EPOV

She was on my lap, her arms around my midsection. I was wrapped around her, holding her, feeling her breath and heartbeat and warmth. We were still on the floor, curled in each other's arms, watching the sun rise over the trees. I couldn't imagine being any other place, ever again. I couldn't imagine not touching her.

"You can't leave, Bella," I said.

I worried that she would want to go to Charlie soon. I knew that he must be frantic by now, and she would want to soothe him. He would want her back under his roof immediately, sleeping in her own bed every night. I wouldn't be able to let her do that. Not now.

"I know," she said, sighing a little. "I really can't. I don't know what I'm going to do about Charlie, though. I don't know what I'll tell him."

"We can leave Forks together, the whole family," I suggested. "We can go today."

She shook her head. "He won't know what happened; he'll look for me. I'll be worse than dead – I'll be missing. I can't do that to him." She glanced up at me, her eyes full of love. "I just wish I could make him understand."

I smiled. "That will never happen. I can barely believe that you love me this way, that it's right for us to be together. There is no way your father is going to let go of his daughter, who, I may remind you, isn't even out of high school."

"Ugh," she groaned. "I forgot about school. What day is it?"

"Wednesday," I said.

"I guess I'm ditching," she said, a little guiltily.

"We all are, actually. Carlisle re-enrolled Alice and me when they got back into town. That should make all of this… interesting."

The tranquility of the moment was interrupted by strange thoughts slowly entering my hearing range.

If they hurt her if he hurt her I will kill them I will oh my god I can't believe she went with that thing I can't believe she left me that way I need to see her need to talk to her she has to understand what she's doing…

Jacob Black. If there were one person I could do without seeing, ever again…

"Someone's coming," I said quietly, fighting to keep the anger out of my voice. "Jacob."

Bella jerked upright in my arms.

"Oh no," she gasped. "Edward, I can't see him right now. I know I have to… talk to him, but I can't do this right now-" She was panicked, on the verge of tears.

"You don't have to talk to him," I said soothingly, stroking her hair. Ever again, I added silently.

"You don't understand. He'll know that I'm here, and he won't just leave without seeing me –"

I stood suddenly, setting Bella carefully on her feet next to me. I reached for the sliding portion of the glass wall, opening it wide.

"Trust me?" I asked, looking into her eyes.

She started to speak, but stopped. Her eyes were anxious and confused.

"Let's just get out of here, Edward," she said at last, looking away.

I frowned, unsettled by her hesitant response. I could hear Jacob's mind closer, though, and I wanted her far away with me before he could give chase. I pulled her onto my back. Her limbs wound around me tightly, but a kept a hand on her arm in case she slipped.

I heard Jacob's voice at the front door just as I lept from the window with Bella. I ran with her for miles, the exhilaration of having her with me again flowing through me as we flew through the trees together. To hold her, touch her, and best of all, to feel so sure that it was the right thing for us, the only thing for us, was nothing short of bliss. I felt half-drunk with triumph and joy. I had everything, and just for this moment, it didn't matter why.

I didn't stop until I was certain that we were well and truly alone. I took her high into the mountains, into a meadow that reminded me a bit of one we had shared so long ago.

"You can open your eyes now," I said, sliding her off my back and turning to face her.

She was a little unsteady, and she held onto my shoulders as her eyes opened. She gasped.

"Edward! Is this… This isn't; is it?" She sounded afraid.

I frowned. "No, this isn't our meadow, love, just another pretty spot where we can be alone."

She stared around us, her eyes wide. "It looks… so much like it." There was horror in her voice.

I cupped her cheek, turning her face toward me.

"Why is that scaring you, Bella?" I asked.

She looked at me, alarmed, then glanced away without answering.

"Bella, please, tell me," I could feel it, something she was holding back from me. I needed to know.

She wrapped her arms around herself and stood stiffly, as though she were trying to keep from touching anything around her.

"Um, I tried to find it when you were gone. That… other… meadow. And when I did…" She closed her eyes and swallowed hard. "It was different," she said, looking at me sadly. "Everything was dead, and the sun wasn't shining. It hurt to see it that way."

I wrapped my arms around her. "It was a special place for us both," I said, imagining her there, alone, when nothing bloomed.

"And then… something happened," she said in a tiny voice.

"What?" I asked. "What happened?"

"Laurent was there," she said.

Fear and rage surged through me like electricity. I froze.

"He… was there for Victoria," she said, her voice trembling. "He was coming to see if I were still… protected."

I shook as I struggled not to hold her too tightly. Alice's thoughts had already showed me that there had been dealings with Victoria and Laurent, but I had not imagined that either of them come that close to Bella.

We had left her unprotected, and they had found her.

"How?" I asked in a choked whisper, unable to form the question.

"Jacob and the other wolves," she answered, knowing my thoughts. "They got there just in time."

"Oh, Bella," I said with a shudder. "I never thought she would return for you. I was certain she would be hunting me; it was my family and I who killed James."

Bella pushed back from my chest and looked into my eyes.

"You killed her mate," she said simply.

And Victoria had come for mine.

I could only stare at Bella's face. Her expression was haunted by the memory of fear.

"He had gone to your house," she continued, her eyes distant. "He knew you had been gone for a while. He knew I was alone."

"I'm sorry, Bella," I said, the words amounting to nothing. There was no apology for the danger I had left her in.

"I know you are," she said, and wrapped her arms around herself again. She looked down at her feet. "I don't think he would have even bothered killing me if he hadn't been thirsty. When he saw that you and your family were gone, and I was still here, he thought that he and Victoria had been wrong about me and you."

"They weren't wrong, Bella," I said, gripping her upper arms. "If they had hurt you…" I squeezed my eyes shut as the thought forced itself into my mind. I saw Bella's body in the grass, unmoving, her throat painted red with blood. "Victoria knows it's the worst thing she could ever do to me," I said. "It would be much worse than simply killing me."

I should have realized that Victoria would know that, having just lost her own mate. I remembered my conversation with Carlisle about the intense bonds vampires can form.

"Victoria won't stop until you're dead or she is," I said, terror filling me at the realization. "You are the only thing she is staying alive for, Bella."

"What can we do, Edward?" Bella asked, her eyes wide. "She keeps coming back, but always gets away before the wolves can catch her. She's so fast."

"She will make a mistake eventually," I said, trying to make myself believe the words. "And we'll kill her. But you have to stay with me or my family every minute until she does," I demanded, my hold on Bella's arms tightening fractionally.

Something flashed behind Bella's eyes, gone before I could identify it. She nodded, looking down at the grass.

"Alright, Edward."

* * *

BPOV

I should be happy. I know I should be happy, and nothing else. What he told me, it was everything I needed to hear in order for my world to make sense again. It was what I needed for my mangled heart to begin to heal.

And even now, I thought it was healing. The roaring pain had subsided to a throb, only an echo of the damage I had undergone. I was comforted by the thought that, although the ache may not be gone by tomorrow, I could at least imagine tomorrow coming without completely falling apart. I could do that because I could imagine that Edward would still be with me then.

He had promised me all of his tomorrows. Forever…

So, this odd disharmony between us didn't make sense. The random bursts of fear and anger, gone almost before I could identify the feeling, didn't make sense.

Be happy; this is what you wanted, I reminded myself as I watched the clouds move from my perch on a large boulder. Edward had taken us to another spot after I'd told him about our meadow, and about Laurent and Victoria. We now sat together on a ridge overlooking a wooded valley. There was a crisp breeze, and I was thankful to Alice for the recommendation about my clothing. Edward did little to disguise his concern as he watched me from a few yards away.

The brilliance that had flooded me earlier in his bedroom seemed to be fading off, slipping somehow. I didn't know how to hold onto it, even though I saw that my distance was hurting him.

It had hurt him to hear about Laurent, about how close I I had come to being killed in his absence. It hurt him to see me like this, unfocused and unsure. I hated that it hurt him, but I didn't know how to stop.

It didn't have to be this way, something in me cried. None of this would have happened if he hadn't…

I shut my eyes against the thought, pressing the heels of my hands against them.

It doesn't matter; none of that matters… I chided myself mentally. He's here and you're wasting it!

"Bella." His anguished voice broke the silence that hung between us. I looked up at him, tears swimming in my vision.

"I'm sorry, Edward," I said unsteadily.

He was at my side before I saw him move. He pulled my head against his chest, his face pressing against the top of my head.

"Shhh…," he whispered. "It's over, Bella. I won't let anything like that happen to you again, I promise."

He had promised me other things, too.

I felt my tears threaten to spill over, and sucked in a deep breath.

"I know," I said, nodding my head against him. "I know that. I don't know what's wrong with me."

He brought his hand to my chin and tipped my head up to look at him.

"You haven't gotten much sleep in the past few days," he said, his worried eyes searching my face. "And you definitely need to eat something. We should go back."

I nodded again. It had been at least an hour since we had fled the Cullens' house. If Jacob was going to be turned away, he should have by now.

Edward carried me cradled against his chest on our return trip. It took a little longer than when I held onto his back, but I was grateful that he kept me close that way.

Carlisle was waiting for us outside. He did not look happy. He rushed to us as Edward set me on my feet.

"Edward," he began, his eyes dark. He looked at his son intently for a moment, and I thought I saw Edward wince a little. Then he turned to me, stepping closer and putting a hand on my shoulder. "How are you feeling, Bella?" he asked, the edge gone from his voice. His gaze probed me, and I glanced away.

"I'm fine, Carlisle," I said, tucking my hair nervously behind my ear. "I… wasn't ready to see Jacob. I'm sorry we left like that."

Carlisle chuckled. "Well, I'm certain your friend will be back. He wasn't terribly pleased to find you gone."

"I bet," I murmured, remembering Jacob's new hatred for the Cullens. A new thought occurred to me, and I looked back at Carlisle. "You didn't let anyone hurt him, did you?" I asked anxiously.

I heard Edward hiss quietly next to me. I looked at him sharply, confused. His face was impassive; he did not meet my eyes.

"Of course not," Carlisle replied. "I told him that you were unharmed, and I reminded him of the conditions of our treaty. I suggested that he wait for an invitation before paying us another visit."

I tried to picture such a civil conversation between Jacob and the Cullens, and couldn't. Carlisle was undoubtedly understating the confrontation for my benefit.

"Bella, you need to get something to eat, and then some rest," Edward said, his hand resting on the small of my back.

"Yes," Carlisle agreed, a new enthusiasm in his voice. "Esme went to the store early this morning, and I've been working on a nutritional plan for you."

I crossed my arms over my chest self-consciously, wondering how long they would treat me this way. Until I'd gained a few pounds back? Until I went back to being the Bella they remembered?

Never gonna happen, my mind warned cynically.

"Great," I said, forcing a smile.

I followed Carlisle into the house, Edward close behind. Esme was in the kitchen, chopping vegetables with inhuman speed, a cookbook at her elbow. There were several steaming pots on the stovetop.

"Um, you do remember that there is only one of me, right?" I asked as I peeked into of the pots. It appeared to be enough beef stew for a family of ten.

"That's certainly true," Esme agreed with a laugh that was like music. She glanced around at the kitchen. Food in multiple stages of preparation covered every surface. "I suppose I did get carried away," she admitted. "I wasn't sure what you liked, and then Carlisle started making his lists, and it just took off from there."

She paused in her cooking, staring at me in a conflicted way. Finally she dropped the knife onto the counter and hurried across the kitchen toward me, a huge smile on her face. She took both of my hands in hers, squeezing them gently. "You are so welcome here, Bella," she said, her voice breaking. "Thank you so much for giving us another chance."

A blush crept over my cheeks, and I fought the urge to look away. I finally stepped forward and hugged her awkwardly.

"Of course," I said, blinking back tears. "I love you guys."

"And we love you, Bella," she whispered, squeezing me just a bit too tightly.

"Um…" I gasped, trying to figure out a way to politely remind her that breathing wasn't optional for me.

"Oh," she said, releasing me at once. "I did it again, didn't I?"

I smiled at her, shrugging. "We're just a little out of practice," I said.

A few minutes later I found myself seated at the table with Edward and his parents. Of course, I was the only one eating. I didn't entirely understand the diet Carlisle had prescribed for me, but the lunch Esme had cooked with his guidance was delicious, even if I doubted I would be able to finish even half of the portion they served me. I was a little ambivalent about the nutritional shake he insisted I include, but did not have the inclination or energy to argue with him. I ate in silence, very aware of their eyes on me.

"Um, where is everyone else?" I asked, hoping to distract them from the apparently fascinating sight of me chewing.

"They're upstairs," Carlisle said. "We didn't want to overwhelm you too quickly."

"Overwhelm me?" I shifted in my seat. "I wish… You didn't have to do that." I looked down at my food as I ate, no longer tasting it. My embarrassment had been joined by a tickling resentment, and unwelcome thoughts began to prod my mind.

They're being so careful with you… now, some bitter inner voice remarked. I tried uselessly to push it aside.

I hurried through the rest of the meal, even managing a little of the chalky shake. I pushed back from the table and stood up, bumping my knee clumsily against the table leg.

"Thank you for the food," I said, my eyes meeting theirs briefly. I ignored the concern I saw there. "I think I'm going to go rest for a little bit, okay? I'm still kind of jet-lagged."

"I'll come with you," Edward said at once, moving toward me.

I almost opened my mouth to protest before I stopped myself. What was I doing? Why wouldn't I want him with me, especially now? Confusion twisted inside me as he steered me through the living room. When we reached the foot of the stairs, he stopped suddenly and swept me into his arms, carrying me up to his bedroom. He set me down carefully to sit on the side of the bed, his gazed locked on me.

"Edward…," I began uncertainly. "Can you give me a few minutes?"

"Of course," he said.

He leaned in and kissed my forehead, and I felt an unexpected and painful dropping sensation in my stomach. I closed my eyes.

"I'll be close if you need me," he said, pressing his cold palm to my cheek.

A moment later, I heard the door close. I opened my eyes and saw that I was alone in the room. I could hear my heart beat in my ears, unnaturally loud in the silence.

I went into the bathroom first to freshen up. My hair had become tangled from my trips with Edward, and I really wanted to brush my teeth. I avoided my reflection in the mirror. I was feeling unsettled enough without a reminder of how bad I looked these days.

When I got back into the room, I noticed that someone had left me more clothes. They didn't look like Esme's style, and they were too large to be little Alice's. Rosalie? I wondered in disbelief and I looked through them. I found a matching tank top and lounge pants, the knit material silky-soft. I changed into them and climbed into the bed, which had been made up in our absence. I scooted to the far side of the bed and curled up on my side, staring out the window.

It was early – probably not even noon yet, but I was exhausted. A weariness sank into me that reminded me of the feeling in my bones at the end of the day I had almost drowned. My eyes had just begun to close when I heard the door open quietly.

"Do you want me to stay with you?" he asked, sounding strangely unsure of himself.

I was tired, but not too tired to know the answer to that question.

"Yes, please," I said.

I felt the mattress sink behind me as he got under the covered and moved close to me, spooning his body against mine. I closed my eyes and focused on nothing but the feel of him.

This made sense, even if nothing else did. Even if I were totally losing my mind, I couldn't not want this.

"I love you, Bella," he whispered, his breath cool on my neck. "Just rest…"

I relaxed my body with a long sigh, and sleep folded over me gently.