EPOV

I didn't remember how I got home that night. I didn't remember leaving Emmett's bar and I like to pretend I still don't remember how I got the little scar above my right eyebrow.

I did however know that I spent the whole morning hanging over my toilet seat. I honestly thought the last time I vommed from drinking was my 21st birthday.

I decided I'd spend the day in bed watching cheesy films, the lounge was too far away from a toilet for it to be an acceptable hanging area. I'd literally had my eyes closed for 10 seconds when my phone started playing some ridiculously lame tune with lyrics that could only be described as utter shite. I gave it a confused look. Who the hell would be ringing me at 11am on a Sunday.

"Morning Edward." Alice. Who else.

"Alice, care to tell me what exactly my ring tone is?" I attempted to sound frustrated with her but it was impossible Alice was surrounded by a big mass of good energy and everyone got sucked into it.

"Taylor Swift. That's not why I'm calling though. You need to get dressed" Who the fuck is Taylor Swift?

"Wait. Why are you giving me orders already Alice. It's a Sunday. Do you not take a day off like ever? And how do you know I'm not dressed already?" I was a grown man dammit. I was not going to take orders from a pixie.

"Because you phoned me at 3am and started crying because you couldn't find your left shoe." I sighed and ran a hand through my hair, which had the all too familiar smell of tequila that had already been ingested once. "I'll pick you up in an hour." I was about to object when I heard the dial tone at the other end. Alice is possibly the most frustrating person I have ever met. Though I liked that she acted as if I never left. Like I never deserted any of them. Emmett was the same, he just welcomed me back with open arms and a bottle of Jose Cuervo. Rosalie was well, she would always be Rosalie. I pulled off my shirt about to get in the shower when I caught my reflection in the mirror.

My chest and arms were covered in bruises. I looked at my legs and noticed both kneecaps were gashed open. Then I remembered. I fought with Jasper last night. He kicked my ass.

I had been sitting at the bar talking to Emmett and swilling my scotch around in the glass. I watched as Jasper came towards me. He didn't show any emotion, his posture was relaxed and his face was just regular Jasper looking.

"Hey Jas, how's it going? Can I buy you a drink?" He suddenly looked furious and there was a searing pain in the side of my face. Emmett was restraining our friend and looking confused. Jasper wasn't a violent person and he rarely got angry.

"How fucking dare you!?" I got off the floor and motioned for Emmett to let go of Jasper. I wasn't going to have him restrained. He was a free man and I knew Jasper had to have a reason.

He flew at me but this time I was prepared. I grabbed his shoulders to stop myself from flying backwards and tensed my stomach as his fists made contact repeatedly. I wasn't expecting him to hook his legs around mine and bring us both crashing to the stone floor.

"Fuck. Jasper what's up?" I winced as the pain coursed through my knees. Why is it grazes only hurt for a little while when you're a kid but over the age of 10 they seem to be unbearable.

"You know what Edward!"He pulled himself upright and began kicking my side, not hard enough to break anything but I knew I would bruise. Jesus what had gotten into Jas.

"You left her! You broke her heart! I could never do that to Alice. You're fucked up. You have a fucking child and you left her and because of what!? You were scared cos she bashed her head. Oh grow up Edward! You fucking overreact about everything!"

He gave me enough time to stand up and started punching the wall. The whole bar was staring at us. Emmett was jumping up and down. Needing to be involved in the action but he knew as well as I did Jas just needed to let this out. He'd been harbouring it for 18 years. He was in fact the only one of my friends who didn't try to contact me when I left. I'd always thought it was because he understood or he just didn't want to get involved. Either way I was obviously wrong.

"Jas .. I.." I'd apologised to everyone. I know I deserved it. In this instance though, I knew this wasn't about Bella or Renesmee.

"Edward where the fuck where you?" I couldn't look at him and a lump formed in my throat. I guess I hadn't made all the apologies I should have.

"Why weren't you there to graduate with me Edward? Where were you the day my parents split up? Every time I needed you Edward you weren't fucking there. You weren't best man at my wedding though we had always sworn to each other that's the way it would be. You weren't at the hospital when my son was born. You know his middle name isn't Edward. It was going to be. But you fucking bailed. You bailed on your best friend. You're a massive fucking cunt Edward."

I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Jasper was crying. I bailed on him. What happened to bro's before ho's. One more thing I royally fucked in the ass. I wiped my face realising I too was crying.

"I missed you too man." I pulled Jasper into a huge hug. It wasn't one of those one armed masculine hugs. We weren't secretly sizing each other up and determining who could take who. This was a comforting best friend hug.

I knew the moment Jasper reciprocated the hug that we were okay now.

"Emmett I think we need a drink." Jasper and I made our way to the bar, beaming in the glory of our reinstated friendship.

"Sorry ladies we don't serve Cosmopolitans."

I got out the shower and decided I would like to know where me shoe was after all and starting turning the house upside down. It wasn't outside, wasn't in the cupboard, nor the lounge. It wasn't in the fridge either though what made me think it might be I don't really know. I noticed the time on the microwave and dashed into the bedroom. Alice could be here any minute and I was running around my house looking for a shoe in my underwear. Correction looking for a shoe whilst wearing my underwear. Though the state I was in, it could very well be in my underwear.

I answered the door 2 minutes later in a pair of jeans and flannel shirt. I smiled when I saw Alice's angry expression as she stormed through my front door in full 'ticking off' mode.

"Edward Cullen. It took you exactly 78 seconds to answer the door and I was 2 minutes late because I found this.." She pulled a brown leather shoe out of her purse. ".. in Jaspers boxers this morning. Why weren't you ready enough to answer the door within 30 seconds? And more importantly why was your shoe trying to crawl inside my husbands ass hole?"

I smiled and gestured from the doorway to the lounge as if I was inviting her inside.

"Do come in Alice." I shook my head and closed the door and she chucked my shoe at me.

"Are you ready then?" She turned to face me, one hand holding a mug of coffee the other resting on her hip.

How did she make coffee in that time? Why did I not even register she was in my kitchen long enough to make coffee.

"Oh Edward I wish you wouldn't buy instant. It's like buying make-up from Target. Yuck." She grimaced though I think it was due more to the thought of make-up from Target than the coffee.

"Oh the horror." I made a big show of slapping my hands to my face and opening my mouth wide. She shook her head and walked out he door and into the passenger side of my car. I was still laughing when I slid into the drivers side.

"Alice do tell me how you plan on getting wherever were going if the driver doesn't know where exactly that is." I went to pull out of my driveway and Alice indicated we were turning left. I swear she had the biggest smile on her face as she squealed our destination.

"HOUSEHUNTING!!!!" Alice was jumping up and down in her seat and everything. I honestly tried to keep my eyes on the road but she was all over the place.

"Alice. Calm down. I really don't want to crash." The overexcited middle aged woman in my passenger seat ceased her excitement and instead settled for small boogying motions. "Better. And I know you have a lot of kids but God your house is huge and well why do I need to go?"

She shook her head and sighed in exasperation. "No silly. It's for you. You honestly can't think a man living with his parents who is the closer to 40 side of 35 is going to win Bella over?"

I wanted to protest, I really did but I ended up making goldfish faces, my mouth opening and closing repeatedly before sighing heavily as Alice turned up the stereo and sang at me. Fucking small people.

We spent most of the day looking at houses and apartments, how was I not aware of how many houses were for sale in Forks. I didn't care about any of them really but Alice kept finding imperfections and niggly bits she didn't like. All I cared was whether I could fit in a piano a fridge and a couch. I didn't need a bed if I had a couch.

When we finally got to the last house available for viewing I was exhausted. Alice's face lit up the second we pulled into the longest driveway in the world.

"Erm Alice. I don't think I need a house this big." I looked up at the giant house as I locked the car door.

"Shh Edward. I want to hear." I sighed and followed after Alice and the estate agent almost listening to the conversation they were having.

"... 5 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms, the study is rather on the small side but .."

5 bedrooms? Really though. They started heading upstairs but I was drawn across the hallway to the only room with a door that wasn't wide open, Opening the door I realised it was the kitchen. I took in the mismatched cabinets. Some were cream, others a minty green and there was even a pale terracotta coloured one. The work surfaces were slate, in obvious need of a good sanding and the tiny crooked dining table in the corner looked as if it had a fight with the slate tops. I suddenly realised the estate agent was speaking behind me.

"..not supposed to be ... due to be refitted at the end of the week.." I was suddenly brought out of my uncaring daze.

"No." My head snapped up to glare at the overdressed woman. I could almost hear Alice fuming about her beige pant suit being frumpy and manly. I had spent far too much time with her today. "I'll take it. I don't care what the rest of the house is like. I need this kitchen. Call whoever decided this kitchen was to be destroyed and tell them they're out of their mind." The frumpy manwomans face lit up as she excused herself to retrieve the paperwork.

Alice grabbed my arm and pulled me to the far wall.

"Edward Cullen. Do you know how much this place is!? It was supposed to be a joke. What are you doing you idiot!?" She had the angriest whisper I had ever heard.

I simply beamed at her. "Alice. Tell me the second you walked into this kitchen you didn't smell freshly baked brownies and freesia." I was making my way around the kitchen opening and closing each cabinet, my face a picture of happiness. I must have looked like some kind of nut job.

"Edward. What are you on seriously? I'd like some." Alice looked concerned. Her hand was on her cell like she was going to call national security.

I gripped her shoulders and spun her around laughing to myself.

"Alice. Bella would love this kitchen. It's like her dream." She smiled gently in relief that I wasn't a madman. "Look at the stove! And that little space under that cabinet where she could hang her utensils. There's even room on this island for a chopping board surface." Alice spun around to face me before I got too carried away. She touched my cheek and grinned bigger than the Cheshire Cat.

"Oh Edward. You're serious. You're really honestly serious. You're actually going to stay. I mean I always thought .. well but now I'm so happy. It's all set in stone. Or slate kitchen tops if you will!"

I picked her up and swung her around. Both of us laughing.

I signed the paperwork quickly and arranged to pick the keys up the following day. Alice was talking at me about furniture and decoration for most of the way back to my parents house. I honestly was too happy to bother to tell her to shut up but I was more than glad when her cell started chirping. I had made a positive step towards Bella and I was revelling in thoughts of my new house when I was pulled back into reality by a tearful Alice with her hand on my shoulder.

"Edward. We need to get to the hospital now."

A/N .. bwahahah you thought it was going to be the hospital scene. I'm mean I know but I like it that way. I hope you loved it. Let me know yes?

I have to thank every single person who reads this little story of mine. Seriously though. I would like to know your opinions ... Silence is not always golden. Lol.