A/N: Hey everyone! Long time no see, huh? Sorry about that, I had school things to take care of and then once that was done and over with, I was stuck in a rut for a few days before I finally just sat down today and forced myself to finish this. It's the longest chapter yet, at 6,400+ words, so I hope the length makes up for the wait!

Disclaimer: Anything you recognize is not mine. I'm merely borrowing Stephenie's characters for my own enjoyment and that of other Twilight fans everywhere and I promise to put them back neatly when I'm done.

Without further ado, Enjoy!

Broken Coda

Chapter Two "Missing"

We were walking up the porch steps when the door was flung open so quickly that I jumped, stifling a scream. My eyes caught sight of Alice in doorway – and I worried for a moment that something was wrong, before she all but disappeared, launching herself at us with a jubilant cry.

"Bella!"

"Nice to see you, too, Alice." I told her through short bursts of laughter and gulps of air.

Alice's inky black head shot up and she glared balefully at Edward before she stepped back, giving me room to breathe. "Don't hog her all to yourself, Edward. The rest of us want to have a chance too, you know." Her voice was reprimanding. "Didn't you ever learn to share?"

"No." He answered playfully, pulling me back into his arms.

Alice was literally bouncing up and down in place though, and her blatant excitement dulled the petulant tone she directed at Edward. She couldn't keep from smiling and I briefly wondered whether or not I should be scared.

I looked to Edward with the silent question in my eyes. He just smiled in assurance and I grinned back at him.

"Okay! Enough waiting, come inside!" Alice didn't wait for me to move on my own and grabbed my hand, dragging me inside before I could protest. Edward followed more slowly, his eyes betraying his silent amusement.

I managed (with Alice's help) to not trip over anything as I was pulled through the door and into a house that was as familiar to me as my own. But once Alice released her grip on my hand, I fell backwards from the momentum, wind-milling my arms in order to keep my balance.

Gravity had other plans, however, and unlike this morning, I was unable to stay on my feet. I fell backwards, and luckily, the couch was there to break my fall. I idly wondered whether I had gotten as far as the couch, or if Edward had just pushed it across the room in time to save me from falling.

A roar of laughter broke through my musing and I buried my burning face in my arms against the couch in embarrassment. "Hi, Emmett," I murmured without looking up.

"The same as always, Bella." He greeted, tone filled with amusement. His voice took on a curious edge as he continued, thinking out loud. "I wonder if you'll be this clumsy after you become one of us–" Alice shot him a look.

I froze, peeking up at Edward in apprehension, but while he seemed generally unaffected by this comment, I could see the tension in the way his jaw clenched; his ocher eyes slightly darker than the light topaz I loved so much. I bit my lip, still worried. Then I felt a sense of calmness spread through me and looked up to see Jasper standing by the foot of the stairs. I let out a sigh of relief when I noticed that Edward's jaw was no longer clenched.

Emmett's wary laugh broke the awkward silence.

"That would be a first, one of a kind," he continued, oblivious to the impact of his words. "A clumsy vampire." He snickered.

"Gee thanks, Emmett." My tone was dry.

"Anytime," he answered easily, grinning.

We all sat in silence for a few long moments, before Edward rose to his feet. My eyes followed him, curious, and I made to get up and follow.

"I'll just be a minute," he said, though I had a feeling he was directing this statement at me, alone. I stood frozen in my spot for a moment, before he turned and flashed me my favorite crooked smile. I returned to my seat as he disappeared. I sat next to Alice on the couch, and I noticed for the first time that the TV was on, though the volume was too low and indecipherable for my human ears to comprehend it.

Emmett was sitting on the loveseat to my right, watching the news that was flashing on the screen with little interest. Alice sat next to me; her body was still and her head rested against the back of the couch. Her eyes were closed, as though she was sleeping; but I knew better. I wondered what she was looking for.

"Yes!"

She jumped up suddenly, with a cry that made me jump. I gasped; trying to control my racing heartbeat, I was sure my eyes were wide with shock. "What is it, Alice?" I asked, feeling apprehension creep into my voice.

"You're staying with us a few days!" she beamed.

"Oh," I smiled up at her, relieved "yeah." I looked away suddenly, hoping Alice didn't see the slight grimace on my face. Out of my peripheral, I saw her freeze in place, her butterscotch eyes locked on me and demanding an answer.

Well, so much for that.

I fidgeted uncomfortably. "I fought with Charlie," I mumbled, suddenly wishing Alice's visions could explain the reason behind the decisions as well, so I wouldn't have to elaborate on it again. Nonetheless, she seemed to catch on rather quickly that my decision had something to do with this new knowledge; I saw her eyes light up as she made the connection.

Her tiny face was suddenly filled with sympathy and her chime-like voice was laced with concern when she spoke again. "What happened?" Her eyes were wide in apology.

I shook my head at her stricken expression, indicating that she had nothing to be sorry for. I lifted my left hand, bringing the beautiful, ornate gold engagement ring into the light. It glinted innocently on my finger, unaware of the rift it seemed to have created. I heard Alice's sharp intake of breath.

"Oh, Bella..." She was at my side in an instant, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. "He didn't take it well?" she asked and I was surprised by the question in her voice. Her voice was a soft soprano, but her tone held a slight edge; I didn't blame her.

"He's so unfair," I muttered, keeping my eyes downcast for a heartbeat longer before shaking my head. "It doesn't matter, though." I smiled, though it was not without effort. "He can't do anything about it."

Alice placed her tiny hands on my shoulders, and turned me so that I was facing her. Her eyes were on level with mine, and blazing with determination. "No," she told me firmly, "it does matter, Bella." The set of her mouth dared me to argue with her.

I opened my mouth, but I couldn't find an adequate argument; she was right, of course, it did matter. The sole fact that I was staying here for a few days was testament to that. But she didn't have to know that. I sighed. It was hard to hide things from the Cullens.

My family, I thought, liking the sound.

"Bella," Alice was talking again, trying to get my attention. "Listen, you only get to do this once. You should do it right." I knew she was referring to the fact that after the wedding I wouldn't be able to be around humans for a long time. She knew that I knew it, too. "You know as well as the rest of us that you won't be able to see Charlie again, after the wedding. It wouldn't be right to leave things hanging like this; an eternity's a long time to carry guilt." Her eyes were an odd mix of serious and pleading that would have been comical had the situation been more appropriate for it.

"I know," I told her, my voice somehow strong with determination. I knew that was how things would end, I'd accepted that fact, but it didn't make it any easier to think about. The fact that I might never be able to see Charlie again, or Renee or Jacob…I shoved the thought away quickly. It was worth it, I told myself, it was worth it.

And when Edward descended the stairs and into my line of vision, I knew it to be the truth. Alice cast a quick look at Jasper, to assure that my statement was a genuine one, and at his nod she relaxed and a beaming smile claimed her face.

"So," she chirped "since you'll be spending a few days here and all, I figure we could buy you some things-"

"That won't be necessary, Alice." Edward interrupted, "Actually, I have a favor to ask."

Alice pouted. "Yes, Edward?" her voice was clipped, annoyed at being bested out of a shopping trip.

"Would you be able to pick up some of Bella's things from her house?" his velvet voice was polite, undeterred by the tone of his sister's voice. His topaz eyes were actually shining in silent amusement.

"Of course," she responded almost instantly, obviously realizing the potential to talk to Charlie about the wedding in this errand. She sighed dramatically. "Though I wish you would let me buy her something nice."

Edward chuckled. "If Bella would like to go shopping with you, go ahead, Alice."

Alice's face fell and she looked exasperated. "If that's the case, I'll never get to buy her anything!" I heard Emmett and Jasper chuckle from behind us, and I couldn't fight a grin. Alice muttered mutinously, before her ocher eyes lit up.

"Will you go shopping with me, Bella?" she asked sweetly – I had a feeling she already knew the answer. "Once I get back, of course." She clarified.

I pretended to think it over, but I sighed in resignation. It wouldn't hurt, I decided finally. Too much. "Fine," I relented with good grace. A sudden thought crossed my mind however and I froze, debating.

What I wanted to ask wasn't something I would be able to do freely in a few weeks' time; perhaps at all – he deserved his last chance, too. The thought made my chest clench painfully, but I pushed the feeling aside as Alice squealed in delight and hugged me tightly. I laughed to ignore the pain, but now that the idea had surfaced, I wanted nothing more than to go through with it. I looked down at Alice's spiky black head and wondered for a moment if she would see my future suddenly disappear.

She did nothing but release me, and I was grateful for it. I smiled warmly at her, but my eyes drifted towards Edward's still form, close behind me. I sighed.

"Uh, Alice?" I began hesitantly "would you mind if I took a rain check on that? There's something I want to do first." My eyes scrutinized her and Edward closely, and I noticed Alice's small form stiffen for a fraction of a second before thawing out; her butterscotch eyes darted between Edward and me.

"Oh," was all she said. "Of course," her answer was vague but her voice was light, so I assumed she understood. I grinned at her in thanks, before turning to Edward. Before I could open my mouth to ask him, I realized quite quickly that he and Alice were holding a silent conversation. Edward would nod every now and again, and sometimes I even caught his lips moving but the frequency was not one I could pick up on. I decided to wait patiently.

I didn't have to wait long; the whole exchange must have only lasted a few seconds.

"Alright," Edward concluded aloud – for what I knew was only my benefit. "You should get going then," he told her sister. "We have somewhere we need to be, I believe." Alice gave a nod and disappeared. Edward turned to me warmly and I gratefully stepped into his embrace, cherishing the moment.

Emmett cleared his throat loudly, and I felt my face heat up, though there was absolutely nothing wrong with our display. He just snickered.

"See you later, Bella!" he called after us as Edward led me out the door.

The engine of the Volvo purred to life smoothly, a strong contrast to the blaring thunder of my Chevy's engine. We pulled out of the long, hidden driveway and sped down the road; the familiar forest whirring by in a blur. I turned away from the blurring scenery, clenching my teeth. I won't get sick, I won't get sick… was the mantra my mind, repeating itself in a steady stream – I just hoped it was right.

Edward looked ahead at the road, not speaking. There was nothing on his face that gave away what he was feeling, but the slight set of his jaw and the minute narrowing of his eyes told me he was rather unhappy about this decision. But he knew as well as I did that this was my last chance to settle things, and he wouldn't deny me one of the very things he was trying so hard to force on me before that time came. Human Experiences, he called them, well, this was one of my own; though it wasn't so much an experience as it was something that needed to be done; however hard that would be.

Edward seemed to understand my urgency in this situation, and for once I was not begging him to slow down until the speedometer reached a reasonable speed. The quicker this was over with, the better.

"I have to do this," I told myself resolutely, wincing slightly at the slight catch in my voice. I clenched my fist at my side and prayed to whatever powers were out there that I wouldn't break down now, I couldn't do that to Edward.

"I have to…say goodbye." I continued coaching myself, but the last word was hard to get out when my throat was closed so tightly. I took a shaky, steadying breath and kept my eyes staring in front of me.

It was silent for a few moments more, and then a quiet buzzing caught my attention. Edward had the tiny silver phone up to his ear in seconds, and was speaking so quickly that I could not make sense of what he was saying. I looked at him curiously, with a flash of worry in my eyes, was something wrong?

He kept casting me sidelong glances as he talked, and I began to feel uneasy. I watched him carefully, trying to read his face for any telltale signs of distress, but it revealed nothing, and he mostly kept his eyes ahead, unnecessarily for once, on the road. After a moment, he went very still, freezing in place, and I saw his topaz eyes flicker to me and away. I noticed then that the voice on the other line was loud enough to hear.

"Edward?"

The voice was definitely male, and I noticed right away – and with a wave of relief, that it was not one of the Cullens' voices. But at the same time, I knew that voice. My mind was whirring, trying to place the voice, and the somewhat bitter tone with which it spoke Edward's name, almost as if they would rather be saying any other name.

"Are you there? Did you tell her?"

I froze, and caught Edward's eyes as he looked towards me again. That was Sam's voice. I stared at Edward uncomprehendingly. Why would Sam call him? From the tone in his voice, I could assume it wasn't good news, but from the furtive looks Edward kept sending me before, I had a feeling that he knew what Sam was talking about. I locked my gaze with Edward's and mouthed: "tell me?" making the words into a question.

When he pretended not to notice, I shifted around to face him, my eyes narrowed. I raised my voice so it was loud enough for Sam to hear. "Tell me what, Edward?" I demanded.

"Ah, so you haven't," Sam's voice was still bitter, but it gave nothing away.

I glared at Edward, and his jaw clenched. I could see the muscles in his hand ripple, as if he were trying to refrain himself from crushing the tiny phone to pieces.

"I'll meet you at the treaty line," he finally said, snapping the phone shut. He put the phone down and turned stubbornly to the road, not speaking. Glaring for a few more seconds, I realized that he would reveal nothing more, and I turned away sharply, to look out the window.

My first reaction when we pulled up at the treaty line was shock, followed swiftly by confusion. What was Sam doing here? I felt anxiety knot in my stomach and I glanced at Edward out of the corner of my eye. He pulled me wordlessly into a hug.

"What's going on, Edward?" I asked "What is Sam doing here?"

I felt the cool, smooth plane of his cheek against my hair; felt his jaw move with each slight inhale and exhale of breath. His silence was unnerving.

"Where's Jake?" it took three tries to force the words out, and even then they only came out in a whisper.

Two words; that was all I needed to hear, just two words. Jake's fine. That's it, just those two words and I would be fine, and all of this unnecessary tension I was feeling would disappear and everything would be alright again. Jake's fine.

"I'm sorry, love."

I stared up at him helplessly; those weren't the words I was looking for.

"Alice?" Charlie's voice was surprised, but not unhappy.

"Charlie!" Alice danced up the porch steps "How are you?"

"I…" he faltered, looking away. "could be better." He heaved a sigh.

"You saw the ring," she said simply.

"It's great," he was a poor liar. "I'm happy for her." Alice perked up at the end of his sentence however, noticing that despite his stiff composure, his tone insinuated that he was genuinely happy for Bella; if not for her choice, than for her happiness.

"But you're not happy, are you?" her quiet voice was like wind chimes. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"If you don't mind me asking: why are you here, Alice?" Charlie asked, avoiding the question.

"Oh," she looked up at him, her liquid gold eyes sympathetic. "I've come to pick up Bella's stuff," she told him, tone apologetic. Realizing this news might make Charlie feel guilty, Alice tried her best to infuse her voice with enthusiasm – it wasn't that hard, after all, she was generally ecstatic Bella would be spending a few nights. "She's going to stay with us for a few days!" She was beaming and bouncing in excitement, but one look at Charlie's hurt face quelled her outburst, and stopped her bouncing in its tracks.

Alice pretended to be oblivious to the expressions flashing across his face as he tried to regain his composure. "Oh," was all he said.

Alice's dainty features were remorseful, but there was little she could say. Truthfully, she thought this would be a good opportunity for the both of them; giving of them some time to sort out their thoughts – Charlie especially.

And she hadn't had some quality time with her best friend in a while (since she was forced to kidnap her, actually, and that could hardly be considered a good time). And they had so much planning to do!

Thoughts of planning (or wedding planning to be precise) brought her mind abruptly back to Charlie, and the exact reason she was here. Her spiky black head swiveled towards him, taking in his now composed appearance. He looked tired, almost as if he had spent the night lying awake – Alice briefly wondered what kept him up. She knew what would keep him up tonight, and probably a good handful of days afterwards. Her mouth turned down in a grimace.

"She really loves him, Charlie," she spoke in earnest, ocher eyes pleading with him. She could tell he had a comment on his tongue and swiftly continued before he could voice it; she had a suspicion that it was some form of a protest. "He makes her so happy; and her, him. They complete each other, I can see it."

Charlie sighed, running a hand through his ruffled looking hair. "I know, Alice," he told her. "It's just…after what happened last fall…" he trailed off meaningfully, eyes tightening.

Alice winced. "That was a difficult time for Edward, as well," she pointed out. "It was horrible." A shudder wracked her tiny frame, and Charlie looked regretful for bringing it up. His expression was indiscernible as he spoke next.

"Why would he leave if it hurt him, too?" he mumbled, obviously confused, but making a sincere effort to follow. His brow creased as he mulled it over. "It doesn't make sense."

"He left to protect her," Alice chirped, voice wary.

"Bella mentioned something like that…" he relented. "But why? What did she need protection from?" His tone was shadowed by a subtle current of anger and Alice guessed that he intended to say 'who' but didn't have the courage to voice his suspicions. (She also had a sneaking suspicion that he knew exactly who Bella had needed protection from; which wouldn't be far off, those his reasons for those suspicions on the other hand…)

Her mouth was a thin line when she finally answered him, but her voice was unwavering and invited no question. "It's…complicated."

Charlie's mouth twisted into a sour grimace and his brow furrowed in silent annoyance at being thwarted successfully. He couldn't argue with the tone in Alice's voice, however; it was very clear in stating the end of that particular conversation; he 'hmphed' in irritation.

"Please understand," she continued quickly; undeterred as though the previous exchange had never happened. "My brother did what he did with what he believed to be Bella's best interests at heart." She shook her spiky head in exasperation. "He was wrong of course, but he didn't believe that at the time, and Edward is extremely stubborn. Once his mind is made up, there's no changing it." Alice chimed a laugh – though it sounded forced to her ears, Charlie wouldn't be able to tell the difference. "Everyone has flaws after all."

Charlie's posture had slightly improved and the subtle glint in his eyes caused Alice's eyes to narrow in response. His evident pleasure at this revelation didn't sit well with Alice and she was quick to defend her brother.

"But he meant well," she quipped. "At least – he thought he did," She glanced away briefly, blatantly ignoring Charlie's smug grin. "We all know how well that turned out." She sighed, before her pixie-like features smoothed into a smile. "But he's back now, having realized that leaving was a mistake; he's also managed to accept that mistake. Though he won't ever forgive himself for leaving in the first place." She shook her head ruefully.

Charlie opened his mouth to speak but Alice knew what he was about to say and cut him off with a dazzling smile before he had the chance to say it. "He's not going to leave again, Charlie."

Charlie slumped in his seat, feeling defeated. "How do you know?" he grumbled sourly to himself. "What makes you so sure?" he asked a little louder, this time intending for her to hear; though he had no idea she had heard his muttered words loud and clear as well.

"Chief Swan," she addressed him formally to show she was serious. Her chime-like voice was soft and pained; golden eyes wide and expressive. "It nearly killed Edward to be away from Bella," he didn't know the half of it; the truth of this statement was more than Charlie would ever be able to comprehend. "And Bella was more or less the same." She reminded him quietly of the catatonic state he had described to her when she had returned to Forks under the false assumption that Bella had died.

"If Edward had known his decision would have caused Bella so much pain, he never would have left to begin with. But he's stubborn, as I've said, and he is incapable of reasoning with once his mind is set."

Charlie looked unconvinced, however, of Alice's defense of Edward. "That doesn't make much sense." His voice was gruff.

Alice shook her head again, with a musical laugh. "It doesn't," she agreed. "But please believe that my brother would never do anything to hurt her –" Chief Swan flashed her a disbelieving look. "Intentionally," she added with wide, innocent eyes. A brief moment of silence passed before she spoke again. "No," she amended quickly. "He would never hurt her, intentionally or not." Her soprano voice rang with sincerity.

"He left her because he loved her," she repeated.

Disbelief. Anger. Confusion. She didn't need Jasper to read the emotions written across his face; they were as plain as day.

Another laugh, like bells, claimed the silence. "It's complicated," she told him again. "I don't expect you to understand his actions, Charlie – just the motivations behind them." Ocher eyes met chocolate brown.

The brown eyes narrowed. "And what exactly are his motivations, Alice?" his voice was still skeptical; riddled with doubt and a stubborn unwillingness to believe Edward was the right one for his daughter.

"Love," she answered simply, without hesitation. The statement was so pure, so simple but at the same time, said with such conviction behind it that the words were impossible to doubt. Chief Swan lifted his head and looked towards her. "His love for Bella," Butterscotch eyes bored into chocolate brown; willing him to believe the absolute truth.

Charlie's eyes slid back to the floor; he couldn't argue with that.

I braced myself once Edward let me go, stubbornly holding back tears. There were so many questions I wanted to ask, but I assumed they would all be answered by Sam, who was still waiting stoically at the treaty line. My hand slid to my pocket, where the tiny silver phone Edward had given me sat, and I took a deep breath.

Sam met me once – I assumed – I crossed the treaty line onto the Quileute side. I heard the crunching of gravel as the Volvo sped away and suddenly I couldn't hold up my façade any longer. I took a gasping breath and looked up at Sam with an expression akin to that of a dam about to overflow. My lip trembled.

"Where is he, Sam?" I breathed "Where's Jake? What's happened?"

He gave me a pitying look and turned away, heading towards the reserve. "Come."

I followed without a word for fear of breaking down; it was all I could do to hold myself together until I got my answers. I recognized where we were the moment we stopped, Billy Black was seated in his wheelchair at the door, wearing the same stoic mask Sam had been moments prior.

"Bella," he greeted me when I reached the door; his voice seemed collected. It can't be that bad, I reasoned, If Billy doesn't sound worried. But I caught the look in his eyes as he looked up and found myself clenching my fists at my sides in an attempt to keep from screaming.

"Come in," he invited us inside, and I took a seat on the sofa apprehensively. Once I no longer had to concentrate on moving my legs, the questions and the worry and all of the emotions I was trying so hard to fight came flooding back with frightening intensity.

"Where is he, Billy? Where's Jake?" I asked, surprised by the intensity in my tone. I needed to know. I caught Sam and Jacob's father exchange glances briefly before Billy turned his attention back to me.

"Jacob's gone missing," he told calmly, holding up a hand to continue before I could say anything. "He's been missing since the end of July" he clarified.

I stared at him uncomprehendingly. I knew there were many questions I had yet to ask, but I couldn't remember what they were. Jacob was missing? He had been gone since July?! I took in a shaky breath, fighting tears. My anger bubbled to the surface then and I nearly shot up off the couch in rage.

"Why didn't you tell me?!" I screamed, shaking visibly in suppressed anger. All those emotions that had hit me earlier seemed to fuel the force with which I asked. Sam and Billy both looked taken aback. It was Sam who spoke, and his eyes were tight.

"We thought your…fiancé would have told you,"

I stared at him dumbly, and blinked after a moment. "Edward…knew?" I whispered, horrified. They both nodded grimly, as if not liking the fact that their enemy knew one of their own was missing.

"Why didn't he…tell me?" the two Quileutes, who seemed to understand I was speaking to myself, said nothing. I looked up at them as if they had the answer I was looking for. After a moment, Sam shrugged and Billy shifted slightly as if uncomfortable.

"I told him he should let you know," Sam said finally.

I just shook my head, holding it in my hands. I realized with a sudden horror that my face was wet, and then all too suddenly I was sobbing and clutching at my sides as if to hold myself together. Billy and Sam glanced away to give me some privacy, and it was a long few minutes before I could calm down enough to wipe my face and look up at them again.

"So he's…gone," it hurt to say the words, and I felt my heart restrict painfully in my chest when Billy nodded. "Why…" I took a deep breath, unsure if I really wanted to know the answer, "Why did he leave?"

Sam opened his mouth to speak but Billy Black held up a hand, and wheeled off in search of something. We waited in silence until he returned. Without speaking he held out an envelope to me, and I took it with shaking hands. I knew without asking that whatever this was was the reason Jacob – my personal sun – had gone missing.

My hands opened it carefully, I didn't bother to read the return address, I didn't want to know. The envelope was thick, and stiff, made of expensive paper that seemed too done up for Forks. I wondered briefly why it seemed familiar but didn't dwell on it as I concentrated on getting my hands to stop shaking long enough to open it.

When I did I wished I had taken the time to brace myself before being so quick to see what was inside. I recognized the thick, floral-printed card inside immediately and I dropped the entire envelope on the floor as though it had burned me. I stumbled back a step; my eyes wide with disbelief.

"He wouldn't…he didn't…" I mumbled to myself, still in too much shock to be truly angry. My eyes stung and I wiped at them angrily. "Why would he…" I couldn't finish my sentence but Billy had picked the envelope and held it out in my direction again without saying a word.

"No." I shook my head angrily.

"There's something else inside," he told me patiently.

I stared at his outstretched hand for what felt like hours before I finally reached out an unsteady hand and snatched it. I let the wedding invitation drop to the floor, and the envelope soon followed once I found the small, folded piece of paper with one wordscrawled across it in black ink: Jacob. My hands clenched onto the paper like clamps, and I stood there fighting angry tears.

"Go ahead," Jacob's father urged gently.

I let out a breath I didn't remember holding and slowly opened the card. I didn't know what I was expecting. I read it over once, then twice before folding the slip back up and putting it in the elder Black's extended hand.

"And…Jacob ran off after he read this?" I asked quietly.

"Yes," Sam told me, hesitated and then added "I let him go."

I turned burning eyes on him. "What?" I demanded, incredulous.

Sam shrugged. "He told me to let him go-"

"And you let him?!"

"I did," he told me solemnly. "It's what he wanted."

I glared at him for a moment more, my body tensed with burning anger, before I dropped to the couch again tiredly. I was scrutinizing the floorboards, counting the rings and lines in the wood in an aimless attempt to clear my head and not think about anything I had just learned.

It was quiet for a few long minutes before I finally spoke again, but I spoke to my hands, and my voice was still not as composed as I would have liked.

"Do you think…he'll be back?" I had to stop myself from saying 'soon' – I didn't need false illusions of hope. I swallowed roughly and still didn't meet their eyes. It was silent again before Sam spoke, his voice was as unsure as I felt.

"I don't know," he admitted "but he might –"

"Stop," I whispered. "Don't lie, please. That will only make it worse."

They both seemed to understand the hopeless tone in my voice and must have realized, as I had, that lying to me would only make things worse, especially if it turned out that he… I stopped the thought before it could get any further and forced my legs to stand.

"I should go," I told them, already heading towards the door.

Neither of them tried to stop me, they seemed to understand that, as well. Thank you, I thought silently. I stopped with my hand on the knob and looked over my shoulder pleadingly.

"We'll let you know if we hear anything," Sam told me, reading my expression and I knew he was using the pack plural. I nodded my thanks to him and was out the door moments later. I called Edward to pick me up and didn't say another word until we were back in Forks.

Alice danced up the stairs to Bella's room, ecstatic that she finally managed to crack Charlie's thick, stubborn wall of doubt and sway his opinion on Edward and his love for Bella. Even if only a little bit – it was progress.

Beaming, she threw open the door to Bella's room and moved immediately to the closet. Alice clicked her tongue sharply in disappointment after opening the door, however, to reveal very ordinary, very mundane choices. She shook her inky black head in exasperation. Bella was lucky to have her to guide her severely misdirected fashion sense!

After several long moments of internal debate, Alice managed to find a few outfits she deemed 'suitable' (while making a mental note to go shopping with Bella while she was staying – or shop for her, at least, if she absolutely refused to go) and swiftly packed them away.

Once the necessities were taken care of, Alice took a seat a top Bella's desk and drummed her slender white fingers absently against the wooden surface, waiting for a few minutes so she would not arouse Charlie's suspicion.

Once she was sure her timing was adequate she leaped from the desk, grabbed the bag and bounded out of the door and down the stairs in nearly one fluid, graceful movement. She slowed her pace at the landing though, minding Charlie – who was in the other room, watching the news.

"Bye Charlie!" Alice called over her shoulder with warmth. "Thanks for talking with me!"

And she was gone.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I asked him, looking out the window but not truly seeing anything beyond it.

"I didn't want to hurt you," he admitted. He seemed to think it over for a moment and then decided to answer my question honestly. "And…I didn't want you to be angry with me."

I turned to look at him. "I'm not angry with you," I whispered "I was at first, when I saw the invitation," I held up my hand to stop him from apologizing "but once I read the note, I realized that you were just trying to do the right thing."

Edward seemed to flinch at my words. "I…" he ran a hand through his hand and sighed, "I had no intentions of causing this, Bella," he looked at me, pleading for my understanding. "If I had known what it would have done…" his velvet voiced seemed strained, pained almost. "I wouldn't have bothered." His hands had fisted on the steering wheel and his topaz eyes were hard with the weight of guilt I knew he was feeling.

"Don't," I told him "don't blame yourself for this." My eyes found and locked with his own. "Please."

"Bella," he told me, and I was unnerved by the intensity of his tone. "It is my fault he's gone, and his absence is causing you pain, how can I not blame myself?"

"It's my fault," I said softly. "He's gone because of me." Only after the words had left my mouth was I appalled with the sureness with which the words were spoken. But I couldn't retract them; I knew it was true, however much that hurt.

"Bella, love," Edward's velvet voice was strained again, but there was an edge in his voice that dared me to argue with him, "don't you ever think that again. It isn't your fault."

"It's not yours, either," I countered stubbornly.

He sighed. "Where does that leave us, then?"

I shrugged. "I believe it's called an impasse." I told him, smiling in spite of the grief I was feeling. He laughed gloriously and I couldn't help but join in, feeling lighter than I had all day.

A/N: I realized now that there are some inconsistencies in this chapter because this was written in parts at all different times. I wrote some of the later scenes before the beginning ones, so some things might be a little off, just slight things though, so I won't point them out. If you didn't notice, all the better. I originally intended to end this chapter differently, but in the end, I think it came out better this way.

Free virtual cookies for those who review! I'd love to hear your thoughts.

keep your eyes peeled for Chapter three "Impatience" in which we take a brief break from our current characters and re-introduce some others. It'll be good, I promise!