I do not own Twilight or its characters. Stephenie Meyer does.

Gabby and April, thank you for prereading, and Fran, thank you for taking your time to edit. Any mistakes left are my own.

Ch. 24

Edward looked up at the treehouse above us with a frown. "Stay down here," he ordered.

EPOV

Bella held the brown hat in her hands twisting it tightly and biting her lip while her eyes remained locked on the treehouse above.

"Beautiful, do me a favor and back up a bit." I wasn't sure how stable the treehouse was. Emmett mentioned it needed some repairs before the kids should go up there, but we were holding off until the spring to do the work.

I started up the ladder slowly. Thankfully, it seemed solid despite its weathered look. I poked my head through the opening and sighed in relief at the sight of the small, huddled, shivering form in the corner.

"He's up here," I called.

"Then why isn't he answering?" Bella didn't sound relieved yet.

"It looks like he's asleep."

I crawled over to him and gave him a small shake. "Alec, wake up, buddy."

He looked very pale and his skin was extremely cold to the touch. I felt his pulse and it was slower than what it should be. However, his breathing didn't sound too bad. I shook him a little harder.

"Alec, open your eyes."

He struggled to open them and blinked at me sleepily. "Mr. Edward," he slurred.

Not a good sign.

"Alec, can you tell me how old you are?" I asked.

"Um … five… no …I six." He looked confused.

"How are you feeling?"

"Cold … my tummy feels icky. I want to sleep." His eyes started to drift close once more.

"No, stay awake. You have a lot of people worried about you. Let's get you out of here. Can you walk?" I shook him gently after his eyes fluttered shut.

He looked at me perplexed and tears formed in his blue eyes.

"That's okay, I'll carry you. Can you wrap your arms around me?" I moved closer.

He tried and he whimpered slightly. "It hurts."

"What does." I remained still, afraid to jostle him yet.

"My hands. I can't…I can't bend them," he started crying harder.

I pulled his hands off my neck to examine them. They were bright red and looked stiff. Thankfully it didn't look like frostbite at the moment. I pulled off my jacket and wrapped it around him as tightly as I could.

It was awkward trying to carry him and climb down the ladder at the same time. I prayed it would hold up and I wouldn't drop him.

"Alec? What's wrong with him?" Bella was frantic when we came into view.

"I think he has mild hypothermia and possibly frostbite. Let's get him inside and get him warm. Do you have your keys? The same key for the front works for the back," I explained. I became relieved when my feet safely hit the ground.

"I do." She hurried ahead of us to the door with Jake on her heels.

By the time we reached the door, she had her coat and boots off, and she had placed Jake's towel on the floor for him.

"Alec?" She reached to take him from me.

"Ant…." He struggled to keep his eyes open.

"Alec, don't go to sleep," I reminded him.

"Beautiful, he's going to be too heavy for you, let's get him upstairs and into one of the guest beds. There are some extra blankets in the hall closet. My clothes will be huge on him but they will be warmer." I carried him through the house.

I took him to the guest room and Bella disappeared into mine. I managed to get his boots off by the time she came back. Between the two of us, we changed him into a pair of my sweats and wrapped him up in some blankets like a burrito. I looked his hands over again, before we wrapped him, and was relieved that the skin wasn't white or hard, just a bit stiff. Jake jumped up and curled next to him and I didn't shoo him off the bed. Although his paws were dirty, he would be added warmth for Alec—blankets could be washed.

"Under your tongue." Bella had found my thermometer and stuck it in his mouth.

He obeyed quietly, as his entire body started to shake from head to foot. Bella looked more concerned.

"It okay, that's a sign his body beginning to get warmer," I said out loud so both of them would relax.

The thermometer beeped and Bella pulled it out of his mouth. She narrowed her eyes and furrowed her eyebrows. "94."

"That's good." I sighed in relief and fought not to laugh at her incredulous look. She must think I'm insane to think that was an ideal temperature.

"94 means that if he has hypothermia, it's in the mild range," I explained.

"How do you know?" she questioned.

"After the numerous amount of times Emmett has fallen into the ocean and gotten hypothermia, I know all about it. Alec's pulse is slow, his speech is slurred, he seems a bit confused and is having a hard time staying awake. His temperature is also in the range for mild. The shivering and being able to talk to us is a good sign. Plus, his breathing sounds a little ragged but not bad and his pupils aren't dilated, those things would be reasons for more concern. Are you starting to feel better, Alec?" I turned back to him; the color was coming back to his face.

He looked at me with dazed eyes and shook his head.

"I can call my dad and run everything by him. Have you called Rose?" We had both had been so focused on Alec, I don't think anyone called her.

Bella's eye widened. "Sh … sugar. I forgot, she's going to be mad." Bella ran from the room.

"Am I…I in trouble?" Alec asked so softly, I almost missed it.

I sat down on the edge of the bed. I didn't want upset him, but I didn't want to lie to him either. "You scared a lot of people that care for you by disappearing the way you did. We thought something terrible happened to you."

"I sorry. Does Auntie Bella hate me?" His lower lip trembled.

"No, she could never hate you, Alec. But you've been pretty mean to her recently and that has hurt her feelings. I think you may owe her an apology, don't you?" I said calmly.

He looked away from me. "She's leaving and don't need me anymore."

I gave him a small smile. "She's always going to want you in her life. You're her nephew and she loves you very much. You'll always be in her heart even after the baby arrives. You're welcome to come visit us anytime, although, you need to ask permission. You can't just run away."

He bowed his head and stared at the snow outside the window.

"Why did you come here?" I asked in curiosity.

"I wanted to ask you if I could live here too." He looked at me with pleading eyes.

I sighed, knowing I was going to disappoint him with my answer. "I think that would make your mom very sad, don't you?"

He frowned and again looked away from me.

"Did you know that I grew up with just my mom when I was a little boy about your age?"

"Where was your dad?" He looked slightly interested.

"My birth father wasn't a good dad, kind of like yours," I admitted.

"See. Dads aren't needed," Alec said pointedly.

I had walked myself into that one.

"I want to be a dad, though. I hope I can make a good one." I continued when he stayed quiet. "When my mom started dating again, I wasn't happy about it. I used to pull mean pranks on the guys to try to scare them away. One guy didn't get scared away—that was Emmett's father. When he and my mom got married, I gained a father and a brother," I shared with him.

"So I can be the baby's brother?" His eyes were filled with uncertainty.

"You'd be the baby's cousin. However, you'd be just like a big brother. You can teach him or her things and the baby would look up to you. You'll also be my nephew," I eluded. Hopefully, Rose would be okay with that.

"So I can call you Uncle Edward instead of Mr. Edward." He eyed me carefully as if he was testing me.

"You can call me whatever you want as long as you're comfortable with it. Well, as long as it's a nice name. I don't want to be called buggerhead or anything like that," I teased.

He cracked a smile and giggled. Bella walked in and grinned when she saw him.

"You look like you're feeling better. Your mom should be here soon. I brought you some hot chocolate." She put the cup on the nightstand.

He might seem better, but she didn't—she still looked stressed and pale.

"Bella, love, sit down, please. You need to rest." I eyed her with concern.

"I will, in a minute, there's soup on the stove." She turned for the door.

I jumped up and guided her back to the bed. She protested weakly as I made her sit.

"I'll take care of the soup. Why don't you sit and help Alec drink." I left the room before she could argue with me.

LIL

I reached the bottom of the stairs as someone knocked. I opened the door expecting to see Rose.

"What are you doing here?" My eyes widened in surprise, finding my parents on my doorstep.

"We try to surprise you and you already know. You know that we were coming and yet you look shocked." My mother rolled her eyes and shook her head.

I had forgotten they were looking at houses in the area. They informed us at Christmas that with the baby coming and also Emmett settling in the area, they wanted to be closer. Carlisle was able to easily transfer to Forks Hospital and was going to start in April.

"That's right. Sorry, it slipped my mind with Alec going missing for awhile—it has been a crazy day." I stepped aside.

"Is he all right?" Carlisle asked right away.

"Bella and I found him a just a little while ago. He was in the treehouse out back. We think he might be a bit hypothermic so we're getting him warmed up while we wait for Rose to get here."

"Would you like me to look him over?" Carlisle hung his coat up on a hook.

"That would be great, he's upstairs with Bella. He was complaining about his hands, it didn't look like frostbite, though."

He nodded and went up the stairs. Rose's car pulled into the driveway before I could close the door—followed by my truck driven by Emmett.

"What can I do to help?" Mom asked.

"There's soup on the stove for Alec, can you check on it, please." I was grateful for the extra help.

"Of course, I'll call for some pizza, it looks like there is about be a small party here." She nodded before disappearing.

Rose hurried up to the door. Looking flushed, her eyes were rimmed red and she was clutching a small duffle bag. "Where is he? Thank you so much for finding him." She stunned me by hugging me.

"I think it's Jake you need to thank. He found him. He's upstairs in bed with Bella and my father is checking him out. It's on your right, second door."

She pulled away tearfully and mumbled another 'thank you' before rushing up the steps. I turned to let Emmett, who was holding a somber looking Alicia's hand, through the door.

"Hey, little Miss, how are you?" I asked her.

She shrugged. "Can I go see, Alec?" she asked softly.

"In a little bit, sweetie. He's okay, but the doctor wants to look at him," Bella answered, coming down the stairs.

"How about we go into the living room to wait." Emmett gave us a small nod and went down the hall with her.

I pulled Bella into my arms and held her tightly against me. She sagged into me and her eyes shut—I brushed my lips against her forehead tenderly. I wanted to suggest she take a nap but I knew she would argue.

"Beautiful, please go relax. There are enough of us around that can cover for you," I pleaded.

"Okay. I want to get something to eat first." She pulled away from me abruptly. "The soup."

"My mom has taken care of it, plus she's ordering pizza for everyone else."

Her shoulders relaxed. "I don't know what I would've done without your help today. Thank you so much." Tears formed her brown eyes.

"You don't need to thank me, beautiful." I pulled her back into my arms.

My mother gave me a smile and wink as she passed us and went up the stairs with a tray of soup and crackers for Alec. Before I could bring Bella into the living room, there was another knock on the door and I opened it to reveal Jasper, Lucy, and Alice. Behind them, Charlie in his cruiser parked on the street.

"Ladies, and Jasper, come on in." I waved past them to Charlie, who was stepping out of his car.

Alice pulled her phone away from her ear and shut it off. "I'm surprised this thing didn't melt with all the calls I made today. But they should be all done now. How's Alec?"

"My dad is checking him out now, he's a doctor. But besides being very cold, he should be okay," I answered.

Alice stepped around me to hug Bella. Jasper shifted Lucy in his arms, who was clinging tightly to him.

"Where was he?" Jasper asked.

"He was in the treehouse out back. I think he was hoping he could live there." I made light of it.

"That boy and trees, I wouldn't be surprised if he did live in one some day." Jasper smirked.

"Hey, you"—I tweaked Lucy's pigtail—"are you going to say hi to me?"

She gave me a half-hearted smile but stayed hanging on to Jasper's neck. He rubbed her back and gave me his own sad smile.

"Luc wants to see for herself that Alec is okay," he explained.

"Of course, once he's a bit warmer, I'm sure he'll want to see you too, sweetheart. We ordered pizza, do you like pizza?" Bella appeared at my elbow and signed as she talked to her.

Lucy nodded shyly.

"Me too. Would you like to wait with Alicia? She's in the living room with Emmett." Bella held out her hand.

Lucy slid out of her uncle's arm then took her hand and they went off together.

"Charlie," I greeted.

"Edward, thank you for everything you did for my family today." Charlie shook my hand.

"No thanks needed, I see them as my family too," I explained.

"Any word on that Royce character? I know he wasn't involved today, but should we keep an eye out?" Jasper asked.

Charlie shook his head and looked a bit guilty. "I might have jumped the gun on that one—I didn't mean to set Rose off into a panic over him. The D.A. on the case was on vacation when he was released, and apparently the paperwork 'got lost' on her desk or so that's her excuse for not telling Rose about his release. Royce is still at a half-way house in Portland. He was at a meeting with his parole officer earlier—about the same time as Alec's disappearing act. I only found out about a half-hour ago. He's not allowed to leave Oregon at the moment, so we'll keep an eye on it."

I showed him and Jasper into the living room. Carlisle joined us a few minutes later.

"Alec is going to be fine. His hands aren't frostbitten, more like frost nipped, so they'll be ok. His temperature is already back up to 97.5. That dog of yours is like a furnace." Carlisle laughed.

LIL

A little over an hour later, and after pleading with his mom, Alec was allowed to get out of the bed since his temperature was normal. Rose hadn't left his side since she got here, and Bella confided in me that she'll probably hover more than usual over the next few days.

When Alec appeared in the living room doorway in fleece pajamas and slippers, he was greeted by everyone and both girls jumped from their spots on the couch and ran to him.

"Alec!'

I did double take at the sound of the sweet, unfamiliar voice that belonged to the girl who flung her arms around Alec so hard, her dark braids smacked them both. Bella gasped in surprise beside me.

I turned my head, Jasper sat slacked-jawed with a slice of pizza halfway to his mouth. Alice quickly whispered something to him and he closed his mouth and nodded.

"Well, I'll be," he muttered quietly—a smile tugging at his lips.

I watched the three friends giggle and talk like it was nothing out of the ordinary. Although all the adults were well-aware what had just transpired, no one made a big deal about it in fear she would stop again. Jake nudged my leg and gave me a look that I knew he needed to relieve himself.

"I'll be right back," I announced and went to the kitchen so Jake could take a well-earned break.

I turned to see that Bella had followed me. She was looking tired, but calmer. "How are you feeling, love?"

"I'm good—ready for bed, but good," she answered.

"You're welcome to spend the night. I don't think anyone would blame you if you went to bed," I encouraged her.

She looked unsure and I had a guess as to why.

"Alec, Alicia, and Rose…even Alice can spend the night too if they'd like. We can have a big sleepover. That way Rose doesn't have to take him back outside so soon and she won't have to leave his side," I offered.

She stood on her tiptoes and kissed my cheek. "You're a very sweet man. How did I get so lucky?"

"I believe, I'm the lucky one." I kissed her lightly on the lips.

A/N:

So Alec is safe and sound, and Edward was able to get through to him. I know a few of you expressed that he should be punished. However, that won't be Edward's place to punish him. Rose will take care of it.

Royce was released and the ball was dropped to inform Rose. Luckily, he was still a state away. No one knew of his release until Alec disappeared. Neither Alice or Charlie were trying to hide that.

Also, Lucy spoke. What do you think of that?

Thank you so much for your reviews and all the love you have given my story!