Oh my goodness. We're (Lucas McDrake and I) soooooo sorry for the wait. I don't own anything recognizable, and - if you're still reading this - review and please be easy on me.

I woke up at about eight Sunday morning, completely confused and severely needing something to drink. I lifted my head from Emmett's lap and tiptoed to the kitchen, so as to not wake the others. As I neared the kitchen I heard soft - nearly inaudible - voices, then nothing. I continued to the kitchen and leaned my ear close to the door, listening for more voices. Suddenly, the swinging door gave and I fell through, making a loud crashing sound that attracted some attention. A pair of arms lifted me up suddenly.

"Al, you okay?" Edward was asking, observing me at arms length. "You hit the ground hard."

"Yeah, I think," I said, rubbing my sore head. I looked at him, then I looked around the kitchen. "I heard voices. Were you talking to someone?"

Edward's expression turned blank. "No… You sure you okay, Alice? You hit your head pretty hard."

"I heard voices!" I insisted, snatching away from him. "That's why I fell. I was listening to see if I could recognize them."

He raised his hands defensively. "Maybe you heard Mom and Dad or something."

I rolled my eyes and went to the fridge to find something to drink. I fixed myself a glass of milk and sat at the kitchen counter, just as the rest of the crew came in.

"What was that loud noise?" Bella asked, appearing out of nowhere and studying me. "Did you fall or something?"

I shrugged. "Fell, face-planted, whatever you want to call it."

Emmett came up behind me, hugging me from behind. "Morning, Pixie Princess. You okay?"

"Yeah," I said, turning for a better hug. "You?"

He gave me an Eskimo kiss. "Yeah."

The day passed fairly well. We spread out, finding our own things to do. Emmett and I lazed around my room and the living room, just being close to one another. He watched me sketch outfit ideas for myself, and I even began to design something for him. We kissed some - of course - but we could never settle on one single thing to do. We finally found interest watching a movie in the living room, but I was soon asleep, and having one of my strange dreams.

Emmett and I were sitting in the old claw-foot tub. Emmett was sad looking and talking to me in a low voice. We looked about 18 or 19. Maybe 20.

"You don't love me," he said, sighing.

"I do, I really do," I insisted, "I do so much that it scares me."

"Then why can't you say it?" he demanded, eyes sparkling angrily.

"I can! I have!" I insisted once again.

"No," he said firmly. "You've agreed, you've nodded then changed the subject, you've drawn little hearts on notes when I wrote it to you. You've never said openly 'I love you.'"

"Emmett, please, give me time, please!" I begged, taking his hand.

"I've waited for five years. Five years of my life, waiting for you to say you loved me. I wanted to be able to be honest and open with you."

"But you are honest with me…"

He stood and left the tub, then turned to me before leaving the shed. "I know. That's what hurts the most."

I sat in the tub when he was gone. I began to cry when I heard his car leave, and I cried until Bella came out back looking for me.

"W-where did he go?" I asked her, sniffling and pulling myself out of the tub.

"He said he had to think. He went to his apartment, I think," she said. "Alice, what happened?"

I shook my head, feeling my heart shatter. "I was a total idiot."

"I'll drive you home; you came with Emmett, didn't you?" she said, taking my hand.

"Yeah," I said. "Take me to Edward's place, though, I need to talk to him."

"Okay," she said, pulling me along.

When we got to Edward and Rosalie's house, I started crying when Edward got to the door. He thanked Bella for bringing me to him and led me inside. He lifted me to sit on the counter in the kitchen and got a damp paper towel to wipe my face.

"Now tell me what happened," he said, standing in front of me.

"I was an idiot, I didn't tell him how I felt and he thinks that I don't love him," I said, looking down in shame.

"Do you?" he asked, lifting my chin.

I bit my lip and tried to keep any more tears from being freed. "More than anything. But he'll never know that. He'll probably leave me now."

Edward shook his head. "Wait right here."

A minute later, Rosalie was with him, pulling me along to her car. Soon, they were pushing me out.

"You'll thank us later," Rosalie said. "Good luck, sis."

I realized we were at Emmett's apartment building. I walked up the stairs and to his apartment, then knocked on the door hesitantly. He answered the door looking incredibly tired and sad. He motioned for me to come in. I started speaking as soon as the door was shut.

"I love you!" I blurted out. "I love you more than anything, please, forgive-"

I was unable to say anymore because I was being pressed against the door, having the life kissed out of me.

It scared the hell out of me… What if he did react like that? What if eventually he decides that if I can't say it, I must not. Love him, that is. Maybe I needed to say it, or maybe… Maybe I didn't really love him… No. I knew it. I knew that I loved him, but he just had to go and confuse me!

Stupid boy. Stupid, amazing, wonderful, incredible… Damn. I can't even complain about him without being put into a hazy little happy place.

"Alice?" Emmett asked, realizing I'd awaken. "You okay?"

"Yeah," I said, sitting up slowly. "Why?"

"You kept mumbling in your sleep," he said, brushing my hair from my face. "You sure you're okay?"

I leaned into him, resting my head on his shoulder. "I'm fine."

He rubbed my back for a little while, while I woke up. I spent the rest of the afternoon in his arms, until Charlie came and got the Swans and Vicky came for the Hales. I walked out with Emmett while Charlie and Daddy talked. We both overheard something that we could have lived without.

"It's really over, Carlisle," Charlie said submissively. "She sent the divorce papers yesterday."

"Do you need anything?" Daddy asked lowly.

"It's not like she had an income, but the extra help with the kids and the errands was great," Charlie replied, not sounding sad, but more exhausted, as if he wished it was all over. I'm sure he did.

Emmett didn't want to stick around, and dragged me outside and around the side of the house, where no one could see us through the door or windows. He hugged me close, burying his face in my shoulder and shaking with suppressed sobs. I rubbed his back, encouraging him to just cry already.

"It's okay," I whispered. "Cry, sweety. It's okay."

He let out a strangled sob, squeezing me tightly. Tears soaked my shirt (not that I minded the ruining of the shirt; I'm not heartless) and his large frame shook my smaller one. "I hate what she's doing to our family. She's really gone now."

I didn't have a response to that. I simply held him as tightly as I could. He truly was a teddy bear. He looked tough and fierce on the outside, but on the inside he had actual feelings. He was honest with his emotions, and I knew he wasn't ashamed to cry. I was glad, because his tears were the only thing that told me he was still himself.

"I hate her," he said lowly. I knew he didn't mean it, but I said nothing. "I never want to see her again."

I rubbed his back. "You don't mean that."

"So?" he asked, his voice breaking. "I'm so mad at her. She's so self-absorbed."

I didn't talk anymore. Mainly because his lips began to travel up my neck and to my lips. I let him kiss me, just like the first day she left. He pressed me against the side of the house, kissing me deep and long, pouring every ounce of emotion into it. When he hugged me, he lifted me from the ground. His tears dripped onto my face while he kissed me, some of them mingling into our kiss.

We heard the door open and Charlie call for Emmett. I used the sleeve of my shirt to wipe his face free of tears, then leaned up for another hug.

"Call me whenever you want to," I whispered into his ear, then I kissed his mouth gently.

He nodded, then went around the side of the house to his dad and sister. I remained hiding until the sounds of the cruiser faded, then I trekked into the house and up to my room. A little while later, Daddy came to my room. I'd been playing with my charms on my bracelet, paying special attention to the teddy bear, and was startled by the sudden weight on my bed.

"I take it you and Emmett heard?" he asked quietly, rubbing my back along my spine comfortingly.

I nodded, touching the nose of the miniscule charm.

"So I assume you two ran off so you could comfort him?"

"You would have assumed correctly," I said dully, rolling onto my back. "So go on, ask what we did. Ask what happened and how he reacted."

Daddy put a hand on my cheek. "I can only assume he was upset."

I nodded solemnly. "Daddy, he cries. He's strong but when he's sad he actually cries."

"Does that bother you?" he asked curiously.

"No! Not at all," I said, offended at the mere idea of someone being annoyed by my amazing guy's sadness. "But no one else really takes the time to let him be sad. We were just around the side of the house, and he was crying the whole time." Not a lie. He was crying when we kissed.

Daddy nodded, studying my face. "Did he say anything?"

"That he's mad at her," I offered, shrugging a bit. "Who isn't, really?"

"While we're all unhappy with her decision, Alice, we can't hold grudges. We can be upset at the way in which she went about it all, but we can't be mad at her for wanting to live her life."

I glared at my ceiling. "When you have a kid you kind of sign off living your own life for eighteen years, right? Sometimes more depending on how smart they are. Aren't I right?"

"Somewhat," he said, a small chuckle escaping him. "Sweetheart, she made her decision. Now the Swans have to find a way to work around that decision. Your mother and I love them like our own, but there's only so much we can do."

I sighed, tears beading in my eyes. "But I love them, too. I want to be there for them."

"And you can," Daddy said softly, brushing the tears from my eyes with his thumbs. "But this isn't your battle or your problem. You can't fix it, no matter how badly you want to. This is something the Swans have to deal with as a family. Sure, we can offer our love and support and prayers, but this is their struggle, and you don't need to worry about it."

"But Daddy, he was crying so hard," I said, more tears raising. "He was crying and it made me sad to see it. I didn't care that he was ruining my shirt or on the verge of breaking my ribs. That's how far gone he was!"

Daddy pulled me up into his arms, hugging me comfortingly. "It's okay, sweetheart. Don't cry. I know you're overwhelmed, but all you can do is be there for him."

I inhaled the comforting scent of my father, letting someone comfort me instead of the other way around. It was nice to be self-absorbed for a few minutes. When I finally pulled back from him, he kissed my forehead gently.

"It'll be okay, sweetheart," he said, wiping my remaining tears away. "I love you, my sweet little girl."

I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat. "I love you, too, Daddy."

A/N: Reviews?

~Sidney