A/N: Hey! I know, I know, it's been awhile, but planning to be updating more often now that The Rub is finished and The Alpha won't be far behind.

A huge thank you to Banshee69, Edaddict3254, CristinaN & Tiffany L Cullen.

Chapter 14

When we arrived in Detroit it was late. I was tired and ready to curl up in bed. So when I looked out of the plane's window I was surprised to see Edward's family standing there waiting to greet us. Everyone was there; Carlisle, Esme, Emmett, Rose, Jasper and Alice. I glanced at Edward wondering why we were receiving such a big welcome, but he merely shrugged his shoulders not offering me an answer. I didn't push him for one either. He hadn't exactly been talkative on the plane. I wasn't sure if that was down to the fact that he was still angry with me, or because only a few hours ago he had taken three lives. I wasn't naïve. I knew that killing was part of his lifestyle. I just didn't know if it affected him after he had done the job and by that I didn't mean he was soulless. I meant a person could condition them self to not feel when it came to certain things. As I imagined a man in his position would need to do.

I got off the plane first, with Edward and Bruno bringing up the rear. Bruno was a little restless. I wasn't sure if it was due to the fact he had been cooped-up on a plane for a few hours or maybe because he could sense so many people around. Perhaps even a mixture of both. Either way, I thought it was better for Edward to hold him, since he had almost pulled me off my feet back in New York.

As soon as my feet touched the bottom step Esme rushed toward me, pulling me into her arms and holding me tight. I hugged her back awkwardly, not sure why she was fussing over me in the first place. "I've been worried about you," she said as she pulled away to look at me. "You need to start taking better care of yourself. You've lost far too much weight. You're practically fading away. Edward," she said, turning her attention to him. "I thought I told you to look after her."

I looked behind me at Edward. He made a face at his mother, clearly not in the mood to be lectured. "I'm fine, Esme," I said, drawing her attention back to me and trying to reassure her. The last thing I wanted or needed was her hassling Edward about me. It certainly wouldn't help his mood any. "Edward has enough on his plate without having to worry about me." It was only after I spoke the words that I realized how true they were and I had done nothing but cause him worry. It only added to my guilt.

After we moved away from the plane, the rest of the family proceeded to pull us into hugs, welcoming us both home. I'll admit I never thought I would say this, but it felt good to see them. They even looked happy to see me, well at least the women did. It hadn't escaped my notice that when the greetings were finished, the men had created a huddle around Edward and had begun whispering.

"Come on," Esme said, linking her arm with mine and leading me to one of the waiting cars. Alice and Rosalie followed close behind us. "You can stay with us tonight. Allow the men to discuss things while we girls catch up. I want to hear all about New York and your new house. How is Nora working out? I'll admit when Edward suggested getting a housekeeper I thought it was a great idea. I hated the idea of you stuck in the house alone, not eating properly." My steps faltered as soon as I heard Nora's name, though Esme only noticed the fact after she was done talking. "Isabella darling, what is it?"

"I, uh, I…" I shook my head, fighting to keep my tears at bay. I really didn't want to talk about Nora or how I had gotten her killed. I looked toward Edward for guidance, but he was too busy talking. The men were getting in the car behind ours and whatever they were discussing seemed to have captured all their attention.

"Isabella?" Esme asked again, concerned. She followed my line of sight, looking toward Edward and then back to me.

"Nora is no longer with us," I mumbled before getting in the car and sliding over to the other side. I knew Esme wouldn't allow my comment to pass without question, but at least within the confines of the car I didn't need to keep up appearances. I was free to breakdown.

"What do you mean she is no longer with you? Was there a problem with her?" Esme asked, following me into the car. Alice and Rosalie climbed in cautiously, but never spoke a word. As soon as the door was closed our driver took off.

"I mean that Edward killed her… and it's my fault. He killed three people today because of me," I said, whispering the last part.

Esme pulled me into her arms and held me tight against her chest. "It's okay, Isabella. I know Edward wouldn't kill anyone without reason. Tell me what happened." So I did. I told her everything. From the hurt I felt when he left me in Detroit alone. To the mess he found in our home, to how awkward things were when we went to New York. I told her about Maggie's pushiness. I told her about the two suspected Russians that approached us. I told her about me going to the club and causing a scene, and how Liam had covered up for me. I even told her about him coming into my room and all the strange things that he did. I told her about going to see Marcus against Edward's wishes and then Edward killing Liam when I came home. By the time I finished, I was crying so hard. Esme said nothing. She just sat there holding me, reassuring me with her touch.

When we arrived at her home she took me inside before the men could see me. She took me to one of the downstairs bathrooms and helped me freshen up before she sat me down on a chair and gave it to me straight. "Isabella, you're hurting. I know that, and to be honest, no one can blame you. Not with everything you have been through. Carlisle and I haven't exactly made things easy for the two of you either, but you can't go on like this. You need to pull yourself together. This life isn't new to you. I know that your mother and father brought you up knowing what to expect, to an extent at least. You need to get up every morning and put on a face, even when that's the last thing you feel like doing. You need to show the world that you are a ruthless bitch, someone not to be messed with. If you don't someone will only exploit your weaknesses, and your weaknesses is Edward's weaknesses. He needs you to be stronger, more than ever now. He needs to know that you will be okay when he's not around. He needs to know you can take care of yourself. He can't be worried about you 24/7. Shit like that will only end up getting him killed and I know the last thing you want is to lose him. The last thing you want is to lose anyone else."

I was even more of an emotional wreck after listening to her. I knew her words were supposed to empower me, but all they did was show me how much of a failure I had been; and the more I cried the worse I felt.

"Now, I may not agree with him going on a killing spree, but what is done, is done. There is no use getting stuck on the 'what ifs'. All you can do from here is move on. Put all this behind you, in the past, where it belongs and look to the future. Concentrate on what you do have, rather than what you have lost." I nodded, knowing she was right. Esme leaned in and placed a kiss on my head. "I don't mean to sound harsh or heartless, Isabella. I'm only trying to tell you what you need to hear… I'll, uh, give you a moment to compose yourself."

When Esme left the bathroom, I cried until I was no longer able to cry. Strangely enough, it did help make me feel better. When I was finished, I freshened up again and headed out to join the rest of the family.