1: Skinny Love (Ed. Cullen)

43

Edward sits beside Bambi in the car, she looks out the window worried waiting to see Bella. He brushes her hair aside and pulls open her jacket, Bambi groans as her shirt pulls on the bite. Edward frowns staring at it. She's not turning that much he knows, she's sitting up right, talking, worrying, breathing. But she's not healing as fast as usual, not as fast as when she burnt herself or broke her finger. He touches the skin around the bite and she cries out in pain.

"I'm sorry" he whispers moving closer to her, presses his nose to her hair and pulls her closer. "You're going to be fine" he whispers stroking her arm. She shivers slightly and leans into his side. He kisses her head and wraps his arms around her and strokes her hair. "You're going to just fine" he promises.

................

Jasper hands over the hotel room key to Edward.

"She okay?" Jasper asks, Edward nods.

"She's tired" Edward answers. "I'm going to take her to bed" Emmett smirks behind Edward who doesn't even have to turn around to know he is doing it. "Just to sleep" Edward adds rolling his eyes. Jasper and Emmett walk away sharing a smirk. Edward shakes his head and walks away. Why are they his brothers?

................

Edward carries Bambi into the hotel room and carefully lays her on the bed.

"Fluffy pink unicorns" Bambi mumbles in her sleep, Edward smiles a little and wraps a blanket around her. "Fairies...lots and lots of glittery fairies" Edward kisses her head and stands. "Fight the fairies" she mumbles. "Riding unicorns" Edward laughs a little and then shakes his head. Edward sits next to her on the bed and sets his hand to Bambi's forehead and checks her temperature. She runs hot anyway but this is beyond her hot. He kisses her forehead and pulls another blanket around her. "Eddie" she whispers.

"I'm right here" he tells her. "You've got a bit of a fever"

"I'm fine" she argues trying to sit up. She shivers violently.

"You look it" he tells her sarcastically, she looks to him. He brushes her shirt aside, the bite is almost healed but still angry. The venom must be affecting her systems like an infection. "Come here" he offers helping her into his lap, presses his cold hand against her cheek, she closes her eyes and leans into it.

"Mmm" she sighs softly and holds his wrist.

"You should let Carlisle look at you" he whispers, she opens her eyes to look at him. "I'm worried" he admits.

"I'm fine" she repeats shivering against him, it's not with the cold but with her rising body temperature, she clutches to his shirt and pulls herself closer to him. He wraps his arms around her. "How's Bella?"

"She's in the hospital" Edward tells her. "She's unconscious but she's going to fine, Connor's with her" Edward looks to her and smiles a little, Bambi now sleeps against him. He kisses her forehead and holds her close to him.

.............

Edward leans in the doorway to the motel room watching Bambi sleep, she's slept for the last two days. He's had to wake her just to get her to drink something.

"Bambi" he states walking towards her, she shifts slightly as she wakes.

"What happened?" she asks sitting up.

"What do you remember?" he asks sitting next to her and taking her hand. She frowns at him.

"I urm..." she looks down. "I'm sorry" she whispers. "We shouldn't have gone" he lifts her chin and strokes her cheek. "I thought...I thought he had my mother" she admits, he nods.

"It's okay" he assures her. "You're okay, Bella's okay, your mother is okay" he holds out his arm and she moves to lean against his side. "How do you feel?"

"Aches" she mumbles. "Just aches" he kisses her head and threads his fingers with hers. "How's Bella?"

"She's fine, broken leg, she lost a lot of blood"

"Blood?" Bambi asks. "Why?" Edward strokes her hair.

"James bit her" Edward answers. "And..." he touches her shoulder. "Connor, he tried to suck the venom out and he" Edward pauses, Bambi raises an eyebrow. "Got a little carried away, she's fine now though so..."

"Okay" Bambi whispers.

"Okay?" Edward asks her.

"Well...she's fine, and he tried to save her, he did save her...so yes, okay" he smiles at her and then pushes her shirt aside to look at her shoulder, the bite is all but gone now, a small silver mark, like the bites on the vampires from other vampires. He touches it and she looks to it. "Is that good? Or bad?" she asks turning back to him, he gives her a small look and shrugs.

"I don't know...but you seem fine, for now"

"Is there something wrong with me?" she asks, he shakes his head.

"No, you're just.....special"

"I've heard that before" she argues. "From my mother, my father, from the doctors...I'm special" she shoots him an annoyed look.

"But I mean it" he assures her. "I love that about you" he pulls her closer and kisses her, she kisses him back, he pulls back and then sighs softly. He kisses her forehead. "Do you want to go to the hospital?" he asks, she nods.

"Please" she answers, he nods. "But I think I need a shower first....cause even I can smell myself" he smirks a little.

"I wasn't going to say anything" he mumbles teasingly, she elbows him and then stands. "Hey" he grabs her wrist gently, she looks to him. "You took on a vampire to protect your sister, that was incredibly stupid, and unbelievably dangerous" she looks away. "But also very brave" she glances to him. "I'm proud of you" he admits, she frowns at him.

"You're proud I was stupid?" she asks.

"No, I'm mad you were stupid" he corrects. "I'm proud you were brave" he stands and kisses her forehead. "I'm proud that you love your sister so much that you put your own life at risk to defend hers"

"I would do anything for her" Bambi tells him. "For my family" he strokes her cheek and nods.

"It's part of why I love you" he tells her warmly. "Now go shower and I'll take you to the hospital"

...........

Bella lies in a hospital bed. Bandaged, leg in a cast. In bad shape. Bambi sits at her side, their hands held tightly together.

"You're okay?" Bella asks, Bambi nods.

"Yes, as I was the last five times you've asked me" Bambi teases lightly.

"I know...I just..." Bella whispers. "Bambi, I watched as he...hurt you, and tossed you around like...." Bella's eyes start to water, Bambi stands and climbs onto the hospital bed with her twin, careful of her leg.

"Hey" Bambi coos. "I'm okay" she wraps her arms around Bella and pulls her closer. "We're okay" Bella hugs her sister back. Edward and Connor watch from the doorway, they share a look.