Do You Believe In Fate?

Disclaimer: None of these characters etc. belong to me. They all belong to the wonderful and amazing Stephanie Meyer. I don't think I could ever be that creative. Lol. Stephanie rules!

Author's Note: Hey guys! Here's the next chapter! It wasn't done as soon as I'd hoped, but it still got done pretty quick. I hope you guys like it!

Not This Time

"Bella, we need to talk." My mother's voice was calm, but there was the hint of heat of anger. I was too stunned to speak for a moment, and when I finally could, I stuttered.

"M-mom! What… what are you doing here?" I fumbled.

"Coming to talk you out of all this nonsense." She said. I stepped out of the doorway, and shut the door behind me, hoping that Liz and Edward Sr. hadn't heard anything.

"Mom, I thought I'd made my position on this matter pretty clear." I hissed, my anger finally overtaking my surprise.

"Yes, and now it's my turn." She paused, and seemed to gather herself up, and I knew I was in for the biggest speech of all time. I'd had lectures… but I had the feeling this was going to be much worse.

"Bella, I'm aware that you are a grown woman. And I know that you can make your own decisions… most of the time. But you need to listen to me, just for a moment. Love can blind you to everything else in your life. It's like putting blinders on, so that all you see is what's right in front of you, and you can't see what going on around you. Not to mention both of your best friends are getting married! It's like your living in this little bubble of fantasy – filled with giddiness and bright hopes. But what happens when that bubble pops? What happens when reality comes crashing in, and you realize that it's not all that it's cracked up to be?" she asked.

My mind was running in circles. "No… no, that's… that's not possible!" I said. But to my surprise my voice sounded unsure. Frightened, I grew angry, and my voice rose as well. "No! Edward and I love each other. Nothing else matters!" I shouted.

"But don't you see? Other things do matter! What about your family, school, a career? Don't you want those things?" My mother pleaded.

"Of course I do! I can have them, with Edward." I said.

"Oh Bella, I wish that were true. But when someone else enters the equation, there's just too many variables. You're always going to have to comprise, to take his dreams, and wants into account. You'll never just be you again. You can lose yourself, in marriage Bella. You lose your identity, your sense of self. All of a sudden there is no you, anymore. Just us." She said.

Somewhere deep inside me, a little voice of niggling doubt whispered. "What if she's right?" My heart began to race. I tried to shove the voice back, but it didn't seem to want to go anywhere. "No! That won't happen! Edward loves me! He'd do anything for me! We won't care about compromising! He'll do anything, because he loves me! We love each other!" I shouted. My mother looked unfazed, but suddenly filled with grief.

"That's just the problem, Bella. One day you'll look up, and realize that you need something more. Or maybe just something different. It could be anything. You'll talk about it, or maybe you won't have to. You'll just know that it's not something he wants, but only you want. And you'll know, that because he loves you, he'll do it anyway. Even if it makes him miserably unhappy. Even if it breaks him, he'll do it. Because he loves you." She said. Tears slipped down her cheeks as she spoke, and a hideous kind of realization dawned on me.

"Dad?" I whispered. She nodded.

"Don't you think I know what it's like to be in love? Don't you think we were happy once? We were… so happy. But I was so young, and I wanted to do, to experience so many things; things that Forks simply couldn't give me. But I knew Charlie was rooted here. I knew it would positively kill him to leave. You know your father; he'd never adjust to the big city life. He would never be happy there. But he would have tried. Damn if that man wouldn't have tried." My mother laughed weekly. Then she looked at me. "He would have tried… for me. He would have made himself absolutely miserable… because he was in love with me. And I couldn't do that to him because… because I loved him too. So I left. I left because I wasn't happy where I was, and I knew it would mean breaking his heart to ask him to leave. I couldn't bear to see him miserable. So I left."

My mom was quiet for a moment, memories and tears swimming in her eyes. "So don't you see, Bella. Even if he doesn't break your heart… You'll break his." She whispered. Horror widened my eyes, and all but stopped my heart. I could handle anything – her telling me he'd hurt me, saying he'd hold me back, because I knew all of that would never be true. I was completely and utterly certain of Edward, and how much he loved me. But the one thing I couldn't stand, was the thought of hurting him; of making him unhappy. That was the only thing I wasn't one hundred percent sure of… myself.

My head was spinning… I felt lightheaded and dizzy. Her words filled my ears, but the image of Edward, looking broken hearted and filled with grief was what swam in front of my eyes. "I… I need to think!" I said, my voice a broken whisper. My mother nodded.

"I'll call you in an hour. We can talk more then." She said. She paused, then gestured to the car she'd driven here. "I'll leave this here… just in case. I'll walk back to Charlie's." She turned, to walk down the drive I suppose, but I didn't wait to see. I ran back into the house, and slammed the door. I had to talk to someone – anyone about what to do. Everyone was out though… Aunt Liz! My mind latched onto her, and I hurried up the stairs, determined to find her. She'd know what to say, what to do.

I sprinted the last little way up the stairs, and hurried along the hall to find her. She'd said they were going to look through photos, but where would they be? I decided to check Edward Sr.'s office first. I made my way, beginning to get a little frantic. I desperately needed comforting words, and a reassuring face. I heard hushed voices, and sprinted towards the sound. It was Liz and Edward Sr., in the office as I'd hoped. The door was left just a little ajar, so I could hear them. I moved forward to knock, but paused when I listened more closely to their conversation.

"Oh Eddie, you're being awfully hard on her don't you think. After all, I know she must love him." I heard Liz say.

"Liz, you are far too romantic. She'll break his heart if they are together." Edward Sr. said gravely. My heart felt like it had taken a heavy blow. My chest ached, and felt constricted, as though a steel band had been tightened around it. Liz sighed.

"I suppose you're right. After all… she's done it before." She said, sadly. What? When had I… then I remembered. When we were children. I'd left him, had gone with my mother. But that wasn't fair! I'd only been a child then! I hadn't had a choice! The voice of doubt deep in my own heart and mind whispered again.

"You could have fought for him. You could have forced your mom to let you talk to him. You could have stopped yourself from forgetting him." My hand went to my heart, and just when my mind was teetering on the edge of doubt, Edward Sr.'s voice tipped it over.

"Yes. I'm afraid they're just no good for each other. Sure they'd be happy for a time… but in the end, they'd only bring each other misery."

Finally I could not take it anymore. All thought but for escape was wiped from my mind, and I bolted back to Edward's room. I shut the door behind me, my chest heaving wildly. If my own mother and both of Edward's parents thought that the future held no happiness for us, then how could I believe not it myself? I had to go away. I had to get out of there, to think. I grabbed my clothes from the drawers, and began throwing them haphazardly into my suitcases. When it was all ready, I went to pick them up to leave, but something held me back. After all, I couldn't just leave. Not without an explanation. Edward would worry himself sick.

I found a pad of paper and a pen in the desk, and started to write him a note.

Edward, I'm so sorry, but I need to go away. I need to think about things. I'm… I'm not sure what to think anymore. I'll call you in a little while. I'm sorry. Bella.

I had just put the note on the desk, and was getting my courage up to pick up the suitcases, when the door opened. I whirled around, to see the person that mattered the most to me in the entire world walk through. He was smiling, his eyes warm on my face. "Good morning sleepy head. Or should I say afternoon." He grinned, and moved towards me. "I'm sorry I left, but I didn't want to wake…" his voice drifted off when he saw the suitcases on the bed, and the expression on my face.

He frowned in confusion. "Bella, what's going on?" he asked. He moved to take my hand. "Is everything alright?" he asked. I pulled away from him, unable to bear his touch when I was trying to leave him. His eyes clouded with hurt. "Bella, tell me what's going on! Is it your mother?" he asked. I didn't answer, but he clearly didn't need me to. "Bella, whatever she's said to you, it's not true. Whatever it is you think, we can move through it." He said, his voice gentle and understanding. I shook my head, and turned away from him, tears escaping from my shut eyes.

I heard him move away from me, and when I turned to look, he was holding my note in his hands. His frown deepened as he read it, and when he looked at me, his face was… stunning. He looked like a fallen angel, a wrenching mixture of fury and grief. "A dear john?" he murmured. "Not even a final I love you?" He asked, tossing the note aside. "What the hell is going on Bella?" he demanded, his voice trembling.

For a moment I had no words. "Edward… I'm so sorry. But… I don't know what I think anymore. I don't know what to feel. I'm just not sure that… that we're good for each other." I said, though what I meant was that I was no good for him. I couldn't bring myself to look at him as I said it, though after a few moments of silence from him, I couldn't stand to not to. I turned and looked at him, but I couldn't read his face. He stared at me, his eyes soft but dark.

"Bella, what are you saying?" he murmured. Tears flowed freely now, because I knew what I had to do, and knew that it would kill us both. But it was better now, than later, when we were a family… had kids. I wouldn't do to a child what my mother did to me.

"I can't be with you Edward." I said, wrenching my own heart from my chest. "I'm sorry, but… it just wouldn't have worked!" I sobbed. I could have handled my own pain, but I saw Edward's in every line of his face, just as I had imagined it, and that I simply couldn't bear.

I picked up the suitcase I'd packed, and dashed around him, unable to look at him a moment longer. I ran as fast as my legs could carry my down the stairs, and out the door. I thought I heard Liz and Edward Sr. call out to me, but I paid them no heed. I wrenched open the front door and all but leaped off the porch. I got into the rental car my mother had left here, and found the keys on the driver's seat. I threw the suitcase into the back of the car, got in, and started it up.

I know that I shouldn't have, but I couldn't stop myself. I looked in the review mirror as I pulled out of the drive. I saw Edward ran out of the house, and stop just off the porch to watch me drive away. My heart trembled, and then I saw him fall to his knees, his face consumed with grief, I thought the pain would kill me. Sobs racked my chest, and I thought it was probably unsafe to drive because the tears were blurring my vision. But I had to keep going. If I stopped, I'd never be able to start again, and I'd go back. But I couldn't do that. Because as much as this hurt, it would hurt more if I left him later on, which my mother had convinced me I would. But god… oh god this hurt. I had never imagined such pain in my entire life. I wondered how I was going to survive it.

EPOV

I couldn't believe it. I could not believe that the love of my life, the only woman that I'd ever wanted to give all of myself to… to spend the rest of my life with, was leaving me. After she rushed out of the room, it was like time stopped for a moment. Everything stood suspended, frozen by my grief. Without her I couldn't breathe, I couldn't think, I couldn't… be. I wasn't me without her. It had been that way my entire life. She truly was the other half of me, the better half. Without her smile, her warmth, her love, I felt as though I had nothing. So don't let her leave.

The small voice in my mind jolted me out of my pain induced stupor. Time resumed, and there was no thought in my mind but to stop her from leaving. I had to stop her this time. I ran down the stairs, taking them three at a time, vaguely aware of my parents yelling at me, and then burst out the door. But it was too late… She was already in a car, she was driving away. She was leaving… again. The truth of it weighed me down, and I fell to my knees. I could feel the gravel of our driveway cutting into my knees, and I thought it might be bleeding, but I didn't feel the pain. I watched as she drove out of the driveway, my heart cracking under the weight of the pain. I bowed my head, unable to watch her any longer.

No… not this time. Don't let her get away this time. Stop her. The voice in my mind spoke up again, and my head snapped up. Not this time… I came up like a runner off the mark, and all but flew to my car. I fished the keys out of my pocket, and started the engine. I slammed it into gear, and watched gravel fly as I sped out of the driveway. This time… this time would be different. This time, I was going to catch her. This time, she wouldn't be getting away so easily.

BPOV

I couldn't think. If I tried, the pain would kill me. So I turned the radio up as loud as I could stand it, and let the noise drowned out the world. I just had to make it to Charlie's. Then it would be okay. I had to believe it would be okay. It had to be.

My mind was so consumed with my task, that when something streaked ahead of the car like a silver bullet, I almost lost control of the car in my surprise. I looked in the review and saw nothing, but when my eyes darted back to the road ahead of me, I saw Edward's car stopped in the middle of the road. He got out of the car, and leaned against the hood, his arms crossed. I slammed on the breaks, and came to a stop twenty feet from hitting him. My heart was pounding, and I suddenly became very angry. Here I was trying to spare him pain, and he was blocking my clean get away.

I cut the engine, and slammed the car door behind me as I got out. "Edward, what the hell are you doing?!" I shouted. "I could have killed you!" I screamed. Edward pushed himself off of the hood of his car, looking like a dark god. All fury, and determination. He stalked towards me, his eyes blazing.

"I lost you once, Bella. There's no way in hell I'm losing you again." He said. My heart was pounding again, but for a very different reason. I suddenly found it hard to breathe, and my cheeks were flushed. "You're going to tell me what's going on, and you're going to tell me now." He said, his voice low and dangerous.

My throat had closed off, and even if I had a mind to tell him what was going on, I couldn't have. I shook my head furiously. Edward's eyes narrowed, and he smiled slowly, lethally. I'd only ever seen this side to him once before, when I'd told him I didn't think that I wasn't good enough for him. "Very well. I guess I'll just have to get the truth from you… one way or another." He said. And suddenly his mouth slammed down onto mine, and stole what was left of my breath.

His hands, that so rarely used their strength, lifted me roughly up, and then he laid me down on the hood of my rental car. He leaned his weight against me, and I couldn't help but moan. I arched against him, desperate for his heat, his touch. His mouth seemed to devour me, using teeth and tongue to torture me, his hands pinning my wrists down. When his mouth went to my neck, and bit none to gently, I almost came undone. But miracle of miracles there was still one rational part of my brain, and it forced me to speak.

"Edward…" his mouth sucked on my ear, and I momentarily lost my train of thought. "Edward we're in the middle of the road… on a car." I panted.

"I don't care." He growled, and then his mouth was back on mine, and I abandoned any thought of protest. I kissed him back, pouring everything I had into it, as if my body was trying to apologize for what I'd just attempted to do.

For several moments there was nothing. Nothing but Edward and I, and the heat we could make between us. Then Edward's mouth gentled, his hands soothed, and he slowed to an aching pace, and I thought I would lose myself in the sweetness of it. I was drowning in him, and I never wanted to come up for air. But eventually he pulled away, and stared at me with such love in his eyes, such hurt, that tears sprung back to my eyes. His hand cupped my face, and I couldn't help but lean into his touch. "Bella… please tell me what going on." He murmured.

I couldn't tell him… I couldn't. I began to weep again, and I threw my arms around him. He held onto me, and buried his face in my hair. "Shhh…"

"Don't let go!" I cried. "Don't ever let go!" I begged.

"Never. Never…" He said roughly. We stayed like that for several minutes, until I'd calmed down a little. "Come on. I'm taking you home." He said. I wouldn't have argued even if I could've. He picked me up, and I curled into him like a child. He put me into his car, and then pulled the rental off to the side of the road. Then he got in next to me, and drove us back to his house.

When we got back, he picked me up again, against my meek protests, and carried me inside, and sat down on the couch with me in his arms. Aunt Liz and Edward Sr. rushed in behind us. "Oh Bella! Edward! What on earth happened?" she asked. She went to lay a hand on my shoulder, and I flinched away, still stung by what I'd heard them say. Edward frowned at me, and Aunt Liz looked stunned and hurt.

"Bella?" Edward said questioningly. I bit my lip, and looked at Aunt Liz accusingly.

"I heard what you said earlier… about Edward and me." I said. Edward looked at his mother, his brow raised. Liz looked at her husband, both of them confused.

"What are you talking about, Bella?" Edward's dad asked.

"When you were in the office. You said that I'd left him before and that if we stayed together that I'd leave him again. That we'd only bring each other heartache." I whispered.

Edward looked at his parents, anger flashing in his eyes, and they both looked dismayed. "Oh no, Bella! Oh god, we weren't talking about you and Edward!" Liz said. I frowned.

"What?"

"We saw your mother pull up, and we were waiting in the office for you to get done talking to her. We wanted to give you some privacy. When we saw her, we were remembering what a good couple she and Charlie made before she decided to leave. We were talking about your parents, Bella. Not you and Edward." Liz said, smoothing my hair lovingly, smiling down at me. I blinked.

"You… you weren't talk about us?" I asked, my voice small.

"No! Of course not! We would never think those things about the two of you. You two are meant, Bella." Edward's father said gently. Tears filled my eyes again, and I buried my face in Edward's neck.

"Oh Edward! I've been such an idiot!" I cried, dismayed that I had let my mother get to me, and convince me that everyone thought I'd break Edward's heart.

I felt Edward relax beneath me, and he breathed out a breath. I felt as well as heard him chuckle. "Bella is that what this was all about? You thought my parents said you'd break my heart?" he asked, clearly relieved that it had just been a misunderstanding. I looked up at him, feeling more than a little ashamed, and grieved.

"Well… in part." I said guiltily. Edward raised a brow.

"What's the rest, then?" he asked. I sighed.

"It's kind of a long story." I said.

"Considering the fact that the love of my life, and every life, has just tried to leave me with no explanation, I think I can listen to a long story." Edward said, clearly still hurt. I held on to him more tightly, and his arms tightened around me in response.

I took a deep breath, and began. "Well… my mother came by today. Apparently she took a plane here not long after I did. She came to convince me that you and I were a mistake. And to make me understand why she thought so, she told me about her and my dad. She explained that she fell in love too young, and that she wasn't ready to settle down. She wanted more than Forks could give, but she was so in love with Charlie, that she didn't want to leave at first. And then they had me, and she was really conflicted. But eventually she just couldn't take staying in Forks anymore. But she couldn't bear to ask Charlie to come with her, because she knew that it would make him miserable to be anywhere else. That's why she left him… to try and let him be happy without her." I finished sadly.

Edward frowned. "Okay, but I don't see what that has to do with us." He said. I sighed.

"Well, my mother said that there would no longer be things that I could do, because I'd have you with me, and that there wouldn't be a 'me' anymore, just 'us'. That didn't faze me at first, and I told her that wouldn't be a problem for us… But then she said that what if one day I found something that I wanted… something I wanted desperately but that I knew would make you unhappy. She asked if I could ever let you make yourself unhappy, just because you loved me." I said, bowing my head. "That's why I left, you see. Because I thought "What if she's right? What if one day you are unhappy with where we are, but you stay because you love me?"

I couldn't go on, because the thought still pained me. Edward's hands cupped my face gently, but firmly, and forced me to look at him. His stunning green eyes stared into mine, no doubt or hesitation in them, only truth. "It'll never happen." He murmured. "All that might make sense, but your mother forgot to take one thing into account." He said.

"What?" I murmured.

"Because I love you, I could never be unhappy when I'm with you. As long as we're together, I could never, ever be unhappy, Bella." He said, smiling at me. I smiled back.

"Truly?" Edward grinned.

"Really and truly." He said. I threw my arms around him, and held on tight.

"God I'm such an idiot." I whispered.

"Yes." Edward agreed. I laughed, and kissed his neck.

"Don't ever let me do that again. Ever. I thought I'd die from the pain." I said, wincing. Edward's eye darkened, but he somehow managed to keep his touch gentle.

"Done." He murmured, and kissed me.

When he pulled away, his eyes were clouded with a tempting mixture of lust and anger. "Bella, there is one thing that we have to do, if we are going to stay together." He said. I winced.

"Don't ever say if when referring to our relationship, please." I said. Edward's mouth curved, and he kissed me again.

"As you wish. But this one thing…" he repeated. I sighed.

"Alright. What is it?" I asked. His eyes went somber.

"We need to talk to your mother. We can't let her come between us again." He said. I bit my lip. I didn't want to face her again, especially after what I'd just tried to do, but I knew he was right. I nodded.

"Alright. I know you're right. You'll be there with me right? I can't face her alone again." I said. Edward held me close tightly.

"Of course I'll be with you. You'll never be alone again, Bella." He murmured.

"And we'll be there too, won't we Eddie?" Liz said fiercely.

"Of course. It's time to put an end to this nonsense." Edward Sr. said angrily.

My entire body relaxed, and I smiled fully for the first time in several days. I had Edward, and his family on my side. And I knew Charlie would be too. With them, I could face my mother. There was only one thing that could make this better…

"Don't forget us!" I heard a booming voice say. Everyone jerked, and looked to the doorway to see Emmet, Rose, Alice, and Jasper all standing there looking furious and determined.

"Guys!" I cried, and leapt up to pull each one of them into fierce hugs. Emmet hugged me so tight, I almost lost consciousness. "How much have you heard?" I asked.

"We snuck in just as you and Edward came back. We've heard pretty much everything." Rose said, looking furious.

"I cannot believe your mother tried to break you guys up. This has got to stop!" Alice said, looking like a dark little pixie, her face screwed up in anger. I smiled weakly at all of them, too relieved for words.

"Thank you." I murmured. "I love you guys!" I said, hugging them all again. They all smiled at me.

Jasper smiled, and put a hand on my shoulder. "No problem, Bella. Now, who's ready for an intervention?" he asked. Everyone nodded, and I almost laughed as we all headed out to the cars. This time, I would be facing my mother with an army of people who loved me, and who knew what Edward and I were together. This time, she wouldn't win. We would.

Ending Note: Hey guys! I hope you guys liked this chapter! The next one will be up soon. And just a little sneak peak for you, you'll hate Bella's mom a lot less in the next chapter. I think they'll be about three or four more chapters… I'm not sure. We'll see. Anyways, thank for reading, reviewing, and faving! :D