Once I was sure they were not outside I checked the main rooms and found them in a very comfortable living area, both seated in a plush armchair each, small smiles lighting up their faces. I wondered briefly why Alice had not tried to return to Edward. For she had obviously not found out the fate of her brother.

"Bella?" Angela stood up quickly to embrace me as she took in my tearstained and broken appearance. "Whatever is the matter?" she hugged me to her as I managed to mumble incoherent sentences through my tears, trying to explain to her about loosing Edward for the second time.

She let go of me quickly and sat down, and was about to pull me with her when I heard someone shout my name. I whipped around automatically at the sound of a voice Id had memorized since my first day in Southampton.

"Bella!" Edward ran towards me dodging past shocked bystanders in the process.

"Edward?" I froze, not believing it was truly him. My personal angel couldn't possibly be here. Or maybe he was a demon, sent to remind me of what I had lost and could never have. I didn't care, I would take either. His face lit up in a breathtaking smile, his normally only slightly out of place hair a mess of auburn on top of his head, sticking up at every angle. His eyes were rimmed with bruise like purple, but they shone like emeralds. And then I knew it was really him.

"Edward!?!" I almost shouted his name this time almost believing it was him. He was still pushing his way through the crowds of motionless people who had stopped to watch at the sound of our shouting.

I started running towards him, stumbling because of the tears now clouding my vision. My foot caught on something I couldn't see and I fell, Edwards arms encircling me before I could hit the floor. He pulled me up into a tighter hug and I stained to pull myself closer to him, locking my arms around his neck. I knew he wasn't a part of my imagination gone awry just by his perfectness. Nothing I could dream up would ever compare and I could recognise him by smell alone.

"Bella, Bella, Bella" he repeatedly sighed my name, almost sobbing, pulling me closer and kissing my neck as I buried my face in his shoulder.

"Edward" My breathing was ragged and my voice was weak but I couldn't stop saying his name. We were both sobbing as he set me down gently, not letting go of my waist, and held me to him tightly, his tears mixing with mine as I crushed him to me, not wanting to let go in case this all turned out to be a dream.

"I'm here, Bella. It's okay, I'm alright" his reassurances sounded as though they were meant more for him than me but the sound of his voice soothed me.

As his strong arms wound around me, for the first time in days I felt truly whole, he crushed me tighter to him before pulling one of his arms away. He put his soft, warm hand against my cheek and looked me directly in the eyes as I cradled his face in my own hands.

"I-I…" I was shaking with my tears as he kissed me. In front of the whole room of onlookers who had stopped to watch as we shouted each others names. I kissed him back passionately before pulling away so that I could look into his eyes. I stroked every plane of his face, urgently trying to memorise him in case he slipped away from me again.

"I" he interrupted himself by kissing me passionately on the lips and then drew away "I love" he couldn't seem to finish his own sentence without kissing me .

"I love you" he breathed against my lips, so that only I could hear it as he kissed me tenderly.

"I love you too" I choked out as his lips found mine again, enthusiastic and willing and I twined my fingers around his neck.

"What happened?" I broke away "You left me…I- Why didn't you get in the boat? E- Edward…I-I thought I'd never see you again, I thought…I thought…" I was sobbing again as he pulled me to his chest and wrapped his arms around my back.

"Shhh, hush Bella. Sweetheart, it's okay. It's alright, I'm here now. I'll never leave you again." He whispered to me as my tears dried, hugging me to him and kissing the top of my hair.

I pulled away to see Edward looking down at me tenderly.

"I love you" I whispered again and I kissed him. He kissed me back before pulling away, chuckling, his eyes bright with love and warmth.

"I think we have an audience, love" I turned my head without letting go of him and blushed as I realized the whole room was stood staring at us.

I buried my head in his chest as they started applauding.

"Don't worry" He leant down to whisper in my ear "I don't care as long as I'm with you"

I smiled up at him through bleary eyes, ecstatic that we were together again.

"As long as I'm with you, I don't care either." I repeated the words I had first said to him on the bow of the Titanic and he kissed me.

Edward never let go of me. After we had excused ourselves from Alice's presence he had wrapped his arms tightly around me, as though he was afraid we would be separated again.

We came to an even smaller cabin than the one Angela, Alice and I had been sharing and he opened the door, explaining that he was on his own whilst he "recovered".

He sat down on the small bed and pulled me onto his lap, cradling my face comfortingly between his shoulder and his hand. He kept leaning down to kiss me when I least expected it, as would I, and every time I felt that my heart would leap out of my chest.

"Sweetheart, what happened to you?" He mumbled to me, kissing me softly below the ear he had whispered in.

"What?" I looked up at him and he stroked my cheek softly before leaning down and kissing me, as he went to pull away I leaned further towards him, not wanting the kiss to end. I couldn't get enough of him. He chuckled against my lips, his warm, sweet, familiar breath washing over my face.

"No offence darling, but you look a fright" he grinned at me to soften the insult but I could see the worry deep in his eyes. "So what happened?"

"Before or after I thought I'd lost you?" I meant the statement to sound brave but my voice was small and broke near the end.

"Bella…" his voice sounded broken and full of anguish "Sweetheart…" He pulled me closer as I sobbed into his shoulder. It was completely irrational, especially now that he was safely here with me, but now that I had started crying I found I couldn't stop.

"I'm okay" I whispered as he hugged me closer to him, resting his cheek on the top of my head "I love you, I'm okay". He was silent for a few moments as my tears dried.

"Really though Bella, I asked you to look after yourself. And I'm sorry honey but you don't seem to be doing a very good job" the sweet names he called me and his eyes shining with nothing but love and concern softened what could have been an insult if it had been uttered from any other lips but Edwards. I suddenly realized that I really must look awful. He picked me up and carried me over to the mirror, setting me down on my feet before wrapping his arms around me, pressing my back against his chest.

I stared at the stranger in the mirror. Her simple dress was crumpled although it appeared relatively clean, her face was tear streaked and there were deep purple hollows under her eyes. Her hair was tangled and looked as though it hadn't been brushed in days.

I only recognised the stranger as myself when Edward leant down to kiss my collar bone and I blushed.

"Don't fret though sweetheart, you always look beautiful." And he rested his chin on my shoulder.

I turned around quickly and he stared down into my eyes, gently stroking my hair, my face, my waist. I inhaled deeply and let his familiar scent wash over me, smoothing my frayed nerves and soothing my frantic soul.

"Come on love, lets get you cleaned up" he gently pulled me to where Alice was waiting for me in our room. His lips lingered as he kissed me on the cheek and then pulled away, dropping my hand. I felt the loss instantly and made a grab for him. He looked at me confused.

"Don't go." I pleaded.

"Bella, honey. You've got to get cleaned up" his strong arms enveloped me in a tight hug and I twined my hands in his shirt collar before he let me go again. I pulled myself up onto my toes and kissed him desperately, he kissed me back before Alice cleared her throat and pulled me away from Edward.

"Come and find me when you're done, I'll be in my room"

Alice grinned at me before helping me out of my dress and then leaving me to my thoughts.

A considerable amount of time later, I was clean and clad in a comfortable plain dress. I let my hair fall softly down my back, as I was in too much of a hurry to get back to Edward to do anything with it. I felt more relaxed after my bath than I had in days, despite the fact that it had meant I had an uninterrupted stretch of time to think things through. I was still flying with the joy of our reunion but I couldn't help wondering how long it would last, how long it would be until someone else caught Edwards eye and he realized just how plain I was. It wasn't that I didn't believe him when he told me he loved me, it was plain in his eyes that he believed that he did, I just didn't think he knew what he was feeling. As he himself had said before, he'd never felt like this about anyone, and the situation had been the same for me. Of course now I knew it must be love, Edwards supposed death had shown me I didn't want to live without him. But what about in the meantime, whilst he still thought he wanted to be with me, would I seem too clingy? I didn't want to think that Alice would think ill of me for wanting to be with her brother every waking moment but I couldn't help questioning what everyone else's opinions would be.

I emerged out into the corridor deep in thought and was about to turn left down the corridor towards Edwards room when a strong pair of arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me sideways. I stumbled and my back hit the wall gently as Edward put his arms on either side of my head to cage me in.

"Edward?" I exhaled against his lips, which were floating dangerously close to mine.

"Bella." He whispered before brining his soft lips to mine. His kiss was pure joy and unbridled enthusiasm as he pinned me up against the wall with his body. I wound my fingers in his hair in an attempt to pull him closer.

When he pulled away we were both gasping and he swallowed loudly before he spoke.

"I missed you" he whispered.

I laughed, something I had thought I would never experience again. "I missed you too" his favourite crooked smile lit up his weary face and I was reminded of all my unanswered questions that had been forgotten in the delirious joy of us just being together again.

"Edward, how…" seeming to know where I was going he placed his hand over my mouth and looked me deep in the eyes, seeming to look for his own answers.

"I'll explain everything. Lets go back to the room" he wound his arm around my waist and pulled me close to his side.

As we walked back to his room I revelled in the feelings of pure joy that Edwards arm around me made.

I sat down next to him on the bed and curled up into his side. We sat for hours, talking things through and getting the answers we both needed. My eyelids seemed to become heavier by the second.

"Bella" Edward whispered against my ear "time for bed, I think" he got up and laid me down on his bed before kissing me gently on the forehead and going to move away.

"What?" I asked, suddenly panicked. "No Edward, please…" I grabbed his hand and he sat on the bed beside me, looking deep into my eyes.

"Don't leave me" I whispered, pulling his hand up to my lips and kissing his palm.

"Bella…I should go" he sounded uncertain and his eyes betrayed his conflicting emotions.

"Please" I whispered again, pulling him down onto the bed beside me and curling up against his chest. "I need you here"

I buried my head in his chest, still slightly uncomfortable at voicing my feelings, despite all we had been through.

He placed one warm finger under my chin and gently coaxed my face up so that it was angled towards his. He didn't speak until I met his gaze.

"I need to be here" he told me, complete honesty burning in his eyes as he brushed his lips against mine before wrapping his arms around my waist and resting his cheek against my head. "never be afraid to tell me anything Bella, especially what you're feeling".

"mhmm" I agreed against his chest and I felt him chuckle.

I quickly dozed off, and was vaguely aware of Edwards comforting warm arms around me as I drifted into unconsciousness.