A/N: Always a 'thank you' that goes to my beta araeo. She is amazing and I heart her muchly.

Here is chapter 9, kids. Hope you like it! Sorry for the delay!

EPOV

I woke up the next morning feeling disoriented but…pleasant. When the memories of last night came flooding back, I smiled. I turned to my side but Bella wasn't there. I didn't want to call out for her in fear of her parents coming up the stairs and castrating me, so I got dressed and waited on her bed for a while. After more time had passed, I got up off the bed and crept to the door. Pulling it open gently, I walked out and down the hall to the staircase. I could hear Bella's voice and froze immediately, assuming she was talking to Chief Swan or her stepmother. I realized after a few moments that it was a one-sided conversation. She must be on the phone, I thought.

"Yes. May I speak to Renee…Swan, please?" There was silence as she waited for the person on the other end to speak. "She what? She LEFT? Aren't you people supposed to watch her and take care of her?!" she yelled. There was a longer silence. "She checked herself out? But…I…I'm sorry for being so rude. Yes. Thank you. Goodbye." She placed the phone back into its cradle with a hard click. I heard a quiet scratching sound and I realized that Bella was against the wall sliding down.

I didn't care whether or not her parents were home anymore, when I heard the quiet sobbing sound coming from her, I ran down the stairs and into the room. I skidded to a stop in front of her.

"Bella?"

"She's gone. She left the hospital."

"Renee?" She only nodded. "I'm sorry, Bella." I crouched in front of her and unwrapped her arms from around her knees. Kneeling between her legs, I took her into my arms and rocked her. "I'm so sorry."

We stayed like that for a long time. Her parents must have had an early day because they never came into the kitchen. I was guessing they had already left. Carlisle would be gone by now too. I wondered if he realized I was missing.

"Oh, shit," I said, startling her. "Sorry. I have to call Alice. She's probably wondering where the hell I am." I stood up and reached for the phone when there was a knock at the door. Bella and I looked at each other and she got up and crossed the room to answer the knock.

"Alice," Bella said. "We were just about to call you." Alice looked thoroughly spooked, not unlike last night. "What happened?"

"'Nother dream," she muttered, walking in.

"What was it about?"

"Your mother. She left the hospital, didn't she?"

Bella didn't even seem surprised by this. "Yes."

"She was trying to protect you, Bella. All those years, all the drinking…" she couldn't finish. She crumpled to the floor, crying. "She wants to end this and she wants to do it alone. She told me to tell you not to follow her."

"Follow her where?" Bella asked, still holding Alice.

"To the meadow," she whispered.

BPOV

"Maybe we should think about this," Edward was saying as I drove us to the meadow where we had practiced yesterday. "What about Charlie and Esme? What about Emmett? We can't just leave and not tell them anything."

"Who the hell would believe any of this?"

"Renee didn't want you to go there. Maybe there is a reason, other than protecting you, I mean," he said.

"I have to go. Everything in me is telling me to go." Alice sat between us quietly, but didn't ask questions or put up a fight when I said I wanted to go to the meadow. I thought she knew something. I think she knows I'm right.

"Alice, tell her we should talk about this. Think about Carlisle!" Alice's eyes flicked to Edward's and then away again toward the road ahead, but she said nothing. She definitely knew something. "Damn it! We are going about this all wrong. We have no clue what is going on or how to handle it and-"

"Yes, Edward, I know. But we have no one around to tell us what to do. My mother is going to some prison in some…some place and could very well die there and I won't have it!" I nearly screamed. I looked sideways at him. "I…I can't lose her again. If you don't want to go, I'll understand. It's going to be dangerous."

He flopped back into his seat and folded his arms like a five year old. "To hell with that," he mumbled. I felt myself smile a little.

I glanced to my right at Alice and she looked like herself again. Her eyes were no longer vacant and she scanned the landscape around us as we approached the meadow.

"There!" she yelled.

I stopped abruptly and launched myself from the car. I ran into the meadow toward a shadow looming in the distance. I was vaguely aware of Edward and Alice chasing after me. The shadow got closer and closer as I ran. When I got close enough, I realized what it was.

A door.

A door, standing in the middle of the meadow, connected to nothing.

My heart raced as I stared at it. This was what Renee had warned me about.

There were strange characters on the door that I did not recognize. I reached out to take the knob in my hand.

"Wait!" Alice shrieked. I stopped, but not without great effort. They both stopped in front of me, trying to catch their breath.

"What?" I asked. "What are we waiting for? Let's go!" I really looked at Alice then. She was crying. "Alice, what's wrong?" Edward put his arm around her.

"It's just, I know I'm supposed to go with you. Edward too. I'm scared. What if...what if we don't make it back?" She sniffed and wiped her cheeks. "Jasper will never know how much I loved him. And Carlisle...who will take care of him?" She started to sob.

I put my hand on her shoulder. "Alice, you don't have to come. I want you to, God knows I do, because I'm scared shitless, but you can stay."

She shook her head. "No. I...I'm supposed to go." She took a deep breath and straightened up. "I love you Jasper," she whispered so low we almost didn't hear her.

Edward stood between us. "OK, girls. I love you ." He took both of our hands. "Let's do this."

I reached out slowly and grasped the knob. I could hear the faint sounds of bells and voices. The voices from my dream. I turned the knob and opened the door.

I heard a scream. "Bella? NO!"

"Mom!"

* * *

I guess I didn't have to do anything, Walter mused as he watched the three children approach the door and pull it open. There were screams, bells, and currents of air as Walter disappeared to give the trio a proper greeting.

A/N: Please review!