Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight

a/n: My very first Twilight fic, so try and be nice, mmk? Oh, and remember to review! Just a little sad ficlet plot bunny...

"Happy birthday, Bella," Edward whispered sweetly in her ear.

Bella frowned and turned around in her chair to face him. "I told you never to remind me of that," she said as ferociously as she could manage with her perfect Edward standing only inches away from her. It's bad enough I have to live with a physical reminder everyday, she thought bitterly as she admired the youth and beauty that was her Edward. Why was life so unfair? Why did she have to grow old and die while he could be beautiful forever?

Though he couldn't read her thoughts, Edward seemed to know what she was thinking and decided to try and lighten the mood. "Well, birthday or not, I figured you'd like a present." He placed a small box wrapped in shiny gold paper on the desk next to her.

Bella couldn't help but smile a bit. She understood that their unorthodox relationship put a strain on Edward as well and did her best to appease him. She took the box in her hands and with a resigned look on her face, silently tore off the wrapping paper. Underneath, it was just a plain, black box, most likely containing jewelery. But Bella was never disappointed by the lack of variety in Edward's gifts. Just being around him was a gift that kept giving.

She lifted the lid and a small gasp escaped her lips. Inside was a small heart-shaped locket on a thin, silver chain. There were tiny silver vines twining around and around the heart and a blood-red ruby right in the center. Bella looked up at him with glowing eyes. "It's beautiful," she breathed.

Edward beamed, happy that she found the gift to her liking and had forgotten, at least momentarily, about being angry that it was her birthday. "That's not even the best part. Open it."

With a curious look, Bella went back to the locket, carefully prying the little latch open so she could see what was inside. Immediately, her face fell and she tossed the locket onto her desk amidst the pile of wrapping paper trash. "Edward," she began warningly, "why..." She couldn't finish. Tears filled her eyes until he was nothing more than a liquid blur. It was when she felt his arms around her that that she let them fall with a shuddering sob. "Why did you do that?" She finally managed to choke out.

Edward sighed. "I just wanted to remind you that-"

Bella cut him off. "That I'm old? That you'll always look the same? That I'll never have the chance to be with you forever?"

Edward stroked her hair, trying to calm her down. "No, of course not. I just wanted to remind you that you will always be the same beautiful Bella to me, even if you think different." He sighed and picked up the locket, looking for a moment at the picture (of the two of them as they had been when they first met) that he had attached to the inside. He shut it with a click. It had felt like a good idea at the time...

"I can return it if you decide you don't want it," he said to her quietly.

Bella shook her head and wiped her eyes as she pulled out of his grasp. "No. I like it. Thank you." She planted a quick kiss on his stone-cold lips before taking the locket from his hand and putting it around her neck. "But don't be too offended if I never open it again," she said with a weak smile.

Edward nodded in understanding. He didn't like the constant reminders of their differences either. "But look on the bright side," he said to her with a glorious smile, "you're 21. You can drink now. I never can."

Bella laughed dryly. "Lucky me."

"Happy birthday, Bella," Edward said. Before she could protest, he assuaged her by taking her by the hands and pulling her into a hug. "I know how much you hate your birthday, so I didn't even get you a present." He smiled and kissed the top of her head.

Bella rolled her eyes. "I said I didn't like my birthday, not that I didn't like presents," she joked half-heartedly as she snuggled closer into him and let his strong arms envelop her in the familiar frigidness of his body. It was only when he held her tightly like this that she could believe that he still saw her as 17-year-old Bella and not 45-year-old Ms. Swan, whom he had to pretend was his mother in public.

Bella sighed. "Why do things have to change?" she asked him sadly, rubbing her hands up and down his back.

She could feel him sigh even though no sound escaped his lips. "It's just the way it has to be. Besides," he pulled out of her grasp and held her at arm's length. "Would you choose to become a vampire now? At this age? We would still raise some eyebrows." Edward smiled as Bella frowned. He bent down and placed a gentle kiss on her furrowed brow.

"I still love you, Bella," he assured her. "No matter how old you are, remember, I'll always be older. Just not in appearance."

She turned away. "Yes, but will you still love me when I'm 100? Will you still love me when my hair is gray? Will you be able to stand kissing me when I'm all... wrinkly?" Bella shuddered and folded her arms across her chest. "You might be able to bring yourself do it, but I can't bring myself to put you through all that. It's too much, even for you."

Edward took a step towards her, his hand outstretched reaching for her. "Bella, I-"

She put her hand up to stop him. "P-please," she stammered, "let me finish." She took a deep breath. "I can't do this anymore. I can't do this to you anymore." She turned back to face him, her eyes filled with tears. "Leave. Go back to your family. I know they miss you. Alice especially."

"Bella, you don't seriously mean that," Edward said softly, advancing another step towards her.

"Of course I don't!" she yelled angrily at him, causing him to stop in his tracks. "And I hate that you know that I don't mean that. That I couldn't possibly live without you."

Edward laughed condescendingly. "Then why would you tell me to go away? You know just as much as I do that I couldn't bare to leave you, Bella." He wrapped his arms around her once more.

After a moment of pensive silence, Bella spoke. "I know."

"Happy birthday, Bella," Edward said as he stooped down to kiss her whithered cheek.

Bella patted his hand lovingly. "Thank you, dear," she cooed in her sing-song voice. "Did you know I am 89 today, Edward?" she asked him with a child-like smile, her eyes milky with old-age. Lately, she had begun to forget who he was, so the fact that she even remembered him, her pretend grandson, made Edward smile bitterly.

"Yes, I know," he murmured.

How he knew! Edward had had to sit by and watch her grow older each day, and witness the pain that that caused her, unable to do anything to help. But he knew that leaving her alone would be more painful than being a constant reminder of what she could never be.

"Did I ever tell you the story about how I got this little necklace?" she asked him as she pulled on the locket around her neck. It was the one that Edward had given her for her 21st birthday almost seventy years ago. The one with the picture of 17-year-old Bella with her arm encircled around Edward's waist while Edward stared sullenly into the camera. He had never liked having his picture taken. And as she had vowed all those years ago, she had never opened the locket once since he had given it to her.

"No," he humored her. "Tell me."