Here we go folks! I promise I will update Broken by Sunday at the latest. In the meanwhile, here's the next chapter.

Next chapter will include some Jacob and we'll find out why Seth was at the bank. Until then…

Bella's POV:

A irritatingly familiar beeping noise invaded my head and pounded away at my skull.

Irritated, I tried to bat it away, but my hand weighed a hundred pounds.

I gradually became aware of other things – like my stomach hurt like crazy, my tongue felt like a wad of cotton batting, and I was in the hospital. Again.

"She's waking up," an impossibly smooth, velvet voice said, and everyone shut up instantly.

I pried one eyelid open. The light was killer, and I instantly dropped it.

"Love?"

That voice. The voice of my own personal angel. And it was intensely worried.

"M'okay," I muttered automatically. Someone laughed; but it was full of strain.

Slowly, I forced my eyes open again. Edward's face came into view, hovering over me anxiously. On my other side was Charlie, looking equally anxious.

Past them I could see Renee, Phil, and the entire Cullen family all camped out in the room.

I groaned.

Carlisle's face appeared above me. "Okay, everyone out. Give us a little bit and you can come back inside. Come, she needs a moment."

Reluctantly Charlie allowed himself to be herded out, with a "Love you, Bells," flung over his shoulder. Edward was harder. "It's okay, Edward," I mumbled, and finally he followed Charlie.

When we were alone, Carlisle returned to the bed, smiling a little as he adjusted it so I lying at a slight incline. "Better?" he asked.

"Yes," I rasped. "Some water, please?"

He held the glass so I could drink, then sat down next to the bed. "What do you remember, Bella?"

Everything. I remembered everything, all the way up to the last, terrifying moment of consciousness, when I thought it was over.

I nodded.

"I'm so sorry," he murmured, smoothing back some of my hair. "You nearly died because of me, because of what I am. You don't even know how sorry I am."

It took a minute for the meaning of his words to sink into my foggy mind, but when they did it freaked me out. "What? No. No. It is not your fault, Carlisle. You actually probably saved my life. I would have bled to death if you hadn't known what to do."

"And if you hadn't been trying to protect our secret, you would never have been bleeding in the first place."

"Really?" I forced all the sarcasm I could muster up into my voice. "Maybe he would've just started shooting. Maybe, if you hadn't been there, all of us would have ended up bleeding to death on that floor. You did what you had to do. So did I. And I don't regret it."

He smiled sadly. "I know you don't, Bella. You are the bravest, most self-sacrificing person I've ever had the privilege to meet."

I sensed a but coming; but he didn't say anything else, just moved to the door. "Only Chief Swan and Mrs. Dwyer for the moment, please," he requested. The next thing I knew Mom and Charlie were all over me. "Bella, baby, we were so worried," Renee exclaimed, kissing my forehead, hands hovering anxiously above me.

I tried to smile and reassure them, but my stomach was beginning to ache terribly. And I was really, really, tired.

Vaguely, I was aware of Carlisle asking them to allow to me to rest, and then sneaking Edward inside the room.

His icy lips brushed across my forehead. "Sleep, love," he whispered.

I did.

When I woke up next it was dark; the clock read 3 a.m. Immediately I looked around for Edward. I could see him in the light leaking through from the hallway, sitting next to my bed.

"Edward," I murmured.

"I'm here," he whispered, stroking the back of my cheek with his hand. Bending over me, he laid an icy kiss on my lips. "I love you, Bella."

The pain was manageable now; I fumbled for the bed control. Edward realized what I wanted and helped me incline the bed slightly, so I was sitting a little.

His topaz eyes stared into mine intently. "Are you in pain? Should I get Carlisle?"

His fingers strayed towards the call button. "No," I stopped him. "I'm good right now. I want to talk to you."

Apprehension spilled into his eyes, but he nodded. "I'm listening."

"Carlisle told you what happened."

"He told all of us," Edward murmured.

"Do you blame him?" I asked bluntly. Edward had sort of a history of blaming anyone handy when bad things happened to me.

He hesitated. "No." The pain in his eyes showed, as he wrapped his hand around mine. "I blame myself."

"Would you guys stop that?" I exploded, my voice a lot weaker than I was going for. "You wallow in guilt all the time because of things you can't control. I'm sick of it."

He didn't say anything, just eyed me sadly with the same expression Carlisle had. Emotion numbness…detached in a sad sort of way…

Just like…just like before.

The heart monitors began to jump around erratically.

"Bella, Bella, what's wrong?" Edward's voice was no longer reserved, it was panicked.

My own panic was making it hard to breathe. He couldn't leave again – he'd promised.

He promised before, too, a little voice in the back of my head taunted me, but I shut it out.

My stomach ached fiercely, but it was nothing compared to the pain ripping my chest open.

The door burst open and Carlisle strode in. "What's going on in here, Edward?"

"I don't know, I didn't say anything, she just started freaking out!" Edward explained anxiously.

Carlisle took Edward's place and put his hands on my shoulders. "Deep breaths, Bella. Look at me. Calm yourself down or I'll have to give you a sedative."

I didn't want that – I had to find out what Edward was thinking. I would die if they left again. Forcibly, I slowed my breathing.

"What's wrong?" he asked gently. "Edward, what did you say?"

"Nothing," he replied, sounding equally puzzled.

"You're thinking about right and wrong again," I murmured, knowing he would understand.

He did.

"God, no, Bella. I promised you I'd never leave again – I meant it."

The numb, detached emotion I feared so much was gone from his face…but Edward was a good actor. He'd always been. Hadn't he proved that already?
Carlisle echoed Edward's words. "We won't leave you, Bella. I swear to you, I won't leave you. No matter what happens, we'll be here."

I tried to make myself believe them…but the nightmares began that very night. A thousand times worse than before.

And every dream ended the same horrifying way.