The week dragged on. I phoned Denali every day but not once did Edward choose to speak to me. I didn't blame him though. I didn't blame him for any of it. Alice continued to strain herself over the future, she would sit for hours trying her hardest to see far enough into the future to decipher what Edward was going to do. The rest of us were quiet; there was not much conversation.

Alice gasped suddenly. It was Friday night, about eleven at night, and things were still. Rose and Emmett were curled up on the sofa watching a fairly gory film, while Jasper was out hunting again. Carlisle was up in his study, and Alice and I were re-arranging flowers at the foot of the stairs. We all stopped, and stared at Alice.

"What is it Alice?" Emmett said eagerly from the sofa.

Carlisle was downstairs in a few seconds. "Alice, what did you see?"

Slowly, the corners of her mouth turned upwards, until she was practically beaming. "He's coming home!"

"Yeah baby!" Emmett cheered, jumping up from the sofa and punching the air. "I've been wanting to kick someone's ass for days now!"

"What about Jasper?" Rosalie asked, grinning.

"He makes me feel all warm and gooey inside whenever I try to pounce."

Alice, Carlisle and I laughed as Emmett continued to look miffed and Rose poked at him playfully.

"Oh thank goodness he is coming home!" I sighed, feeling totally and utterly blissful suddenly.

"We always knew he would," Carlisle smiled at me and wrapped his arms around my waist. "He will always face his demons."

"Oh. Yes. I forgot." The whole reason for his leaving had totally been forgotten by me momentarily as I rejoiced at his return. The happiness remained, although, suddenly, it had a bitter edge.

"Jasper!" Alice cried, running to the back door happily. "Jasper, sweetie, we have news!" She dragged him into the living room. He looked confused as he glanced around all the happy faces.

"No need to look so grim, bro," Emmett guffawed from the far side of the room. "Who died then?"

"Why is everyone so happy?" he asked slowly as he met each of our gazes. "What have I missed?"

"Only that Edward is returning!" Alice sang, dancing lithely around the room.

"Oh." His reply was short, his expression unchanging. "Good." And he darted up the stairs suddenly, shutting the door of his and Alice's room.

"Well, he seems chuffed to bits," Emmett muttered, looking away awkwardly.

"What was that?" Alice asked in a high voice, her brow furrowed and expression mingled with frustration and anxiety. She flitted to my side.

"I don't know," I fretted. It was unlike Jasper to react like that, he missed Edward as much as I did, but his mood recently, even before Edward had left, had been on the downturn. I turned to my husband helplessly in the hope of an answer. His eyes were closed, and he was pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Carlisle?" Alice demanded.

"I think, Alice, you should talk to him yourself. And before Edward returns. Do you know when he will return?"

She closed her eyes momentarily. "Four in the morning," she announced as her eyes flicked open and darted up the stairs after Jasper. We heard the bedroom door creak open, and then softly close again.

"You know?" I turned to Carlisle, an eyebrow raised.

"His, for want of a better word, problem? Yes, I know. Is that such a crime?" he asked with a sigh.

"No, of course not. Do you wish to share?"

"I am not sure Jasper would like it if I did." He glanced over to the sofa, where Rose and Em were no doubt listening. "Come for a walk?"

"So he is worried?" I repeated. Carlisle had led me into the forest, and within ten minutes we were in the familiar clearing where many evenings had been spent, as a family, and as a couple. We were sat in the middle of the clearing with the moonlight shining around us. The grass shimmered in the light breeze, and the stars twinkled in the black night. It was the first clear night for a long while.

"Yes. He is worried about Edward's return," Carlisle sighed, looking up at the stars.

"Worried? How so?"

"He has confided in me recently, that our way of life is more challenging to him that he let on. He finds it an almighty struggle, and he is ashamed of it."

"But surely Edward is the one person who can help him? He always turned to Edward, for anything!"

"Maybe that would be true, if it wasn't for Edward's gift."

"Mind reading?"

"Exactly. Jasper is ashamed of his thoughts when he is around humans, he despises them, but since Edward has gone he has been able to keep them secret. When Edward returns, he will hear the thoughts, whether he wants to or not. And Jasper will feel... Well, I don't know how he will feel, but I am pretty sure he will feel rotten. And can you blame him?"

"Oh." Poor Jasper. He wasn't a bad person. And he tried so hard, no one could blame him for how he felt. I looked at Carlisle's face. He looked sheet white, his face had no expression, but I could see a muscle twitch just above his temple. I knew he was in deep thought, and waited silently for him to speak.

"Maybe we should send him up to Denali for a while," he murmured after a while, looking at a point just over my left shoulder. He wasn't really talking to me, just thinking out loud.

"You know Alice will go with him," I replied just as quietly.

"Yes, but if it what he needs," Carlisle said gently, taking one of my hands. "I know you don't want our family to be apart for so long, but if it is what is best for him, wont it be worth it?"

I sighed. He was right. He was always right. "Yes, I suppose that is true."

Carlisle smiled at me, the kind of smile that out shone as thousand midnight stars, the kind that screamed 'I love you', the kind that reminded me of the first time I saw him, the first time I fell in love with him. He pulled me into his arms and we laid back on the grass together, staring up at the sky.

"You know, that star over there," he stretched out an arm, pointing to a bright, twinkling star directly above us, "is called Esme."

"Oh yes?" I replied, not believing him.

"It's true! I bought it for you."

"Why?"

"Because you deserve it." He said it as if it were a fact.

"Oh Carlisle, you shouldn't have!" I exclaimed, turning over to face him, beaming.

"Well, I did. I hope you like it," he smiled.

"Well, I suppose you could have got me something bigger, something with more sparkle," I teased. "But this will do."

"I am very glad about that, Mrs Cullen." And he lent in to kiss me tenderly.

"Thank you, my love," I whispered, pulling away slightly. "It is the most beautiful star. Just like you are my most beautiful sun."

"Now all you need is your own moon," he teased sweetly. "But I think the Moon is a little out of our price range, sorry."

"I wont linger on it," I sighed happily, leaning back in his arm. I truly didn't deserve this wonderful man.

"Sweetness, it's three thirty," Carlisle murmured hours later, checking his watch. I stayed still for a fraction of a second, and then realized what that meant.

"Come on then!" I squealed excitedly, jumping up and grabbing his hand. Edward was coming, and he was less than half an hour away!

"I'm coming!" he laughed as I ran towards the house, Carlisle in tow, thrilled at the prospect of seeing my son once again.