Disclaimer: I do not own The Twilight Saga or any of its affiliates.

Chapter 14:

Bella's Point Of View:

I never thought that I would be lying on my husband's ashes. I never thought he would die the worst possible death known to a vampire. I never thought I would be feet away from preventing it. But I could not. And I did not. And now, Edward was dead.

I stretched out my fingers in the ashes, his ashes. They engulfed my fingertips; they were still warm. I turned my hand over, holding the ashes. I stared at my palms, no feeling whatsoever in my soul. Suddenly, I felt a hand on my back.

"Bella, please stand up," Jasper whispered in my ear.

All I could do was shake my head. I let the ashes fall from my hands.

"Bella, please." He put his hand underneath my arm, pulling me up.

When I finally stood, I could not hold my weight. Nearly collapsing back to the ground, Jasper held me up with his hands. Then, I ended up in Jasper's arms as he carried me over to Alice and Emmett. Both Alice and Emmett stared at the ground. However, Alice looked to be in deep thought.

"This isn't possible," she muttered.

"It is possible," Emmett said, "Because we just saw our brother die right before our eyes." His voice was full of anger.

I tucked my face into Jasper's chest, unable to bear seeing one of the strongest men I knew break down in front of me.

"No, Emmett," Alice continued, "You don't understand. Something isn't right about this whole thing. Edward would have put up a fight."

I felt the vibrations in his chest as Jasper spoke, "He was drained. Who knows what Felix did to him? He had at least fifteen minutes, a half an hour with him. Felix is the strongest vampire in The Volturi; Edward didn't have a chance."

I sunk deeper into Jasper. I would have cried if I could have.

"Jasper, do you hear what you're saying?" Emmett voiced. "Bella doesn't need to hear that."

"Stop!" Alice yelled. "You two don't understand! Edward can't be dead!" I looked up, and for the first time, I saw the most terrible glare on Alice's face. She was completely serious.

Emmett snapped over to her. "Then if he didn't die, how do you explain what we just saw?"

"I think I'd know. I would have seen it before hand. But right now, I'm blind. I can't explain it. Everything I see is a blur."

"Maybe we need to go back to Forks. Regroup. Tell Carlisle, Rosalie, and Esme what happened. Maybe get their point of view. And once you get back to Forks, your vision might come back. You've been away from home for too long."

With lightning speed, Alice took out her phone and had it up to her ear. I could hear it ringing on the other line and a male voice answer. It was Carlisle.

"Hello, Carlisle. Something has happened in Volterra. We have Bella. We are coming back home as we speak." With that, Alice hung up, not even waiting for a response from Carlisle.

"We have no time to lose," Jasper said. "We must leave now."

"I'll get us a plane ride." Emmett took out his voice and started dialing numbers.

We walked out of the alley, staying in the shadows. I took one last look behind me, staring at the only thing left of Edward. Jasper held me as Alice walked beside us. Emmett held the lead. Alice grabbed onto my hand and whispered in my ear, "Everything will be okay. I promise."

I did not even remember getting on the plane. I did not remember the flight. I did not remember anything that Alice said to me in our seats. All I remember were the countless thoughts of Edward that floated through my mind.

I recounted the moment I met Edward. I broke into his family's home. On purpose, of course, and never once did I believe I met the man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.

I remembered when Edward asked me to marry him. I remember the exact words that he said to me: "Isabella Swan, will you do me the extraordinary honor of marrying me?" Every part of me wanted to say yes. It was the best day of my life.

But then, Victoria took me. On my wedding day. I became a demon, a human-killing machine. My eyes were as red as the blood I spilled from every human I killed. She took me to The Volturi. It was all a trap; she never cared about me.

However, Demetri did. A part of my heart fell for him and his smile, his laugh, his honesty. The way he touched me made me feel loved. And he set me free. He let me run away from the vampires holding me back. For that, I will be eternally grateful.

But the numbness in my heart would never go away. Because Edward was dead. There was nothing waiting for me back at Forks but a lost family and an old friend.

Jasper carried me off of the plane and into Carlisle's car. I sat in the back with Esme and Alice, while Emmett drove with Jasper beside him. Esme, being the perfect mother, wrapped her arms around me and allowed me to collapse in her arms. Alice kept a hand on me, comforting me.

I opened my eyes to see the green forest and dreary clouds of Forks. We sped by them; then, the car stopped. Doors opened, and I was carried out by Emmett this time. I kept my eyes open just long enough to see the faces of Rosalie, Carlisle, and Jacob before I went into the house. Their faces were emotionless. As was mine.

I waited for the bad dream to be over. I waited for Edward to appear beside me, wrap his arms around me, and kiss me. But that would never happen again.

Emmett placed me on the couch. I curled up into a ball, clutching my torso. Alice sat down beside me and rested her hand on me once more. Everybody appeared in the living room, even Jacob. He knelt down beside me and ran his fingers through my hair.

"When Edward left, I saw him driving away. He gave me a wave. It wasn't anything grand; it was a wave of security. That was his way of telling me that he'd bring you back. He did. He kept his promise."

For once, I talked. "He didn't keep his promise. He didn't come back. He died in Volterra. Felix killed him."

"No, Bella, he didn't die. He's right here." Jacob touched my chest, right where my heart would be. "He's with you all the time." I managed a smile and sat up. I pulled Jacob into a hug, his warmth surrounding me.

"I think I'm going to go outside," I said. "I need some time alone." I stood up and walked to the door, not really waiting for a response.

"Just be careful, Bella," Esme voiced. "Be careful." She spoke with sincerity.

As I walked out the door, I looked back at Edward's family, my family. Each one of them, no matter what they said, loved me. They cared enough for me to save me from Victoria and The Volturi. Forever, I was with them; I would never think of leaving those to truly care about me.

I went outside and towards the forest. I glanced back into the window and saw the Cullen's crowded around Alice, her stare blank. I could only imagine what she was seeing. Truthfully, I did not care. I wanted peace and quiet. I walked into the forest.

No more than ten feet in, I noticed a note hanging from a tree. It had my name on it, in perfect handwriting. I plucked in from the branch and opened it. I had no fear, only curiosity.

Dear Isabella, My love, I told you to leave, to run away from here. I knew The Volturi held nothing for you once you received your memory again. Edward was your husband, your first love. I was second to you. However, I loved you. I loved every part of you. I saw the look on your face when Felix took Edward. I couldn't let you live any longer here with that memory engrained in your thoughts. Yes, Felix took Edward. Once you left, I ran after them. I persuaded Felix to let Edward go. Felix always had a kind heart. Edward ran. To where, I don't know. But he ran. I hoping he ran to you. The person you saw perish before your eyes was Alec. He tried to stop me and Felix, but he was no match for our strength. Now, I hope you are free, reading this note back in Forks with the family that loves you unconditionally. I hope that Edward finds you. I want nothing but the best for you and your husband. Please, just do me this last thing. When you are home and with Edward once again, send me a letter. It doesn't have to be much, just a little note saying that you are happy. Then, I can move on, knowing my dear Isabella is home at last. With all the love in my heart, Demetri

My thoughts were scattered. I did not even know what I was reading. I knew that Edward was not alive, but Demetri told me another story. Was Demetri really telling the truth?

I took in a deep breath, something a human would do, and I smelled something. It was sweet, strong; it brought back memories with Edward. I felt something, someone, behind me, but I was too afraid to turn around and look. Instead, I stood there, shaking, until I felt two strong hands rest on my shoulders. With that, I spun around, and a cry escaped my lips.

I fell into his arms. I was engulfed by his strength, his smell, his being. I wrapped my arms around him, holding him, vowing to never let him go.

His lips pressed to my ear. "My Bella, I never left you. Demetri was kind to me. He freed me. And here I will stay, with you, forever."

Hand-in-hand, we walked back. We were greeted by Carlisle and Esme, Alice and Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie, and even Jacob, a smile on his face. Alice grinned from ear-to-ear, sure of her vision now, and Carlisle gave a small smile, his eyes thoughtful and true.

Together, we walked to our family. And that was where Edward and I would stay. Forever.

The End