B POV

I wake up groggily and disorientated. The body beneath me is warm and familiar and for a moment I close my eyes and smile as I listen to Edwards even breathing.

But then I move to get up and a hot prickly sensation spreads through my lower back like wildfire.

Memories of last night come crashing back with a vengeance.

I'm not at home. It's not Edward I'm lying on. And I'm badly hurt.

Jake stirs at my movement, his arms banding around me slightly tighter, instinctively holding me so I don't roll off, even in his sleep.

I lift my head and study him for a while. He's frowning, even in his sleep and I reach up slowly, running my fingers between his eyebrows, trying to smooth the worry etched on his handsome face.

Terror takes a bite at my heart when I think of the possibility that I might have lost him last night. And I realize all too well that had I not found Jake, I might not have made it back to the others with my injury.

I'm still staring at him when his eyes open, focusing on me immediately. He's just woken yet his eyes are alert and aware.

"You okay?" he asks as he tucks his one arm under his head while holding me steady with the other.

"Not sure, haven't moved a lot yet. But I tried to get up earlier and decided against it...its just too sore."

He looks over my shoulder towards the entrance of the cave.

"Suns out. Just barely, but its enough to see," he says. "Bella, I have to roll you back over again. I have to take a look outside and weigh our options."

I nod and he wraps his arms around me like he had last night.

"Same maneuver," he says and after I nod again he gently but quickly rolls me over. The cold of the rocks makes me hiss and even though the pain hadn't gone away, where it was more of an irritating niggle when I woke up, it was back full force now from the movement.

Jake sees my face as I try very hard to keep it together and he runs his fingers down my cheek.

"Sorry Bella, but I have to get us out of here."

"I know," I gasp. "Go have a look and then let me know the conditions outside. I'll be able to give you the best route out of here based on that."

Jake jogs over to the mouth of the cave. He peers outside but momentarily jumps back and to the side, narrowly missing the lip of a wave as it pour water into the only way out for us. He waits for the water to pull back a bit before he walks out onto the ledge and looks around.

"Tides in again," Jake says annoyed as he walks back over my way. "Looks rough, but with the sun out I can see around me, I should be able to make it."

I shake my head immediately. "No way. You're not going out there, there's no way. At least not till its low tide. It takes about six hours between tides so we'll just wait it out a bit. If the water's already that high it shouldn't be more than a few hours before it starts pulling back. When it's low, you can get to the beach safely."

His irritation flares. "Am I the only one that knows how important it is to get you to help? We don't know what injury we're looking at Bella. The longer it takes to get you diagnosed and seen to, the bigger the chances that…"

He looks away and up, his jaw set as he calms his breathing.

"Hey," I say softly but he ignores me. "Jake," I try again.

When he finally looks at me my heart constricts when a few tears escapes his eyes, ones he seems to have been desperately trying to keep in.

"Come here," he whisper and he reluctantly walks over to me and sits down, my hand finding his fast and holding on tight.

"I know how serious this is Jake, I'm not making light of it. But I also won't let you risk your life like this when all we need to do is hang on a little longer for it to be safer. Please, you know I'll be so worried about you I'll try and follow you and that's worse, isn't it?"

He sneaks a peek at me before looking away and nodding. He knows I'll do it too.

"I just want you safe Bella. Away from this cold and this pain. You need to be looked at. I don't know what I'll do if there's any permanent damage Bella. This is my fault to begin with. You told me not to go in."

"None of this is your fault Jake," I say angrily. "They shouldn't have let you come out alone with the conditions as it was. But this isn't their fault either. I had the option to wait for them, and I didn't. Please just be patient for now."

He lies down next to me on his side, his arm wrapping around me. His body heat gives little relief to the iciness that seems to have lodged itself in my bones, but I keep that to myself.

He doesn't say it, but I know he must be thinking about Leah. About how she must be feeling thinking the worst. I know because not a moment has passed that I have not had Edward on my mind.

E POV

"How long, Jasper?" I ask impatiently as my friend kills the call he was on.

"The helicopter is still busy with the Evac of that boat. They've deployed the rescue boat like I told you earlier. But with the tide in again, they'll have to wait it out until it recedes before they can get in there."

"Fuck!" I shout as I glance behind him. The group of people has grown considerably. Bella grew up here, everyone knows her and she's loved by many. Some have come with more food and drinks, others blankets, towels and warm clothes. Some just to lend support. The divers are trying to warm themselves up with the help of some residents; they had to pull back due to conditions as soon as the tide came up again.

"They're doing everything they can Edward," Jasper responds to my tirade.

"Their everything is not enough," I mumble as I walk past him.

I start walking away from the crowd towards the Bluff, needing to be alone with my thoughts for a while, needing to try and convince myself that this is not a recovery operation yet. There's still a chance Bella is okay, I need to believe that. I have to hold onto that otherwise I'll break.

"Where you going?" Emmett asks as I pass him and Rosalie.

I don't answer him; don't even glance his way as I keep walking. I can't bear to see the pain reflected in his eyes. The pain at losing his sister. The sister that cut him out of her life for three months because of what I did. The guilt is crippling, but I keep it to myself. It's my cross to bear.

I reach the face of the Bluff, leaning against its cold, wet surface, my hands running over its rough exterior. I close my eyes for a while, remembering our last time in the cave. I feel her hands on my skin, I feel her lips on mine, and I see her looking at me with her eyes filled with sadness, yet so much love.

The cave…the cave…

Could she? No, I argue with myself. There's no way she would have been able to get in there with the tide high. She told me herself last time she had to wait it out and with the rough conditions of last night, she would have been pulverized if she had tried to hold on the side waiting for it to ebb.

Yet…this is Bella…she's tenacious enough to have tried everything in her power to get back to us. She's never given up anything in her life without a fight.

A flicker of hope ignites in the pit of my stomach but I suppress it, refusing to get my hopes up only to find that I'm wrong.

I stand back a few feet, eyeing our usual route up. I throw a glance over my shoulder. No one's even remotely paying attention to me. I don't want to give anyone false hope…but I have to try. I have to see for myself she's not there.

And then I start my way up the easy side as fast as I possibly can.

"Please," I whisper as I focus my attention on the path in front of me, that flicker of hope now a burning ember even though I'm trying very hard to douse it. "Please don't leave me like this."

Edward, I could kiss you right now! Go boy!

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