Disclaimer- Screw Santa, I'm asking Stephanie for Midnight Sun for Christmas!!

He was in agony. The sickly sweet smell of carnations, the attendant's dressed in black. The body in the coffin. The irony, he was the Vampire, and she was the one sleeping in the coffin. No, not sleeping. Dead. She was dead, and the body wasn't wrinkled, as it should have been, is was young, fresh, a full life should have been in front of her, decisions cut short, memories never made. Charlie was standing beside the long dark casket, the red rimmed eyes just barely holding in the desolation of grief. His cool white hands clenched into his palms, the iron nails digging into the stony flesh.

The service had been short, Bella couldn't be summed into words, and he had been thankful that the minister hadn't tried. He was on the outskirts, under the tall willow, hiding. Hiding from the serene face of his wretched family, playing alone with the ruse, the mournful faces of her own family, Renee smacking Charlie and a "You should have taken better care of her!" It was his fault. What he wouldn't give to go back and change it. "Ashes to ashes, Dust to Dust." The final words sealed it. Her, gone. Forever.

Forever alone. It looked worst that it would ever seem. Go back and change it then. He heard a mind from the crowd.

He stood up and a growl was burning in his chest. Looking around, there was only one pair of eyes watching him as the casket was being lowered to the ground. The brilliant emerald green eyes bore into him, her angular face was familiar, but not one his large mind would let him access.

Turning to leave, his arms clenched, barely holding the excruciating pain in his thought's were leading him to Italy. Why when you can save her. the same soothing voice came again. He was a few metre's in the forest when he started running. The voice had been too calm, cool, and tempting. But he could have change what had happened, he could have stopped the other driver, he could have thrown himself over her, to protect her where the rusted truck hadn't been able to. He could have done all that. If he had listened and stayed. If he had been second quicker, faster.

Stop and let me explain. The voice was louder, closer. Stopping briefly, he felt the rustle of air, breathing in, he could taste the faint lavender smell. The memory was pushing at his mind, and yet he could not access it.

"Edward. I know you are in pain. But hear me." He turned around and the same green eyes pierced him. The face so close, the voice so clear, and those eyes. They had been his eyes, before his transformation. His mother's eyes.

"Your- Your not real. My mind, it-"

"Believe what you want my son, but the occurrence has been altered, and you need to fix it."

"The- the what?" The vast space his mind allowed could not wrap around the fact his mother was standing before him, smiling, her dark thick hair pinned back with silver clips. The soft oyster dress she had always worn sent stabs of recollection at him.

"The occurrence, the timeline was tangled somehow and I've been sent to help you repair it."

"But, your- you're my-" "You mother, yes son." For the first time, her face stretched into a smile. Her face was beautiful, but softly enhanced by the lines that crinkled only now when her face was stretched into a large grin.

"Edward. My beautiful boy." her arms wrapped around him, and he flinched. Suddenly having a millions things to say to her, as well the fear of her being appalled by his cold skin, he was a vampire, what mother wanted that?

"Oh Edward." Her warm touch was much like Bella's, but her scent didn't burn like most humans, she smelled like. Well, like a vampire. Like death.

"Mother, I'm a-.. a"

"A vampire?"

"You know?"

"Of course? You didn't think I wasn't watching. I was worried those few years, but I was so proud of you when you came back to Carlisle. You were always an outsider, at the parties, and the Opera when we would take you as a boy. I always knew you were destined for great things. Bella was always going to be the one for you. My beautiful, beautiful son. Now we haven't much time." She grabbed his hand and gently pulled. The earth shook beneath his feet and the feeling of spinning hit him like a brick wall. The sensations he hadn't felt since being human knocked him back and stung him momentarily.

"You have ten minutes to intercept her, don't be seen otherwise. As soon as I leave you will forget. You have to fix it, the entire race of unknowns depend on it."

"How? Why Bella?"

"I can't tell you. But know I love you my Edward. My son. I'm so proud of you."

"Mother-"

"Go Edward." His need for staying with his mother paled when he heard the rusty truck door slam. They were in the woods behind her house. How was it he hadn't recognized it. Running faster than he ever had, he made it to her laneway seconds before the old truck pulled into traffic.

"Bella!" Go son, faster! He reached out, thankful for the dark and pulled the truck back, fighting against the strong engine.

"Let me go Edward!" Bella was out and on the other side yelling. He remembered this fight. She wanted him to change her, to accept her. She thought he didn't love her.

He regretted it, it had torn his chest when he had arrived seconds too late to save her. The pain on his face washed over him remembering holding her body as she died. The pain ripping through his chest like the pain of a million knives stabbing him.

"Bella, I love you." He bellowed, the pain still evident on his face. She paused for a second, and he gliding around to stand in front of her.

"I'm sorry, I'm so ridiculously sorry." He tried to remember why he was apologising. The memory of the crash fading. No, he pushed to hold on to the vision of his mother, the memory, but it was sliding away. I love you son, I'm so proud, love her. She is your. Forever. Don't let her leave!!

The fight was fresh. There, the anger flashing crimson. But he remembered, for some reason, he couldn't let her leave, he had to keep her here. He picked up her hands and pulled her into his chest.

"I can't Bella, I'm sorry." she stiffened slightly, still angry. Pushing on his chest, her face was tilted so she could see his eyes.

"Edward, I want you. Forever. I can't imagine a future without you. Just because I don't want to marry you has nothing to do with my not loving you." He vaguely remembered this argument, he accused her of wanting immortality more than him. A wave of guilt washed through him. "I don't want forever without you. I want to be your partner, your equal. You say marriage. I say equals." her tiger-kitten fury was becoming irritating.

"Marriage is about being equals. Why don't you see that Bella!"

"No, it's about you wanting to stall, you pushing me away, like you always do!" She pushed back on him, but he did not release her. Don't let her leave. The words from a stranger's voice, and a distant memory warned him.

"Bella, don't leave. Please."

"You obviously don't want me with you, and since you want to stay.." The acidic anger that dripped from her voice was painful. He deserved it, but he couldn't let her go.

"Bella. Please. Let me take you to Alice." The idea crossed his mind.

"I'll go myself." She slipped out under his arms and was already heading to the truck. Don't let her leave. Don't let her leave. Don't let her leave. The words flashed.

"No. Bella, let me drive, Please." He begged. Not knowing why. The words bugged his conscious, there was a pain behind those words that he didn't understand, but had felt before. Just once And that was all it took. The pain of loss of her.

"Bella." She started the engine and he jumped over and slid into the passenger seat. Something was wrong. She was sitting there, tears pouring down her face.

"Bella please. Listen to me. I'm sorry, so sorry. But please don't leave. I-" His voice stuttered and she looked to his shattered face, "I need you. Here." His cold hand picked up hers and he kissed the knuckle.

"Please Bella." She was human, so very human. Frail, beautiful, fragile, loving. All the things that made her human. "Don't hate me." Her eyes flashed to his face and a hint of a smile tugged at the corners of her lips. "Haven't you learned by now Edward. The way I feel about you will never be breached. No fight we have, no distance, not time. I will always love you."

"As I love you." He pulled her onto his lap, her back leaning against the door. Hugging her almost too tight to his chest. She reached up and dragged her lips down his jaw.

"I'm sorry for what I said Edward. I- I was angry."

"I know. It's human. And for what it's worth, I was angry too." He smiled down at her. "Come on, you want to see Alice? I take you." The stepped out of the truck and Bella jumped up on his back.

"Giddy up?" she giggled.

"That's pathetic." he chucked in return. They made it to the big white house in a few minutes, Alice already outside.

"Thank god." She pulled Bella into a tight hug. She's safe, it didn't happen, thank the lucky stars.

"Alice, what was it you saw." Edward's anxious voice strained. Alice's eyes came just over Bella's shoulder connected with his.

"She left, got in the truck-" The image playing out as Alice narrated for Bella,

"And some drunk driver t-bone the truck. It was horrible. She would have-" The pain he had felt earlier flashed and was gone.

"I'm fine Alice, we just had a fight. It's over."

"Yes," Edward's eye was caught by a flash of grey and brown but it disappeared quickly. "She'll be fine." Bella pulled away from Alice and Edward tighten his grip on her waist. You did it son, she's safe. Forever.