Bella's POV:
"Hey, hun? Why don't you go have a shower, I'll put your stuff in the guest room for you."
I nodded my head absentmindedly and followed her directions into the small bathroom, where I stripped down and proceeded to wash quite a few days worth of grime off. I reached for the shampoo and poured a fair amount onto my palm, it was a gold color, such a nice color, so beautiful…
I shook my head into focus and continued to lather and rinse. I dried off and changed into a baggy sweatshirt and jeans, brushed my hair quickly, and washed my face.
I made my way out into the living room and plopped down on the couch next to Norah (Mrs. Gorman). The news was on, and I lazily watched as the random flashes of color danced across the screen.
"Isabella Swan…" My eyes instantly snapped into focus on the TV screen. My muscles tensed, going completely immobile. "…has gone missing." I was hyper-aware of Norah watching me from the corner of my eye.
"She was last seen yesterday afternoon at the Seattle Mental Institute (I don't actually know if they have one!). She had just gotten the news of her parents and step-father's deaths, which had happened 24 hours beforehand."
By now Norah had her full attention on me, watching my every reaction; I ignored her and penetrated the screen with my accusing eyes.
"Her family was murdered, by whom police have yet to find out. We do not know what has happened to Ms. Swan, but her body was not found in her room. The only clues we could find was some tiny splotches of blood on her sheets, but we do not know if that is to be suspicious or not.
"It was late at night, around 11:30 when her aunt Victoria–"at the name I gave an involuntary shudder and my breath hitched in my throat "– came to see her, to become her legal guardian. One of the nurses thought her aunt had slightly odd behavior, which led her to think insanity ran in the family. She said, and I quote: 'The woman was some crazy bitch! She had this bright orange hair that was all messed up and these creepy purple eyes! And she was pale, damn. But that stupid girl was pale too, so it kind of matched and everything. And so when I led her to the girl's room and found it to be empty she got pissed! She darted around the room, all tense and shit. And she sniffed the air like a dog! It was weird. I even suggested she sign in here and her eyes got all black! Then she started screaming and throwing things around!' The behavior of the aunt was rather suspicious, but she disappeared immediately afterwards so we could not question her. The ware about of Miss Swan is still unknown."
I gazed unseeingly at the screen. I stiffly got up, avoided the eyes of Norah, and walked into the guest room. Had my nightmares been warning me? There were two things I was absolutely positive about: Someone was after me, and she was not human.
Edward's POV:
"…the ware about of Miss Swan is still unknown."
I stared at the television, unblinking, unmoving, not even breathing. My chest felt like a pack of werewolves were repeatedly jumping up and down on it. I was sure Jasper was having a Hell of a time with the emotions radiating off me. Even though he was hunting I was sure he could feel them. Damn, if he was in China he'd feel them!
"Edward!" Alice screeched next to me, loud in my ears yet ringing painfully slow. I didn't respond, so she slapped me hard on the cheek.
"What?" My tone was flat, blunt, which seemed make it sound ever colder.
She started pounding her little fists into my chest with every word she spoke, "You did this to her! Victoria is out there searching for Bella and happened to kill her parents! And to make matters even worse, she was sent to a bloody insane asylum because of you! IT'S YOUR ENTIRE FAULT YOU STUPID BASTARD!" By the end of her rant she was dry sobbing.
I had been tracking Victoria (not very well) around the whole damn world and the whole bloody time she was after my Bella! A snarl grew deep in my chest and I slammed my fist hard on the coffee table, demolishing it to splinters. Esme was going to have a fit.
"Where is she Alice? I have to see her, to protect her!" I grasped her shoulders harshly under my hands, she didn't even flinch.
Her eyes sparkled with excitement, "Oh Edward! You're really going back? I knew you couldn't stay away from her!" She cried. I grinned sheepishly in response.
"Ok, let me see if I can find her, I'm going to focus…" She screwed up her eyebrows and squeezed her eyes shut. I closed my eyes and focused on her thoughts, ready to see the first image of Bella in so many unbearable months. I waited… nothing…
"Alice," I breathed, "what's happening?"
"I-I don't know," her voice trembled in anxiety.
"You don't think she's…" I trailed off. I could not say the word; dead. I shuddered mentally.
"No!" Alice screeched in denial. "No, NO, NO! She can't be, she won't!" She brought her knees up under her chin and rocked back and forth, muttering under her breath.
There was an animalistic keening sound echoing throughout the room. It took me a few minutes to realize that I was making that noise. Desperate, heart-wrenching sobs of agony were escaping from my pursed lips. Bella… dead, gone, forever. No! She wasn't dead. She couldn't be!
"Alice, damnit! Look harder!" I snarled. Thank God Jasper wasn't here; he would've ripped me to shreds for speaking to Alice like that.
"I'm trying!" She cried, her eyebrows furrowing so it looked as if she had only one. "ARGH! I can't see anything!"
"She's not dead," I whispered, but my words trembled and stuttered over themselves.
Alice unexpectedly jumped off the couch and grabbed a laptop from a nearby table.
"Alice!" I growled, frustration straining my words tightly, "what the Hell are you doing on that thing? This isn't the time to go shopping! Damnit!"
A guttural snarl escaped her lips, and she snapped her head to look at me with the most blood-chillingly venomous look I had ever seen on her. "Bella's my sister, you jerk! You think I don't care about her well-being? I'm looking for information on her!"
I looked down at my feet, waves of shame rolling off me and making the deafening silence seem even more unbearable. "I'm sorry," I whispered, "it's just… God! She can't be dead!" I hugged my knees to my chest like Alice's previous position and banged my forehead repeatedly against them. "If I had never left, she wouldn't have disappeared. No, if I never had shown up in her life then she wouldn't even be in this mess! Sometimes I wish I never met Bella," but that was a lie, a complete and utter lie. The most blasphemous, sinful lie I had ever told besides telling Bella I didn't love her.
Alice looked about ready to tear me to shreds and have a happy dance on my ashes, but then she realized the truth in my eyes and her gaze softened. "I know you don't mean that," she whispered, "but, anyways, let's stop getting sidetracked and search!"
We came up with nothing. Her truck hadn't been found. Neither had she. Nothing at all. I didn't know whether to be relieved or grim.
We decided we should go up to visit the Denali coven, where the rest of our family was currently residing. Then could help us find Bella, at least they would be better trackers than me.
So, we grabbed the first plane we could and headed to the nice log mansion resting in the more woodsy areas, away from the peeping eyes of the townsfolk.
Upon reaching there, my family and Tanya's greeted us with open arms. Jasper and Alice had their proper reunion, which I adverted my eyes from so I would not be pierced by despair and ruin their moment. Esme was ecstatic to see me, even in my current state of depression.
Carlisle, my respected father figure, gave me a pensive, studious gaze, although his eyes were soft with kindness and kinship. He rested his hand lightly on my cold shoulder, feeling even colder now that my heart was thoroughly missing, lost wherever Bella was. And he whispered two words, ones that made me sure I needed Bella with me that instant, it was agony without her. "Welcome home," but it wouldn't be, not without Bella.
AN: Another chapter down! How's Edward's POV? He's usually angry when he's upset, so I think I got his character down pretty good. I hope the story isn't too OOC. Enjoy!