This is an alternate ending, of sorts, and extension to my oneshot, Disappear. I recommend reading that first in order to fully understand and appreciate what's going on in this story (character decisions and such). This will be a multi-chapter story.

Warning: Contains character suicide attempt.

Beck stood at the edge of a bridge, his gaze fixed on the river below. A slight breeze wrapped around him, bringing with it an odd sense of serenity. He closed his eyes, allowing the sensation to fill him.

Six months had passed since his girlfriend's car was found in that same river, intentionally driven off the road in a desperate attempt to find peace of her own. Her body was recovered a few days later.

In the time that followed Tori's death, Beck visited the bridge. He often sat in silence. He dwelled on his guilt and regret, wishing more than anything he could have stopped her. He wished he could have taken her place and rid her of such anguish and grief.

He wished she had taken him with her.

As the wind died down, Beck reached into his pocket and removed a folded slip of paper. He opened it and read a note he had already read a thousand times before.

Beck -

I can't live like this anymore.

By the time you receive this, I'll be gone. Please remember how much I love you, and know how much it pains me to cause you such grief. However, I cannot think of any other way to truly find peace.

Thank you for your support during the last several months. You were given the opportunity to leave, but you didn't, and for that, I'm so grateful. I never would have made it this long without you. Even so, until you've experienced what I have, even your love and support can only do so much.

I'm so sorry. I only hope one day you'll be able to forgive me.

"Not now," he said. He pocketed the note. "Not ever." He eased himself to the ground. He returned his eyes toward the river, watching as the water broke against the jagged rocks below.

It was then that he heard her voice. Her gentle tone broke through the morning silence. "You shouldn't be here," Tori said.

Beck didn't flinch. "Neither should you," he said. He picked up a nearby rock. "Please, Tori, I need to be alone now." He tossed the rock into the river before reaching for another.

"You are alone," she said. She paused. "Maybe that's the problem."

"You left me," he said. "I'm alone because of you." He tossed another rock, this one further and with more force. "You found your peace through death. Now I'm going to find mine."

"Beck, you know this isn't the solution," she said. Her voice grew desperate. "Please, baby, take a moment and think about what you're doing."

He scoffed. "Hypocrite," he spat.

"You've got a family that loves you," she said. "You've got friends who support you."

"So did you," he said. Hurt and anger filled his voice. "When you found out you were pregnant, I promised you that you wouldn't go through it alone." His voice broke. "Now here I am, left with no one to promise the same to me."

Tori was silent a long moment. "I'm sorry," she said finally.

Beck stood. "If only that were enough," he said. He brushed the dirt from his clothes. "I'm leaving. Please don't follow me."

He strode toward his truck, which was parked just before the bridge. He got into his truck and slammed the door behind him.

For a long moment, he sat there, relishing in the silence. Tears filled his eyes. He finally put the key in the ignition and started the truck.

No turning back, he thought.

He started over the bridge. As he neared the guardrail, he veered left. His truck collided with metal and spiraled downward. It slammed front-first into the rocks before coming to a rest upside-down.

Within moments, water poured into the vehicle, its passenger still inside.

/ /

He was dead.

As Beck gradually regained consciousness, he attempted to convince himself of those words. He longed for them to be true. However, as he became distinctly aware of the intensity of his new pain, he knew he was very much alive.

He was lying on something firm, his body restrained. A gurney, he realized. His clothes, soaked from the river, clung heavily to his body.

He felt a jolt as the gurney collided with a set of double doors. Moments later, he was transferred from the gurney and placed on a bed.

As someone cut the clothes from his body, someone else placed something over his nose and mouth. He felt a gloved hand brush against his bare skin as it attached something to his chest. A moment later, he heard the piercing sound of a monitor.

Beck's thoughts continued to whirl. He wasn't sure who had rescued him, or how he had gotten to this point. All he knew was that in his search for peace, his situation had become much more dire, and his life had become much worse.

His head throbbed intensely, leaving him nauseated. His breaths were carefully labored, as each one brought on piercing pain.

He began to pray: Pray for healing, pray for death, pray for anything to deliver him from the excruciating pain he found himself in.

"Patient is in defib. Stand by."

His world was fading. He felt a great tightening in his chest, and then nothing. He could no longer hear the staff's voices, nor was he aware of the sense of urgency that filled the room.

He resigned himself to the painless bliss of darkness.