Disclaimer: All the Twilight stuff belongs to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. I'm just playing in her sandbox.

Chapter 6 Returning home

APOV

Edward's decisions as he had left Rio had become a firm resolve by the time he had reached Seattle. He had been determined to find her and to set things right. I was so proud of him! He finally seemed to have realized what he had done, what we had all done by walking away from Bella. We had denied her choice in her own life . . . it should never have happened.

Ever.

Now that he had come to life again and was getting about the business of living, I could see. I was getting visions of Edward's future again. I had seen that Bella would not be there. Thank God I could see. I had seen him crumble and we needed to get there, fast.

We were after the fact, of course. Jasper and I found Edward in their meadow, hugging his knees and completely silent. He refused to open his eyes. He refused to move. I checked on him everyday and everyday there was no change. Jasper said it was as though he wasn't there - no emotions coming from him. At least he wasn't feeling pain, for now. I stood and starred at the brother I loved, curled up into himself there in the meadow, completely alone and having completely given up. It had to be temporary, we had to find a way! I had to help him.

Jasper and I had the house back to normal in no time. We had only taken personal items from the house when we moved. Esme wanted all new furnishings for the new house in Highlands and it was, after all, on the other side of the country. Everything new was her way of helping Edward as well. He had wanted a clean break for Bella, so Esme was giving him the same courtesy. Everything new, everything different in the new house. Not having the sofa there that he could remember sitting with her on playing video games or watching movies, or the black couch in his room where they would sneak off to make out helped I'm sure. Edwards' grand piano was left . . . abandoned . . . covered with a sheet in the middle of the living room where it had always stood.

It hadn't worked, of course. Even with all new furnishings that contained no memories of her, the loving interactions between members of his family reminded him of his loss and that, above all else, was unbearable for him. It simply wasn't possible for him to live without her.

If I had only had a vision, something . . . anything that would have given away what it would be like for him after what he did, we would never have agreed to it. The family would have stayed in Forks, I would have been there for my best friend instead of abandoning her! Though I understood that he thought he was protecting her from our world and the dangers therein, I resented him. I admit it. I resented that he had taken away my best friend and I had not been allowed to say goodbye, I had simply been expected to abandoned her . . . and I had done it. Now that we were back, I was learning just how devastated she had been.

"Alice, is that you?", a voice called from behind me. I turned to see Angela Webber pushing a grocery cart toward me. I had come to the store to stock up on groceries for our visit, as any human would be expected to do. Cullens have to be thorough in keeping the secret.

"Angela, so good to see you! How have you been?", I asked.

"Great, Alice, and you look awesome as always! Are you in town for a visit? I haven't seen you since your family moved and I didn't get a chance to say goodbye!"

"I know, Angela, and I'm so sorry. We left unexpectedly. Carlisle had to fill the position at the new hospital immediately and it caught us all by surprise!" We moved down the aisle and I put random food in the grocery cart, pretending to examine the boxes and cans and packaging.

"Well, I missed you! Nothing like Bella missed you guys, of course, but you were missed! We were really worried about Bella for awhile. It was extreme, Alice, she barely functioned She stopped eating, talking. . . everything when Edward left. She was so in love with your brother, I just never expected them to break up! She sat at you old table in the lunchroom at school and wouldn't talk to anyone. Charlie even tried to send her to Florida to live with her mom, but she wouldn't go!"

I wasn't a mind reader like Edward, of course, but I could see visions of Angela trying to talk with Bella in school and visiting her in he room. Bella looked like hell. She was emaciated and paler than ever if that was even possible and the dull brown hair that framed her face caused the circles under her vacant eyes to look even deeper. I had done this to her. I had a hand in it as surely as Edward, because I had gone along with it!

"I had no idea, Angela. Edward thought it best not to try and have a long distance relationship, and it has nearly killed him as well. It's just so stupid! They were meant for each other!"

"I know, right! Chief Swan even tried to put her on medication!" Angela glanced down to the wheels of the carts, as if trying to decide whether to say something or not.

"I tried, Alice, I kept visiting and calling her, but she just wouldn't respond! She had been doing things that were dangerous, she went to a movie with Jessica one night in Port Angeles and jumped on the back of a stranger's motorcycle! Adrenaline junkie, I think that's what they called it. Bella just kept doing dangerous things! She has been somewhat better though, hanging out with that kid Jake from the reservation, that is till his father died and they both disappeared."

We paid for out groceries and left, exchanging cell numbers and email so that we could keep in touch better this time. I told her I would call her later in the week, that I didn't yet know how long I would be here and that Edward was here trying to find Bella.

"Let me know if I can help, I would really like to see them back together. They were so happy! Tell Edward I said hello!", Angela called as she walked to her car, "Bye Alice!"

Jasper returned from checking on Edward just as I finished putting away the last of the groceries. "Is he any different!", I asked softly turning to put my arms around my husband.

"No, Darlin', he's just the same except for the extra leaves and such that have blown into his hair and on his clothes. He is still not really there. Perfectly still in body and mind", he replied as he dropped his head to my neck to kiss me, "It's as if he has totally shut down this time".

"I know. I can't see his future at all. He has no plans whatsoever, he has made no decisions. He is just existing and nothing more. Maybe at least he isn't feeling right now, maybe he can't even feel his pain. I guess that is the only positive to see in his behavior right now, Jasper!"

~ooOoo~

I went to Charlie's house late on Saturday afternoon after we had been back a week or so and rang the front bell. The little blue Audi R8 was still sitting in the front driveway. I knew about the car, of course, I had a vision of Edward and his excitement in purchasing it for her.

"Alice! I guess I'm not surprised to see you here", he said sternly.

"Charlie, can I come in?", I said timidly.

"Sure, Alice, come on in."

We walked to the living room and sat down. Nothing had changed here at Bella's home. It was much the same as it had been last time I was here 6 months ago! The flat screen television was still the prominent feature in the room and Bella's grade school photos, one for each year of her life, still adorned the mantle over the fireplace. Bella had hated those school photos, but she had never been able to get Charlie to put them somewhere else!

Charlie sat opposite from me in his recliner.

"What can I do for you, Alice?", he said warily.

"I'm back in town for a short while and I wanted to check on Bella, Charlie. I haven't spoken to her since we left and well, she was my very best friend and I miss her terribly!"

If I could have cried, I would have been doing it. I had thought I could keep my emotions in check, but I was wrong. Charlie relaxed somewhat, seeing my obvious distress. I was unsure if it was because we had always gotten along and he didn't like seeing me upset, or just because he wasn't good at handling emotions on display from anyone. Whatever the reason, he relaxed and took in an obvious breath. His eyes glassed over and he looked out the window as he spoke.

"It was bad, Alice. When he left, and your whole family left, I thought I was going to loose her. She wouldn't eat, she wouldn't move. If she slept, she awoke screaming at the top of her lungs. It went on for weeks. She only spoke if spoken to, she only ate the bites that I insisted she eat. The doctor finally gave her medication, but she refused to take it. I called her mom and Renee came here too take her to Florida, you know, a fresh start. She screamed. She would not go. What the hell happened, anyway Alice? Nothing from any of you for almost a year then HE shows up at my door and leaves a car, and now you! What's going on?", he demanded.

"Carlisle accepted a new job. It was so far from here Edward thought it unfair to her to have a long distant relationship with him. He wanted her to be happy and he convinced us that giving her a clean break would be the easiest way for her, it was always about her for him.", I told him.

"I find that hard to believe. How could he care and leave like that? It was a bad choice, Alice"

He glared as he spoke, "It nearly killed her. It did kill her spirit, she was never the same, hollow, no life about her. I guess I just didn't realize or didn't want to admit how much in love with him she was. He just left her, Alice! I don't care what the reason was, he just walked away! How much could he have cared. Little bastard just walked away without a second thought to her or her feelings!"

I sat very very still and stared at him. My anger was getting the best of me and I was grasping for control. He had only seen the effect on Bella. He did not know what it had done to Edward, to our whole family, but he was about to find out! I was in his face.

"Edward lies curled up in a ball as we speak. He will talk to no one, he won't eat and he refuses to be around any of his family" , I was nearly shouting at him. He looked astounded, but I continued, "This has very nearly killed him. Carlisle gave his blessing to Edward's leaving the family and coming here to return to her because there was no other way he would exist, so do not accuse my brother of not caring for her, he loves her!"

He looked astounded, "All right, all right . . . had no idea. I had no idea at all, Alice. The boy really loves her, huh?".

"More than anything else in the world", I stated. It was simply a fact and now he knew it as well.

"You know he showed up here, about a week ago. Seemed all excited till I told him she wasn't here, that she had left. Alice, he just dropped the key to that car out there in my hand and walked away . . . what was that all about?", he asked.

I made no move to answer him, I just sat and listened.

"After he left I had the tags run on the car - a car like that - Alice, I thought it might have been stolen. I didn't know what a kid, I mean Edward is only 18 and I didn't know what a kid would be doing with a car like that! Dropping the keys in my hand and walking away, I just didn't know what to make of it! Anyway, I had the tag and registration run and it came back Isabella Swan. The title and tags on that car are registered to Bella! Do you know what that car cost, Alice? That is a brand new car, bought the day he came here and fully paid for! That car cost more than my house! Can you explain that to me!"

"Charlie, Edward is a little over the top, kind of intense, you know. He thought her truck might have died by now and he wanted her to have a reliable, safe car. Some boys would bring flowers and candy to their girl to make up with them, Edward bought her a car."

I shrugged my shoulders and said with a smirk. Charlie looked astounded, his jaw was hanging open.

"She can not accept that, Alice! He should not be spending Carlisle's money like that, I don't care how well off his dad is, but it isn't right!", he roared.

"Charlie. It is not Carlisle's money. It's Edwards", I told him. He looked stunned but I continued, "Edward had an inheritance from his birth parents and it has been invested wisely over the years. You may not know this, but Edward is something of a financial genius, he invests in the stock market and he actually makes money for himself as well as the rest of the family, he is really amazing."

"It still had to be a large chunk of his money, Alice. I can' t let him do that. Not that it matters right now, anyway, no one knows where she is", his head dropped into his hands as he spoke.

Charlie let me in on the events up until Billy's death, the funeral, and Bella's disappearance. He told me of the cliff diving incident.

"I would not have believed it except that I saw it with my own eyes, Alice. She just walked right up to the edge of that cliff and jumped off! Next thing I know, I see Jacob in the water with her pulling her out. They said they were cliff diving for fun, but I just don't believe them. Then I found out about the motorcycles! Seems Bella had gotten quite a reputation around here for being an 'adrenalin junkie' and continually pushing for more!"

He was beside himself.

"Both of the bikes that I saw them ride to Billy's house on are gone. They took off on the damned bikes! She left a note saying she had to go, something about Jacob needing her. She left a note saying she would call when she knew where she would be. Her passport and all of her money must be with her."

"We're going to find her, Charlie. We have to for both their sakes", I said as I stood to leave. When just outside the front door I saw the car again and turning to Charlie I said, " Don't worry about the car, Charlie. Edward could afford to buy her one a week and never really notice the decrease in his bank account", I smiled, noticing the astonished look on his face.

Carlisle called as I returned to the house. I told him about the cliff diving and the motorcycles, and that Bella had disappeared. The cliff diving incident that Charlie described worried him. Carlisle knew all too well how despondent humans could get and the lengths they would go to. He had lived it through that experience when Esme had jumped off a cliff. He had been there to save her and he wanted us to find Bella in time to save her if that was where her intentions were headed. I also let him know that I had foreseen a meeting with the wolves, at their request, and he was making arrangements to fly to Seattle for the few days off that were coming to him next week. Esme was desperate to see Edward and Carlisle knew the wolves could be a problem if not dealt with. We wanted to avoid any problems if we could.

Sam POV

"Are you sure, Paul. How many of them are here?", I asked.

"I only caught the scent of three, Edward and the two new ones, the little one with the spiky dark hair and her mate," Paul reported.

"We had better alert the pack and find out what is going on", I grumbled.