I would have had this out here yesterday but right when I hit "publish" the computer messed up and erased the whole darn thing!:( But anyhoo, enjoy! ^_^


*Bella's POV*

I woke up to the sound of bird's chirping. I rose slowly up out of my bed and rubbed the side of my head, it was still aching a little.
"Bella?" I heard Edward's voice and I gasped and tensed up automatically as I faced him. My senses were all out of whack since I was still mentally recovering.
I gazed at him, he was sitting in my computer chair reading what looked like Wuthering Heights. I smiled.
"You like Wuthering Heights? What else do you read?" I asked him, throwing my legs over the side and they landed on the cool hardwood floor.
He returned my smile and shut the book.
"Apparently the same as you," he said, examining my pile of books.
I smiled until it was a full-blown grin. Looks like I have more in common than I thought with him. . .
"How are you? Are you feeling better?" he asked me with true concern in his eyes. He rose up, placed my book back on my pathetic pile, and came to me.
I scooted over to allow him room to sit beside me on my small bed, his close proximity warming me considerably.
"I'm not completely recovered yet, but yes, I am feeling much better. Thank you for taking care of me back there," I fidgeted, trying my hardest not to blush.
He smiled my favorite crooked grin. "Your welcome."
Then he leaned in closer to me and I almost stopped breathing.
"Now. . . is it 'later' yet?" he breathed, his intoxicating scent washing over me with its fresh fragrance.
Ah, 'later.' Now I remember. . .
I leaned slightly away from him so I could clear my head and think straight.
"Do you know why you can't get inside my head and hear my thoughts?" I asked and he shook his head. "It's because I have a mental shield around my mind to protect me; that's why you can't get in."
"A shield? But how did I stop hearing the thoughts of everyone in the store earlier?"
"Because I shielded your mind along with mine, preventing you from hearing anyone's thoughts. You seemed. . . in distress. So I thought I'd help you out," I admitted.
"Thank you, I was in distress." He said with a genuine smile as his eyes gazed into mine warmly.
"It was no problem. . . I-I was glad to help out." I stammered, looking away from his intense gaze. Since when do I stammer? I normally always hold firmly to the ground in everything, yet lately with Edward. . .
It became quiet for a few seconds.
"What about with the dragon? Was that your shield you put out to protect us?" Edward asked me.
I gazed back at him, meeting his eyes.
"Kind of. I forced my shield out from my mind and turned it into a barrier," I explained, thinking back on that day that they accidentally discovered the real me. . .
"And. . . that was the only moment I heard your thoughts."
I nodded.
"Because I had thrown out my shield like that in my haste and exhaustion, I rendered my mind unguarded. But when I became unconscious, it instantly snapped back to protect me."
"That's. . . amazing," he said, and I just looked away, yet again.
"Yeah. . ." I mumbled, trying not to remember why I wanted a shield in the first place. . .


Plz rate and comment! I'll be gone for three days starting tomorrow so maybe I can give ya'll another chapter of The Fallen before I leave.