background and I'd love to hear more theories! They are so fun for me to read. I love you guys! Happy new year!