Title: Hand from the Grave, A Twific
Author: Layla Persnickety
Summary: On the morning of her wedding, 21 year old Bella Swan is found floating in her bathtub nearly dead. Her fiancé, Edward Cullen, and her best friend,
Alice Cullen are convinced that there's been a murder attempt, though the police believe she tried suicide. Because she is still alive, though she is now in a
coma, the police will convict her of attempted suicide when she wakes up. With the only eye-witness out cold, it's up to Edward and Alice with a little help
from the Cullens to prove her innocence, however, they find they're being sent on a wild goose chase all over the world, and that no one is truly as they
seem. AU, AH
Pairing(s): Edward/Bella, Alice/Jasper, Emmet/Rosalie, Carlisle/Esme, Renee/Charlie
Disclaimer: I do not own Bella, Alice, Jasper, Emmet, Rosalie, Carlisle, Esme, Renee, Charlie, or Phil. I do however own Edward, that sexy beast. Okay, okay, I
don't own Edward the sexy beast. But I sure wish I did. rubs hands together like the villain in a melodrama
Chapter 1 Ed's POV
I couldn't believe it. That's it. I just couldn't believe it. Nothing that Alice had just told me in her frantic state made sense. Bella…dead? Impossible. I saw her just last
night…
Alice was a mess. She was crying, and I mean really crying, with snot involved. If what was happening wasn't so serious I might have actually laughed at that
thought. She was now hurriedly pulling me to the Porsche asking herself over and over again why she hadn't seen it coming. She was driving over 200 mph and I
was trying to slow her down. When she finally stopped, we were at Bella's house only… something wasn't right. I shook off the feeling and looked at Alice. I had to
laugh. When Alice looked at me like I had grown a second head I said, "Alice, wasn't it you who said the groom shouldn't see the bride before the wedding? I
thought it was total nonsense but you insisted-" I finally realized why everything seemed wrong. There were police cars all over the street and a few paramedics
were carrying someone in a stretcher over to an ambulance. Then everything clicked, and I suddenly felt sick to my stomach. Everything around me became
absolutely dizzy and I felt like I would vomit my guts out, but I couldn't. Instead I ran towards the stretcher and what I saw made me want to just wake up from this
terrible nightmare. But, of course, this was no dream, and on the stretcher was… my angel… lying there… I was about to scream something, anything when I felt a
strong hand on my shoulder. I turned around to see a stern looking police officer. "Son, can I ask you a few questions?" I'm sure I was crying. I couldn't really tell. I
just felt so… Actually, that was just it. I didn't feel. Anything.
"Of course, officer" I replied "What can I tell you?"
"Are you familiar with a Bella Swan?"
No, she's only just my fiancée and the love of my life!
"Yes, sir, she's my fiancée, we were suppose to be married this eveni-" Just then at that moment something caught in my throat and I had to swallow very hard to
keep it down
"Son, I'm very sorry but, it seems that Bella Swan attempted suicide."
What? Impossible. Never.
It seems I must have said my thoughts aloud because he began to shake his head and said, "She did. Your sister and her mother were allegedly returning from their
shopping trip when they found her floating in her bathtub, her wrists slit and a suicide note in her hand"
"NO!"
"She's alive, but because she lost so much blood, she will be in a coma for a few months, when she wakes up ,however, she will be convicted of attempted suicide."
"WHAT?"
"Son, suicide is a CRIME, punishable by LAW!"
"She did NOT commit suicide!"
Ignoring me, the officer asked, "Son, do you remember her ever being… depressed? Unhappy with her life? Anything that would lead her to this?"
Instantly I wasn't so sure that she didn't commit suicide. She killed herself and it was All. My. Fault. I suddenly felt my legs give in and felt the ground become closer.
I woke up on Bella's couch and was about to run to her room to make sure everything was a bad dream when I remembered the whole horrible event was real.
Alice, Esme and Rose were in the Kitchen trying to comfort Charlie, Renee , and Phil. Without a word I ran into Bella's bedroom and was instantly hit with a thought:
"So- since you're staying, can I have my stuff back?"
I had to laugh though the situation was very serious. That was my Bella, always making people laugh no matter what.
"Your things were never gone" I told her. "I knew it was wrong, since I promised you peace without reminders. It was stupid and childish, but I wanted to keep something of myself with you. The CD, the pictures, the tickets- they're all under you're floorboards."
"Really?"
I lifted the floorboard where I had last hidden here birthday presents before I…
Sure enough there was something there, but it wasn't her presents. It was a tape with my name on it written in Bella's handwriting.
I heard someone coming up the stairs so I quickly put the tape into my jacket pocket and headed out the door. I was met by a nervous looking Phil. I would be
nervous too, if I found out that my step-daughter had committed suicide. Of course, that wasn't true, but he didn't know. I suppose that I should assume that she
did in fact commit suicide. I mean all the signs were there. But I knew Bella was not the kind of person that would do such a thing. It was a gut feeling I had, call me
crazy, that someone was behind Bella's death. There was much more to this story.
I was headed out the door, when Alice stopped me. She looked like hell. Heck, everyone looked like hell. "Where are you going Edward?" She asked. " You're not
exactly in a state to be driving."
"I'm going to the hospital"
'Edward…"
"I'll be back when I get back"
I didn't wait for a response from her. I was out the door and headed towards her Porsche. I know, it was wrong to just take off in her car and everything, but this
was urgent. I was going to see my fiancée.
At the hospital, the receptionist told me Carlisle was taking care of Bella, but not before batting her eyelashes at me like she had a serious twitch. I hurried to her
room, and saw Carlisle checking her charts. He was a sight to be seen. He had dark circles under his eyes and his hair was in quite a state. Okay, so I probably
sound like Esme, but he looked nothing like his normally put together self. Bella really has a strong hold on all of our lives.
"Oh, Edward, it's you."
"You alright there Dad?"
"I should be asking you the same."
I sighed. Truth was, I was not alright. I was far from alright. I was panicked and trying very hard to ignore the empty gnawing feeling where my heart should be, and
I was using the mystery behind Bella's almost death as an excuse not to break down. And I was very close to doing just that.
"I'll leave you two alone."
"Thanks."
After Carlisle left, I turned to Bella's bed. So far I had been trying to keep my eyes from seeing her, because I was afraid of what I might see. The she was lying
there, bandaged hands folded across her chest. She looked so, frail, and tired. I almost felt that one touch might crumple her into dust. I gingerly caressed her
cheek, and traced the dark bruise-like circles under her eyes with my index finger. I sighed again. Even in this state, she was able to calm me. "Bella?"
No reply. Well of course, she was in a coma.
"I found this tape under your floorboards." As if she heard me the LCD began to beep faster. Not fast enough to alarm any one, just faster. I was only mildly
alarmed. They said in medical school that such a reaction from a coma patient was possible. Of course, I never expected to actually need such information.
"I know you didn't try to kill yourself, Bella" I said. "I'm going to find out who did."
Her heartbeat had accelerated quite a bit so I decided that I would leave her to rest. I didn't want her to have a heart attack in her fragile state.
I was pulling into our drive way when I saw Alice waiting for me at the door. I prepared myself for the angry onslaught that was to come and was surprised when it
didn't.
"Edward, I know Bella didn't attempt suicide."
"What?"
"You heard me, Edward"
"How do you know?"
"I have a feeling that there's something we are missing."
Whoa. I wasn't expecting that. I was then launched into a mental struggle over whether or not I should tell her about the tape. I decided that it wouldn't hurt
anyone if I did.
"Alice, I have to tell you something."
She raised her eyebrows at me as if she were waiting for me to say something.
"I found a tape under Bella's floorboards."
"What's on it?" She asked
"I haven't watched it, I think its just some video that Bella took of me with her camera"
"Oh." Alice looked disappointed
"But… I was wondering if… you wanted to watch it with me? I don't think I could handle it on my own…"
"Of course, of course, lets go"
I instantly set about putting the Cassette in the VCR. We both sat on the couch and I pressed play on the remote. We both gasped. What showed up on the screen
was no home video of Bella and I. There was only one person on that screen…
It was…
my angel.
A/N: HAHA!! :P. Cliffhanger for you, reviews for me. Hope you enjoyed it. I'll be writing this mostly in Edward's point of view with a wee bit of Alice to go around, and some Bella flashbacks.