Hey guys. I pulled this one out of my ass. I'm home sick and decided to type this one up really quick. I feel like crap and I'm just glad my best friend came home and beta'd this for me. She cheers me up like no other and never lets me give up writing. Even though I've had writer's block like a bitch and school is slowly draining my brain.....so glad I'm graduating this year!!!!

Anywho, millions of hugs and kisses and love to my bestfriend LSR. I'd be so lost without you.

Disclaimer:"SM is out. Actually I have no idea where she went but *coughs and sniffles* Ugh! Being sick sucks. I own nothing but a horrendous cold, a too small bookwshelf, and a few cyber bunnies." R4L

EPOV

She looked at me with uncertainty and fear and shame in her eyes. I instantly regretted asking her that question but I needed to know. I needed to. There were two ways about it.

I tried to reassure her. I ran my fingers down the side of her face from her temple to her chin. She breathed in heavily and her eyes softened. There was still some uncertainty and fear and shame in them but it wasn't as prominent. I also saw that damn tunnel vision that she pulled on me back in the lunch room.

I saw something else too but it was gone almost as fast as it had come.

"The first people usually think when they see me is that I'm a nice, good-looking girl." Try beautiful! "They think I'm just another person. But I'm not. I never was." She paused and I saw a dark shadow flash across her face. It scared me and I wanted to do anything to take it away. But she continued.

"I lived in San Diego until my parents died in a car accident when I was ten. I was sent to the closest immediate family, the only family my mother had left as my father had none, here, in New York. My Aunt Victoria and Uncle James were the cruelest people I know. When I got here they said it was a good thing my parents died. They said they were soft and too stupid to actually do anything useful with themselves. I cried and cried and they did nothing to console me.

"Instead they beat me and treated me like trash for years. There were constant hospital visits and lies going around. 'Bella's a rebellious child who does what she wants to do.' 'Bella listens to no one.'"

Tears streamed down her face. Her voice broke. I could feel my own tears wanting to come up. I could feel my heart break for her. I could feel anger swell up inside me for those fucking assholes that caused her so much pain after her parents died. I was going to tell her that she didn't have to continue but she did before I could even open my mouth.

"When I was old enough to understand that what they were doing wasn't how you were supposed to treat someone I took pictures of all my injuries. If they had to take me to the hospital I asked the nurses to take pictures of me. By then I always made sure I had a small camera with me. I'd saved a few dollars and bought one.

"Soon I had enough proof of abuse and neglect that when I turned sixteen I searched on the internet for ways to get emancipated. And I found one. Child Services does wonders sometimes…."

She chuckled darkly and without humor.

"They helped me find myself a job and a small place to live that didn't cost too much. I even saved up enough to by an old car. It cracked out on me yesterday so I had my friend…Riley take me to school. He's the only one who knows what happened to me and that's only because he's been through the same thing except by his own parents. When I first came to this school no one knew where I'd come from. They just knew that my dad was a movie producer and that I'd come from San Diego."

She wiped her face with her hands, covered it really. I knew she was hiding from me. She didn't want me to see her so distraught and hurt. She didn't want to see reject and disgust in my eyes.

When I tried to touch her she backed up and curled into a ball. I felt hurt but she was speaking again and this time the tears fell over and down my cheeks.

"I trained myself to be emotionless. I forced myself to rely on no one. To trust no one. I could hide everything that happened to me from my face, my voice, my appearance. Everything. But my eyes. A person could take one look in my eyes and flinch and back away as if I'd burned them. I couldn't…I can't…hide the pain and hurt and anger from my eyes. It always showed. Even Riley can't look at me directly and he knows what happened.

"But you can. Only you. And you knew nothing. I don't think you even realized it. But your gaze pierced me and in turn mine pierced yours. It's how I knew saying 'I see you' would make you react."

Suddenly she uncurled herself and was on her knees in front of me. She gave no regard to her nakedness as the sheet slipped to her thighs and her hands reached up to cup my face. Her brown eyes stared intently into mine.

"Edward…" She whispered.

And just like that I knew what she meant. I knew. I fucking knew.

I knew what it was like to hide. I knew what it like to force yourself into your own mind and body, to hide all the shit you've been through so no one would see you weak and damaged. I knew what it was like to be alone and to feel like there was no way out.

I fucking knew.

And the tears that were already pouring down my cheeks increased ten times as she saw all the walls I had built around myself break down. She pulled my head to her chest and lay back on the bed. Somehow she managed to reach down and pulled the blanket up some so we wouldn't be cold.

She held me while I bowled my eyes out like a little bitch. She held me while I told her my story. While I told her everything. Every-fucking-thing. About my parents. About my seclusion. About the hate and masochism.

Everything….

Bella held my wrists in her hands, running her soft fingers against the small scars on them.

"How long?" She asked.

And I knew what she was asking.

"Since 8th grade. At first I wasn't going to do it. I just toyed with the thought but then my grandfather died and everything just got a whole lot fucking worse…."

She brought them up to her lips and kissed each scar, the only things that really helped me cope with life. I smiled softly.

"I haven't though, since that note you gave me. A month is a long time. For me. I never expected this. I never thought that anyone would want to waste their time on me. I never…"

She silenced me with her lips.

It was soft and sweet and I all but melted. I rolled so she was beneath me and her hands went from my wrists to my arms to my shoulders and into my hair where she grabbed my hair. I groaned and pushed my mouth against hers harder. My hands traced the lines of her body. I moaned when my tongue touched hers.

We fell into each other, taking and giving and giving and taking. It made me feel like I could get better. Like I could be better.

And she'd always be there for me.

Just like I'd always be there for her.

I'm kinda sad to see this story go but it's come to an end. I may extend it in the future but there's no guarantee. I may even do it by popular demand. *shrugs* who knows?

Anywho, to all you SAM readers, I apologize for not updating in a while but school is killing me and writer's block will forever be my arch enemy. The only thing that's left is the epi for that story so again I apologize for the wait.

To all you TNT readers: where are the reviews? LSR and I work really hard on that collabo and we barely get anything for our work. Like I said before, reviews fuel our writing meter. Give us love and we'll give you more chappies. *wink*

Click the button and Edward will 'be there' for you too. hehehe.

*coughs and blows nose* colds suck.

R4L, peace!