Hold on, to me as we go
As we roll down this unfamiliar road
And although this wave is stringing us along
Just know you're not alone
'Cause I'm gonna make this place your home

Bella is headed home.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Big thanks to ConIyah for reminding me that the only thing stopping me from turning my dreams into reality is me and my dysfunctional executives. I did NOT proofread this because I was afraid I would also procrastinate that for three business months. Please forgive any mistakes. I'll post the next chapter, which is THE EPILOGUE, as soon as I finish typing it up.

The world was white when I opened my eyes.

Am I dead?

No, that wasn't right. I was in the hospital. I remembered now. I could feel someone holding my hand. Snippets from a conversation with Carlisle swam through my head. Is he still here? How long has it been since I closed my eyes?

I rolled my head to the side, but a gentle hand caught my chin. Pain flared through my neck.

"Careful," Edward murmured softly beside me. "I can't lose you again."

His face floated into view. I couldn't breathe. "Are you really here?" I whispered, staring up at him.

He lifted my fingers to his mouth and dropped a kiss. "Yes."

I felt a tear slide down my cheek. He wiped it away gently with his thumb, looking anxious.

"You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," I breathed. "Like an angel, or maybe a young god."

He stroked my cheek again, a smile growing across his face. "I am beatified by my love for you."

Something in my chest relaxed. He's really alive. He's really here. I could feel my own smile, so wide that my cheeks ached. But my head was still a little foggy—from painkillers, I assumed—and I couldn't think of a response. "… no, you."

He laughed quietly against my knuckles. "You are certainly beautiful."

I leaned into him. "I love you," I whispered. "And... thank you. I mean. You saved me."

He looked bashful. "Carlisle saved you, really. I was just there."

"No," I disagreed. The memory of his mouth against my neck was still fresh in my mind. "You saved me. That's twice now."

His mouth set. "I will never let anything hurt you," he promised fiercely. "It will never happen again."

I smiled up at him. "I know."

"Besides," he said, with the hint of a smirk, "you just about saved yourself. That impromptu blowtorch you dreamed up did a lot of damage."

I felt my face heating up. "I… just wanted to do something," I said. "Anything other than just letting him kill me." Or worse. If Edward hadn't seen the evil in his mind, I didn't feel the need to fill him in on it.

Someone cleared their throat. I tore my eyes away from Edward to see Charlie, standing in the doorway, scowling at Edward.

I stared at my father, remembering how suspicious he had been. Visions of what he might say flashed through my mind. "What were you thinking?" "Stay away from my daughter." "You're under arrest."

Okay, the last one was a stretch.

Edward was staring too, looking a little like a deer in the headlights.

"Young man," Charlie finally said, drawing the words out menacingly, "I thought I told you not to let her break a leg."

Relief shot through me like a drug. I started hysterically giggling, then moaned as my neck started hurting. Edward's grip on my fingers relaxed. My father's moustache twitched and then he was chuckling too.

Carlisle breezed hastily into the room behind Charlie, his long white coat whisking behind him. "Ah, I see you're awake!" He laid a hand familiarly on Edward's shoulder in passing. "How do you feel?"

How did I feel? I took a minute to catalog my body while I tried to get my breath back. My neck throbbed, as much from the laughter as anything else. My leg hurt, too. I was used to the dull ache of a sprained ankle but this was different. I tried not to think about James' fist slamming into me, pinning me to the ground. His face inches from mine, so close I could smell the venom on his breath.

"Bells?" Charlie was suddenly by my side, one hand hovering protectively over my shoulder. "You okay?"

I tried to force a smile onto my face. "Yeah. Just… sore."

He grimaced sympathetically. "You must be black and blue all over."

I made an agreeable noise. I probably was. I definitely would be, if I'd been in a landslide. But to tell the truth, I seemed to be in better shape than I really would have expected. I didn't feel nearly as banged up as I probably was. I couldn't even tell where I'd bitten my tongue as James hit me in the parking lot. Even my ankle seemed to have cleared up, despite hurting every step of the way through the gas station.

Whatever painkillers I'm on must be really good.

Carlisle tsked. "You will be for a little while, I'm afraid."

"How long?" I asked, trying not to whine. I'm lucky to be alive at all, reminded myself.

"Well," the doctor said brightly, "you're very lucky. None of your injuries were as bad as they appeared at the scene. Your leg didn't need surgery, so we're looking at just a few months! Your neck will be even quicker—stitches out next week, probably mostly healed by the week after. You're very lucky," he repeated, and I didn't think it was only for Charlie's benefit.

"When can she be discharged, doc?" There was something almost strained about Charlie's tone. I fought down panic. Does he suspect something? I tried to look extremely normal, then realized that I had no idea was normal was even supposed to be in this situation.

Carlisle leveled a shrewd glance at him. To my surprise, my father almost seemed to step back.

"If," the doctor said, "you think she can be very good about not putting any weight on that leg, and if you'll be around to keep an eye on her, I think we could send her home by the end of the day."

I perked right up at that, looking hopefully up at Charlie. I could tell he was mulling it over. "Please?"

"Well," my father said slowly, "I might not be around too much for a few days. There's still a lot going on, what with all the kerfuffle down south. But I'm sure there are enough folks to keep an eye on Bella until that settles down." He glanced consideringly at Edward. "Maybe your son here could help out around the place."

Edward was suddenly sitting ramrod straight next to me. "Yes sir," he replied.

I felt myself breaking out into a smile. Home.

Carlisle was smiling too. "That sounds like a plan to me," he said approvingly. "I'll just go and find the nurse and we'll see about getting you out of here."

"Home," I sighed, still beaming.

Edward squeezed my fingers. "Home," he agreed softly.

"As long as you're there with me," I whispered, looking up at him.

"Right," Charlie said loudly, clearly pretending he hadn't heard that last bit, "let's get you back where you belong."