A/N: The story has absolutely nothing to do with Eclipse, or New Moon really because Edward never leaves. So just skip A/N down there if u haven't finished Eclipse completely. Oh and this starts in Bella's bedroom right after the whole birthday party fiasco. And the first paragraph, which is in italics, is the last true part of New Moon (middle of page 50) and then the separate story starts.

Disclaimer: I own nothing, nobody, no place and no rights to the characters and world that Stephenie Meyer created in any of this story's chapters.

WARNING ECLIPSE SPOILER A/N: OK so I reacted very badly to Bella being in love with Jacob and am now in a very sad place and nothing I try is cheering me up and I have these sad thoughts when I think about it so I decided to create a world where Bella never befriended Jacob Black and therefore could never make the disgusting decision to love him. EUGH, my loyalty is to Edward and though many people came to like Jacob better, I hated him better. I did think the Eclipse was excellent though and I hold no grudges against Stephenie Meyer for her decision. But this is a strictly Edward and Bella story because they belong together and her love should not be divided. Ok enjoy!!!!-Bitten

One: My Protector

"It's late," Edward noted. He scooped me up off the bed with one arm, and pulled the cover back with the other. He put me down with my head on my pillow and tucked the quilt around me. He lay down next to me-on the top of the blanket so I wouldn't get chilled-and put his arm over me.

"Despite everything, this was nice." I whispered, snuggling against him. "And your gift," my voice broke remembering the beautiful music on my CD. "It will keep me happy like money never will." I finished, trying to compose myself but a few tears slipped out.

"Bella, how was it nice?" His voice was guarded, "Don't you realize now how close you came to…" He trailed of, his words strained.

I took a shaky breath, I was trying to ignore that part. "It wasn't his fault. If I hadn't been so careless-"

"Wasn't his fault?" He was livid, through the dark I saw his neck strain and his arm flexed on top of me. "He nearly attacked you, he most certainly would have if I hadn't been there. Realize that. Realize, also, that if I didn't love you as much as I do, I may not have been able to control myself." He was whispering furiously.

My eyes burned and I held my eyelids open hoping to dry the tears. "But…but you did control yourself. Jasper is…he isn't as strong as you. And you were there, you would never let anything happen to me." I was convincing myself as well as trying to reason with Edward. In truth, it was the second most horrifying experience of my life.

His voice softened at my plea. "Oh, Bella. I can't protect you from everything, especially us. I should leave. I should leave and you would be safer than you have been for months. Can't you see that we are your biggest threat?" He was urgent as if he were truly considering leaving me.

"Are you asking permission?" I snapped, my voice was sharp and surprisingly even.

"No Bella…It's not like that…that's not what I meant. I mean…" I had seen him at a loss for words fewer times than I could count on one hand. But he didn't out and out deny it.

I raised my voice in a moment of hysteria. "How could you do anything of the sort? Why would you even think about it? What about me? I need you, damn safety and damn protection! I'd rather be dead than be without you." He cringed at my last words but I didn't care. I was furious.

His voice was less than a whisper "Bella, please. Charlie will wake. You know that if anything ever managed to happen to you, I couldn't live with myself-I wouldn't live with myself. If we weren't here, there would be no danger."

Something stirred inside of me and I grabbed at his collar pulling myself within an inch from his face. "If you left, I would have nothing more to live for. I would die." My eyes were frantic, searching his face and his eyes for signs of comprehension but all that I saw was remorse and deep sorrow and a flash of anger.

"You wouldn't." He said tightly.

"Don't test me." I set my jaw and looked deep into his golden eyes. What ever had come over me was draining and I could no longer maintain my fierce façade. "Please, I can hardly imagine myself without you. Don't make me live it." I begged him softly, my fingers still holding fast to the collar of his shirt.

"What makes you think I could be without you?" In spite of my death drip, he easily unlocked my fingers from his collar and pulled my arms behind his neck. His hands slid up my arms and found the sides of my face, still holing it inches from his. "You are, quite literally, my everything. I've already told you, I live and will die for you. If-" I cut him off.

"But you said-" He returned my previous gesture.

"It was a fleeting thought. And you, small and fragile as you are, influence me immensely. Your voice and your hair, your eyes and how you smell. The warmth of you whenever you touch me are all things that I couldn't possibly leave behind. I shouldn't have said anything." He spoke slowly so that I could catch every word and his eyes urged mine to understand.

"NO!" I yelled too loudly, "No. Even though I still think I may be dreaming, if you hadn't said anything it may have turned into a full fledged plan and that plan may have been carried out." I felt a stab of pain in the middle of my chest. "Please, always tell me. Always talk to me, even if it might make me irate to the point of insanity, tell me so that we can work it out together." I bit my lip, fighting back thoughts of future discussions similar to this one.

"I will, if I ever should need to but I sincerely hope that nothing of the sort ever comes to mind. I feel absolutely terrible that I even considered it." I searched for the lie, some indication that he was just telling me this to appease me but he was completely genuine.

"Good." I said finally and closed the distance between his lips and mine. He allowed a few more seconds of time, an extended apology I supposed. I moved quickly to make the best of my limited time by moving my hands into his hair and simultaneously rolling on top of him. His lips smiled beneath mine and gave me a final, short peck before lifting my face from his.

"How terrible it would be if you could actually hold a grudge. I would actually have to work for my kiss." He smiled and ran a cool finger below my eye. "You're tired Bella, get some rest." My retaliation to his smart comment melted away as I realized how exhausted I was from the long day.

I fell into a deep sleep where my dreams were vivid and clear.

It was bright out and the sudden light was so blinding, my eyes were still focusing as a cold hand pulled mine forward. I willingly followed, wondering what Edward had up his sleeve.

What's with all of this, Edward? I asked as I looked from his sparkling hand that was throwing rainbows against mine, why did his fingers look bigger, to the unfamiliar surroundings. We were on a beach, somewhere in Washington I assumed, as I observed the towering trees farther off, reflecting on the water.

Edward isn't here. I heard a familiar voice explain, until recently I wouldn't have been frightened but I looked up at the tallest Cullen brother, his blonde hair shining immensely in the glaring sun. I gasped in fear and surprise.

When is he coming? I tried to ask evenly but my voice shook uncontrollably. My widening eyes also gave me away. Jasper's eyes narrowed and instantly darkened. He tightened his hand on mine, his grip hurt and I buckled in pain he continued to pull me along the beach.

Don't be that way Bella. He cooed, terrifyingly close. Edward isn't coming, but I'm here.

Edward! I sobbed frantically, Please! Where are you? You're supposed to be here! I scanned the shoreline and the trees but he never appeared. I swung my head in protest and the last thing I saw was Jasper's black, blood thirsty eyes.

I woke with a start and the sky outside my window was just as black as it had been when I had fallen into the false reality. My head lay against Edward's chest, near his shoulder. Though his body lay flat on his back, one of his arms around me lightly tracing patterns on my back, his head was bent, eyes watching me intently in alarm.

"Are you alright?" He asked gently, "You weren't having a very happy dream. You were restless and mumbling incomprehensibly."

"I'm fine now. Bad dream." I didn't want to elaborate because I thought that he would do something rash.

"Want to talk." He was not pressing, just perfect as Edward often was. "You scared me." He admitted, kissing my hair.

"Maybe later?" My response came as more of a question.

"I'm always here." He murmured. I felt safe again and laid my right arm on his chest, pulling myself closer to him. Within minutes I was asleep again. My dreams were insignificant and mundane. When I woke the next morning, they had all dissolved from my memory, all but the first.

"Good morning, beautiful." He chuckled. The fuzziness of first-consciousness cleared and I groggily opened my eyes. My face was nestled into the crook of an elbow that was not mine. My body curved against the side of Edwards and my head bent so that I fit into the space between him and his arm.

"Is that supposed to be funny?" I asked, my voice raspy with sleep. I was still unsure of my physical state, appearance-wise.

"No." He responded, laughing again.

I pushed myself up, unwilling because if I didn't, I would be late to school. A quick glance at the clock told me that I was far beyond being late. It was 10:30. I allowed one of my fists to land heavily on Edward's chest but he just raised an amused eyebrow and the side of my hand ached from the impact.

"Why didn't you wake me up?" I complained, laying back down next to him.

"You're cute when you sleep." He said simply, his eyes twinkling. I shook my head. "I didn't want to go to school?" He tried again. I pretended to think a moment and shook my head again. "I wanted to spend the day with you and no one else?" He smiled, showing his brilliant, white teeth.

"Okay." I breathed and lay back against his chest. Charlie would never know because he is always gone when I leave and come back from school. Plus, after mine and Edward's rather jarring conversation the previous night I didn't want to let him out of my sight even for a minute.

"I actually was hoping we would be able to go see Carlisle and Esme. I think Alice may have seen something before she left and told them." Wait, what? Alice left? Saw what? Why would Edward need to talk to Carlisle and Esme about it?

"Huh?" I thought the word covered all of my questions nicely.

"Well, I think Alice saw us…leaving." His mouth twitched.

"Where were we going?" I eyes him suspiciously, I didn't like how strained his voice was.

"Not us."-He gestured between himself and me-"Everyone else." He cringed away, anticipating my reaction.

"I knew it! You liar." I hit him again and he, yet again didn't feel it. I jumped out of the bed and stormed to my door. Before I had even touched the handle, I felt his cold hand on my upper arm.

"Bella." He said calmly, "I did not lie to you. I told you it was a thought, Alice sees decisions, remember? Nothing she sees is set in stone so when she saw that I was planning on leaving, she informed Carlisle and Esme." He spoke as if I were a child and I felt like running away because of it but I couldn't help but believe him because his face was earnest.

"When exactly was this?" I narrowed my eyes, inspecting him. Had he left that night to check on his family? Could he possibly 'hear' them this far away?

He was reluctant. "Yesterday, at the house."

"You said it was fleeting. Like a super fast thought that hardly even registers. Not something you had been brooding over for hours."

"Well, vampire-fleeting and human-fleeting are different. I could think about something for days and it could still be fleeting because I see time differently than you." He led me back to the bed and we sat on the edge.

"Okay," I said slowly, "So, what about Alice what did you mean by 'before she left'? Where did she go? Wh-" But as soon as I said it, I realized. She and Jasper were gone.

"She and Jasper left last night and were planning on going to Denali, or at least Alice wanted to get Jasper there." He looked at me uncomfortably, "Alice thought that after we left, everyone else would meet them."

"Well, she certainly thought quickly." I couldn't keep myself from being bitter. Did she not realize that Edward might not go through with it? I shouldn't think like that, Alice was my friend and she was just doing right by Jasper, same as I would have for Edward.

"Hm." Was all Edward added on the subject. "You should eat breakfast. Do you want me to spoon feed you?" He smiled, "It'd be so cute." He taunted.

"Why can't I feed myself?" I asked, defiant.

"Well Bella, you cut your arm." He gestured at my forearm. I had forgotten about my arm and once I was conscious of the wound again, it began to throb. It had probably been suppressed by the coolness of Edward's skin when I was sleeping.

"I can lift a spoon with my other hand. Thanks though." I rolled my eyes sarcastically and hurried to the bathroom to brush my teeth and run a hopeless comb through my hair. I gave up and threw it into a haphazard ponytail, convinced that he was going to take off if I didn't get back soon.

He was still there, of course, and I ate breakfast in silence and we were at the Cullens' by 11 thanks to Edward's maniacal driving and the fact that I didn't even bother to change out of my pajamas.

"Oh Bella, this shouldn't have happened! We should have known something like this was possible. We could have put your gifts in bags rather than wrapping paper." Esme pulled me into a huge hug and apologized profusely.

"No Esme. No one is to blame. It was just a really unfortunate accident." I smiled as best I could at her. I felt awful though, I had ripped her family apart.

"You're so sweet Bella, and Jasper, oh he feels so terrible" His name made me shudder ever so slightly. I hoped Esme was too caught up in her emotions not to notice. I reminded myself that it was only a dream and that Jasper was always kind to me. Never a curt word or menacing gesture but I couldn't shake the image of my dream.

Edward and Carlisle had been engaged in a low conversation, standing away from Esme and I in their elegant living room but it appeared to be over because Edward returned to my side and laced his fingers through mine.

Carlisle moved his lips quickly behind Esme and she excused herself at once.

"They are deciding if they should proceed to Denali and wait for Jasper and Alice or wait here for me to graduate and give Alice and Jasper some space." Edward explained quietly leading me toward the couch. "Rose and Emmett are staying here a while, a break from Europe so if Esme and Carlisle were to leave, I would have their company. And yours of course, if you still wanted to come over." He offered the option indifferently but watched my reaction very closely.

"I wouldn't mind at all, I love your family." I answered truthfully.

He tensed at my words. "Careful Bella. Don't get too close, it's a dangerous thing."

"It's a bit late for that." I leaned against him and closed my eyes, taking him in, realizing again how incredibly lucky I was for him. What if he had gone? I shook the thought from my head and breathed deeply. I smelled Edward, my future.

A/N: ok sorry that last part was kind of cheesy but hey, its true. I will get to plot but having just Edward and Bella (even though they were sort of fighting) makes me feel better but more will happen next chapter. Review if you like-Bitten