A/N: Okay, so I know that it's pretty sad right now, but rest assured I will make damn sure that there's a happy ending for you all! This chapter is shorter than I would have liked, but I wanted to end it with a cliff hanger.

This is important – I will be going on a small vacation for this whole weekend, so don't expect an update until at least Monday. Sorry to keep you waiting, but at least I got another chapter out before I left!

One more thing, thank you all so much for the reviews you're giving me! My face lights up and I grin like an idiot every single time I get one! Oh, and a certain review from last night pushed me into writing this chapter. So, here's a hint, reviewing makes me update faster. *wink, wink*

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN TWILIGHT.

Chp. 7

She's Gone

EPOV

She was gone. My Bella, wasn't here. As I lay on the floor in the middle of the living room – sobbing uncontrollably – I recalled the events leading up to this very moment.

After my pointless attempt at finding Bella in the house, I made a mad dash out of the house and followed Bella and Hazel's trail. I had ran for a few minutes, only to go in a complete circle and wind up back in the meadow when the scent stopped.

It just…stopped. There was nothing. It was as if they just disappeared right there in the very center.

I couldn't let myself believe it though. I'm not sure how long I had stood in the center of the meadow – completely still – waiting for any scent of Hazel or Bella to just magically breeze by me.

But nothing ever came. A storm had started at some point, and I was completely drenched from the downpour. The weather mirrored my emotions. I wanted to cry, to let my tears fall as heavily as the rain, but I knew that would be impossible.

I eventually made it back to the house, to try to find a different trail. I thought I had maybe followed the wrong one.

But when I walked through the front door, Carlisle was standing in the middle of the living room waiting for me.

He placed his hands on either side of my shoulders. "Did you find anything?" he asked seriously and I just shook my head, telling him about my attempt at following their scents.

I finally looked up at him. "I have to try again." I whispered. "I have to try to follow it again and maybe I will find something." I said more confidently.

He shook his head back and forth. "No." he whispered. "She's gone."

"NO!" I yelled, shrugging his hands off of my shoulders and taking a few steps away from him. "DON'T YOU DARE SAY THAT!" my voice rose louder with every syllable. "I WILL FIND HER! I WILL!" I vowed.

His eyes closed momentarily and he shook his head once more. "Son, you have-" he began, but I cut him off. "NO!" I shouted again, before my voice took on an odd calm. "I do not have to do anything that you tell me. You're not even real." I spat.

He flinched away from me, and I began walking towards the door again, but he intercepted me. "Edward." His voice had an unfamiliar edge to it. "You will stay here. There is nothing that you can do now. Hazel's taken Bella. I may not be real, but I still know you well enough to know that you are not in any state of mind to be out searching for Bella. Now you will listen to me and. Stay. Here."

I sighed. "I can't." my voice was barely above a whisper. "I can't give up. She may be out there. Who knows what that woman could be doing to her? She could be doing awful things to her. I can't give up."

"You and I both know that she's taken Bella somewhere that we can't find them, she's gone." He whispered.

The words endlessly echoed in my head. She's gone. I just couldn't wrap my head around those two single words. I couldn't believe them. I couldn't think about how I had failed to protect her once more. How is she ever going to forgive me this time?

Sometime ago, Esme arrived home. She tried comforting me - even though she had no idea as to why I was in the middle of the floor hunched into a ball sobbing - but it was of no use.

As the sun began to rise, I finally mustered up enough strength to push myself up off of the floor and walk to my room. I collapsed on the black leather couch, burying my face into the cushions. They smelled like freesia, like Bella. I inhaled deeply, not being able to get enough of her scent into my system.

Hours past, and the sun was now currently at the exact center point in the sky, it must be around noon. Esme walked in then, and kneeled down on the floor by my head, and stroked my hair gently. "Edward?" she whispered.

I didn't say a word, so she tried again. "Edward, honey, what's wrong?"

She must still be clueless about what happened. Great. She probably thinks I've gone insane. I wouldn't blame her though.

Her rhythmic stroking of my hair halted, and she sighed. "Is there anything I can do for you?" she asked, and I shook my head, a small sob sounding from my throat.

She sighed and exited the room, her thoughts a jumbled mess of worry.

Nobody's spoke to me since she left my room that day or even come into my room. I've just laid here for the past forty-eight hours, drowning in my own misery.

I eventually got up and stumbled to my piano, letting my emotions pour out. The forlorn notes sounded in the air, bringing with it a state of desolation around the usually exultant and upbeat house.

After four straight hours of nonstop playing, I decided that I needed to hunt. I rose gracefully from the glossy, black, wooden piano bench and informed Esme that I would be out for awhile.

I ran out the back door and through the backyard. I stopped when a familiar cottage came into my view. I stared at it for a long while, letting the memories seep in one by one. After nearly an hour, I made my decision, and walked confidently up to the door, pausing to collect myself with my hand on the doorknob.

I swallowed hard, a lump stuck in my throat, before walking through the door and into headfirst my memories. I knew that it wouldn't look the same, and I knew that that would hurt like hell. And boy was I correct.

Seeing our once perfect home run down and abandoned nearly brought me to my knees, but I ventured further into the mess. It was nearly pitch black seeing on how there weren't many windows, but I could see perfectly. I saw every single detail, right down to the very noticeable caved in wall, and the little black spider on the wall ten feet away from me.

There was no furniture at all, every room was empty. There were, however, a few plants rooting up from in between cracks on the floor.

I ducked into Renesmee's room, only to walk right back out. That was just…too much. I couldn't think about her. Thinking about her hurt worse than anything.

I sprinted into Bella and I's old bedroom, trying to escape the onslaught of memories of my baby girl. Something occurred to me just then. How much will she have grown when I get back to her?

What if she had changed, and isn't my baby girl anymore? What if she is longing for me to be there with her right now? What if, that I kept her waiting, she resents me when I finally make my home? What if she thinks I had abandoned her?

I had to stop these thoughts. They brought too much pain than I could handle right now.

After a few, deep breaths, I exited the cottage, and just ran. I'm not sure where I ended up at when I had finally come to a stop, but I knew it was out of state.

I let my senses take over then, knowing that I would be able to successfully block everything that wasn't concerning my thirst out by doing so. I caught the scent of a doe, not fifty feet away from me and immediately crept towards it.

The poor creature never stood a chance. I launched myself towards it when it came into sight, snapping it's neck with more force than necessary. My teeth easily sank into it's flesh like butter, and in no time at all I had sucked it bone dry.

Needing to satiate my thirst more, I threw the carcass aside and ran deeper into the forest.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nearly six hours and thirteen drained animals later, I finally made my way back to the house.

I had to pass by that dreadful cottage again, and I once again got lost in my memories. This time I was stronger, and fought against them instead of letting them take me over. When I successfully made it by without one single breakdown, I mentally congratulated myself.

When I neared home, I knew something was up immediately. I tuned into Carlisle and Esme's thoughts quickly, trying to find out what it was.

Oh, Edward's home! Maybe now he will be sane. –Esme. See, I knew she thought I was crazy.

Welcome home, son. There's someone here to see you. –Carlisle thought towards me.

At the mention of my having a visitor, I tuned into that person, recognizing their thoughts at once.

Edward, I know you're home. Get your ass in here, now!

I picked up my pace, flying through the backdoor and into the arms of my 4'10, pixie of a sister.

Yet another surprise, am I right? It will probably be like this most of the time throughout this story, I don't want it to get boring. Next chapter is Bella's POV for probably the entire time, unless you want the POV to be Alice's. I'm guessing you all already know that that is who Edward's visitor is. Reviews are glorious, flames are welcome.