The Face of Beauty to Fall For

{Elizabeth’s POV}

It had been three weeks since Edward disappeared and not one of us had found him. Ember had woken up and, though there was no brain damage other than the fact that she had lost a few motor skills like walking and the ability to hold her head up, she was still on a respirator and wasn’t allowed to speak very much.

I was currently on my daily rounds, checking to see if Edward had gotten there sometime since the last round, when my phone started to go off. “Hello?” I greeted the other person.

“Liz.” Zachary spoke, my heart lightening a little.

“Zacky.” I greeted with a small smile. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. We’ve found Edward. Carlisle and Esme want you back in Fort Lewis as soon as you can get here.” He told me.

I started for the airport before he’d finished his sentence. “Where is he?” I asked.

“New Orleans of all places.” He told me. “You aren’t going after him though. He’s not himself. It’s Carlisle and Esme’s choice that they go together.”

I sighed, hating that he knew me almost better than I knew myself. “Fine. I’ll see you in a few hours.”

“I love you.” He told me.

“I love you too.” I said, hanging up.

{Esme’s POV}

Carlisle and I arrived at the airport in little over five hours, neither of us were able to keep our minds from contemplating the horrors that Edward had put himself through over this, and we only hoped that we got to him in time.

“Alice. We’re here. Where did you see him?” Carlisle asked, instructing the cab driver towards the downtown area. “Thank you.” He told her, hanging up the phone.

“He will be alright, Carlisle. Right?” I asked him, holding his hand tightly in worry.

He sighed. “I hope so.”

“Who is it you’re lookin’ for, baby?” The thickly accented driver asked us.

“Our son. He ran away after he thought his girlfriend died.” I explained vaguely.

The driver nodded. “My niece did that once. She slept in Jackson Square for a week before we finally found her… How long has he been missin’?”

“About three weeks now.” Carlisle told him.

He nodded. “I would search there first. Kids always try to hide out there.” The driver told us, dropping us off at the place Carlisle indicated, handing the man more money than the ride was worth. “Thank you.”

We got out and started off, looking for the landmarks Alice had told us she’d seen. “Carlisle.” I said, grabbing his arm to get his attention.

I’d seen Edward, leaning against a wall in an alley, and we quickly backtracked to get to him before he could get away.

“Edward.” Carlisle spoke up, walking towards him slowly. “It’s just us: Carlisle and Esme. We’ve come to take you home.”

He stood there shakily, staring at us, his eyes still golden. “I’m not… Memories… Death.” He said almost incoherently.

Carlisle shook his head. “No, Edward. Ember wasn’t dead. She’s alive. We saved her.”

Edward’s unfocused eyes landed on Carlisle’s face. “No… She’s dead. I saw it.” He said weakly.

“Read my thoughts if you want. It’s the truth. I wouldn’t lie about it, Edward. You know that.” Carlisle told him.

We both took a few steps towards him.

I wrapped my arms around him, holding him tightly to me. “She’s alive, Edward. Trust us, please. Come back. See for yourself.” I whispered, holding my fragile little boy in my arms.

He clung to Carlisle and me tightly as we made our way back to the street and found a cab to drive us towards the airport. “She’s alive.” He kept whispering over and over to himself, his body shaking slightly from lack of food.

“Can you drop us off here, please?” Carlisle asked the driver. “We’ll just be a few moments.” He said, taking Edward from the car and disappearing into an abandoned building beside a McDonald’s.

I sat there silently until they came back and wrapped my arms back around Edward, who had quit shaking, but was still muttering to himself.

He said nothing to either of us until we got off the plane in Seattle, his eyes full of sorrow. “I’m sorry.” He told us. “I didn’t mean to hurt either of you.”

“Shh, love.” I soothed. “You were grieving. As long as you didn’t do something you’ll regret.” I said, rubbing his back softly and got him into the back of Carlisle’s Mercedes.

{Ember’s POV}

I looked around at all the Cullens/Hales and Zachary, finally off the respirator, but still on oxygen until they could go back in and remove the scar tissue surrounding my esophagus, making it hard to breathe.

“You look like shit.” Elizabeth spoke up, walking in.

I smiled weakly at her. “H--” I coughed. “Hello.” I said softly.

“Just to let you know, you’re lucky that I’m even here to see you. I’m putting every bleeding person in this hospital at risk just for you to experience my prescense.” She said, hugging me. “I’m glad you’re not dead.” She whispered when no one was looking.

I smiled. “Where’s… Edward?” I asked them finally.

They all looked at each other than me.

“You shouldn’t be talking. You’ll hurt yourself.” Rosalie told me, flipping through the 10,000 baby names book she brought me.

I frowned and went back to doing my crossword puzzle, having finally regained the ability to hold my head up of my own volition.

I looked up when I heard a knock on the door, seeing Carlisle and Esme walk in, smiling at me. “Are you alright, Ember?” Esme asked as she hugged me.

I nodded softly.

“You shouldn’t do that, you’ll hurt yourself.” Carlisle chastised.

“Ember?” Edwards voice said, followed by his body.

I swallowed with more difficulty than I ever thought possible. “You… look like hell…” I teased weakly.

He walked over to me slowly. “Yeah. I know.” He said softly.

“I think we should give them a minute.” Emmett said, ushering everyone out.

Carlisle whispered some instructions to Edward and walked out.

“I’m sorry, Ember.” Edward said, sitting in the chair next to my bed.

“For… what?” I questioned through the oxygen mask.

“For all this. I should’ve protected you.” He said, taking my hand.

I shook my head gently. “No. You… didn’t do this…” I said.

“If Bella hadn’t--”

I stopped him. “You… love her… I get it…” I started. “You… don’t… have to explain… You saved… my life.”

He stood, walking away from me. “No. I didn’t. James asked me if I loved you. And if I’d have said no. You’d be okay now. You wouldn’t have had to have your throat cut open.”

I sat up. “I… don’t blame you…” I took a slow, deep breath. “I… understand why you…..”

He turned when I didn’t finish my sentence, only to be greeted with my look of shock. “Ember?” He asked, rushing over to me. “Ember! Are you okay?”

I nodded, my breathing ragged, but no more than usual. “You… didn’t… say no?” I asked, barely above a whisper.

He stood next to me in silence for a moment. “No. I didn’t.”

“But… You… had Bella.” I said.

He nodded. “I had what was left of her. The Bella I knew was dead.”

I looked away. “And I’m… just a re… place ment…. then.”

He looked at me like I was crazy. “No, Ember. That’s not it. I thought I’d lost you and that killed me more than losing Bella ever did.”

I shook my head. “I… find that hard… to believe.”

He took my hand again. “Maybe not. But I thought that losing you made me more of a monster than anything in my past ever did. I abandoned everything I knew. I was walking around like a zombie. I ran away. I need you around.” He confessed.

I wiped my tears away with my free hand. “All scars fade… with time.” I replied sagely.

“Not the one made by losing you.” He said softly.

“How… could I ever… live up… to.. Bella?” I asked him, my eyes still shimmering with unshed tears.

“You don’t need to. She was Bella. You are Ember. That’s all I want you to live up to.” He told me.

I sniffled painfully, pulling my mask off.

He backed up a little. “What are you doing?” He asked.

I grabbed him by the front of his shirt and pulled him closer. “If you… don’t… kiss me… now… I will… hurt… you.. Cullen.” I said, smirking a little.

He smiled and leaned forward, pressing his lips to mine gently.

“It’s about damn time! There’s a surgery going on three floors down and I was about to take out all the nurses on this floor.” Elizabeth said, walking in on our kiss.

Edward pulled my mask back down over my face and sat in the chair next to me again, smiling a little.

“You… are a great… moment… ruiner.” I told her.

She just smiled and stole my crossword puzzle book, flipping to a new page. “I pride myself on that. Thank you.”