A/N: I don't own this, we all know who does. What I do own is a birthday, and it's today, so that's why I decided to post this now. :) Happy Birthday to Me, right? :D

I need to thank everyone who read and reviewed the original o/s. When I said I'd continue this if I got 100 reviews, I NEVER imagined it would get anywhere close to that, but as it sits right this very second, the o/s (chapter 1) has 96 reviews, and I know of at least 15 other people that read it and just told me what they thought. Wow, you guys are incredible. I could not have been more shocked or surprised by your reaction to this story. Thank you…

***Read This***

This is an alternate ending to the o/s I wrote. I also posted another ending, it's called All The Things We Never Said, and it's the story of what would have happened to Edward if Bella really had died. Obviously this story will have her NOT dying. Hopefully you aren't too confused… :D

Thanks to my superbeta MaggieMay14. I'm so grateful that she agreed to take me on, even knowing how wordy I can get. I think she really did it so that maybe I'd fill her in on secrets and she'd get the chapters before anyone else. Whatever reason it was, it's too late now! She's stuck with me! :D

Thanks to Twilight44 & Unchanged Affections for prereading this. I know some other authors say that their prereaders are the best out there, but they are wrong. I have the best ones ever, and they catch things I didn't even realize were messed up. :D I love them…so much.

And thanks to my girlies - MeowVemulapalli, Risbee, missveritys, and coldplaywhore. I love them more than they will ever know…and you should too because they are incredible and awesome and fun and smart and…perfection.

The majority of chapters will be from Bella's POV since this is her story to tell, but at the beginning here, she's a little out of it, so we're getting some help. Enjoy…

o~*~o~*~o~*~o

Alice POV

Ring…Ring…

What is that?

Ring…

Seriously, what the crap is that sound?

Ring…

Is that my phone? What…

Ring…

Oh no, you have got to be kidding me. It's almost midnight and someone is calling me?

Ring…

You idiot, didn't your mother teach you any manners at all?

Ring…

I swear, if I have to get out of this bed to answer a wrong number call, someone is going to get an ear full from me. Don't people know that I need my sleep? After working six days a week, all I demand is a little peace and quiet at the end of the day. Is that really too much to ask?

Silence.

Finally, the jerk wad got it through their head—calls this late at night are just rude!

I snuggled back down into my blankets, pushing my body deeper into Jasper's. There was never a way for me to get close enough to him; sometimes I wished I could melt into his skin, never leave his side. He was actually home with me tonight and I had taken full advantage of it. After a nice romantic dinner, which I bought on my way home from work, we watched a movie and then settled into a relaxing bubble bath together, talking about our days. Excitedly I told him all about my lunch hour, how I had helped my friend Bella find the perfect dress and shoes for her date with Emmett.

Setting her up with my cousin Emmett was one of the best ideas I'd had in ages. I'd met Bella about a year ago when she started working at the publishing company I worked for. I liked her instantly, yet I could tell there was something bad in her past; some kind of hurt that left her with a haunted look in her eyes. She never dated, had no family, and only ever mentioned one roommate from college; I couldn't understand it. She was smart and beautiful and had a wicked sense of humor once she loosened up a bit. I knew she would be a great fit for Emmett, and after their first date, she and I spend hours gushing over him. Having initiated the discussion, I did feel a little strange talking about my cousin in that way, but Bella seemed so happy, finally. I may have had to push her into it a little, but she quickly began to see that Emmett really was a good catch, and not too bad to look at either.

They spent a lot of time together, insisting that they were just friends and enjoying each others company, but I knew Emmett had spent a few nights at her apartment. After seeing her car in his drive way at a very unreasonable hour one morning, I was sure that they were enjoying more than just each others company.

Jasper and I loved having another couple to go to movies with or go bowling with, and we all got along great. Bella sometimes seemed a little standoffish in certain situations, but I just chalked it up to the look she would get in her eyes. I never asked her about it, deciding that if she really wanted to talk to someone, she knew I was available. One night after a little karaoke and a lot of drinking, she let a man's name slip from her tongue. Edward. As soon as she heard it spoken aloud, she clammed up and insisted on going home. When I tried talking to her about it in the cab on the way to her apartment, all she said was that he had been the one, and she was broken.

How some man could destroy an amazing girl like that, I would never understand. I only hoped that for his sake, this Edward and I never met face to face. Bella was better off without him, she deserved someone who would worship and adore her the way that Emmett did. I encouraged their relationship, hoping that someday she would really be my family and our children could grow up as cousins. I dreamed of going to family reunions together; renting an RV and taking road trips in the summer; hectic Thanksgiving dinners that we cooked as our children and husbands ran wild through the house. It was all planned out, Bella and Emmett just didn't know it yet. They would be so happy, I could feel it.

As my mind began to clear and sleep once again settled over me, I heard the unwelcome sound again.

Ring…

Jumping up quickly, I threw my blankets off and stood up, rushing to the dresser where my phone sat blinking like a beacon on the dark ocean. Jabbing at the Call button, I quickly lifted it to my ear.

"Who is this?" I yelled loudly, causing Jasper to stir in our bed.

"Alice?" I knew the voice, but my tired brain was not registering anything.

"Maybe, who is this? And why on God's green earth are you calling me at eleven-forty two at night? Huh?"

There was a pause before the voice continued, quieter. "Ali, it's Emmett. I think something's wrong with Bella."

I could hear something strange in his voice—fear. I thought as fast as my tired brain was able and realized I'd never heard Emmett scared before. It worried me.

"Em, what are you talking about? Is she okay? Where are you guys?" I asked.

"I'm sitting outside her apartment. We went to dinner and she saw some guy that she knew. She was crying and wanted to go home, so I brought her home. I was going to walk her to the door, stay with her for a while, but she got really weird. She told me that she would hurt me and to not be angry with her, and she told me to tell you that she was sorry. I'm really worried, I think something's wrong."

I felt a tightening in my stomach as I listened to his words. I walked over to the bed, reaching out and shaking Jasper to wake him. His eyes soon opened and he looked up at me.

"Al, what's wrong? What is it?" he said through his sleep hazed voice.

"It's Emmett, he thinks something's wrong with Bella. I don't feel very good about this, What do we do Jazz." My bottom lip started to shake and I could feel tears begin to sting my eyes.

He sat up, seeing the phone in my hand, and pulled me into his lap, taking the phone from me.

"Emmett, this is Jasper. What's going on?"

I listened as Emmett relayed the conversation he'd had with Bella to Jasper. As I curled deeper into Jasper's chest I could hear his heart beating and it calmed me. He was always so relaxed and calm in stressful situations, something I loved about him and something that made him good at his job.

"Em, did you knock on her door? Uh huh, and there's only one light on? You're sure? Okay, let me ask her."

He turned to me, moving the phone from his mouth. "Ali, you still got that spare key to Bella's apartment?" I nodded silently, knowing that it was tucked away in my wallet. He moved the phone back to his mouth.

"Okay, Em, she does. We'll be there in about ten minutes. Just wait by her door, keep knocking and let us know if she ever opens up, okay?"

In a flash we were up and throwing clothes on. I hated that it was still dark in the room, my mind too worried to remember to turn on a light. The clothes I was wearing would surely clash, but I didn't care. I had a terrible feeling that Bella needed me and I couldn't get my body to move fast enough out the door.

As Jasper sped down the streets, only slowing for stop signs before running through them, the dread in my stomach grew. Something was very wrong, I could feel it. By the look on Jasper's face, he could feel it too. We pulled into the parking lot and came to a screeching stop, jumping from the car and grateful for the keyless remote door locks it had. Emmett was kneeling next to Bella's door, still knocking and talking softly through the wood, hoping that she was listening to him. I took the stairs two at a time and practically flew to the door, thrusting the key in and unlocking it.

As I pushed my way in, the room was dark. I could see light coming from the hallway, where Bella's bedroom was. I'd seen her bedroom light on as we drove up, so I wasn't surprised.

"Bella?" I called out, hoping that she would answer. I heard nothing.

Walking further into the apartment with Jasper and Emmett close behind me, I made my way toward the bedroom, seeing the door slightly ajar. The music floating out of the room was country, and I was a little surprised to hear it since I knew Bella didn't usually listen to that type of music. I turned to the boys, pausing in front of the door.

"Let me check first, okay? She might not be dressed, I wouldn't want her to be embarrassed or anything." I gave them a reassuring grin before I turned back to the door. They both backed up a bit, giving me a little room.

I gently pushed the door open, hearing the high pitched creak it made. Her bed jutted out into the middle of the room and I saw her feet, my eyes moving up her body as the door opened wider. She was lying on the bed; a picture frame lay on her chest. She was sleeping, and she looked so calm and peaceful—her hair splayed out across the pillow her head rested on. Moving into the room, I saw a wine bottle and glass on her bedside table, and silently applauded her choice in wine.

Turning to face Jasper, who was right behind me, I whispered, "See, she's just sleeping. I think we should go."

He continued to push past me, pausing when he saw her. His eye flashed towards the table and when I looked again, my eyes took in a small, yellow bottle. Everything after that happened so fast, it seemed as though it was in slow motion and fast forward, both at the same time.

"She's not breathing!" Jasper shouted, rushing toward the bed.

I moved my gaze back to Bella, focusing on the blue color of her lips. Emmett shoved me aside as he burst into the room behind Jasper. Both of them leaned over the bed, Jasper's voice yelling things that I couldn't understand.

"Emmett, phone! Call 911!" Jasper yelled as he threw the frame away from Bella. His skilled hands had her pillow gone, her head tilted back, and were pushing furiously in a rhythm on her chest. I watched as he breathed into her mouth, never more grateful for his skills as an EMT. I knew he was capable of saving lives, but I'd never seen it first hand. A prayer that he would be able to do it again flooded my mind—he had to save Bella.

From the other side of the room I heard Emmett's booming voice shouting into the phone, something about ambulances and drug overdoses. His eye bore into mine as I looked at him and he yelled for me to get out, but I was frozen. I looked back to Jasper, watching as he desperately tried to bring Bella back.

After a minute or two I was aware of a high pitched sound floating through the room. I looked around for the source of it but saw nothing. Where was it coming from? Couldn't anyone else hear it and stop it? Emmett was yelling something at me, but I couldn't hear him over the sound. He nudged me out of the way as he hurried to the living room door, running outside to wait for the ambulance.

Jasper continued his ministrations and I wondered how long he could keep it up before he would be too tired to continue. Would I know what to do if he had to stop? I hoped that the EMT's would be here before that; I didn't think I would be able to help. I couldn't be the reason Bella died.

Soon I heard another sound, almost as loud as the one still ringing through the apartment, and I realized help was here. Watching the front door, I waited for someone, anyone, who could help Jasper; someone who could save Bella. The men came scrambling through the door behind Emmett, eyeing the doorway I was still standing in. They advanced into the room, going around me, and I heard Jasper's voice again, calmness in the sea of chaos that was drowning me. He gestured to them as they got to work, trying to help Bella.

As I stood still frozen in the doorway, Jasper's eyes found mine and he hurried to my side. The sound in the room was still so loud; I couldn't hear what he was saying to me. He took my face in his hands, rubbing his thumbs over my cheeks, and the sound disappeared. It was then I realized—the sound had been coming from me.

He pulled me into the hallway, and I lost sight of Bella. My arms and legs began to thrash involuntarily against him, trying to carry me back to her. She needed me and I couldn't leave her alone in that room with those men. Emmett stood frozen in the entryway to the living room, his eyes staring a hole in the floor. His shoulders were shaking and as I looked at him, I could almost feel his emotions, his despair at what we'd all just walked in on.

"Em," I quietly called to him, my voice shaking as my body stilled against Jasper's calming grip. He looked over at me, his eyes meeting mine, and I was nearly bowled over by the haunted look that greeted me—he thought she was gone.

"Alice, why did she do this?" he asked, his voice soft and filled with terror.

Jasper continued to calm me, stroking my hair and my arms as I began to pull away from him. He tightened his grasp on me but I pressed my hands against his chest, looking into his eyes and silently pleading for him to let me go, let me help Emmett. He nodded, understanding instantly what I needed. I rushed to Emmett, wrapping my arms around him just before his knees buckled and he slid to the floor. I ended up on his lap, hugging him fiercely and speaking gentle words of comfort and hope.

In the background we could still hear the men working on her: the sound of machines being started, inconsistent beeps pinging, compressions on a delicate ribcage. Each time I heard what sounded like a bone cracking, my body jerked. I pressed my hands over Emmett's ears, hoping to spare him the sounds of dying that were coming from the other room. Tears continued to slide down my face as I watched Jasper, who stood in the bedroom doorway, eagerly observing the men that were frantically trying to save Bella.

"I got something," one of the men finally said after what felt like a lifetime. Jasper immediately straightened up, his eyes drawn to something specific in the room. I could see his hands shaking, itching to help. This was his job, and he was good at it, but he knew that he was too closely involved—it wouldn't be a good idea for him to assist now that help had arrived.

More sirens began blaring in the distance and I wondered what they might be for, but my questions were soon answered when I saw two police officers at the front door.

"Jazz," I called, alerting him to their presence. He quickly walked over to the door, greeting the officers and showing them in. I could tell by his expression that he knew at least one of them, and I seemed to recall seeing the man at a company picnic once. Jasper led them over to Emmett and me, slowly crouching down next to us.

"Ali, they need to talk to us, try to figure out what happened tonight." He glanced down at the floor and let out a deep breath. "They're gonna need to talk to Emmett especially, he's the last one that saw her before this happened."

My mind raced with possibilities, and before long I was breathing erratically, and shaking my head.

"No, they're gonna think he did something to her. No, they can't talk to him, he'd never hurt her. Stop them, Jazz, tell them no." I pleaded with him, but he reached up and placed his hand against my cheek.

"Sweetheart, they don't think that. It's pretty clear what happened here, I mean with the note and all. It's just a formality," he said.

My brow furrowed. "Note? Wha—what note? What are you talking about?"

Jasper looked deep into my eyes, willing me to calm. "She left a note. It's on her bed next to the flowers that were there. It's addressed to an Edward; I saw the name on the top of the page when I first assessed her condition. I'm guessing the picture she was holding was of him?"

I hadn't ever seen the picture she held on her chest when we entered the apartment, but it was upside down so I didn't even see the face displayed in it.

"I—I don't know, I didn't see it," I told him.

Emmett began to look around a bit, finally looking at me before speaking. "The guy we saw at the party, his name was Edward. You think that was the guy she wrote the note to?"

I looked at him, desperate for details. "She saw Edward at the party? As in her old boyfriend, or whatever, Edward?"

He nodded, "Yeah, they were something, but I think he was more than just a boyfriend. They were both really upset after they talked."

I sat straight up. "She spoke to him? What did she say?"

Emmett shook his head, "I don't know, they were in the hallway together, but they were both crying and I heard him tell her that he loved her, and then he kissed her and left."

This didn't make sense to me. Everything I knew about Edward led me to believe that he had broken her heart, so why would he be doing something like that to her if he didn't want her?

"You're sure it was Edward? Bella's, Edward?" I asked.

Emmett looked me straight in the eyes, "His name was Edward. He's engaged to a girl from my office. We saw them, Bella got uncomfortable, Tori and I danced while Bella and this Edward guy danced. When the song got over, Tori and I didn't see them anywhere, but the door was open so we went out into the hallway, and that's where we saw them. Tori got really quiet and whispered some things under her breath, then after a few seconds, Edward saw us. Bella had been crying, but she acted fine, just saying that she wanted to go home."

I was stunned. I had no idea who this Edward could be or what he'd done to her, but if he hated her as much as Bella made it sound when she spoke of him, why would he want to dance with her? Why would he tell her that he loved her? Why would he kiss her goodbye? It just didn't make sense, but I knew I needed to see that note she'd written. That would tell me so much about why she'd done this.

The police officers approached and one of them spoke.

"Evening folks, I'm Officer Uley, I hope you'll be able to give us a few minutes so we can figure out what happened here tonight." He smiled at me and I knew for sure that I had met him. I had actually spent a few minutes talking to his wife, Emily, about how dangerous the jobs were that our men had chosen.

I scooted off of Emmett's lap, taking Jasper's hand as he pulled me up and to him, wrapping his arm around me until I was flush against his body. Just then we heard the EMT's moving around in the bedroom, a faint beeping coming from their direction. They exited the room, pulling a gurney with them. On top of it lay Bella, wrapped in blankets and with an oxygen mask on her face.

One of the EMT's stopped quickly to talk to Officer Uley. "We left the room in tact, you can go through it for your report. The only thing we're taking is the pill bottle that was on the nightstand. It was empty, but I'm sure that's because she took them all. I need to give it to the emergency room doctors so they know exactly what medication they're dealing with."

Officer Uley began walking out the door with them and my eyes were focused on Bella. I wondered if that would be the last time I'd see her, and as quickly as I could, I broke away from Jasper's hold and ran to her.

"Bella, I'm so sorry we were late, we didn't get here sooner. Please, hold on! Don't leave me, Bella. Please, don't leave us." I bent and placed a kiss on her forehead, smoothing back her hair.

"I'm sorry miss, we need to go. Your friend is very sick, we need to get her to the hospital as soon as possible. We were lucky to get her back once; I don't think we could do it again."

With that, they whisked her out the door and I soon heard the ambulance driving away. Officer Uley came back into the apartment and went to speak with Jasper. The other officer was talking to Emmett, taking lots of notes. My curiosity won out, and I quietly slipped into Bella's bedroom.

Sitting down on the foot of the bed, so as not to disturb anything, I looked around the room. I was surprised to not see any personal pictures. There was nothing showing any family or friends anywhere in the room. It peaked my interest and I wondered how that could be, how such an amazing girl could have no one in her life. It saddened me and I thought it must have something to do with why Bella tried to kill herself that night.

Turning around, I saw the flowers lying on the bed, and next to them was a crisp, white paper with writing on it. I leaned back, not wanting to touch it and mess up any evidence. I read the name Edward at the top, and then quickly scanned the rest of the note. I was confused. The song she quoted was one that I knew well since Jasper harbored a love for country music that no self respecting straight man not from the south would ever own up to.

The words that Bella had written to this Edward made me sad for her. The more I read, the more I wondered. This was not the Bella that I knew. This Bella was apologizing for ruining someone's life, for hurting someone, for not being enough for the person. It was the end of the note that got me the most, and reading her words nearly broke me.

Please forgive me. I tried the best I could; I just can't do it without you. I want you to be happy and I know you could never be if you stayed with me.

You are the one thing I am proud of in my life. The one good thing I ever did. Please love me, always, for I will always love you.

I belong to you, my love.

Izzy

Whoever this Edward man was, she loved him completely. I wondered why, if she felt this way about Edward, she had ever agreed to date Emmett. Then I remembered how I had pushed her into it.

This was partly my fault. I had to fix things, make them right. I couldn't let Bella's life end this way. I had to help her, and that's what I would do, no matter what.

Jasper silently entered the room, placing his hands on my shoulders. "Alice, we need to go. The police have to go through the room and process everything, and we need to be at the hospital in case Bella wakes up."

"What about Em, is he done talking to them?" I asked, not feeling comfortable leaving without him.

"Yeah, he's about done for now. They'll talk to him more later, once they know what information they need from him. He's probably waiting for us, so let's go." I hesitated, glancing around the room one more time, trying to see anything that would help all of this make sense for me. I noticed the frame laying on the bed, tossed aside in haste as Jasper had worked to save Bella. Tempted to pick it up, my thoughts were interrupted by Jasper's hesitant voice. "Ali?"

"Let's go," I whispered, slowly rising off the bed and taking hold of Jasper's arm. Emmett was sitting quietly on the sofa in the living room, a blank look on his face. The fact that we were all overcome with shock did not escape me, and I prayed, yet again, that Bella would recover—that we would all be able to move past this someday.

Jasper drove quickly to the hospital as I racked my brain for anyone that we should notify. I couldn't remember Bella ever mentioning any family members, which still seemed odd to me. I recalled her talking about her college roommate, Rose or something, but I had no idea of how to get a hold of her. Maybe Emmett would be able to help me with that.

The emergency room waiting area was surprisingly not busy, especially for a Friday night. I had heard stories from Jasper about how the crazies usually came out on the weekends, but I was grateful for the quiet of the stark white room, the coolness of the plastic chairs, and burning smell of antiseptic. We waited for what felt like years before a rather tired, but handsome, middle aged doctor called for friends of Isabella Swan. I jumped at his voice, rushing across the room to find out anything I could.

The doctor's eyes lit up when Jasper approached, and I could tell by his reaction that they knew one another.

"Dr. Cullen, I'm so glad you're here tonight. Can you tell us anything about Bella? My fiancée Alice is going crazy, we're all so worried." Jasper placed his hand on the small of my back, drawing me into his body with a protective hold.

"Jasper, it's nice to see you. I didn't know that you knew Bella. Do you mind if I ask how that is?" the doctor asked Jasper, a rather confused and curious look dawning on his face.

"Yeah, um, Alice works with her. She has for the better part of the last year. Why? Do you know Bella?" Jasper asked.

The doctor smiled a little, nodding as he looked down toward the floor and let out a deep breath. "Yes, I know Bella. She was practically family, but we haven't seen her in just over a year. I didn't know how she was, but I must say I had been waiting for this night to come. I'm sure you can understand that."

Emmett, Jasper, and I looked at each other, not knowing what the doctor was talking about.

Emmett spoke up. "I'm sorry, Dr. Cullen, was it? We don't know what you mean. Why were you waiting for this night to come?"

The doctor looked between all of us before settling his gaze on me. The bright, ice blue of his eyes was somewhat unsettling to me, yet I felt comforted and at peace. "How well do you know Bella?"

"She's one of my best friends," I said quietly. "Please, is she okay?"

"Let's go sit down in my office, its right around the corner here. Bella's friend Rosalie is on her way, I spoke with her a few minutes ago and she should be here shortly. We can get settled and wait for her."

The three of us followed him into his office, each taking a seat on the brown leather sofa in his office. As I looked around the room, I was happy to see the certificates showing the schooling and achievements that Dr. Cullen had accomplished. It put my mind at ease knowing that Bella was in such good hands. We sat for a few minutes, an eerie calm settling over us. There was a commotion in the hall way and soon a statuesque, blonde woman who looked like she has stepped straight off the pages of Vogue magazine ran into the room, followed by a very tall, dark haired man with the deepest brown eyes I had ever seen.

"Carlisle? Where is she?" the woman asked in a rush, slowly turning to notice there were more people in the room than just the doctor. "What's this? Who are they?" She looked at us with perplexity and panic in her eyes, the man behind her moving to wrap his arms around her waist. She seemed to relax a bit at his touch, before looking back to Dr. Cullen.

"Rosalie, Jacob, I'm glad that you could get here so soon. I'd like to introduce you to some of Bella's friends. This is Jasper, and...I'm sorry, I didn't catch your names." Dr. Cullen looked to me and Jasper quickly spoke up.

"I'm Jasper Whitlock, and this is my fiancée Alice Brandon. This is her cousin Emmett McCarty," he said, as the look the blonde was giving us went from curious to icy and hard.

"So, you're her friends, huh? Why are you here? Haven't you done enough?" she spat at us, her voice rising quickly as she pushed away from the man behind her. "Get out! You're not welcome here, just leave her alone!"

Dr. Cullen jumped up from his seat, running around the desk to stop her from lunging at Emmett. "Rose, no! These are her friends now, not from before."

I had no idea what was going on, or why this woman that we had just met seemed to hate us. I stood quickly and felt Jasper's hand on my hip, trying to pull me back to him.

"I'm Alice, I work with Bella. She's been my best friend for the past year, and I have no idea what is going on here. My cousin Emmett has been dating Bella for the last few months, and Jasper is an EMT, he's the one that helped Bella when we got to her apartment. Please, will one of you tell us what is going on? Why did Bella do this? We don't understand!" Frustration was growing fast and I needed answers, having almost reached my limit.

"Alice, please sit, let me explain," the doctor said as Jacob helped Rosalie into a chair across from us before seating himself next to her. "I've known Bella for quite some time. In all actuality, up until about a year ago, we were her family." My breath caught, wondering what had happened a year ago to stop that.

"Bella was engaged to my son, Edward. They were planning to get married when all of this happened. Edward told me that he had known about Bella's issues for about two years and had tried desperately to help her. He loved her and thought it would be enough to fix her, but it just didn't work out that way. One night after a fight, Bella left. None of us have heard from her since then. We've looked, asked around, but the people she associated with outside of us and her work were not the most reliable sources, nor were they willing to help us since we wanted to keep Bella away from them." He paused, reaching up to rub his forehead in a look of exhaustion.

"What do you mean her issues? What kind of problems does she have?" I asked.

Dr. Cullen looked up at me, tenderness in his eyes. "Bella is a drug addict, Alice. She's had a pretty hard life and after her father was killed, she had no one but us. She didn't handle things very well, and a "friend" offered her something to help curb the depression she was experiencing. She got hooked and couldn't stop. Edward never told us about it until after she left. He was destroyed over her, but he has never given up hope that she would clean herself up and come back to him."

I sensed Emmett cringing next to me, knowing that as much as he felt for Bella, it was likely that she never felt those same feelings for him in return.

"I had no idea. How could I have spent so much time with her and never seen anything?" I asked, looking to Jasper and wondering how he had missed all the signs he was trained to see as well.

"Bella was good at hiding things. No one knew but Edward and the people who were dealing to her," Dr. Cullen said. "She hid it well, and it's not something she was proud of. It's also not the worst of the things she did, but that is neither here nor there."

Sucking in a quick breathe, I silently prayed for more information, begging Dr. Cullen with the look I gave him, but he spoke no more, only leaning back against his desk and sighing deeply.

"I was her best friend since even before she met Edward, and I never knew," Rosalie said. After hearing this information, I understood why she had been so hateful to us when she initially entered the room. She thought we were drug addicts too. "Bella is so good, I don't know how she let this happen, but I don't care. We've been looking for her, like Carlisle said, but we hadn't found her yet. We all knew something like this would happen sooner or later."

"What kind of drugs was she taking? I mean, she had a pill bottle next to her bed, so she wasn't doing illegal things, was she?" I asked.

Dr. Cullen looked over at me. "She did a lot of different things, Alice, and none of them were healthy, but she's here now and we have a chance to help her. It's going to take all of us, but maybe—just maybe we can get her to listen. If you had been any later in finding her tonight, it would have been too late. Actually, the thing that most likely saved her was that Jasper was there and knew what to do. He saved her in those few extra minutes."

Jasper shook his head as everyone looked at him. "I just did what needed to be done, nothing more." He was always so humble and giving. I sat back down next to him, curling into his side as his arms wrapped around my shoulders.

"So, what do we do? I'll do whatever I have to do to help her," Emmett said, clenching his fists and gritting his teeth. I knew he cared a lot about her, but I suddenly wondered what would happen if this Edward was to come back into the picture. He obviously still loved her, so it wasn't out of the question.

I glanced around the room and noticed several framed pictures on a shelf. One of the frames held a black and white photograph of two people, one of which was Bella. She looked so happy, light and warmth radiating from her, which I could feel even though it was just a picture. I had never seen her look that way. She was held tightly by the arms of a man who stood behind her. He was looking down at her, so much love and affection clear in his expression. I saw her hands clasped over his forearms, his arms draped around her shoulders, and I smiled at the ring I saw on her finger. This was her Edward, and I finally had a face to put with the name. Part of me still clung to the hatred I had built up for him, but everything I had seen and heard in the past few minutes told me I was completely mistaken. He was nothing like I had envisioned him to be.

I wondered where he was, if his father had called him. Would he come here? What would he think of us? Would he be angry that we hadn't caught on to her troubles?

"Carlisle, did you call Edward? Does he know?" Rosalie asked, and I was grateful to her for it.

Dr. Cullen shook his head. "No, I haven't called him yet. I spoke with him earlier this evening, a little before Bella was brought in, and he was rather upset. He said he had seen her, and spoken to her, but that she was still sick. He's moving to New York next week with his fiancée, Tori, and he's very confused. I'm just not sure if it would be good for him to know about Bella right now."

"Carlisle," Rose stood, moving to stand next to the doctor, "you have to tell him. You can't keep this from him; he'll be crushed if you do."

"I know I just hoped to be able to spare him the sight of her lying there so helpless. I didn't want him to know that she did this, that she tried to kill herself. I don't know how he'll react." Dr. Cullen was visibly upset, shaken by the thought of what his son might do.

Rose placed her hand on the doctor's shoulder, rubbing it soothingly. "I'll call him, if you want me to."

"Thank you Rose, but I think I need to do that. I'll do it later, when I call his mother. For now, Bella is sedated and will most likely remain that way for a day or two. We will be doing tests to see how badly she might have damaged her organs, if she's going to be able to recover from this. Bodies aren't made to take this type of abuse, and not for as long as she has been doing it. I just don't know yet what the outcome will be for her." I was thankful that the doctor was being honest with us. My eyes kept wandering back to the picture of Bella, the happy smile on her face. She looked amazing and I wondered if, after looking at that picture, I would even recognize the girl lying helpless in a hospital bed.

"Dr. Cullen, I don't know if this makes a difference, but Bella wrote a note. Your son's name was on the top of it. You may want to talk to the police about getting a copy of that, but I would bet Edward would want to see it. I know I would, if it were me." Jasper said, taking hold of my hand and squeezing it as he pulled me in closer to him.

"Thank you Jasper, I'll look into that." Carlisle looked at each of us before continuing. "I've got some nurses checking on Bella's medical insurance and seeing what they cover as far as rehabilitation facilities are concerned, but I think our best bet is to get her into one soon. To be completely honest, it's our only bet. We need to present a united front to her, not give her any other option."

I nodded, agreeing with Dr. Cullen and hoping that we would be able to convince Bella that this was a good thing for her to do. Knowing that she could be stubborn when she wanted to, I prayed that she would listen to us and know that all we wanted was for her to be healthy and safe.

"Why don't you all head home for tonight and I'll have someone call you if there is any change. I'm planning to keep her sedated at least through tomorrow night, so we've got plenty of time to figure out what our plan is. Would you all be willing to meet tomorrow evening, say six o'clock, and we can decide from there?" Carlisle asked.

We all agreed, assuring him that we would be there and anxious to help Bella. "This is not going to be easy. I urge you each to really think about this tonight, you need to be firm in your resolve because she will try whatever she must to keep herself from going to get help. It won't be her talking, so please keep that in mind."

I couldn't ignore the little pestering in the back of my brain. "Dr. Cullen, is it safe to keep her sedated for so long? I mean, you use drugs for that, right? Can she get hooked on those?" I didn't know what the process entailed and I was worried about Bella being further damaged somehow.

"There is no need to worry, the medication we are giving her is not something that she can become addicted to, though it will help her deal with the first bit of withdrawal she'll experience. Her body is going to be coming down off the substances she's been taking, and like I said, she will not be herself a few days from now. Don't take anything personally; just remember that you're doing this because you love her."

"Um, Dr. Cullen?" I quietly asked. He nodded, acknowledging me. "Can we see her before we go? Just for a few minutes. I need to see that she's alive, that she isn't blue anymore." I heard a gasp from Rosalie and realized that she most likely didn't know the condition Bella was in when we found her.

"Yes, you can each see her, but no more than two at a time, alright?" I nodded and jumped up from my seat, pulling Jasper along with me. I ran out into the hall, quickly realizing I had no idea where Bella was. Dr. Cullen stepped out of the room and led us down a few different hallways. We finally came to a large glass walled area and as we got closer, I could see a few patients inside. Looking harder, I finally caught a glimpse of Bella, lying in the center of the room. There was no one near her, save one nurse. It broke my heart to see her like that, tubes and monitors everywhere.

Dr. Cullen spoke quickly to the nurse on duty and then ushered Jasper and I into the room. I hesitantly reached out and picked up her hand, being careful of the IV that was pushed into the back of it. Her skin was cold and rough, feeling dry, and I made a mental note to bring hand cream with me the next day. I hoped that maybe Bella would let me rub her hands while I tried to talk to her about what was going on. I leaned down over her body, angling my head so that I could whisper into her ear.

"Bella, please don't leave us. I don't know what I'll do without you. Please, come back." My breath hitched and I felt Jasper's calming touch on my lower back, his fingers making small circles there as he tried to comfort me.

I stood back up, looking at her and taking in everything that I saw. Aside from all the tubes and monitors, there was a tube down her throat and I knew she wouldn't be able to talk to us with it in. I asked Dr. Cullen if it could be removed once she was awake and he assured me that it would be. I saw the blankets piled on her and wondered if she would be too warm, if maybe I should ask that a fan be brought into the area. Looking back at her face, I saw that she still had on her make-up from the party she and Emmett had attended. There were black smudges around her mouth and when I lifted a finger to touch them, Jasper quietly spoke.

"That's from the charcoal, I'm sure they pumped her stomach when they brought her in," he said. The thought of it made me cringe and I gently laid her hand back on the bed next to her thigh. Stepping closer, I kissed my fingers and placed them on her forehead.

"She sleeps." My fingers lay on her skin for a moment before I drew my hand back and quickly turned to leave. After a few more minutes, everyone else had seen her and we were ready to leave. My heart ached at the thought of her being alone, even if she was unconscious, and I looked to Jasper, pleading with my eyes. As always, he knew what I needed, and he nodded in acceptance.

"Dr. Cullen?" I asked.

"Yes, Alice."

"Can I stay the night with her? Please?" Looking through the windows at her, tears began to pool in my eyes. "She shouldn't be alone, not even for one night." I turned to meet his gaze and saw a small smile on his face.

"Yes, Alice, I think that's a good idea." His words triggered a reaction in me and I soon felt myself let out a long, deep breath that I wasn't even aware I had been holding. I said goodnight to Rose and Jacob before turning to Jasper and Emmett.

"We'll be back first thing in the morning, alright?" Jasper said.

"Okay, I'll be here. One of you can stay with her and I'll go home and sleep a bit." I turned to Emmett, seeing the sadness that was still in his usually bright eyes. "She's gonna be okay, we have to believe that."

He nodded, pulling me into his arms and squeezing me tight. After a few moments I tapped his side. "Can't breathe, Em," I managed to whisper, causing him to let me go.

"Sorry Al, I didn't mean to do that." He laughed a little, and I felt hope again for the first time all night.

After they left, I sat next to Bella, watching her breathe all night. The nurse asked a few times if I wanted to go to the cafeteria or if I'd like a magazine, but I was just enjoying my time with Bella. I knew, as I sat there soaking in the results of her actions, that my resolve was strengthening and it would be impossible for her to talk me out of helping her. She would get treatment for her addiction—I would make sure of it.

The next morning, after dozing for a few minutes, I was overcome with hunger. I expected that Jasper and Emmett would be there any time and I left Bella for a few minutes to find a restroom. In one of the hallways I found a small vending machine and as luck would have it, I was able to buy a toothbrush and toothpaste. I spent a few minutes brushing my teeth in the restroom before going to the cafeteria and getting some coffee and a cinnamon roll. Jasper texted me to let me know he and Emmett were on their way, so I quickly ate my roll, hoping to spend a few more minutes with Bella.

As I approached her room, I ran into Carlisle in the hall. "Jasper and Emmett will be here soon, I think Emmett will sit with her for a while this morning, if that's okay."

"Of course it is, Alice. Did you get enough sleep last night?" he asked.

"I don't think I slept at all, other than a few minutes here and there." He laughed, his mouth turning up in a devastating smile. My skin felt hot as I knew I was beginning to blush. "Well, I don't think I slept much..."

"You did fine, Alice." He glanced down at some files in his hands. "Well, I've got a few rounds to make before I head home. I'll be back here this evening, so get some rest. If anything changes, someone will call you at home, I've given them your name and number, as well as Rose's."

"Thank you Dr. Cullen, I can't ever express how grateful I am to you." I drew in a quick breath, before nervously asking, "Do you think she'll be okay? Are we going to be able to help her?"

"Anything is possible, Alice. Anything at all." He smiled at me then turned and continued down the hall.

I walked quickly to Bella's room and was surprised to see someone leaving it. I hadn't seen any other visitors in the time that I had been there. While talking to the nurse on duty during the night, she told me that the other patients in the room only had visitors in the afternoon and evenings. I couldn't see the man's face since he was walking away from me, but I was overwhelmed by the shocking bronze of his hair. I silently wondered to myself who he could be.

o~*~o~*~o~*~o

A/N: So, what did you think? You like it? You still interested in hanging around, seeing where this is going to go? I will promise you one thing. Well, okay, two things. One, there will be a happy ending to this, just hang with me until then. And two, I will make this as realistic as I possibly can. This story will deal with some serious things, and while I'm not always going to get everything right technically speaking, I will be real and truthful and honest. That's the kind of story I love and I hope you will too. :)

I rec stories on my other story What Hurts the Most, and I only suggest my favorite things, so go check some of them out. On here I thought I'd do something different, and I'd rec authors instead. Here's the first one…

BittenBee – I love her, so much. She's an incredible author, a smart beta, a snarky collaborator, and a wonderful friend, as well as just a beautiful person. She has amazing stories…you'll love her. I know you will. And tell her I sent you, she'll like you even more 'cause she kinda loves me too. :D

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