Chapter 1

Bella's POV

When Edward left, I thought I would die. It took a lot of fighting with both my father and mother just to get me out of bed, but I went about life not living it just existing for my Dad mostly. I knew if I really wanted to find them, all I had to do was look up Dr. Carlisle Cullen under Practicing ER Doctors but I knew in my heart that it was a bad idea.

When 6 months had gone by and there were still no sign of him coming back, I decided that I needed to move on so I got to work and studied and got the grades for a scholarship to Dartmouth in New Hampshire.

It was August 15, I was all packed and ready to go. My plane would leave in the morning at 9:30, so I told my Dad good night and went upstairs to do the last thing I wanted to do, my letter to Edward.

I started to tear up, and began to write:

Dear Edward,

I want you to know I'm not mad at you. And I know you told me to

move on like you never existed but I couldn't. You were and still are my

whole world. I am moving from here, but if you should decide you want

me, all you need to do is look. I'll be close.

You gave back my heart, but it will forever be yours. When you are ready to reclaim what's yours, I'll be waiting.

Love,

Always and forever

Bella

Finished, I walked over to my bed and cried myself to sleep. My phone went off at 6:30 and we're off to Port Angeles. My dad unloaded the bags and hugged and kissed me "Goodbye, Bella." I told him "I love you, hey Dad can I asked for a favor." I gave him Edward's letter and said "If Edward ever comes back give this to him." He looked at me "I promise. I love you, Bella. Have fun a be safe." We hugged again, and then I was gone, away from the place that would always hold a special place in my heart. Where I had met my family, and my future, but that was gone, too.

I landed in New Hampshire, got a cab, and headed to my apartment. I got one that was already furnished, and I also arranged for my boxes to be dropped off there. I had made arrangements through the HR department to have a good job right on campus. This would be nice. I could absorb myself in school and work.

When the car stopped, I got out and took a look at my new home. This was going to be fun. I walked up, got my keys, and settled in. Tomorrow I had orientation and work. Filing paperwork and answering phones in the school office may not seem like a glamorous job, but it paid $10.00/hr so it was nice.

I couldn't decide what I wanted to study so I did basic math, English, and history. I had three weeks to decide on a permanent course.

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday I had school. The rest of time when I didn't work, I tried to do something to keep my mind busy.

After about two weeks of work and school, my deadline was fast approaching. So after careful consideration, an idea came to me. I would study medicine. I figured if a vampire could learn to ignore blood so could I. I love Charlie and he would always be my Dad, but Carlisle was my "vampire dad." He sought to inspire anyone he could to be the very best person they could be, to help others if you could. Being a doctor I would be both happy that I had lived up to my 'vampire dad's" greatest wish to be a help and to be a blessing to others around me. He may never know, but I would, and that boosted my spirits. Maybe I would get put in a medical journal, and he would know how much his life had inspired others.

I went to my adviser and told him what I want to do. We set it up, and I started my classes. I had made the right decision to leave home to go to college. I would try to move on with my life as Edward had requested I do, but one thing I refused to do was date. My heart just wasn't in it.

September

Its my birthday, but I couldn't make myself go do anything. I just wanted to wallow in self pity and ignore the world, but I decided to go do something, anything. So I got dressed, not fancy but nice, and went to eat. Then I decided to go do a huge, unexpected thing; I cut my hair. Nothing too big, just shorter. Edward always said how much he loved my long hair, so I had it cut a little longer than Alice's,. It was cute. Then, I went to the market got a small cake, a candle, and ice cream and cookie dough. A quick check out and I was on my way.

I started back toward my apartment, I went around a corner and smacked into a wall. My bag hit the ground, and I staggered back as I realized I really hurt my ankle. Great, perfect. Oh, it's going to be a horrible night. And then my arm started to hurt too. Great, same spot that had been cut open on my last birthday, even better. I decided to take my things home and see if I really needed to go to the hospital or maybe I could just go to the nurse.

Getting home I realized my arm felt like it was on fire, and I couldn't walk on my ankle anymore it hurt way to bad. So I quickly put the ice cream away and headed down to hail a cab. This might top last year in the worst birthday ever list. At least last year Carlisle was at home to fix me, I didn't have to got to the hospital.

I walked through the ER doors, told them what happened, and they quickly had me back in triage and then in a room with a nurse trying to stop the bleeding. Without warning the door came open a little too fast, and there stood my favorite doctor in the world. I was thinking about passing out, I smiled and did.

I heard the nurse say, "Her name is Isabella."

"Bella," Carlisle said matter-of-factly.

I started to come to. He was smiling, "Hi there, sleepy head."

"Hi right back. What are you doing here?" I asked in a tone of complete shock.

The nurse was trying to figure out what was going on.

"We knew each other back in Forks, she is my favorite patient." Carlisle laughed as he spoke.

"You may go out now, Becky, I have it" She smiled and walked out.

"So, one, Happy Birthday and, two, what in the tar nation are you doing in Hanover?" He asked in a way that sounded concerned and thrilled.

"I go to school here at Dartmouth." I said watching his face relax into joy.

"Do any of the others know you're here?" He asked.

"No, I didn't even know you all were here." I told him.

"You're going to need an x-ray of that ankle. I don't think its broken, but it is you, so… Anyway, your arm is all done, two stitches to close that wound." He told me in his doctor/dad voice.

He came with me to X-ray and waited for me to get done.

"Its not broken, your x-ray looks good." he said

"Come on let's go to my office. We can talk more freely there." He smiled, I nodded.

"Barbara, put me down for my lunch break, okay?" He smiled, as I tried to stifle a laugh, he didn't eat.

We walked in relative silence to his office.

"So how did you wind up in school here?" he asked once we got in and sat in the chairs.

"I worked really hard and got a scholarship after you all left." I though, what an amazing time to tell him what I would be studying.

"What are you studying?" he asked with a smile, the look in his eye showed he was thrilled I was not just a vegetable at home. I had to agree. This was even better then I thought it was going to be. I smiled.

"I am studying medicine, I want to be a Doctor." I watch as he raised an eyebrow. He knew blood bugged me, maybe even better then Edward did.

"But you can't stand the sight of other people's blood." Carlisle said amused

"I figured if you could do it, so could I. You inspired me to be all I could be. Well, here I am. I had hoped one day to be put in a medical journal that you would read and say, wow, my daughter did it." My grin was so big my teeth could have fallen out.

"I am very proud of you, more then you'll ever know." He said

"You all are going to leave again, aren't you? I don't want you to uproot everyone again because of clumsy Bella." I was so very sad that I might actually have to leave. I might have to stay away and leave them all alone.

"No, I will not leave you again, even if the others decide to. Esme and I will remain here with you." The smile on his face almost entirely wiped away my fears, my vampire mom and dad will at least be here with me.

"I can't let my family self destruct because of me. I won't be the one that tears you apart once more."

"WE will stay with you, that I promise."

I smiled. I did miss my family, my brothers, and sisters, and my parents. I couldn't even bear to think that last family member's name.

"How are the others?" I asked

"They're all going to night school. Alice and Rosalie are taking fashion and design, Emmett is taking a course for radiology, Jasper is taking philosophy, Edward is taking medicine, also. And Esme started a small refurbishing company." He spoke Edward's name with a smile, trying to encourage me.

"WOW. Edward is medicine, again? Wait, how have they not come across my scent yet?" This was all so past strange.

"I don't know. That is strange considering you're all at the same school, too." He looked deep in thought.

"Well let's get you back to your place. It's getting late. I'll drive you, and we'll try and figure a way to tell the others." Carlisle said

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