Ahem, You guys are SO great. I hope you forgive this chapter, for being late and for being kind of short...though it gives you A LOT of information. I felt bad for not updating so I wrote this out quickly. I would like to say I love you all for reviewing-especially you guys who do it consistently. :D (bats eyelashes) this chapter is dedicated to you my lovelies! (You know who you are) :D Because if it were not for you I wouldn't feel bad for not updating. ha ha

Chapter Ten

The awkward silence, which seemed to go on forever in an empty echo of embarrassment, only lasted for about three seconds…then the snickers started up.

I much preferred the awkward silence.

I had finally found a spot to rest my eyes, my shoes, but at the sound of their laughter I instantly blushed and looked into my lap instead, silently wringing my hands together. There was no way I was going to look up now. What if I accidentally looked at Him?

What kind of look would he give you anyway, Bella? He just found out he's not exactly as innocent as he previously thought AND he doesn't remember the act or the girl-Perhaps incredulity? Anger?Disgust?I winced.

And why shouldn't he be disgusted?

I looked up then, but pointedly looked away from everyone. It wouldn't do for him to see my face, especially as he had always been so good at reading me-even better than my mother had been.

They seemed to have immediately stopped laughing once I had looked up, and in this new silence I was almost tempted to look over to see what had caused it, but I held my eyes fast to the doorway to the other room.

"Bella? Are you ok?" Carlisle asked.

I made a face, still staring at the doorway. No, would be the correct answer. Of course I'm not ok. I ran into a guy today who looks remarkably like the love of my life only to find out minutes later he is the love of my life. He just doesn't remember me. And oh yeah, I just so happened to blurt to his entire family that he isn't a virgin, which apparently he didn't even know.

Oh yeah, I'm just peachy.

"Bella?" Alice this time.

I rolled my eyes to look up at the ceiling, shaking my head. There was a sigh, and I could see from the corner of my eye that they had all just traded a glance. From what I could make of Edward he was just sitting there as still as when I had started telling them what had happened.

"Bella?" Carlisle asked again, "Would you perhaps like to hear my story?"

That got me. I blinked, and then closed my eyes, nodding this time before he went on.

"I had never actually met you back then, but as I didn't use a device to get to the future, I still remember the past."

Opening my eyes wide, I turned and looked at him. "You? But I thought…How?"

He smiled kindly, and continued, "I am a doctor now, and was a doctor then. There were always people in town or in the next town, or medicines I had needed to get. I had heard of you, and seen you around though you had never seen me."

He paused here to glance around at his family, "I am sorry I never told any of you about this, but it was just before I had gone to the Volturi, and as you three didn't remember-" here he glanced around apologetically at Edward, Alice, and Emmett,"-I didn't want to bring it up. I thought that it would only bring you pain."

He looked back to me after a few seconds, "Well, I saw how close you and Edward had become, and that his brother and sister treated you as though you were their own. I was supposed to meet you on Edward's birthday, but the two of you had disappeared early on. I didn't know until later about the devices. I also didn't know until the next day that you had gone back.

"I had gone out shortly after the end of the festivities, and the next morning I came down just after breakfast to find every one outside of Edward's door. Once he had realized there was nothing he could do he had locked himself in his room. He had eventually been coaxed out, but he walked around like a zombie. Everyone was quiet around him. He seemed to act like someone had died.

"It went on like that for nearly a week when the castle was attacked. It seems a neighboring country had been planning an attack and decided shortly after his birthday celebration would be the perfect time. They didn't try at stealth, but instead came loudly and in force. The Queen had yelled for everybody to run to the room in the tower. She had shouted at Alice to lead the way, saying that she knew it. Emmett dragged Edward off, as he didn't have much fight in him about anything.

"That was the last I saw of him until 1918. Elizabeth Mason had found him just outside her home one day, passed out. And when he awoke he couldn't remember anything, so she told him he was her son. They lived that way for a little while until they contracted the Spanish Influenza. She explained this to me when she was trying to convince me to change him. Of course, I had already recognized him, but with her explanation I was able to confirm my beliefs. You see I had learned a lot about the Devices of Time from my stay with the Volturi. And there may be a way to regain their memories, but it all depends on one thing."

There was a silence again in the room, while everyone processed this new information. I guess he didn't know much about what happened to Edward when I left besides the fact he seemed to react nearly the same as I had. But if they could regain their memories, maybe he could tell me himself. But would he want to regain them?

I stole a glance his way, just long enough to take in his expression. It wasn't angry, but curious. Taking courage from this, I swallowed a few times to wet my mouth.

"What does it depend on?"

Yeesh! Edward disgusted with Bella? (Rolls Eyes) Never!

that wasn't mean was it?

Oh and because I don't want to have to write it all out, just pretend Carlisle told Bella all about his stay with the Volturi and such, mmkays?

review:D