"Bring Me to Life" Chapter 2~Rest in Peace

[lindseyfair]

Title: Bring Me to Life

Author: Lindseyfair

Characters/Pairings: Edward/Bella mostly, some Alice/Jasper, some Emmett/Rosalie

Rating: Overall M for Mature, will designate chapters with more graphic content.

Category: Hurt/Comfort, Romance

Spoilers: None really, would be nice if you've at least read “Twilight” to get the basic character content.

This is Alternate Universe and is All Human.

Summary: 17 year old Edward has returned to Forks after spending six years at an exclusive boarding school. He's not the same Edward that his childhood best friend, Bella, remembers. He's changed and closed himself to almost everyone. Can Bella bring him back to life?

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters. They all belong to Stephenie Meyer. She is the goddess, so thank her.

A/N: This chapter has very heavy “Buffy, the Vampire Slayer” references. So sorry to anyone who has not seen the episode mentioned in this chapter.

Chapter 2-Rest in Peace

BPOV

“They look so peaceful. I can't wake them.”

I could barely hear Alice whisper as I clung to Edward tighter.

“They have to eat. We've got to wake them up.” I squeezed my eyes tighter as I heard Rose walk closer to me.

“No, wait. Give me Edward's phone over there.” I could hear Alice pushing the buttons on Edward's phone. I just relaxed back into his arms, hoping they were about to give up. That's when I saw a flash of light behind my closed eyelids. Edward's arms squeezed around me as I felt him straighten up.

I reluctantly let my eyes flutter open to see Rose and Alice looking sweetly at the screen on Edward's phone.

“Hey!” Edward jumped up from the couch and grabbed the phone from the girls.

“We just wanted to show you how cute you were. See. Look at your pictures.” Alice scrolled through his pictures to show him what she meant. His lips pressed into a soft smile as he saw the picture. He handed me the phone to show me the picture of me, pretending at that point to sleep in his arms.

“I guess we must have fallen asleep. Sorry, Edward. Hope I didn't drool or anything.”

“Not much.” He wiped his hand down his torso where my head had been resting. He offered me his hand. He held it until we were downstairs and sitting next to each other at the dinner table.

Dinner passed way to quickly and soon it was approaching eight o'clock. Emmett was slowly saying goodbye to Rose in the doorway. I didn't want to say goodbye either. I didn't know if I would sleep peacefully again now that I knew how it felt to sleep in Edward's arms again. Nothing like our camp outs with sleeping bags and marshmallows. Much better.

“I'll see you tomorrow, then.” I chewed on my upper lip as I dug my hands deep in my pockets.

“Yep.” He was mimicking me with his hands deep in his own pockets.

“You can text me later. I'm sure I'll be up for awhile since we had our nap.”

“Me too.” He handed his phone over to me and I put my cell number and my e-mail address in his phone book. I handed it back when I felt Emmett tugging at my backpack.

“Bye.” Emmett dragged me out the front door.

“Bye, Bella. Meet me before first period,” Alice yelled as she threw her arms around Edward from behind.

“I will.” I jumped into the passengers side of the truck as Emmett made the engine roar to life. I saw Edward walk out onto the porch to watch as we drove away.

/&/

EPOV

I sat on the porch for a few minutes trying to savor the feeling of Bella in my arms. It was true. She was my safe place. I should have come home years ago. I don't know how I could ever let things get so out of hand.

Just then, my cell phone started to vibrate. Bella, already?

“Hello?”

“Hey, Edward. It's James.”

“Hey, James.” James had been my room mate at Masen for the last three years. He really was the only friend I had there. He was the only one who knew the real reason I had left.

“Just calling to see how things were going. You haven't returned any of my e-mails.”

“Sorry, been busy. New school and all.”

“Ya, I thought that was probably it. Just to let you know, things aren't the same without you here.”

“Sure, now you have a single and won't have me interrupting you and Victoria anymore.”

“That's not really a problem anymore. After what she did, I broke up with her.”

“Oh, man. You didn't have to do that for me.”

“I can't forgive her. I can't believe she would do such a thing. She knows you're like a brother to me.”

“I'm home now. That's all that matters. I think things might be getting better.”

“You saw Bella?”

“Ya.” I pulled out my wallet, removing the worn picture of Bella and I from the day before I left for Masen. Her arms locked around my shoulders with her chin resting on one of them. The last time I remember really smiling because I was so happy, until today.

“You think you might be able to tell her?”

“I don't know. I just need to find out who I am again, you know.”

“Well, if you two are the kind of friends you've always told me about, I'm sure she'll help you.”

“James?”

“Ya?”

“I think she's the only one who can.”

“So, maybe you'll have a girlfriend before I get another one?”

I smiled and shook my head. “Maybe. We'll see.”

“Call me or text, whenever, okay?”

“Sure. Talk to you later.”

“Bye.”

I shut off my phone to hear two little footsteps from behind me. “I know you're there Alice.”

Alice came over and sat down on the step beside me. “Who gets to talk to you more than I do?”

“It was James. He wanted to know how my first day back was.”

“That was nice of him. I'm sure he misses you.”

“Maybe.” I tried to sneak the picture of Bella and I back into my wallet, but Alice was just too fast.

“You've been carrying this, all these years?” Her fingers traced across the soft, torn edges.

“Yes.” I grabbed the picture back from her and shoved it back in my wallet.

“If you missed her so much, why didn't you call or even write?”

I couldn't. I would have felt like I would have to tell her. I knew James knowing was bad enough, but I couldn't bare Bella knowing what had happened. “I just... I didn't know if I'd ever be back. I didn't want to hold her back from anything.”

“You mean anyone?”

I nodded as my eyes fell to my lap.

“You know there hasn't been anyone. God knows, dozens have tried.”

“Like Mike Newton?”

“Especially Mike. I think she's always been waiting though. Waiting for you.”

I took my sister's tiny hand and brought it to my lips. “Thanks.”

I rested our hands in my lap as I looked out on our manicured lawn that still had hints of green peeking from beneath the frost.

“You think you might give it a go then?”

I turned to her a little confused. “Give what a go?”

“You and Bella, silly.”

“Me and Bella.” I nodded and I looked forward. “I don't know why in the world she would want me, but I think I need to try. She kinda fills this hole inside me. Until today, I never thought it would go away.”

“I'm so happy. I'm so happy to have you back.”

I turned and put my arm around her as I kissed her forehead. “It's good to be home.”

At that moment, I felt more at ease than I had in years. Coming home had been the best idea. I'd have to actually thank Victoria someday.

/&/

BPOV

It was a few more weeks into the semester and things between Edward and I seemed to be going really well. At times, I felt like he wanted to be more than friends, even though he never said it. There were moments when I felt that he even loved me, still he never said anything.

Then came that day in Biology. Edward had an appointment with the councilor at lunch and hadn't made it to class yet. So, Mike took it upon himself to occupy my time.

“I'm having a party at my house tonight. You should drop by.”

“I don't know, Mike. Alice and I kinda have plans.”

He really wanted to persuade me. He thought pushing the hair from my shoulders and messaging them would help. It just felt really creepy. Not that Mike was not a good looking guy, it's just that he had always tried so hard. It was a total turn off.

“She can come too.” He messaged harder.

“Mike, stop.” It was starting to hurt.

“Come on. You know you like it.” His thumbs started digging in my collarbone.

“Mike, no. Please stop.”

That was the second Mike's hands were ripped from my shoulders.

“She said no!” Edward's velvet voice was hard and hateful as I saw his fist pull back then collide with Mike's jaw.

Mike flew back into a nearby table and several students gasped. Mike stood and held his jaw. I wasn't sure if he would fight back, but Edward was ready and waiting.

Mike licked the blood trailing from his lip. “Didn't know you had it in you, Cullen.”

Mr. Banner entered the classroom and everyone except Mike and Edward took their seats. They were only interrupted when Mr. Banner spoke up.

“Cullen. Newton. Is there a problem?”

Edward raised one eyebrow waiting for Mike to respond. “No, problem. Cullen and I just had a little... misunderstanding.”

“Fine, take you seats then.”

Edward inched his way to his seat after Mike sat in his.

Mr. Banner turned down the lights as we were watching a boring film from the stone age about salmon reproduction or something stupid like that. Once the film started, Edward's hand found mine.

“Are you okay?” He whispered so softly I almost didn't hear him.

“Ya. You?” I mouthed back.

He nodded and squeezed my hand before shooting Mike another glare. It was like he was marking his territory or something. I knew I should have been mad that he'd decked Mike in the middle of class. All I could feel was happy that maybe we were a few steps closer to where I had hopped we were getting.

He held my hand as he walked me to my next class. I gave him a kiss on the cheek after promising to meet him at his Volvo after school.

/&/

We were all gathered in the Cullen's living room ready for a Friday night of vegging out. After what had happened that afternoon, no one felt like going to Mike's party.

It seemed to fall to Alice to decide what we were going to do that night.

“Buffy-a-thon!”

Emmett and Jasper moaned as Edward turned to me confused. “She wants to watch 'Buffy, the Vampire Slayer'. She has all the seasons on DVD.”

“Come on. We haven't don't it with Edward yet. He'll love it. You do know what 'Buffy' is, don't you Edward?”

He nodded his head as he rubbed the back of his neck. “It was kind of a guilty pleasure James and I had.”

“Good. Then you know all the characters.” Alice went over to the wall of DVD's. “Oh, yeah. Season six.”

“No, Alice. We've done season six a dozen times.” I rolled my eyes as she popped the DVD in.

“I'll let you play Buffy this time. Come on. It's your favorite. 'Once More, With Feeling' You know you wanna.” Alice came over to me as the menu popped up on screen. “Please, please, please.”

Edward nudged my shoulder. “Come on. I'll even play Spike.”

I smiled and bit my lower lip.

“Okay, she's in.” Alice jumped up and motioned for the boys to move the furniture. Alice wanted to act out the whole episode as usual, singing, dancing, the whole bit. But this was the first time she was letting me play Buffy. Usually she was Buffy and Jasper was Spike. This might actually be fun.

“So, I'll be Anya. Jasper, you be Zander. Emmett can be Giles. Rose can be Dawn. Then whoever feels like belting out at the time can do the rest.”

I took my place as the episode began. They all sat on the couch as I pretended to be Buffy walking through a graveyard, singing “Going through the Motions”.

Nothing here is real

Nothing her is right

I've been making shows of trading blows

Just hoping no one knows

That I've been

Going through the motions

Walking through the part

Everyone clapped as I convincingly pretended to kill a couple of vampires.

We went onto “I've Got a Theory” in which Alice belted out the part about monstrous bunnies and midgets. I almost peed my pants.

We skipped a couple chapters, not having anyone that wanted to sing the Willow and Tara song. Which brought us to “I'll Never Tell”. Alice and Jasper got up and mimicked the moves on screen almost perfectly. They did a soft shoe dance almost exactly like the one on screen. I laughed so hard at Jasper twirling Alice around and almost dropping her.

Then came Edward's debut. He was playing the part of Spike, the vampire that was obsessed with Buffy. He started softly and really started to get into the part. His voice seemed even sexier when he was singing and with the British accent... I was in heaven. I had a hard time keeping a straight face.

Then he got down on his knees in front of me.

You know,

You got a willing slave

And you just love to play the thought

That you might misbehave

But Till you do,

I'm telling you

Stop visiting my grave

Let me rest in peace

I felt my pulse race as his eyes stared at me with a lust I'd never seen before. Either he was a damn fine actor or he wanted me just as much as I wanted him.

We continued through the rest of the episode till it came to the part where Buffy sang to her friends that when she was dead, she thought she was in heaven. I started a flailing attempt at dancing till I died, when Edward caught me and started singing Spike's part.

Life's not a song.

Life isn't bliss.

Life is just this.

It's living.

You'll get along.

The pain that you feel

Only can heal

By living.

You have to go on living.

So one of us is living.

I thought I almost saw a tear escape from the corner of his eye, but Emmett busted into the next song.

Then we all went on to sing the last ensemble song before the end with just Buffy and Spike sining to each other. Oh my God. I almost forgot what happened at the end. Would he?

(Bella's part in italics, Edward's part in bold)

I touch the fire and it freezes me

I died to many years ago

I look into it and it's black

This isn't real, but I just wanna feel

But you can make me feel...

That's when Spike's hand made it's way behind Buffy head and he pulled her into a kiss. I dipped my head, then found Edward's hand on the back of my neck. He brought my lips to his in a ferocious and passionate first kiss. I felt every fiber of my being light on fire. For some reason I never expected that kind of passion from Edward. His lips melted on mine. Our tongues tangling together in perfect harmony. I wanted more, so much more. I felt my fingers tangling through his hair, pulling him in closer to me. His hands were at the back of my waist pulling my pelvis closer to his. I could feel the burn lower, in between my legs. I knew he was feeling it too as I felt something rather hard pressing against my stomach.

Alice, Jasper, Rose, and Emmett all started clapping as the credits started to roll. We slowed down, but we didn't stop immediately. He pressed several soft kisses on my lips before pulling his to lay a kiss on my forehead.

“Okay, I know he's my brother and all, but that was pretty hot.” I turned to see Rose fanning herself as Emmett threw a pillow at her.

“Hey, she's my sister.”

That's when I had to pay him back. “That's just a taste of what you've put me through for years.”

Edward brought his finger to my chin. “I am willing to help you give him another taste.”

“Oh, really,” I said trying to be coy.

“Yes, really.” He lifted my chin and brought my lips back to his.

I could really get used to this.

/&/

A/N: Okay, sorry about the “Buffy” heavy ending if you are not a fan. I just really thought it was cool how some of the lyrics from the episode from season six, “Once More, With Feeling” related to how I wanted Bella and Edward to feel. There are tons of videos for this episode on You Tube. I have the soundtrack from that episode and I'll try to see if I can upload the song Bella and Edward sing at the end. It's kinda hard to write because the lyrics overlap.

Did I leave you too many questions after Edward's conversation with James? If so, good. That's exactly where I'm going. I've written Edward's secret reveal scene, but it's not coming for some time. I want a little time to develop Edward and Bella as a couple. It will also play into how far their relationship will go.

Okay, the slight betrayal and misunderstanding was the whole Mike/Edward fight. What did you think? Love me some jealous!Edward. He might be rearing his ugly head again, but not sure when.

As I'm writing this, I've gotten 23 comments on LJ, 31 reviews on ff.net, and 33 story alerts and it's just the first chapter! Hope this will tide you over for a little bit. Next chapter will lead us into February. You know what holiday comes in February?

Leaving you breathless, Lindsey