Hello, lovely people!

I'm back with an early update! Since my vacation is going on, I'm finding it easier to have time for writing, be it for BTS or Mainstream fanfics.

So, hopefully, we will have faster updates till I can finish this baby of mine.

Moving on...

Reviewers:

M - Check this out *wink wink*

Varsini C P - The wood slapping thing is a personal experience of yours trully actually :D. I love how hollow wood feels and yes, I know I'm wierd. Also, I feel you on the Jacob thing, I laughed at that too. You can blame my male best friend who likes to chase me trying to hug me after getting all sweaty after playing football.

GraceEllingson - I'm sorry for confusing you :( Thank you for liking what I'm doing with this story; I hope this one clears up some of your confusion. If not, you can always have a chat with me! I hope you're taking care of your mental and physical health through your busy schedule! Congratulations on the job! Don't let stuff kick you down too much. I'm doing great, hopefully my fist year grades aren't too much of a let down!

Stay safe you all!

A small sigh left my parted lips as I put up my legs on the soft ottoman of the armchair.

Aside from aching feet from walking about in tight boots, my body had started to feel just naturally exhausted.

Most told me off for not getting enough sleep, but I knew it was more than that. The stress was getting to me. I wouldn't be surprised if I suddenly sprouted a tumor or burst a nerve just out of sheer worry.

"Long day, huh,"

I looked around to see Stephen standing in the doorway of the Den and smiled. "Hey, Emmett and Jasper let you off?"

"I escaped. Just about had it with Mario Kart," he muttered, coming inside to take a seat opposite me.

There was a slight lull in conversation as my eyes slid shut, body automatically trying to recompense for nights spent staring out of my window awake in thought.

Stephen respectfully stayed out of it, choosing to stare at the small stack of books I'd borrowed from Edward to read.

He'd been surprised to say the least when he'd come back, seeing me already in his room. They never did learn to lock their door, anybody could walk in…and I did.

Even with the fervor of his passion pressed to my skin by his mouth I had been perusing his shelves, worrying him by pulling out some specific volumes.

I hoped I had gotten good enough to throw him off, adventures of infiltration and sabotage missing from his library should not have made him so worried.

"So what's got you worried?" Stephen finally asked.

I opened one eye to peer at him.

"What makes you think I'm worried?" I asked.

He stopped rubbing his palms as he leaned his weight on his knees, giving me a not amused look.

"Ok, sorry," I winced, sitting up, the bones in my body cracking and popping.

He eyed my movement cautiously, waiting for me to spill.

"I'm just…thinking about home." I mumbled.

Stephen opened his mouth before shutting it with a snap. "I thought we were over that." He grumbled.

"We…are, I guess." I looked down at my hands, tracing the lines on them with my eyes. "You really are over it?" I asked, keeping my voice low.

"What's there to think about, T? I am here now. I have a life here. I built it from the scratch. Going back…it will just cause us more trouble."

"So, you've given up, on your old life, on your family?"

"Tell me; do you really want to go back, wake up from some god awful coma and spend years moping because you miss this place? I saw what going back did to you, you know."

"That…I mean,"

Stephen stood up, giving me a very final look.

"Look, I'm done with this conversation. For good, I am not going to go back and have to repeat a life when I am already being given a second chance."

"A chance where people are trying to kill you," I whispered.

"So be it; I've seen weirder crap. Please, give it up, T. There is nothing left for us back there. Our future, if you want it to be, is here now. I know you miss your parents but…I think whether you want it to be or not…our lives weren't meant to be there."

He stiffly shook his head and before I could say anything else, he was gone; the soft taps of his shoes fading from my ears.

Eyes followed Stephen as he stomped out of the wide space of the Den.

Freshly fed, molten gold eyes turned to look at the slightly slumped figure of the lone girl inside before drooping to the floor, examining it carefully.

Vampire powers had sharpened his senses so much that he could pick out specific grains in the hardwood flooring and yet he had to admit there were things he missed.

He missed the obvious signs of distress in the mind of the girl he loved more than anything. He missed the hidden sadness behind her eyes. He missed how those eyes lit up briefly in the presence of something momentary before slowly losing their glint.

He had missed a lot apparently.

Turning the corner, he leant against the beam, examining his soul mate as she stretched out while standing, collecting the books in the tiny crook of her arm.

His presence must have alerted her as she looked up suddenly at him, a small smile gracing her now pale lips.

God, he was completely blind.

"Hey," he said, trying to keep concern out of his voice.

"Hi," she walked closer, allowing him to transfer the tomes to his own arm, his free hand wrapping around her as he led her to his bedroom.

It was time they had a long due conversation.

Edward swung the door open for me to walk in before following, promptly shutting the door and walking to his shelves to return the books.

I exhaled lowly, trying to keep it from sounding too weary in case he picked up some or the other sign of my exhaustion.

That being said, I really should be sleeping.

I walked to his bed, sitting on the down mattress and rubbing my cheeks to return some warmth when I felt him approach, his footsteps deliberately loud on the floor.

"Love,"

I looked up to see him standing just a few inches away, hands spread out as if he wanted to reach out but was thinking his decision.

"What's wrong?" I asked, frowning.

I was about to stand when he shook his head, making a motion for me to resume my seat.

He backed up a few steps, eyes fixed on me before turning away, beginning to pace.

"There is something we need to discuss and I would rather it be now, if you don't mind."

My mind immediately – dreading the reaction – went to Alec's visit and at the flash of his image in my mind, Edward stiffened, turning to eye me emotionlessly.

I returned the look with a brief shrug, stifling a yawn at the last second and he shook himself out of the thought of Alec.

"This is about something I heard you and Stephen discuss. I admit it's not the first time I've heard the topic be discussed among you and I won't deny it has been eating away at me but I need to get it out now."

"You eavesdropped on me and Stephen?" I asked, sighing.

Edward made a motion of waving it away. "I'm a vampire, my love. I can hardly help it."

"Fine, what is the question?"

"Do you," he paused, taking a breath before meeting my eyes headlong, "do you want to go back to your life, for good?" he tacked on at the end for good measure.

I sat, waiting for more but it didn't come.

For the first time in a long time, Edward looked genuinely worried. His eyes were wide, whatever color he had, high on his cheeks and lips chewed into.

"Why…I mean, what brought this on?"

"Well, we are…heading into…something that is more or less permanent. When we find Emily, the choice of picking between the worlds might be offered to you. I'm just asking you what choice you're going to make. Just so, I can prepare for it." he said.

"So, it's a purely practical question?" I asked, standing up.

Edward gave me an incredulous look before shrugging, looking away.

"I guess it is also a matter of my heart and my emotions but I suppose you can call it that. I like to think of myself as a level-headed man."

"Well…"

Edward sighed. "Yes, I know, I haven't been the most level-headed when it comes to your safety."

I smiled, reaching out for his face.

Cupping under his chin I lightly pulled him closer so I could kiss his cheek. "You're brilliant in every sense of the word, you know. Why don't you ask me what you really want to know?" I said lowly.

Edward flushed at the show of affection, looking oddly flustered and I nearly giggled. It was strangely adorable. I had never thought I'd see Edward Cullen flustered.

"Are you going to leave me again?" he asked finally, wiping away my amusement with the crack in his voice and the sudden contrite stiffness in his body.

It hurt to know that the notion caused him such pain.

I had never known or could understand what Edward had been through the months when he'd thought I was dead. If I had been sad at his loss, the dead, haunted look in his eyes was something I could never hold a candle to.

I never ever wanted to put him through that again.

I didn't answer verbally.

Instead I reach up to wind my arms around his neck, pressing my face against his long neck, snuggling in and inhaling his comforting smell of cologne, detergent and his own alluring scent.

"I would never leave you again. I couldn't live with myself if I did." I whispered.

The idea, old doubts and desires faded away, slowly solidifying in my mind the prospect of staying here. I wouldn't lie that I felt no twinge in my heart at the thought of never seeing my family again. Never getting to say goodbye to them, my friends, my old life…

Edward could read all of this, as he cupped my face in his larger palm, tilting up to look deep into my eyes.

"Are you sure? I wouldn't stop you, if you wanted to." He breathed.

I could still hear the anxious tenor in his voice, underlying hints of concerns of my decisions.

I touched his face, running the tips of my fingertips across his forehead, brushing past his hairline down the slope of his cheeks to his lips, my thumb tracing the plump lower petal.

I knew my choice.

"Yes, I'm sure. You're not getting rid of me so easily." I whispered.

Mild Smut Scene Ahead

Edward crushed me to him, lips pressing against mine hard enough to bruise as he released his worry on me. I let him take over the kiss, my senses, my body completely, allowing him to fully work me whatever way he wanted.

In a way, it was catharsis for me as well. I was letting him take all of me now, no boundaries, no resistance; this was all I had left to offer.

Edward didn't seem to mind, nimble fingers reaching back to pull his shirt off hurriedly, letting my fingers map out the smooth skin of his abdomen as he pulled my face back up to him.

His kisses were slower now, softer yet deeper as we explored each other without the previous anger, sadness and regrets that had clouded us before.

"I love you, so much." He murmured.

"I know; me too." I said before pulling away suddenly. "Are you sure we should be doing this here?" I asked, lowering my voice further.

Edward tilted his head to the side.

"Carlisle is at work, Stephen, Emmett and Jasper are in the basement playing games, Rosalie and Alice are out shopping and Esme is in the kitchen. We don't need to worry about Stephen listening; I doubt the rest would care much."

"Jasper and Emmett would," I pointed out his brothers' penchant for betting and he smiled, face turning smug.

"Well, then let's give them something to bet for then. You're going to have to be a bit quiet." He kissed the tip of my nose as his smile turned softer.

I returned the smile, too giddy at the feel of his hands unbuttoning my shirt and letting it pool to our feet to care as he began to lead us back towards his bed.

He laid me out against the soft mattress, his hands pressing on both sides of my head to cage me in as he leant down to kiss me again, tongue easily sweeping into the crevice of my mouth while I tugged at the belt loops of his jeans.

He turned his head once to make sure the door was locked before covering my body with his again, making sure to put out every thought in my head for the rest of the day.

A good night's sleep was guaranteed.

Waking up to Edward first thing in the morning, with his hands cool and soothing against my heated back was probably something I would never get used to.

He brushed unknown traces as he snuggled me closer to him, trying to keep me within the tempting embrace and cocoon of sleep but my eyes had fluttered open already.

I turned to look at him and he pressed a soft kiss to my forehead.

"You don't have to do this." He whispered.

"I know, but this cat dies if her curiosity isn't satisfied." I mumbled back.

He sighed at that, turning onto his back with his arms around me, the feel of his cool body pressing to mine.

"I just want you to be safe." He said.

"I will be. I'll be fine, just as long as we stick to the plan."

"And what if we get there…and nothing happens, what if we're unable to cross over?" he asked.

There was a pause in which I pushed myself up on my elbow, looking down at him in consideration.

"Then we give up, we move on." I said.

Edward's brow furrowed and he peered up at me. "You mean that?"

I nodded. "I do, we'll move on with our lives. If Emily ever shows up, we'll deal with her but I won't seek her out again. I promise." I said.

Edward stared at me for a long while, weighing my words before nodding himself, letting me lower myself to his mouth for a kiss.

I stared at the luggage packed up in the boot of the car before Edward lowered the lid, turning to look at me. His eyes held the same thing he had been telling me in the morning, only he'd deigned to not say it out loud anymore.

I didn't have to do this.

What he didn't understand was that I did, there was no other way to end this.

I felt a nudge against my shoulder and then Stephan stood next to me.

We watched as the Cullens gathered together for a talk.

"You sure you want to do this?" he mumbled.

"They'll hear you." I replied.

"Let them; I'm more concerned about you. You're sure about this, what if it doesn't work?"

"Then I'll be right where I would be and you can come get me."

"And if…if it works, but you know, not the way you want,"

I shrugged.

Stephen snorted.

"And what is it works the way you want it to,"

I turned to look at him. "I'll end it. I'll end it for both of us." I said, sneaking my hand down to wrap around his.

He squeezed my hand once.

"I don't want you to sacrifice yourself for us."

I smiled bitterly, turning to look at my extended family, Alice in particular, "I won't. You'll know exactly what to do."

He looked away.

"Hey, we're supposed to be partner, remember?" I asked.

Stephen swallowed heavily, watching the Cullens separate as Emmett, Alice, Jasper and Edward began to move towards us.

"Yeah,"

The plan was simple.

We were going to India, in the realm of Twilight, find my house and then Stephen and I were supposed to cross over with the Cullens, following instructions in Sorenson's notes. He'd explained how to recognize breaks in the strings and connections and how to maneuver through them to take me where I wanted and while I wasn't completely sure, I had no practical knowledge, I was pretty sure I had the theory down.

The only niche in the plan was that I was not going to let the Cullens cross over with me.

No, I'd go first, find Emily and deal with her in my own way. It would be Stephen who brought them with him.

The entirety of the flight transport, I spent with my brain fuzzed with loud music, refusing to talk to anyone.

I had to act homesick, in case someone tried to push it.

When they time came, I was counting on Alice and Stephen to do the needful.

Would Edward hate me if he figured it out? Maybe, probably, but I was too stubborn and caught up in this to let it go now.

Emily had to pay for what she'd done…and she would.

Making my way through the small suburban town was easier, given my appearance and knowledge and the fact that it was very plausible for the Cullens to appear foreign and natural by wrapping up completely. They'd taken my advice and the only thing visible was their sunglasses as I conversed with autos to take us to my house.

"It feels weird to be back here like this." I heard Stephen mumble as we stared up at the building, the ground on which we stood, dusty and forlorn compared to the lush green of Forks.

"Seconded," I said back.

I turned to look at Edward who had stayed back with his siblings, letting me and Stephen soak in a familiar sight.

"I…want to go first, get some idea…see if my parents are supposedly in." I said.

Edward removed his glasses, the thin scarf wrapped around his mouth not doing much to hide his concerned pout. "Are you sure?" he asked for what felt like the thousandth time.

I didn't answer, instead turning to grip Stephen's hand.

He glanced at me, his expression freezing when he felt me pass him the scrap of paper with instructions on what to do. I'd already given him Sorenson's notebook in the plane.

He studied me for a second before slipping the paper between his fingers, letting his hand fall and dip into his pocket, tucking in the paper for safekeeping as I turned around and walked up to the door.

Taking a deep breath I rang the doorbell.

Silence…

I pressed on the switch harder for a minute before gripping the handles, letting the door fall open. Taking a final look back at the party still at the front, I entered my house.

I don't know what I was expecting.

The house wasn't shackled in anyway. The furniture was intact. The pictures I remembered were where they were ought to be. They way my mother decorated her kitchen remained the same.

It didn't even seem unoccupied. It was just…empty.

I moved through the house I'd grown up in.

Figuratively, it was still mine, but now it just seemed alien, as if I was visiting for the first time. Not for the first time, did I regret never asking Bella or Renee what had happened to my family in the book world, but now…I just would rather not know.

They didn't really exist in this world. There was no need to bring them into this mess.

I turned at the staircase, looking around the living room one last time.

I had a theory of where to find the breach within dimensions. The times we'd crossed over, we had been in our bedrooms, the first time when I'd gone to bed reading twilight, and then when Stephen and I had fallen asleep.

Both of those times, we'd materialized in, bedrooms again, just in different places.

So, there was a pattern at least, the place you wanted to go to couldn't be random. They had to be similar in context, or purpose.

I wondered if I would end up in Emily's bedroom if it worked.

I sighed. Might as well get it over with…

Taking the steps two at a time, I rounded the landing, determinedly coming to a stop in front of my door.

Well, it would be now or never.

I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath and reached for the door knob, trying to visualize a seam within the door.

Here goes nothing.

I opened the door, letting it swing inward with a creak I had forgotten over the months.

It didn't look any different. Bed still in the centre, windows closed, rug wound up a bit at the edges…

It looked exactly the way I'd left it when Stephen and I went back.

I entered the room slowly, frowning as I went to the window, looking down to see the Cullens waiting patiently. I backed up, repeating Sorenson's instructions of recreating the passage.

Glancing at the bed, I sighed, climbing into it.

If I had to recreate a passage, I needed to be exactly the way I had been when I'd travelled for the seam to break enough for me to let in.

Settling in, I wondered idly how Stephen would succeed in brining the Cullens over and closed my eyes, trying to fall asleep.

I stayed absolutely still for what felt like fifteen minutes. I must have fallen asleep because I didn't remember moving at all before opening my eyes.

What I did remember was not being completely shrouded in darkness, the smell of damp surrounding me.

I jolted upright, my eyes blinking wildly as I tried to remember if my room ever got pitch black at night.

No, there had been a streetlight to keep me company, and I didn't remember my mattress being so hard and rough. Not to mention, Edward or Stephen would've woke me up by now.

A bloom of fear unfurled inside me.

I wasn't in my bedroom anymore, that was for sure but I had no idea where I was.

I didn't even know which dimension I was in.

Getting on mu haunches, I patted my pocket, great, my phone was gone.

Was this is a dungeon? A real, damn dungeon of all places…

How had anyone managed to get me here without me realizing, before I wondered whether someone had converted the end of a quantum tunnel – or so it said in the book – into one.

It was stupid, thinking I could've sprung something on Emily, but now the deed was done.

I was going to have to figure this one out on my own, seeing as all my loved ones were…not here. At least not now anyways…

I was about to clench my hair in frustration when a sound erupted in the room that had me freezing in panic.

Was that a rat? Oh god, please be a rat…actually no, please don't be a rat…

The sound came again and I frowned, listening hard, still frozen where I was.

The sound came a third time.

It was a groan…a human groan…

I wasn't alone in here after all.

"Hello," I whispered.

There was a very audible hitch in breath and then scuffling as if it was trying to back away.

"Hello, is someone there?" I asked again, trying to sound harmless.

There was a pause before a scratchy voice answered dimly. "Yes, someone is here."

I bent down onto my knees, trying to find the source of the voice before realization stuck me hard.

Who else could've pissed Emily so much that she would be locked down here?

"Stephanie Meyer?"

Eh, eh, who was expecting this from the preview of the last book?

*Evil cackling*

A/N: I can't believe I have only 2 more chapters to finish and then Touch in the Worlds will be officially over.

Love you all!

Enjoy!