So not too much happened in Chapter 2 but things will progress quicker from here.

I actually had this chapter from my beta a few days ago but due to the NM madness....I didn't get around to finalizing the edits and posting it.... sorry.

Love to my beta Krystle who is too smart for her own good! Can't believe you figured out my plot twists already! :O

SM owns all things Twilight. I own an empty slot on my DVD rack designated for the NM DVD...



3. Five Years in Five Minutes

EPOV

After a long, but thankfully dreamless, venture into the darkness again I felt more revitalized when I tried to open my eyes once again. I didn't struggle as much this time. And I think it was because of Bella. Seeing her again strengthened me.

But when I opened my eyes, I wasn't staring into chocolate brown eyes; they were peacock green instead. I frowned a bit and felt my eyebrows knit together.

"Good morning sweetheart," Esme whispered to me, her eyes welling up with tears.

"Mom," my voice was a little louder then when I had talked to Bella but it was still very raspy.

"Shh…don't talk. I'll get you some water first."

She returned a second later with a plastic cup in her hand as she positioned the straw at my lips.

I sipped it and the water was cold as ice as it made its way through my mouth and down my throat. I struggled to swallow it but eventually I was gulping down the water.

"Easy there. Your throat needs to get used to the movement again," and she took the cup and set it on the table.

"Your father will be back any second."

"I'm here Esme. Looks like our boy has woken up again." Carlisle came in with his white lab coat on.

"Edward, how are you feeling?" He questioned me.

Okay." I managed to voice out. I was feeling calm despite being confused about everything still. Seeing Bella alive and well last night calmed me down immensely. I was worried she hadn't made it out of the accident alive.

My eyes began to dart around the room as I searched for Bella.

"Don't worry son. She'll be back. Visiting hours haven't officially started. I snuck your mother in," he grinned at me.

"Edward, do you know where you are or what day it is?" He was back to the doctor questions.

"Hospital," I stated. But I didn't know what day it was. I assumed it was a few days after the accident.

"What happened?" I whispered out.

"Edward, there was an accident," I nodded already knowing that part. "There was a truck driver who fell asleep at the wheel and swerved into your lane. You and Bella were just driving back from your honeymoon. Unfortunately the truck rolled and the driver didn't make it but Bella is perfectly fine."

I saw Carlisle hesitate before he continued. He came to sit at the end of my bed and looked me dead in the eyes with the most serious expression I had ever seen him wear.

"Son, by the time the medics pulled you out of the wreckage, you were unconscious. You sustained a serious blow to your head upon impact since your airbag did not deploy correctly. The rest of your body has healed over time and everything else seems to be functioning fine." He took a deep breath and looked at my mother before turning back to me and continuing.

"Edward, you've been in a coma for five years." He spoke the last words slowly and gently.

Five years?

That couldn't be possible. The accident seemed like days ago….not years! I couldn't comprehend 5 years passing as I just laid here motionless. Why didn't I wake up? Oh my god! What about Bella? I'd left her alone all this time!

I could feel the panic begin to rise up again and Carlisle could obviously see it too as he immediately began to try and calm me with his words.

But the words were lost on me. I could only see his mouth moving as I was drowning under the panic of knowing I had just missed five years of my life. I had most likely just taken five years of Bella's life and of all those that were close to me. Did I even have anyone close to me anymore?

I felt the horrible sting in my arm again as the cold liquid once rushed through my veins wiping my mind clear.

By the time I awoke again, my room was crowded. I didn't think I had been out as long this time. It was possibly mid morning now rather than early morning? But I could have slept for days more with my track record. I didn't know.

But I saw my mom and she was in the same clothes so I concluded that it must have been the same day.

"You feeling okay sweetie? You can't panic, alright? If you do, they'll put you under again."

I nodded at her. I didn't want to panic and be knocked out again. I wanted answers. I wanted to see everyone again. I wanted to catch up on my life.

Standing nervously around the room were more familiar faces - Emmett, Rose, Jazz and Alice. No Bella?

I tried to sit up and Emmett came to my aid, quickly lifting me up as Alice stuffed a pillow behind my back.

"Thanks." I needed more water to loosen up my throat.

Just as I turned to look for it my mom was back at my mouth ushering a straw into my lips.

"So, I guess Alice has five years worth of crap to talk to me about?" I tried to joke with them to break the tense atmosphere.

Emmett cheered. "Well, I see five years of sleep hasn't changed Eddie Boy here at all."

Everyone laughed as a boy stepped tentatively into the room holding a tray of coffees.

"Hi Uncle Edward," he said shyly.

I stared at him for a moment before I spoke.

"Tyler? Wow, last time I remember seeing you, you still ran around in diapers and you were putting crayons up your nose."

"Yeah our boys are all grown up now. He'll be eight soon. You've missed a lot Edward." Emmett's tone was laced with sadness and pity.

"How about you Ali? Pop any kids out while I was in dreamland?" I asked.

"No, no. But I've got my own business now. I'm an events planner. Although right now I'm too busy planning our wedding to really be planning anyone else's events," she chirped at me.

She still hadn't gotten married? Jazz proposed to her a month before Bella and I got married.

"You're not married yet?" I was confused. Alice had dreamt of her wedding day since she was a child and yet she decided to take a long engagement instead?

"Well, we didn't know what was happening with you and so we didn't want to plan anything just in case, you know. But it had been five years of nothing and so we were just going to do it. I'm so sorry Edward." She came up and hugged me as she wept.

"Don't be sorry. I'm surprised you didn't do it sooner," I told her earnestly. Not only had I put a stop to my own life, possibly Bella's, but now to Alice and Jazz's as well. I felt like such a burden.

We chatted for a while longer catching up on everything but everyone could tell that I wasn't all that interested. I kept looking to the door waiting for Bella to come through. It was strange that she wasn't already here. They could tell I was confused at her lack of presence but no one wanted to explain it. They just kept saying that she would be here soon.

About two hours later I finally saw a head of chestnut brown hair come rushing past the window and into my room.

"I'm so, so sorry I'm late. Charlie got stuck at work and couldn't get home in time, he didn't have his house keys either and I knew you were all here so I had to wait for him but we managed to get here." Bella explained breathlessly to my family.

Everyone nodded and told her not to worry. They were chatting as if I wasn't in the room. I was a little confused why she had to wait for Charlie to get home though before coming here. And who was 'we'?

My questioned was answered when Jake followed Bella in a few moments later.

"Hey man. Good to see that you're up." Jake said as he walked up to me to give me a half hug.

Bella stood back and just watched us. She looked at me as if I wasn't real and she stood back seemingly afraid to come closer in case it was all a dream.

A red headed nurse came in to break the silence.

"Sorry guys, there's too many of you in here at the moment so I'm afraid some are going to have to go down to the waiting area."

Everyone gave their apology to the nurse and began to leave.

"Some of you can stay you know." Bella proclaimed. But they all left the room subtly giving Bella and I some alone time.

BPOV

I couldn't believe that I was so late getting to the hospital. I could barely sleep at all night – I was so anxious to come and see him again this morning.

But of course things never go to plan. The morning was chaotic. Charlie was late coming home off his night shift and my truck almost gave out halfway to Port Angeles.

But now that I was here I didn't know how to proceed.

I stood in the doorway staring at Edward once everyone had left the room.

He had been in a coma for five years. What do you say to a person after all that time? Are you okay?

"Are you okay?" Edward asked me, mimicking what I had just thought.

"I think so," I answered honestly.

He patted the free space on his bed inviting me to sit next to him.

I felt awkward sitting there. It was as if I didn't know him anymore. When in reality he probably didn't know me.

"Talk to me Bella," he pleaded.

"I don't know what to say." I honestly didn't.

"Tell me everything. Tell me about my brother and sister and their lives with Rose, Tyler and Jazz. Tell me about the internship at the editing house in Seattle. Tell me about the world and everything I have missed."

That was a lot to tell him about. So I decided to go for the safer topics.

"Well Tyler is really good at baseball. I think Em is training him to be the next big star. Rose is actually working down at Jake's garage. She brings in more of the male customers for Jake," I laughed, because you have no idea how many men drive down from Port Angeles just for Rose to have a look under their hoods.

"Alice's business is doing quite well. Most of her events are out here or in Seattle so she travels a fair amount. We now have a black president. Both Letterman and Tiger Woods were caught cheating but only Tiger is permanently in the dog house. Britney got married. Britney got divorced. But other than that, Emmett still eats with his fingers; Jazz has permanently stolen your guitar and your Volvo has probably been melted down to make cans now. Sorry." I ended hoping it came across light and sounded like a bit of a joke.

"My Volvo!" Edward choked out to me.

I laughed at him, "I tell you we have a black president for the first time ever in history and all you care about is your Volvo?"

He nudged me in the side for teasing him.

"That rundown didn't include anything about you." He pushed me for more information.

"Edward, I've been okay. I've had your whole family, Charlie, Jake. Everyone has been there for me as much as they have been here for you."

We settled into an awkward silence. I could see it in the lines of his face that he was debating the next question to ask me.

"How often did you come?" He asked me quietly.

I didn't want to lie to him but I didn't want to make him feel like I loved him less as the time went by.

"For the first two years, every day. But then I got a job and couldn't make it every day so it became every second day and lately I'm lucky if I can get here more than twice a week. I'm so sorry, Edward." I was so disappointed in myself. In our vows we said 'in sickness and in health' and yet here I was, forgetting about him when he was sick.

Edward tilted my face up with his finger.

"You came here every single day for two years? You still come twice a week every week?" He asked me in an amazed voice.

I nodded.

"You have never taken a vacation? Never skipped a week or two or even a month?"

I shook my head at him. I could never do that. I may have had to wake up and get on with life but it didn't mean I couldn't make time in that life for Edward.

He shocked me by pulling me into a hug.

"I'm the one that should be sorry. I made you stop your life for me. You didn't even take that internship did you?"

Edward always knew me so well. I was feeling guilty for getting on with my life and he thought I wasn't?

"I don't understand." I told him.

"Bella, you may have continued to live life but you never stopped being devoted to me. You couldn't even take a vacation because it meant you would miss out on your weekly visit to the vegetable in Port Angeles." He tried to joke with me but I was thoroughly depressed by it.

I never noticed but I hadn't really moved on with life. Maybe that was why Jake was so eager to get me out of Forks.

And with that thought, Jake walked into the room.

"Hey, sorry to interrupt. Bells, Charlie had to go back to the station for a case, so we're going to have to swing by there first before going home."

I nodded in understanding and got up to leave giving Edward a kiss on the cheek as I stood up.

I could tell he didn't understand our exchange and had so many more questions for me.

"I'll come back tomorrow, okay?" I promised him.

He nodded in understanding. His family returned to the room as Jake and I left.

Jake wrapped his arm around my waist as we walked down the hall and I put mine around his.

"It'll be okay," he whispered to me planting a kiss on my forehead as silent tears began to streak down.

How would I explain my life to Edward?


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