Disclaimer: I do not own anything Twilight; all rights go to Stephanie Meyer.

Chapter Twenty, Maybe.

Fifteen Months Gone.

"I am so tired of this stupid guy." Ness complains as we walk to the drive to the school. We both happen to have a class at the same time in the mornings, so we just ride in together.

"I swear, if I have to hear how 'amazing adorable' his 'dreamy' hair is, I am going to get sick."

I laugh at her complaints, "Girls are so lame sometimes, falling all over a guy they don't even know."

Ness laughed too, "Tell me about it. Stupid piano playing, green eyed, stuck up boys, are apparently attract-"

Ness's sentence was cut off by her own screams. "WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH YOU!" She yelled at me.

I had accidently swerved into the other lane because I was taken aback by what she had said.

That sounds like Edward…but there is no way. There is definitely thousands of green eyed, piano playing, stuck up guys in the world.

"Sorry." I mumbled. Not really caring that I had almost killed us. Ness was shaking her head and lecturing me for the last five minutes of the drive until I had pulled into the school parking lot, dropping her off on the music programs building.

"Ness, what's that guy's name?" I asked. An unknown emotion growing in me.

"The piano guy?" She shrugged, "Edward something."

Edward's POV:

I hate this place. I hate girls. I hate everything but my piano. I hear what everyone thinks, that I am some stuck up, arrogant, freak. And so what? Maybe I am! The word freak really hits a cord with me, that's what Alice and I called each other, and I didn't like anyone else using it.

"EDWARD!" Some screamed as I got out of my car.

I was about to take a run for it, sometimes girls tried to corner me in the parking lot when I first get to school. But this voice caused me to stop. I turned around just in time for a small body to collide into me, wrapping it's arms tightly around me. A sob came from the person and I stood their momentarily shocked.

"ALICE?" I looked down at her spiky hair and wrapped my arms around her. "ALICE!"

Alice's POV:

I couldn't stop the sobs and the crying, something I thought myself incapable of these days. Apparently the tears were just waiting for a moment like this, praying and waiting for the moment I would find my family again.

We stood there in a hug for a few moments, and I was afraid of letting him go. So I spoke into his chest.

"I can't believe you are here! I can't believe this!" I cried out.

He shook with laughter, but I could hear the strain in his voice, it was his 'I'm trying not to cry' voice. "I feel the same way! You've been here?!"

I couldn't help but laugh, feeling alive for the first time in what felt like forever. "How are you? How is Jasper? How is everyone?!" I asked, well more like demanded.

Edward pulled out of our hug, but was holding onto my hands. He looked tired, worn out, older than he should, stronger physically, and taller. "I don't know." The words wiped the smile from his face, "But I have been okay."

"What do you mean you don't know?" I asked.

He looked away from me, "We don't talk anymore."

I frowned at this, "Why not?" after a few moments of silence I spoke again, quietly. "It's because of me, isn't it?"

Edward looked back at me and smiled softly, "It was hard to explain things. But I do know that Jasper and Emmett are in t-" He stopped and looked at me, "Alice…your thoughts."

The moment I heard Jasper's name my heart swelled with love and suddenly I could remember his touch, his laugh, his smile…but I didn't realize how my thoughts were turning until Edward said that.

I laughed, "Sorry, where are they?"

*"They both went into the military." Edward said, "Rose went off to Seattle I heard."*

"The military!?" I asked before he had the chance to even speak. Although my visions weren't working my favor of showing me my family, they had improved. They were faster, especially when I wanted an answer. "You only heard about her going to Seattle?" I asked before he had a chance to reply to my first outburst.

*"Like I said, we don't really talk…" Edward said quietly, but his eyes wide. "Yes, they went into the military…not together though. I don't think either of them knew what the other was doing." Then he smiled, "Are you going to keep interrupting me?"*

"Yes! I will, as long as I am faster than you!" I said to him.

Edward began to laugh, and I mean really laugh. He pulled me back into a hug. "I've missed you! I've freaking missed you!"

"I've missed you too…I didn't know what to do without my freak!"

"Uh…I'm sorry to interrupt, eh whatever this is, but uhm, Alice, what's going on?" Renesmee's voice interrupted our laughter and hugging.

She doesn't know about the visions….no one here does. I told Edward silently.

We let go of our embrace and looked at my friend. I smiled at her, "This is my best friend from back at home."

Ness nodded her head, "So that's why you almost killed us this morning?"

Edward's head snapped at me, "That looks…I mean sounds reckless!" He scolded me.

I stuck my tongue out at him, and he rolled his eyes.

Renesmee was looking at the both of us with a weird expression, but didn't say anything.

I looked back at Edward, and it felt like there hadn't been anytime missing.

~000~

"You know Edward…snooty piano playing Edward." Ness said quietly while we ate our lunch outside.

I nodded my head, "Yes. He should have been my twin." I said simply.

"And he is going to meet us for lunch? I really don't want all these girls who follow him looking at us…or glaring."

I laughed, "Ness…Edward isn't really snooty, just a little closed off. You'll love him if you get to know him."

"I really dislike that word: snooty." Edward's voice said amused as he sat down with us. "And I am not closed off."

I rolled my eyes at him like he used to always do to me, "Suuurreeee."

Edward laughed, "Now you sound like Em."

Both of our smiles faded.

I miss Emmett….and everyone.

"Me too…and I even got to see them." Edward said, rolling an apple in between his hands.

"You two…you like finish each other's thoughts and sentences." Ness pointed out.

"Yeah…twins." I said.

Edward chuckled, lifting the sad mood slightly, "Twins?"

Ness nodded her head, "I can see it. Although you don't really look that much alike, you just get each other."

Edward smiled at Ness, "Exactly." He said, taking a bite out of his apple.

Ness laughed, "Maybe you aren't all that bad…even though you look old."

Edward scoffed, "I look old?" He looked at me, "But Alice and I are the same age!"

"She's right, Ed. You just look old, old and bitter." I said laughingly.

He rolled his eyes, "Suuurreeee." He said, throwing my word back at me.

~000~

I sat in the driveway, wondering whether or not to tell Tia and Ben about Edward. I didn't want to leave again…and I didn't want anyone to get in any trouble. I walked inside to find Ben on his laptop, typing away, probably writing some report of some kind.

"Hey." I said quietly.

He looked up at me and smiled, but quickly frowned, "What's wrong?"

I breathed in, sitting down on the couch across from him. He spun around on the computer chair to face me, "Let it out."

That seems to happen a lot. I have learned this habit of taking in a deep breath and forgetting to let it out. I exhaled and looked at Ben, deciding straight forward and honest was the best way to go. "Edward's here."

Ben looked confused, "You mean Edward Cullen? Here?" He looked around the room as if Edward was in here and he had just missed his presence.

I chuckled nervously, "In Carolina, at my school."

Ben nodded his head, and had a thoughtful look. "Well, then enjoy having your friend. God must have had enough of your sorrow and decided to send you him."

"I don't have to leave again?" I asked, surprised, happy and confused all at once.

"I don't see the need for it." He shrugged, but I felt like he was leaving something out. But I didn't care, I had a piece of me back and I was going to enjoy it.

Edward's POV:

It's strange, how life works. Just this morning and for the past year or so of my life I had this terrible bile of a feeling resting in my chest, but now; now I feel slightly alive. Alice, my best friend, the little freak who can see the future which is almost as quick as reading minds now, is back in my life. Part of the little family I once had is back, and although I can't tell the others, I am happy; overjoyed, actually. But I am craving everyone else, I miss them more intensely now. Now I am thinking that maybe that little ray of hope, that "someday" I have been dreaming about, wishing for, might actually come to life. That maybe life isn't this dreadful thing. Maybe, Bella will come back into my life too, following with the others. Maybe just maybe, things will be okay.

Alice's POV:

Life was going by so slowly, and suddenly it is speeding up. Edward has been back in my life for three months! It's Christmas time, and Thanksgiving has past again, but this time I am feeling more into the holidays. Edward, Ness, Seth, Paul, and I all went Black Friday shopping, all spent Thanksgiving together, and agreed to meet up Christmas night. Edward is going to be spending all day Christmas at Tia and Ben's house. Apparently Carlisle as working and Emmett was busy. Talking about Carlisle made me miss Esme. My visions were still blurry; I only ever see strange buildings and cars, so that must mean she is alive, right? Edward agreed with me. She must be alive, I hope she is alive. So Christmas day was great, Tia and I cooked this giant breakfast and the boys cooked lunch. It was family like; it was something we all needed. Tia and Ben loved Edward right away; I had him come over to meet them after that first day of seeing him here. Ben and him even hung out on their own without Tia and I. Although Ben and Tia are about ten years older than us, we all get along great. I think it is because certain things in Edward and I's past have made us grow up sooner than needed. With his parents dying, and all the things surrounding Charles, our childhood was kind of taken away from us.

These thoughts all hung heavy in my mind as I drove over to Edward's. He had left after lunch so he could go back to his apartment and clean up before we all came over. Tia and Ben seemed happy to have the night alone, so I was even staying over at Edward's tonight to give them some extra time alone.

When I arrived at Edward's no one else's cars were there yet. I felt twinge of pride by being early and hurried up to his apartment.

"Hey, Edward!" I called out as I walked in.

I had a key, in case of emergencies and stuff. But it was mostly because I was too patient to wait for him to come open the door.

"Hey! Come help me with this!"

I followed his voice into his bedroom, "I…I kind of didn't label the presents for everyone, so can you figure it out?"

I laughed at his frustrated face, "You 'kind of didn't label' them. How do you kind of not do that?"

He rolled his eyes, "Just help!"

"Alright! Alright!" I closed my eyes trying to see the different scenarios of Ness, Paul, and Seth opening the presents. But what I saw instead was shocking.

I snapped my eyes open to hear a knock at his door. Edward was looking at me wide eyed, "No way!" he whispered as he looked out into the hallway.

He seemed stuck, so I ran out there and threw open the door.

Rosalie's POV:

I can't take this. It's Christmas and everyone is busy, everyone is working, everyone has an excuse. As I was walking home, I had an idea. Why not go visit Edward in North Carolina? Surprise him. It wasn't all that hard to get his address. I called Fork's Hospital, asked Dr. Cullen for it. He sounded thrilled and relieved that I was going to see Edward. He told me something profound. He said, "Rosalie, sometimes there are just some people in your life that make such an impact on your soul that no matter what you'll always love them. That's how the six of you are, and no matter how impossible it feels right now, that's how you'll stay. If, and only if one of your breaks the walls that was put up." So that's what I am doing. I bought a ticket, and decided to fight for the friendship and love that we had, the family that we had. Because without it, I feel so empty, and maybe just maybe North Carolina will fix it; I just have strong feeling about it. Dr. Cullen also gave me his cell phone number in case he wasn't home. Thankfully that wasn't the case. But who opened the door wasn't who I was expecting.

A/N Tell me what you thought! I love hearing your guys thoughts, truly! Love you all who follow, favorite, review, and read! You guys are awesome! I wanted to post this chapter so soon because I have been slacking, especially in my other stories. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! *heart!*