A/N: Set during New Moon…this is just something I was thinking about—what if Edward came back on his own? Like…randomly came back? Maybe not original, sure. But I was interested nonetheless. Hope you enjoy. If not, I'm sorry that I'm a terrible writer.

EPOV

I stood at the base of the big oak tree that stretches up to Bella's bedroom window. It had been exactly 2 months, 5 days, and 13 hours since I had left her in the forest…on the worst day of my existence. It was roughly 2:00am now, and while it might look slightly curious that what appeared to be a 17 year old boy was standing outside of the police chief's house, staring up at his only daughter's bedroom window, I couldn't care less.

Every day since I had left her, my life was absolutely meaningless…a joke, if you will. She truly was my reason for living, my angel, my life, and yet, I left her. I shook my head at the memory. Cold, insensitive,
heartless…

Heartless, in all technicality, was an adjective that described me to a tee. But I would like to think of myself as sensitive in some respects—or at least loving. Although, when heartless, who is truly capable of love?

I laughed at my internal rant as I glanced once more at her window. The light had finally dimmed, and the room was now lit by a small night light, I assumed. I climbed up the tree, sitting on the branch outside her window. I sat there and listened for a short time, noticing an occasional whimpering, some tossing and turning, and eventually her heavy breathing and steady heartbeat, indicating to me that she was finally sleeping. Once I got past the minute details, I noticed her window was open. It was a surprisingly hot day in Forks, Washington, so much so that I doubted that the air conditioning was even on. It was hot—that's why the window was open. It wasn't for my use. And yet, I didn't care. I crawled in the window, glancing over at her bed, and saw the beautiful woman that I loved. She was wearing a navy blue tank top, and light grey pajama shorts. Her hair was sprawled out across her pillow, her brow furrowed, and her lips pursed. She was dreaming, I knew that much. If I wasn't such a gentleman, I would kiss those lips with such fury and passion right this second. However, that's not who I was. And it was rude to wake a human from sleep—especially a teenage girl, at that.

I backed away from her bed, sitting in the wooden rocking chair in the corner. And that's where I sat, watching Bella sleep all night, planning my next course of action.

It was roughly 6:00 when I heard Charlie's police cruiser pull out of the driveway. Due to my impeccable gift, I was able to decipher that he was going up to La Push for the day to visit with Billy Black. I prayed that would give me some time alone with Bella when she awoke—if she could even tolerate being around me.

I had a lot of explaining to do, and to be honest, I couldn't even pinpoint in my mind all the reasons I had left—even more so the reasons that I chose to return to her. But as she stirred, wiping her eyes, I knew that my time for thinking was up.

I could run. She wouldn't even know I was here. I could hide till she left the room.
But those two plans seemed flawed to me. Both involved me not seeing her, and that frightened me more than anything else. Her face being absent from my mind was torture—it was absolutely impossible for me to inflict that upon myself.

As she opened her eyes, turning on the light, I knew it was too late. My course had been planned for me, whether I wanted it to be or not.

She glanced over at the rocking chair, blinking a couple times to take in the sight. She shook her head in disbelief, rubbed her eyes, and looked again. She looked shocked as she sat up. She covered up her body, blushing at the lack of clothing, I'm assuming, and looked at me in confusion.

We stared at each other for what seemed like hours, until she finally spoke up, saying what I'm sure was on her mind since she saw me when she first opened her eyes.

"What are you doing here?"
I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose with my thumb and forefinger. "Do you not want me here?"
She groaned. "That's not it. I'm asking out of curiosity, I suppose. You left me…you just up and left me, and then suddenly, I find you sitting in the rocking chair in my bedroom? What the heck is that all about?!"
"Before you get angry and ask me to leave, can I please just explain? Just let me talk to you. Give me an hour. And if you don't like what I have to say, I'll leave—for good. But please, Bella. For my sake…"
She nodded.
"Um…can I get a shower?" She asked, looking confused and uncomfortable.
"You don't stink, love. But absolutely."

She slowly got up, grabbing some clothes out of her dresser. "And you won't leave before I get back?" she asked, accusations dripping from her tone. I deserve that, I thought.
"Absolutely not."

She looked skeptical, then finally exited the room to shower. I went downstairs, cooking her French toast, scrambled eggs, and bacon. And as I was setting her food and a glass of milk on the kitchen table, she emerged, looking absolutely beautiful. She was wearing a dark-washed pair of blue jeans, a white tank top, and had her hair down in wet curls. She would look incredibly plain to some. But to me, she was perfect.
She sat down across from me in front of her food, looking down at it and back up at me.

"Thank you, Edward. But how did you-"
"Emeril is even capable of teaching us vampires a tip or two on how to cook breakfast, thank you very much. Plus I went to culinary school a couple decades ago." I joked, and she smiled slightly.
"Ok. Let's talk."
"Just…listen. Please?"
She nodded, urging me to continue as she stabbed the French toast with her fork, taking a bite.
"Bella, I know you probably have a lot of questions for me. But I'm hoping to answer some of them. Bella, I can't even begin to tell you how sorry I am for leaving. It was wrong and stupid and…I'm just…sorry. I left to protect you, but realized that in leaving, I was doing just the opposite. I will never forgive myself for leaving and hurting you like that. These past 2 months and 6 days have been absolute torture to me. I hated myself for leaving, Bella. I hated what it did to you. I hated what it did to me."
I paused, running my hands through my hair, a look of pain coursing across my face. I knew because of what it did to Bella.
"If it hurt you so much, then why did you leave?" I was expecting her to be angry…sarcastic…but instead, she was just curious, and she looked just as pained as I was.
"Because I love you." I stated plainly.
She shook her head. "Not sure I follow ya, there."
"I left to protect you from me…from my family. You don't know what it's like when we lose control. It's scary…and to place you in the line of fire like that was unfathomable to me. I felt as if I was condemning you to this…and I didn't want that for you. You deserve so much better…and so I left."
"I knew what I was getting into." She interjected.
"Just wait…please?"
"Continue." She said, eating more of her breakfast as I spoke.
"I wanted you. I needed you. And so I left. I figured if it's what I wanted, it must not be any good for you. Bella, I have no soul...but yet, I wanted you more than anything else, so I decided that loving you must not be the right thing, because if it was the right thing, then why would the love be coming from someone like me?"
Bella chewed what was in her mouth, a contemplative look on her face.
"This is really good, by the way." She said quietly, gesturing towards the food.
"Thank you, love. Now what were you going to say?"
She frowned. "I don't like that you think that way, Edward. Why are you SO convinced that you are just this terrible creature? Edward—you wanted to kill me, but you didn't. Other people wanted to kill me—you wouldn't let them. You saved me in more ways than one…so why do you think it's such a bad thing that you love me? Edward—you are an amazing man. I've always thought that. And I will always think that."
I looked at her, filled with love and awe for this woman sitting in front of me.
"Bella, you deserve better. I've seen it all for you—getting married, having children, having a career you love, being with your friends and family…but for you and me? Well, the future isn't like that…it can't be like that. I mean…I want nothing more than for us to be parents, Bella…to have that kind of life together. But it's impossible."
"But Edward…I knew that when I met you. I knew that when I fell in love with you. I know that now and let me tell you something---I don't care. You're the one I want."
"So are you seriously telling me you can just drop everything that happened and go right back to where we left off? You're telling me you're not angry?"
Bella shrugged. "I was upset. I'm still upset that you left. But I'm not so sure that I'm so upset that I can voluntarily let you go, Edward. Are you actually staying around?"
"As long as you want me."
"That's what you said last time." She reminded me.
I nodded. "You're right. But please understand…it's not that I wanted to leave, Bella. It's almost like…I cared for you too much to stay."
"What does that even mean?" she asked, laughing slightly.
"I don't know. But please believe me…I'm not going anywhere. I love you. I always have. I always will. Please, Bella."

She stood up, put her dish in the sink, then came back over to where I was sitting. She grabbed my hand, directing me to the living room. I sat on the couch, and she sat on my lap, wrapping her arms around my neck. She leaned up, kissing me with more passion than I ever thought she was capable of. But I liked it. A little too much, I'm afraid.
She smiled, as she pulled away from me.
"Bella…I love you. And I know it might be ridiculous and premature, but I need to ask you something."
She smiled and nodded.
I reached into my pocket, grabbing a small jewelry box.
"Oh God…" she gasped, eyes wide as I opened it, revealing a ring with a small diamond.
"It's nothing extravagant, because I know that's not what you want. This whole thing just got me thinking. Yes, we're both 17…"—I smirked at that—"but I'm convinced that I will never find someone else in the world that is more perfect for me than you, no matter how long I live or how many places I move to. It's cliché, but you're truly my other half, and I love you more than anything. And Bella, I promise you right here and now, that I will devote the rest of my life to proving my love for you." I smiled, taking her hands in mine, rubbing them gently with my thumb.
"I have not talked to Charlie. Or my parents, for that matter. Nothing needs to be decided right now. I'm in no rush. But I am determined to prove to you that I'm not leaving, and this seemed to be the best way in this messed-up head of mine." I winked at her, then continued.
"Bella, I'm not a hero. I'm not perfect…not even close—all I know is that I'm a man who's trying to love you more than anyone in history has loved anyone before."
I paused, looking down at the floor, then back up at her, trying to regain my nerve. "Isabella Swan—you are my soul, my world, my angel…Bella, would you do me the honor of…eventually"—I amended, hopefully to her liking—"…becoming my wife?" I finished the question, looking up into her deep brown eyes.
"We're 17, Edward." She stated, giggling slightly.
"I know it's crazy. I know it's sudden and unexpected, which is why I said 'eventually'—or did you miss that part?"
"No I got it." She replied quickly.
"We don't have to tell anyone about this until we're in college—I just want you to know that I'm serious about this. And I need to know that you're serious about me too."
I stared longingly at her, as I awaited her reply. She looked down at the ring, back up at me, with tears streaming down her pale cheeks, which literally blushed by the second.
"Yes." She said, through the tears, and I did a double-take, looking up at her again, raising my eyebrow in an inquisitive manner.
"I said yes, Edward. I would love for you to be my husband."

I grinned, placing the ring onto her finger, and she smiled, kissing me with that same passion once more.
"I promise you, Bella. With everything I am, I will always love you."
"Not half as much as I love you. Thank you for coming back to me."
"Always." I paused. "So you're really not upset with me?"
"I'd be lying if I told you that you didn't hurt me, but my love for you overwhelms it all."
"How'd I get so lucky?" I whispered, pulling her back onto my lap, holding her close. And that is how we remained for the rest of the day. Reminiscing, watching movies, kissing, holding hands, me watching her eat and sleep…I was content. Holding my fiancée in my arms, I felt complete again. I had returned to my other half, and for once, everything in my life made perfect sense.
With my love in my arms, nothing could break me. Nothing mattered—except that we promised each other eternity, and that was enough for me for the rest of my life.

I am not a hero
I am not an angel
I am just a man
A man who's trying to love her
Unlike any other
In her eyes I am…

A/N: Not really a songfic, but I thought this song was very appropriate. And I noticed that when he was proposing, he used part of the chorus, and I didn't even mean to do that!
Song credit goes to Josh Groban, "In Her Eyes" off of "Awake"…amazing song! And it really relates to Edward.
Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it. The proposal was not where I was planning to take this at all. But I went with my gut and just flowed with it…So I hope you enjoyed this. Please review!