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A/N: There's only two more after this! Brace yourselves! This one's a little shorter than the rest, but please read and review!

CHAPTER 11

[Meanwhile back at the clearing, 3rd person POV]

Edward couldn't focus as the Volturi stood in front of his family. His head, his thoughts, his entire being was on edge. The incessant tug that he had come so familiar with, that he sometimes forced himself to ignore, was threatening to drag him by the teeth through the forest.

And he would let it. He just wanted to be near her. Lately he always wanted to be near her.

"Does our conversation bore you Edward?" Jane's hard voice interrupted his inner turmoil.

"No," he answered stiffly.

"Jane," Carlisle called, "the date has been set."

"It better be. I'd just hate to come back here Carlisle. You may be Aro's favorite, but the Volturi do not give second chances."

Then they were running, their robes flying behind them creating a cold, vicious breeze.

"Edward," Bella said his name in the same gentle caress she always did, but this time it made his stomach churn.

He didn't want her to say his name. He didn't want anyone to say his name.

No one but Leah.

"Oh God," he moaned in anguish falling to his knees.

"Edward!" Bella cried grasping his shoulders.

"No," he whimpered moving away from her.

Son, Carlisle called to him.

Edward's eyes snapped up to Carlisle, his beacon.

"Father," he sobbed.

He only needed to utter the single word and Carlisle had him in his arms.

I'm here

"Leah," he sobbed into his shoulder.

She will be fine.

Carlisle's strong hands pulled Edward's head back so that he could look into his eyes.

"She will be fine." He said it with so much certainty that Edward believed him.

He pulled himself to his feet with Carlisle keeping a steadying hand on his back.

"Alice, take Bella home." He registered Rosalie saying.

"But-

"Do it." Edward said, his voice distant and cold.

Edward embraced the feeling of the invisible string pulling him; as long as he felt the tug he knew that she was alive. She had to stay alive.

He took off running towards her with Carlisle hot on his heels. He could've run with his eyes closed letting the pull guide him. Relief was filling his bones the closer he got to her.

Why had I resisted this for so long, he wondered as he soared to her, his friend—his imprint.

I'll never leave her side again, he promised as he rounded the corner to her house.

He paused at the stairs trying to brace himself for what would have to happen inside her home. Carlisle went up the stairs and entered the house in full doctor mode.

Edward, I'll need your help. He told him once he entered. I will have to reset all of her bones, she will be in pain… will you be able to handle this?

He nodded solemnly.

"Jacob, hold her down."

[Back to Leah, 1st person]

I was not a fan of the darkness that I was swimming in. I wanted to wake up—badly. But I didn't want to wakeup to the onslaught of pain that I was greeted with.

My eyes snapped open as a scream ripped through my mouth; pain swam through every crevasse of my body. My limbs were literally rippling as cold hands broke and pressed bones into their homes.

"Stop!" I yelled.

"We're almost finished, Leah." Carlisle promised.

"Please, stop." I sobbed.

Cold hands framed my face and topaz eyes searched mine.

"He's almost finished." Edward promised.

I clenched my eyes and bit my lip as Carlisle snapped what I prayed was the last bone into place.

"It's over—it's all over." He said wiping the tears on my face. I felt his lips on my forehead, "It's okay—you're going to be okay baby."

Baby? How long had I been out?

I felt three consecutive pricks, two in each my legs and one in my arm.

What the fuuccckkk…

I was in and out for the next couple of days due to Carlisle and his sneaky medicine injecting skills. I would wake for minutes, enough time to have a slip of water and see Edward before my eyes were rolling to the back of my head. I didn't notice much except that my mother's eyes looked so tired, and that each time I saw Edward he was slowing inching his way closer to me.

When I was finally given the okay to not be in my "Carlisle Coma", Edward was sitting on the floor next to my bed with his head leant on the mattress.

"How long has it been?" I croaked after he helped me drink some water.

"Three days."

He looked so tired. His clothes were full of wrinkles; his hair looked like he had run his fingers through it a million times, and his eyes were pitch black.

"You should go hunt."

"I'm fine." He countered sitting on the bed and grabbing one of my hands. "How are you feeling?"

I moved my legs feeling how numb they were. "Better than expected."

He sat quietly as if he was contemplating something. Then he threw caution out of the window and pulled me into his chest. He wrapped his arms around me, and breathed in a shaky breath. One of his hands ran the length of my back soothingly, while the other buried my face in his neck so that he could bury his own in my hair.

"I thought I lost you again." He cried.

Again?

I wrapped my arms around him.

"I'm so sorry for hurting you, for turning away from you."

He pulled away from me so that he could look me in the eye.

"I have sat here for the past three days waiting to look you in your eyes to tell you I will never deserve you after the way I have treated you—after the things that I have done to you. But despite all of that, nothing will keep me from proving to you that I love you."

He pressed his forehead to mine, nose brushing against me as he nuzzled me.

"I love you, Leah Clearwater and I accept this imprint, but above all I accept you."

I pulled away needing to sever the connection that he seem to need so desperately.

"Edward, I… I can't do this right now." I said sitting back as far as I could. "I need you to leave."

He shook his head stubbornly. "Is this about Bella?"

"No, it's about me! You put your hands on me." My voice shook as I thought about the roar that came from his mouth, the way his eyes looked.

"And I will never forgive myself for that." He inched towards me, "But if you let me, I will spend forever making it up to you. I will never lay a hand on you again."

He grabbed my hand and placed it in his own. "I promise you, just please don't send me away. I cannot be without you, I don't want to live that way anymore."

"Edward- just go-

"No. I love you!" He pleaded. "Don't break us before we can even become something. Don't ask me to just leave and just be your friend, because that is impossible for me. I have tasted your lips, I have felt the softness of your flesh and I don't want that feeling to be a haunting thought because I will never have it again. I can't just leave… but I can give you time."

"Time to see that you can trust me, that you can trust those feelings that you're trying so hard to push away."

Time is what you want?

"Please."

"Then you have your time."

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