Disclaimer: I own nothing. Every character and setting here belongs entirely to Stephanie Meyer. :D

"Bella…" a voice breathed softly, or sighed rather, in my ear. I frowned, certain that I was going crazy. I was dreaming again. That had to be the answer. If I just held on for another second Jacob would wake me up and it would be time to start my day. "Bella," Edward's voice sounded, more insistently this time. I opened my eyes slowly, my brow still furrowed, before they widened in shock. He was there beside me. I wasn't dreaming. The cold touch on my face was his hand. Those beautiful eyes, watching me with such fear, and regret, those were his eyes.

In some place in my mind, I knew that what I was seeing couldn't be real. And if it was, then the last thing I should have been doing was laying on the ground, staring into his eyes. I should have dusted myself off, pushed his hand from my face and fled. But I wasn't very good at doing what I should when I was around Edward. I knew that the beautiful man before me had broken my heart into a thousand pieces and taken most of them with him. I should scream, I should yell, I should strike out at him for all the good it would do me. I should send him away and tell him to never ever come back. But I couldn't do any of those things. For the first time in a long time, I felt…whole. As if I had never been broken.

"Edward," I choked out, my voice thick with emotion. I tried not to, but I couldn't seem to stop myself from turning my face into his palm, reveling in his soft touch. And then I was done being strong. I couldn't do it anymore. Tears were streaming down my face and I couldn't move. I didn't want to move. "Are you real or am I dreaming again? It feels real, but it can't be. I just don't…I don't understand…" I murmured reluctantly. I desperately needed to know what was happening, but I didn't want to know if it meant that this was just another dream, another cruel joke my brain was choosing to play on my heart.

I hadn't thought it was possible, but my memory had dimmed. He was far more beautiful than my pitiful mortal brain could retain properly. I furiously wiped the tears from my eyes. They were blurring his features, features that I hadn't seen so clearly in so long I wasn't willing to risk this opportunity to memorize them again. The feel of his stone arms around me, the delicious way he smelled, how could I have forgotten the way he smelled? there was no way my feeble brain could conjure this. It had to be real. Reluctantly I sat up; it just felt awkward lying on the cold, damp ground in the midst of the moment, his hand slipping from my face in the process. He must have seen the flash of panic that coursed through me when his hand dropped away because he quickly covered my hands with his, maintaining the contact that I was loathe to break.

"I'm here Bella," he said, his eyes pained at my words. "I never should have left, I'm so sorry…" his voice trailed off, thick with emotion. Tears filled my eyes again as I struggled to understand. How could I feel so whole for the first time in years, and still feel so fragile? "I thought I was doing the right thing. Giving you the chance to lead a normal life, a long safe life, the kind of life I can't give you. My presence was keeping you in danger, taking you away from a world you belonged in. It was selfish of me to risk your life every moment that I was with you. I thought you would be better off, that I would be strong enough to stay away…" his voice trailed off. "But I'm not. What I want, what I need is to be where you are. I'm tired of fighting myself, forcing myself to stay away from you. I came back to see you…to beg you take me back if necessary…" His voice trailed off.

I stared at him in shock. But he had left me, broken on the forest floor, believing he had never loved me. And now, now I was supposed to just believe that he had been lying? I wanted to be angry. I willed myself to be angry, but I couldn't. It was Edward. My Edward. Without thinking, I leaned forward and pressed my lips to his. It wasn't something that I had planned, or even thought about. If I had, I think I might have been able to restrain myself. Okay, so I probably wouldn't have been able to but I still would have at least thought about the consequences. My lips fastened hungrily on his marveling at the cold marble of his lips, and I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him close. He held me tenderly at first, the crushing me to his chest after only a few moments. Without warning, he pushed me back, a look of concentration on his face.

"I don't know if I have that much self-control," he panted, "And I just can't guarantee that I wouldn't hurt you…" His eyes shined; clearly he was telling the truth. I wondered what I could do to take away that self-control. If I kissed him again, would he be able to stop me again? As if he was able read my thoughts, he just pulled me in tight against his chest and buried his face in my hair.

"Ah, Bella," he breathed, "You have no idea how many times I thought of you, thought of holding you like this again. I was so afraid that I was too late, that you had moved on…"

I felt a stab of guilt. I had moved on though. It had taken me forever to do it, but I had. Edward interrupted my thoughts again.

"Bella?" Edward asked, clearly confused. "Are you aware that you smell like a dog?" He wrinkled his nose. "What on earth have you been doing?"

My heart quickened again. How was I supposed to let him go? In my head, I knew I should. He had hurt me tremendously before and it would only be smart to send him away now. But I wasn't exactly famous for my sense of self-preservation.

"You smell Jacob…" I began quietly, not entirely sure where to proceed. I felt Edwards arms stiffen. "Jacob is my…" what was he? Boyfriend was too mild a term, but fiancée' was taking it just a bit far for my tastes. "Boyfriend," I finished lamely.

Edward untangled himself from me quickly, a deep look of pain in his eyes now. I felt horrible, knowing that I was the one hurting him, making me feel guilty quickly that I had ever believed that he didn't love me, that I chose to move on with my life, or at least try to. I wouldn't have survived long in the state that I had been in.

"So I am too late," he said sorrowfully. "I never should have left you…and now I've lost my chance. 90 years I waited for you…" His words, although intended only for himself drove a spike of pain into my chest. But I couldn't wait a couple years I thought sadly.

"Jacob is a good man, "I said quietly. "He helped me pick up the pieces of my life after you left. I tried hard not to love him…but he's an easy guy to love. After he and his pack saved me from Victoria…" I don't know why I kept talking. Surely this was the last thing that he wanted to hear. And apparently I was right. His sucked in his breath and a low growl began in his chest.

"Victoria?" he demanded. "What do you mean his pack saved you from Victoria?"

I bowed my head, unsure who his anger was directed at.

"Jacob is from the Quileute reservation," I began. I didn't want to come right out and say he was a werewolf, but from the look on Edwards face it was pretty obvious he understood. "After you left, Victoria tried to kill me. The pack kept me safe until they were able to hunt her down. And before that, they saved me from Laurent…" Edward's eyes closed tightly, guilt and anger mingling clearly on his face.

"I left so that you would be safe, and it seems as though my sacrifice was for naught. Werewolves, Bella? You can't possibly trust the werewolves! They could turn on you in a moments notice! You really are a danger magnet! First you fall for a vampire and now for a werewolf. Can't you find some nice normal human?"

I could feel my indignation building. "Jacob," I retorted angrily, "Is not dangerous! He's kept me safe for four years while you were off roaming the world, leaving me here wishing I could just die and get it over with! If it weren't for the Werewolves I wouldn't even be here! ", Edward winced, and immediately I felt guilty.

"I'm sorry Edward," I said softly. "If I had had even the slightest inclination that you would come back some day I would have waited until I was a decrepit old woman. Please don't leave me again. I don't feel…I don't feel whole without you here. Even if you're just my friend. We can do that right? We can be friends? If you left again…I don't know that I could stand it. But I can't just hurt Jacob either. "

"Do you love him?" Edward asked, his eyes softening, even while his mouth went hard.

"He loves me," I hedged, unsure how to explain. "He's my best friend. And I want to love him. I want to be in love with him the way that he loves me. But not matter how hard I try, or how many pieces of my heart he helped to heal…you can't heal a broken heart when you don't have all the pieces…"

Edward took my face between his too cold hands, holding it tightly while his beautiful eyes stared into mine, making it all but impossible for me to look away. How long had I dreamt about seeing those golden orbs again? "I will never leave you again," he swore. "If all I can have is your friendship, then I'll take what I can get. I give up trying to live my life without you in it." His eyes were liquid topaz, and entirely sincere. He meant every word. It was more than I should have asked for. But I was too selfish to send him away. Not when I knew how much he loved me. Not when I still loved him so very much.

Jacob was going to hate me. But I couldn't stop myself.