Title: Never too late
Author: Zee
Characters/Pairings: Edward/Bella, Renesmee, Alice/Jasper, Rose/Emmett, Jacob/Leah
Rating: General Readers (GR)
Category: Drama
Spoilers: None but it would be better if you've read the Twilight series to get an idea of the chacters. This is Alternate Universe (AU) and is All Human (AH).
Summary: A horrible accident leaves Edward broken and empty. When he wakes up to the world and finds he doesn't remember anything, Bella does everything she can to bring back her Edward.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters. They all belong to Stephenie Meyer – the genius

EPOV

Bella pulled away and said she'd go down and check up on Renesmee. She left me in the room and I had a chance to think to myself. I sighed. I was alone again. Not that I enjoyed the loneliness, I think I've had enough of being by myself to last my whole life. Now that I've woken up from all the dreams, I was ready to... what?

What was I ready for? Starting over? I shook my head and rubbed at my temples. I shivered again as fear reared its head back into my head again. What now?

I heard a soft knock on the door and Bella came in with Renesmee, the angel, in her arms. Renesmee was smiling again and I relaxed. Bella put her down on the foot of the bed and she walked towards me.

"Hi daddy." she smiled. "You feeling better now?"

"Hello Renesmee." I looked at her then at Bella who was sitting by the bed. Bell nodded. "Yes, I do feel better."

Renesmee beamed. "That's good." Then her look turned curious. "It's Nessie, daddy."

I frowned. I looked at Bella. "Oh, everyone calls her Nessie. It's a nickname Jake came up with."

I smiled at Nessie. "I like it."

Bella mumbled something like, "I don't," under her breath and I just looked curiously at her. She shook her head and I smiled to myself. Maybe I can ask her about it later.

"Who's Jake?" I asked.

"He's your best friend." Nessie said a matter-of-factly. It was her turn to look at Bella. "How come daddy doesn't remember, momma?"

Bella smiled sadly at Nessie and reached out her arms. Nessie climbed off the bed and into Bella's arms. "Remember what happened before, when me and daddy got into the hospital?"

Nessie nodded. "Daddy's car broke."

"Yes, it did." Bella touched Nessie's hair then looked at me. "Well, when daddy's car broke he..." Bella hesitated. "He bumped his head and now he can't remember anything. But don't worry, Nessie. He will." Bella looked at me and I saw the determined look in her eyes.

Nessie's eyes widened. She looked at me, then at Bella then back at me. She started giggling and she climbed out of Bella's hug and started to get back up on the bed. She sat beside me and leaned her body on my lap. "You're like Patrick, daddy. Remember him?" she giggled. "Oh, you don't." she scratched her head.

"Tell me about Patrick, then." I said.

Nessie smiled wildly. "Well, he's that pink star on Spongebob. He's spongebob's best friend, like you and Jake but Jake's not spongebob but you're like Patrick. Patrick lives under a rock. Do you know what a rock is, daddy?"

I searched my mind expecting to find nothing but I nodded. "I do."

"Great!" Nessie giggled. "Well, Patrick lives under a rock. You don't live under a rock, daddy, you live here in grampa and nana's house but I think that Patrick forgets everything because he stays under the rock all the time and when he goes to sleep he keeps bumping his head like you when your car broke."

I just looked at her. I didn't think so many words could come out of such a tiny person. I nodded at Nessie and looked at Bella but there was a thought nagging in my head.

"Nessie, come here." Bella stood up and took Nessie in her arms. "Slow down. We have all the time to remind daddy who Patrick and Spongebob is. Right now he needs to rest."

Nessie pouted and crossed her arms in front of her. "But he's been sleeping soooo long, momma." she thought to herself. "I woke him up." she said and looked at me as if that would end all discussions and she could could go back on the bed.

"I know, love." Bella kissed her nose and Nessie giggled. "And I will never forget that. But I need to talk to daddy first, okay?"

Nessie nodded and sighed. "Ho-kay." She wriggled free and stood on tip toe at the side of my bed. "Bye daddy." she stretched out her arms and I leaned sideways as she took me into a hug by my neck. "I love you." she said and Bella led her out the door.

Nessie looked back at me before stepping out. "Don't forget me, 'kay?"

I nodded and smiled at her. "I wont, Nessie. Not again."

"You promise?"

"Yes. I promise."

She beamed and started skipping out the door. Bella closed the door and she walked back to the bed and sat there.

"Edward," she said with urgency in her voice.

I looked at the door and at Bella, the nagging thought more pronounced now that we were alone.

"I realized something." she said. "Something that Nessie said."

I nodded. "I thought of something too and I think I know what you mean." I looked at my hands. When Nessie asked me if I remembered what a rock was, I said I did. And I did. I knew what a bed was. I knew what a door, a doorknob, floor or a table was. But everything else, I seem to have forgotten. I was even more confused and my temples started to throb again. Why could I remember these things but not remember the beautiful girl and woman that were my family?

Bella bit her lip. "Edward, maybe..."

There was something in her tone that made me look up. She took my hand and started to pull me out of the bed. I let her and my bare feet touched the floor as I sat on the side of the bed facing the chair that Bella sat in. I looked down and saw that I was wearing a pair of blue striped pajamas and, of course, the white shirt.

"Maybe, what, Bella?" I asked and I heard the fear in my voice.

She pulled me up and I stood on both feet this time. I was a few inches taller than her and she had to look up when she said, "I want to try something." She held on to both my hands and continued, "I realized when Nessie asked you about the rock, that you seem to have forgotten memories of people, me, your, your parents... but you remember everything else. I can't even begin to explain how much of a relief that is. At least I know I haven't completely lost you... you haven't completely lost yourself. Maybe that's key to help you remember. Maybe having those basic things as a link to your memories can help you remember them."

She pulled me to one side of the room I didn't notice before. There was a CD player and a wall lined with CDs, whose titles I didn't bother to look closely at. I knew I wouldn't remember them anyway. She led me to a black and sleek object on the corner. I couldn't help but ask, "What is it?" as a warmth ran through my hands.

Bella stopped walking and looked at me. She looked at the big black thing and then at me. "You mean you don't know what it is?"

I looked at the thing again. "No."

Bella sighed and bit her lip. I noticed that she did that when she was deep in thought so I didn't say anything even when questions were itching on the tip of my tongue, waiting to be asked.

"I still say we give it a try." she said determinedly. "But how will this work if you don't even know what it is?" she hesitated as we came up behind a bench in front of the black thing.

I squeezed her hand. "Bella, if you think it's worth a try, I'll do it."

She smiled. "Okay."

"But what is it?" I asked again. She made me sit on the bench, right in front of the black thing. I saw it was made of wood.

Bella touched it and opened the front part revealing a row of black and white. "It's your piano."

"Piano." I let the word roll off my tongue. I looked at her. "What do I do with it?"

She closed her eyes and pursed her lips. "You play it." She took my hands and laid them softly in the center of the row of black and white. She ran her fingers over them and said, "These are keys." She pressed one of them and a single note rang through the air. Hearing it was like waking up to a bright day. I smiled. "I don't know how to play it, but you do. You were amazing." She sat beside me on the bench. "I believe you still are."

I took my hands from the keys and put them on my lap. "But what if I'm not anymore?"

She shook her head. "The way your face softened when I played that single note tells me otherwise, Edward. You love your music."

"Just like I was supposed to love you?"

She knew what I meant and she sighed. "Even if this wont work, I'll still help. We'll just have to find a different way to begin."

I nodded and placed my hands back on the keys. They were cold to touch but there was a warmth to them that a thrill ran through my veins. My heart pounded and I flexed my hands. I closed my eyes and pressed one, two, three keys. To my empty ears, the notes were strangers but it was like they were trying to introduce themselves to me again. It was like the way Bella took me into her arms when I first spoke. The music was welcoming me home. And as I thought these things I heard the most beautiful song in my head. I looked at Bella who was crying, staring straight at the keys of the piano. I looked at it too and saw that I was the one playing the music. My fingers danced gracefully on the keys, knowing where to go without me thinking about it.

I looked at Bella again and she looked up at me. She leaned her head on my shoulder as I continued to play and I had a strong feeling that the song was for her... and more than that, I knew, for sure, that I was where I was supposed to be.