It seemed as if time was going by in slow motion, although for Alice, the days spent by her mate's hospital bed went by too quickly.

Within the past week, on the days that she wasn't excused by her father and siblings to miss or cut from class, she'd be sitting on the edge of the hospital bed, her cold hand clutching onto the slimming one that belonged to the newest member of her family.

Thoughts of losing her and the possible dangers of her not being able to wake up because of the blood loss she had endured during her accident, plagued her to the point to where she was no longer feeding. She hadn't realized she was malnourished from the loss of feeding, until one day Carlisle came into the hospital room and sat down next to her.

"There's no more bruising, and she's she stable. I really think you should start caring more about yourself." He started out, his tone still gentle.

"She's getting better, but you aren't. Can you imagine when she wakes up and she sees how things are going along without her? How sick you're beginning to look?"

Alice bit back a response filled with anger, and closed her golden eyes, her chest shakily inhaling a rare breath of the sterile air.

"She didn't tell us she was dying. She didn't tell us that we would have to continue living our lives without her." She spoke out, her voice ringing out along the bright white room.

"You know, I never saw her coming, Carlisle. And then, here she is. The new beginning for us, our second love. Another chance for us to grow. And then we see her, hurt and bleeding out, and we can't do anything to help her. And then we I can't see a way of this becoming any worse, we find out she's dying. We saw the bruises, how tired she looked. We didn't even try to help."

Carlisle watched as his child began to weep, her eyes burning with unshed tears she begged to fall. Wrapping an arm around her, he swept her closer to his side and placed his head on top of hers. Sighing, he glances over at Emery's monitor and is once again comforted by the steady ring of her heartbeat.

"When I first met her, I thought the other doctor's were wrong." Carlisle started, hushing his daughter gently as she tried to separate to look at him curiously. "She was so strong. Is still strong. To this day, I can still not believe that she had so much fight left in her, even when she was terminal. You'll come to realize at some point, that just like you had met Jasper, you have met Emery in the same way. He was sick, he was still traumatized from the war. He had no home, he was heartbroken and betrayed, and confused with his own emotion. Emery is just sick in a different way. And she'll get through this, because she is just as strong as we are. Even if she is only human."

Alice grasped onto her father's white coat and clenched, her body twisting, unable to continue to hold in the fear of the idea and reality of the trauma she had been through when she saw Emery injured.

"You are just as strong, little one. That is why you three are meant to be together, and you will be. Find that strength and hope you had with Jasper, and place in inside of you, for yourself. Be strong for yourself, for Emery. You are not alone. You will never be alone again."

Carlisle smiled as Alice covered his hand with her own and sat up, the spark in her eye returning as her father uplifted, her once again.

▹

Bella sat back, her head pounding incessantly as Edward continued to pace around the room.

Pursing her lips, Rosalie rose an eyebrow at her brother, causing him to pause mid step.

"So you're meaning to tell me that you became human once again, became the injured one instead of Emery, met two magically powered men in cloaks, healed instantaneously, was threatened, and then brought back to the future in the matter of seconds? I can grasp the fact that we're vampires, but even that sounds like a stretch."

Edward bit out a growl in frustration, taking a step back as his mate jumped back in her seat, her eyes widening in shock by his behavior.

Edward was cut off once again by a sigh ringing out from behind him. Turning around on his heel, his eyes stop on Jasper walking up the stairs, his father and Alice following behind him quietly.

"You all saw his eyes. We all saw the way our mate healed, and we all saw the flower regain it's color all around the same time. Let's listen to him and try to figure this all out." Jasper said, his tone fraying on his own emotional exhaustion.

During the time when he wasn't accompanying Alice to the hospital to keep an eye on their mate, Jasper was tiring himself out with the research he spent hours upon hours on.

He even tried to reach out to the wolves to ask for help, but was pushed away by Jacob.

"Your kind and ours don't mix well, you of all people should know that by now. As much as I want Emery to be as healthy as she can be and alive, we both know that we have no idea what's going on. We have enough on our hands as it is. Maybe you should just turn her, just like how your brother plans on turning her sister. I'm sure you'd all make a perfect little family."

The words that poured out of Jacob made his stomach clench painfully. He only turned towards the quileute, because he knew that the two were once close friends, and had hope that he would try and help.

Instead of allowing the defeat, Jasper allowed his frustration to finally show towards the wolf.

"Did you know, that when your childhood friend was attacked and nearly killed, she most likely needed you by her side. You haven't shown up once, to check on her. You know that treaties don't exist when a loved one is hurt."

Jacob went to open his mouth to defend himself, but Jasper cut him off with a bitter laugh, his shoulders squaring up and his eyes narrowing.

"When Emery heals and she wakes up, which I know and believe she will, don't come by to check on her. Because when she wakes up, she'll realize that the ones surrounding her bed, will really be the one's to protect her when the time comes. You really did show where your loyalties lie."

Standing against the edge of the woods, Jasper sends him a cold grin and huffs audibly into the damp air as Jacob straightens up, his eyes clearing as he detects him as a threat.

"You know, maybe I was wrong. All along, I though you had clear and honest intentions with Bella and Emery. I thought you cared for my mate and her sister. But all along, you've wanted them on your side. How does it feel to see vampires caring for the one's you once promised to protect?"

Disbelief filled Jasper as the wolf continued to be silent, his eyes wavering back and forth through the trees as his pack began to surround them.

Jasper ignored them as he took a step back and began to walk away. Before he could make it out of their eyesight, he turns around and meets Jacob's eyes.

"No matter what you may believe or perceive about us, we only have their best interests in mind. I'd never place them in danger. Unlike you, no matter the difference of species, who I love will always come first, no matter the difference. You should keep that in mind."

The growls of protests from the wolves digging their paws into the earth's surface didn't deter the Cullen as he sent one last glance towards the now defeated werewolf, before setting himself towards the home and family he knew where he belonged.

▹

Alice hummed an agreement, her arm locking against his as she stood next to him.

"I agree. I know that none of this makes sense. But we will figure this out, and we will make sure Emery will be okay. You're family now, Bella. And no matter what," Alice trailed off, her eyes meeting Rosalie's, causing her to fluster. "We protect family. She will be okay, and we will fight whoever we have to, to make sure she's okay. We don't leave people behind."

Jasper grinned his now rare grin and looked down at his mate proudly, his golden eyes shimmering with disbelief, his chest warming as he took in his mate's bravery.

Carlisle stood behind them and smiled, his hand being jostled as Esme made her way beside him and held onto his hand, steadying him.

"We'll all be okay." She spoke out, her gentle voice creating a calm within the once tense room.

Bella stood up and made her way over to Edward, her heart clenching at the look of pain etched into his face. Even though she knew of the distrust Edward had towards her sister, seeing him in pain and being misunderstood did not sit well with her.

Edward jumped as the feeling of the familiar wool of Bella's jacket rubbed against his bare arm, his body only relaxing after she sets her weight firmly against his side.

Emmett looked around and grinned, his childlike side personality showing up once again.

"I mean I missed pretty much everything, because I needed to get us some chairs. Mind completely filling me in?"

Emmett bit back a proud grin as his mate barked out a laugh, dodging a painful looking side jab, as he looked towards his now smiling family.