Waking Up

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to SM.

Rupture

Bella was reluctant to go up to her bedroom just yet. She knew Edward would be waiting for her, and she wanted to put off their confrontation as long as possible.

She ambled toward the kitchen, looking for busy work. Unfortunately, it was all clean and tidy, the counters were glistening, the dishes washed, dried, and put away. She stood there for a few minutes, staring a bright patch of moonlight shining on the floor through a gap in the blinds. But she knew she couldn't delay this forever.

"I'm going to bed now." Bella announced glumly to Charlie as she headed for the stairs.

"Night, kiddo." Charlie called after her from the living room. "Sweet dreams. See you in the morning."

If I survive, Bella thought to herself.

When she reached her room, she slipped inside, closing the bedroom door carefully before she turned to face the inevitable.

Of course, he was there. Edward stood against the wall across from Bella, in the shadow beside the window. His face was hard and his posture tense. He glared at her wordlessly.

Bella cringed, waiting for the torrent, but it didn't come. Edward just continued to glare, possibly too angry to speak.

"Hi." She finally said.

Edward's face could have been carved from stone. Bella counted to a hundred in her head, but there was no change in his expression.

"Um…so, I'm still alive." She began.

A growl rumbled low in Edward's chest, but his expression didn't waver.

"No harm done." Bella insisted with a shrug. She was getting desperate now.

Finally, Edward moved. His eyes closed, and he pinched the bridge of his nose between the fingers of his right hand.

"Bella!" He whispered forcefully. "Do you have any idea how close I came to crossing the line today? To breaking the treaty and coming after you? Do you know what that would have meant?"

Bella gaped at him in horror. She gasped and his eyes opened. They were as cold as night. It made her back away a few steps.

"You're overreacting!" She said too loudly. She swallowed thickly, trying to modulate the volume of her voice so Charlie wouldn't hear, however, she wished she could shout the words. "You can't break the treaty, Edward. They'd use any excuse for a fight. They'd love that. You can't break the rules ever."

"Maybe they aren't the only ones who would enjoy a fight." Edward threatened, his golden eyes glittering dangerously.

Bella shook her head, retreating from him a little further. The way he was acting was making her uncomfortable. "Don't you dare." She choked out. "You made the treaty-you stick to it."

"If he'd hurt you – "

"Enough!" Bella finally cut him off, losing patience. A rare reaction from her as far as he was concerned. "There's nothing to worry about. Jacob isn't dangerous. You know Charlie and Billy were there."

Once again, Bella was grateful that Edward couldn't read her mind, so he wouldn't be able to confirm that particular lie. She and Jacob had mostly spent the evening away from their fathers, first at the beach, then later in his garage.

"Bella." Edward said condescendingly. "You aren't exactly the best judge of what is or isn't dangerous."

Bella felt another prick of annoyance surge through her at his assertion. He was treating her like she was stupid and didn't know her own mind. "I know I don't have to worry about Jake. And neither do you." She snapped.

Edward ground his teeth together. His hands were balled up into fists at his sides. He was still standing against the wall. Bella felt guilt consume her. She hated the space between them. She didn't want an argument. She knew he was only concerned about her wellbeing. He just didn't know Jacob and the wolf pack as intimately as she did. He was feeding off old prejudices.

So, taking a deep breath, Bella crossed the room. Edward didn't move when she wrapped her arms around him. His skin felt especially icy and she shivered. He seemed like ice, too, frozen the way he was.

"I'm sorry I made you anxious." She apologized.

Edward sighed, and relaxed a little. His arms wound around her waist.

"Anxious is an understatement." He murmured. "It was a very long night."

Bella looked up at his face, at his defensive eyes. "Please don't worry about me, Edward. I'm safe with Jacob. You have to learn to trust my judgement. You should have known – "

"But I didn't." Edward broke in. "And you can't expect me to let you – "

The same irritation that had made itself felt before, returned with full force. Bella glared at him. "Oh, yes, I can." She interrupted him. "That's exactly what I expect – "

"This won't happen again."

"That's right! Because you're not going to overreact next time. I understand when you have to leave, even if I don't like it – "

"That's not the same. I'm not risking my life."

"Neither am I."

"Werewolves constitute a risk."

"I disagree."

"I'm not negotiating this, Bella."

"Neither am I. Seeing Jacob is important to me. If you don't like it, then – "

"Then what?" Edward cut her off before she had a chance to issue her threat. His hands were in fists again. Bella could feel them against her back.

"Nothing." She mumbled. "I don't want to fight anymore."

"Then do as I ask, please, Bella." Edward persisted. "Do not try and see Jacob Black again."

Bella shook her head. That was the one concession she could not give him. "I can't promise you that."

"Why not?"

"Jacob is my friend. My best friend. I've explained my reasons countless times." The words popped out thoughtlessly before she had a chance to retract them. "Is this really just about my safety?"

"What do you mean?" Edward demanded.

"You're aren't…." Bella paused, feeling awkward bringing the subject up. "I mean you know better than to be jealous, right?"

Edward raised one eyebrow. "Do I?"

"Be serious."

"Easily – there's nothing humorous about this."

Bella frowned suspiciously. "Or…is this something else altogether? Some vampires-and-werewolves-are-always-enemies nonsense? Is this just some testosterone-fueled – "

Edward's eyes blazed with indignation. "This is only about you. All I care is that you're safe."

The black fire raging in his eyes frightened Bella a little bit. She slipped out of his embrace, folding her arms defensively across her chest.

"Okay." Bella said doubtfully. "But I want you to know something." She averted her gaze so she wouldn't have to look at his face. "I am not going to stop seeing Jacob. He's my best friend, no more than that, he's family. Right now, he needs me, and I plan to be there for him."

"Bella – "

"No, I need you to hear me, Edward. Really hear me." Bella implored, finally raising her eyes to meet his. "You are…. well, not exactly the love of my life, because I expect to love you for much longer than that. The love of my existence. But, even so, that doesn't give you the right to dictate who I see, or who I spend time with. I don't care who's a werewolf and who's a vampire. If Angela turns out to be a witch, well she can join the party, too."

Edward stared at Bella through narrowed eyes. "So, you still insist on seeing him in spite of all the risks?"

"Yes."

Edward frowned at her, and then sighed. "Bella…" He began, then paused, a calculating expression crossing his face so quickly that Bella wasn't sure she hadn't just imagined it.

"What?"

"Nothing." Edward replied, and then smiled crookedly, so Bella knew the fight was over. For now.

Edward had to leave to go on a hunting trip. He was intending to leave Friday night with Jasper, Emmet, and Carlisle to hit some reserve in Northern California with a mountain lion problem.

They had come to no agreement on the werewolf issue, but it didn't stop Bella feeling guilty about calling Jacob-during the brief window of opportunity when Edward took the Volvo home before climbing back into her window-to let him know that she would be coming over on Saturday again. It wasn't sneaking around. She had made it clear to Edward how she felt. In her mind she was doing nothing wrong.

So, when she got off work on Thursday and saw it was Alice rather than Edward waiting for her in the Volvo, she was not immediately suspicious. The passenger door was open, and music she didn't recognize was shaking the frame when the bass played.

"Hey, Alice." Bella shouted over all the noise as she climbed in. "Where's your brother?"

Alice was singing along to the song, her voice an octave higher than the melody, weaving through it with a complicated harmony. She nodded at Bella, ignoring her question as she concentrated on the music.

This aroused Bella's suspicions immediately. She sat still, trying to shake the incessant pounding music out of her ears, as she struggled to concentrate.

"You need to strap yourself in, Bella." Alice said, finally looking Bella's way. "With your history, we don't want to risk an accident. Edward would never forgive me."

Bella studied Alice critically, putting one leg out of the car onto the tarmac, so Alice wouldn't have a chance to hit the locks and the gas in the same second and take off, with her trapped inside the vehicle. She was beginning to feel very uneasy.

"What's going on, Alice? Tell me the truth. Where is Edward?"

Alice shrugged nonchalantly. "They left early."

"Oh." Bella mumbled, frowning.

She tried to control the growing feeling of uneasiness. Something was clearly amiss. Edward normally always told her when he was leaving, and for how long, as he knew she would miss him, and to reassure her he was coming back. It had been this way since they'd returned from Italy. But now, the sudden shift in plans, only heightened her speculation that he and Alice had been plotting behind her back…which could mean only one thing.

Alice feigned innocence. "All the boys went, and we're having a slumber party!" She announced in a trilling, singsong voice.

"A slumber party?" Bella repeated, her suspicions finally confirmed.

"Aren't you excited?" Alice crowed.

Bella met her animated gaze for a long second. "You're kidnapping me, aren't you?"

Alice nodded, looking suddenly wary. "Till Saturday. Esme cleared it with Charlie, you're staying with me for two nights, and I will drive you to and from school tomorrow."

"You asked my dad? He would never agree."

"He was hesitant at first, but once Esme made it clear it was just us girls, he soon caved in."

Bella turned her face away to stare in the direction of Newton's Outfitters. She could feel her frustration growing. She felt her teeth grinding together. It had been there a while now, the anger, escaping when she was away from those she loved, finding innocent targets, instead of those who truly deserved to be on the receiving end. She showed her impatience with store clerks and car drivers, hell, she'd even been angry because her sandwich had fallen apart during lunch. But the truth was, it was her life that needed changing for the better, because there was more going on in her brain and body than she could handle and still be true to herself. So, even though it pained her, she knew she was going to have to finally acknowledge what was behind all this built-up resentment and start working to change things before it poisoned the relationship's she cherished the most.

Alice seemed to sense Bella's budding anger. "I'm sorry." She said, not really sounding penitent at all. "He paid me off."

"What?" Bella hissed, spinning around in her seat. "How?"

"The Porsche. Its exactly like the one I stole in Italy." Alice sighed happily. "I'm not supposed to drive it around Forks, but if you want, we could see how long it takes to get from here to L.A.- I bet we could have you back by midnight."

"I think I'll pass." Bella said through gritted teeth. "I can't believe he bribed you. And I can't believe you let him. You're supposed to be my friend."

"Come on, Bella, strap yourself in." Alice urged her. "You're making this into a bigger deal than it is. We'll have fun together, if you let yourself relax."

"No." Bella swung the rest of her body out of the passenger seat, glad that she had the forethought to rest one leg outside the vehicle to stop herself from being trapped inside.

"Bella, don't do this!" Alice squeaked in sudden alarm. "Come back! I can't see you; you've disappeared – that could only mean…"

"Yes, that I'm going to be spending the next few nights in La Push with Jacob and my other friends. I'm sure Mike won't mind giving me a lift to the reservation. Oh, and feel free to tell Edward. Tell him not to bother hurrying back, because I won't be at home." Bella seethed, finally snapping under all the pressure. She slammed the Volvo's door shut in Alice's face. Then hurried into Newton's Outfitters to find Mike Newton, without looking back.

A/N-thanks for reading!