A/N Hi everybody, thank you for reading my sequal :) I am sorry to say that I am struggleing with this story a bit at the moment, but I shall continue to try and write. Therefore I apologuise in advance for any mistakes, or seemingly pointless dialogue. I am just trying to get my MoJo back :P enjoy x

"Bella, are you back with me baby?"

I looked down at my love, still seeing the painful residue of fear in her deep red eyes. For the last hour I had been subjected to her cries, trying to shake her out of her trance, but she couldn't hear me. It was like when Alice had a vision, her eyes blank. I had tried to get in to her mind, but her shield was stronger than ever.

"Edward…I'm sorry…I don't know what happened…"

I pulled her closer in to my arms, kissing her hair as I rocked her slowly like I would have done when she was human as her sobs overtook her. My heart ached as I watched her cry. Whatever memory she had relived must have been awful for her.

"Bella, will you tell me what you saw?"

Her gaze flicked to mine suddenly, her eyes finally meeting mine. I struggled not to flinch at their deep red colour, but I failed to hide my instinctual reaction. Her expression fell even more in to despair as she pulled away from me, moving to stand up and walk out, but I quickly pulled her back. When she spoke, her voice was devoid of all emotion, a tone I'm sure she had been practicing during her time with the Volturi.

"Edward, please let me go."

"I can't do that love. Please, sit and talk to me."

"Edward I can't…" the emotion started to seep back in to her voice as she evaded my gaze. "You can't even stand to look at me…I'm a monster…"

"Bella look at me." Once more refused, her stubborn streak shining through. "Isabella Cullen, look at me!"

The anger in my voice must have surprised her, for she looked at me then, gazing deep in to me.

"I love you Isabella. Nothing you do or have done is going to change that. I have missed you so much these last few years, please, don't pull away from me now that we are finally back together. Talk to me Bella, tell me about all the horrible things and let me help you. Let me sooth you and make all the pain go away. Please, my Bella, I love you so much, I can't just sit and watch you do this to yourself."

"Edward I'm trying! But you have no idea what it has been like for me, you can't just expect me to bounce back and be all happy families!" I recoiled slightly at her anger, but knew I had to persist. I couldn't let her go on thinking like this.

"I know it has been awful for you, but it doesn't have to be like that anymore. You can put it behind you and think about our future! You never have to feel that kind of pain again Bella, ever. It's all done. Aro can't get you anymore."

"He will always be able to get me, Edward. Every time I close my eyes, or let my mind wander, he is there. He will never leave me; those memories will never leave me."

She moved to get away from me again, and this time I let her. My heart broke once more as I watched her walk away, but I knew that if I pushed her she would pull further away still. Just as she reached the door she turned back to me.

"I'm sorry Edward, I'm going hunting, I will be back soon."

"Bella you can't…"

She sighed slightly, hanging her head as she also remembered.

"Oh yeah…" Carlisle had forbidden her from hunting alone, as she was still struggling slightly with the transfer back to animal blood.

"I can ask Alice and Emmett to go with you?" she looked up at me, a slight smile on her lips.

"Thank you." The anger had left her voice, and so I risked walking up to her and kissing her forehead lightly before leading her downstairs to find Emmett. I could already hear Alice bounding down from her room above us, more serenely followed by Jasper. Within seconds, Alice was flitting past us, already nattering to Bella at a pace I could hardly follow. Picking up Emmett from the lounge on the way, the three left the house without so much as a backwards glance from Bella.

I trudged back in to the lounge room, and flopped in to one of the love seats, placing my head in my hands. The last week had been a mix of arguments and sweet love making. I wanted so much to make things right with Bella, to make it perfect, back to how it used to be, but she wasn't making it easy. It was difficult to tell which mood she would appear in, as it seemed like two people inhabited my loves body.

I heard Jasper coming up behind me, and shifted along the seat knowing he would want to sit down.

She loves you so much Edward.

I looked up at him, the pain obvious in my eyes.

"I know. I just can't stand to see her like this. One moment she is the girl I fell in love with, and then she falls in to this hole that I can't help her get out of. How to I help her Jasper? What can I do?"

You have to let her deal with this in the way that she wants. She is going to have some issues Edward, we all knew that. But she has to know that you are there for her. Just sit with her and make sure that she knows you aren't going to leave her. She needs you Edward, more than she knows.

"Why won't she admit it then? Why is she pushing me away?"

She is scared Edward. She's had an awful few years, and she needs to readapt to being happy again. You aren't going to lose her, she loves you.

He patted my arm briefly and then got up to turn on the TV, sensing my need to change the subject. We blindly watched some channel that I wasn't really paying attention to. I tried not to let my thoughts wander, but I was hardly successful.

Two hours passed before we heard the approach of flying footsteps.

She seems to be in a better mood now, I will make sure everyone leaves you alone to talk, especially Alice.

I nodded to him in appreciation just as the front door opened and the hunters came barrelling in.

"Careful of the furniture!" came Esmes shout from upstairs as they crashed to a halt, all laughing. Bella's face was alight with laughter, her eyes truly dancing for the first time since we had returned. Jealousy flickered through me as I saw her smile being directed at Emmett.

Alice giggled, placing her arm around Bella.

"I think Bella definitely won that one"

"No fair! She had an unfair advantage!"

I flinched slightly, hoping that Bella wouldn't take that the wrong way.

"You're just jealous of my skills Emmett, admit it." She punched him lightly, laughing as her gazed turned to me. Her eyes softened slightly as she took me in.

"Hey" it was almost a whisper as she raised a hand in a little wave. Smiling, I waved back, hoping that she would walk over. I was almost surprised when she did. My gaze was fixed on her, but I sensed Jasper Alice and Emmett leaving us alone.

"How was hunting? You look like you had fun."

"Yeah it was good to relax a little, I feel better now."

"That's good, I'm glad"

We fell in to a slightly awkward silence, the first of our long relationship. I hung my head. I seemed to have bought her out of her good mood. Maybe Jasper was wrong and she had fallen out of love with me. 4 years was a long time, and it would be understandable if she had found she was better off without me.

I was bought out of my misery by the feeling of her hand on mine. I looked up to see her standing much closer to me than she had been before.

BPOV

I hated to see Edward looking so sad, and I wanted to change that. Stepping closer to him, I placed my hand in his, watching his face as he gazed up at me. Leaning in I placed a gently kiss on his lips, feeling him sigh against me slightly. After all this time, the smallest of kisses made us both a little bit weak.

"Come upstairs with me?" I could hear the plea in my own voice, and I hoped he could hear it to? I was desperate to be completely connected to him. He seemed to hesitate for a moment, and then a sad smile formed on his perfect mouth.

"Bella, we shouldn't."

"What?" immediately I pulled away from him slightly, shocked, "Why not?"

"Shh my Bella." He brought me back tight against him, surrounding me in the embrace that I couldn't help but feel comforted by. "We shall go upstairs, and we shall sit on the bed and talk. There is so much that has to be said, and we cannot hide from it anymore. And once we have talked, I will make sweet love to you long in to the night."

I knew that at some point we would have to have a conversation about my time in Volterra, and the flashbacks that I had been having in the last few days, but I was scared of what the conversations might bring.