It's Beth,

I'd finally awoken from a long and deep sleep that I'd seem to be getting a lot of lately.

This sleep in particular was a direct result of the surgery they'd operated just earlier today. The surgery they'd instructed Bella to leave for. We'd just had a deep conversation that still made me question our stance in our relationship, if we had one at all. Something about how I did nothing to show her I loved her. I found that particularly ludicrous as I'd loved her more than anything in the world, and despite how idiotic, and stupid I'd acted these last few months, that had never changed, but I didn't dare argue against her. She was right; I'd done nothing to show it.

Any attempt at trying failed miserably. From me dumping her in the first place. I thought I'd done right by breaking the knot, to protect her from the world I thought I wanted to live. That obviously backfired on me has I'm pretty sure she didn't take the breakup has a gesture of me loving her.

From flipping out at the thought of her sleeping with Tony, who I had essentially dumped her for. I figured me being protective, and outraged at the fact that she could have possibly slept with anyone except me, especially my "best friend". I figured that would be obvious to her that I'd still had feelings towards her, but instead it revealed the selfish, possessive, and asshole that I was.

I'd done absolutely nothing at all to show the most important woman in my life that I'd loved her. And yet here she was here for me has she had always been, throughout this accident situation, and any time I needed her before then.

"How was surgery?" She asked, cheerfully before walking over my bedside. There was a crash from outside the door, my eyes pulled away from Bella and shot toward the door where Carly appeared and waved.

"Young lady!" Carly's head jerked to the side and she took off in the opposite direction yelling apologies. A big guy in a nurses outfit followed soon after her and I looked back at Bella with a questioning glance.

"She always runs…" I nodded and chuckled throatily.

"Well I don't remember much about the surgery, but I feel pretty good...but then again you're here..." I said, playfully flirting with her, though it was genuinely true.

Her rosy red cheeks had made themselves noticeable, before she quickly changed the subject, and shifted her attention to her phone.

"Alice says her and your parents are-" Alice skidded into sight and waved happily at me her hand almost seemed to be vibrating,, it was moving so fast.

"At the door." I finished for her.

Alice's energetic physique busted into the door, greeting us with her witty jokes, and tight hugs as always. Unlike Esme who completely ignored the fact of the matter, and became m.i.a when ignoring the truth became impossible, Alice treated me the same as she'd done prior to this, and was very upfront, and confrontational about the whole subject.

Carlisle was very upset, and felt somewhat responsible about the situation, but he visited me frequently has he'd worked at the same hospital though in a different field. Being the shy and soft-spoken guy my father was, he didn't bring it up much, but didn't act like nothing had happened at the same time.

Jasper was like a robot, if Alice was hurt, or upset he was, if not he wasn't.

We'd catch up, and make small chat like the usual, until the doctor came. This was probably the part that Esme resented, Carlisle related to, Alice (Jasper) looked forward to, and Bella anticipated.

"Good afternoon!" My mother kindly asked the doctor has he made his way into his room.

"Good afternoon, how are we tonight? Just to make this brief, Edward is doing pretty well...for someone in his condition...

He paused, and Bella gulped, hoping for the best, and expecting for the worse as always.

"His ribs and leg are healing rapidly, and should be recovered no longer than two weeks. As for the surgery, it went pretty well, but there could still be some permanent damage, if not corrected. I've wrote down the numbers to some therapists you can contact, but just to be clear, school work, sports, pretty much anything that requires mental occupation is not recommend, until the therapist gives an OK..."

Bella opened her mouth, and all the attention was shifted towards her anticipated how she was going to react.

"W-wait so...he can't even talk?" I let out an embarrassing snort and Alice doubled over into laughter.

"Bella, honey, he can still watch TV, talk, and all the good stuff, just pretty much no school, work, or anything of that sort." Carlisle promised.

She blushed deeply and ducked her head, she chuckled uneasily, "… stupid question…"

Dr. Gerandy chimed in.

"Right, until the therapist says it OK. It's just a simple rule we have, we don't want anything to go wrong, or anything like that."

"Oh...you said "mental occupation"..." She mumbled before blushing bright red again.

The room grew awkwardly silent, and Dr. Gerandy broke it.

"Ok, so yes. He'll be out of the hospital by two weeks. Therapy. Nothing too mentally, and physically for that matter, distracting. Easier said than done, but I'll see you guys later!" The doctor said briefly as if he was rushing, or running late.

No school for the year. I didn't feel that I was really ready to resume right back to school. The delay on school was a bummer but was my least of problems, if anything it gave me a dose of reality on how severe this really was. Did I really have to delay a whole entire school year just to prevent and ensure I wouldn't be mentally fucked up? The thought of mentally therapy, to prevent "permanent damage" was just too much to fathom, and I couldn't believe I'd done this to not only myself but my family as well.

"So, how do you feel about postponing freshman year, Ed?" Alice bluntly asked without beating around the bush like those others were awkwardly doing.

"Eh, it's not a big deal."

"Edward, what do you mean it's not a big deal? You are missing your first year of college because you physically and mentally hurt YOURSELF by drunk driving, Edward. You can't go to school because of therapy that's supposedly going to protect you against permanent damage, don't sugarcoat this Edward." Alice exploded looking intensely into my eyes.

Avoiding eye contact, my eyes shifted to the ceiling. I gulped.

"You're right." Those were the only words I could let out.

"Edward baby, who's going to take care of you, and accompany you through all of this, Alice is obviously busy with college, Bella will be starting college this fall, Carlisle is busy with work, I-"

"I'll stay back with him." Bella randomly blurted.

"What?" Alice questioned confused.

"I'll stay back from school this year with him. I'll be there. For Edward."

Carly sauntered in the room, and for the first time, since I had known her, she said nothing to announce herself, she didn't even snipe at Bella. She just stood in the corner along the wall the door was on, Alice waved to her and she nodded.

"Bella please. I wouldn't dare be selfish enough to let you do that for me, you've already done way too much. I don't need anyone to look after me, I doubt I need therapy. Seriously you guys, you act like I'm some disabled little kid. I don't need someone to look after me like I'm some baby. And certainly not you guys after how much I've burdened you. "

"Edward, son, yes. You. Do. I mean sure you can talk, and your mind can function perfectly normal as of now, but without therapy the stakes of Alzheimer's, Insomnia, and everything else are incredibly high without it Edward. Your ribs will still be incredibly sore. Don't think just because you're feeling no pain now, that when you're at home and not under the care of doctors that's going to be the same, Edward. It's not, and I guarantee you will notice that directly after you leave.

He paused, letting us take in what he'd said.

"Whether or not that person is Bella or not, she's obviously a hard working young girl about to really live up her life, and Start College, but you're going to need someone Edward. That's not the problem Edward, I'll happily stay home, and help-"

"Esme, you're crazy! I will do it. I know it will be somewhat of a burden, and not as easy as cake but trust me I'm not as selfless as you think I am. I don't want to go to college if Edward's not there with me, and certainly if he's crimpled and stuck at home while I'm doing so. We've looked forward to going to college together since high school started, and I honestly don't seem myself going without him.

I wanted so badly to argue, and deny it but knew her stubborn self would completely oppose, and I decided that this conversation wasn't exactly appropriate for the whole family.

"Um I would just like to point lout that if Edward and Bella stay home for another there would be no one to take me on the college tour." Carly spoke up, she of course was ignored, but she was used to it so she let it slip.

"Ok, Bells..." Esme said, this time accepting what Bella's stubborn self obviously wasn't going to stand for anything else.

"Bella hun, do you fully understand what you're getting yourself into? Are you guys even sure of your stance on your relationship, last time I checked you weren't even together..? Esme asked being the protective and loving mother she was. I was dreading the question, but knew it was coming.

"We want to work things out, mom." I simply said. She nodded her head and let the subject go sensing how uncomfortable I was.

"Ok, we still have time, we can discuss more lately. But we're going to let you go, see you guys later."

"Bella honestly, if you think I'm really going to let you miss your first year of college that you, and your parents have highly anticipated, your wrong. Bella, you claim I'm selfish and I don't show that I love you, but you're not allowing me to be any different."

"Edward, that's not being selfish, I'm doing it because I want to do it, Edward. If anything I'm being selfish."

"Like always…" Carly mumbled, she went and sat at the end of my bed.

"Ok, remember you said that..." I told Bella with a grin.

She chuckled.

"I will, I will."

She solemnly said before grinning, and reaching out for my hand.

I held it tight in silence.

Review please

(Alex note)

I would like you to know that I want to send out a one shot of what happened with Carly and the male nurse. But it won't be very long and doesn't really have any real meaning to the story. Just sounds like fun… So review and ask for it! This time I promise I will send you something.

Also this story is coming to a close, the next 2 chapters you get will actually be the epilogues, so review and tell us what you want to see, and we'll see what we can do

I think we'll do two epilogues, one written by alex and the other by myself. One will be our intended ending and the other your ending. Your epilogue will be written upon popular requests.