Disclaimer - I don't own parts of what I write.

Thank you to each and ever review. I know I haven't answered them like I usually do and I apologize. Know that I read and appreciate every single one. I'm trying to update more often like I did in the beginning, but as I near the end, I keep rewriting. I know how they end up, I just need to get them there. If the end coming up makes you as sad as me, remember there will be a sequel.

Beta'd by a boy named Sue. No, not really ;) As always thanks to the lovely MalloryKnoxx.

"And we hold hands while I pray that she's not the type to hold grudges."

~~ Drake, Mr. Wrong.

Edward's POV

Isabella cried against my chest for a little while before pulling away from me. I looked at her face and it broke my cold heart. Her eyes appeared hollow even though they were red and puffy. Tears stained her face and her nose was running. In that moment her entire well being made me second guess a death by my hand for the first time in my life.

"What can I do?"

She sniffled and shook her head.

"There has to be something." I rubbed my hands up and down her arms slowly.

"I- I-" she began and sighed deeply, fighting off more tears, "I feel like ... I've been punched in the gut." She finally worked out with her brows burrowed.

"I'll fix it any way I can."

"I-I don't think that's possible!" She sobbed. I pulled her back into my arms. Charly started to fuss. Isabella moved away from me still crying and picked the baby up. She cradled her against her tiny frame and cried harder.

"Would you like me to take the baby?" I asked cautiously.

She shook her head and began walking away. I followed behind while texting my sister to come home immediately. Esme didn't respond at all as I followed Isabella through the house and up the stairs to our room. I texted my parents, Mary Alice, and Rosalie. Anyone who get there as soon as possible to take care of Charly while I took care of Isabella.

Isabella sat down on the bed and leaned back against the headboard. Her sobbing was making the baby uneasy, and she began to cry as well. Never in my life has something scared me like the two most important females in my life being so unhappy. I was a man, God damn it, and I could handle anything. I didn't know how to handle that particular situation, but I was going to work something out.

"I'm going to go make you a drink. Will you be okay alone for a minute?" I asked. She looked at me with blank eyes and nodded. I was counting on a little liquor to calm her down until I could get something else for her.

I went back downstairs to the bar and began mixing her a drink while I called Carlisle.

"Hello, Edward."

"Hey, I need something for my girl. For her nerves."

"What do you want?"

"What do you suggest?" I asked moving bottles around.

"How upset is she?"

"Just found out her dad is dead."

He was quiet for a couple of minutes.

"Valium would help her sleep. I'm sure she is emotionally exhausted at this point."

"Can you bring it over now?"

I swirled the whiskey around in the glass with ice to chill it.

"Shortly, Mary Alice just told me you need someone to take the baby. Jane is on her way to stay with Mallory so we don't have to get her out."

"Thanks." I said before disconnecting.

I ran up the stairs and down the hall to my childhood room. Isabella was still a crying mess with a bawling baby in her arms. I sat the drink on the nightstand and held out my arms.

"Let me take her. She can tell how upset you are."

Isabella stared at me for a beat before reluctantly handing Mallory over. I shifted her so I could hold her in one arm and picked the drink back up. I sat down on the bed and held the drink in front of Isabella.

"This will help a little."

She took the glass with shaky hands. She hiccuped softly before drinking half the amber liquid. I was able to relax minutely since she was communicating with me on a small scale. I bounced Charly in my arms until her crying was reduced to little whimpers.

"I think it would be better for Charly not to be around you when you're so upset. I couldn't get in touch with Esme so I called Carlisle and Mary Alice. They're on their way, and they'll take Charly tonight. I'll be here with you. No work, no interruptions."

"I don't want her to go." She said through puckered lips and hiccups.

"It's just one night. Mary Alice will take good care of her, and it'll give you a chance to collect yourself." I explained to her gently.

She drank the other half of her drink and sat the glass down.

"Collect myself?" She tilted her head back and stared at the ceiling. "Do you really believe that I'm going to collect myself in one freaking night?"

"I don't expect you to be over this in one night if that's what you're implying."

"Don't expect me to be over anything any time soon." She put her hands on her eyes, but I could still see the tears running down her face and hear them in her voice. "No matter what, I keep telling myself I can handle it, that things will get better. Then they get worse. What the hell has happened to my life?"

"This is a hard life, kid. That's the truth. I have another truth, you'll get through this. You are so much stronger than you give yourself credit for. And I'll be here by your side every step of the way."

She didn't respond, and she didn't move her hands from her eyes. With the quiet of her silent crying, Charly had begun dozing off in my arms. I stood up and headed towards her temporary room. Once I laid her down and walked back out into the hallway my phone buzzed.

In the driveway

I jogged down the stairs and opened the front door all the way signaling for him to come in. I went to the bar and filled another rock glass with whiskey. Carlisle held the door for Mary Alice before closing it as I came back into the foyer.

"Thanks for coming." I told them both and motioned for them to follow me upstairs.

"How is she?" Mary Alice asked quietly.

"Not good."

I walked into the bedroom with them following. I handed Isabella the fresh whiskey and remained standing. Mary Alice had no qualms about climbing into the bed and wrapping my girl up in a hug. Isabella placed her hands on Mary Alice's arms and cried quietly.

I glanced over at Carlisle and he nodded.

"I had Carlisle bring you something to help you relax." I told her as he opened his bag and looked through it.

"I thought that's what the whiskey is for?" Her voice was raspy from all of the crying.

"That's was short term. This is long term in the sense that you can take it for this week and not overload your liver."

She shrugged and Carlisle handed me the pill bottle.

"It's 10 mg Valiums.They will relax you some and help you sleep. Don't take more than one at a time and don't drink much with them. It will fuck you up."

"Carlisle!" his wife scoffed at him, "Couldn't you have said that more professionally? Jesus!" She said before crossing herself.

"What can I do?" Mary Alice asked her brushing her hair back.

"Watching Charly-" She sobbed as she spoke the name, as if it caused her physical pain, "for the night is more than enough. Thank you."

"I'm here for you. Don't ever forget it." She gave Isabella a soft kiss on the cheek and got out of the bed. She paused next to me on her way out, "I'm going to pack a bag for the baby. Take good care of her."

"Always."

"If there's nothing else." Carlisle held out his hands.

"Grazie." (Thank you) I shook my head and clapped him on the back. He disappeared out the door behind Mary Alice, and I sat down on the bed next to Isabella. I opened the bottle and held a small blue pill in the palm of my hand.

"This will help you rest." I held it out, and she stared at it for a moment before placing it on her tongue and chasing it with whiskey. She handed me her glass and fell back on the pillows.

"I feel so foolish." She whispered a short while later.

I wanted to ask her why, but gave her a few minutes to work out her thoughts. I wanted her to open up and tell me how she was feeling so I knew how to act appropriately.

"I can't believe I held out hope. I mean-" She sniveled, "Anthony chastised me for still believing my father was alive. He called me naive. He said I had no idea what kind of life I was getting into."

My anger for that dumb son of a bitch doubled.

"Even if I'd never met you, my parents still had a whole life I didn't know anything about!" She cried and sat up. She wiped her face and got out of the bed.

"Where are you going?" I stood up as soon as her feet hit the floor.

"I'm going for more whiskey." She said holding up the empty glass.

"You probably shouldn't drink much more." I reminded her as we made what seemed like the hundredth trip on the stairs.

She scoffed through her hiccups and went straight for the bar. I watched carefully as she filled the glass to the same halfway mark I had. She sipped it and stared at me. Her crying seemed to be coming and going in jags and now that her Valium was kicking in she seemed more calm in between.

She didn't say anything for a long time. Her eyes held no emotion as she stared at me. I remained in my spot in front of the bar watching her. I kept waiting for her to fall apart again or to ask questions or to become hysterical. Instead she sedately sipped her drink and studied me.

Sometime passed by before she finished her drink and sat the glass down. She finally broke away from our unusual staring contest and poured another drink, smaller this time. She gave a heavy sigh and pushed her hair out of her face again.

When she spoke her aggravated words caught me off guard.

"Do you have any fucking emotions?" She asked coldly.

Isabella's POV

"What the hell does that mean?" Edward asked.

"It means that people that we love, that are family, are dead. And you just don't act like you give a fuck at all."

Edward held his hands up and shook his head. "I'm not having this conversation with you. You're obviously lashing out because you're upset."

"NO!" I shouted at him and threw my glass down. "I'm lashing out because I've bent to your way our entire relationship and at the moment I have no fucking clue why!"

"Isabella," he stepped towards me, and I took a step back, not caring that shards of glass poked my feet. "You're incredibly upset and stressed right now. You're not thinking rationally."

"I'm not thinking rationally?" I scoffed at him. "Do you even care that my dad is dead? Or my mom? Either of my parents, really? What about your own brother?"

His eyes turned a shade darker, and he paused in his movements.

"This isn't even a conversation we should be having. Just let me take care of you. I've got you."

I held my hands out for him to stop when he resumed moving towards me again.

"Yes. It is. I've been so upset over every thing that's happened, and you show no emotion what so ever. Sometimes, I feel like you don't even care." My voice rose, and I didn't care. I didn't care if I hurt his feelings. At least he would show he felt something.

"Once of us has to keep a calm head. You obviously can't hold yourself together, even when I'm taking care of you ever minute of the day!"

"Well if I'm so difficult to take care of, maybe Charly and I should just go back to my house." I yelled at him and picked up another glass. Before I could pour a new drink, he'd crossed the gap between us in three long strides. He grabbed my arms and yanked me to him, causing me to drop the bottle of whiskey. My breath caught in my throat and the smell of liquor filled the air.

"You will not go anywhere. You will not take Charly anywhere. This is where you belong. Here. With. Me. This is your house. This is your home." His tone was even and cold, with an underlining threat in it.

"Let her go!" Esme cried out running into the living room. Time seemed to slow down as a new emotion came over me. Fear. Esme looked so upset, and she was pulling at her brother's arm. Edward didn't even look at her when he spoke.

"Stay out of this."

I watched his cold eyes, afraid of what he was going to do. I was pissed and upset and hurt, but the look on his face and his reaction to my empty threat made me afraid.

"What is wrong with you?" Esme shouted as she slapped at his arm. He kept his hold on me with one arm while he used the other to push her away. Aro appeared, out of what seemed like thin air to me, and stepped between Edward and his sister.

"Why don't we get out of here so you can cool off?"

Edward's stare seem to cut through Aro like a knife and focus only on me.

"Isabella and I aren't done talking."

"You can finish later. Let's go get a drink and blow off some steam."

"Please, Edward." Esme pleaded.

He looked back and forth between she and I with an array of emotions playing out only in his eyes.

He pushed Aro away and stomped out of the room not even looking at me. Aro shot me a worried look before kissing Esme quickly and leaving. I looked down at my bleeding feet and back up at her in shock.

"Let's get you cleaned up." Esme said softly and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. I let her lead me to a bathroom where she pulled a first aid kit from under the sink. I sat motionless as she tended to my wounds.

I couldn't fathom what had happened. Edward hadn't hit me, but he had been violent. I couldn't explain how it escaladed so quickly or even why really. The emotional roller coaster I was on was giving me whiplash, and for once, Edward didn't seem to offer me any kind of relief. The one person I relied on no matter what, I was now questioning if I should fear.

Rosalie's POV

I tilted my head and my hair brushed against my lower back. Jacob's hand moved up and tangled in my curls. Another moan escaped me as I grinded slowly against him. My stomach coiled up as I teetered on the edge once again. Jacob's head made a thunking noise as it hit the headboard.

He'd told me what it would be like when he made love to me and none of the words he used described it adequately. Sunlight was peeking under the curtains and my body was spent, but I couldn't stop going. One body shaking orgasm after another had drained me. Jacob must have sensed me tiring because he grabbed my hips once again and took charge.

The coiling in my stomach tightened, and I stared into his black eyes. The emotion held there was so overwhelming it felt like a restraint on my heart. I leaned into him, pressing my chest against his, and kissed him softly. He brought me up and against him over and over, and when I came undone I screamed his name. He grunted, biting my lip as he followed.

I collapsed on his chest. He traced random patterns down my back and placed soft kisses on my ears. I felt warm and safe and loved in his arms.

"Tsinehi." He spoke in a husky tone.

I sat up and looked at him.

"What does that mean?"

"How I feel about you." He smiled.

"Come ti piace quando parlo una lingua che non capisci?" (How do you like it when I speak in a language you don't understand?) I retorted.

"I've picked up a little Italian being around your bunch." he laughed.

"Whatever." I rolled my eyes.

"Whatever." Jacob mimicked in a ridiculous falsetto. "Let's get some rest."

"That's sounds like a good idea." I gave him a peck before sliding down next to him in the bed.

He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me close. I enjoyed the moment as I watched more sunlight filter through the curtains. After a few minutes, his breathing evened out, and I knew he was asleep. I rolled over and studied his face, trying my best to commit every little detail to memory. I sighed deeply and gave him a soft kiss before slipping out of the bed.

I tip toed quietly around the room collecting my clothes and slipping them on. I held my shoes in my hand and let myself out. I was almost to the front door when someone spoke.

"Hello pretty girl I don't know."

I turned around to find who I could only assume was Jacob's cousin; a tall russet skinned guy about Jacob's size leaning casually against the doorway.

"Um, hi." I gave him a small smile.

"Morning." He grinned, "I'm Paul."

"I'm ... I'm Rosalie." I answered standing up straight. Even if there was a good chance he'd heard us during the night, I wasn't going to be ashamed of myself.

"Ah, the perfect Rosalie Leone. I've heard wonderful things about you." His grin hitched up a notch.

"Likewise. It's a pleasure meeting you, but I really have to go."

"Yea, nice meeting you." He said still smiling and disappeared back through the living room.

I quickly let myself out and slipped my boots on sitting on the porch steps. I walked a little ways down the road and called a taxi as soon as I saw a road sign. Fifteen minutes later I was picked up and on my way to my house. I was acting on pure emotion and my emotions were at war with each other.

Love, anger, guilt, affection, confusion, relief.

I told the cab driver to wait for me and quickly made my way upstairs before anyone noticed I was home. I grabbed my packed bag and a wad of cash out of my nightstand before taking the steps two at a time. Once safely back in the cab I told the guy to drive.

I watched as my house faded from the giant mansion that it was to a tiny speck on the landscape before I turned back around. I wasn't sure where I was going, but it was somewhere far away.