A/N: And here the conclusion. I'm afraid it's nothing new, or not much anyway, just the last chapter from Edward's POV, but after that things should move on a little faster. Just a little under a month to go until my big exam and I'm not making much progress as far as studying is concerned, which is really, really bad, so I'm afraid you'll have to be patient. It's unlikely I'll manage to write another chapter before February 15.

Still, I hope you like this one, and it's not too boring! Thanks for all the reviews (I'm sorry I haven't answered most of them, but I haven't had the time) and for all of you who put my story on their 'favourite' lists and me on their 'author alert' or 'favourite authors' lists. I'm really flattered!

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: It's all property of Stephenie Meyer; I only borrowed her characters.

11. TRUTH

EDWARD

Bella's future reappeared early Monday morning. Alice saw her come home and clean her house; from there it was still up in the air, but Alice was reasonably certain she wouldn't run into Carlisle today. By sunrise guilt had wrapped itself around my like a steel blanket. Jasper glanced at me curiously on his way to the car while I was clearing the snow out of the driveway, but he didn't say anything for which I was grateful. Carlisle left shortly after Alice and Jasper, Esme half an hour later to order materials for the house she was storing, and then I was alone with my guilt.

My thoughts wandered to Bella while I erected a perfectly symmetrical wall of snow around the driveway. I hadn't been able to speak to Alice again, because my family had been in earshot all weekend, and I'd been tempted to go to her house again, but seeing my decision Alice had advised me against it; there was nothing in Bella's immediate future to indicate she wouldn't send me away again if went by her house again, if I went to see her again, and so I'd decided to stay away and wait. And once things had changed, once they were alright again, I'd tell my family.

But, and I leaned heavily on the shovel, afraid my legs might gave way again, what if things would never be alright again? I had to tell them. It was only a matter of time until Carlisle saw her, and then he'd know I had been lying. I didn't want to disappoint him, but I was afraid it was too late for that. I shouldn't have lied. I should have made up my mind sooner.

I heard my cell phone chime. I'd left it inside beside the piano since electronic equipment didn't take well to subzero temperatures. I put the shovel against the wall of the house and, slipping out of my boots, and stepped inside. Alice had texted me. Wondering what this was about, I opened the message and froze. Problem, she'd written. Fundraising gala at the hospital tonight. Carlisle and Esme will attend, and so will Bella. They'll meet. What do you want to do? I read the message again and again and again, unable to make sense of it, my brain refusing to work properly. What was I supposed to do now? What could I do? If I tried to step them, I'd only make things worse.

I needed help.

I don't know, I replied. Advice?

Alice's reply came before my message had even been sent. Accompany them.

I wanted to trust Alice. I'd learned to trust her visions, imperfect as they sometimes were, but now… I couldn't help feeling that this time she was wrong.

Or maybe, just maybe, I was afraid to face the consequences of my actions. I'd never been very good at that, preferred to run away instead of deal with them. I wanted to run now, wanted to get on a plane and return to Siberia where I'd be alone, but then I'd also never see Bella again and maybe lose my only chance to make things up to her.

Maybe it was time to stop running away.

Terrific, Alice replied, obviously trying to be encouraging, we'll go shopping this afternoon then. You'll need a new tux.

I sighed. Terrific, indeed.

Carlisle was surprised when I called to tell him that I wanted to accompany him tonight, but happy nonetheless that I'd leave the house without having to be dragged. I knew he'd call Esme the minute I and it wasn't very difficult to imagine her joy. If only he knew the reason behind my decision—he wouldn't be as happy then.

I resumed my task, working as slowly as I possibly could, so I was still at it when Alice and Jasper came home, two hours before they normally would. I'd just finished piling up half a ton of wet snow behind the garage when I heard their car in the driveway, gravel crunching. Jasper raised an eyebrow, frowning, as he saw me walk out from behind the garage, thinking I was in dire need of a new hobby, but otherwise didn't comment on it; apparently Alice had asked him to write a term paper for her which would take even him a while. I smiled at her as we climbed into the Volvo after I'd exchanged my boots for normal shoes and put on a coat.

"You owe me big time," was all she said before she pulled out a French fashion magazine out of her bag.

We didn't speak while I edged the car down the road; the snow made it hard to drive even for me, and I had to concentrate more than usual.

"I know," I said once we were on the main road.

"I could use a new car," Alice replied, scrunching up her face in thought. I smiled. She'd already made up her mind, of course.

"A yellow Porsche it is," I said, and Alice beamed at me. "At least someone's enjoying this."

Alice nudged my shoulder. "Enough with this guilt already. You're making Jasper edgy. Carlisle will forgive you eventually. He always does. He just can't stay angry at you for longer than a day or two. Besides, they'll be ecstatic to see Bella again."

"I don't care if Carlisle's angry with me. I can handle that. I don't want to disappoint him, but I suppose it's too late for that now, is it?"

"He'll forgive you," Alice said, unconcerned. "People make mistakes. Carlisle knows that."

I sighed.

"Rosalie will freak out, of course, but when have we ever let Rose bother us? Emmett will be happy to have Bella back, too, and I'm so glad I won't have to lie to Jasper after tonight anymore. He knows there's something I'm not telling him."

"I'm sorry," I said quietly. Alice patted my shoulder again, and her thoughts drifted off as she turned page after page of her magazine, deliberating if she should buy a new dress as well. Nothing ever bothered Alice. She always knew what the future had in store for her. Sometimes I envied her that.

"You're not even going," I pointed out.

Alice shrugged. "When did lack of occasion ever stop me from buying new clothes?"

"True," I said.

By then we were in Anchorage. Alice directed me to a parking lot near the center, and from there it was one shop after another, and I finally remembered why I usually voided going shopping with Alice. Jasper was the only one who accompanied her voluntarily, aside from Esme and Rosalie of course. After the seventy-sixth tux Alice declared that the one I was currently trying on to be the best and went to pay for it, while I waited by the entrance of the shop. My gaze fell on a young woman in front of a rack of evening gowns. She was frowning. She'd already picked a dress for herself but she was trying to fine one for her boss. Another Alice, I assumed.

Walking back to me with a white paper bag, Alice noticed her too. A vision flashed across her mind, but was gone before I could take a closer look. I raised my eyebrows at her. Alice pretended not to notice. Instead she handed me the bag, an exciting smile on her face. "Hi," she said brightly, and the woman turned, looking somewhat desperate. Danielle was one of those people whose thoughts were expressed verbally rather than visually. She didn't want to let her boss down. "I'm Alice. Take that dress." Alice unerringly reached for a black dress and all but forced it into the woman's arms. "She'll love it. Trust me."

"Um," she replied, confused, reaching for the price tag, "wow, I mean I have her credit card and all, but it's a little pricy, don't you think? She'll kill me."

"No, she won't. I'll pay for it."

I gaped at her, and so did the woman.

"Trust me," Alice said, smiling brightly at the woman and winking at me. Alice could be quite charming when she wanted, and the woman succumbed to her charm easily. I shook my head in resigned affection. Was this one of Alice's charity campaigns?

"I'm Danielle by the way," the woman said.

"Nice to met you." Alice flashed another blinding smile at her. "Now, while we're at it…" Alice set off, pulling dresses, shirts and blouses off racks as if there was no tomorrow. Twice I raised my hand to get Alice's attention—Danielle stood frozen in the middle of the store, her eyes wide as saucers; she had a hard time believing what was happening and she wasn't at all sure how her boss, whom she always referred to as the Doc, would react if she found out her new clothes had been sponsored by some obviously hyperactive tiny girl—but she ignored me. Having paid and written Don't you dare return any of it! on the bag with black permanent marker—which was a little weird, even for Alice, she instructed her to buy make-up and which.

"Just helping her out," Alice said when I asked her about it on the way back to the car.

I rolled my eyes as I unlocked the car. Sometimes even I had a hard time figuring Alice out.

—

Alice prattled away once we were back in the car, but I didn't catch half of what she was saying. I felt as if I'd downed a bottle of ice water, a feeling I recognized as anxiety, and the feeling intensified as the evening drew nearer. I was trying to stay out of Alice's head and not to dwell on her visions of Bella's future, which would soon we intertwined with her own again, but I still caught glimpses.

Would I have a place in that future as well?

Arriving home, Alice detailed Jasper to carry her bags inside, which weren't too heavy for her, just too many.

"You're in a good mood tonight," Jasper said, brushing his lips briefly across her forehead as she went to greet him.

"I am," she replied, reaching for his hand and pulling him to the car. Jasper raised his eyebrows at me, but he didn't gave my anxiety a second thought; he was used to getting conflicting emotions from me. No doubt he'd be glad to discover the reason, which Alice would certainly tell him the second we'd left for the gala.

Carlisle wasn't home yet, but Esme was, and she'd already changed into a dress. "You're very beautiful tonight," I said, smiling, and kissed her on the forehead which caused her to smile back at me.

"Thank you," she replied. "I'm so glad you've decided to join us."

I had trouble keeping my smile in place after that.

I went upstairs to get changed as well. I heard Carlisle arrive at half past seven, later then he'd anticipated because of an emergency appendectomy, and he didn't drop by as he usually did as he darted into the room he shared with Esme to shower and change. Alice wished me good luck, and then we were off. Carlisle drive, Esme beside him, while I sat in the back of the Mercedes, watching the lights of the city flash by. They were quite looking forward to the evening, and so was I but with trepidation. I kept wondering how Bella would react, what she'd say, what my parents would say, until Alice sent me a text message again, telling me to stop fretting. It was always so easy for her. Her future was always clear for her, and she rarely made mistakes because she knew she consequences of each decision. And then, of course, Alice wasn't the one who'd decided to leave Bella, the one who'd lied to her, so there was no need for her to be afraid. I envied her that although I knew I had no right to.

We arrived a little before eight. Waiting for Carlisle to find a parking spot, Esme and I stood in front of the main entrance, bits of conversations and music drifting out to us, swelling whenever the glass doors were pushed open and ebbing when they had closed again. I let my mind drift, trying to locate the black hole that was Bella's silent mind out of the ocean of people, something I'd been quite apt at once, but today I was having no luck. Esme didn't notice my anxiety as she quietly told me about her day, but I was still glad when Carlisle came hurrying towards us, distracting her. I opened the door, and we stepped into the warm, crowed entrance hall, a million of different smells and noises filling the air. Taking Esme's coat, Carlisle pointed out several of his colleagues. I was barely listening. I was scanning the sea of faces for Bella, but I couldn't find her, and the air-conditioned air held no scent of her trace.

Maybe she'd changed her mind.

"Carlisle," a voice I recognized as Dean Henry Lambert's called, and we all turned. Hand extended, he strode to meet us, a pleasant, dishonest smile on his face. "I'm glad you could make it. It's very nice to see you again… Edward." My answering smile was a somewhat frosty, but he didn't notice. I'd taken an instant disliking to the men when I first met him, and he wasn't doing a thing to correct that first impression. "And you, I assume, are Mrs Cullen," Lambert said, focusing on Esme now, which, judging by his thoughts, was much more interesting than talking to a teenager who, in his opinion, was a waste of space. He liked what he saw, was sorry that Esme was worried and here with her husband and wondered if he could charm her into going up to his office with her. Disgusting. "It's very nice to meet you. How do you like Anchorage?"

"It's lovely," Esme replied politely, oblivious to Lambert's thoughts. "A little cold maybe." She glanced at Carlisle, whose lips curved into a slight smile.

"It is," Lambert agreed. "Don't get me wrong. I'm glad you've decided to move here, but I have a hard time understanding why. Me, I've grown up here and so have most of the staff, but our newest addition—well, aside from you—moved up here from California. Why someone would give up all that for a place where the sun almost never shines is beyond me."

I felt my body go very still. I fought to keep my expression even, but it was hard. Carlisle and Esme glanced at each other again, then Carlisle turned to me. Is the vampire working here? he asked, but I couldn't bring myself to even nod. Confusion swept across his mind as he saw me standing here, rooted to the spot, an expression on my face he couldn't place. What's wrong? Again I didn't answer. Carlisle's brows knitted together as his confusion grew.

"I'd love to introduce you, though. She might be able to help you, give you a couple of tips to make the transition easier. Living in Alaska can be quite challenging." Lambert smiled expectantly. Carlisle spoke to me again, but his words didn't register. "We'd love to meet her," he said eventually.

Lambert called out to a woman who had just entered. It was Danielle, the young woman Alice had insisted on paying so many clothes for, and I realized that taking me shopping for a new tuxedo while I had at least four of them, all in perfect condition, in my closet had only been a pretence for making sure Bella appeared properly attired tonight. Danielle drifted over with her boyfriend, her mind and body language making it clear that she'd rather be going in the opposite direction. She didn't care much for Lambert because of his tendency to jump any female as long as she had too legs and breasts, and was afraid he was calling her over because she wanted her to go find Bella.

"Have you seen your boss?" he asked, confirming Danielle's fear. An image of Bella appeared in his mind, and my body went even more rigid at the accompanying thoughts.

"I believe she had. Would you like me to tell her that you'd like to talk to her should I happen to see her?" Danielle had no intention of actually doing so. She would try to avoid Bella, so she wouldn't have to lie to Lambert about it later. Lambert, however, wouldn't have that.

"No, I don't," he said. "I'd like you to find her and ask her to join us. And tell Isabella that if she wants to keep her job she'd better hurry." He whispered the last sentence into Danielle's ear, because he didn't want us to overhear. We still did. Carlisle and Esme both looked at me, Esme shocked at Lambert's tone of voice, but Carlisle had made the connection, had remembered the wolves on Bella's dresser and solved the puzzle. Edward? he thought, his mind stunned with disbelief. Again I didn't answer.

Suddenly Bella's scent was everywhere. I recognised it at once, but Carlisle and Esme spun around, Carlisle's arm extended to hide Esme halfway behind his back. I saw Bella appear in their minds, hunched together ever so slightly as she froze instinctively. I closed my eyes. She wore the very dress Alice had picked out, and she had chosen well. Bella was beautiful. Confusion, shock and surprise coloured my parents's minds. Finally, I turned as well, and the hesitant smile disappeared from Bella's face as if it had been wiped away.

I shouldn't have come.

Lambert had noticed her too. A patronising smile spread across his face, revealing teeth that were too white and straight to be real. "Dr Swan," he said, in a voice which made me want to bash his head in. Neither Esme nor Carlisle noticed my inner turmoil. They kept staring at Bella as if she was a mirage; they were afraid she might vanish again if they even so much as blinked. Bella stepped closer. Lambert grabbed her hand although she hadn't offered it to him, and her face froze, all expression suddenly gone. I felt a growl rumble in my chest, my lips pull back over my teeth. I didn't want him to touch her against her will. Her gaze swept briefly in my direction, and I smothered the growl before it could ever make it out, glancing at the wall which was decorated with paintings my clouded brain couldn't make sense of. "How are you today?" Lambert asked. I turned my head ever so slightly to gauge her reaction. "That's a beautiful dress you're wearing." His eyes moved across her body, lingering on the low-cut neckline of her dress longer than they should have. He imagined taking it off, then the lingerie she was wearing underneath. I clenched my jaw.

"I'm fine, thank you," Bella replied, her voice like music, but I heard the threat in her voice , saw the predatory edge of her polite smile and Lambert, if only subconsciously, heard and saw it too. Heart racing, he dropped his hand. The tangy scent of adrenaline filled the air. A fleeting smile, somewhat smug, flitted across Bella's face, but didn't settle there. "How's your family?" she asked politely, but I couldn't tell if she was really interested or not.

"They're fine. They're here somewhere." Lambert loosened his tie, sweat dripping down his temples. He had no idea why he was suddenly feeling so uncomfortable. All thoughts of Bella naked were gone. "I think I'll go find them. I just wanted to introduce you to Dr Cullen and his family. They just moved down here from…" He raised an eyebrow at Carlisle, having already forgotten.

"Richmond," Carlisle supplied, having decided to take matters into his own hands since I kept ignoring his plea for an answer. Did you know? Esme inquired silently, finally daring to take her eyes off Bella for a second to look at me. I didn't answer her either. I didn't know what to say.

I should never have lied to them.

"It's very nice to meet you, Dr Swan. I'm Carlisle Cullen, my wife Esme, and our son Edward." He glanced at me again, his forehead creased. We're going to have a talk later, Edward! There was no trace of anger, not even disappointment in Carlisle's mind, only happiness to see Bella again, but it still sounded like a threat.

"Pleasure," she replied curtly. Carlisle smiled, undeterred by her bewildering behaviour, but confused by it. Esme was too, and I was curious as well as to why she wouldn't be happy to see my parents again. I knew how much she'd always loved them.

"A pleasure, indeed. Dr Lambert here told us that you moved down here from California last year?" Carlisle had always been very good at reading people, having had the opportunity to study them for so long a time, and he didn't need Jasper's ability to sense, more subconscious than anything else, that Bella would leave the second Lambert, who'd all but ordered her here in the first place, was gone. Carlisle thought he might not get a second chance to have his questions answered.

"Yes, I did. I needed a change."

"I see you've found something to talk about," Lambert said. "If you'll excuse me. I'm sure my wife is wondering what's keeping me." He sauntered off, heading in the opposite direction of where his wife and daughter stood, looking around, bored. I wondered if his wife knew what he was up to. Maybe it didn't bother her.

"Danielle," Bella said, catching my attention again. "Would you mind getting me something to eat? I haven't had a change to grab a bite since breakfast."

"What would you like?" she asked, frowning at me. I looked vaguely familiar to her, but she couldn't place me.

"Surprise me," Bella answered, smiling, and Danielle disappeared with her boyfriend in tow who, glancing repeatedly back over his shoulder, quietly asked her if she'd ever had a threesome. Unbelievable. I knew things had changed since when I was born and while I'd literally all the time in the world to get used to more modern notions of sexuality my thinking hadn't changed as much as I would like. Emmett thought I was inhibited, but Emmett wasn't the best example to serve as a rule for everyone else. "So," Bella said.

"It's been a while," Esme said eventually, smiling. Bella's face, however, remained blank, and Esme's smile wavered. What's wrong? she asked, worried. Carlisle glanced at me again. I looked away.

Finally Bella spoke, and relief washed through Esme's mind, but only until Bella's words fully registered with her. "It has," she agreed. "Look, I'm sorry Lambert made you talk to me. I promise I won't bother you again if I can help it." Esme's lips parted, but she had no idea what to say. She looked at Carlisle, then at me. What have you done? she asked quietly. Was it something I'd done? I knew she wasn't happy with her new life, and maybe she blamed us for it. Without us she'd never have been introduced to our world. However, for unfathomable reasons Bella seemed to be under the impression that my family wouldn't want to see her again, and that was weird, because Esme and Carlisle had regarded her as her daughter from the moment she'd stepped into our house for the very first time and were thrilled to have her back.

"Bella," Esme said slowly, her voice gentle as if talking to a smile child, "we don't want you to leave. In fact," she looked at me again, her amber eyes burning with anger, "we're all glad to see you." I didn't miss the emphasis, and neither did Bella. For one entire second, her face was calm and composed, then raw fury twisted her perfect features.

"Are you?" she snarled viciously. Carlisle began moving in front of Esme again, but by putting her hand against his chest she stopped him and he obeyed, if unwilling. "It's been nine years, Esme," she hissed, too quiet for anyone else to overhear but loud for us. She might as well have been screaming at the top of her lungs. "I haven't heard from you in nine years, and suddenly you're glad to see me? You didn't visit, you didn't call, you didn't write. Not even Alice came back for me. How can I believe that I ever meant something to you when you just abandoned me? How can I believe that you ever loved me? Don't you lie to me, Esme. Don't you dare lie to me!" Her voice broke at the very last sentence. Her shoulders sagged as the fury disappeared from her face and was instead replaced by despair, and she wrapped her arms around her chest again in that curious fashion as if she wanted to hold herself together. I wanted to reach out for her, comfort her, take her pain away, but I couldn't. What have you done? Carlisle asked, echoing Esme's word. I closed my eyes again. I didn't want to so. I couldn't believe this was the best outcome Alice had seen. Edward… Esme this time, and finally the disappointment I'd feared and expected. I shouldn't have lied. Not now, not then. I should have told Bella the truth, should have told her that my leaving her had nothing at all to do with my feelings but everything with her safety, with my desire to protect her. I hadn't want to hurt her, and yet I had.

"Let's step outside for a moment, shall we?" Esme suggested eventually. "Carlisle would like to talk to Edward in private."

"I just want to go home, Esme," Bella replied wearily.

"I think we need to talk," Esme said gently. "It won't take long, I promise." Esme didn't look at me as she took Bella's elbow and gently steered her outside, leading her around the hospital and into the park where Esme was too far away for me to read her mind.

Very slowly Carlisle turned to face me. I'd never seen him this angry, this disappointed. I clenched my fists. I deserved every bit of it.

"It was Bella's house we broke into?" he asked, his voice far calmer than his thoughts.

"Yes," I whispered.

"You knew it was hers?"

"Yes. I…" I took a deep breath. "I didn't want you there when she returned. I wanted to talk to her alone, thinking that maybe… I don't know what I was thinking," I said miserably. "I left so she'd be safe, but I failed. I almost tore my family apart, and I failed. And you're so happy to see her again and it feels as if you're glad I failed. I know it's irrational, but… I failed, and I didn't want you to know. I didn't want you to know that everything I did was all for nothing."

"You should have told us," Carlisle said quietly, his anger already fading. "You were doing what you thought was right. We never would have blamed you."

"I know, but…"

"Did Alice know?" Carlisle asked.

"Yes. Afterwards. Alice never saw that Bella was changed. And soon after I left her, her future disappeared. It only returned this morning. Alice doesn't know why that is. Don't be mad at her. She wanted me to tell you."

"I'm not mad at her." Carlisle sighed. "I'm not even mad at you. Disappointed, but not mad. At least some good came out of the mess with the killer." I winced, but Carlisle didn't apologise for his blunt words. "I wish we knew who it is, though. It obviously isn't Bella." A thought crossed his mind, one I'd pondered many, many times during the weekend. "I wonder who changed her. Did you ask her?"

"No. She didn't want to talk to me."

"I thought she'd be happy to see you again," Carlisle replied, frowning, "but her behaviour tonight… What exactly did you tell her?" I knew what he was referring to.

"I told her that it was too dangerous for her to be part of our world. I also told her," I swallowed, steeling myself, "that I didn't love her anymore. I thought it would make things easier."

Carlisle sighed again. "You certainly have a talent for making things more complicated than they have to be, Edward. Apologise to her. Tell her you lied."

He was right of course, but an apology wouldn't fix things. Would Bella even accept an apology when she learned I had lied to her?

Esme and Bella returned soon after that, the latter calmer, the former glaring at me. Bella had told her what I'd said to her that night in the forest. I looked at the floor, ashamed. Carlisle pulled Bella in a gently embrace, a rare show of affection for him. "I'm glad to have you back," he said, smiling, and this time Bella smiled back, returning his hug.

"So am I," she said. "I can't wait to see Alice."

"Knowing Alice, neither can she," Esme replied. "And Emmett and Jasper will be so happy, too. We'll also introduce you to our cousins in Denali." She didn't mention Rosalie. I wondered if Bella noticed, too. Rosalie wouldn't be too thrilled. "Where have you been hunting?" It was quite a casual question, but Esme couldn't help thinking how strange it was to be talking about that kind of things with Bella.

"British Columbia. I didn't want to bother anyone."

"We don't mind, and neither will our cousins, I am sure."

Bella smiled. "I'm glad. Look, I'd really like to go home now. It's been a bit much. I need to be alone now."

"We understand," Esme said. "Just call when you're ready."

"I will. I promise. Bye." She drifted off more gracefully than I'd ever seen her move and disappeared down the stairs.

"You have to set things right," Esme said once Bella was gone.

I stared at the glass doors through which Bella had disappeared, and couldn't help but fear that setting things right would be impossible.

And if Bella never forgave me, then what was I supposed to do?