Even though she was more exhausted than she'd ever been, Izzy found herself unable to sleep. She spent most of the night listening to the ever-present buzz of hospital activity and worrying. She thought about her friends, the dogs, and the songs she was supposed to be writing for the next album release. She wondered what happened to the load of laundry she left abandoned in the washer and how she was going to explain her predicament to her professors. Most of all, She worried about the man softly snoring next to her.

The nurse who came in to check Edward's vitals explained the full extent of his injuries. In addition to an incorrectly healed tibia fracture and multiple broken bones in his face, Edward had also suffered several deep lacerations and gunshots to the left knee and back. He'd need surgery on both legs and possibly his nose. If that wasn't bad enough, he was also severely malnourished. The doctors worried his body's weakened state would slow down an already lengthy healing process. Edward would be lucky to see the outside of a hospital anytime before Christmas.

. "No," Edward moaned, his face twisted in pain. "Stop."

"Shhh," Izzy said, rubbing his arm. "You're okay. It's just a dream."

While Edward's physical body was safe in the hospital, his mind was still stuck reliving the past. He'd been talking in his sleep and having horrific nightmares. Sometimes, he cried for his brothers. Other times, he screamed like he was being tortured. Izzy wished more than anything that she could make it stop. Edward had enough pain to deal with during the day. The last thing he needed was to have his dreams plagued by nightmares.

"No...Marcus" He cried. "Make it stop!"

Izzy had no idea who Marcus was, but she was certain he'd done something awful to Edward.

"Please," Edward begged. "Make it stop."

Izzy shook Edward's arm. "Wake up, you're dreaming."

Edward opened his eyes and looked around the room. He stopped whimpering and snuggled into Izzy's neck. In less than a minute, he went back to snoring.

Izzy watched Edward sleep peacefully for the next hour. She wasn't naive enough to think the nightmares were over. After her father and the Cullen brothers died, Izzy started having nightmares. Night after night, she woke up screaming from visions of her father gasping for breath and a bloody Edward showing up at the foot of her bed. Sleep deprivation made it hard for her to tell what was real and what was her mind playing tricks on her. Izzy had over five years of healing under her belt and the occasional nightmare still slipped through. After everything he'd been thought, Edward would probably never get a good night's rest again.

Izzy knew spending the night rubbing Edward's arm wasn't a good long-term solution. She had shows to plan, classes to attend, and dogs to care for. There was no telling how much longer Edward would need to stay in the hospital. She could stay for another week max. Any longer than that would be putting too much of a strain on those she'd left behind. Izzy watched Edward's chest rise and fall. Would she be able to leave him when the time came? Would he be able to make do without her?

Izzy started to grow restless as the hours dragged on. If she were back home, her day would have started hours ago. She'd be dishing out mountains of kibble, planning future gigs, and doing the other million tasks required to keep things from devolving into chaos. In Alaska, there was nothing productive for her to do. She couldn't convince Jasper it was safe to come out from under the bed. She couldn't make losing a spouse any easier for Emmett to bear. She couldn't heal Edward's broken body. All she could do was wait and hope the Cullen brothers were strong enough to survive.

By sunrise, Izzy couldn't take it anymore. The lumpy mattress was hurting her back and the beeping of the heart rate monitor was slowly driving her insane. Worst of all, she really needed to use the bathroom. Izzy didn't want to leave Edward, but she didn't have a choice. Being mindful of his IV lines and bandages, she carefully wiggled out of Edward's grasp and tip-toed out of the room.

Izzy's phone rang while she was washing her hands. She wouldn't have thought twice about letting it go to voicemail had it been anyone else. Jake had never been the clingy type. It wasn't like him to call five times without a good reason.

Fearing some sort of emergency, Izzy hit accept call. "Jake? What's wrong? Is everyone okay?"

"I'm fine," Jake replied. It's you we're worried about. I've been trying to call you all night."

Jake didn't sound angry, just concerned and a little tired.

"Told you she didn't join a cult," Paul shouted in the background. "You stayed up all night worrying for no reason!"

Jake was the best friend Izzy could ever ask for. He was kind, brave, and funny. He was the type of guy to get up early to surprise her with Dunkin Donuts. In contrast, Izzy hadn't even thought to let him know she'd arrived safely in Alaska. She didn't deserve a guy like him.

Izzy added Jake to the list of people she'd let down over the last day. "I'm sorry I haven't been answering. Things have been a little...intense here."

"Are you okay?" Jake asked.

Izzy looked in the mirror. She didn't look okay. Her hair was a mess and her eyes were bloodshot and baggy. If she wasn't careful, one of the doctors might mistake her for a patient.

"Are you okay?" Jake repeated. "What's going on?"

"It's them. They're here."

"Who? Did TMZ follow you again?"

Izzy wished a gossip website was the worst of her worries. "Not them. Them. Edward, Jasper, and Emmett. They're alive."

Jake laughed. "Who else in there, Frankenstein and the wolfman?"

Izzy tried to keep her temper in check. Twenty-four hours ago, she'd been just as skeptical as Jake. The Earth revolves around the sun and Edward was dead. She could wish on every star in the night sky but those facts would never change. Jake had no reason to believe Edward coming back to life was any more likely than La Push being invaded by werewolves.

"I'm not joking," Izzy said. "Edward, Emmett, and Jasper are alive."

Jake went silent. Izzy heard him walk into another room and shut the door.

"How is that even possible?" Jake asked. "Are you sure they're not imposters? People will do anything for money."

Izzy leaned against the sink. "I'm sure. They were kidnapped by the Denali cult."

"Are they...okay?"

"Not exactly."

Jake stayed quiet while Izzy listed off all the reasons why they weren't okay. She left out the part about the fang marks. Knowing Jake, he'd head straight to the airport if he thought the Cullens had developed a taste for blood.

"Does this change things?" Jake asked when Izzy was finished.

Edward's death changed the entire course of Izzy's life. She went from mild-mannered bride to be to a purple-haired motorcycle rider with a passion for music and animal rescue. Edward coming back had the potential to turn her life upside a second time. As for the type of change Jake was referring to, Izzy didn't have an answer. Both her and Edward were different people than the teenagers who'd fallen in love all those years ago.

Esme pounded on the bathroom door. "Bella? Are you in there? You need to come back to Edward's room, now!"

Izzy's mind went to the worst-case scenario. She should never have left Edward alone.

"I have to go," Izzy said to Jake. " I'll call you back later. There's something wrong with Edward!"