Here's this! Hopefully it's okay! Let me know what you think!

"I just want to feel clean. I bathed myself in salt tonight. I am a scar, reopened." - THE GRAVEDIGGER, J.R. Rouge)

...

She comes back like fire and ice and a world reborn and dug out of ashes.

She comes back and she is blonde hair matted with blood, and blood, and blood.

Esme's the first to see a skeleton rought out of clay.

"Oh, my sweet girl." Esme's caring eyes and soft hands take a face of death. "Oh, my dearest."

"I love her," Her mouth forms words that don't have sound, don't have rhyme or reason.

"I know," Esme brushes dirt away from her cheekbones, treats it as a tear. "I know you do."

…

"Bella," Somebody whispers her name. She wakes up to cold hands covering her arm. Surprisingly, it's Emmett with tousled curls and deep lines around his mouth. She feels an awful blackness pooling into the depth of her stomach. "Bella," he repeats, shakes her arm a little bit more and pulls her covers back, handing her a jacket at the same time. "First of all, it's four in the afternoon. Second, Rosalie is back."

Bella trips over a pile of book trying to scramble out of bed.

…

The car ride in Emmett's jeep is tense, she wishes Emmett had a lead foot like Alice did.

Bella glances over to his dash - the speedometer reads as 85. It's not fast enough.

"Bella, please." Emmett sighs. "I know, I know. But please, keep calm."

"Why did she go? Why did she leave?"

Emmett keeps his mouth shut. Bella huffs in response. "When are you guys going to start trusting me with information?"

He shakes his head, hair catching the dim light peeking through the trees. "It's not like that."

Bella goes to retort but she's cut short when she spots a family red car in the driveway. Her breath catches as she starts to unbuckle. Her brain shorts out, her only thought is blonde hair and bright gold eyes.

"Where is she Emmett?" Bella falls out of the car, landing on her hands and knees. "Where is she?"

"She's- Bella! Wait!" He grabs her by the waist. "Listen to me! She's out hunting right now. There's no telling when the last time she fed-" He stops quickly, staring out to a clearing on the other side of where they stood.

The first thing Bella's brain registers are thick locks of blonde hair. "Rose-" She starts to gasp.

In the blink of an eye, Bella is pressed up against the side of the Jeep, warm hands against her side and a solid body pressed against hers in a tight hug.

"Rosalie!" Someone shouts, panic evident in their shaky voice.

"I'm ok, I'm in control. I'm not going to hurt her" Rosalie's voice washes over Bella like a burst of sunshine. Her chest thaws out, the darkness recedes back into the shadows. Everything is ok.

"Hey. Hi." Rosalie sighs into the crook of Bella's neck. "I missed you so much."

All at once, Bella has a million things she wants to say, mouth opening and closing with a thousand of possibilities. "You came back." Her heart decided to speak up instead.

Rosalie pulls back slightly, presses her forehead against Bella's, tilts her head, and Bella thinks that her mouth is so close, all she has to do is move forward. Rosalie breathes out and opens her eyes. She seems to realize how close they are together but she doesn't move. Her eyes are a deep black, but Bella has never felt safer. "I will always come back."

…

Bella's scared to let Rosalie out of her sight.

Esme wraps her arms around Rosalie, quietly sobbing as Rosalie tries to reassure her.

Carlisle greets her with a kiss on her head and a long hug. Alice cries, much to Rosalie's chagrin. Jasper gives her a hug and a head nod, making sure he catches her eyes. A moment of silent communication passes between them in an odd sort of way. Bella watches as Rosalie's jaw clenches.

Emmett picks her up and spins her around with laughter falling out of his mouth.

Edward is nowhere to be found - but Rosalie doesn't seem particularly distressed about it.

The words Bella didn't get to say bubble up her throat now. She bites her tongue to quell the questions.

"I'm so sorry I was gone for so long. I honestly didn't register how long I was away for. Time just slipped away." Rosalie addresses everybody but her eyes are locked on Bella's, noticing the questions lingering in the depth of her eyes.

"It's okay." Alice speaks, smile soft and sad. "We're just glad you're back and that you're not ever doing that again." Her words are a little too sharp - Rosalie winces.

"I'm really, really sorry, guys." Her beautiful voice turns contrite, shoulders sagging. "I wasn't thinking about how my absence would affect you all."

Esme sighs, rubbing at her forehead. "We love you very, very much, Rose. Please know that."

. . .

Later, when the sun disappears behind grey clouds, when the too bright moon takes its place, Bella and Rosalie are curled into each other, trying to see where the pieces fit. Rosalie's hand snaps into place against Bella's hip, and Bella's legs seem to belong intertwined between the blonde's.

Those questions Bella never got the chance to ask regurgitate now, spilling out so fast she can't discern which question is which.

"Why did you go?"

Rosalie sighs, the breaking of silence too loud for her ears.

"Where did you go?" Bella continues, aware that she's speaking too fast but she can't stop, not even as Rosalie presses her cheek to the skin of Bella's neck.

Her words only stutter when Rosalie's fingers trace the bottom of Bella's lip. They continue on their path to thumb the edge of Bella's collar bone. "You've lost weight." Is a heavy sigh from Rosalie. It hurts to hear. A shelled version of her voice before. Dark and lonely. Oh, the demons Bella knows she's experienced.

Bella covers her hand with her own, marvelling at the shocking warmth there. Rosalie sighs again, a frown flooding over her golden brows.

"I went to Alaska. Denali, actually. There's a coven there that we consider cousins. I spent a day with them and then went to sit outside. It only felt like an hour but it turns out it was actually almost three months."

"I can't even imagine." Bella whispers, almost in awe. She can hardly sit still for an hour.

"I'm sorry that I hurt you." Her voice is tortured, dark and hallowed.

Bella opens her mouth, considers saying something, closes it, and opens it again. "You… You really, really did hurt me. Really bad, actually. I think I lost my mind for a while."

Rosalie winces, recoils back as if Bella had slapped her. "I'm so, so, so, sorry. I just, something upset me and I just needed to get away - I never planned on being gone for so long."

"I know, I know." Bella hurries to sooth her, combing her fingers through her hair, reveling in the softness. "I know, it's okay. You're here now. You're here now."

If at all possible, Rosalie scoots closer to Bella. "I promise. I promise I'll always come back."

"Just don't leave in the first place. I need you to talk to me about what upsets you." Brown eyes lock with golden ones that shimmer with tears that can't be shed. Slowly, Rosalie nods, eyes downcast now.

"Okay. I promise."

Bella nods, placing her chin on the taller girl's head. "Now, will you tell me about what set you off?"

"Maybe… Maybe not tonight? You need to sleep - you have school tomorrow."

"Will it take a while to explain?" Bella yawns through her words, reaching for a blanket.

"It's very complex, actually." An amused hum. "You humans manage to fall asleep so fast."

Bella tries to respond, but sleep overwhelms her. "Stay?"

Rosalie presses the faintest kiss to Bella's cheek. "Of course, where else would I go?"