The Inevitable

Chapter 1 Time

"No," Edward said firmly as he paced the living room anxiously.

"It's time Edward." Carlisle stared at him intently, his face soft and caring.

"I've told you before," Edward said in a weak, distant voice. "I can't go back there."

"We've exhausted many resources. We've been many places. It's reasonable, and it's the logical place to go."

"I can't," he practically whispered, his always pained eyes even more tortured.

"You can Edward," Alice said softly. "You will have to be able to do it eventually."

"You don't understand!" he hissed angrily at her.

She jumped up from the couch. "I left her behind too! And it wasn't even my choice. Maybe I don't hurt like you do, but I still hurt. And we all hurt because you do!"

"Alice," Esme said gently.

Edward just stood in place, glaring menacingly at Alice, who returned it with one of her own.

"I know its hard Edward. It won't get any easier…until you do it. It will be painful, but it needs to be done. It has been long enough."

Edward's gaze turned to Carlisle, who only stared pointedly. He heaved a big sigh. "Will anything I say change this?"

"No."

"And don't say you're not going Edward. You're coming with us. No more going off to hide yourself in some hole," Alice said firmly.

Edward shook his head side to side. "I don't think I can do this," he choked out.

Esme came quickly to his side and wrapped her arm around his shoulders. "We'll be there. We're going to help you through this."

Edward looked to Carlisle.

"You'll get through this," he said softly.

"Do you think it's here?" Emmett asked as they walked through the entrance.

"I don't know," Alice said quietly. "I haven't seen anything about Bella. I figured I would, that even if I tried to block her, to stay away from her future, that it would still come to me. But nothing ever did."

"It's probably best. If Edward had seen anything about her, I'm sure it only would have made things worse," Jasper murmured.

"Like it could be any worse," Rosalie said. "Seventy five years, and he's still the same as when he left her. Nothing has changed. How much worse could it have been?"

"Jasper's right. If he had seen me having visions of her, who knows what might have been." Alice kept walking around, peering side to side. "I really think she would have left though. Why would she have stayed? She was only here for him. And staying after he was gone…well, I just wanted to come and check."

"Hey, hang on," Emmett said, turning and jogging a little to the left. "Look…it's her dad."

They all walked over to Emmett, staring forward.

"Charles Swan, loving father, beloved police chief," Alice murmured. "Oh, poor Bella!" she exclaimed, gasping. "This was only about a year after we left! He was…fine. Healthy, fairly young still. Oh, poor Bella."

"No Alice. Poor Charlie," Jasper said grimly, standing a few feet to her left.

"What do you…" she began as she walked over to him. She followed his gaze. She stared, open mouthed, at the stone that sat before them. It was a long time before she could say anything. "No," she breathed. "Oh, no, no no. How…how is this…how could this…" she stammered, unable to finish a sentence.

"Bella," Emmett croaked.

"That's only…months after we left," Rosalie said in a daze.

"Isabella Marie Swan, beloved daughter. We will never forget you." Alice stared at the stone in disbelief. "How…how could I not have seen this?" she finally got out. "This doesn't make any sense. No…"

"We left…and she died," Emmett said in a low voice. "We left to protect her…and she died?"

"This…it just can't be. I know I would have seen this!"

"You weren't looking Alice," Jasper said in a soft, sad voice.

"That doesn't matter! I couldn't have missed this!"

"Well…obviously you could," Rosalie muttered.

They walked silently through the door, all of their faces looking grim. Alice looked down at the floor.

"Is everything alright?" Esme asked worriedly.

Emmett just shook his head sadly. Carlisle eyed them carefully. "What's going on?"

Just then Edward came bounding down the stairs. He came to a stop right in front of them.

"Why are you all reciting that?" he demanded.

Emmett, Jasper, and Rosalie all looked at him warily, while Alice still kept her eyes to the floor.

"What are you trying to hide?"

"Edward, you're…not going to like it," Emmett said sadly, looking him right in the eye.

"Alright, what is going on here?" Carlisle asked firmly. "Just say it already."

Alice lifted her head slowly and looked at Edward. He met her pained gaze and, at the sight of her face, his eyes became slightly panicked.

"What?" he croaked.

"I'm so sorry Edward," she choked out. She watched as his eyes became wide, his face full of shock.

"That's not…no," he said, his voice full of agony.

"What is it?" Esme asked frantically, staring at Edward's crumbling face.

"No…oh, no please no," he cried out in a pained voice.

"Edward, we…" Rosalie began.

But Edward ran up the stairs, his door closing loudly behind him.

"What is this?" Carlisle demanded, looking at all of them.

"It's Bella," Alice said quietly.

"What about her?"

"She…she died. Just a few months after we left."

Esme gasped, her hand going to her mouth. Carlisle just stared at them with wide eyes.

"I…are you sure?" he asked quietly.

"We saw her gravestone," Rosalie replied. "Her father died soon after she did."

"Oh no," Esme breathed. "Poor Edward."

They all looked up the stairs he had just disappeared up, the loud music drifting down to them.