Author's notes: this fic will probably have short chapters but bear with me I'm planning it that way. It seems to fit best. Hope you like xx

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or the characters and make no money from this story

Shard's of a Fairytale

The Pieces

Carlisle POV

So much for Edward being certain she would be fine and not do anything stupid. Then again knowing Bella, I wasn't sure whether this was just another Bella accident or a deliberate attempt at taking her own life. She was particularly accident prone.

I looked at the girl lying in the bed. Charlie had no longer been able to sit helpless watching her sleep and had gone for coffee. Edward was wrong about this girl. She wasn't the fragile human girl he seemed to think, she was strong and stubborn. I had never imagined her to be one to harm herself. In fact she had begged me to save her when she came in. Maybe the whole thing was an accident after all.

She was stirring now.

"Bella?" I called to her. "Can you hear me?"

Bella POV

I heard his musical voice again.

"Bella?" he called. "Can you hear me?" I forced my eyes open to meet his gorgeous golden ones full of compassion and concern.

"Carlisle..." I said softly, not knowing what else to say. "You're really here?" He smiled at me, that beautiful carefree smile he had and let out a chuckle.

"Of course I am." He replied. "I've been here the whole time."

"You have?" I asked, sitting up. He put his arm across me to stop me.

"Slowly." He said softly, before continuing to explain. "Our family has been under stress for a while and I decided it would be best if I stayed behind for a while before moving on to give us all a break."

"Under stress how?" I asked, totally confused. What could be the problem? Carlisle was perfect. The whole family was perfect.

"I'm ashamed to say that Esme and I got a divorce a short while back. We are still a family just not quite the same as we were. That is actually why I stayed behind. I agreed to stay behind for about a month so that Esme and I could adjust." He said. "I am sad that our time together has ended but I have many happy memories and to be honest I think when I see Rosalie and Emmett's bond compared to mine and Esme's....theirs is infinitely stronger. We were never soul mates, we always knew that but our love was enough. I guess the problem was we didn't think through our postions in the family very clearly. It meant that when that love was no longer enough we were still...trapped almost, as we had built a family around us, but even Alice has assured us that our future's look brighter already...although I'm quite certain she's not telling us any details on purpose. But Bella, I'm very glad today that I did stay...do you want to tell me what happened?"

I looked up to meet his gaze a little shocked. I was so engrossed in his story. I wasn't sure how I was going to explain myself to him. I knew he didn't have to tell me everything he did but I suspected that maybe even vampires needed to share sometimes. Especially the sensitive, compassionate ones like Carlisle.

"Of course I don't." I replied casually.

"But are you going to tell me?" he grinned.

"Yes." I mumbled, staring at my hands. "It was an accident...sort of."

"Sort of?" he asked, raising an eyebrow, but looking a little relieved. "How sort of?"

"Well...I was upset, and I threw a glass at the bathroom mirror, both smashed and glass was everywhere. It cut me but..." I trailed off, not knowing exactly how to word the next part. Carlisle just took my hand and squeezed it encouragingly. "I pushed the glass into my arm further." I admitted guiltily. "I don't even know why I did, I promise I had no plans of ending my life, it was just a stupid impulse at the time. I swear. I would never mean to do that to Charlie. Oh my God Charlie!"

"He's around. He's fine. He'll be back soon." Carlisle promised. "You need rest Bella. You lost a lot of blood. If Charlie had been home any later I would have had to save you a very different way and you should know I really don't like having to do that." He smiled getting up to leave.

"Would you have done it?" I blurted out.

"I guess we'll never know, but probably." He replied. "Bella, there is life after Edward I promise you. You will move on one day, whether that take three weeks or three years it will happen, and you probably won't even see it coming, it could even be that Jacob Black I saw coming to check on you."

"Yeah, sure." I laughed. Then awkward silence fell. "I don't want to move on Carlisle. I want all of you guys to just come back to Folks as if nothing happened. I don't think I could ever love someone else after loving a vampire. They're just too perfect. How is anyone normal supposed to live up to that? So I guess I'll just have to keep hoping he'll change his mind..."

Carlisle smiled sadly and left me to my thoughts. Stupidly I had not only thought about Edward and said his name aloud but I had thought of the rest of the family as well and now I sat in the hospital bed crying. I wrapped my arms around myself, clutching my chest as if that would hold me together.

I could always hope, but I knew Edward wasn't coming back...but I also knew no one else would be able to pick up the pieces and that didn't leave a very bright future for me.

Author's Notes: Hope you're enjoying the beginnings of my fic so far let me know what you think xx