A/N The story begins six months after Edward left Bella in the forest, but unfortunately things have taken a darker turn than our beloved SM wrote. This is the tale of how Edward and Bella eventually find their way back to each other, although it is a difficult road traveled. There will not be any reference to the events in Eclipse or BD.

Rating: M is for lemons sometime down the road!

Special thanks to changedbyEdward for being such a wonderful beta and friend!!

Huge thank you to Stephenie Meyer for allowing me to play with her characters....I do not own them but I sure wish I did!!

(Carlisle's POV)

I stood at the wall of glass, staring out into the lush, green forest behind our home. There had been a time in my existence that I had found this same visual soothing to me, but not anymore. Six months had passed since I had felt that comfort, and I wondered if I would ever feel it again.

"I miss them as well, my love." I had felt her presence in the room with me and wondered if she was sensing my despair. Her tiny arms encircled me from behind and I felt her rest her cool cheek against my back. I am not sure how long we stood like that, lost in our own thoughts, but together.

I turned in her embrace, bringing my hands up to run my fingers through her beautiful butterscotch hair. She sighed as my fingers massaged her scalp and I lowered my chin to nuzzle the top of her head.

"Have you had any news at all?" she whispered, her bell-like tone breaking in sadness.

I shook my head. "No love, not a word. I spoke with Rosalie this morning and she and Emmett have been watching for him constantly on their travels, but have not seen or heard anything. "

"And Alice?" She knew the response would be the same, but I understood her asking anyway.

"Nothing yet. Her visions are tormenting her because she is doing everything she can to avoid looking. And Jasper's guilt is still weighing heavily on both of them, I am afraid."

I felt Esme shake her head against my chest and I crushed her to me. I would do anything I could to spare her this pain. The anger and disappointment I now felt for my family was terrifying to me. I could not blame 'our children' for the turmoil we were now facing, but I could not completely forgive them either.

If only…but I closed my eyes and forced the thoughts to the back of my mind. I had been over the scenarios so many times and it was of no use to us now. I gently lifted Esme into my arms and carried her to the overstuffed sofa in front of the fire. I sat, pulling her onto my lap, cradling her in my arms as we lost ourselves in the flames.

"Our children are not the only ones I miss, Carlisle." Her voice was soft and low, full of anguish. "I am so afraid for her."

"I know, love. I am worried as well. I am ashamed to say that I have begged Alice to break our promise to Edward and check in on her, but she is even more loyal to him than I am at this point." Frustration soaked through me and Esme held me closer, hoping to ease it away.

"You sound as though you have made a decision, Carlisle."

I nodded, once again burying my face against her hair. No matter how many years we had shared together, her scent still intoxicated me. I pressed my lips against her forehead, kissing her gently on her closed eyelids, her nose and finally softly against her lips. Our tongues met briefly, dancing against each other and I felt her sigh in contentment.

Pulling away from me, she looked at me questioningly. "Are you going to tell me, my love?"

I nodded, slowly releasing her from my lap and setting her back against the embroidered cushions adorning the sofa. I stood slowly and tossed another log to the flames. I stared at the framed photographs of each of our children on the mantle, finally staring at the most recent photo I had. Alice had taken it, six months prior on the night that had changed everything. The two holes in my heart stared back at me, smiling, not knowing what lay ahead.

I turned from the photo and stared at my beloved. I knew she was crying, even though she had no human tears to shed.

"I am leaving for Forks in the morning." I joined her again on the couch and held her hands to my lips. Her hands caressed my face gently and I smiled at the faint sign of hope that glimmered in her golden eyes.

The flight to Seattle was uneventful and I had spent most of it fighting the urge to get on the next flight back home. I held true to my course and felt my tension leaving me as I drove the dark blue Mercedes I had rented at the airport along the familiar road leading to Forks.

I was unsure of how I would proceed, but knew my first stop would be painful. As I drove slowly up the dark, overgrown driveway to our former home, sorrow filled my senses. I turned the engine off and stared at the house, longing for it to be filled again with the boisterous sounds of my family.

Opening the door to the car slowly, I immediately sensed I was not alone. I leaned against the Mercedes and glanced quickly around to see what or who waited for me. The sensation faded away and I quickly made my way to the porch steps, unlocking the door and stepping inside.

It was quiet, like a tomb. I grimaced at the thought of how suitable it would seem to some vampires, but not ones of our kind. I was unsure of what made 'vegetarians' like ourselves more human, but it was the one characteristic of both mine and the Denali family that I most revered.

Although we had moved many of our personal items to our new home, we had left a few pieces of furniture in the house in case any of us ever returned. I was unsure how long I would be here, but quickly made my way around the house, lifting blinds and removing the sheets that covered the few pieces remaining.

I dropped into a chair and rested my head in my hands, as if I was pushing the sorrow to the back of my mind. I had come to Forks for answers, and I knew that Edward would most likely never forgive this betrayal, but I could not let the demise of my family go on forever. I had existed for a good part of four centuries but knew that I surely would never have done so without my family.

A slight rap at the door startled me out of my thoughts and I made my way to the entry slowly, unsure of who or what I would find. I glanced through the window and was startled to see two dark eyes staring back at me.

"Jacob Black, I am surprised to see you here." I held the door open for him and waited for his response.

I sensed his hesitation, but he did not let it stop him. He pushed his way past me and dropped into one of the leather chairs I had just uncovered. His hair was much shorter than I remembered and his eyes held a sadness that I knew only too well. His jean shorts were dirty and he smelled horrible. Amazement washed over me as I realized what Jacob had become.

"My God, you're a werewolf! But how can this be?" I asked as I looked him over carefully. He had grown in the time we had been away. I pegged him at 6'5 at least, and knew that he was very strong by the look of his toned bronze body.

"And I'm not the only one." His voice was more of a snarl, warning me that whomever else he was talking about, knew where he was.

"Jacob, as I am sure you are well aware, the treaty still stands." I slowly moved toward him and sensing his immediate stress, motioned to the seat across from him. He nodded slightly and I sat, watching him intently.

"Are you the only leech here?" He spit the word out callously, and although I personally hated the term, I let it stand, knowing he must have had a good reason to come into my home.

"Yes, I'm the only one here." I pressed my fingers together in thought. "Is there a reason that you came to the house?"

Jacob lowered his gaze to the floor, inhaling deeply. A look of disgust crossed his face and I understood immediately that my aroma was no more pleasant to him than his was to me. "We've been watching the house for any signs that someone had returned."

I felt venom at the back of my throat burning like bile. "Why would you do such a thing? None of my family has broken the treaty, which is certainly not the same as I can say for you."

Anger and hurt filled his eyes. "Don't you think I know that? Blame myself for it?" He stood and began to pace. "If I hadn't told her, maybe she wouldn't have been so drawn to him!" He spit the last word out, his ire building, as I knew he thought of Edward.

Catching himself, he dropped once again into the chair and held his head in his hands. Moments passed and neither of us spoke, his angry words hanging in the air like cobwebs.

"How is she?" I whispered.

He raised his eyes to me slowly and I shuddered at the depths of utter desolation shining there. "She may as well be dead."

Twilight. The safest part of the day. I stared out the windows into the tree line that hugged our Forks home and played my earlier discussion with Jacob over again in my mind. He had been gone for hours already, but the stench of him still permeated the air.

His words had stung me as if he had said one of my own were gone. I had choked at his statement, and before he even had a chance to defend himself, I had him by the neck and against a wall. "Tell me what you mean by that!" I spat out.

He growled menacingly, but something in my eyes must have stirred him because he raised his hands in surrender. Disgusted with myself for this rare exploit of anger, I set him back in the chair and walked away from him.

"I am sorry Jacob. I did not mean any harm."

"I know C…Carlisle." He rubbed his hand against his throat and grinned at me, although the smile went nowhere near his eyes. "I know you aren't dangerous to me and I can appreciate the…" he hesitated, "feelings you have for Bella."

Feelings I had for her? Love, awe, respect were only a few of the things that I felt for the girl who I had been sure was to become my newest daughter. She had charmed me from the first time I met her in the hospital, right after the fateful day that Edward had saved her life.

Even then, when she knew nothing more of us than what she had heard from her schoolmates and what she had seen, she was more aware of what we were and was unafraid. She was so in tune with herself and her thoughts, and it amazed me how totally oblivious she was of her beauty and her strength. It was little wonder that Edward had fallen so quickly under her spell. We all did.

Jacob cleared his throat and brought me back to reality.

"Are you going to tell me what you meant by that statement?"

"She's not in Forks anymore. She's in Seattle – in a mental hospital." His words floored me and I stared at him in silence. "Charlie didn't know how to help her…no one did."

"Did she try to hurt herself, Jacob?"

"No- that's just it. She hasn't done or said anything." I looked at him questioningly and he continued, the anger seeping into his voice as he spoke the words I now replayed in my mind over and over. "He broke her. He left her lying in that forest after he destroyed her. She hasn't spoken or hardly moved since that day. It's as if she's dead."

I mulled it over time and again in my mind. What had Edward said? What had he done to the one he claimed was his soul mate?

I sat again and pulled my cell phone out. Esme had called and left several messages, but I was unsure what to tell her about what I had learned. I listened to each message, her voice more anxious with each call, and then dialed home.

"Carlisle, I have been so worried."

I grimaced, hating to have made her feel this way. "I'm so sorry, my love, but I was unable to call earlier. I had a guest waiting for me when I arrived."

She listened intently while I filled her in on my visit with Jacob. I could visualize her clutching her throat to fight the tears she was unable to shed for Bella. I had been dreading sharing the details with her, but knew that she would be my guide for the task that lay ahead. "Carlisle, what will we do?"

"I don't know."

"Should I call the family back?"

I inhaled deeply and thought for a moment. "No, don't do anything yet. I will give you a call in awhile. I am going to see Charlie."

End of chapter - please let me know what you think so far!!!!!