I forgot to say this before, but this story takes place after Eclipse and before Breaking Dawn.

One hour earlier:

Alice's POV:

Jasper growled playfully at me before springing, pinning me to the ground ever so gently. I laughed as he kissed me relentlessly, eyes, lips, nose, chin.

"Hey, get a room, you two!" Emmett yelled in a disgusted tone.

I ignored him.

On a sunny stretch of beach, in a secluded area of the Bahamas, time didn't exist. We didn't have to hide here – there was no one to see us. For a whole week, with the exceptions of Carlisle and Bella, our family was doing nothing but relaxing in the sun.

Esme flicked us an indulgent glance, and I knew she was wishing Carlisle had been able to come with us. But he hadn't been able to get away from the hospital, and someone had to stay behind and keep Bella out of trouble.

Edward came running past and knocked Jasper off of me, and my husband then proceeded to tear out after him. I exchanged glances with Esme as they began to wrestle, growling and snapping at each other.

She shrugged and rolled her eyes, motioning me over. I stretched out next to her, enjoying the feel of the hot sun on my sparkly skin.

Emmett was in the water, looking for a great white shark to wrestle with, and Rosalie was combing the beach for shells. I could stay here forever – the only downside was no shopping malls, no designer clothing stores…nah. This was great, but I couldn't live here.

Jasper came back and flopped down beside me, panting for breath he didn't need. "Now," he said, "where were we?"

I was about to answer him when suddenly my vision began to blank out.

Bella, waving goodbye to Jessica and Angela, got out and went to her truck. Humming one of her favorite songs, she backed out of Jessica's drive, turning towards Charlie's house.

The highway was mostly deserted, water still puddling in places from the recent rain.

The deer tore out of the woods and leaped across the woods right in front of Bella's truck. It hesitated for a split second, its frightened eyes mirroring Bella's expression. She slammed on the brakes, instinctively wrenching the wheel to the right.

The tires began to skid, and the truck slid off the road and over a steep embankment. It rolled four times before finally coming to a stop, upside down.

Bella's face was visible through the totaled windshield. Blood trickled down over her eyes, and she wasn't moving.

Her arm was flung out to the side, easily revealing the face of the watch she wore. The digital numbers read 5:08.

"What, Alice, what did you see?" Jasper asked urgently, no doubt reading my horrified expression.

"What time is it?" I screamed at him, ignoring the others clustered around me. "What time is it back home?"

He looked at his watch and figured up the distance between time zones. "It's…3:59 in Washington," he finally said.

"Call Carlisle," I choked. "Hurry. Bella's going to wreck her truck coming home from Jessica's house at 5:08."

"We can't call Bella," Emmett realized. "Her phone broke, remember? She was going to get a new one tomorrow."

Esme whipped out her cell and hit speed dial. We waited as interminable moments went by. Precious moments. Bella's life was literally ticking away.

She left a frantic message and then dialed again.

"He must have turned his phone off," she growled, and then sweet, gentle Esme did something I'd never seen her do before. She spat out a curse, low and scathing.

"He always has his phone on," I cried frantically.

"He must have done it in the hospital." Edward's voice jerked me out of my thoughts. If I was going through this, what must he be feeling? Bella was his soul mate. If she were to die…"

"She's not going to die," Edward snapped at me. "Don't even think it. Rosalie, Esme, go pack our things. We're leaving just as soon as we can get ready. Someone keep trying Carlisle."

He didn't say it, but we were all thinking it.

There was no way we would ever make it in time.

Carlisle's POV:

It took me longer to wrap my shift up at the hospital than it normally did. The clock in my Mercedes read 5:15 by the time I pulled out the parking lot and headed towards Bella's house.

Her phone had met with an unfortunate end after she dropped it, shattering into a million pieces. She was supposed to pick a new one up tomorrow, and Edward had asked me to check on her every now and then.

I knew she'd gone shopping with her friends in Port Angeles, so I wasn't sure if she'd be home yet or not.

I decided not to worry about calling Charlie's house. He wasn't home – fishing with Harry, I think Bella said – so I would just drop by and see how her day went. I knew she was missing Edward as much as I was missing Esme. They hadn't even been gone two days and I was ready for them to come home.

I was nearly half-way there when I smelled it.

It was masked by the annoying odors of exhaust and diesel fumes, but it was there. And the farther I got down the road, the stronger it got.

Bella's blood hung heavy in the air, a scent I was more than used to and would never forget.

I pulled over on the side of the road and jumped out. Not two steps in front of the car, I saw the skid marks.

Fearing the worst now, I looked over the side of the embankment only to see a sight I would never forget, no matter how long I lived after this day.

Bella's ancient monster of a truck was twisted awkwardly around a tree at the bottom, upside down and completely totally. I heard her heart beating as I slid down the rocky slope. It was faint and erratic, but it was beating.

I jerked out my phone to call nine-one-one, and to my horror it was turned off. I had thirty-seven missed calls from various members of my family, and realization hit me in the gut like a sledgehammer. Alice must have seen it happen. She must have been frantic to warn me. And…I'd…had….my…stupid…phone…turned off.

I dialed the emergency number before kneeling next to the smashed-in driver's side. How long had she been here? Five minutes? Eight minutes? Ten? Was it already too late?

Sticky, not-yet-dry blood crusted her forehead and ran down her cheeks. I ripped the door off so I could get to her. It was dangerous to move her before I knew what her injuries were, I knew that.

She didn't stir at all as I checked her neck and spine the best I could. When I was fairly certain she was okay there, though I couldn't tell for sure, I gently lifted her crumpled body out and laid it on the grass.

"Bella," I tried, softly patting her cheek. "Bella, sweetheart…"

She gave no indication of coming around. With an effort I pushed aside the father and gave voice to the doctor, two natures warring inside me.

With clinical detachment I scanned her body for injuries as the first sirens began to wail above me.