Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters. They all belong to the amazingly talented Stephenie Meyer.

A/N: Just as a heads up, there is violence and high drama at the end of this chapter. For those who are sensitive to that kind of thing, I advise you to skip over that part. As for the rest of you, don't say I didn't warn you…

Chapter 19: Breaking Point

It was 5:00. Charlie would be home from his trip in a few hours.

My friends and I had worked tirelessly through the night, trying to come up with a solution. We had lost sleep, and possibly our sanity.

And still, we could not figure out what to do to keep Edward human.

We had tried out every possible idea. Jasper had given him a driving lesson, Emmett took him out to get fast food, and Alice taught him the Hustle and the Macarena—all things they believed were essential experiences in a person's life. They thought that by engaging in such activities, Edward would be able to stay human for good.

And despite the fact that we knew having sex wasn't the answer, Rosalie had Edward and I go upstairs and try it just in case. She even ran back to get those animal print handcuffs, in the hopes that they would make all the difference. For the record, I highly recommend their use to anyone.

But they didn't work. Nothing we tried did.

Edward guessed that when we had figured it out, we would know immediately. He thought it would be cruel to be strung along until the very end of the week.

The answer was probably right in front of my face, and it was embarrassing that I couldn't see it. I had a feeling that it had nothing to do with something as simple as eating a cheeseburger or learning a dance. It most likely involved a deeper meaning. But what the hell was it?

We were all downstairs in various positions around the living room. I sat next to Edward on the couch, holding his hand and resting my head on his shoulder. Rosalie was at the other end of the couch, perched on the armrest. Emmett was standing next to her, lightly rubbing her back. And Alice sat on Jasper's lap in one of the big armchairs.

"Hey, I know," Emmett said enthusiastically, breaking the silence, "Why don't we try skinny dipping? It's definitely something that everyone has to experience at least once in their life."

And that was when it happened.

I snapped.

Up until this point, I had been trying to keep my emotions under wraps. It would have done me no good to bog down everyone's optimism with my worry. But now, it had all come to a breaking point. If we didn't figure everything out soon, Edward would become a ghost again. Yes, we could still stay together—but for how long? If everything went back to the way it was, Edward couldn't get any older. Fast forward about ten years, and it would be a little creepy for a 27 year old to be with a 17 year old—regardless if the two were genuinely in love. Plus, it's not like we could have the most public of relationships. A ghost and a human—how do you think people would react to that? We'd have to be stuck hiding everything. And after a while, that would get pretty damn annoying.

But most importantly, Edward would be devastated if he couldn't stay human. He had been alone for so long, had missed out on so many opportunities. It would be incredibly unfair to have exposure to a normal life, and then suddenly find yourself back at square one. I didn't want him to constantly be thinking about what could have been. He didn't deserve that.

I growled and jumped off of the couch. "No, Emmett. We are not going skinny dipping," I hissed.

His eyes widened. "But Bella…"

"We are not going skinny dipping," I repeated, raising my voice. "What don't you understand? I mean, do you really think that something as stupid and insignificant as that would actually work?"

"It was just a suggestion," Emmett grumbled.

"Well, it was a really dumb suggestion!"

"Hey," Rosalie interrupted, standing up, "What the hell is your problem, Bella?"

Alice stood up as well and walked over to me. "Yeah, Bella—what's your deal?"

"What's my deal?" I started laughing hysterically. "What's my deal, you ask?"

"Bella, you're starting to scare me," Alice said, frowning. Jasper came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her—almost protectively.

I abruptly stopped laughing and glared at everyone. "You're scared of me? I really don't see how I could scare you when we've got something much scarier on our hands right now." I motioned to Edward and he came and stood next to me, threading his fingers through mine. "Edward might be a ghost again in a matter of days. That's scary."

I continued, tears running down my cheeks. "I tried to be calm. I tried to be open to everyone's ideas. But guys, think about it. Do you really believe that my soul mate's life depends on going swimming naked? Or—though I really enjoyed myself—that a pair of animal print handcuffs would do the trick? I mean, the solution has to involve more than that. We have to think harder!"

"Love," Edward said quietly, "Please calm down. I hate seeing you upset like this." He hugged me tightly and I buried my face in his chest, my tears staining his shirt.

"I just…I don't know what to do," I blubbered. "My brain is totally fried."

I felt someone pat my shoulder. "Bella, you're right. We haven't been putting enough thought into this," Rosalie said softly.

"Yeah, who said anything about nakedness," Emmett joked. "Not me. Zero nakedness here!"

I tried to giggle, though it sounded quite half-hearted. But luckily, everyone took my attempt as encouragement and laughed along with me.

Edward tightened his grip on me and pressed his lips to my forehead. "It'll all be ok," he whispered. "I just have a good feeling."

"Don't worry, Bella," Alice said. "We've got this! Let's just sit down and get to work. No dancing, I promise."

I giggled again, but the tears continued to flow freely. I was a wreck, and I needed to decompress before I did anything else. "Sure, guys. Just, I've gotta get out of here first."

Everyone looked at me questioningly and I sighed. "Well, I can't very well solve a thing as big as this when I'm a mess. I need to clear my head, take a walk or something."

"Bella, are you sure," Jasper asked. "Do you want one of us to go with you?"

"Jasper has a point, love. I don't like the idea of you wandering around aimlessly by yourself," Edward said, concerned.

I rolled my eyes. "Guys, really—I'll be fine. Just stay here and relax."

"Alright…um, have fun," Alice said, an edge of uncertainty to her voice. "Would that be the proper sentiment?"

"Sure, Alice. Why not," I replied, walking towards the door. But before I could open it, Edward grabbed my hand and pulled me into his arms. Leaning down, he kissed me softly for a moment, then rested his forehead against mine.

"Hurry back," he said quietly. "I love you."

I kissed him again quickly and opened the door. "I love you, too." Directing my attention to everyone else, I waved and flashed what I hoped was a small smile. "See you in a bit, guys."

They all smiled and waved. "See you, Bella," Alice said, running forward and giving me a hug.

I nodded and stepped outside. The sun shone brightly, and I stood there for a few seconds, letting the heat penetrate my body. Then, without any thought as to where I was headed, I jogged down the steps to the sidewalk and took off down the street.

****

As it turns out, I ended up at the drugstore a few blocks away. Very exciting, I know. But I felt the need for a pop. It was extremely hot outside.

I was greeted by the cool blast of air conditioning as I entered the store. Making my way over to the coolers, I grabbed a Coke and took a swig. I was much too thirsty to wait until after I paid.

What a day it had been. Just thinking about it made me tear up. But I was acting ridiculous and I knew it. Being a basket case and blowing up in front of everyone was unnecessary. I could only imagine what they thought of me. I made a mental note to apologize to my friends as soon as I got home.

At that moment, I realized that I needed to be strong—if not for myself, then for Edward. If I didn't hold onto even a miniscule amount of confidence that we could solve this predicament, then for sure there would be no hope of him staying human.

I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, focusing on Edward's smiling face in my mind. Immediately, a sense of calm overtook me. Just one smile from him could do that. After a few seconds, the vision zoomed out, and I pictured him standing on the porch of a beautiful little house in the country. He held a bouquet of wildflowers. And though he seemed to be slightly older, he looked as handsome as ever.

Suddenly, a dark-haired woman appeared, walking up the pathway to the house. Edward practically flew off of the porch and scooped her up in his arms, twirling her around in a circle. The two of them laughed loudly, enjoying their moment. Setting her down, Edward kissed her soundly and handed over the flowers. It was then that I noticed who the woman was. She looked to be in her 20's, but I knew that face.

It was me.

Then again, who else would it be? Edward and I belonged together.

Though I never really gave my daydreams a second thought, I saw this as some kind of sign. Perhaps it meant that we would succeed after all.

I opened my eyes and walked up to the counter to pay for my pop. But as I was pulling out my money, three guys stumbled into the store. And it wasn't hard to tell that they were drunk.

"Whoa, this isn't the bar," one of them stated. He was tall and sandy-haired, with light blue eyes.

The cashier glared at them. "No, it isn't. Though it doesn't look like you guys need anything more to drink."

After a second's pause, one of the other guys started laughing. "Oh, you had me for a minute there. That's a good one. You're funny!"

"Does it look like I'm laughing," the cashier asked, staring unblinkingly at them. "Now, get the hell out of here!"

"But…"

"Get out! Unless you want me to call the police…" At these words, the three guys stopped smiling. "Not so funny now, am I boys?"

I had expected the guys to use some kind of snippy comeback or get weird on her, but they didn't. They just turned around and trudged out the door. But before he left, the sandy-haired guy gave the cashier a menacing glare. His gaze then fell upon me, and the corners of his mouth turned up in a wicked smile. That look sent shivers up and down my spine. But thankfully, he left with his friends soon after.

"Ok, um, here's your change," the cashier said, her voice shaking.

"Are you alright," I asked.

She nodded her head. "Yes, just a bit shaken up. Those guys were creepy."

I shuddered. "Yeah, tell me about it. But that was really cool how you handled them."

"Thanks," she said, smiling. "Well anyway, have a nice rest of your day. And be careful. The fact that those idiots are running around out there makes me uneasy."

"I will. Thanks," I replied, walking outside. Looking at my watch, I saw that it was close to 6:00.

We were losing time.

I began walking quickly in the direction of my house, telling myself that as soon as I got in the door, we would get to work. There would be no dilly-dallying, no half-hearted guesses.

By the time Charlie got home tonight, Edward would be human—permanently.

I smiled, thinking about the fact that finally, the two of them would be able to meet. Finally, we could start planning a future together.

Our future.

My thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a pair of arms snaking around my waist. Ha, I should have known that Edward would have followed me to make sure I was safe. Though it was cute, the guy was just being way too paranoid. A short walk through the neighborhood wasn't going to kill me.

I sighed and giggled. "Hi, Edward."

"Who's Edward," a voice growled in my ear.

I whipped my head around and gasped in horror.

Standing behind me, that same wicked smile on his face from before, was the sandy-haired guy from the store. He was flanked by his two buddies, who each had similarly creepy smiles on their faces.

"You," I sputtered, "I-I saw you in the store."

He laughed loudly, raising goosebumps on my arms…and not the good kind. "You remembered! I'm flattered. But you didn't answer my question. Who's Edward?"

I gulped. "Uh, he's my boyfriend."

"Really?"

"Yes, and I love him very much," I added fervently, hoping that he'd get a clue and back the hell off.

"Aww," he said, a mocking tone to his voice. "Well, isn't that sweet, guys?" His friends nodded, laughing. One took a long sip from his beer bottle and hiccupped.

I rolled my eyes and tried to walk away, but the sandy-haired guy grabbed my wrist roughly and held me in place. "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm being rude. I'm James, and these are my friends Laurent and Marcus. And you are?"

"Leaving," I said firmly, but James' grip on me tightened even more. It was growing quite painful.

"Say, why don't you hang with us for a while? We're experts at showing a lady a good time," James said, laughing raucously with his friends.

I drew in a shaky breath. "No, thank you."

"Oh, c'mon. I'm sure Edward wouldn't mind if we borrowed you for a little while," Laurent said, a hungry look in his eyes.

"Actually, I think he would," I replied, trying to shrink away from his gaze.

"What, he doesn't like sharing?" To my horror, James began leaning in towards me, the smell of alcohol on his breath making me wrinkle my nose. "That sounds a little controlling to me."

With as much power as I could muster, I slapped him, causing him to loosen his hold on me. I used this opportunity to try and run away, taking a shortcut to my house through a nearby alley. But it was to no avail. Despite their drunken state, the guys easily caught up with me, grabbing onto one of my legs and throwing me to the ground in the alley. I put my arms out to brace myself, but unfortunately, all of my weight fell onto my right arm. A searing pain shot through my wrist, causing me to cry out.

At this, James snickered. "Come now, it couldn't have been that painful." Immediately, his eyes narrowed. "But this, on the other hand…" Before I could try to get up, he kicked me in the ribs—hard.

I screamed and curled myself into a ball on the ground. When I tried to inhale, it felt as though a knife had been plunged into the injured area. The feeling was excruciating.

I began to whimper as the pain intensified. This only seemed to anger James even more. "Oh, shut up," he growled, grabbing my shirt collar and yanking me to my feet. "You know you want us. Don't even try to deny it."

My head started to swirl from being pulled vertical so quickly, and I swayed slightly on the spot. But my thoughts were perfectly clear. When in my life would I ever pick a bunch of drunken assholes over Edward? I would never want anyone else.

"No," I said as firmly as I could.

James snarled and slammed me into the brick wall, knocking the wind out of me. I sputtered and gasped, trying to regulate my breathing. But this just agitated my injured ribs and I winced in pain. Marcus laughed at my reaction, and to my horror, threw his empty beer bottle at the wall next to me. It shattered, one of the pieces slashing my cheek.

I was starting to grow weary from my injuries, and I wanted nothing more than to give up. After the guys got what they wanted, I could just walk away and pretend like tonight never happened.

No! Snap out of it, Bella! Would you rather fall to the mercy of a few drunken guys and surrender, or go down fighting for Edward, the man you loved?

The answer was easy.

Edward, of course.

I hadn't really though of how I would die, but dying for him couldn't be such an awful thing if this ended badly. Some might even consider it noble. And if Edward changed back into a ghost by the end of the week, I stood the chance of being with him again. Hell, I might even like being a ghost. If I could be with Edward forever, it wouldn't really matter under what circumstances we were together.

The thought made me smile. Unfortunately, James took advantage of my silence and slapped me across the face.

I was slipping, and I could feel it. The shadows were there, waiting to engulf me.

Oh no, Bella. Please, no!

Strange—it sounded like Edward. I wonder if it's normal to hear the one you love before you die.

Bella, no! Fight!

I heard it again and sighed happily, my eyes fluttering shut. My brain latched onto that beautiful voice, committing it to memory. I would always want to remember it as one of the last things I heard while on this earth. But James' growl broke through my haze. "So, who's it gonna be?"

Like there was any other option.

"Edward," I mumbled, a small smile playing across my face.

"Fucking bitch," James fumed, forcefully throwing me to the ground.

I didn't even try to fight. I simply went limp, letting myself fall.

I was going to die, and in a matter of days, I might be reunited with Edward. I took comfort in that possibility. It made my impending death easier to accept.

My head hit the pavement with a sickening crack, and the world went dark.

Alright, please don't hate me! This attack was essential to the plot. It had to happen. Just trust me on this. If it makes anyone feel better, I was a wreck writing this chapter. I hate writing about stuff like this…it's just so sad. That's one of the reasons why I'm so late updating (I'm sorry about that, by the way!). Plus, I had an absolutely horrible case of writer's block. Ugh, I hate it when that happens.

Hey, so this story is on Twilighted now, also. It's very exciting! I've got five chapters up there, and am submitting chapter six tonight. Please feel free to head on over to the forums and leave a comment in my thread. The name of the thread is "I'll Always Be With You by LovelyinLavender." But keep in mind, there are some on Twilighted who don't visit . Since the story is farther along here, please be considerate of them and don't give anything away!

Next chapter will be in Edward's point of view. We'll get to hear his take on the attack. I will update ASAP. Please read and review :-) Oh, and I hope everyone had a great holiday!