Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, Stephenie Meyer does!

Summary: Discovering they were expecting the last six weeks of high school, childhood sweethearts Edward and Bella marry before they leave for Seattle and the University of Washington. Three weeks after they start college, Bella goes into labor prematurely and delivers their son Elijah Aaron, a week after her nineteenth birthday. Born at 23 weeks, Elijah just wasn't strong enough to survive. Grieving and depressed Bella leaves Edward. After six years of no contact, what will happen when they see each other for the first time? Back home in Forks, Bella is a nurse anesthetist working at Forks Community Hospital, where Edward is also working as an ER doctor.

BPOV

"Bella, you did a great job today. If I didn't know myself, I would have thought you were a pro at putting patients under," Carlisle said laughing as we walked out of the OR.

"Thanks Carlisle. I'm glad my first time in surgery was with you," I said. Getting praise from Carlisle Cullen was like praise from my Dad. But then again half of my life was spent with the Cullen's.

I had been home six weeks, finally completing six years of college for my bachelor in nursing and another two for my certification as a nurse anesthetist. Carlisle disagreed with my decision when I first told him years ago. His philosophy was if you were going to waste six or more years in college, be a doctor. I wanted to put patients under using anesthesia, not operate on them.

Once I graduated, Carlisle put in a good word for me with Forks Community Hospital board. The fact that he was Chief of Staff and that he was willing to put his reputation on the life for a college graduate; I was hired.

Thanks again to Carlisle and his wife Esme, I had also purchased a home with Esme taking on the task of decorating.

"Esme wanted me to ask again about Sunday breakfast. We both think it's time that everyone knows you're home," he said.

"I know I need to make myself known but I'm not ready for Alice's questions, she can be persistent. Or Emmett's claims of abandonment." Acknowledging to myself that I was avoiding one Cullen in particular but Carlisle already knew that.

"I'll take care of Alice and Emmett, but Edward is the one you need to be concerned about. How you have managed six weeks here and not running into him is beyond me. This town or hospital isn't that big. I see him several times a day here at work."

"I avoid the ER and any area around it. When he's working, I bring my lunch and eat in my car just in case we are in the cafeteria at the same time."

Carlisle and Esme had been great to me the last several years. When I asked why they would say that I would always be their daughter no matter where I was in life even though I only had the last name Cullen for six months.

The lifetime I had envisioned, 50, 60, maybe 70 years, with Edward just wasn't meant to be. By the time we had reached nineteen we had been through an entire lifetime. First love, teen pregnancy, teen marriage, the start of college, the birth of our son, his death and divorce.

Two nineteen-year-old kids didn't stand a chance when everything was stacked against us to survive.

We both tried to make it work after we lost Elijah Aaron but we were just too young and didn't know what to do. I needed him and he needed me but we just kept shoving each other away. My Dad and Carlisle said we needed professional help to get through this. I took their advice and sought professional help, an attorney and an annulment. I ran away to Dartmouth while Edward stayed here and attended the University of Washington, becoming Dr. Edward Cullen.

At 25, I had finally grown up enough to face my past and my fears on my own terms. One day at a time is what I kept telling myself, but Sunday wasn't the day.

"I'll call Esme tomorrow and let her know about Sunday. If not I'll see you on Monday," I said reaching my car.

"Okay, but that's the same thing you said the last six weekends," Carlisle said shaking his head, disappointed that I was still running from his son.

Driving home I soon found myself in the parking lot of the Working Man's Bar. Carlisle had told me that Emmett bought the bar a couple of years ago. Emmett as a bar owner sounded scary to me. According to Carlisle it was thriving. Friday and Saturday were Karaoke nights, Emmett's favorite game growing up, and that most weekends it was standing room only with customers waiting to get in.

Walking up to the door there was a bouncer with a clipboard checking names. You were either let in or told to wait off to the side.

"Name?" he asked with no emotion.

"Bella Swan, I wouldn't be on the list. This is my first time here."

"Huh, no you aren't on the list. But I have a Bella listed but a different last name and she has never been here either. Mr. Cullen adds her name himself every night to his personal list. Could that be you but by another name?" he said scrutinizing me.

"You mean Emmett's personal list?" Only Em would still call me that after all of these years. "Fine, Bella Cullen."

"Yes, you're on the list. Welcome Ms. Cullen," he said stepping aside and letting me in.

"Don't call…never mind" Turning back to him I asked, "Is Emmett working tonight? I need to have a few words with him."

"Yes he is. You can find him at the bar."

Making my way through the crowd I found a sit at the bar and watched Emmett laughing and taking orders. I had to laugh when I saw him; he was bigger then I remembered. He was always a big teddy bear but somehow over the years he had gotten bigger.

"What can I get you?" he asked, not realizing it was me.

"First, you can change my name on your personal list from Cullen to Swan then you can get me a coke and a menu."

"It's about time you showed your face. I've been waiting forever. Those bouncers I employ thought was I nuts adding your name every night." He started walking around the counter and over his shoulder hollered at the other bartender, "Hey I'm taking a break but I wouldn't be far just at the end of the counter."

Then I was in the must excruciating bear hug imaginable. "I can't breathe Emmett." He loosened his hug and took one of my hands in his and twirled me around.

"Look at you, all grown up. What's the deal with the scrubs?"

"I just got off of work at the hospital and didn't bother changing.'

"Hospital? As in Forks Community Hospital."

"That's the one. I started there about six weeks ago. I was in surgery for the first time today with Carlisle."

"My Dad? He never mentioned you were home and working with him. Does my little brother know?" he asked leaning down to my level.

"No I've avoided him. I'm not ready for our big knock-down-drag-out fight. I'm sure it will be better then the UFC fights you show here," I said trying to sound lighthearted. But he saw though it.

Taking my right wrist and flipping it to reveal the tattoo on the inside of my wrist, he ran his thumb across it, "You know him better then that. You both have issues you need resolved. You run and he hides. It's time you two grow up, be adult and tell each other how you felt back then when you left him and then you can tell each other how you feel now and move on."

"Six years, Em, we aren't the same lovesick kids. Too much has happened to us," tears glistening my eyes.

"So you are just going to avoid him without finding out. You are both living and working in the same town; you will run into him sooner or later." Running his thumb under my eye, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you cry."

"I appreciate your honesty but when the time is right I'll talk to him. That's enough about my dysfunction life with your brother, what's going on with you and Rose? Is she here tonight? I would love to see her."

"No she's at home with the kids. Dad didn't tell you?"

"No he didn't. I haven't asked for personal information over the years. I only know you two are married and that you own the bar."

"Over the years? How long have you been in contact with him?"

"About three years. I needed a recommendation into the nurse anesthetist program at Dartmouth and I didn't have anyone else to write one so I called your Dad."

"Edward is going to flip when he hears that Dad knew where you were and didn't tell him. Charlie wouldn't tell him either. Told him if you wanted him to know you would have told him," shaking his head I could tell he was mad at me.

"Emmett you have to understand when I left I thought it was for the best. I wasn't happy and neither was Edward. We were both young and miserable. It just wasn't meant to be and a clean break is what we needed. I hoped he would move on and find happiest and whatever happened to me would happen."

"You're more delusional then I thought. I wasn't going to do this but you need to see him and it's going to be tonight. He's at a table in the back with Alice, Jasper and his girlfriend," he said looking over my head into the crowd.

Standing up to leave I said, "Girlfriend? I'm not talking to him with his girlfriend present. How stupid can I be? Ugh, I didn't even think about Alice and him being here."

He calls me delusional; no I'm insane for coming to his bar not even thinking about Edward being here, and with his girlfriend.

"Look Alice has already spotted you and me talking, that means he knows you're here. Be the adult, walk over there, talk to your best friend and see what happens. He won't make a scene, he will just sit there like a bump on a log glaring at you."

"That's what I want to avoid. I hate that stare. It's as if he is trying to read my mind and see what I'm thinking but he can't."

"Do you trust me? If I pick a song will you sing it, no questions asked?"

"Emmett Cullen, I'm not singing karaoke."

"You need to decide what you are going to do because Alice is standing in her chair trying to get my attention. Either you walk over there or you sing a song."

"Fine, I'll be the adult and go see them. Don't go too far in case you need to bounce me out of here," I said over my shoulder walking towards my best friend and her brother, my ex-husband, the love of my life.

Weaving my way through the crowd I saw Alice was indeed on her chair beaming the biggest smile to me. I could feel the tears again. I had stayed away too many years and she was looking at me like it was just yesterday.

As I got closer I heard her and Edward in a battle of words. "Sit down Mary Alice you are making a scene."

Oh he was ticked he called her Mary Alice.

"Shut up Edward. I haven't seen Bella in six years," she said.

Great she had to throw that in.

"None of us have seen her, Alice, especially me," he said through his teeth, looking up at her, rubbing the spot right above his heart.

The person next to him who must be his girlfriend was giving him and Alice the oddest look. She looked scared. Must be her first time being present for one of their verbal sparing matches.

Trying to sound like I had it together I said softly, "Alice would you please get down before you hurt yourself." Subconsciously rubbing my right wrist.

Please review after reading - Annie