A/N: I am writing three chapters from three different fanfictions! My emotions keep flip-flopping! Anyways, sorry for taking so long . . . I despise mid-terms . . .

Bella:

I had to be dreaming. Edward stood in the doorway, staring at me with wide and shocked eyes. His mouth was slightly open from the surprise of me being here in his former home. His golden eyes hypnotized me, but instead of slipping into one of my nightmares, I was slipping into a peaceful oblivion. I felt as if I had been in constant pain for so long, but that pain had suddenly ceased. There was a strange sense of relief that washed through me. I could no longer remember the feeling of knowing that there was a piece of my soul missing, wandering the world without me. But now, I felt whole.

I had barely noticed when Alice stood up. Her sweeping movement in my peripheral vision was the only thing I saw, just before a streak of black hair disappeared out of the window and blended into the black night. But I wasn't really paying attention to her.

Unable to hold back any longer, I jumped off of the bed and bolted over to him. I threw my arms around him, breathing in the long forgotten scent, feeling his marble hard body against mine, recognizing his perfect lips as they touched my hair. His hands stroked my face gently, and I felt the strange stinging sensation where his fingers traced against my skin. And then, there was an odd ripping noise, echoing loud in my ears. It was then that I realized that my bottled up emotions had gone completely haywire. The ripping noises were the hysterical sobs erupting from deep in my chest. Edward's wet shirt made me realize that the tears that I didn't even know were on the brims of my eyelids had slithered down onto my cheeks.

"Edward," I sobbed into his chest. His name burned my throat a little on the way out. "Edward, I'm so sorry! I'll never touch another motorcycle again, I promise! I'll do anything for you to forgive me, just please don't ever leave me!" My words came out all at once, and I could hardly understand them myself. But Edward knew exactly what I had said. He gripped the top of my arms and picked me up, cradling me against his chest like a child. He sat down on the bed with me still balled up in his arms.

He brushed his fingers across my cheeks, wiping the tears away. "Please don't cry, Bella," he whispered. I had gotten lost in the sound of his irresistible velvet voice, really and truly hearing it echo in my ears. It was more perfect than I had dreamed.

"I think she is having the hysterics. Maybe you should slap her." Alice's voice from a year ago in Volterra ran through my mind. It was strange, the repetition. The reunion felt the same, but the situation was couldn't be any more different. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to gain control of myself. I pressed my lips tightly together to quiet the loud sobs. Only small whimpers escaped in the attempt, making me sound even more pitiful and completely pathetic.

I felt Edward's lips on my hair as he kissed me on the top of my head again. "Bella, I'll never leave you. You can't believe how hard it was to stay away." Unfortunately, I didn't know. He had to live his life without me, remembering every cherished moment that we were able to have together. But I, on the other hand, didn't even know that he existed. I got the get-out-of-manic-depression card, and he was the one to suffer for it. I had no memories to torture me.

Just the thought of that caused me to cry even harder than I thought possible.

Edward pulled me closer. "I'm here. And I'll be here as long as you want me. Please don't cry."

I took a deep and steadying breath, and thankfully, I was able to coherently form a sentence. "I'll always want you. Forever." My voice was no higher than a whisper, muffled by his shirt. "I'm so sorry. I didn't even remember you. It's all my fault." I buried my face into his chest, ashamed of myself.

"Bella, a truck driver wasn't paying attention. There was nothing you could do. You aren't at fault in any way at all." It got very quiet, and I felt like I was unable to say anything. I suddenly wondered if Edward could hear my skepticism in the silence. He sighed. "If anyone is at fault, then it's me. I didn't get to you in time. If I had been quicker - "

I put my hand lightly over his mouth. I couldn't bear to hear anymore. "Stop it. Please," I whispered. "You'll only make me even more disgusted with myself."

He kissed my palm, lightly sliding my hand over to his cheek. With my other hand, I sifted through my hair, remembering where Alice's cold fingers had prodded gently around my scalp. I felt the rough scar there, and I stroked it absent-mindedly. I could almost feel Edward's eyes boring into my head, watching as I traced the mark that had ruined everything. "I'm sorry," he said. "I'll never forgive myself for . . . what happened." He held my hand there for a short while, breathing in the scent of my wrist.

Appreciating the wine while resisting the bouquet.

"I was miserable without you," he confessed against my arm. "And knowing that it was my fault made it ten times worse. The regret was torturous." He was silent for a moment, trying to level his voice. He cleared his throat quietly. "I got the punishment that I deserved. I didn't want to leave, but I thought I was doing what was best for you." I sniffed, wondering how hard it was for him. It was definitely a pain I couldn't even imagine having to cope with. "Obviously, I don't think that I made the best choice," he mused.

It became silent again. I bit my lip and squeezed my eyes shut. He did it for you, a voice in the back of my head promised. He still loves you. And always will.

Of course he loved me. It was painstakingly obvious; and it was stupid to think about twice, to question it. Although I knew he was here with me, would things be fixed? Could things truly be restored back to normal? Or would this . . . accident affect us for the rest of our lives? He would never forget it, and I was almost positive that it would always be etched in my memory as well. We could always pick up where we left off, but I didn't want things to be different because of my mistake.

"Did you fall asleep?" Edward asked, his quiet voice unsurprised.

I shook my head. "No. I . . . I was just thinking."

"Will you tell me?"

I let out a heavy sigh. "I don't think it really matters now," I said, my voice unintentionally morose.

"Why am I not convinced?" Edward muttered, mostly to himself.

"Well, I was just wondering . . . do you think that, even after everything that we've been through, things will be the same as it was before?"

He grew quiet, and I could tell that he was thinking hard; I was beginning to regret asking the question at all. I could have just remained quiet, and let the chips fall where they may - as Edward had once put it. "Is that what you are getting at?" he asked, confused. "Well, I look at it this way. You are very much alive." I could hear the smile in his voice. "And we are together, and that's definitely a plus. So, yes, I do believe that things will be very much the same."

"That's what I thought," I whispered, unable to keep from smiling.

My eyelids began to get heavy and I fought to keep them open; the last thing I wanted to do was fall asleep. Edward sighed and lifted my chin so he could see my face. He stared into my eyes, seeing everything. My fatigue, my remorse, and everything in between. He smiled my favorite crooked smile and kissed me swiftly on the lips. Then, to my extreme dismay, he flipped the comforter back and set me down. He pulled the sheets all the way up to my chin and sat down next to me.

I frowned up at him. "I don't want to go to sleep," I muttered.

He chuckled quietly and brushed his hand across my cheek, wiping away the remaining tears of my latest crying jag. "You're tired, Bella. Please get some rest."

"No, I want to stay up with you."

He suddenly looked anguished. "I'm hardly worth staying up all night for."

"You don't know what you're saying," I whispered.

If only he knew how wrong he was.

I had spent hours lying awake, replaying those constant and never-ending dreams about him. He was the reason that I wanted to stay awake now. He just had no idea. I wanted to convince him that he was completely worth it, but I really didn't feel like arguing. Just sitting next to him, just hearing his quiet breath come and go, just listening to his silky voice was enough to heal any past wound.

"You need to sleep," he said, tracing the purple circles under my eyes. "You look so tired, Bella."

"I'm afraid to close my eyes," I confessed, looking away.

The silence that followed was uncomfortable. I heard Edward sigh once more and lean in closer, resting his cheek on the top of my head. "I won't leave you. I promise. I'll be here in the morning . . . and the morning after that."

"I'm afraid of the nightmares." Another humiliating weakness. Being afraid to fall asleep was just downright pathetic. I wanted to stay up, to talk to Edward. Even if I didn't utter a word and just listened to the velvety sound of his voice, it would be enough. The last thing I wanted to do was let my eyes slip shut. Edward had disappeared before. What if my memory faded again in the morning? What if this was just a dream and I would wake up empty handed? I knew that these possibilities were unlikely. But my severe paranoia was enough to keep anyone from going to sleep.

"I'll be right here if you need me."

My eyes snapped open. I hadn't even noticed that they had closed. I was loosing the fight with my heavy eyelids; my will to stay awake was completely hopeless. I had been defeated. He'll be here in the morning, I repeated over and over in my mind. He'll be here forever.

I smiled at the thought. Forever. "I love you," I mumbled.

His perfect lips curled up into a beautiful smile. "I love you, too, Bella. Now, please, get some rest."

Normally, I would have argued or at least insisted on staying awake with him. But I was completely out of it. I had already lost the fight with my fatigue. He'll be here in the morning, I repeated once more in my mind.

Edward began to hum my lullaby, and I let my eyes close. My consciousness faded in and out. And then I fell asleep. But just after hearing Alice's high-pitched voice saying, "I told you so."

A/N: I hope that this chapter was good! I tried my best to get Edward's character right. He is extremely hard to write about, and I try to do my best on the characterization. Review and tell me what you thought!