AN: I don't own Twilight!

This wasn't prompted by anyone, it's just a little something I came up with on my own. Basically it's Edward coming back in January in New Moon.

January

Four months…

Four months since Edward left.

Since anything has mattered.

Since I have felt anything other than numb.

Four months.

I have been a ghost, a zombie, just going through the motions. Charlie is the only reason I am even bothering to make an effort. If it wasn't for him, I would be in bed with the covers firmly over my head; instead, I am in the Forks High School cafeteria. Jessica is on one side of me, babbling about something I have long since tuned out, and Angela is on my other side talking to Ben, which I also tune out. I am not trying to be rude, but seeing them so happy together hurts.

I try to focus on my sandwich. I should eat it, but instead I start ripping it into small pieces. It is in the middle of my sandwich massacre that I notice Jessica has stopped talking. The sudden quiet is nice, I just hope she isn't waiting for me to respond to something she said.

"Um, Bella?" Jessica says. Damn. This is what I get for not paying attention.

"Mm-hmm," I say quietly as I look up from my pile of sandwich.

"Edward Cullen is staring at you," she replies. I look at her almost venomously. If this is an attempt to snap me out of my funk, it's a really cruel way to do so.

"That isn't funny," I answer, and the entire lunch table goes silent. They know that the topic of Edward is off limits, and Jess knows this too.

"I'm not trying to be funny," she insists, "just look." I turn in the direction she is pointing, and my heart races.

There, standing by the door of the cafeteria, is Edward Cullen.

I don't think. Not about the pain of the last four months, not about the words he spoke to me the last time I saw him; all I can do is focus on him, and the fact that he is really here. I jump up from my seat, ignoring the questions and looks from everyone around me, and run across the room. I don't even stop when I get to Edward; I jump straight into his arms and sigh in relief as his ice cold arms wrap tightly around me.

"Bella," he murmurs in my hair.

"Edward?" I sob as my emotions catch up to me and tears start to fall.

Edward gently sets me down and when I really look at his face for the first time I notice his eyes are black. Not only that, but he is paler than I have ever seen him. Fitting enough, he looks lifeless, but not in the way I am used to. Added to that, I am pretty sure he is still wearing the suit he wore on my birthday.

Edward's soothing touch as he wipes away my tears brings me out of my thoughts. I hold my breath as I watch his face come closer and closer to mine. I know he is thirsty and I should tell him to stop, but I can't. When our lips gently meet I feel whole for the first time in four months. Everything in me that was missing is back, the holes are filled. When we break apart, Edward rests his forehead against mine.

"Um, Bella?" he whispers, sounding nervous, "Can we go somewhere and talk?"

"Okay," I reply quietly.

"Good. There's a lot I need to say, and right now everyone is staring at us," Edward explains. I turn around and blush bright red when I see that everyone in the cafeteria has stopped eating and are now staring at us.

"Let's go," I plead in embarrassment. Edward nods, takes my hand and leads me out the door. I smile when I see his shiny silver Volvo sitting in the parking lot. I missed that, too.

"Where are we going?" I ask as he holds the car door open for me.

"Is my house okay?" Edward asks.

"Yes," I reply, excited to see it again.

"I would take you to our meadow, but it's not as pretty in the winter. Plus, it's pretty cold out and I don't want you to get sick," Edward says.

The rest of the ride is silent as rational thought finds its way back into my head. Edward was back, but that didn't mean he was going to stay. All of Edward's words from September came flooding back to me and I felt my heart begin to re-break. I tried to focus on the fact that Edward was here, but doubt still surfaced.

We arrived at the Cullen's house in no time, due to Edward's break neck driving speed. He parked in the garage and we hurried inside to escape the cold. Edward hung up my coat and walked into the living room. I sat down on the couch while Edward went to work starting a fire in the fireplace. Once the fire got going it was very cozy and warm in the living room.

Edward sat next to me on the couch and held my hands in his. As he opens his mouth to speak, I cut him off because my doubts are eating me alive, and there is one question I need the answer to before we go any further.

"Are you leaving again?" I ask bluntly.

"Never again, Bella," he vowed. His words trigger the strongest sense of relief I have ever felt flow through me.

"Bella, leaving you was the worst mistake I have ever made in my entire existence," Edward continues, "And I will spend the rest of forever trying to make it up to you, if you'll let me."

"What about all the stuff you said before you left?" I ask suddenly confused, "I thought that you didn't want me, and that I wasn't good for you."

"I lied," Edward replies as shame graces his perfect face.

"Why?" I ask.

"It was the only way to make you let me go," Edward explains.

"Why did I have to let you go?" I ask as tears once again prickled in my eyes.

"After your birthday party I realized just how unsafe my being in your life was," Edward says, "I thought by leaving I could keep you safe and make things better."

"Better?" I ask incredulously.

"Clearly I was wrong, but at the time I really thought I was doing the right thing," Edward says.

"I was a zombie while you were gone. It took every ounce of energy I could muster just to get out of bed in the morning," I explain as I rest my hand on Edward's cheek, "You are a part of me, and when you were gone I wasn't whole."

"I am so sorry Bella," Edward says as he rests his icy forehead against mine, "It was the same for me. I spent the time apart wandering from place to place in a barely living state."

"I can tell, you look like you haven't hunted in ages," I say as I gently rub a thumb under one of Edward's shadowed eyes.

"Not since I left you," Edward admits.

"Edward," I scold, "you need to hunt, it must be torture sitting with me when you haven't hunted in so long."

"I love you too much for this to ever be torture," Edward says as he gently presses his lips to mine.

"Edward," I say when he pulls away, "You need to stop depriving yourself, please go and hunt."

"Fine," Edward says with a sigh, "but just a quick hunt."

"Okay. I will be here waiting for you when you get back," I say. Edward gives me one more kiss before he stands up and heads for the door leading to outside.

"Oh, and Edward?" I say and he turns to look at me. "When you get back you may want to change your clothes, because Alice will torture you if she finds out you have been wearing the same outfit for four months straight."

"Right," Edwards says with a grimace as he looks down out his dirty, rumpled, and torn suit, "Good thinking."

"I love you Edward," I say with a bigger smile than I have used for months.

"I love you too Bella," Edward replies with a matching grin.

"Make sure you come back," I say.

"Always," Edward replies with a wink before he disappears out the door. As I sat and waited for Edward I thought about everything we still needed to talk about and deal with, but I knew with Edward back and by my side we would make it through anything.

AN: Thanks to my beta Jenn! So, it's been forever since you guys have heard from me and I apologize. Here is what has been going on with me, I had strep throat, then I had some heart issues (everything is just fine), and then with the help of my parents I bought a condo. I am very excited and a kind of nervous to be moving out on my own but I know it will be great. I hope you guys will be patient with me as go through the process of moving. Oh, and remember to leave me some prompts for things you want to see!