Chapter 34: Come Back to Me

Alice POV:

Silence. All I could hear was ringing silence. There was no soothing rhythm of Bella's beating heart to keep me sane. It had been taken away right in front of me.

The hush had turned into rage at the men leering before me, proud of their kill. Their kill of my mate. An all-powerful pulse of wrath ran through me and I had torn the vampires into shreds before registering what I was doing. Soon they were very dead, but I still had anger in me trying to kill everything in its path. Bella's body was laying there in a heap on the ground, I couldn't bring myself to look at it. To look at what I had failed to prevent. There was a horrible screaming sound coming from my body as I fell to the floor. If Bella was dead, I should be too.

"Alice? Bella? Are you- Oh my god!"

"Rose there was one back there with no head. Did you find them yet?"

"Jasper go get Carlisle. Now!" I listened to the sound of Jasper running away and Rosalie situating herself next to me after inspecting Bella's lifeless body.

"Alice? You need to snap out of this ok? Carlisle is coming right now. Bell-Bella's fine ok? She's going to be alright." Her covered sob did not fool me. She was shaking next to me as well.

"Rosalie what's the matter? Jasper said…." Carlisle's sentenced had trailed off once he reached the clearing I had just destroyed. "Oh no." I heard him lean down to look over Bella as well, at which point Rosalie could not try to contain her cries anymore. "Jasper, go get Emmett and Edward and take care of the nomads' bodies. Follow where their scents came from. Make sure there aren't anymore. Also check for identities to make sure they're not working for the Volturi. I doubt it by the look of them, but still check. Go, hurry." I continued to lay in my spot on the ground, staring into space. I was utterly lost without my mate's presence to guide me where to go.

"Carlisle. She's d-dead. I can't hear her heartbeat." Rosalie cried out to our father while still shaking next to me. She looked almost as lost and confused as I was.

"I know Rosalie, I know. But I need you to go back to the house and tell Esme what happened. We can move Bella-"

"No!" I shouted angrily snapping out of my state. No one would touch my mate. No one. "Don't you dare touch her!"

"Alice," Carlisle continued calmly, despite my flaring anger. "There's nothing we can do for her now. She needs to be moved to a safe place for when she wakes. Remember what Liam told us about them waking up from death. It's confusing and disorientating. She needs to feel safe."

"No! I don't want her going anywhere! She's staying right here and is going to wake up fine! She can't be dead. She can't be…"

"Stop it Alice! You need to think about Bella right now!" Finally Carlisle's resolve had cracked and he looked devastated. His words had hit me however, and I walked slowly over to Bella's body, gently cradling it into my arms. I carried her back to the house, only pausing to cry every once in a while. Esme had rushed to my side immediately, trying to be helpful in anyway. But Carlisle had thankfully pushed her back to give me some space.

I finally laid her peacefully down on the couch and buried my face into her now cold chest, sobbing uncontrollably. Esme tried to smooth out Bella's messy hair and Rosalie retreated to her room. The boys came back a little while later and Carlisle had given them more jobs to do. Jasper came to sit by my side and comfort me. Learning from past mistakes, he did not forcibly try and calm me down, he just let me continue on while rubbing my shoulder.

"She's going to wake up Alice. Don't worry. She's going to be alright. We're all here now." His words held little meaning to me. Just because she was going to wake up didn't mean she wasn't in extreme pain right now. Or the fact that every time she was killed, it chipped away at what humanity she had left. What if she didn't love me anymore? What if she lost the imprint? How selfish of me to think this way. Now I feel even worse.

A couple hours had passed now and I was starting to get antsy. Just as I was about to ask Carlisle if he could do anything, I heard Bella's sharp intake of breath.

Everyone in the house jumped up. It was what we were all waiting for, but it was still startling. Her little heart was beating once again and I was overjoyed at the sound.

"Bella? Can you hear me? Do you remember what happened?" Carlisle had gone into doctor mode from father mode in an instant. He was looking over her carefully with gentle movements so as not to frighten.

"Huh what? What the hell?" She scanned the room confusedly while rubbing her sore neck. I wanted to reach out and comfort it in a bad way, but her needs came first right now.

"What can you remember?" Carlisle asked again softly. She closed her eyes tightly for a few seconds and rubbed her temples trying to organize her thoughts.

"Just give me a second." Bella said while still keeping her eyes closed. I leaned back against my will to give her some breathing room. Her heart was beating at a rapid pace and her body had a slight tremor. But we all waited patiently while she sorted her mind. "Sorry. Ok. The nomads? Are they dead?" Bella had immediately snapped into soldier mode.

"Yes. We took care of them and made sure there weren't anymore. It was just the three of them." Jasper whispered quietly. Bella nodded at his words, still concentrating hard.

"Alice! Is Alice ok?" She jumped up panicked looking around the room desperately. Relief flooded my mind, she remembered she cared for me. To what extent, we'll find out later. But right now all that mattered was that she remembered me.

"Bella honey I'm right here." I said soothingly while holding her hand in my crouched position next to the couch. She pulled me up and held me tightly, taking in my scent to calm her down.

"Are you alright? Did they hurt you?" She pushed me back at arm's length while examining me for any signs of damage.

"No no. I'm fine. They only hurt me, by-by hurting you." I choked out, unable to contain myself anymore. I threw my arms around her body, never wanting to let go again. Bella could live with me wrapped around her. It was an entirely possible thing to do.

She held me patiently as I continued my crying I hadn't let completely out from before. Carlisle suggested Bella take me to my room and calm me there, they would talk details of the day's events later. She nodded and gently picked me up, carrying me up the stairs softly. Rosalie stopped her only for a moment to put a hand on her shoulder. It was her way of hugging her without prying me off.

"Alice I'm so sorry. I thought I could take the three of them as long as they were away from you." She hushed into my hair while rubbing my back. I could honestly care less about the nomads right now, I only cared about her coming back to me.

"Please don't ever leave me again." I nuzzled myself into her neck, making me feel safe and warm. She in return whispered the words I had said not long ago, when it was her asking me to stay.

"Of course."