Summary: Emmett disagrees with his family, especially Edward,for leaving a heartbroken Bella behind after her birthday incident, so he decides to return and care for her.

" I wouldn't have left her like you did!"

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. Stephanie Myer is the respective owner, I'm just fooling around with the characters.

Bella stared hard into her bedroom mirror, wrapping her arms around her thin waist- as if to shield herself from the world.

She was even smaller than she was since Emmett's return to Forks, which had only been a few days earlier- she noticed, and sighed in exasperation.

" Bella? You ready to go?" She looked to her bedroom door, and pulled her shirt down over her stomach, and grabbed her backpack from the floor by her bed. With a quick look back, she opened and closed the door to her room, and hurried down the stairs. Charlie gave her a look as she descended the last stair as he stood at the front door, car keys in hand.

After that arguement between her and Charlie, Charlie finally agreed to let her stay in Forks- if she kept her end of the deal of reconnecting with the outside world. Even still, he told her he would drive her to and from school a few days out of the week- just to be on the safe side.

That irked Bella. She wasn't a child anymore- and he treated her as if she was some crazy person that couldn't be trusted handling her surroundings alone. But he wouldn't listen, no matter how much she would try to protest. Well, at least she was staying in Forks.

And with Emmett back in town..she was in no hurry to leave altogether. She still had so much she needed to ask him.

" That was the third time I had to call you Bella. Are you sure you feel up to going to school today?" He questioned. It wasn't a matter of being unsure. Charlie was just as aware of her condition as he had been when he pointed it out to her during their argument. She would never really feel up to doing anything, but sure- she would go, if it made her father happy- well, feel decent in the least.

" Yes, and I'm sorry. I zoned out.. again," Charlie sighed, and opened the front door, letting Bella walk out in front of him. She slid into the passenger seat and slammed the door- leaning her head against the window after she strapped her seat belt around herself.

She knew Charlie wasn't pleased at all, with the way she was since Edward left, but at this point, it seemed almost impossible to feel otherwise.

She had no reason to be happy anymore- to feel alive. Even going to school wasn't the same. Even now, when she walked through those cafeteria doors, she couldn't help but anticipate that they would be at that same table on the other side of the room by the window- Alice waving her over, or skipping to her excitedly with only the latest gossip or opinions on outfits she brought for herself and Rosalie- even if Bella didn't care for the details as much.

Jasper would greet her with that warm smile that would make anybody feel welcome. Next to him would be the cold-hearted beauty Rosalie, with her usual intimidating scowl on her perfectly-shaped bow red lips, with Emmett at her side to make sure she didn't make Bella feel too uncomfortable.

And then came the love of her life, Edward Cullen - the boy she thought she could always call her knight in shining armor. His unmistakably heart melting crooked smile, deep topaz eyes, and melodious voice always did make her weak in the knees, and she couldn't help but smile whenever he called her over to sit beside him, embrace her in a gentle hug, or plant a chaste kiss on her cheek or the top of her forehead.

She could have stayed in his arms- next to him- within his presence, forever. It wasn't an irrational desire.

After discovering that true immortality did in fact coexist within humanity- with the 'living' proof being her own boyfriend and his family, she couldn't help but wonder what it would be like.

To be immortal, to be a vampire, and spend the rest of her life with the boy she cared so much about.

But in the end, who was she kidding herself. He was gone, and he was never coming back.

The love she thought was a mutual existence turned out to be a lie; he had never even loved her at all, from what he had confessed.

"I promise you that this is the last time you'll ever see me,"

"I won't come back... I won't put you through anything like this again. You can go on with your life without any interference from me. It will be like I never existed."

"Your human memories of me, my family, will fade in time. Mine of you will not, but unfortunately my kind is very easily... distracted,"

And yet... her love for him still remained..just as strong.

ooOoo

" Bella, wait up!"

Bella whisked around behind her as she started to leave her locker, and found Mike running to catch up to her. He grinned cheekily as he stood huffing with his hands at his hips- face flushed, like he had just run a mile around the school track. Bella pressed her lips together at the clingy blonde. He never really was the athletic type, even with his thin statue.

"Hey...Mike. What's up?"

" Just wanted to walk my favorite girl to her first class," Bella raised a brow at Mike's wriggled ones.

Her solemn state during those past few weeks practically drove everyone away from her- which included Mike, Jessica, and even Angela. Were they scared of her now that she proved to be a zombie in all the right aspects, Bella wasn't sure- and frankly, she was just to distraught to care.

It was even worse knowing it was because they felt bad for her.

After everyone learned of the Cullens' departure from Forks altogether they immediately looked to Bella- the practically introverted, pale girl from Arizona- the only one that had befriended the Cullen siblings; so much in fact, that people were starting to include her name with the omnipotent inhumanly perfect posse.

" Mike, you haven't spoken to me in weeks," Bella paused awkwardly. " What's really going on?"

Mike only smiled- but it looked just about as strained and unwieldy as his laugh afterwards. He stalked past her slowly then, and Bella immediately followed after him.

" Well?"

" Okay.. truth is," He said sighing, and turned to her. " I really miss you Bella. We all do, especially Jessica. I mean, all she talks about is how she no longer has anyone to share her 'gossipy bits' with, or ask for advice. You were like, her best friend since your first day of school, I mean all she talks about is you now, how you're more solemn and gloomy than usual with the Cu-"

" Okay Mike, I get it," Bella interrupted, not wanting to hear their name out loud; not to mention what Jessica said about her usual attitude kind of stung.

But I guess that was Jessica. She never had a problem speaking her mind, even if it did affect the other person.

" Still a touchy subject for ya huh? I guess I can understand that. I mean with your boyfriend's parents shipping him and his siblings off to some fancy boarding school in Italy and everything,"

Bella almost snorted at the reason, that was undoubtedly false- well to her knowledge at least.

Emmett had told her before he left his family back in Alaska, so Italy was definitely just a cover-up.

Emmett..

"Yeah, it's still weird..being apart from him," Mike stared at her. " So I guess you two aren't an item anymore,"

Bella couldn't help but notice a tinge of happiness in that low voice of his.

" Nope," She swallowed. " He broke up with me that day before he left. You know how...long distance relationships can get," Bella trailed off she looked ahead. She froze then, in her tracks, eyes widened at the familiar face just a few feet away from her. She blinked, and he was still there, just as he had been in her driveway that day- and he was walking towards her.

When he finally approached them, Mike was the first one to recover.

" Hey, Emmett right? Aren't you supposed to be in that Italian boarding school?" He asked, stammering a bit. Emmett shrugged, after catching a glance at Bella, who was just as surprised as Mike to see him there. Mike almost seemed to be disappointed, even looked behind Emmett a couple of times.

Probably trying to see if his other adopted siblings were there with him, and more importantly, Edward.

"Let's just say I'm not as adaptive to the new school as the others were," He replied, then asked. " You mind if I finish walking Bella here to class?"

Bella's face flushed just as Mike's did. " No, n-not at all! Hey, I'll see you around Bella," He said hurriedly, and stalk past them both. Bella blinked again.

" Mike, wait!" He turned around stiffly, almost surprised that she had called after him.

" Tell Jessica to text me after school. Maybe we can...catch a movie or something tomorrow," She proposed, earning a small grin from Mike before he walked away.

" Jessica? That blonde chatterbox that use to sit with you at lunch?" Bella turned to Emmett, whose lips broke into that familiar huge grin Bella knew all too well.

She sighed.

"Charlie wants me to get out of the house, so I offered to make plans with her. She's really not all that bad once you get past the ranting,"

Emmett rolled his eyes. " Like I didn't have anyone else like that already to talk my ear off,"

They walked side by side, quietly then. The students passing by were already informing the other's of the bulky vampire's arrival. Bella couldn't help but notice that the guys, even the self-popular jocks made sure not to make contact with Emmett;while the girls that stood at their lockers or walked past them did everything in their power to get his attention.

But his eyes were either straight ahead of him, or flicking to Bella's.

" So..you're back in school,"

His eyebrows raised. " You don't mind do you?" He asked, amused- that lopsided grin on his lips. " I mean someone needs to keep an eye on your clumsy existence. Who else will be there to catch you when you trip over yourself ?"

Bella couldn't help but roll her eyes. He still had his humor, even after all that had happened.

After leaving literally his entire family behind.

" I'm joking Bella, well half joking at least,"

She knew that, despite just how right his observation had been.

" Hunting for squirrels in the forest can get pretty boring after a while Bella. I needed a change of scenery too,"

"I don't mind, really I don't. It's actually...really great that you're back," She admitted, for the first time. She was telling the truth. She had grown fond of Emmett over the few months she had known him- after she got over his intimidating appearance. From her first visit to the Cullen mansion, to the baseball game in the field that day, even if it did end on a sour note.

She hoped it would stay this way- Emmett going to school with her, and staying in Forks.

She wouldn't be able to bear it... if he left her again.

Author's Note: Oh my goodness! I am so very sorry to everyone that has been awaiting this chapter! So much has happened in these last weeks that has made updating my stories completely and utterly impossible- and add writer's block to that too!

Long story short... I moved to another city now that my mother and stepfather have separated, and now I have to adjust to an entirely different environment and school! ( I know, TMI, but I figured you guys should know :)

But I'm back, and I'll try to update as soon as I can now that I'm able to even have access to the internet again, and I hope you'll continue to review and favorite this story!

And now, for the praises! Thank you so much to Hisuiko, MadisonLovesBSB, PiperMcLean351, InuNekoLexi, .xoxo( For some odd reason, your name always gets cut off. Sorry :/), jessa76 , Lisha K, and a anonymous reviewer!

PS. If you were aching for a little Jacob in here, I can assure he will be making an appearance soon!

Anyways, you all are very much appreciated, and I am very sorry I made you wait so long!

You know what to do!

Review!:)