AN: This begins right after the dance and, if continued, will only cover the time not dealt with by Mrs. Meyer in New Moon. I will only continue posting if there is interest expressed. I am not the originator of these characters. I have tried to keep true to the characters created by Stephenie Meyer, and all original Twilight material belongs to her. I am writing this in two PoVs, first Bella's and then Edwards. I hope someone enjoys my humble efforts. This is my first attempt at writing a fan fiction, but I have enjoyed it. Thanks.

4-11 After writing Edwards PoV, I found some minor and one major error, so I have replaced the first copy of this story with the corrections.

9-12-07: This story is getting re-edited for errors, so I will be replacing chapters as I edit them.

------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 1 --- After the Dance – Bella

Okay, so I truly did enjoyed prom, despite all of my earlier protests, but maybe I enjoy the company more than the prom itself. Just as he promised, Edward stayed by my side all through prom, except for the one minute infringement by Jacob Black. I knew I should have been more apprehensive about Billy's message, but I decided to thrust it aside and file it away for later.

Charlie was waiting when Edward brought me home, which surprised me because it was two in the morning. Charlie was a little anxious when he saw Edward carrying me in, but Edward just smiled crookedly and said, "She's just exhausted from dancing." Charlie smiled at that; maybe he had remembered my earlier comment, before the spring dance, that I didn't dance. Edward proceeded to carry me upstairs with Charlie trailing behind. At the top of the stairs, Edward had the forethought to ask which way instead of automatically preceding to my room. As I watched Charlie, I wished I had Edwards's ability to hear other's thoughts. I'd ask Edward later what Charlie had thought as he watched Edward carry me up to my room and gently place me on the bed. As he put me down, I heard someone knock on the door downstairs. Edward smiled and said, "That will be Alice. She said she would stop by and see if Bella needed any help preparing for bed." Charlie left to let Alice in.

"What is he thinking right now?" I asked Edward.

"Who?" he quipped.

"Charlie of course."

"At this very moment he is thinking how beautiful Alice looks. I should let her in on his compliment later," he laughed.

"That's not what I meant, and you know it." He can be so frustrating at times. "What was he thinking when he saw you carrying me in and up the stairs?"

Once again, he had that crooked smile; I realized, a while back, that he smiled liked that when he had something he could hold over me for a while. "Later, they're coming up."

Charlie and Edward both left the room after Alice entered. I knew Edward would waste little time driving home, changing, and running back here to wait until he could join me.

"I knew you'd enjoy yourself, and you looked beautiful tonight," Alice remarked.

"Yes, I did have fun, but only because Edward was there. I would never have enjoyed prom with anyone else." I smiled as I remembered how he held me and danced me around the room.

"Well, remember that when the next dance comes around. Edward enjoys dancing; only he hasn't really had anyone to dance with before. Rosalie and I make poor substitutes especially with husband's who are waiting in the wings." She gave a little laugh. "And besides, sisters aren't as much fun to dance with."

"Alice?" I wasn't sure how honest she would be with me, but I had to ask anyway. "Do you still see me being changed?"

"You know Edward forbade me to talk about that issue with you,' she warned.

"Oh, hang Edward. This concerns my future, and what kind of a future would I want if Edward wasn't part of it?" I shocked myself with the anger behind those first words.

"Edward's right. You do have a temper." Alice chuckled. "You two are well-suited for each other; his temper complements yours. But, as I said, he's forbidden me to tell you what I see concerning you being changed, so let's just say nothing has changed from the previous ones."

"Thanks Alice." I liked Alice. I could see us becoming closer friends, and if the circumstances of our relationship ever changed for the better, I could see us becoming co-conspirators at times.

I appreciated Alice's help, especially with the corset, but I was glad when I was finally settled in bed and she and Charlie left telling me to get a good sleep.

Once the door was shut, it was only seconds before Edward was next to me in bed holding me close. Without seeing him, I knew he had changed clothes by the way they felt next to my skin.

"So, what was he thinking?" I was determined to find out what his thoughts had been as Edward carried me in.

"Who?" He breathed in my face.

"You know darn well who?" I said in an annoyed whisper.

He gave a little chuckle and ran his finger down the bridge of my nose before replying, "Shock at first. He thought you'd been hurt. He had an image of you tripping over your cast while dancing and breaking your other leg. Not a graceful image I might add. Has he seen you dance before?" he laughed quietly.

"Ha ha, and no, I've never danced in front of him, and he was spared the sight of my ballet recitals. What else?" I snuggled closer to him.

"Umm, you smell so good. It's a good thing Charlie can't hear my thoughts. Although, he did think you looked too comfortable in my arms. He was also wondering how far our relationship has gone, and whether or not he should ask you some very pointed questions on the matter, but I don't think he'll do that before you wake up."

"Hum, maybe I won't wake up. I could lay here like this forever and never fall asleep. I wonder what that would be like to just lay nestled in your arms all night and never sleep but revel in your closeness. Tell me how that would feel." I knew I was getting sleepy but I was fighting it is long as I could because I knew it would interrupt our time together.

"I'm not sure. I've never done that before. Maybe I should stay this way until you wake up. Then I can tell you how it feels. As you sleep, I'll just breathe in your essence and cradle you next to me. Of course, if Charlie should look in before he leaves for work, I'd disappear until he closed the door," he whispered in my ear.

I murmured, "I could just lock the door."

"Won't that make him suspicious?"

"Of what?'

"Of what might be going on behind the locked door?"

"You tell me. You know what thoughts he's been having lately. Does he suspect any deep romantic inclinations on your part? Or on mine for that matter?" I sighed sleepily, but still reluctant to let sleep overwhelm my senses.

"Well . . ." he paused for a moment. "It has crossed his mind. He was remembering, a while back, what he was like at your age, but he hoped girls weren't like that. In fact, he'd almost convinced himself you couldn't be like that, but something made him unsure. I never clearly caught what changed his mind." I felt him playing with strands of my hair, and it sent exciting shivers down my spine.

"What was he like at my age?" I murmured. I felt as though I was floating in the air, but tried very hard to keep contact with the ground. I knew sleep was trying to overwhelm me, but I had no desire to let it sweep me away from Edward.

"Very physical," Edward chuckled.

"I wish I could see that. I wish I could know what you're thinking right now." I sighed.

"I'm thinking how good you smell; how your smell is a magnet that ensnares me and fills me with a desire to get closer to you." He was running his nose up and down my neck sending electrical charges shooting through my body. "How tasty you were, and how much I love you that I would never want you to suffer like you did in the dance studio." He hesitated a moment, then kissed my neck and asked, "What are you thinking?"

How could I start, I knew I was drifting into sleep but my thoughts were running rampant. Where would I begin, and which ones dare I let escape my lips. I shifted slightly trying to get closer to him and murmured, "Remember, you asked. I was thinking how this is the way I want us to be forever. Never to leave each others side. To bathe in each others desires and needs, to be so close we become as one. I was realizing how alone I've been, relying only on myself and distancing myself from most people. How my only real friend has been my mother and how I've never felt the need to let anyone else in my life . . . maybe not even Charlie, until now. Now I know that you have to be in my life or I'll fade away into nothingness with no meaning or reason for existing. Edward?" I knew I was losing to sleep, but I felt a pressing need to keep focused and conscious.

"Yes, I'm still here," but he sounded like he was a great distance away.

"Edward, promise to stay. Promise to stay forever. Don't let me die. Promise. Promise I'll never have to leave you. I don't want to be alone. I don't want to be lonely or feel the ache of losing the only person I've ever loved, or ever will love. Promise me Edward?" I couldn't distinguish between thoughts and spoken words because my thoughts were so tied up in sleep. My mind bombarded me with questions. Had I really said this? Had I really told him how I was really feeling? Would this be too much for him if I really said these things? Was I pushing him away by revealing too much? "Don't leave me." My voice began to rise. "Please, Edward, don't leave me." Did I just shout that? "Edward . . . Edward? No, don't leave," and then, as if I was underwater, I faintly heard a knock on the door and someone called my name. Who came into my room? Who was calling my name? All I could think was that Edward was gone because I could no longer feel his arms about me; I would never see him again, or had this been some impossible dream. Around my mind raced the word "Edward, don't leave." Were these thoughts or had I said them, and then I heard my name called again, but more persistently. Was that Charlie's voice? What was Charlie doing in my room? Where was Edward? The words "Edward, don't leave," escaped my lips. Was I talking in my sleep, had I been asleep this whole time?

There the voice was again, "Bella?" but with a question.

Had he heard me talking? What had I said? I remember a moan escaping my lips; this was the worst thing that could happen. Did he know I talked in my sleep? I vaguely heard myself say, "Mom was supposed to tell you. She promised to tell you."

In my mind I heard, "Tell me what Bells?" Was that really Charlie's voice?

Maybe I should ask. "Charlie? Mom was supposed to tell you. Why didn't she tell you?"

And again, I heard, "Tell me what Bells?" but very softly, almost muffled like there was a great distance between us.

And what happened next jolted me out of my sleepy stupor. "Charlie, Isabella talks in her sleep." My mother was standing in the room with Charlie. My eyes few open and I was so startled to see Charlie leaning over me that I screamed.

"Bella?" and Charlie had put his hand over my mouth to muffle the scream. "Bella? Are you awake?" He sounded scared rather than upset.

The only word that came to my mind was, "What?" I was unsure of what happened.

"Bella? Are you okay? Are you awake?" Charlie had removed his hand from my mouth and was sitting on the edge of my bed looking very worried.

My eyes scanned the room quickly looking for any trace of Edward and then looking for mom. "Where's mom? When did she come?"

"Bella," Charlie said quietly, "Your mom isn't here."

"But I just heard her." Had I hallucinated or was I going crazy? I knew I heard her voice.

"No Bella, that was you," his voiced sounded puzzled and concerned.

"Me?" Okay, what he said didn't registering. I knew I heard my mom, how could it have been me.

"Bells, do you talk in your sleep?" Charlie quizzed me.

"Mom didn't tell you? She promised me." I felt uncomfortable lying there with Charlie towering above me from his seated position. "Dad, help me sit up." The cast made it hard to move in the morning, especially from a lying to sitting position. After awkwardly helping me sit up, I looked Charlie in the eyes. "Dad, mom promised she would warn you about the fact that I talk in my sleep. She knew I felt uncomfortable talking to you about it. I do it quite often, but usually no one hears me. Why did you come into my room?"

"I thought I heard voices. I thought, now don't get mad, but I thought that boy was in here with you." Charlie's face reflected a number of different emotions he must have been feeling at that time: anger, puzzlement, concern, relief, embarrassment.

I thought, how was I going to handle this? And then his words registered more fully. "Dad, he isn't that boy. His name is Edward, and if you think I'd do something like that under your nose, then you've no faith or trust in me. Besides, I've never, never done anything like that." I saw shock register on his face.

"Bella, I'm sorry. It was just that I heard voices, and, I'm sorry I thought the worse." I could tell he really wanted to apologize.

Maybe, I thought, it was time to discuss how I actually felt about Edward with Charlie. Maybe that would help him to understand. "Look dad. I'm serious about how I feel about Edward. In fact, I love him deeply. Maybe I'm old enough to think about things like that, but I would never put myself in a position where I would shock or offend you or mom. I know, you think I'm too young to know about love, I mean real love, but I'm not. I know how I feel about Edward. I ache with loneliness when he is not around, and I feel completely content and fulfilled when I'm with him. I know you at least like him, but don't change your opinion of him because I feel this way toward him." I must love Edward to be able to talk to Charlie like this.

"Bella, you're only seventeen. You haven't even met that many people. How can you know this is love and not a teenage crush? I mean, look at your mom and I, we thought we were in love too, but it didn't work out." I saw Charlie was trying to make a convincing point, but I also knew he wouldn't change my mind.

"Dad, I'm not you or mom . . . and I'm not a child. I don't look at the world or my life in a childish way. Ask mom, she knows I've always had a more mature outlook on the world. I know things didn't work out for you and mom; I don't know if it was because you didn't love each other enough or if there were other factors involved, but I do know how I feel. I know how I felt when I left after breaking up with Edward. I couldn't stand to be away from him, that's why I was in such a rush to meet him when he flew to Phoenix. Maybe that's why I was so careless, but despite the accident, I know how empty my life would be if he weren't a part of it." I could see that I was making some progress, but I was afraid of pushing him too far, so I quipped, "I promise, if we decide to get engaged or married, you'll be the first person we tell," from the look on Charlie's face, that may have been too much. So I gave him a big smile, hugged him, and added with a laugh, "I'll make him ask permission first, okay?"

Charlie was not much for showing his feeling, but he did hug me back. "Bella, I just worry about you, and I only want the best for you."

"Believe it or not, dad, Edward is the best for me. Now, if it is okay with you, I need to get up and wash my face."

"Do you need some help?" He suddenly looked a little uncomfortable.

"No, dad," I reassured him. "I can do this." I smiled to let him now I was okay and that he didn't need to worry. "I'll call Alice later if I need help. What time is it?"

"It's around ten. I planned on going into work today, but if you need me to stay," his expression showed concern.

"No, dad. You go and do whatever it is you need to do. I'll be fine. Besides, Edward is coming over later, and Alice is only a phone call away. Oh, and dad, please don't tell mom what I just said. I think it would be best if I told her first. In fact, I'll email her later today, and as soon as she reads it you will probably receive a very heated call from her, but tell her to stop yelling at you and call me." I smiled at him as I watched his expression turn from concern to surprise to shock. Then I thought of one more issue to contend with before he left and our father-daughter discourse ended. "You might want to be careful listening in on my sleep talking. You never know if what I'm saying is reality or part of some very weird dream I'm having."

He patted my head as he got up and said, "Your dreams can't be any weirder than mine, but at least I don't talk in my sleep." He became a little thoughtful at that point and added, "It's a good thing I don't," and with that cryptic comment, he walked out of my room.

As I heard Charlie walking down the stairs and tried to maneuver my way out of bed, two strong cold arms lovingly embraced me from behind. "Did you do that for me?" Edward whispered as he caresses my neck with his lips.

"No," I murmured as little shock waves raced through my body. "I did that for us. I thought I'd broach the subject on my terms rather than his. You did say he planned on talking to me; I just saved him the trouble of finding a way to introduce the subject." He hadn't stopped kissing my neck and I could hear my heart racing in my chest, and, I imagined, so could he.

"You really were talking in your sleep." He proceeded to kiss the other side of my neck, and if he kept it up, I didn't know if I could control myself. I wanted so much to be kissing him back.

"I didn't know I fell asleep. Was I getting hysterical? I nearly died when I thought my mother was in the room, but Charlie said it was my voice even though I distinctly heard my mother's voice."

"It may have sounded like her voice to you, but it was coming out of your mouth."

Okay, his kisses increased the desire in me to throw myself in his arms, and I made a move to do just that, except I forgot about the cast and instead of turning gracefully to wrap my arms around his neck, I sprawled sideways and nearly fell out of the bed. I think that shocked Edward more then if I would have succeeded in throwing my arms around him.

"Bella," he said as he caught me before I could damage myself. "Are you okay?"

"No," I moaned.

He scooped me up, sat me on his lap, and looked deeply into my eyes. Not only did my heart race faster, but also my breathing completely stopped. "Breath, Bella, before you hyperventilate," he smiled and put his lips to mine.

I couldn't help myself; I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed back as hard as I could. I couldn't have stopped myself even if Charlie and my mom had been standing in my room watching. At first, Edward didn't pull away as he did in the past, but that only encouraged me to kiss him with more passion. I didn't know I had that in me. Maybe it had been building up and suddenly just burst out. I felt I could go on in this manner all day and revel in these new feelings, but Edward slowly began to pull away from me. "Where did that come from?" He asked a bit shocked.

"From deep within," I murmured and buried my face in his chest.

"Bella, what am I going to do with you?" he laughed.

"Make me a part of you forever, never leave me, and love me beyond all imagination." I was getting better at this, I thought; hopefully I hadn't said too much. So to avoid his arguing or taking offense at what I just said, I quickly added, "I need a human moment, if you don't mind," and got up off his lap.

At that, Edward broke out in a laugh, but I turned on him, and surprisingly to me it was slightly graceful, took his face gently between my hands and said with a coy smile, "And, Edward, I've decided to tell you everything I'm thinking." Edward's smile faded and sheer surprise replaced it. I then picked up my bag and hobbled into the bathroom.