Kappy Note: Oh boy. My first fan fiction. I'm seriously about to just close this page and go on YouTube or something... Well, this came to me when I was on my happy, happy time of the month. I figured if I can withstand four days of wanting to run into the nearest Target and go down in a blaze of glory, then Bella could, too. Of course, she has vampires helping her...

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight/New Moon/Eclipse/Forever Dawn/Midnight Sun/anything else pertaining to Stephenie's Awesome. I know. It's sad.

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Alice just couldn't help but laugh.

"Oh, oh Bella!" No matter how many times I heard her voice, her laugh, it was always just as musically wonderful. Even better when they were combined. "H-his face!" She snorted. It was very contagious; even with the guilt hanging on my chest, my lips tugged at their corners.

I had never seen Alice so amused in all the time I had known her. Her hand was clamped over her mouth to try and mute her happy noise, and she leaned against my pale blue wall, eyes shut tight as she shook with more laughter.

At the same time, I had never seen Edward so lividly upset and yet silent at the same time. Out of nowhere, he had grabbed his nose and his eyes must have darkened six shades as he dissapeared from my room, his face contorted but beautiful as ever.

That was when Alice started laughing.

And I stood there, wondering what in the world was going on.

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"Alice...you're horrible..." I moaned. My head was dizzy and there was a ripping, solid pain in my lower abdomen. Her smooth hand stroked the top of my head carefully, and I opened my eyes to check the room; Edward was silent when he moved, so I couldn't tell if he had come back (after he ran, I had absolutely no idea where he went).

I saw no Edward, just a frown on Alice's perfect features.

"I am sorry, Bella." She stressed to me for the umpteenth time. I only sighed, groaning again.

After a tense minute of giggles on her part, she had managed to explain to me that this wasn't my fault at all. I never even realized it myself.

Somehow, Edward always managed to dissapear right when I hit my monthly cycle of hell; apperently it was due to Alice nudging him to go out and hunt with fakes sighs of, "You're going to have to brace yourself with Bella today", or, "Your eyes are very dark, Edward, are you sure you should go see Bella?...".

This time, it had been a joke. Don't tip him off with lies so he ends up being around when I start my period, and see the reaction. It wasn't as funny to him, of course, when out of nowhere the scent of my blood hit the room. As Alice elaborated all this to me with guilt in tone, it was horribly embarrassing to boot. He now knew when my time of the month was, and if he decided to come back, an even more cheek-burning conversation would come up about it.

I moaned again, arms wrapping around my stomach and pressing as another moment of torture started. My chest throbbed.

"Is there anything you want?" She asked me soothingly, still stroking my head. I winced, taking in deep breathes of air. "Something for the pain," I answered, voice out-of-sorts. "Painkillers or a guide to ripping out my uterus."

The calming motion of her hand stopped, and looked up to her immediatly, hoping I hadn't said something wrong. Instead of seeing only her, though, I almost jumped out of my skin as I saw Edward calmly hunched on the back of the couch.

"E-edward?" I squeaked, voice dancing up the octaves as my body jolted out of surprise. The pain that followed the small movement made me wince again, and I clutched my stomach with a heavy breath.

I hated cramps. So much.

"Why didn't either of you tell me?" He demanded, tone lacking anything but sharpness. Alice sighed deeply.

"Look, Edward, I'm sorry, I didn't think you would be so ups-" "I wouldn't be upset over the fact I was about to kill Bella!?" He hissed back, cutting her off. My face bleached. His eyes were back to butterscotch, but they were hinting darker again by the moment. If I didn't speak up, then Alice would be in more trouble.

"It's my fault, too, I should've remembered!" I defended her weakly. His gaze hit my eyes, and I think a shockwave went through me. The warm amber softened, and a buttery passed into my bones as his eyes burned.

"You aren't to blame for any of this, Alice was the one who planned it." He shot her a dark look. My lips pursed, unsure of what else I could say.

"Yes, but still, this is a monthly thing that I should've remembered anyway, if I had I..." My voice trailed off as I hit a dead end. If I had, what could I have done? If I had told him that I was feeling ill, he would've rushed over faster. He knew Charlie was working; I couldn't lie and say he was home. I was stuck.

Although his face was blank, I clearly read the smug expression in his eyes. Of course he was proud that he was winnng the argument. But that didn't mean I was giving up.

A small whimper escaped my lips, and I hugged my waist tighter as I curled into a ball. Okay, maybe I would give up. The pain was too much for me to just ignore so that I could stand my ground.

"Bella!"

"No!"

Edward stopped. His breath-takingly beautiful face was plagued with worry and confusion; Alice bit her lip softly. A flicker passed through her eyes, and she spoke for me.

"She's worried that the blood is bothering you," She murmured quietly. The rhythmic stroke was a small distraction, and I focused hard on it so I wouldn't blush.

"The blood," He repeated. His voice was blank. "Bella, you're curled up in pain and worried about if you're bothering me?" The thick irritation in his voice wasn't hidden at all. I took slow breaths, willing away the pain of my reproductive system shedding itself.

"It's bothering you," I barely managed to get out. He made a sound of disdain, and I suddenly found that my free hand was held tightly in the grasp of his cold ones. Wow, look at me. I'm having a bad period, and I have two vampires on hand and knee for me before I even knew it had started.

"Bella." His angelic voice of silk left me incoherent, as it was murmured into my ear. "Do you have any idea how badly it tortures me to see you in pain, and know that I can't do anything about it?" His voice was low, strained. I gulped down a whimper, and forced my eyes to open as his cool lips brushed against the skin of my neck. Alice still continued the steady movement of her hand.

"I'm sorry." That was the only thing I could think of to say, or, better worded, mumble. He squeezed my hand lightly, and leaned over me so that his amber irises implanted an invisible connection to my plain, brown eyes. I was stunned by the intensity of it.

He stared at me for a long moment, jaw set. "You have no reason to be sorry. It isn't your fault, you can't stop this, it's absolutely natural," he listed, speaking swiftly, of course, to avoid breathing... "I won't let you lay here and suffer by yourself. Mind over matter. I'll stay with you."

"But, Edward-" I attempted to hedge, but he cut me short. "But nothing. I'm staying right here."

Another oncoming moment of hell hit me again, and my teeth grit hard as my eyes shut. My breath caught. I didn't need to look to see the glorious face of ashen distraught as he pressed his heatless cheek to mine.

He sighed. "You're very warm, warmer that usual," he observed quietly. I knew it only made him more worried, so, as the pain dulled for the moment, I summed up the pitiful amount of determination and strength I contained and tried to prop myself up.

As I said, tried. In a sixth of a second he had read my intentions and his his hands had dropped mine, pressing me back down gently. I glared weakly at him. "I'm fine," I lied horribly. "This happens every month, and it's no different now." But perhaps that was the wrong thing to say, as a look of dread crossed his perfect features. He must have realized that it meant he had been gone all the times this had happened, as suddenly his lip curled back slightly at Alice.

She still, tirelessly, ran her hand on my head. A small change in her face hinted at nervousness. "I had to. If you had been around her when she started, you would've lost it," she said calmly, her dark yellow eyes staring unwaveringly at him. I hoped he would calm down.

It made things worse. "And so you decide now to have me in the same room as her when I haven't hunted in a week!" He snapped back furiously. I gave up and layed down again, breathing out a shudder.

"I messed up."

"Damn well you did!"

"Edward, please..." My exasperated moan silenced him immediatly, and he was hunched over me again. It never ceased to make my heart pound, how he willingly bent over to please me (no pun intended on the literal sense at the moment).

His ocher gaze searched my face, slightly panicked. "Your face is getting flushed..." I shook my head. "You don't have to stay. I know you're not breathing." His eyes' movements paused at my latter sentence. Sweet Alice, she still hadn't stopped stroking my head.

"I'll be okay, I promise," I lied. In a few hours I would be dry coughing and nauseated, and would be like that for close to a day until it wore off. The pain would stay, and dull over the next few days. I was suddenly aware that the soothing motion on my head was gone, and I tilted my head to see Alice standing up. She looked back at me, a wary half-smile.

"And you define okay as dry coughing, nausea, and continuous pain? No lying to Edward when I'm here, Bella," she said with glinted amusement. A smirk played at her lips. "I'm all tuned in on you."

Grrr. So she saw my four days of misery. Edward's brow furrowed; great, now he would be upset with me lying at him.

"I'm staying." His tone was saturated with adamance. Nothing I could say would get him to leave now. I groaned.

Alice's smile widened. "Oh, but I'm not sure about that, either.." Her beautiful voice was hiding something. She had a secret.

We both looked at her, waiting. Edward suddenly looked madder, meaning he read her thoughts. I gave an impatient look her way. Edward shook his head.

"No." He stated. I was unable to press her; another spasm of pain was coming on. Her pleased grin did not falter.

"Wanna bet?"

"Try me."

"Fine," she said, smoothly. "I'll tell the others. I wonder how they'll go..." His tawny eyes narrowed at her. "Like that's a secret," he sarcastically retorted. She musically laughed, and swept down to kiss my cheek.

"I truly am sorry, Bella," she said meaningfully. Edward growled softly. "I'll pick up some Midol for you on the way back." In a second, she was gone. I wistfully thought of the Midol; Renee didn't like me using medication, resulting in my hopeless discord. I could've sang at the thought of relief.

"Are you okay?" Edward's murmur pulled me back to reality, and I opened and eye, trying to work at a smile.

"I'm not so fragile, you know." He laughed at the apperently unbelievable words. His cold hand pressed to my cheek, eyes smoldering.

"I'll prove them wrong," he smirked. Oh. Right. The bet. "What are you all betting on?" I questioned, while I could coherently.

He looked too innocent. "Oh, if I can manage to stay with you for four days, tempted by your blood all the while and yet having to take care of you," he teased.

My eyes widened and I suddenly groaned. He looked worried again. "Just breathe slowly," he urged me. I shook my head. "It's not cramps," I mumbled with a slight blush that I hoped was unnoticeable. He looked puzzled. "What is it?"

I rolled on my side so he couldn't see my face, frowning and blushing harder now. He draped his cold arms over me, eyeing the warmth in my face.

"Bella?"

"Nevermind." I blushed harder. He looked suspicious now.

A cold finger touched under my chin, turning my head towards him. I couldn't escape his brilliant smolder now, enticing, alluring.

"You can tell me." His voice was velveteen, mellifluous to my ears. I swallowed.

"W-well... I, I just realized something..." I stammered quietly, pulse pounding erratically. His gaze intensified, leaning closer. I could breathe in his sweet aroma with ease, giving me a dizzying feeling of euphoria. Everything about him was coaxing me to tell him...

"I-I'm kind of... out of tampons and stuff," I squeaked, face cherry-colored.

He paled sheet-white.

Regaining his composure a minute later, he calmly pulled out his cell phone, and dialed in Alice's number. I tucked my head into the corner, blushing hard enough to make a tomato look pale.

"Alice, um, could you get Bella some...toiletries?"

I pressed harder to the cushioned corner; no doubt Alice would ask what absorbency next.