Hello everyone! Thank you so much for reading this fanfic. I update between Mondays at 8 AM to Tuesdays at 11 PM CT at the latest.

Thank you JaelSarjenka and natsumi456 for the reviews! I do love to hear what you readers think of my writing.

*PLEASE READ AUTHOR'S NOTE AT THE END

Disclaimer that all of the Twilight universe characters belong to Stephanie Meyer, though Mina/Lily and her family are similarly structured to my own but not majorly based on my family. I hope you enjoy!

BOOK TWO: CHAPTER FIVE B

Seeing the unconscious form of her friend made Lily freeze with fear. Bella's thin body, limp in the man's arms feel like she'd been too late in trying to save Bella. What was the point of saving if she was already gone?

She stayed were she was while Charlie rushed forward to take her in his arms. He seemed to struggle a bit, to the point where the man almost offered to carry her inside himself, but even he could see Charlie's need to be there for her.

Charlie heading back indoors snapped her out of it enough for Lily to follow them inside. Immediately, Dr. Gerandy, a doctor from Forks Hospital, was checking up on Bella.

"Where is Carlisle?" Charlie ground out.

"You didn't know? They've moved, Carlisle got an offer that 'he just couldn't refuse'," Dr. Gerandy said simply. Lily bit her tongue from saying the real reason they left, especially since it sounded like the blame was falling onto Carlisle. "With some rest, blankets, and warm soup, she should be good as new in no time."

He left quietly, the rest of the search party dispersing as well.

"You knew?" Charlie frowned, looking at Lily suspiciously.

"I was coming to warn her," she looked away despondently. "I wanted to soften the blow, be here for her. And look what good it's done." Charlie realized she was just as hurt about the move.

"Why didn't you go?"

"I wanted to, considering I'm engaged—was engaged—to Carlisle. To be honest, it's all around a tricky situation. I couldn't leave Bella, and I still have school to finish. But I will say it wasn't Carlisle who chose to move. Edward and Bella had a bit of an argument and Edward couldn't just talk it out like any healthy relationship and has decided to take the coward's way out," she explained, her bitterness showing towards Edward. "Carlisle loves Edward enough to move their whole family away."

Charlie was quiet for a long moment, enough for Lily to start preparing some hot chicken noodle soup for when Bella woke up. But Bella didn't wake up until the following morning.

Lily had spent the night, wanting to be there for Bella when she woke.

The shrill rings of a phone slowly woke up Lily the next morning. But she really woke up when the phone dropped. She rushed to the kitchen to find Bella gripping the drawer desperately so as to not drop to the ground.

"Bella!" Lily gasped.

Bella swerved around, startled by her voice.

"Lily? Lily!" Bella beamed, wrapping her tightly in a hug. "I'm so glad to see you! When I answered the call that the Quileute Tribe is having a celebration in honor of the Cullen's departure, I almost believed it until I saw you. What has been going on?"

"Bella, I'm here alone," Lily said gently, pulling Bella away a bit to face her.

"A… alone…" Bella whispered, dread filling her once again. "But… but you and Carlisle?! You're going to get married! He wouldn't just… he couldn't…" she began to ramble.

"Bella, I had come to warn you of Edward's plan. It was completely selfish of him but everyone was behind his decision, besides myself. I couldn't leave you to suffer. I wanted to help," Lily frowned.

"And be a reminder of them?" Bella bit.

Her tone startled Lily.

"Excuse me?" Lily asked gently.

"I can't see you without seeing them and having hope that this isn't real. That they're still here… That… that Edward…" she choked up, unable to finish her sentence. Finishing the sentence would only make it more real. "They haven't left! It isn't true!" she screamed, rushing for her room. Lily followed her but didn't enter her room.

Bella scrambled wildly for any proof that Edward hadn't left:

Her CD of his lullaby—gone.

Her pictures of him—gone.

She crashed to the ground, not of another fainting spell but of pure suffocating grief. Hearing the crash, Lily entered her room and helped her into bed.

"Bella, we can get through this together. You don't have to be alone in this," Lily tried to comfort.

"Get out," Bella said quietly.

Lily tensed, a sudden chill seeming to take over her.

"Please don't do this," Lily pleaded.

"Get OUT!" Bella screamed, turning away from Lily. When Lily tried to place a comforting hand on her, Bella shrugged it off harshly.

"I get it. Lashing out like a frightened wounded animal. Not quite understanding that we are here to help you," Lily said softly, her throat thickening from her own despair coming through. "But I will always be here for you, unlike some."

She went down the stairs to find Charlie there at the bottom of the stairs.

"I heard screaming," he said worriedly.

"Bella… um," she struggled, biting back her own tears. "It hurts to see me, since I remind her of them. She wants space… I'll always be there for Bella, Charlie," she promised. She was surprised when she found herself in a warm hug.

"As you'll be there for Bells, I'll be here for you, too," he promised.

Finally letting go, she cried hard as she hugged onto Charlie tightly. It was one thing she truly mourned: she had no family to turn to. Her mother was no long there to comfort her with words and food, her father's protective arms out of reach.

So she cried and cried and cried. Until Bella started to scream and cry herself. Wincing as his arms released her back into the cold world too soon, she stepped away and smiled understandingly as she made her way to the door.

But each step made her ache for comfort.

Edward may have made everyone leave, but Bella made her feel truly alone.

A.N. Speaking of floundering, Lily is losing steam and quickly! I really struggled with getting this chapter long. So I've made Chapter 5 another two-parter.

*I have to be out of town all weekend (which is when I normally have time to write) so next week's post might be on Tuesday or Wednesday.

If you ever have any ideas you'd like to see in the story, let me know and I'll see what I can do. Reviews and comments are always welcome! I'm always really curious as to how other people view my works and you guys really do inspire me to continue posting!

Have a wonderful day!

Ellie T.