A/N: In Memory of Gregory Clay Conover (less commonly known as Gregory Jon Lobdell). Today, 7/1, marks the two year anniversary of his death. RIP cousin. Another tear jerker from me, guys. Ready?

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. We should all know this by now.

Good Bye My Friend

Bella was sitting in her room, planning out what she was going to do for the summer. Who was she going to hang out with? What was she going to do? Would this be the summer she finally got a job? Maybe her permit? So many things, so little time!

The phone rang downstairs and she heard Charlie's rough voice answer on the third ring.
"Hello?... Hey. ... What?... Is he okay?... Okay. Thanks for calling." She then heard him coming up the stairs and knock on her door.
"Come in." she said, not looking up from her notebook of plans.
"Bells, bad news." This caught her attention. She looked up.
"What is it?"
"Jasper was in an accident. He didn't make it." Her world came crashing down around her. She began looking around frantically for her cell phone.
"Edward, I have to call Edward."
"Bells, you don't know who was in the car with him." That stopped her dead in her tracks. Here she was, stranded, without knowing what was going on outside the walls of her house, and not knowing who else might be hurt, or worse, dead. Charlie walked out of the room and Bella sat down on the bed, thinking. She got a text through on her phone, and it vibrated in her hand. She flipped it open quickly and looked at who it was from. Edward. She let out a gust of air in relief.

From: Edward

B, plz tell me u r safe! ~E

She hit reply and began a text back to him.

E, I'm safe. thx 4 the worry. I'm glad ur safe 2. Evry1 else? ~B

And so it went for a few more minutes. Until finally, she got this text:

B, come 2 my place. We're all meeting. ~E

She grabbed her coat, cell phone, and keys and rushed down the stairs.
"Dad, everyone is okay. We're all meeting over at Edward's place. I'll call you later."
"Okay, Bella. Be safe. I love you."
"Love you too."

She ran out to her truck and started it. She pushed it to go as fast as it could so she could get to everyone sooner. Edward's house was only a fifteen minute drive away, but Bella wanted to get there as soon as possible.

As soon as she pulled up in his driveway, she cut the engine and hopped out. Edward was outside by the door. He had heard her coming. She rushed into his arms, and hugged him tightly.
"Edward! I'm so glad you're safe."
"Come on inside, Bella. Emmett and Alice are inside. Rose isn't coming."
"Rose! I should call her! I mean, after all, she is my family." Bella hit the speed dial number for Rosalie and let it ring. Rose didn't answer. Bella let it go to voicemail.
"Hey, Rose. It's just me. I just wanted to talk to you and try to sort things out with this whole mess. I guess you don't want to talk to anyone right now. I understand. Well, bye for now, cousin. I love you."

Bella hung up her cell phone, tucked it in her pocket, and followed Edward into the living room where Edward's brother, Emmett, sister, Alice, and parents, Carlisle and Esme, were all sitting. Bella smiled a tiny smile at them and sat down on the couch. As she sat there in the dead silent room, it began to sink in with her. Her cousin was dead. Gone forever. Never coming back. Never again would he be there to comfort her. Never again would he be there to help her with her small insignificant problems. Never again would she hear his voice, or see his face. Her breathing became more shallow and forced. Carlisle was at her side instantly.
"Bella?" She had lost herself to the real world. All she knew at the moment was Jasper was gone. "She's going into shock. Emmett. Go get a brown bag, please. She's going to start hyperventilating."

Emmett got up and quickly went into the kitchen to grab a brown paper bag out of the cabinet. Carlisle wadded it up properly and held it out for Bella to take. She didn't take it. She didn't know it was there. All she knew was,
"Carlisle..... can't...... breath..... Jasper..... dead." She passed out. Carlisle caught her before she could slump onto the floor. He leaned her against him with a calm look on his face.
"She'll come around in a minute. She's okay. Physically. Alice, why don't you go call Charlie. Tell him Bella will be staying the night."
"Okay." Alice left the room, and seconds later, Bella came around again.
"W-what happened?" she asked, confused.
"You passed out, Bella. It's okay." Carlisle comforted.

In the morning, Bella got a text from Rosalie.

From: Rose.

B, thx 4 the voicemail. ily. calling hrs. day after 2morro. funeral sat. 3, R.

She quickly text back,

R, u r welcome. thnx 4 update. ily cuz. ~B

She showed the text to Alice, whose room she was currently in. Alice nodded and took out her phone. She typed something out and then put her phone away. Bella gave her a questioning look.
"Letting Edward, Emmett, Mom and Dad know."

Bella went home later that afternoon and went straight to her room. She didn't come out again until friday morning when it was nearly time to leave for the calling hours. She dressed appropriately and made her way to the truck. She got in and started driving when she realized.... she didn't know where she was going. She picked up her cell and called the first person that came to her mind.
"Hello?" came his voice.
"I don't know where I'm going."
"Come over, Bella. You can ride with us. Or, you can follow us. Whichever you prefer." Bella hung up without another word and pushed the car to go faster to get to Edward's house. She finally saw the driveway and went right into it without slowing down. She cut the engine and climbed out of the truck. She did not go inside, however. She made her way over to Edward's volvo and climbed in the passenger's seat, closing the door and waiting for everyone to come out of the house.

Finally, Edward came out of the house and got in the volvo. He got into the driver's seat and closed the door quietly.
"Everyone else will be out in just a minute," he told her. She just nodded. "You okay?" he asked her. She didn't answer. Was she okay? Not even she knew the answer to that. "Bella, look at me." She hesitated for a minute before looking up at him slightly. "You'll be okay. I promise. You are my best friend. I won't let anything bad happen to you."
"I miss him, Edward. I still can't believe he's gone! He didn't deserve this."
"You're absolutely right. He didn't deserve it."
"He was only 19. He was too young for something this terrible to happen to him. He was too good of a person."
"I know, Bella. But, life isn't fair. Sometimes things like this happen. He was like a brother to me. I miss him too." Bella fell silent again and stared out at her knees. She pulled her feet up into the seat with her.

"Bella, come here." Edward said. She didn't move. He sighed, got out of the car and walked around to her side. He opened her door, gently pulled her from the car, and sat down in her seat, bringing her back down to sit in his lap. "Bella," he muttered gently into her ear, "It's okay to show when you are upset. You don't have to hide it." She put her face into the crook of his neck and tried to choke back everything she was feeling. She let one small sob escape her, and let a few tears roll down her face before she pushed everything away. She didn't want to deal with it right now. She wanted to be as strong as she could the next two days.

When they arrived at the funeral home, Edward and Bella walked in together, and Bella walked up to her slightly younger, other cousin, Rosalie. Rosalie was currently 13. Bella and Edward were 16.

They talked for a few minutes before Bella and Edward walked into the room to see Jasper for the last time. As Bella stood there, tears began pouring down her face, against her will and her body shook. Edward wrapped his arms around her and just held her there. Someone walked into the room, but neither of them realized it until the person spoke.
"Edward, you need to get her out of here. She needs to grieve in private. Take her back to the house, and we'll be along in a while, okay?" Carlisle spoke. Edward nodded and guided Bella out of the building and back into the volvo.

They went back to the house and Edward carried Bella inside the house and up three flights of stairs to his room.
"Is there anything you need, Bella?" She shook her head. "Okay. Do you want me to leave you alone?" Again, Bella shook her head. She lay down on his bed and burried herself under his blankets while hiding her face in his pillow. He sat on the bed with her, not knowing what to do, and not wanting to let himself grieve, for fear of hurting her further.

About an hour or two later, Bella fell asleep and Edward found it appropriate to let his emotions go. He curled up in the corner in his room and buried his head in his knees. It was just started to sink in fully since they had seen the body. His best friend, his brother, was dead. Shit.

He wasn't quite sure when he'd fallen asleep, but when he woke up in the morning, he was wrapped in a blanket with his head leaning against something hard, but soft. He looked down. Bella was laying against him, sleeping. He had wrapped his arms around her in his sleep and, she must have put the blanket around them. He didn't want to move. He was just closing his eyes to go back to sleep when his bedroom door was opened. Edward kept his eyes closed. He was silently willing for this to be a dream and for today not to happen. Whoever had walked in now put a hand on his cheek.

"Edward, it's time to wake up. We have to get ready." Edward opened his eyes unwillingly and sat up a little straighter. He then shook Bella awake. She sat up groggily.
"Huh?" she asked.
"We have to get up. We need to start getting ready soon." She nodded solemnly and stood.
"I have to go see Alice. I have nothing to wear." She left the room and Edward quickly got dressed.

The day flew quickly by and finally it was over! Bella spent the rest of the following week with the Cullens, and trying to recover from the serious blow she had been dealt. This would take a long time to heal. She didn't know how long, but she hoped not TOO long.