Tissue warning: I cried like a little bitch writing this, so I'm passing on the warning to you.

Disclaimer: Everything recognisable has it's own respected owners. If you are unfamiliar with anything the chances are it's mine. Savvy?

Chapter eleven.

"Wakey wakey, Bell. Rise and shine!"

As usual, Bella was rudely awoken by her best friend, Alice, pulling open the curtains and filling the dark room with the morning light. It had only been a week since they found out about Edward's death, but to them it felt like a lifetime. The days dragged; the pain was never ending. Three years previous, when he first disappeared, neither of them wanted to believe the worst because he had always been such a strong man, but there was no mistaking his death when it's shown right in front of you.

Bella cuddled into his pillows - his scent had long gone, but the memories of him lying right where she was would never fade. "Please Alice, can you leave me alone for a bit?"

Alice smiled sadly at her grieving sister-in-law and sat at the foot of the bed. "I understand the urge to stay there all day, but what good will that do? He wouldn't want to see you like this, Bell; he'd want you to get on with your life."

"Get on with my life? What life, Alice?!" Tears brimmed her eyes, "I can't… I can't…" the pain over-ruled Bella's small body and as a sob chocked it's way from her mouth, a pair of arms were felt bringing her in for a much needed hug. "I mi-miss him sssso much."

Alice, too, began to cry for the breakdown of her best friend and the loss of her younger brother. "I know; I miss him too; we all miss him. We're all here for you, Sweetie, and we're going to help you through this."

For ten minutes the two sisters cried out their inner emotions. It was something they both needed, however, when the tears came to a stop the pain remained in their hollow hearts.

0-0

Bella slowly obeyed Alice's demands and left her bed to start the monotonous day; she agreed to having something to eat, but she refused point blank to join Alice on the trip to the mall which, according to Alice, allows you to put your misery into the money you spend. Bella convinced Alice to go herself and they'd do a rain check for some other time.

"Are you sure you'll be okay on your own?" Alice knew Bella almost better than she did, and the 'I'm fine's held little truth.

"Yes, Alice; I'll be okay. I just… y'know, need to be on my own for a little while."

Alice held her hands gently and looked Bella in the eye, for a while, both were silent. "Okay… but you'll call me if you need me, yeah?"

"I will - I promise."

The second Alice left the house and the door was closed, Bella's guard fell and the loneliness crept in. Everything about the house reminded her of Edward - how he used to slop over the couch after a long day at work; snuck food from the pot whilst Bella made their dinner, and then there's the many memories of the kitchen counters… His shoes were still lying in the living room where he'd left them those few years ago, same with the jacket hanging over the stair banister.

The day his disappearance went viral, Bella felt lost and alone, but she had hope, which was why she had kept his belongings where he left them. But what now? He wasn't coming back to re-put on those clothes, so should she keep them there? Destroy herself further more by playing with her thoughts, or just admit that he had gone and tidy up to start the rest of her life as a singleton.

A puzzle of thoughts wound about her head and soon everything became too much. Bella dropped to her knees and covered her blotchy face with her hands. She allowed the tears to flow.

Two days previous, the family collected everything that reminded them of their fiancé, son, brother, uncle, and placed it all in a box, and then the box into a casket. They held a small, intimate, burial. Emmett and Rosalie joined them - Emmett tried his best to suck back his tears, but it was all too much. He remembered the pain they'd both gone through and how, when all was quiet, they'd talk through the cement walls and ask how the other was. Emmett promised his late friend that, as soon as his strength was back, he'd get revenge on the bastards that did this to them.

Rosalie felt awful. She felt like all this was her fault - her husband and been set free but with a warning. She was told not to mention anything to Bella because they would find out. But she did, and almost before she knew it she was standing before Edward's grave. For as long as she lived, Rosalie would never forgive herself for the stupidity in her actions.

0-0

The day went on and Bella found herself talking to Edward's photo more often than not. She spoke to it like she'd speak to a real person. For example, when her father, Charlie, popped over in the afternoon Bella apologised to the photo for the disruption: 'sorry, there's someone at the door; I'll be right back', and when Charlie left she went straight back to their conversation.

She also found herself screaming at the photo, asking him why he had to leave and why he couldn't return to her.

By the time she went to bed, Bella's eyes were red and stinging from the acidity in her tears. She cuddled his cushion to her chest like normal, whispered her love, and tried to fall asleep…

3:27a.m., she bolted straight up in bed. It wasn't until she clocked onto the ringing of her telephone that she realised why she had woken up.

Bella grabbed the cordless phone from the side table and answered it warily.

"He-hello?" Who phones at this time in the morning?

"Bella!" It was Esme, her mother-in-law (in all intents and purposes). She sounded surprisingly chipper for that time at night. "Bella! It's Edward!"

"What-what about him?"

"Oh, Sweetheart, you're not going to believe this…"

"Believe what? Esme, what's happened?"

"He's alive, Bella! Oh, my dear girl, he's alive!"

A small sense of anger rose through her. "Esme, please, I saw it… I saw him…" She started to cry. "We all watched…"

"No! I don't want to think about what we saw, but he's been found. He's been found and…" the poor woman broke into her own set of tiny sobs, "he's been found and he's alive. He's coming home, Bella."

For the next couple of minutes, Bella didn't have a word to say. Everything went numb around her, and she couldn't make up her mind and decide whether she was dreaming or if Esme had really told her the news she had been waiting near enough four years to hear.

"What…?" She swallowed back the thick lump in her throat.

"I can't believe it myself, but it's real, Sweetheart. Carlisle was just phoned during his nightshift; they are travelling him back as we speak, and is expected to arrive at Harborview around midday tomorrow." You could hear the smile in her speech.

"Tomorrow…?"

"Yes; we'll see him tomorrow."

"Oh, my God… I just… I can't believe what you're telling me."

"I know, I couldn't believe it either. We're heading off at seven to be there, would you like to catch a ride with us?"

But Bella couldn't respond; she was finding it very hard to wrap her head around the news. She'd thought she'd never hear those words again, hearing that he was coming home… but now, all that had changed. The next day he'd be there for her to see, and hold, and talk to. She had the opportunity to look into his eyes again and, if he didn't already, the next day he'd know just how much she loved him.

"Bella, are you okay?" Esme broke Bella from her muse.

"I…um… I'm not…"

"I know, Sweetheart, I know it's a lot to take in. Well, there's no way I'm going back to sleep now, why don't I come over - we can help each other with the news and then head to Seattle when it's time?"

As much as Bella wanted to say that she was fine and that Esme didn't have to trek out in the middle of the night, she wanted that company and she wanted someone to help her understand.

"Yes please, I would love some company right now."

0-0

The drive to Harborview hospital seemed to drag; both knew who was waiting when they got there, which only made the journey slower. Alice, Jasper and their sleeping daughter, Emma, were driving somewhere behind them. Carlisle still had an hour until he finished at work, so he made his own way later on.

Upon arrival, Bella and Esme ran into the reception and were told that Edward had arrived and once the doctors were finished checking him over they'd be allowed to see him.

Thankfully they only had to wait an additional ten minutes before they were being lead down the various hallways in the search for Edward's ward. Bella's heart was pounding in her chest; she didn't know what state he was going to be in and feared the worst, but she it pounded in delight too - it seemed almost a miracle that they were there, walking down the halls and trying to find a man who only a handful of hours ago they were believing that he had died.

The doctor came to a stop by the door of a private room. As much as Bella tried to haggle, Esme insisted that she went in first.

"Sweetheart, we all know who he'd be wanting to see first, so, please," she waved her hand towards the door, "we'll all have our moments."

Taking a deep breath, Bella nodded and followed the doctor into the room. The first thing she noticed was the steady beeping of a heart monitor. She was almost scared to look in his direction.

But she did, and the second she set eyes on her vulnerable partner, the tears came once again. Bella had never known herself to cry as much as she had done in the past few days.

Lying on his hospital bed Edward looked like a shell of his former self - he had lost so much weight that the saying 'skin and bones' almost fit the bill; his eyes were sunken into his protruding cheek bones and his shaggy hair fell with little life around his face. Bella had imagined him to have a beard and long hair like Tom Hanks in Cast Away, but he didn't, so he must have had the chance to shave at some point recently.

He had been dressed in hospital robes and various tubes and drips were attached to his arms and chest. She stroked back his hair gently.

"Is he okay?" She asked tenderly, unable to take her eyes off his face.

"Edward is very weak and it's going to take him a while before he gets back to a healthy weight again, but as far as we can tell, there shall be no lasting damage."

"Oh, thank God…" She whispered, feeling the relief lift from her shoulders.

"He's been asking for you, Bella."

"What? Really?"

The doctor gave her a sweet smile, " absolutely. Whenever he came around he's been asking for you. Talk to him."

She perched on the edge of his bed and took his weak hand in hers. His nails were an odd yellow colour and his skin had a unhealthy looking blue tint.

"Edward? Baby… can you hear me? I've missed you so much, I can't describe how it feels to see you here. I love you… I've never stopped thinking about you." She continued to speak his name, hoping it would rise him from his slumber. Shortly his eyes were seen fluttering and a crease was formed in his forehead.

"Mmm… Be-lla… Bell-."

"Yes, yes, I'm here."

"Bell… I love…"

"Oh, I love you, too."

"I'm sorry…"

Even in that condition, he still had the ability to make her laugh. "You should be."

"I am… mmm gonna sleep now."

She wiped the lone tears off the bridge of her cheeks and laughed, kissed his head and brushed back his hair again, "okay - you go to sleep, baby; I'll be here when you wake up."

0-0

Aaaand… relax. Oh my God, that was hard.

The next chapter will be back to Edward and how he got out of there.

So, thoughts on their reunion?