A/N: Here's your belated post, sorry for the wait. The story really picks up at this point and I already have the next few chapters written, so expect more posts! Thank you so much for the wonderful reviews, they encouraged me a lot!

Edward's POV

She didn't talk in her sleep anymore. After that first night in the hospital, she never once uttered one word. Not one. That wasn't the first change, only the first distressing one of many others.

The only thing I knew was that my Bella, the Bella I loved, was killing herself slowly, in front of my eyes.

She talked, but never said anything. She listened, but never heard. She looked, but never saw. She was a shell.

Rose tried to help her talk about it. She tried to use the methods she had found acceptable for herself. She had tried to make the most out of her own tragedy to help her sister, which was how she truly thought of Bella now.

I daren't leave the house to chase down those . . . monsters. I snarled the word privately. I couldn't leave her, not even to hunt. It had been three weeks. I needed to satiate my thirst, but that was not as pertinent as Bella's health, including her mental health. It seemed to be deteriorating rapidly.

Edward?

"Yes Carlisle?"

I looked expectantly at him as he entered my room.

He told me quickly and I exhaled slowly, closing my eyes and mouthing a silent prayer of thanks.

"Let's tell her."

Her pale face stared listlessly out the window as Alice chattered about a new movie that had recently come out.

As we walked in, Alice's eyes flickered to mine.

Speaking so lowly Bella was out of hearing, Alice murmured, "I didn't see anything, but I couldn't be sure."

I didn't acknowledge her presence. I couldn't bring myself to look at her. Every time I saw the shame on her face, I was reminded of how she had let Bella down. How I had let Bella down.

"Bella?" Carlisle gently implored her attention.

Her haunted eyes turned to him.

"It's confirmed. You're not pregnant."

For a moment, hope flashed through me, white hot. I saw her façade disappear and her eyes shine with thankfulness . . . then she looked to me and the emptiness resumed.

I fled from the room.

So I was the cause? She blamed me for the demons that plagued her? Well, I couldn't blame her. I was at fault.

Me.

One Week Later

Alice's POV

Nothing had improved. It worsened. Bella was declining. Every day, Edward and I sat with her, talking, pleading, and begging with her to will herself to live. Nothing changed.

"That's it!" Ruthlessly, Edward slammed his hand down on the desk beside Bella's bed. She jerked in surprise. I didn't. I had seen this coming . . . dreaded it coming. But, I had known. He'd been planning it for a week.

"What?" Bella asked tonelessly.

"I'm taking you home to Charlie; obviously there is nothing more we can do for you. You don't want our help. I'm making you worse."

She sat mutely, taking it all in.

"I can't damage you more. You'll be better off without me for the time being."

She flinched at the word damage, but otherwise exhibited no response.

"Okay, when am I leaving?"

Edward blinked in surprise. Clearly he hadn't expected her to be so accepting of his little tirade. He had expected an argument, resistance at leaving. I hadn't; there had never even been a decision for this Bella. It was uncompromising, this new mind of hers.

"I'll take you to Charlie's now." His tone was bleak.

"Here's her bag and things, I packed them for you." I tried to hand him the two bags and pair of crutches, but he simply picked Bella up.

"Emmett, can you go get Bella's bags from her room please," he requested, leaving the house.

My shoulders hunched forward in desperation. Would he never forgive me?

Half an hour later, he strode back into the house, slamming the door off its hinges. Esme came out, reproving look in place, but she stopped when she saw him.

I stayed in the living room, watching the exchange.

"Edward, how is she doing?"

He threw Esme an incredulous look.

"Badly." The word was choked out.

"You're not to blame you know."

Edward whirled on Jasper, who was leaning against the banister.

"Of course I am! We all are! We let her down, all of us! How could you not figure that? We should have protected her . . ."

Esme moved closer to him, it seemed to corner him.

"Her life is ruined. Her spirit is broken, her life is gone."

He seemed utterly hopeless.

Esme touched his shoulder lovingly.

"No! No, don't; you're wrong . . ." he shook his head violently.

"Yes Edward, you cannot blame anyone but the villainous people who committed the crime. It was their fault—theirs alone."

"No, no," he moaned, the words issuing from his lips. "Stop it!"

Then, Edward did something I had only witnessed once before. He dropped to the floor and began sobbing dry, tearless sobs.

"I ruined her. I didn't protect her. She hates me now. She knows it was my fault. She can't even look at me!"

Esme shot Jasper a meaningful look before she knelt down beside Edward.

With great emotional control herself, she pulled him into her embrace and rocked him gently.

"Esme—" The choked word was stifled by her.

"Hush Edward. It is not your fault. And she doesn't hate you. Darling, I'm sure of it," she said to counter his aggressive head shake of denial at her mention of Bella.

"That girl would go to any length to save you, as you would her. But darling, you're not perfect. You couldn't save her from every thing. You couldn't keep her locked away in your room all day just so she would be safe and you could watch over her. She has a life too and she needed to live it. It was a risk she took. It's not all your fault. But this isn't the end of the world. She will heal with time and she'll need you, even if she tries to push you away. She's only eighteen years old. She can't possibly know what is right all the time. She needs you."

"But I'm hurting—"

"Her more if you stay away. You must stick with her through this. Help her move past it as you do."

He fell silent, deliberating her words.

I knew the bond between Esme and Edward was strong, but I had never really witnessed their link before, it was parental, though they didn't reveal it often. At least someone could show Edward reason.

"Maybe . . . maybe you're right. Maybe I should go back to her, make her tell me what's wrong. Maybe," his face lit up with hope, "maybe I was misinterpreting it. I hope I was."

I exhaled, now this whole mess could be straightened out. I for one, knew that Bella did not blame Edward; I just wasn't sure who she was blaming. Things would work out. Edward would go back to Bella and they would work out their problems together. That was how it was supposed to work.

My body suddenly stiffened. I saw Bella writing a letter and crying, and then, nothing.

"Edward?"

He had collected himself and was standing next to Esme.

"Bella's future just disappeared."

Esme gasped in shock.

Edward simply started up the stairs, human pace.

"You still have time to stop her Edward," I said urgently, trying to hurry him along. "She just made the decision."

He didn't respond to me.

"Aren't you going?" Esme asked hesitantly.

"No."

No?

"What are you going to do?" Jasper asked, staring at him and trying to get a read on his feelings.

"Nothing."

"Nothing?"

He presented a bitter, twisted smile.

"She obviously doesn't want me with her. What's a better message to send than that?"

He wasn't going after her. All of Esme's work was for nothing; he wouldn't go after her now. It was the ultimate way to hurt him; she was turning to another for the love and affection we tried to give her.

Why would she do this? Why Bella? I thought hopelessly, staring at the wall in front of me. Everything was almost fixed.

He started up the stairs and then turned again, anguish on his features.

"Who knows? Maybe the mutt will do her good after all."

We watched him disappear to his room.

A/N: So I've updated all of the chapters now and am rounding out the next one. From here on out, all new material! It's been a long time coming lol :) I hope you enjoyed the story so far. Please leave a review and let me know what you think!

R