AN: Sorry It took so long to update. Thank you for the reviews! I'll try to update the next chapter sooner. I've been very stressed lately and so it's been hard to find any motivation to write. I will finish this story though. I have it all planned out and it won't go to waste. If you have any questions about the story ask me in the review and I'll answer it without giving the whole ending of the story away.

This chapter has not been edited by my beta, for reasons that I wanted to get it out soon to you. I wrote it, read over it a couple times and here it is. It will be rough and I'm not completely satisfied with how this chapter turned out but, that's the way it goes. Thank you! Keep reading and reviewing!

Chapter 10: He is Unaware

"Even I, Albus Dumbledore, would find it easiest to refuse the Invisibility Cloak, which only goes to show that, clever as I am, I remain just as big a fool as anyone else."
-The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K Rowling (pg. 105)

I have been standing outside of Nessie and Bella's room for a good five minutes, fighting an inner battle I was having with myself. All I wanted to do was go in that dungeon of a room and find something to do that could help Bella. I wouldn't leave until I helped her in some way. Even through my forced-optimism, I knew I'd come up short. Still, I felt I had to do something. Even if, at the moment, I was completely useless to my family. I hadn't been a proper father for months and it was killing me inside.

I knew nothing. My family was feeling so much right now and I had no idea what was going on. Especially with the sudden disappearance of Jasper two weeks ago. Alice is acting suspiciously nonchalant and telling us all not to worry. In an explanation for his sudden flee, she claimed that Maria needed his help, so he went to see what she required. Of course, we could all see how on edge she truly was as she tried to cover her anxiety up with smiles of reassurance. She was silent – which was so unlike Alice – and she had been occupying her time with meditating, obviously watching out for Jasper.

It was such an odd thing for Jasper to leave. The family was very fragile right now. He has been a big help with calming our emotions down when they were on the brink of consuming our every thought. I knew he had been secretly helping Esme with her own emotions daily, because my beautiful wife had not left our bedroom since Jasper left.

I hated seeing Esme like that. I've been trying to get her out of bed, but she has refused. So, I was going to ask Nessie if maybe she could persuade Esme to go on a hunt with me. Or something. She needed to get out of this miserable place. It was bad enough that Bella wasn't even moving anymore. And if anyone could remove Esme from her depression, it would be Nessie.

The door to Nessie and Bella's room opened, and I jumped, startled. I had been so preoccupied with my thoughts that I hadn't even heard her get up off the bed and walk toward the door.

"Grandpa?" Nessie stood there, giving me a look of hesitant appraisal. She did not look good. She hadn't showered in who knows how long; her hair was messy and greasy. Her eyes were heavy-lidded and bags were prominent around her eyes. She looked thinner. I frowned, wondering when it was the last time she ate. My worry increased with every second I stared at her.

"How are you, Nessie?" I ask, lowering my voice in a soothing tone.

"Fine," she said.

I looked at her sceptically.

"What...do you want?" she says slowly. I can tell she's trying to make her tone sound polite.

I suddenly was at a loss. Her appearance was staggering and I couldn't connect one thought with the other.

Nessie sighed. "Uncle Jasper left," she remarked. I think about Emmett knocking on her door two weeks ago to tell her of Jaspers absence. Nessie didn't look surprised, she just nodded and slammed the door in Em's face. Emmett walked out of the house shortly afterward and I haven't seen him since. Rosalie says that, "he's fine and hasn't left us, unlike some people."

Alice had said nothing at Rosalie's implications and just proceeded to lose herself in her future.

"Yes, but Alice assures us he'll return," I say, trying to show Nessie comfort to the situation.

"Dissimilar to my father," her voice is dead. I look past her and see Bella twitch in her comatose state.

"Nessie, I want to help," I say slowly, moving forward and leaning against the door frame to stare down at her in concern.

"Everybody does. But you can't."

"Are you just going to be like this forever, then? It's not healthy. You have to eat. You have to...laugh," I shrug trying to find something...anything she can relate to.

Nessie's expression changes suddenly and I am taken aback by it. Her eyes have darkened, almost like a shadow passed over her. Her stance changes from relaxed to tense. She leans forward and her jaw is locked into a clench. Her eyes are narrowed and her glare is directed at me. Her grandpa. And now, she is the spitting image of Edward.

"Without sounding like a child, I am strongly offended by your remark and am defiantly saying no!" She pushes me with force, and slams the door that echoes loudly throughout the house.

My mouth is open in shock as I reflect over how I had just been treated by my eight year old granddaughter. If she wasn't in so much pain right now I might have ordered her to apologize.

"There's nothing you can do," Rosalie is standing at the stairs and I wonder how long she's been there. "She's long gone."

"She can't be like this forever, Rose!" I say, walking slowly away from the door and am joined by Rosalie who descends down the stairs with me.

"Right now, she thinks she will be. God, if I knew where Edward was, I'd – oh, don't get me started," she seethes. I don't mention that I hadn't even mentioned Edward, myself.

"And Emmett?" I ask, wondering how she'll react.

"He just needs some space. He'll be home soon," she bites her lower lip and leaves me alone as she returns to her room and I continue down the stairs.

I walk outside, craving fresh air. That house is too cramped right now. I feel suffocated by the negative emotions and slamming doors and a distressed wife. I walk onto my front lawn and circle the house, dipping into the forest. The sounds of a wood always calm me, but lately, I've been finding their soothing powers non-existent.

I venture deeper, but still not too far from our house. I come across Edward and Bella's cottage and am overcome with sadness. I remember their happiness. It always seems to be so fleeting for the two of them. The house has been empty for some time now. I begin to wish that Bella had never moved back into the main house. It only made our moods worse.

My nose picks up on a scent and I recognize it as Jacob's. It's fresh too. I knew Jacob to be circling the house for weeks now, whining in pain, begging Nessie to come out, but never knocking on our front door to ask in person. As far as I know, he hasn't talked to my granddaughter in about a month now.

I follow the trail and eventually find Jacob sitting on a log biting into an apple. He, like Nessie, looks like he hasn't slept in a long time. He glances at me when I am in his line of sight. He doesn't say a word, but continues to slowly snack on his apple. He's even lost the vigour he usually inhabits while eating.

"Jacob," I acknowledge and sit down beside him on the log.

"What's up, Doc?" he says in a voice that is so unlike Jacob's. It's soft and weak. Not its usual loud and strong tone.

"You haven't left the vicinity of our house for two weeks now," I remark the truth. Shouldn't he be going home at all? His father must be worried.

"Jaspers left," he says.

"Yes, he has."

"Why?" he looks at me, waiting for an answer. His expression is expectant, almost as if he knows exactly what I'll say.

"An old vampire friend of his needs his –"

"No," Jacob shakes his head and I watch, disgusted, as he eats the apple core.

"Excuse me?" I ask, watching him chomp down his last remaining bit of apple.

"No. Why would he leave now? I've seen him look at Alice; he wouldn't leave her behind - especially at a time like this - for some ex-girlfriend! He's up to something. And I bet it's with Edward."

My eyes widen at his accusation. He nods, in satisfaction at my shock.

"Exactly. Why else would the little one be so calm about her husband leaving her? Because she believes it to be for a good cause –" I give him a doubtful look, "- No, don't even. I'm sure if what she says to be true was really true, she would have told him not to go to that Maria woman now. And she would have said no to his leaving and he would have stayed. And you know it."

It was an idea, but the practicality of it was...I mean, we hadn't heard from Edward for months and out of everyone in our family he contacts Jasper? It didn't make a whole lot of sense. And yet...

"That's why Emmett and I have been patrolling the area –"

"Emmett and you?" I ask, surprised.

"Yeah, didn't Blondie bitch to you guys about how I'm taking her baby from her?" He asks bitterly, but also seemingly pleased that Rosalie would be complaining about him.

I shake my head.

"Really? That's weird 'cause that's all she's been doing for weeks now. If I didn't have so much respect for Emmett I would have punched her in the face already. Annoying woman..." he trailed off and reached into a pack that I hadn't noticed, due to it hiding behind his leg and pulled out a banana which he swiftly peeled and bit into.

I'm thoroughly interested with what he has to say. But it also proves my point that I know absolutely nothing that's going on with my family.

"What do you think about Edward?" I ask, curious as to what he might say. I don't know if it was the lack of interaction with anyone for the past few days, but today, Jacob seemed like the most knowledgeable person I knew.

"At first, I only saw him as a coward," he starts and finishes off his fruit. "But, now, after talking with Emmett, we both agree that Edward would only leave if he had a damn good reason to. And I'm starting to think that you guys are in trouble," he inhales sharply, "and I'm thinking it has to do with Bella or...Nessie." I see the complete agony at the prospect of that situation evident on his features.

"The Volturi?"

"I don't know! Maybe! If not them, then who else?" Jacob looks doubtful for a moment before his expression returns to determination.

"Why wouldn't Edward tell us if we were in trouble?" I wonder, more to myself, but I had said it out loud so Jacob seems to be considering an answer as well.

"Wants to be a hero?" he guesses. "Thinks you guys would want to help and doesn't want you to get hurt?"

"But nobody has threatened us, so what would motivate him?"

"We don't know that nobody hasn't threatened us, do we?"

"But, Alice –"

"Is clearly helping Edward out." Jacob gives me a satisfied smirk and pulls out a sandwich. Without Esme, I wonder who made him food. "Sue," he answers at my look of confusion to where his food came from. "She's no Esme, but it's better than anything I could ever make. Seth brought me this just about an hour ago." He kicks the bag and it falls over to its side. He leaves it alone as he peels back the plastic wrap and buries the sandwich in his mouth.

"I don't know, Jacob. A lot of what you're saying seems far-fetched."

"Emmett agrees with me," his brows furrow at me.

I don't answer. Emmett isn't the most rational guy. I hate to admit to doubting him, but I do. He's my son and I love him; however, I can't trust his judgement at the moment. He's too invested into discovering why Edward left to look at this in practicality. I really wish I could immerse myself in their investigating also because what Em and Jacob are doing seems to be distracting them from their pain. It's a lot more productive then what I'm doing, which is pouting around the house.

"So, what are you two going to do?"

"Continue watching the house. Be aware of our surroundings. Vampires. Just last week I caught a scent that was clearly one of your kind. I've never smelled this one before. I don't know if they were just passing by or loitering or have a whole different agenda, but I'm not taking chances. Particularly when I have my imprint in that house." He nods to the direction of the house and I see him sadden at the thought of Nessie.

"Right. If there's any progress, you'll let me know?" I say. It's the only thing I can think of saying after everything I've just learned. How can I be so completely unaware of this all? My mind felt like it was spinning.

"Sure thing, Doc," Jacob says. I shake my head and get to my feet. I glance back at him and he is morphing into a wolf and galloping deeper into the wood. I head back home, feeling somehow defeated.

Jacob and Emmett were on top of everything right now. They were investigating and trying to figure out what was going on through Edward and Jaspers mind. And after thinking over their theories, they sound pretty accurate. Edward would only leave if he had a damn good reason. I never really believed it was because he no longer cared for Bella. I remember his face clearly when he begged me to watch over her and Nessie when he left all those months ago. That wasn't the face of a man who didn't care.

Oh, I really didn't know anymore. I was teetering on the edge of hunting down Edward and dragging him home by the ear like a father. I know I'm a bit late on this reaction to his abandonment considering Emmett and Rosalie were completely for it months ago. I was just jumping on that band wagon now. I couldn't stand another day of Nessie, Bella and Esme being so dead. And Rosalie being cynical. And Alice being indifferent. And Emmett being obsessed with finding out the true reason of Edward's departure.

It was all maddening.

I walked through the front door and found Alice watching the television. A spot that was usually taken over by Emmett. She was watching some fashion program and I stood at the entrance waiting for her to acknowledge me.

Alice turned her head to the side and gave me a wary look. "Carlisle?"

"What do you know about Jasper's sudden absence?"

Alice frowns. "He went to see Maria."

"Did he?"

Alice turns off the television. "Yes, of course." She looks at me with wide eyes and an innocent expression, but I don't take it too seriously. Alice is excellent at lying.

"Have you seen Edward at all?"

She sighs and leans back in her seat. "Hardly anything worth reporting."

"What does that mean?" I ask, stepping closer to her.

She stands up, defensive, though she tries to be cool about my questioning.

"It means that I've seen glances of things. I thought he might be in Prague a few days ago, but when in the future, I was unsure. It could have been in ten minutes or it could have been in ten days. It would be useless trying to go after him. He's not staying in the same place very long."

I sigh. I was now more convinced that Alice knew something. But I didn't want to accuse her. So I nodded slowly and pinched the bridge of my nose. It was comforting to do as it reminded me of my first son. I walked away from her and up the stairs.

I ventured outside my bedroom that I shared with Esme and cautiously opened the door. The blinds were drawn in a very dramatic way but also it was serious. Esme loved light and now she was shunning it.

She was sitting on the edge of the bed staring at the covered window. I closed the door behind me and took my shirt off, tossing it so it landed in the hamper. I reached our bed and crawled across it until I met Esme whose back was facing me. I kissed her shoulder and pulled her into my chest. I buried my face in the soft skin of her neck.

"Carlisle," she murmured. "I love you."

"I know," I murmured into her neck. She turned her head and pressed her lips to mine. "I'm sorry," I said, when she pulled away.

"For what?" she asks. Her beauty makes me catch my breath and I lean in and press my mouth to hers again.

"I'm not being a very good husband...or father," I say.

She frowns and falls back onto the pillows pulling me down with her. "You're the best husband anyone can ask for. And you're an excellent father. Don't ever think otherwise," she pulled her head to mine and we lay there kissing.

I couldn't let go of the guilt though, no matter what she said. I couldn't shake off this feeling and I didn't think I ever could. Even if my family ever was whole again, I would always remember how helpless I felt in this moment. As a father, I couldn't do or be everything.

And that was a hard thing to accept.

R/R!!