First off... sorry. I know I haven't updated in forever, and for that I apologize. But... you should be apologizing too. I've only gotten 13reviews, which is pretty pathetic considering that this story has had 680 hits, don't you think? Leave the love, or this story will be discontinued - same with my other one.

This story is, as they say, 'hot off the press' - for that, I also apologize. I wanted to get it out though, and soon, so there are probably going to be a couple of errors. Feel free to point those out.

Quote of the chapter: Music is the water that washes away the dust of everyday life. - ?

EPOV

I was in Bella's room again.

Lately, it seemed like this had been my whole life – watching Bella from afar, not daring to come near her yet, but wanting to desperately, even though it wouldn't be quite safe.

But I couldn't do that for long.

The rest of my family would be back in town in a day or two – Alice had called to change the plans, saying that they weren't sure exactly when they would be home because of some issues. I didn't ask more, simply because I didn't care.

All I cared about now was my angel. My Bella.

But tonight I had to get closer to her! Just being away was making my heart ache, and she was the only one that could fix this. "Go to her already!" Alice had said when she called. Little did she know how often I had said that to myself.

The rocking chair was where it always was, and tonight I was in it again. It creaked gently as I set all my weight on it, and as I settled in for a bit to think. Bella was already sleeping soundly in her bed. She didn't even talk.

As midnight rolled around I decided to make my move. "Bella?" I asked, moving toward her. No response. "Bella," I said again, this time kneeling beside her head. A third "Bella" came as I gently stroked my hand across her tangled brown hair. Her eyes slowly opened up and she stared at me, still mostly asleep. "Wake up, love."

Now she seemed to be getting a hold of herself. As she looked me in the eye, I heard her breath catch and her heart stop for a minute before it started to pound in her chest. "Edward?" she asked, not believing her own eyes.

I smiled at her, somewhat sadly. "It's me, Bella. You have no idea how sorry I am. How sorry I am," I said again, trying not to dry sob. Her face lit with understanding this time, not the regret or disbelief of my last visit. At least we were getting a little farther along.

"Why are you he-" her voice cracked on the word, but no tears fell. "Why are you here?"

"Because, Bella, I couldn't stay away from you." The truth was all I was going to say this time around.

"But you said you didn't love me… you never had… I knew you wouldn't, you were always too good for me…" She turned back to rambling, like she had last time. But this time I wouldn't give up on her. I couldn't.

"No," I said firmly, a hand on each side of her face as I forced her to look at me. "I have always loved you, and I will always love you. Nothing is going to change that Bella, don't you see? I had to protect you! And, now looking back, I can see that it hasn't worked at all. Hanging out with werewolves…!" But I didn't want to fight. I couldn't fight already with her.

"Bella, everything that I said was supposed to help you. I didn't think that it would hurt you so bad. I thought that if you grew up a normal life, a happy life without me, you would be safer." I paused and looked right in her eyes. "I see better now. I promise Bella, I will never leave you again. And I know that I will gladly spend forever making it up to you, but do you understand why I did it? Please Bella, answer me."

She was looking me right in the eye, but it was as if she was somewhere else. I knew that she was just thinking, so I didn't do anything. Maybe she could begin to see it my way if she thought about it for a bit….

"I… I do," she said. "See why you did it, I mean. But why didn't you just tell me? I would've…"

But we both new that she wouldn't have understood. She would have made things worse for Charlie, trying to find me or something worse. I knew that she knew where the coven in Alaska lived, so it wouldn't be too hard for her to find him. A determined Bella was a force to be reckoned with.

I bent down and kissed her on her forehead and on her cheeks but stayed away from her lips.

"Do you think that you'll be able to forgive me one day Bella? Do you think that you'll be able to love me, after all the bad that I've but you through?"

She surprised me by sitting up and pulling me up onto the bed with her, then taking both of my hands in hers. She looked right in my eyes as she said, "Edward. I have never stopped loving you. But my heart… I know that I wouldn't be able to stand it if you left again. You cannot leave again. Do you promise me that?"

I nodded. I would promise her the world if I could give it to her, at this point. "I promise, Bella. I promise."

She got up and sat on my lap, then started to cry. I wasn't a full out sad cry, or a happy one either, but more of a come to terms with something cry, or a relieved one. She kept saying, "I love you" and "Don't leave me" over and over again. When she finally fell asleep, exhausted, I knew exactly what to do.

I picked her up off of my lap and then deposited her down under her blankets and crawled under there with her.

And then I hummed her lullaby, once again.

Do you think that this story should continue, or do you like that as an ending? Leave some review love - I want atleast 5 or I probably won't update it again (ever) because I have no plot to speak of as I work. I need to know people still want to read this.

-Fariy Lights

P.S. And good reviews, too, not just "Nice."