I am sooo sorry this took so long to upload! I went away for Thanksgiving weekend, and school and the holidays became overwhelming... but I'm back! Woot! I know this chapter is somewhat short, but expect bigger and better things in the very near futuuure!!


I was standing in my backyard with Alice and Jasper and Rosalie. What had just happened? Was... was that my Edward in there? My Edward wouldn't have tried to kill me like that, what happened?

I felt hideously stupid as I stood there crying, not caring that a small stain was beginning to show up on my white t-shirt from where the bleeding on my side was occurring. The sting didn't even bother me anymore. I was just standing there, unsure of what to do.

"Listen, Bella, maybe we should take you to Carlisle to get that fixed," Alice said quickly, it sounded as if she was trying to avoid the subject of what was going on in my room. I was glad Charlie wasn't home, otherwise, he'd probably be wondering what was going on, I was sure of. For once I was glad he was being his overprotective self, insisting on buying me magazines and soup at the grocery store.

"I-I... I-I wanna see Edward," I said stupidly.

"Come on, let's take you to Carlisle and we can see Edward later," Jasper said encouragingly.

I could tell that Jasper was using his special ability to calm my down, and it worked. I didn't want to be calm, though. I wanted Edward. I heard inaudible words spoken between Alice and Jasper, and within a moment, Jasper was gone in a flash. I knew he was the weakest of the Cullen vampires and probably couldn't stand to be around my human blood. I understood. I sensed that they weren't in my house anymore. Emmett had probably taken him elsewhere, but that wasn't comforting either.

I agreed at last to going to the Cullen house. Perhaps Edward was there?

"Bella," Carlisle said, a little concerned, noticing the patch of blood on my t-shirt. "Here, why don't you come over here and we'll patch that up," he said with a comforting smile that melted some of my worries and concerns about Edward away.

I remained silent and let Carlisle re-sew up my side. It did hurt a bit, but again, my thoughts distracted me from the pain.

"Have you seen Edward?" I asked Carlisle, just needing some knowledge that he wasn't beating himself up over this.

Carlisle clearly knew what I was talking about, he didn't hide what he knew very well. I figured Emmett had spread the word. "You have to understand, Bella, that what had happened wasn't Edward's fault. Things like this happen to us, sooner or later. He hadn't gone hunting since the day of your surgery," he began.

I couldn't do much more but stare stupidly at him.

"However he believes that it is his fault," Carlisle added, "You know Edward, taking responsibility for things that are beyond his control. He just went out of town for a while. He wanted to get his head straight, he feels terribly guilty for what he did to you," Carlisle said, as he cleaned up the light mess he made. "And there you are," he said with a quick smile. "If we hear from him, we'll let you know, Bella, I promise," he added.

I let out a small sigh and nodded. I tried to not cry, and managed to succeed.

"Thank you, Carlisle," I said, and got up to hunt down Alice. I knew Charlie would be back at any second, but knew Alice would make sure I was home by the time that happened.

"He left," I said to her once I found her in her bedroom on the second floor. Alice had to have known.

"I know, sweety," she said calmly, heading over to me, giving me a gentle hug with her ice cold skin seeping through my clothes, sending a quick shot of shivers down my spine.

"D-do you know when he's coming back?" I asked, trying to use her psychic abilities to my advantage.

I was able to detect the answer by her comforting silence, however the silence only made me cry harder. I leaned over into Alice's shoulder and bawled into her designer blouse.

Edward wasn't coming home.

He had left me once before, and I didn't think I was able to move on. And I suffered so much for that. This was all my fault. If I hadn't made him let me drive... I never would have crashed, I never would have needed surgery, and the incision never would have opened up and bled all over the place.

Last time all of the Cullens left me, at least now I had them here. They were still family, however it was incomplete without Edward.

After a moment or two I recouped and wiped my face, all of my makeup that was previously on my face was now on Alice's no-longer white shirt. "Sorry about that," I said quietly. "Alice... I need to talk to Emmett," I finally said. He was the last one who had seen Edward. I needed to talk to him. I was going to find Edward, even if it meant the death of me. Without Edward, it was as if I was dead already.