AN: Original Beta: SpinningBlack

Greatly revised without Beta. "Mild" changes in comparison to the future chapters. Still, added quite a bit of content and revised it. Took a lot of effort, but so worth it!

Edited on: 12-27-2023

Jake's POV

"Bella!" He screamed, jumping into the waves after the drowning girl. Woman.

Where is she? I can't see her anywhere!

His heart pounded hard in his chest. Images of her broken body flashed through his mind; limbs tangled in seaweed. Lifeless eyes staring right at him.

Accusing me for not being too slow; too weak–

Jake's head hit the surface with a big splash. Ice cold water instantly shocked him into the present. His trousers clinging to his legs, weighting him down.

I have to find her. I need to ensure the images remain fragments of my imagination. Anything else is unacceptable.

Resurfacing, he took in big gulps of air. Wind whipping his long hair into his face, he scanned the waves for her familiar brown locks. Squinting against the blinding sun, his gaze darted around.

Maybe she is already…

Shaking his head, he refocused.

She has to be here somewhere.

Nothing on the left. Nothing on the right.

No familiar brown doe eyes, no face glowing with innocence, no–

Turning, he tried to see where she could have landed-

Oh! Was that…? Yeah…a flash of brown! She's floating in the water near the rocks.

Relief flooded him, followed closely by shock.

Why is the water around her…red-? Blood!

Her head was beneath the surface.

Panting heavily, he propelled himself through the water, desperation urging him closer to her.

Be alive. Please be alive.

Closing the last metres between them, he grasped for her hand and quickly dragged her to his chest.

Pulse, pulse, where does one feel the pulse again?

Carefully tilting her chin upward above the surface, he desperately tried to remember his first aid class from school.

What did the teacher tell them? Why did he not listen?

Swiftly swimming towards the beach, he moved her unresponding form along. A shiver ran through him as he realised how limp she was in his hold.

"Bella?" He asked tentatively; hopeful. No reaction.

"Bella!" Jake repeated louder, squeezing her slightly. A bit of water dripped from her mouth.

"Bella?!"

Holding her closer, he swam as fast as possible. Making sure to keep her head up all the time.

She is so cold. So awfully, terrifyingly frigid.

"Come on…" Pant "You have lost too much already. Don't let them take your life too!"

The beach was close now.

"Nearly there, Bella…Nearly there…"

Am I consoling her or myself? Stupid leeches messed everything up!

Using the anger as fuel, his feet finally touched solid ground. Pulling Bella into a princess-carry, he strode away from the sea. Once at a safe distance, he lay her gently down.

"So…" Pant. "First aid…" He fell to his knees beside her. "No reaction to being spoken to…or touched…Next…checking for breathing..."

Putting one trembling hand on her chest and the other beneath her nose, he waited to feel movement or her breathing. Nothing.

"No breathing. Ok. That is bad. Now….now I need to-to put weight on her chest? What was the rhythm again?" Ruffling a hand through his, hair he cursed. "Dang it, Bella!"

Closing his eyes, he slowly exhaled.

"Doing nothing is worse than doing it wrong. The teacher emphasised that. So…"

Normally he would feel embarrassed for having to talk himself through a situation. Aloud too, but….no time for that.

Hyperventilating myself won't help her. Calm. In. Out. In….

Swiftly he tugged her chin up to overstretch her neck. Placing his lips on hers. Holding her nose closed, he breathed into her mouth.

Hopefully that will help get rid of the water….

Pressing his hands against her chest, he pushed down.

"1, 2, 3, 4,..." Switching over to breathing in her mouth again.

"No reaction…" He placed his hands back on her sternum.

"1, 2, 3, 4,..."

"Back to her mouth ... .come on, Bella…"This time when he pulled back, he heard a weak heart beat.

"Oh thank goodness!"

Putting his lips to hers for the last time, he watched in satisfaction as she moved her head away on her own. Coughing up water voilently.

She is breathing! Bella is alive!

Rolling her onto her side, he slapped her back, his heart racing with anxiety. His intention to aid her breathing backfired as the coughing intensified.

Oops.

Watching the swiftly reddening skin, he gulped.

I saved her life that makes up for accidentally bruising her in the process right? Right!

Frowning, he shook his head.

Gotta get my priorities straight.

Bella's clothes clung to her, soaked through with a mix of sand and seawater. Her hair stuck to her face, shivers wracking her body. Glancing one last time over his shoulder at the sea, he sighed wearily.

Time to get her proper help.

With that thought he picked her up, striding away swiftly.

Bella's POV

When I wake up, I am alone. It's something my body is practically screaming at me. How I know that, however, is a complete mystery to me. Nothing new there.

I wake every morning with that very same instinctive knowledge. It was the same even when Edward was still there. Being completely honest with myself, his presence made me feel even worse..

Maybe that was why he left me? Because he knew that my mind is somehow flawed? That something was wrong? With me? With him?

At first I thought it was due to him being a vampire, but ….then I met his family. They gave me a feeling of being welcome. Decreasing my loneliness instead of causing it to sky-rocket like Edward's company sometimes did.

With a sigh, Bella shook off her thoughts and refocused on the reality before her.

Familiar white walls greeted her eyes. The scent of old furniture and books filled her nostrils. Beneath her fingertips was the soft texture of her favourite blanket; a gift from her mother to her 16. birthday.

My room…

Everything was like always. Except for the glass of water and the pill lying on her bedside table.

What is the pill for? Am I sick?

Focusing inward, she winced. Abruptly she became aware of the aches all over her body. She did not feel bad, she felt awful.

What happened?

Her throat burned like crazy and she couldn't remember a thing.

When did I go to bed? Did I even get here on my own? Did Charlie carry me?

Fragments of a memory teased her senses.

A voice? Did someone talk to me?

Clenching her fists, she blinked at a piercing pain in her palm.

"Ouch." She rasped. "Dang, that hurts." Looking down she saw that some of her nails were broken and her hand scratched up.

Also, why does my throat feel like I tried to gulp down a grater?

Grimacing in pain, she blinked unshed tears away.

Gah, everything hurts.

Noticing the clock out of the corner of the eyes, she slumped. Noon.

I still have some time before preparing dinner for Charlie. Good.

Now if she could simply remember what happened.

Someone had called my name. It was-

Suddenly her phone rang, loudly, causing her to half tumble out of her bed.

What the-? Since when is the volume of my phone at maximum?!

Cursing under her breath, she jumped to her feet before swiftly falling back down.

"Ow. Again."

Touching the tender spot on her head where she'd hit the headboard, Bella winced.

Just what I needed. As if I am not in a battered state already.

For a moment the room spun around her.

Why is the phone so far away? Dang it.

Needing to take multiple breaks, she stumbled her way over to the insistently ringing device. Her limbs were trembling with the strength it cost her to remain standing.

"Hello?" Trying and failing to keep her voice steady, she wheezedxf the word out.

The familiar voice that answers her nearly made her already unsteady legs give out under her. "Bella?!"

For a moment Bella's mind went blank before overloading with all the conflicting emotions bubbling up all at once. Her reply came out as a soft exhale, "Alice?"

Why is she calling me of all people? After what Edward did. None of them even said goodbye. They abandoned me.

"You are alive?! We thought you were dead after we saw you fall from that cliff!"

Cliff? Did I fall from a cliff? When? Why? Ugh, my head.

"Edward thought you were dead too! We tried to hide it from him, at least until we could have verified ourselves that that was not the case, but Rose didn't control herself and he read it in her thoughts. He went to Italy! Oh Bella, I am so sorry. I am so, so, sorry." She started to sob violently into the phone. "I couldn't stop him! I tried! Really, I did!"

That was what she was sorry for? That Edward went on vacation since he thought I was dead?

Her throat hurt, emotions causing it to constrict even more, but Bella managed to force a few words to pass her dry lips, "What …Italy? Why would he…?"

He hates me so much, he celebrates my death? Ouch.

Alice kept rambling on, but she ignored her.

Wait….Italy...there was something special about it. Something about a vampire coven? Their rulers? Carlisle had a picture…or a drawing… of them in his office I think….

A painting of three royal looking men – no, vampires – suddenly popped into her mind, though their faces were blurry.

But why would Edward want to…? And why would Alice tell me about it?

Absently she rubbed at an especially sore spot on her back.

Had she hit a rock or something? A strangely shaped one? The things one notices when in pain.

"Oh damn it…he doesn't want to expose himself, does he?!" She exclaimed with sudden realisation. Agony shot through her throat, but she ignored it.

Yes, I am furious at his treatment, but…going out in the sun in public that is suicide.

"You have to save him! You are the only one who can! Please Bella!"

"But how can I– "

Why should I-?

"Don't worry about that, I will be there in five minutes!"

"But– "

But what if I don't want to? I nearly died in the forest-

"Sorry, I have to hang up! See you in four minutes and thirty seconds!"

"Wai–" She tried to argue, the disconnect tone stopped her mid-word.

Rude.

"Damg! Alice!"

Staring at the phone with a half-confused half-angry look, she stumbled into the bathroom. She wanted to brush her teeth. Her whole mouth tasted like salt water for some reason.

If I have to do this, I want to feel as comfortable as possible.

Doing her best to ignore the weakness in her limbs and the soreness, well, everything, she sent one longing glance over towards her bedside table.

Maybe the pill was pain medication? If I take it quickly, perhaps I can look half-way presentable when Alice arrives. Or at least feel less like a failed zombie experiment….

Nodding to herself she brushed her teeth before hurriedly staggering back towards her room.

Just one step at a time. I can do it.

Finally reaching the pill, she swallowed it dry, nearly choking on it. Dry heaving she rubbed her throat.

Right. Forgot about the water.

Swallowing a few sips, she sighed in relief. Taking a swift moment to enjoy the lessened pain, she breathed in deeply. A mistake. Deep wet coughs rattled her body. A whole minute passed before she could regulate her breathing.

Looking down on herself, she frowned.

Why are my clothes clinging to me? Where is all the sand coming from?

Changing as quickly as her body would allow, she sighed.

My body aches in places I wasn't aware could hurt.

More than once she had to wait out a wave of pain after a wrong movement. As she undressed, she saw her upper-body in her mirror. There were bruises, scratches and cuts all over.

Turning around, she saw the biggest bruise on the middle of her back. It was suspiciously hand-shaped.

"What the-? No, no time for this. She is gonna barge in any minute now"

Taking out the first-aid kit from her nightstand, she disinfected and dressed her worst wounds. It was a testament to how accident-prone she was that she always had a fully stocked first-aid kit at home and was efficient in its use.

Only two minutes remaining. Alice is so…frustrating sometimes.

As Bella pushed her hair out of her face, she noticed two things. First and foremost there was a bandage on her head.

No time. Focus.

Secondly, her hair was a mess. Whoever put the bandage there obviously had done so in a rush.

If she had a head wound, why was she at home and not in the hospital? Why was Charlie still at work?

Untangling one knot after another by hand, she winced ever so often. Being fast and doing it painless were contradictions when it came to long hair like hers.

If Edward is already on his way to Italy, how are we supposed to catch up? Is he further away than us?

"One minute." She noted.

Carefully going through her hair with the brush, she tamed it at least somewhat before giving up.

No time.

Stepping towards the stairs, she listened carefully. Everything was quiet.

So, Charlie really is still at work then. Huh.

Clutching onto the railing, she wobbled downstairs intent on opening the front door for Alice. As soon as she entered the living room though, she was tackled to the ground. Alice hugged her so tightly, Bella was afraid she would break a rib.

"I missed you so much, Bella! I am so sorry that I left you! Please, forgive me!" The words are practically shouted in Bellas ear in-between hysterical sobbing into her shoulder.

But can I forgive her so easily?

"Alice, I missed you too, but I can't answer that right away. I need some time to think about it. Let's just…save Edward."

Gosh, that sentence made my throat feel like it was on fire. Pain meds had yet to kick in.

"Right, Edward! We have to save him and fast! If we go after him now, we can still stop him from exposing himself. But we don't have much time left, so we have to hurry."

"Okay. I'll just write Charlie a note."

"How are you so calm about this?"

Raising a brow, Bella frowned. "Calm? I am not calm at all."

Though for other reasons than you think. Everything hurts. My head- I- Focus!

Tearing off a piece of newspaper, she wrote a few words down for her dad. Telling him how she met Alice and decided to spend the weekend with her. To expect her back on Monday at the earliest.

He is going to be so mad. At least there is no school on monday, so nothing to miss.

Then again Charlie might just be euphoric that I am going out with friends again. Well, with anyone other than Jake that is. He has been very worried about me these last few months.

Biting her lip to keep on topic, she left the note on the kitchen counter. With a last look back, she let Alice help her up and out of the house. Locking the door behind her.

I hope I will really be back on Monday. Dang you Edward...