Edward.

The needle on the speedometer couldn't proceed any farther, and as the car dashed at a frightening speed down the curvy road, I felt the same. Bella's heart, though still beating, was growing fainter as the excruciating minutes passed. I threw another frantic glance at her unconscious, fragile body that was nestled into the safety of the backseat. The slow movements of her breathing had rendered weak as well, causing a terrifying feeling of panic to spread over me.

"Damnit Bella, hang on," I muttered weakly as I quickly turned the car into the parking lot of the hospital. The tires protested loudly, squealing against the cement of the road as I pushed harder on the gas. Carlisle was standing under the emergency patient entrance. The yellow lights of the carport were the only thing keeping him in my eyesight, the fluorescent lighting illuminating against his pale white skin. His usually gentle, smiling face was contorted into one of worry as he stepped forward when the car pulled up beside him. Without waiting for my approval, he yanked the backdoor open, pulling Bella gently into his arms. He laid her on top of the stretcher that sat next to him, before rushing into the doors, with me following quickly behind.

I watched helplessly from the entrance of the room as Carlisle and three female nurses tended to Bella. Once the heart monitor was in tact, I cringed. It was hard enough to listen to the abnormally slow rhythm of the dull beats, but to hear it through frustrating beeps as well?

I was on the verge of losing my sanity. Very, very quickly.

Edward, Carlisle's voice through my head made me snap my eyes up toward him. His hands were raised in front of him in horror. Covering patches of the skin on his palms, was crimson red blood. Bella's blood. I stiffened, and turned away from him, closing my eyes tight. How did you withstand being around her? She's already lost so much blood.

I wasn't sure how to answer that, because I didn't know how I had done it either. Thinking back to the short amount of time spent in the car, due to my excessive speeding, I was aware that there had been the raw, scathing and burning pain that I had grown so accustomed to when around Bella. But I was appalled with myself that I had the immense strength it took to resist the calling of her blood. I just didn't know where the intense resistance had come from.

This isn't looking too good. I froze. The negativity of the nurse's thoughts were painful. I took a deep breath, and turned around. Carlisle's eyes were burning into my face, reading me for a proper reaction. I gulped, allowing him to see a small portion of my fear. It wasn't anywhere as close to how terrified I really was, but it was satisfying enough for him. Go in the waiting room. I'll come and get you when we're finished.

Though I wanted to protest, I didn't. I didn't want to risk my thirst with Bella in the room. I nodded silently and turned on my heel, exiting the room as quickly as possible. I decided to remain in the waiting room on the fifth floor, as far away from Bella's scent as I could be. I ignored the elevators, and ascended the four sets of staircases, three steps a time. As I was reaching the entrance to the waiting room, my phone began vibrating in my pocket.

"Alice?" I answered. I heard the light chatter of my family members in the background. Emmett's booming voice stood out from them all as he complained loudly about something.

"Edward, she's going to be fine. I had a vision. She'll be awake within the next few hours," she announced excitedly. A spark of relief ignited in my chest, where my heart used to be. I exhaled, breathing out every ounce of tension, misery and fear that I had felt before.

"Thank you, Alice. Can you give me an exact time, please?" I asked politely. I heard her giggle lightly on the other end of the line. I rolled my eyes.

"Anxious, are we?" she joked. I opened my mouth to argue, but her tinkling laugh cut me off. "I'm kidding, Edward. She'll open her eyes in three hours, and twenty-six minutes."

I smiled hopefully as I sat down in a teal cushion chair. I rested my elbows on my knees as one hand held the phone to my ear, while the other rubbed my temples gently. Oh wow, he is gorgeous. I sighed in annoyance and kept my head down to ignore the young nurse who ogled me as she passed.

"I will be there soon. The others are going to hang around here. They don't want to overwhelm Bella when she wakes up. Bye!"

I closed the flip-phone and shoved it back into my pocket. I looked at the clock. It was ten minutes after midnight. I leaned my head against the back of the chair, and let my eyelids fall. It was times like these that I wished I still had the ability to sleep. It would be so easy to just close my eyes, drift into a dream world and ignore the harsh truth of the reality around us. It would be so easy to imagine a beautiful, happy, healthy Bella. But considering that I haven't slept in over 90 years, the image of her bleeding in the hospital bed was stuck in my head. The image of her horrified face as she watched the semi-truck move closer to her truck. I hissed sharply, trying to stop my mind from reliving those few minutes.

It in those few minutes that I considered doing the one thing I secretly and selfishly desired. It was the one thing that I would absolutely never allow, but it was something that I couldn't help but think about. Biting Bella would guarantee that she'd be a part of my life forever. And that sounded pretty damn comforting. But taking her life away, damning her to this hell was out of the question. She was much too precious to become a monster.

Yet, when I had grabbed her from the cab of the flipped over truck, I was tempted. The idea of her being a monster wasn't half as bad as the idea of her being deceased. I hissed again. I don't know how to explain the hold that she has on me, but it's there. After just setting my eyes upon her as a small child, she had me amazed. And now, it was just as bad. I couldn't stay away, no matter how beneficial it was for her health. I was hopelessly attached to the very idea of her. It was a bit ridiculous, but I wouldn't trade it for any feeling in the world.

"Edward."

I opened my eyes, looking directly at Carlisle. I glanced at the clock again, and frowned. It was 2:24. I wasn't aware that I had been sitting there that long. Would you like to see her before I call Chief Swan? Without hesitation, I nodded. I didn't wait for him to speak as I dashed past him and down the flights of stairs. I couldn't get to her room fast enough.

When I reached her room, Alice was already there. She was sitting in the chair across the room from Bella's bed. I was relieved to hear the annoying beep and musical thump of Bella's heart rhythm back to normal. Alice noticed my facial expression, and grinned from her spot on the chair.

"Gave us quite a scare, didn't she?"

I didn't speak, but she took my silence as an agreement. I moved forward, hunching over the bed to look down at her. Though this wasn't the way I wanted to see her, it was definitely refreshing from the wounded, bloodied Bella I had last seen. The cuts that previously covered her face had been cleaned and stitched. Her face wasn't contorted in agony, and her small, fisted fingers were now uncurled in a lulling peace. I took a breath, and smiled. I couldn't help myself as I moved even closer. I leaned down, my face inches from her. Though my throat was itching, and Bella's blood was screaming for me, I was never more in control of that in my entire existence. I inhaled, her deliciously sweet scent hitting me like a ton of bricks. I gulped, but didn't falter my actions. I closed my eyes, and pressed my lips to her warm forehead. Bella stirred, whimpering softly, before turning her head.

"She'll be awake in one hour. Stop attacking her forehead, and come sit down," Alice ordered, joking as she cracked a smile. I pulled myself away from Bella's bedside, and chuckled as I occupied the chair next to Alice. Chief Swan will be here in twenty minutes. I don't think he'll be leaving tonight. I glanced at Alice, questioning her with my eyes. She shrugged.

"I don't care. I'm not leaving either."

She smiled, and opened her mouth to say something. Bella whimpered softly again, and we both turned to watch her. She was opening her mouth, breathing heavily. I was confused, rising from my seat, but Alice pulled me back down.

"She's been doing this for awhile," she explained in a soft voice. I sighed, but nodded. She was probably having a nightmare, and I couldn't do anything to help. Well, I guess sleep doesn't always have its luxuries.

"Felix."

I snapped my head back towards Alice, who was staring wide-eyed at Bella. Who the hell was Felix, and why was Bella muttering his name in her nightmare? My insides fell as the idea of it being a good dream crossed my mind. I suddenly wished Jasper was here, so he could explain her emotions. Was she scared of this Felix character? Was she happy with him, or .. in love with him?

"That's a first," Alice commented, still staring blankly at her.

"Felix .. sorry," she murmured, twisting in her bed again. I gulped, trying to rid myself of the ridiculous emotions. Bella was gorgeous, she was the most beautiful girl in existence. Of course, she probably had boys lined up for her in Michigan. But still, I remembered how ecstatic and alive I felt, hearing Bella murmur my name in her sleep. Hearing another name from her lips was pretty hard to endure.

"Don't overreact, Edward. Felix could be her dead dog or something," Alice suggested. I glared at her, and she rolled her eyes. She was right, though. I did say that I had a slight tendency to react harshly with all things considering Bella.

I sat still in the chair. Alice, thankfully, was gracious enough to hum a soft piano tune in her head for me. Every now and then, I would send her a generous smile, and she'd move on to a different one. But my eyes were concentrated on Bella. I was staring at her, analyzing every movement, every twitch of her fingers, every facial expression. Everything. It was astounding how mesmerizing and fascinating one girl could be.

Bella took a breath, and I watched as her lips tugged upwards. A small, but obvious smile crossed her features, before she opened her mouth once more. I frowned, and closed my eyes, waiting for her to say his name again.

"Edward," she hummed softly. I froze, and my eyes opened quickly, thinking maybe she was awake. But she wasn't.

Still laying peacefully, unaware of her surroundings, she slept. The smile was still on her face, and my name was still hanging on her lips. I grinned. Hands down, best feeling in the world. Alice giggled softly next to me, and I threw another smile in her direction. Suddenly, she stiffened, and sat up-right. I put a concerned hand down onto her shoulder, and she sighed in what seemed like relief.

"Charlie is in the lobby on the first floor. He'll be up here in two minutes."

I nodded, but didn't move. Alice, however, stood. She gave me a sheepish grin, before shrugging.

"I came to see Bella, and I seen her. I stayed to keep you company, but you won't be alone anymore. I'll just be going now," she explained. I nodded, and crossed my arms over my chest, awaiting Charlie's arrival. Alice was half-way out the door, before she stuck her head back in. "Oh, and Edward?"

"Yes?"

"Pretend like you're sleeping. It'll save you a lot of unnecessary trouble."

I nodded again, and let my shoulders slouch. I slumped my body against the wall beside my chair. Once I heard Charlie's gruff voice from down the hall, Carlisle's thoughts and both of their heavy, quick footsteps, I shut my eyes. I let my chest rise and fall to keep up the appearance of slumber. The door slammed open, and Carlisle's hushed pleas for Charlie to keep quiet followed after. I could almost hear the disapproval in his eyes as I knew they were set on me.

"Who is he?" Charlie demanded quietly. Carlisle sighed.

"That's my son, Edward. He's the one that found Bella, and pulled her out before the truck struck her," Carlisle explained. He's lightening up. I'm no Jasper, but the gratitude is plain on his face. It was hard to keep from smiling, but I managed.

"What is he doing here? You can send him home now." Well, you've got gratitude, Edward. But not approval. Definitely not approval. I took another deep breath, trying to keep myself from laughing.

"He and Bella are friends at school. He was very worried, and wouldn't leave until he saw her. So I let him stay. I don't think it'll be wise to make him go home now. I'm sure Bella will want to see him as well," Carlisle tried to reason. I listened as Charlie took a breath, probably prepared to argue, but the squeak of his boots told me that he had turned. I heard the sound of his sharp breath. He had seen Bella.

"Oh, Bella," Charlie muttered, his tone low and frustrated. "This is my fault. I bought her that piece of shit of truck. It's so old, but I thought- I just thought .." he trailed off, his voice breaking as his sentence deteriorated.

"It's not your fault, Chief Swan. These things just happen. Nobody was to blame for this, it was just an unfortunate accident. But luckily, Bella escaped with minor injuries. Her leg is broken, and she'll have to wear a brace. Also, she hit her head pretty hard. We stitched up the gash, but I'm going to have to put her on medication as well." I stopped listening as Carlisle further explained the extent of Bella's damages. Minor? I don't think so. Any damage to Bella is major.

Carlisle left the room a few minutes later, after being paged by a nurse, leaving just Charlie and I alone in the room. I was still continuing my charade, pretending to sleep. I shifted uncomfortably every once and awhile, letting Charlie see that I was still alive. I could feel his eyes on me at times, burning into my face as he was probably glaring at me. Other times, I would hear him sigh loudly, and knew he was concentrating solely on Bella.

After about a half an hour, he moved in his seat. I listened to the squeak of his boots against the tiled floors, as he walked closer to the direction of Bella's bed. He was breathing heavily, and I heard the small, soft of the smack of his lips against Bella's skin.

"I'm gonna go get some coffee, Bells. You better be awake when I come back. I can't stand seeing you like this," he joked, but I heard the pain in his voice. I waited until I heard the door close behind him, before I opened my eyes. I smiled at the sight of Bella. She was exactly the same as when I first closed my eyes. I stood, crossing the room to stand beside her bed. I hesitantly extended my arm, and let my cold fingers brush against her forehead, running along some of the stitched cuts.

Her eyes flew open.

She startled me, and I stared at her, bewildered, before breaking out into an exuberant grin. I inhaled a deep breath, trying to control the emotions of happiness and relief that I was feeling.

"Hello, sleepyhead," I greeted, smiling down at her. She stared up at me in curiosity, her big brown eyes blinking as she studied my face. I cocked my head to the side, and let my fingers run across her cheekbones. Her eyes closed for a moment, but she pushed her face closer into my hand. I sighed in happiness.

"What- what happened?" she gurgled. I knew that it would be wonderful to hear her voice after enduring these hours without it, but wow, the feeling was astonishing. I racked my brain quickly, trying to form coherent sentences, but I couldn't take my eyes off of hers. Her eyebrows rose, as she waited patiently for my answer. I pressed my lips together, and leaned closer to her.

"What happened was .. you broke my promise. A pinky promise, for that matter!" I exclaimed playfully. Her eyebrows burrowed in confusion for a moment, but soon followed with a look of realization. She grinned, and it took my breath away.

"I'm sorry. I'll think about your feelings the next I'm about to be plowed by a truck," she commented dryly, but the humor was evident in her voice. I gave her another grin, before leaning down and pressing another soft kiss to her forehead. She looked up at me, shocked.

"You better," I warned, trying to keep my tone menacing. She laughed, but it quickly turned into a wince. During Carlisle's rant of Bella's injuries, he had mentioned bruised ribs. I placed a cold hand over her torso, and she relaxed immediately under my touch. The heart monitor, on the other hand, came to life in a series of half-second beeps. I laughed heartily, stepping away from her.

"Are you in pain? How are you feeling?" I asked quickly, my finger ready to press the call button for Carlisle. She shook her head frantically.

"Don't you dare! I know any minute, a doctor will come rushing in here and will drug me up with something that will turn me into a blubbering idiot. If you value my self-pride in the least, allow me to enjoy these few sane minutes in peace!"

I threw my head back and laughed again. I obliged to her request, lowering my hand from the button. Carlisle would hear us in a matter of minutes anyway. Too bad for her self-pride. After I had stopped laughing, I glanced at her. Now that she was awake, I was extremely curious .. well, more like demanding .. of who this Felix character was. I cleared my throat, suddenly feeling nervous. I didn't want to sound like a jealous boyfriend.

"Bella, you don't have to answer if you don't wish to .. but, will you tell me who Felix is?" I asked, locking my eyes onto hers. She froze, and was silent for a minute, before she gulped. She bit her bottom lip.

"Did I mention his name in my sleep?"

I nodded. "Yes."

"He was my friend back in Michigan. Well, we weren't exactly friends. But he was the closest thing I had to one. When I'd go on walks, we'd always meet up at the park. He always listened to what I had to say, and I did the same for him. After my Uncle Tommy died, I didn't get a chance to say goodbye. When I thought I was going to .. die, his face was one of the few that I saw," she explained. My face fell, but before I had the chance to regain my calmness, Bella had noticed. She snickered softly.

"Of course, nothing compares to the face that topped everybody else's. The face that was really there when I opened my eyes," she murmured. She lifted her fragile arm to me, and I knew what she wanted. I grasped her hand, and brought it to my lips. I kissed each bruised knuckle gently, before smiling down at her.

"And this Felix .." I began to press, but I heard Charlie down the hall.

"Brace yourself. Your Uncle has been very patient," I warned her with a devious smile. She groaned, and reached back up for the hand that I had pulled away from her. The door opened suddenly, and Charlie's crest-fallen face brightened immediately when he saw his niece awake and grinning.

"Hi Uncle Charlie," she greeted happily as he set his coffee down and dashed over to her bed, gathering her small body up into his arms and squeezing her tight. She groaned in protest, and I put a hand on his shoulder. I may regret it later, but I couldn't stand here and allow him to harm Bella.

"Bruised ribs, remember?" I asked, smiling sheepishly. He stared at me for a second, blinking quickly. I sighed, waiting for his wrath. Instead, I got a slap on the shoulder. He smiled, and nodded once, before leaning down to embrace Bella again. While his arms were still around her, he lifted his head. His lips moved upwards in an awkward smile, while he mouthed the words 'thank you.' I returned the smile, and decided to let them have their privacy.

As I exited the room, my phone began to vibrate in my pocket. I pulled it out, and without glancing at the caller ID, pressed it to my ear.

"Alice?"

"Edward, they're here."

"Who's here, Alice?" I asked, suddenly concerned. She sounded breathless, rushed and worst of all .. scared.

"The Volturi. Well, one of them. I don't know which one because their face was hidden, but I know why they're here. They said her name!" she exclaimed, suddenly frantic. Anger- oh, the familiar anger that I have come to hold for these vile disgusting wastes of space, was rising once again. I took one sharp breath, before allowing myself to speak. I didn't recognize my own voice for a moment.

"Please don't say it, Alice."

She sighed heavily on the line, before saying the one name that made me lose all control of anything logical.

"Bella."


I know I'm a little late, but Happy New Years! I hope you all got your party on. I know I sure did. :D Anyway, this is the longest chapter I've ever written for anything. Seven pages! I don't know why, but I just couldn't seem to find a good place to stop, and when I did find a good place, I didn't want to stop, haha. But I'm sure none of you are complaining about that. I'll try to make all my chapters this long from now. Review, please! Let me know what you think! I always get more motivation to write when I have more input & encouragement! Thanks! :D