There was a blizzard last night that continued through today. School was cancelled and it turned out to be quite the day.

Last night Bella went to Port Angeles with Angela to see a movie. Alice had seen the snow coming so I warned her in advance and she promised me she would drive very carefully but I still felt ill at ease the entire time she was away from Forks.

I was out hunting in the Olympic Park on foot when Alice called to say she'd had a vision of Bella by the roadside starting to walk through the snow. I called her and texted her when she didn't pick up. It seems her truck had broken down and Bella had just decided to start walking to find somewhere to call home as her cell had no reception. I was absolutely beside myself with worry.

Bolting into action, I raced across the park until I hit the route 101 from Port Angeles to Forks. It took me five minutes of frantic racing along the road to find Bella, she hadn't made it far from her truck. She was shivering badly and soaking wet from trudging through the snow.

She looked startled and then so relieved when I appeared before her. She leapt at me and threw herself into a tight hug around me, which was very stimulating and momentarily eclipsed my intense concern for her well-being. Of course I could do nothing to warm her and the snow was coming down in thick flurries as the blizzard set in for the evening.

I explained about Alice and that I had been on foot, so I was unable to drive her home. I asked Bella if she would let me carry her so that I could run and get her to warmth quickly, she hesitated for a while and asked if we could just walk back to her truck and make a plan there.

I wanted to carry her to the truck, but Bella would not allow it sadly. Perhaps she was concerned about how cold I would be. My body temperature must have been like ice to her. I do so wish I were warm for her, she might not find me quite so repulsive to touch if I were. As it is I'm sure I must feel quite revolting to her.

After a few torturous minutes of watching Bella struggle in freezing wet clothes through the snow back to the truck she managed to clamber inside. I don't think it was much warmer inside the truck than out, and the engine wouldn't turn over, so there was no heat, but she was out of the wind at least. I took a quick look at the engine and could immediately see the radiator had cracked in the cold weather and the truck wasn't going anywhere.

I climbed back in the cab and broke the news to Bella, she groaned at the news that there was no way to fix the truck at the side of the road as she'd hoped. She was shaking a lot so I was seriously worried about how cold she was, far more than the inevitable demise of her awful truck. I knew all too well from life in Alaska and medical school how much danger of hypothermia she was in, soaking wet in sub zero temperatures.

I urged her to let me carry her somewhere warm and make sure she was safe and she peered out of the windows, scanning the deserted road and chewing on her lip. She must have realised I wasn't being melodramatic upon seeing no traffic passing and the snow piling up fast, as she finally nodded and met my eyes.

"So now what?"

"Let me take you to my house, I'll get Carlisle to check you out and make sure you're ok from the cold, then drive you back. I'll send Emmett out with the Jeep to tow the truck with Rose back to our place as soon as it's safe, I promise."

"This is going to hurt isn't it?"

"I'm afraid it will, it's going to be really, painfully cold, but I am faster than anyone I know, I'll go as fast as I can, ok?"

"Won't that make it worse?"

"Well, marginally, but your temperature will drop less overall, as you'll get home faster."

"Right, yeah. Of course. Fuck." She looked so lost and kept glancing back to the road. Her wrist was still in plaster and she couldn't even cover it properly with her coat, which was far too thin for the sudden cold weather.

"Thank you, Edward. I'm sorry."

"I'm glad I was close, I'm sorry I can't fix the truck. If you wouldn't freeze, I'd push you home, but it would take a dangerously long time, as I'd have to go at human speed in case we were seen. I want to get moving soon, as soon as you're ready. Let's get this over with and get you warm, ok?"

She looked around again, sighed and nodded resolutely.

"Put your backpack on your front and wrap up as much as possible. Have you got gloves?"

"Yeah, they're wet though, from lifting the hood. I can only wear one anyway."

"Put them both on your good hand." I helped her stretch her glove over the other one and hoped it wouldn't freeze too badly, then took off my shoes and handed her my socks. My shoes were laced up again before she realised what she was holding and glanced at me "Look, I'm really sorry about this, but I don't have any gloves with me and we need to make sure your fingers don't get damaged in the cold."

"But…" She was staring at my bare ankles and frowning.

" I don't get cold, it's fine. I don't sweat either, so the socks, well, they're not too gross I hope. Sorry Bella."

"It's ok, thank you." She held out her plaster cast. I stretched my socks over it, covering her hand, folding them to get as much coverage as possible on her fingers. They looked woefully inadequate for what she was going to face. I wish I'd had a coat, but I'd been hunting and was not anticipating seeing anyone. I was just wearing a shirt and jeans myself.

"Curl up as much as you can, and keep your head down, so you won't be hit quite so hard by the wind."

"How long is this going to take?"

"Less than 9 minutes. I will get there as fast as I can, but we need to go now. I'll have you there in less than 9 minutes, so count down from 540 seconds, just focus really hard on that and try to hang on, I won't drop you or stop no matter what, ok?"

"Fuck, I don't want to do this. Let's do it."

I grabbed the keys and went to the driver's side, taking Bella in my arms and encouraging her to curl up again. I locked the truck and raced off, trying to run faster than I ever remember running before. Of course carrying Bella meant I had to be more careful of obstacles than I typically would. I was glad it was dark and I could run alongside the road most of the way, where it was clear. Of course that made the wind worse though.

I spent the entire run listening to Bella's heartbeat, her shaky breaths and her chattering teeth. It was about 5 below freezing, Bella was in wet clothes and was cold before I found her. I could feel her clothes stiffen with ice crystals within the first three minutes. With the wind chill she only had about ten minutes before she risked frostbite, hypothermia, or both. Her shivering had stopped by the time we neared Forks, and she was slackening in my arms, which was a dangerous sign.

Finally I took off through the trees to my house and could see the lights creeping closer. I shouted ahead and Esme rushed out with arms full of blankets. We dashed inside and set Bella in front of the fire, Esme ran a bath and made tea while I set to peeling off Bella's wet boots, hat, coat and gloves.

Bella was drowsy when I left her with Esme in the bathroom, bundled up in blankets and shaking, she looked far, far too pale.

While Esme was in the bathroom I lingered outside, hearing Bella struggling with her and telling her to get off. She was scared and irrational, which was to be expected given she seemed to have moderate hypothermia. Esme managed to get her into the tub, but I left and Esme shielded her thoughts as it was not right for me to see Bella in a state of undress like that.

I busied myself turning up all the heaters in the house and preparing some of my warmest clothes for Bella. Alice and Jasper rushed into the house just moments after Bella had been wrestled into the tub.

Emmett and Rosalie were off out somewhere in her car, leaving the Jeep, which Jasper took off in to haul back Bella's truck. Alice called to made an excuse to Charlie about Bella coming over after the movie and her truck breaking down here, saying the snow was so bad they wanted to stay at my house rather than head back out. Charlie thankfully agreed without protest.

I finally managed to get hold of Carlisle who said he was stuck at the hospice along with a big traffic accident's victims, but that he'd return as soon as possible. He advised me medically and confirmed what I already knew about how to treat Bella- warm her up, give her fluids and sugar, let her rest and closely monitor her.

Once I'd prepared everything I could for Bella I was left pacing the front room with Alice.

"She's going to be fine. I can see it."

"Are you sure? I can't lose her Alice. I can't."

"Edward, look for yourself."

Alice scanned through multiple visions of the future, and Bella was whole and well in all of them. We did not know when they would be, her plaster cast was off, but besides that I could see no marker of the time frame for her recovery.

I saw Bella and I walking in the woods, myself watching her through an empty classroom window, Bella and I in her kitchen cooking something, Bella and I dancing in her bedroom. Bella holding my hand.

"See? I told you so."

"But… I don't understand Alice. What was all that? Why am I so…. so happy?"

"I don't know, but I'd guess good things are coming."

Not only did Bella look perfectly healthy in these visions, she looked happy. I looked happy. Happier than I ever recall being. And not just in one vision. In all of them. I looked overjoyed.

I frowned, confused and looked at Alice searchingly. She shrugged and smiled. "Come on, they're nearly done in the bathroom. Let's get some soup ready for Bella."

We managed to find some soup, though I had no idea how to open it, so ended up ripping the can so it would crack like an egg. Alice took charge of the heating, which I was grateful for. I really should learn how to feed Bella properly. Food totally perplexes me.

Sorting through all the never before used plates and bowls, pans and cutlery kept me occupied until Esme emerged, soaking wet from head to toe, from the bathroom, carrying Bella, who was wrapped up in a towel and wearing my clothes.

I took Bella from her and settled her upstairs in bed. She was conscious but very groggy. I helped her drink some tea and Alice brought the soup up and chatted while I tried to get Bella to drink some. She grumbled about us fussing and promptly fell into a deep sleep. Alice wanted to dry her hair, which seemed like a good idea, but noisy, so we opted for towels and keeping the heat turned up so that she could rest.

Carlisle came back shortly thereafter, checking on Bella and assuring me we'd caught it in time. He said Bella would be fine and that she'd just feel tired and weak for a few days. Her cast had gotten soaked in the bath and was due to come off in a few days anyway, so he ripped it off and said he would put her wrist in a brace once she woke up. He set out some painkillers in case her head hurt and checked her over while I fidgeted anxiously outside my bedroom door.

Rose and Emmett turned up around midnight and Jasper returned shortly afterwards, having towed the truck back slowly along the icy highway.

Rose said she'd take a look at the radiator and see if she could do anything and set to work in the garage with Em. I think she wanted to be out of the house as much as anything. Bella makes her uncomfortable and I know she still feels ashamed that she was the one who caused Bella to find out conclusively what we all are.

Regardless, I'm grateful to her for helping with the truck. I'd rather it went to the scrap yard where it belongs, but I know Bella wouldn't hear of it.

I'm sitting with Bella beside me now. She's still sleeping, but has some of her colour back and is wrapped up in a great many blankets. I need to wake her up and get her to drink soon as I know she hates IVs so I'll try to help her avoid that.

This whole experience was one of the most terrifying of my entire existence. Loving Bella means part of my heart is out in the world and so, so vulnerable. I am not used to feeling so fallible and weak. I cannot exist without her. I have to keep her safe, but today shows there are so many factors I can't control. I do not know how to deal with it at all.

Anything could happen to Bella when I am not with her. But I cannot be with her all the time as I would like. She doesn't want that and her father would not allow it.

My mind is swimming with what ifs. My entire world could be destroyed at any moment and I would be powerless to prevent so many of the awful possibilities she is vulnerable to. If Alice had not seen it, or had seen it just minutes later, or if it had been just a little colder, if her truck had skidded and crashed, if I had been further away, if I had been slower, or out of cell reception, or if someone awful had passed by, stopped and preyed on her…

My whole heart beating, outside my chest, so defenceless and prone. I am totally powerless in the face of circumstances like today. It was luck, not judgement that allowed the present outcome, and it is terrifying. If I can't even keep her safe, if I can't even make sure those smiling visions are safely assured to come to pass- then what kind of use am I?

I'm sitting here, looking at Bella's wrist, healed now, and seeing the subtle change written in it and across her features. Every day she is a wonder, the same enduring beauty and yet somehow new, every day a little different. Her hair a little longer, her hips a little fuller and her height a tiny fraction taller. Bella is an ever changing wonder of fragility. Always growing. And what am I? Frozen, never evolving, inflexible and static. I shall do whatever I can to be with her, to keep her safe, it's all I can do. Until she outgrows me.

A/N: Reviewers get wrapped up in blankets by Edward.

Thanks a million to my wonderful betas itsthatkindofanight and wh1teow1. Please show some love and read Moirai, a reimagining of Twilight for the new decade!