Disclaimer: I was not blessed with this genius idea before Mrs. Meyer. Therefore, I do not own any of this material.

Chapter One: The Bitter Truth

I was waiting for her outside of her front door. She was a little late, and it got me worried. The cruiser wasn't there, so I new I wouldn't run into Charlie if I knocked. I went up to the door and knocked softly. No answer. I tapped a little harder, and still, nothing. I was getting more nervous by the second, so I just went through her window. There was no one in there. I checked all over the house, and no one was there either.

I was confused and more than a little disappointed. I got back in the Volvo and made my way home. Then it dawned on me: What if something awful has happened to her? I started driving faster and faster to the house. Alice would know something.

When I pulled up she was already bounding down the porch stairs. I opened up the car door and intercepted her.

"Alice. What's going on?" I asked frantically. She was dry sobbing and it looked like she was on the verge of a breakdown.

"Bella—," she paused, "I didn't know! I didn't see it, I swear!" she cried in such speed any human was hopeless against understanding.

"What's happened?!"

"We need to get to the hospital. Now." She was pulling at my arm and I followed willingly to the car. I was too shocked by the surprise on Alice's face to argue. Besides, the sooner to get to my Bella, the better.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As soon as we were in view of the hospital, I made a run for it. I left Alice to find a parking spot as I couldn't make it fast enough to the entrance. I couldn't take it that I didn't know what was going on. Too many possibilities were rushing through my mind. I listened around for Carlisle or anyone who knew the whereabouts of Bella. I found Carlisle first, and he told me that she was in room five eighty-two.

I ran a little faster than I should have with all these humans around, but I didn't care. I just needed to get to that room. I busted through the door to find my angel lying on the gurney and hooked up to about a million little wires. When she saw me come in she smiled weakly.

"Bella. What happened?" I went to her and put my hand to her cheek. She was burning up with fever.

"I'm sorry Edward. I'm so sorry I didn't tell you. It's just that I thought it was gone," she cried softly. Just then, Alice walked in and sat in the chair beside the bed.

"Didn't tell me what? Thought what was gone?" I was trying so hard to listen to the minds around me to hear it from them, but I was in too much distress to concentrate right now.

"Five years ago," she sighed, "I was diagnosed with leukemia, but three years ago, at my check up, they said it was gone. I would have been going in for another check up next year, but I didn't think I'd have to worry about it. Then, this morning, I woke up with a really high fever and I just kept getting sicker and sicker. When we came to the hospital they said the cancer was back. But, right now, I need to talk to Alice. This is very important, Edward. She'll come get you when we're done. Okay?"

"Okay…I—I'll be right outside if you need me," I said in an off tone. I kissed her forehead and went to stand in the hall. I was still close enough that I could hear what they were saying, so I listened in on their conversation.

"—can't tell Edward about this. Before you read this, you have to swear to me that you will close your mind off to him whenever you read this letter, or even think about it for that matter. This is very important, Alice. He can't know, alright?"

"Okay, I swear. He won't find out." And as soon as she said those words the room went silent. I tried listening in on Alice's thoughts, but her head was as silent as the room.

About fifteen minutes later I heard Alice speak. "Are you sure about all this, Bells? I mean, this is…wow."

"I'm completely sure. You have to believe me. You just have to," Bella pleaded.

"I believe you. I do. This is just so strange," she laughed her musical laugh and continued, "I never knew you had it in you, Bella." Bella laughed then, too.

"Will you please tell Edward to stop eavesdropping and come in here?"

"Of course," Alice giggled. Just then she opened the door and stuck her head out, "You heard the lady."

I rushed into the room and took the love of my life by the hand.

"Edward—," she began to speak, but I interrupted her.

"Don't worry, Bella. We'll get you the best treatment money can buy. We'll get through this."

"No, Edward. I only have about a day."

I was so confused that I couldn't comprehend what she was saying. "What do you mean you only have a day?"

"I'm too sick to do anything about it, Edward. My time is up."

"Don't say that. I'm not going to let you die."

"You have to. There's nothing you can do."

"Yes there is." I knew exactly what I could do. I never wanted to have to do this to her, but I was going to let her make a decision. I couldn't lose her. If this is what it took to keep her with me then this is what would have to be done. I looked at Alice, and she had a look of shock and happiness on her face, "Can you see what's going to happen if I do it?"

She went utterly silent for a moment, her face went blank, and then confused when she came back. "I can't see anything." Her answer confused me, too, but I took it that that meant that nothing bad would happen.

"Bella," she opened her eyes, for she had drifted off to sleep. I whispered in her ear, "Do you want to live forever?"

She looked at me in shock and then realized what I meant. She smiled as wide as she could and said, "Yes!...But how is it going to work? Alice said it took three days, and I only have one," she asked confusedly.

"I don't know, but Alice didn't see anything going wrong. I think it will work. But I don't want you to do this if you don't want to," I said severely. I didn't want her to regret this for the rest of her life, so I was asking her again.

"There's nothing I want more in the world," she said just as seriously.

"Good," I smiled. I was so happy that I couldn't help but to kiss her more passionately than I ever had before. She smiled up at me and then I thought of something, "Now we need to think of a way to get her out of the hospital."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I went to Carlisle and told him about our plan. He didn't think that it would work since she only had a limited amount of time left, but I told him that Alice didn't see anything bad happening. That was at least the truth. She didn't see anything happening, so she technically didn't see anything bad happening either. He agreed to help us get her to our home. He signed her release form and asked Charlie to let her stay with us so Carlisle could take better care of her. He told him that, if anything went wrong that he couldn't treat, we lived closer to the hospital so we could get her there faster. I went to Bella as soon as it was taken care of.

"Bella, honey, you're coming home with us," I said pointedly. She smiled up at me, and I took her from the bed and relocated her to the wheelchair waiting for her in the hallway.

I rolled her down the hall and out through the automatic doors to freedom. When we made it to the mansion I knew that there would be more to think about and plan before we could do any kind of changing. I also knew that we'd have to do it fast, because Bella didn't have that much time left. I helped her into the back seat of Carlisle's Mercedes and went to sit next to her on the other side while Carlisle came to sit in the driver's seat. Alice took the Volvo and we all sped off towards the house.

"Sleep now, Bells. I love you."

"I love you, too," she mumbled and fell into unconsciousness.

We were home in less than an hour, and I jumped out with Bella in my arms. At the front door I found a terrified-looking Esme and my solemn-looking brothers and sister. I raced past them and laid the other half of my soul on the couch. By the time I'd turned around, everyone was in the room.

"Okay, before we do this we need to talk about what's going to happen," Carlisle's voice rang, full of authority.

"Alright, I'm going to change her tonight. It's the only way," I informed my family.

"Are you sure you want to do it? I don't want anything to happen that you'll regret, and Carlisle can do it without problem," Esme tried to convince me.

"No. She told me that what she wanted most in the world was for me to do it. She's going to have anything she wants. I'll do it. I can do it," I'm sure I sounded more like I was convincing my self than everyone else, but that's only because I was. I had to assure myself that I wouldn't hurt her.

"Okay then. What's the story going to be. It will be too suspicious if she just disappears," Jasper chimed in.

"Well, we could tell everyone that she died, obviously. When we take her body back to the hospital, Carlisle can take care of all the details like the autopsy and things that only a doctor could do. They'll have the funeral and she'll get buried. A few days later we'll go and get her out. Take her somewhere…Like Denali. We can just tell her to play dead, I guess," Alice shrugged.

"That'll work," Emmett nodded.

"Okay, so that's the plan. Where should we do this?" I asked Carlisle.

"Here is fine. Rosalie, will you go get about three blankets and as many pillows as you can carry?" Carlisle instructed.

"Sure," she grumbled. I knew Rosalie wasn't exactly keen to the idea of us turning Bella, but this wasn't just throwing away her life. She wouldn't have a life after tomorrow if we didn't do this. She was back in a matter of seconds with the blankets and about twelve pillows. Alice spread out two of the blankets over the hardwood floors and arranged the pillows on the side. I picked Bella up and laid her gently on the makeshift bed.

"Bella? This is your last chance. Are you sure you want to do this?" I asked once more.

"Just bite me," she grumbled. I laughed a little and proceeded with telling her the plan.

"You probably won't remember this when you're done changing, so I'm going to tell you again then. But, when you're done changing, we're going to take you to the hospital and Carlisle is going to pronounce you dead. You're going to have to pretend to be dead until they lower your closed casket into the ground. We'll come back for you in about two days and then we'll go somewhere where no one will find us. Do you understand?"

She looked at me determinedly and nodded her head yes. Carlisle then showed me the places where I should bite her to make the transformation as quick and painless as possible. The first place I bit her was on her right wrist and then the left. Next was at the jugular. And lastly, right above her heart.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

She sounded like she was in so much pain that I was willing to do anything to take it away. What had I done to her? Not only had I almost killed her, because I might not have been able to stop, but I had put her in agonizing pain. Jasper was able to help a little by putting her to sleep, but it only held off the screaming for about an hour. All through the night and all through the next day I was sure that her pain would kill me. I hated seeing her in so much anguish. It wasn't fair. She didn't deserve this. She deserved to have everything good in life, but all she was getting right now was torture and I was the cause of it. I held her hand every minute of the day and through all hours of the next night. It was day three. This should be the last day, and then we'll have forever to be together. The pain will stop tonight, and I'll never have to hear her screams of pain again. I was thankful for that. Soon her pain would end.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was one thirty in the morning; over six hours since the transformation should have been complete. She screamed louder now than she had the entire time. She screamed and thrashed and kicked and twisted in the floor and then it happened. Her heart stopped beating, and she became utterly calm and silent. She opened her eyes and they were the color of crimson, so deep and bright.

She looked over at me and smiled and I couldn't help but smile back. It was over and now we had forever to be together.

I took her downstairs and everyone stared at us with wide eyes.

"What?" she asked them. Alice came over and escorted her to the nearest mirror. Now it was her that was shocked into silence. I hadn't even really looked at her yet, so I took her in from her head to her toes. She was even more beautiful than before.

Her hair was soft, smooth, and shiny. Her face was perfectly proportioned. She had a perfect hourglass figure, and a devastatingly beautiful smile. She came over to me and wrapped her arms around my torso. I followed her lead and did the same.

"You know we have to go now. They'll get suspicious," Jasper said.

Bella looked at me with confusion and I explained to her again how we had to fake her death. She looked kind of weary, but she said she understood.

Carlisle and I took her out to the car and loaded her in. When we got to the hospital we rushed her in and put her in a wheelchair we found nearby. It was then that she closed her eyes and stopped breathing. She played dead very well. Her face looked lifeless and every single one of her muscles were relaxed. I probably would be freaking out for real if I didn't know that this was all a hoax.

I went with Carlisle as they rushed her into the emergency room. They pronounced her dead on arrival, and sent her straight to the morgue. I followed Carlisle in as he went to supposedly do the autopsy. When the coast was clear I went to wake her from her fake slumber.

"Bella, sweetie you can stop pretending for now. No one's in here but Carlisle and me," I said while giving her a tiny shake. She didn't move. Her body laid still as ever, and her eyes didn't flutter open, "Carlisle, what's wrong with her?"

"I don't know," he said to me, and then turned to Bella, "Bella? Can you hear me? Bella? Bella?" Nothing. Not even a mumble or a groan.

"But she can't die. She's already changed!" I yelled. This could not be happening. She went through the transformation, she suffered the pain, and she came out immortal. How could she just die?

"I don't know, Edward. Apparently something went wrong…I'm so sorry," he apologized.

"No! I won't let it be true. It can't be! I lost her once, and it's not going to happen again," I said while shaking her more urgently now, "Bella? You wake, you hear me? Wake up!" I sobbed tearless sobs into her shoulder blade. We were so close to being happy. Why couldn't fate just let us be? It wasn't fair. She didn't deserve to die, and I didn't deserve to live after what I'd done to her. I pleaded with her lifeless body, but nothing came of it except the gut-wrenching wound in my chest that I'd felt when I left her not but seven months ago. My life was over. I couldn't take the loss of my one true love a second time around.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Author's Note: Chapter one complete! Haha. Yeah. I had this brilliant idea a few months ago, but it led to dead ends in the beginning. Today I had another brilliant idea, and this one has more of a story to it. Keep reading to find out what happens next! REVIEW PLEASE! Thanks again for reading. Updates soon.