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Bella felt like her world was coming down around her. The last thing she wanted was to be afraid of her mother, but sadly, she was. There had been too many hateful rants, harsh accusations, and flying hands for her not to be scared. She told herself that her mother wasn't that woman anymore, that the mother who nursed her back to health when she was eight and had the flu was the real Renee Swan wrapped in the arms of her father, but how could she know for certain?

Feeling overwhelmed, Bella shared a look with Edward before fleeing the kitchen and hurrying to the front door, yanking it open. However, the last thing she had expected was to find Jasper and Alice standing on the front porch. Bella gasped and looked back at Edward before saying, "Come in."

Taking a step backward, Bella held her breath as Jasper placed his hand on Alice's back, nudging her forward. Edward stood still; shock, hope, and a little bit of fear creeping up on his face. Bella closed the door behind them, causing Alice to look back at her. Five weeks ago, Alice had been frail, weak from trying to be stronger than she was, but there was something different about her now.

"We, um, we didn't know you were coming home," Bella murmured, moving so that she stood next to Edward, slipping her hand in with his.

"We didn't either," Jasper admitted, his arm tightening around Alice. "We didn't want to miss Christmas, though. Right, Alice?"

She barely moved her head. "Went by the house first, but nobody was there. Figured you'd be here."

"Um, yeah, we . . ." Edward trailed off as Carlisle, Esme, Phil, Charlie, and Renee walked out of the kitchen.

"Pix?" Carlisle whimpered, bringing his hand up to his mouth. "You're here."

Alice opened her mouth, but closed it and looked at Jasper. "I'm not ready to talk to him yet."

"Okay," Jasper whispered, his eyes shifting to Bella and then Edward. "Let's go outside."

"Pix," Carlisle murmured. "I'm sorry."

"Please, Bella," Jasper said, his eyes pleading with her.

"Yeah, yeah, okay," Bella muttered, reaching over and placing her hand in the middle of Edward's chest, drawing his attention from his sister to her. "Let's do this for her."

Edward slowly nodded his head.

Ignoring the rest of their families, Bella placed her hand in Edward's and followed Jasper and Alice outside. Once the door was shut, Alice turned and threw herself against Edward, wrapping her arms around his neck, the sound of her sobbing filling the air. Bella took a couple steps backward, but stopped, when Alice reached for her hand.

"Sorry," Alice cried, laying her head against Edward's chest as his arm wrapped around her. Her eyes were locked on Bella. "I am so sorry for . . . for everything."

"Don't be sorry," Edward whispered, causing Alice to lean backward and look up at him. "Don't be sorry for how you feel. You went through a lot, Pix. Not just the accident, or the burns, either." He brought his hand up to the back of her neck. "I'm the one who's sorry, Pix. I should have done more to help you. I was selfish."

"You've never been selfish, Edward," Alice scoffed, stepping away from him and wrapping her arms around her torso. There was a sadness in her eyes that Bella knew would never go away. No matter how strong Alice got, a part of her died in that graveyard. "After Mom and Dad, you did everything for us. Made sure we had food to eat, made sure the bills got paid. You took on too much, and I resented you for it."

"You did?" he asked, frowning. "Why?"

"Because I needed Mom and Dad so much," Alice cried, covering her mouth with the tips of her fingers. "And because even though I needed them, they died; they died and it was all my fault."

"What?" Edward gasped, but before they could say anything, the front door opened and Carlisle stepped out onto the porch. "Car, dude, she said she didn't want to talk to you."

"I know," he mumbled, putting his hands up. "I just . . ."

"You what?" Alice asked, cocking an eyebrow. "Hmm? You missed me? You're sorry. What a load of bullshit."

"I did miss you, and I am sorry, Pix," Carlisle argued. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

"You never do, do you?" she asked, wrapping her arms around her torso. "But the truth is you never loved me the way you loved him."

"That's not true," he griped.

"Isn't it?" Edward added, drawing their attention to him. "You cut yourself because I got Mom's heart. Not because of the accident, but because you felt guilty for putting me first. And then when Bella and I moved, when we made the decision to put ourselves first, you hounded us for weeks, but Pix was out there, too, Car, and not a one of you gave a damn."

"You wanted to a fresh start?" Carlisle shoved his hands into his pockets. "So did I. Esme and I were supposed to be getting married tomorrow. We wanted to start our lives together, to have children, and be fucking happy, because the last handful of years sucked ass for both of us. We gave up everything for you. Everything!"

"And you resent me for it," Alice muttered. "Mom and Dad wouldn't have died if I hadn't begged them to go to my art show." She looked at Edward. "You would have died, but they would be here, and as much as it hurts to think of a world without you in it, I needed them to tell me it's okay to be not be okay all the time," she cried.

"Me too," Edward admitted, reaching for Alice, who graciously took hold of his hand. "I miss them all the time, Pix, but Mom and Dad wouldn't want you to hurt yourself."

"I know." Alice frowned and pulled away, turning and taking a few steps away from him. "I thought I was strong enough to be on my own. I thought . . .
Alice shook her head before looking at Bella. "I thought I could be as strong as you."

"Me?" Bella gasped, placing her hand on her chest.

She nodded. "When we moved here, I saw how much Edward loved you, how much you loved him. It scared me because I didn't want him to get hurt. He'd . . . Well, he'd already been through so much, and losing you would have been the end of him." Alice brought her hand up and laid it on her chest. "But the more I watched, the more jealous I became of you. Of both of you."

"I don't understand. Why were you jealous of us?" Bella asked, shaking her head.

"Because you knew what you wanted and went out to take it," Jasper murmured, causing everyone to look at him. He shoved his hands into his pockets and blew out a deep breath. "I know it hasn't been easier, you've both fought through so much shit to get where you are, but look at what you're doing? You're in college, chasing your dreams."

"Chasing our dreams," Edward scoffed, dragging his hand through his hair and gripping the back of his neck. "We wanted the same as you two. A chance to be normal, for people not to look at us like I was the boy with the broken heart."

"Or the girl with cancer," Bella whimpered.

"With scars all over her body," Alice cried, wrapping her arms around her torso. "I remember what it was like to be beautiful."

"You're still beautiful," Edward said, slowly reaching out and placing his hands on Alice's face. "You look like Mom, Pix."

"I do?"

Edward nodded. "Especially when you smile."

Alice's lips turned upward as she sobbed and fell against his chest, her arms wrapping around Edward, fisting the back of his T-shirt. "I'm sorry. I'm so fucking sorry."

"I know," Edward murmured, just holding her.

Bella knew that while things were still tense, nothing would come between them again. Or so, she hoped.

—WH—

Though it was hard, Bella managed to get everyone, except Alice and Edward, inside the house, knowing her husband needed some time alone with his sister. Her suicide attempt had almost crushed him, the blame she put on his shoulders. It wasn't fair, and she knew they had a lot of stuff to work out, but they were trying.

Bella also knew Carlisle was anxious to sit down with Alice, too, but she wasn't ready for that. While Alice loved both her brothers, Carlisle had failed her too many times. Maybe it wasn't fair to put so much responsibility on his shoulders, but he had hurt her too many times. Since Alice refused to speak to Carlisle, he stalked upstairs to Esme's old bedroom, with her following, while Emmett, Rose, and Phil tried to keep Charlie and Renee distracted in the kitchen. Bella felt overwhelmed with everything going on. It was time like this when she missed not having a voice. Easier to hide when you couldn't speak.

"Guess we should have called," Jasper murmured, sitting on the edge of the sofa, his eyes flickering to the front door.

"Why didn't you?" Bella asked, sitting next to him.

"Because I wasn't sure she would really come home with me, or if we were welcomed, after everything."

Bella nodded. "Suppose I get that."

"Why would you not be welcomed?"

Looking over their shoulders, Jasper and Bella found Emmett and Rose standing behind them.

Rose frowned. "Why?"

Jasper shrugged his shoulders. "Not our home anymore, is it?"

"Of course it is," Rose said with a gasp.

"Is it?" he snapped, standing up and facing his sister. "I needed you, Rose. I fucking needed you, and you weren't there for me, either."

"I . . . I . . ."she stammered.

"Yeah, I know. You're sorry," Jasper gritted out, gripping the back of his neck. "Sorry doesn't make it better. Sorry doesn't take back the fact that when I needed you to hold me together, to lie to me and tell me the love of my life was going to be okay, you weren't there, Rose. You weren't fucking there! You're my sister, but I didn't mean shit to you."

"That's not true," Rose cried, wrapping her arms around herself. "I know I should have done more, but this wasn't easy for me, either." Shifting her eyes to Bella first and then Emmett, she dropped her hands to her abdomen. "I'm pregnant."

Bella expected Emmett to be surprised, or shocked, or something, but he just smiled and said, "I know."

"But how. . ." Rose smiled and shook her head before looking back at Jasper. "You're right. I should have been there for you, but things weren't easy for us, either. Emmett and I have been trying to get for a long time, and it wasn't . . . We were told we'd be lucky to ever get pregnant." Rose brought her hand up to her lips, her eyes glistening with tears. "I wish Mom and Dad were here, Jas, but they aren't and I'm terrified that I'm going to fuck up as a mom because when my brother needed me, I wasn't there for him. I wish I had been."

"Me too," Jasper mumbled, dragging his hand over his face in an effort to wipe away his tears. "I . . ."

But before he could say anything else two things happened. First the front door opened and Edward and Alice walked inside, and Renee hurried out of the kitchen with Charlie and Peter chasing after her. She stopped in the middle of the room, her eyes flittering to each one of them before stopping on Alice.

The smile that lit up her face was breathtaking and she giggled before saying, "Oh, she was right about you, Pix."

"Pix?" Alice stammered, turning to Edward before looking back at Renee. "How'd you know they call me Pix?"

"She told me," Renee replied, walking over and placing her hands on either side of Alice's face. "She said you were beautiful, and she was right."

"Who was?" Alice whispered.

As Renee's lips parted and she said a single word, everyone gasped. "Elizabeth."

Thank you for all the reviews. This chapter was a bitch. I've opened it at least a dozen times.