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Alright, a new chapter! Maybe I'll post again tonight? All of your responses are so amazing, so thank you!

EPOV

He wordlessly opened the door and let me in. It looked like he was dazed. His thoughts remained focused on Bella. Renee's thoughts were trying to reconcile the events of the last 24 hours to make everything seem unreal, like Bella would walk through that door again, any minute. Cognitive dissonance, was what phycologists called the phenomenon, but it was one thing to hear about the phenomenon, and quite another to hear your mother-in-law go through it. She was trying to figure out how to make this nightmare go away, but practically she knew there was no way to bring back what had been lost, it didn't stop her from trying.

Once she realized I had arrived, she got up to embrace me, she didn't even make note of the coolness of my skin, or the marble-like feel of my embrace. She, too, was lost in a daze. I wondered if they had ever come out of it in the time I was gone.

I wasn't sure how best to discuss this, there was no right way to talk about the loss of the love of one's life, or someone's child. After a few moments, I decided to break the silence. I cleared my throat to give them a warning.

"I-I don't know how to do this," the grief in my voice was one I did not have to fake, once again the mere possibility of losing Bella was enough. "Bella and I briefly discussed arrangements, but I didn't know if there was anything you had discussed."

"No," Renee answered, "It's silly, but I always thought by not talking about it, it would make it not real."

"It's not silly," I assured her, "I had the same thoughts, but Bella being Bella, she didn't want us to worry about anything, so we talked about what we should do afterwards. She wanted everything simple, she didn't want to burden us with anything extravagant."

"That sounds like her," Charlie chuckled wistfully.

"My family can take care of it, if you'd like, I just wanted to know if there was anything you'd like done for her."

"We can't ask your family-," Renee started object. This was something else she and Bella shared, she didn't wasn't objecting to be polite, but truly she didn't want to burden my family.

"They all see Bella as a big part of the family, they'd be happy to take care of it, but I wanted to go over everything with you," I interrupted then I looked at Charlie and Renee, and like that we discussed details of Bella's funeral. I was looking down at my wedding band, when Renee looked at my hand.

"Are you going to take it off? I know it's early but-,"

"Never," I answered too quickly. Renee just nodded like she had gained a new understanding about me. 'Kind of intense, but he really loved her.'

"Can I see it again?" She nodded her head toward Bella's journal.

I nodded. "Of course. I'll show you some of my favorites?" Renee nodded in response.

I showed her several Lover, Ivy, Wildest Dreams, and Peace. She saw Last Kiss as I was thumbing through the journal, I hadn't wanted to show her that one. I also avoided the last half of the journal, it contained new ones that even I hadn't seen, and selfishly I wanted to be with Bella when I saw them for the first time. But Last Kiss was particularly depressing to me, but she had already noted that one, so I turned to that page. I was partially right, it brought her to tears, but the happiness in her thoughts that confused me. She was happy that Bella had found me, to Renee this was another sign of how much we loved each other. She this as an ode of all of Bella's favorite parts of me, I hadn't thought of it that way.

"I'm so glad she found you, Edward. You made her happy, you brought love into her life. Everyone should have love like that at least once, you know?" It was hard to make out her words with the sobs contorting her words.

"I do know, she was the love of my life, and I was honored to be hers," my voice wavered at the end.

"You used to watch her sleep?" Renee asked, holding the journal in her hands.

I chuckled, "I did. She said that if anyone else did that, it would be creepy, but I liked hearing her talk at night, I watched her every night, except-," I stopped. I reminded myself that this was just a part of the story, "except that last night, I can't tell you how much I regret that, maybe if I'd-," I continued, my voice breaking again.

"No, there was nothing we could have done," Renee assured me, she grabbed my hand. This time she noted that my hand was much colder than it should have been. I quickly removed my hand from hers. I was surprised she didn't say anything.

"The eulogy, will you do it?" Charlie spoke for the first time in a while, he broke Renee from her thoughts of my cold hands.

"Are you sure? Wouldn't the two of you like to do it?" Both Renee and Charlie shook their heads. There was no polite way to decline, so I nodded. It would be a taxing challenge to write about Bella like she was gone.

"They'll be publishing her obituary tomorrow morning, just so you can be prepared. I'll let Carlisle know to print the funeral information along with it," I gently informed them. I knew they heard me, but they were lost in that daze again. I wondered when, if ever, the clouds of mourning would lift for them. I knew it would be a long healing process, but would they be a semblance of the people they were before, or were the scars too deep to heal? I wasn't naive enough to believe that they could just return to their life after a period of mourning, but I wanted to think that they could eventually pick up the pieces of their broken hearts.

"My parents would like to visit tomorrow with me, if that's okay?" They just nodded absentmindedly, I could hear from their thoughts that they understood, but once again I no longer held their attention. "I'll be back tomorrow."

I gently squeezed their shoulders and left.

I rushed home, desperate to be in Bella's presence again. If she woke, she'd most likely wake tonight or very early tomorrow morning. When I made it to our cottage, everyone was there. I didn't like it. This was Bella's and my place, our haven, it felt wrong to have everyone here. I caught the tail end of whatever Alice was saying to Bella.

""It's been almost a century that Edward's been alone. Now he's found you. You can't see the changes we see, we who have been with him for so long. Do you think any of us want to look into his eyes for the next hundred years if he loses you? I'm going to be so upset with you if you don't wake up, Bella." It wasn't until the end of her rambling that Alice started to choke up.

I quickly walked through the door. Everyone greeted me and acknowledged me in their thoughts.

"Why is everyone here?" I kept my tone even, despite the panic rising. "Is she okay?"

"She's fine, Edward." Carlisle assured me quickly, "I suppose everyone just wanted to check on her."

I nodded, I appreciated everyone's concern.

"I discussed everything with her parents, they had no requests for the funeral. She'd want it simple." I grabbed Bella's hand. "I told them we were okay to take care of everything."

"Jasper and I will take care of it, Edward." Alice moved from her place next to Bella, and walked to Jasper. I nodded, "Thank you, Alice."

"I've already taken care of everything, the obituary will be posted and printed in the newspaper along with the funeral information," Carlisle said next to me, his hand on my shoulder. 'Perhaps Esme and I will stop by tomorrow? They are probably struggling.'

"Thank you," I repeated to Carlisle and Esme, "I told them you'd stop by tomorrow. I wouldn't be surprised if they were inundated with the town's 'support' by tomorrow," I scoffed, it was reprehensible that people cared so little for the real Bella when she was alive, but they all would care once she was six feet under. "I'm not sure if people will show up here, very few people knew we got married, although they'll know once they see her last name printed in the obituary, we might want to prepare ourselves for that."

They both nodded in agreement and then left.

'Would you like us to stay, Edward?' I was surprised that Rosalie's 'voice' was the one I'd heard. I shook my head. "No, I'd like to be alone with her. I'll let you all know if there's a change. Thank you." Rosalie nodded and took Emmett's hand as they both left.

"I sound like a broken record, Bella. Everyone keeps apologizing about the other night, and I just keep saying 'it's fine' over and over again," I started talking to her again, in hopes that she could hear me. "I'm not sure how you did it all these years, with the 'I'm fine' all the time. I suppose it becomes reflexive after some time, but it is going to drive me mad. Just more proof that you are just stronger than I am, braver too," I chortled.

"You're brave to a fault. I'm not sure how you ended up with a monster like me, but I'm happy you did. You're a much better person than I. You're everything I'm not. My perfect opposite. Selfless, warm, compassionate, kind, brave, I've lived over a century and you're probably smarter than I, definitely more talented."

I continued for a while, "You're going to hate this but your obituary is going to be posted and printed tomorrow morning, I told everyone to keep things as simple as possible, I suppose it's up to how Alice defines simple." The sun was setting already. "It's twilight, again. The best and worst part of the day. We'll know soon if you'll wake up."

I squeezed her hand, and whispered, "Please wake up."

I wasn't certain if I was going insane or not, but I thought I felt her squeeze my hand back. It was the most gentle of movements, but I swore I felt it. I remembered that this is what people did when their loved ones were comatose, they mistook reflexes for movement, in some cases they imagined movement for some comfort, but the last time we were in this position, I was right, she did wake up. I quickly dialed Carlisle's number, never removing my hand from Bella's.

And just as quickly, Carlisle was here.

"She moved Carlisle, she squeezed my hand." I was well aware that I sounded like a madman, but I couldn't have cared less. Carlisle's thoughts were nothing but supportive.

He approached her slowly, "Bella, can you hear me?" At first there was nothing. Then I saw the twitch in her fingers again.

"You saw that, right? Please tell me you saw that?" Desperation filled my voice.

He just nodded. 'I saw, Edward.'

And then her hand twitched again. Her heart was slowing even more.

"It shouldn't be long now. If she wakes up, it will be soon. I should go, if she wakes it will be disorienting. Prepare for that. " It was the 'if' that I hated. If Bella woke. It was early morning when I heard one last thud, I held my breath, praying to anyone that might listen that Bella would wake.

And then I saw the greatest sight I had ever seen, Bella's eyes snapped open.