A/N: I'm sorry about the lack of review replies this time around. I'm sleep deprived (I seriously almost named this chapter Rawr) and I do believe I've coughed my throat raw. I do love all of you. I tried to answer questions. If I missed yours – remind me please.

~January 26, 1999~

Edward gaped at his alarm clock, rubbing his eyes hard to make sure he'd seen right.

Well, this was unprecedented.

Unprecedented made Edward extremely uncomfortable. Figuring out the rules to this particular game was hard enough; he didn't like having those rules fucked with. If he got something right, he expected to see Alice so she could show him what had gone wrong in the first place. At least it gave some sort of goal to aspire to, brought some semblance of sense and order to his world.

Did this mean he'd gotten January 25 right? Or was whatever went wrong on January 25 a two part deal? Was it like playing a game with a two part level and if you messed up at any point you had to start over at the beginning, on January 25?

Edward hated those games with a fiery passion.

The gaming analogy raised an interesting question. Did he have unlimited lives? Most games gave you more than one try, but was there a limit? Was there a point where Alice would wipe her hands of his stupidity and let him stay dead?

Or stay in whatever mess he'd created for himself and the people around him?

"Edward?" Esme's voice made him jump as she came into his room, and Edward groaned.

The last thought he'd had before going to bed the previous evening was that at least, if he had to repeat the day for the 21st time, he could do so without getting in trouble. As he'd predicted, his mother and father were none too pleased that he'd missed his first class of the day and landed himself in lunch detention for the rest of the week. It had taken some smooth talking, but he'd managed to talk them out of taking his computer away altogether.

Esme's compromise was that if he was going to insist on being glued to the thing in the early morning hours before school, he should be doing something productive.

"It's 5:30 in the morning, Mom," he grumbled.

"So it is," she said cheerfully. "Which means you have a little over an hour to get some of this data entry done before you have to get ready for school." She placed a large stack of paperwork on his desk, and Edward grimaced. He knew his mother had wanted to convert all her hard files, from the days when everything was done by hand, to computerized files.

"I could always take the computer away altogether," she threatened sweetly.

Groaning again, Edward dragged himself out of bed. "You're a horrible person," he mumbled as he threw himself down petulantly in his computer chair.

Esme laughed and kissed his forehead. "I know, but you love me anyway."

Edward rolled his eyes but smiled and gave his mother a hug before she left the room.

Some time later he stumbled downstairs, dressed and ready to go to school. He hit the downstairs foyer just as his dad was leaving.

"Edward, the roads are icy today," Carlisle said, pausing before he went out the door. "Let your brother drive you to school."

"What? No," Edward protested, frowning. He loved his car. The Volvo would handle fine on the ice. It was only a short drive to school after all.

He opened his mouth to make those points but Carlisle pointed at him warningly. "Don't argue with me. Let Emmett take you."

Emmett appeared from the kitchen, a bowl of cereal in his hand, crunching loudly. "Yeah, little brother. After all, a Jeep is a man's ride."

Carlisle shook his head at his eldest son and left with an amused smile on his face. Sure enough, as he opened the door Edward could see that Forks had a fresh coat of snow covering the ground. More than that, the rain from the day previous had frozen into ice that dotted pieces of the walkway and driveway.

Conceding the point, Edward agreed to go with Emmett with no fuss, instead sitting at the kitchen table so he could wolf down a bowl of cereal...and then another.

Though Edward was still struggling to ignore his 29 year old psyche and give in to the whims of his teenage body and mind, some changes were easier than others. On all the days before, he'd ignored the constant urge to eat his parents out of house and home. He was determined not to be a ravenous beast like Emmett. He wasn't exactly dying of starvation. However, since his conversation with the teenage Alice, he had allowed himself to indulge.

Hey - at least he wasn't slurping the remainder of his milk like Emmett was.

When both boys were properly fed they headed off for school. Edward gave in to his natural urge to pester his older brother by being a backseat driver. Emmett threatened to leave him by the side of the road. Of course, that only led to Edward nitpicking even more.

"Out!" Emmett demanded, pulling over to the side of the road.

Edward glared, incredulous. "Em, come on."

"Na-uh, kid. I warned you." The brothers stared at each other. After a moment, Emmett grinned. "Look, you get out now you can make the next block easy before the bell rings. You make me wait, you're just gonna get another detention."

"So will you," Edward countered.

"And I give a shit why? You think Mom and Dad are gonna drag me away from my job or the after school activities that Dad's just dying for me to put on my transcript?" Emmett chortled.

Knowing he was backed into a corner - and really, it was just a block - Edward got out of the Jeep, making sure to slam the door extra hard. All he heard was Emmett's loud guffaw as he drove away.

Pulling his coat tighter around him, Edward began to walk, muttering to himself about the many ways he was going to kill his brother. Why hadn't he talked to his parents about martial arts yet?

Edward was distracted from his murderous thoughts by the loud popping noises of a dilapidated old truck pulling up next to him. He looked over, annoyed until he saw who was driving the truck.

"Do you need a ride?" Bella shouted over the roar of the engine.

Cupping his hand around his ear, Edward shouted back, "What?" Then grinned to let her know he was teasing.

Bella rolled her eyes, waving him inside, and Edward gratefully climbed into the cab.

"So, how'd you end up hoofing it on a day like today?" Bella asked as she drove.

Edward chuffed. "You don't have siblings, do you?"

"No."

"Well...lucky you."

Edward explained the situation as they pulled into the parking lot. He frowned when Bella laughed at his story. "What? It wasn't funny!"

"It was a little funny," she said gently, and Edward couldn't help but smile back when she smiled. He got out, hurrying to her side when he she slipped, only barely catching herself on the side of the truck.

"Here," he said, reaching out to steady her, "let me help-"

He was cut off by the god-awful sound of squealing tires very close by...too close by. His head snapped up in time to see a mass of blue metal spinning wildly toward him. Bella screamed, but neither of them had any time to react. Instinct made him pull her forward, tucking her body against his and turning away from the out of control vehicle as if he could protect her. There was the horrible sound of metal crunching and twisting as Edward and Bella's bodies were thrown forward, pinched between the truck and the other vehicle. For a heartbeat, all Edward knew was incredible pain, the agony of it chasing away any and every other thought.

Then there was only darkness.

~0~

Edward came awake with a scream - a delayed reaction to seeing a car, a van, spinning toward him too fast to get out of the way. His grabbed at his body, checking to see he was all in one piece. When his hands pulled away free of blood, Edward stared, incredulous.

"Bella?" he called out as if he suddenly remembered she'd been there with him. "Bella?" he yelled more frantically. He sat up and looked around, but knowing he was in Alice's house did not calm him. It only served to stoke his panic.

Scrambling to his feet, Edward charged through the house, calling Alice's name.

This couldn't be how it ended. Had he saved his parents just so they would have to see his mangled body? And Bella... how was this fair to Bella? In the original reality she was alive, or so he assumed. She definitely hadn't died in a car accident in high school. As distracted as he'd obviously been, even he would remember someone dying in the parking lot.

"Al-" Edward's furious yelling cut off as he stumbled into the TV room.

Alice was sprawled on the floor on her belly, legs kicking in the air as she watched a movie. She was back to five years old and it threw Edward off. Everything in Edward's programing taught him to be gentle with children. It didn't feel right to demand answers about whether or not he had really just been mangled in a freak car accident.

"Alice," he said slowly, forcing himself to calm down.

"I dunno why you are usset," she said, not looking at him.

Edward bit his lip, struggling not to lose his patience. "Did I or did I not just die? Again."

Alice looked over at him calmly, a bored expression on her face. "What happens when you do the wrong thing? The day goes away. So why is you usset?"

Slumping against the wall, Edward breathed a long sigh of relief. "So I did get it wrong. Thank God."

"Okay," Alice said impatiently. "Now I has to watch all of that over again. Go away now."

~January 26, 1999~

It took all of Edward's considerable will power to make it through the morning without going insane. He had to remind himself when his mother woke him at 5:30 that no one would be in the parking lot then. He thought about running to Bella's … warning her to be early, or be late, or …something. But he doubted he would get anywhere. It was more likely her father would chase him off.

So Edward tried to concentrate on data entry, then getting dressed, then on the two bowls of oatmeal his mother had opted to make instead of cereal today. He didn't argue with his father when Carlisle told him to ride to school with Emmett and he didn't pick a fight with his older brother. Maybe the time Bella saved by not picking him up would make all the difference.

The minute they pulled into a space in the school's parking lot, Edward was out of the Jeep, climbing into the back so he could see better.

"What's going on with you?" Emmett asked, getting out of the car. "You're spazzier than usual."

"Spazzier is not a word," Edward mumbled.

"Whatever. What the fuck are you doing back there?"

Before Edward could respond, someone calling his name distracted both boys. They looked over to see Jasper, his eyes squinted in sleepiness and hands deep in his pockets.

Still feeling out of sorts and panicky, Edward carefully climbed down from the back of the Jeep and headed toward the front of the school.

"Oh, I see," Emmett chortled, falling into step beside him. "You were waiting for Jasper."

Rolling his eyes, Edward growled at his brother. "If I were gay, I wouldn't be ashamed of it, but I'm not gay, so get over it."

"Jeez, kid. Calm down. No need to be so defensive," Emmett laughed, shaking his head as he changed course, heading in Rosalie's direction.

"Why'd you come with Emmett today?" Jasper asked, yawning as Edward came up next to him.

Edward began to explain the whole situation, but cut off when he saw Bella's old truck drive into the parking lot. "Hold on a second," he said to Jasper quickly before waving emphatically. "Hey, Bella!"

It was amazing how instantaneous and profound his relief was. He was able to take a deep breath for the first time that day, seeing her alive and in tact. She looked confused and a little wary, but when she saw him smiling - and Edward had to admit he must have been grinning like an idiot - she offered a small smile in return.

Shouldering her bag, Bella started to head toward the boys, but she stopped suddenly, something by the tires of her truck catching her eye.

"Bella?" Edward called again, that thick brick of dread and worry again appearing at the center of his gut. She looked up at him, her eyes filled with an emotion he didn't understand.

Then it happened.

One second he was reveling at this inherent urge he had to go to her and wipe away the tear that was threatening to spill down her cheek. The next there was that horribly familiar, grating sound of tires squealing against asphalt.

"Bella!" he shouted, already moving as he watched her eyes go wide with fear. He was moving so fast the rest of the world seemed to blur, though she remained steady in his sight.

"Edward!" he barely heard Jasper's frightened voice before he felt something, grab the back of his jacket, yanking him away from the oncoming catastrophe.

The blue blur – what Edward now recognized was a blue minivan – clipped him on the side as it spun. Edward found himself flying backward, all the air pushed forcibly out of him and a crushing feeling on one side of his chest. He landed on the ground, face up and staring at the cloudy sky above him. But beyond the incredible pain that seemed to consume his body, what Edward was most aware of was the terrible sound of a single scream cut off by the screech of twisting metal.

Despite the fact he knew he was injured, Edward tried to get up. A hand forced him back to the ground, and Edward realized Jasper was kneeling beside him. Though he was rapidly weakening, Edward struggled.

"Stop. Edward, stop," Jasper said urgently, his voice cracking. "Jesus, you're so fucked up, man. This is so fucked up."

"Bella," Edward groaned. He needed to see her, needed desperately to know she was okay. "Bella!"

But the look in Jasper's eyes told him everything. "There's nothing you can do for her. Please, Edward. You gotta calm down," he pleaded.

Edward reflected dimly that he'd never heard his friend sound so utterly desperate. It was hard to concentrate between the pain and the way his head was rolling around. He was still looking for her, not quite able to believe it was true.

Everything around them was chaos. Kids ran up only to scream at the sight of him …or the girl crushed between two cars. Time became meaningless to Edward, only a series of images he could barely comprehend.

Mostly, his thoughts went back to Bella. Despair shook him so hard that he couldn't hold back the tears. There was so much frustration and anger, yet he was helpless - twisted and broken on the asphalt. But he was alive when she wasn't. It didn't seem fair. It couldn't be right. Not her. Why her?

"The ambulance is almost here," someone comforted him, mistaking the cause of his tears. Emmett, Edward realized distantly. Emmett was holding his hand.

The worst part, the worst thing Edward could remember witnessing in all his lives, was when Chief Swan arrived on the scene. For a man Edward remembered only as stoic, there were no words for his cries of utter anguish. It took Coach Clapp and Mr. Banner's considerable effort to keep him from trying to drag the cars apart himself. Edward was only glad that his glasses were missing, probably broken, so he wouldn't have to see the look on Charlie Swan's face.

It was his fault. It had to be. In her original life, Bella Swan had lived at least through her Junior year.

Edward tried to say he was sorry but he coughed, choking on blood. He still couldn't bring himself to care about his own wounds, though both Jasper and Emmett were trying to keep him calm.

A grizzled face cut through the crowd that surrounded him. Brett Warner. The name came from the cloudy haze of his brain, and Edward groaned. Sure, he could remember a random EMT but he hadn't remembered Bella.

It seemed like such a ludicrous notion. How had she been so unimportant to him the first time?

The thought flitted away with everything else. Brett was trying to get his attention. "Edward? Edward!" he called sharply, trying to get him to focus. "Come on, kid. Stay with me."

Edward remained in a state of semi-consciousness the entire ride to the hospital. The minute the ambulance pulled up he could hear his father's frantic voice and that stirred him a little.

"Jesus. Edward." His father's voice was strangled and horrified, and Edward struggled to open his eyes enough to find him.

"You can help him. You can save him, right, Dad?" Emmett's voice came from somewhere. He must have followed the ambulance.

"Emmett, you gotta stay back, kid," Brett caught him before he could get in the way.

"Dr. Cullen. You shouldn't-" someone tried to get Carlisle to back away, but he was having none of it. Instead, Carlisle started ordering people around, using words that made Edward feel more like a frightened five year old than anything else. He caught 'operating room' and 'collapsed lung' among a litany of other things he didn't really want to think about.

"Dr. Cullen," one of the other doctors tried again. "You can't possibly do surgery on your own son."

"Dr. Snow, what I can't possibly do right now is help the Crowley kid," Carlisle growled, more anger in his tone than Edward had ever heard. "I'm sure you understand that. And there aren't enough doctors on staff right now to take care of him and my son without me."

Whether or not that was true - and Edward tended to think that it probably was closer to false - Carlisle must have won that argument because amidst all the poking and pulling, a comforting hand ran through his hair. Edward opened his eyes, finding his father looking down on him. He could see Carlisle was close to tears, but there was a resolve there too. "Son, listen to me. Don't try to talk, just listen. We're going to give you something, and the pain is going to go away, okay? Be strong. Just hold on, and it will be better when you wake up."

Edward held his father's eyes as long as he was able to, hoping with everything in him that his father was right. When he woke up, it would all be better.

A/N: Yes. I'm a horrible, horrible person. Luckily, jadedandboring and barburella love me, even if you don't.