CPOV

I returned, yet again, to a silent home. There was no music to greet me, any arguments or bickering never escalated like they used to. We didn't act like a family anymore, just a group of vampires, each with their own agenda. Esme's warm embrace, comforting as it was, wasn't enough to free my mind of its current conflictions.

I had made a promise to Edward, and I had just broken it. Oddly enough, it felt right to do it. His reason for leaving was honest enough, I could even understand it. Bella was constantly in danger, but I didn't necessarily believe she was any better off without us.

"I'm sorry I'm late," I said to Esme. She read the underlying message in my eyes and her gaze became conflicted.

"It's not a problem. Is everything all right?" she asked. I took my coat off and hung it on the coat rack in the closet. Esme's slight grip on my arm made me realize I hadn't answered her. Without words, I shook my head.

"What's on your mind? What's wrong?" I looked over at her slowly and set my brief case down on the table.

"Bella." Her breath stopped, and a different voice rang through the air, cutting Esme off before she could reply.

"What did you just say?" I looked up to see Alice's startled figure at the top of the stairs. Her eyes blazed and I could see the danger in them. Alice had lost her best friend, a sister that meant so much more to her than Rosalie. It was only natural for her to get defensive.

"I need you to help me," I said cautiously. I saw her stance loosen and her features rearranged themselves.

"Carlisle, will you please explain what is going on?" Esme asked, her voice gentle. I held her hand in between mine.

"I wish I could, my love. But for now, I just need to know if I'm right. I will explain everything with time." She understood, knowing she would find out eventually. Alice, however, tapped her foot impatiently. "Alice, I need to meet with you in my office, please."

Alice flitted up the stairs and entered my office. I hurried behind her, knowing that if I was correct, time could be precious. With the door shut, it was easier to keep things slightly private.

She looked at we with curiosity burning in her eyes.

"I need you to do something for me," I began. She nodded, already knowing what I would say.

"I promised him, Carlisle," she said. I closed my eyes.

"I know, but something is not right," I began. "Just one look. Just check to make sure she is okay."

"What exactly am I looking for?" she asked, tugging at her hair nervously. I was sure that she was envisioning Edward's wrath, his fury. Though it was an emotion she would take from him rather than the numbing pain he exerted.

"I…I think she's in some sort of trouble. I looked at her medical file, and something isn't right. I know Bella has a natural attraction to accidents, but these types of accidents happening so frequently…" I trailed off, seeing that Alice was already focused on seeing Bella.

"Oh my god," she gasped. Her hands shook as she ran them through her hair. "It's bad. Really bad. How could this happen? How could I let this happen?" Alice paced the room back and forth, mumbling to herself, still shaking.

"Alice, what did you see?" I asked. She shook her head, still pacing. "I need to know." She sighed.

"He…he beats her. Carlisle, she's so thin, she looks like glass. And the bruises, all of that blood…he'll kill her, Carlisle." Her voice quavered and she turned to face me, expecting a reply.

"Don't speak of this to anyone. Make no attempt to contact Edward either. This is a very delicate situation, and I think it's best if I speak with Edward about this first. He won't be very happy."

"He never is," she grumbled. I felt the horror of it all settle into my chest. Bella shouldn't have allowed this to happen to herself, but I knew that we were all at fault for it. I warily picked up the phone on my desk and dialed Edward's number.

I waited for a short period of time before he answered.

"Hello, Carlisle," he said. I could hear the misery in his voice, the pain.

"Hello Edward," I said. "I'm sorry if I'm interrupting anything."

"Oh, no," Edward said. "You weren't interrupting anything," he said monotonously. "Is everything okay?" My response, which should have been immediate, was postponed. I was mesmerized by the sound of his voice, so miserable and laced with pain.

"Well, not actually, we have a bit of a situation."

"Is Esme…" he started to ask.

"Esme is fine," I interrupted.

"Alice?"

"No, Edward. If it's not too much to ask, I would like you to come to the house as soon as possible," I said, hoping that he wouldn't disregard everything that I was saying.

"Of course, I'll be there shortly." He hung up the phone and I set the receiver back down quietly. Alice burst into the room, already knowing what I was about to ask of her.

"You want me to leave!?" she cried, her small hands balled into fists.

"Just long enough for me to speak with him," I tried to explain.

"He's my brother, I deserve to see him! What if he isn't here when I get back? What then? I get to go another four months without seeing him?"

"All that I'm asking for is one hour. Surely he will stay longer than that." In truth, I didn't know if an hour would be enough time to explain the situation and keep him here, but I would have to work with what I had.

"I can't make the visions stop now, Carlisle, he's going to see them anyway."

"I know that, little one," I said, trying to be as gentle as possible. Temper tantrums were incredibly rare in this house hold, especially coming from Alice. "But if Edward were to see anything upon arrival, the outcome will invariably be bad. Please, try to understand."

She nodded slowly, still upset. "Does this mean Esme and Jasper have to go?"

"Yes," I answered. She pouted, then sniffed and squared her shoulders.

"All right. Fine. He'll be here in four hours." Alice left the room and shut the door behind her. I wondered where Edward had holed himself up into this time. Rio, Texas, Canada, Guatemala, Scotland. For him, I'm sure, it was just different places that were meaningless to him. The spark in his eyes had died long ago.

Esme was opposed to the idea of leaving just as much as Alice was. "Carlisle, he is my son as well. I need to see him."

"I know, my love. He'll be here when you get back, I'll make sure of it." The three of them left soon after, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I looked around the room and saw how little things had changed. Edward's piano still sat in the corner of the living room, neglected for too long. Edward never played when he came to visit. Esme still dusted it, and occasionally polished it when needed. It shone under the synthetic lights in our ceiling.

I preferred our old home in Forks. A large part of me hoped that things would go back to the way they were before. I preferred the last hospital that I worked at, like being able to go out during most hours of the day. Now, we spent most of our time hiding from the sun that almost never went away.

I sat down on the sofa and waited. There was no use busying myself with work that I wouldn't be able to concentrate on. I had seen several cases of abuse, especially domestic violence, but the thought of Bella allowing herself to be put through it was tormenting.

I remembered the last time that I saw Bella, I could see the trust in her eyes alongside the fear. But I knew she wasn't afraid of what had just happened, she was afraid of the mess that she made. Typical.

I heard Edward's approach to the house long before he entered. I even heard him pause outside of the door for several moments. Then, the door handle turned slowly and I met the startled eyes of my son.

EPOV

I had absolutely no desire to return to my family's new home. I only felt obligated because of Carlisle's asking me. I despised Los Angeles. In my opinion, it was nothing more than a polluted city filled with gang relations and violence. Then again, I despised any city were she wasn't. Any distance away from her was a prison, a torture chamber.

As I neared the house, I noticed that no one besides Carlisle was there. He had told me there was a situation, but I didn't expect it to require a vacancy. Perhaps there was another run-in with a traveling coven? My gut clenched when I thought of the last time we had run into a group like that. The memory left me breathless, unable to fill my lungs.

Then Carlisle's thoughts hit me. They were swarming with her name. I zoned in on the words, drawn in by the sound of it through someone else's perspective. It was so enraptured by the sound of it, my mind screaming at me. It hurt to hear it, but I couldn't stop myself from listening.

The I became aware of other words that were coming at me. Words that I didn't want to hear, words that were endlessly painful, and terrifying. I turned the door handle slowly and walked into the house. Carlisle was waiting for me, expecting me.

I walked into his embrace, my lungs still constricted. "What's going on?" I asked, taking a step back from him.

"I think you had better sit down," Carlisle said, returning to his original position on the sofa. I sat down across from him, reading his thoughts. Fury coursed through me. I should have known.

"Carlisle, you promised," I said through my teeth. I fought to control myself. "I promised her. We would stay out of her life, leave her to live normally."

"I know that," he said. "And I respect that, but now is the time to push those promises aside. Think of this as a similar situation to me finding you." I only became angrier.

"This has nothing to with that. She's not dying of the Spanish influenza," I hissed. "I would have died either way. Bella has a long and happy life ahead of her." Her name burned my mouth, stung my vocal cords in a way that only the sweetest poison could have.

"You're missing my point, Edward," Carlisle said. "The situations are almost exactly the same way." My thoughts slowed when I took in his grave facial expression.

"What?"

"If Bella continues with the life she is living, she will die. She is quickly nearing that point as we speak." It felt like someone had dropped an anvil down my throat.

"What are you talking about?" I choked out. The thought of Bella dying prematurely was unfathomable. The thought of Bella dying was horrifying. Carlisle reached over and dug through his brief case. He pulled out a thick file and handed it to me.

"You stole her medical file?" I accused. He shook his head.

"No, I made copies of it." I slowly flipped open the front cover and began to read through the reports. Each accident that I read about sent me further into pain, further into regret.

"So she's had several accidents. That's to be expected with her," I said quietly. "Why are you showing me this?" Carlisle sighed.

"Alice and I looked into it," he explained. I was seething in an instant.

"Does nothing matter to you guys anymore? This is her life we are balancing on a scale. No more," I said firmly.

"He'll kill her," Carlisle said finally. I stopped breathing.

"Who?"

"I don't know, but whoever it is, he will. She has thrown herself into a life of abuse. The beatings are only getting worse. Edward, if we don't do something now, I fear it will be too late."

My chest shook. The thought of Bella, my beautiful Bella, being harmed by human hands was maddening. Worse was that I knew that if I hadn't left and forced my family to leave as well, she wouldn't be in this situation.

"So what are you saying?" I finally asked.

"It's time we returned."

Yes, yes, this really does mean they're coming back : As for what happens when they arrive...well, that's a secret until I post it. Muahaha.

Thanks Leslie :