I don't own Twilight. What I own is my character's behavior, personality, background, and the plot of the story.

Author's note at the end of the chapter.

Beep

Beep

Beep

Bella hears constant beeping which drives her crazy as she tries to go back to sleep. What the heck is Cece up to? And why is she annoying her with this beeping?

"Cece, enough with it," Bella mutters her voice rough from sleep.

"Oh my god. Mummy you're awake," Cece exclaims from her left.

"Let me go back to sleep," she mutters irritated with Cece's excitement. She needs Cece to leave her alone, not clap because she woke her up.

"Bella, how are you feeling?" Edward asks to her right.

Edward in her room? Bella opens her eyes and gets up quickly, but cries out in pain.

"Bella, what are you doing? Go back to lying. You're injured," Edward exclaims as replaces his hand on her back and slowly lowers her.

Bella's eyes finally register that she is in a hospital room. "What's going on?" she asks as she tries to sit up again.

Edward stops her by placing his hand gently on her shoulder and tells her, "Easy there. I will raise the bed for you."

She watches his face as he raises her bed and that's when she finally notices him. There are dark circles under his eyes, and two days worth of stubble on his cheeks. His skin looks pale and sunken as if he hasn't eaten in days.

"Thats okay?" he asks making her eyes snap back to meet his.

She nods her head at him. "You really don't remember what happened?" Edward asks as he pulls a chair to sit opposite hers.

Bella closes her eyes and tries to remember the last thing that happened and that is when it all comes back to her. Getting ready to go out with Edward and Cece, Victoria showing up and telling her about getting abused, and finally Victoria trying to kill her.

"Vic, Vic," Bella stutters trying to get the name out but it gets stuck in her throat out of shock.

She swallows then opens her mouth to try speaking again but Edward places his finger on her lips to stop her and tells her, "We already know about her. The DNA on the mug incriminated her."

Bella nods her head then turns away from him trying to keep the tears at bay but her eyes betray her.

"It's okay. You are safe and that will never happen again," Edward tells her sweeping away her tears and confusing her heartbreak with fear. She is shocked. Now that her life is no longer in danger, her mind asking her questions she doesn't know the answer of. She can't understand why Victoria would do that to her. She thought they were friends. Sure, Bella occasionally got irritated with Victoria's incessant calling and expectation of always hanging out together, but it had nothing to do with Victoria and everything to do with the fact that Bella enjoys having a certain amount of space that most people don't need. She doesn't hate her. As a matter of fact, Bella liked her. Why would she do that to her?

"Why don't you sleep. You look tired. You're safe to do that," Edward tells her.

She opens her mouth to tell him that she isn't safe and Denali is still after them even in jail, but Cece who had been quiet till then shows her displeasure with Edward's suggestion. "No, mummy can't go back to sleep. She just woke up."

Bella opens her mouth to tell them that she is okay but Edward beats her to the punch and tells Cece, "No. Your mum is tired and she needs to go back to sleep so she can get better quicker."

Bella watches silently as Edward and Cece compete in a staring contest with Cece's eyes slowly growing tired and twitching while Edward maintains a steely stare. Bella realizes then that this is Edward parenting Cece and lessening Bella's burden and so she decides to lessen his by telling Cece to come and lay beside her while she sleeps.

Finally, Cece backs down but with the stipulation that she sleeps with her mummy. Not interested in listening to them arguing, Bella agrees and after much navigation of the cords by Bella's side, Cece is finally able to lay beside her mum and before she knows it, sleep claims Bella.

Not before long, Bella slowly feels herself exiting the world of the dead and entering the world of living to the sound of hushed whispers.

She focuses hard and finally starts to understand what is being said. "Are you crazy? You want her to give up her legal right!" a voice whisper yells.

The first voice is followed by another frustrated one that tells him, "I am saying she should ignore what the small fish did to her and focus on taking the big fish down."

"Are you even okay with this Charlie?" the first voice demand.

"Of course not but it sounds like a damn good idea. We shouldn't waste or time on going after her and instead save it for him." Now that's a voice she know. It's her father.

"What's going on?" Bella mutters her voice hoarse from sleep as she rubs her eyes.

"Hey honey, how are you feeling?" Charlie's face greats her as he speaks.

"Fine, fine," she mutters dismissively then asks him, "What are you fighting over?"

Charlie turns expectedly to Marco and waits for him to speak. Marco rubs the back of his neck in nervousness as he opens his mouth and closes it a couple of times and nothing comes out.

"I will tell you what's going on," Edward states out loud making his presence known. "Those two idiots want you to tell the police that Victoria didn't shoot you."

Hello lovely people,

Did you like the chapter? Are you having a good day?

I am not. I arrived for my exam two hours late cause stupid me read 12:00 to 14:00 as 2 pm to 4 pm. Currently, I am sitting beside the head of the department office waiting to see if there is any way for me to retake it.

Wish me luck.

Until next time,

Stay safe