Summary

Isabella Swan works at a hospital, in the cancer ward. She meets Edward Cullen, lukemia patient who is respinding greatly to his radiation treatments. Edward and Bella have known eachother 3 years previous to where we join them in this story. They finally discover the love that has been hidden for so long in secrets and fear of rejection. When Edward stops responding to his radiation, Bella takes a drastic move and decides to check off all of the things Edward wants to see and do before his life comes to an end. In his final words, Edward describes the meaning of life and the afterlife to a completly distraught Bella. He tells her that he'll see her again, but that he'll always be with her anyway.

I know you all are going to hate me, but you really need to give it a chance. The ending isn't actually sad. It's really happy and I really like it. I've already written the last few chapters, so don't go on and tell me not to write it that way. Done and Done. I don't really care if you're not going to read it now, I didn't write it for specifically ypu (freindly reader) I wrote it for my sister, and i know she'll read it no mater what i write. You don't have to read it, but I think it would be unwise of you to rate it off because the good guy dies. In the end, I think you'll really like it. The ending is really sweet. I'm not going to tell you how it ends, that will be for my loyal, non judgemental readers to find out.

P.S. This story is dedicated to my big sister, Lyndsey. I hope you understand the message in the end, No matter how far away I am, you're always in my heart.

Terminal

"Evening, Nurse Swan." I heard from behind me. I turned, looking down into the sparkling green eyes of my favorite full-time patient.

"Good evening to yourself, Mr. Cullen." He was sitting in a wheel chair, a pair of pajamas on under a night coat.

"Please, how many times do I have to tell you to call me Edward?"

"Just as many times as I have to ask you to call me Bella." I smirked.

"Alright." He sighed.

"Alright what?"

"Alright, I'll call you Bella. If that's what makes you happy."

"It would be what makes me happy. What about you? What would make you happy right about now?"

"To go home." he said quickly, he'd obviously practiced those words, knowing exactly what to say if someone asked him. I felt a sudden pang of remorse for Edward. He spent his entire life in and out of the hospital.

"I'm sorry Hun. I know it's hard to be away from your family for so long." My eyebrows knit together.

"It's ok. At least I have the cutest nurse to tend on me, hand and foot." He winked at me, laughing. I just rolled my eyes.

"What the hell are you doing out of bed anyway?" I accused. It was passed midnight and he needed sleep more than anyone else I knew. I frowned down at him, my hands on my hips. Edward smiled sheepishly back up at me.

"I got lonely. I wanted to come see if you'd keep me company?" he formed it into a question at the end.

"Alright, but we may need some coffee. I'm a fairly boring person tonight."

"What time do you leave us at?" he asked, slightly disappointed that I had to leave. I glanced at the clock above the nurse's station. 12:15 A.M.

"In fifteen minutes." I stated. His face dropped. I hurried to make him smile again. "Not like I have to leave the hospital. I can still stay and visit if you'd like me to, though visiting hours have been over since nine." Edward beamed up at me and beckoned me to follow him as he wheeled himself to the cafeteria in search of coffee.

"Sup, Ed?" Spike, the part time night chef, walked towards Edward. He handed him a bowl with apple pie in it.

"Oh, come on Steven. How many times have I asked you not give anyone but staff, food after ten?" I whined at the chef. Edward glanced up while slurping a piece of apple into his mouth.

"Sorry, Spike. I didn't mean to get you in trouble man."

"It's all good." Spike nodded towards Edward and then came over to me, frowning. I had an amused look on my face as I crossed my arms over my chest.

"Ok, you quit calling me Steven, and I'll quit feeding your patients."

"Hey! No fair." Edward called from behind Spike. He knew he had me beat. I couldn't hurt Edward's feelings first of all, and I hated calling a chef 'Spike.'

"No dice." I shook my head.

"Alright then. Dig in Ed." He smiled at me and winked. I rolled my eyes again.

"Okay! Okay!" I sighed as Spike turned around. "You're forgiven Steven if you can dig me up a pot of coffee.

I went into the kitchen with Spike and found a pot of coffee and two extra-large cups for us. I took a big sip of plain black. It wasn't as good as when it had milk in it but I was too tired to care. I walked out of the kitchen – coffees in hand – to find Edward balancing on the two back wheels of his chair.

"You know you don't really need a wheel chair." I yelled towards him.

"SHIT!" Edward jumped and lost control of his chair, he flew out of it while the chair fell over. He obviously hadn't heard me coming. The chair was lying beside Edward who was spread eagled on the floor. The first few times this had happened I had run with full speed towards the accident. I was now confident that boys and things with wheel should often be kept separate.

Edward stood up, rubbing his backside, and placed the chair on all fours again.

"I know," he grinned at me, and adorable, breathtaking uneven smile. "But you always walk so damned fast I need it if I want to keep up with you." He frowned, but laughed. I laughed with him.

"You alright there big guy?" I teased. He turned towards me and stuck his tongue out. This just made me laugh harder. Edward walked towards me made sure the lids were tightly stuck on the coffees. I tried to pass him one.

"You hang onto it for a minute. Hang on tight k?" He winked.

"What?" I asked, confused.

Edward grabbed me behind the knees and back and picked me up. I protested, but could do nothing with my hands due to the coffee. He sat me in the wheel chair and started towards his room. I crossed my legs and frowned.

"You know, carrying around a nurse all day cannot be good for your health." I told him as he walked slowly back to hall where his room was.

"Nope, nothing wrong with me. Healthy as a horse." He said, smiling wide.

"Hospital records tend to prove you wrong there."

"Just because I have leukemia, doesn't mean I'm sick. Sure Cancer can be perceived as an illness. I kind of see it more as an entrapment. I'm stuck at this hospital for days and sometimes weeks, even though I've never felt better." He was scowling at the hall ahead of us when I looked up into his face. "At least I have a totally hot nurse to imprison with me." He laughed and patted my head. I just rolled my eyes at him. He was a patient, I couldn't think of him that way.

The pat on my head turned into a slight caress of my cheek. I knew I should have leaned away, I knew I shouldn't have led him on. Despite my better judgment, I leaned into his hand and closed my eyes.

He pulled his hand away a few minutes later and I opened my eyes, realizing we were in his room.

"Would you like me to carry you to the bed nurse Swan? Or do you think you can handle it on your own?" He teased me. His face looked amused, but I thought I saw a hint of hopefulness in it.

"I'll be alright. Thanks though." I said, struggling to get out of the chair while still balancing the coffees. He laughed as he watched me fumble around ungracefully in the chair, and came over, pulling me up into a standing position.

Edward plopped down on his bed and held his hand out for the coffee. I handed it to him and he popped the lid off, taking a long sip.

"Who's idea was it to give me coffee at midnight?" He asked me.

"Hmm… I have no idea. I'm sure I'm to blame though somewhere or other. Wasn't very responsible as a nurse of me was it?" I frowned sarcastically.

"Not at all." He muttered, and then turned his head toward me, that same intoxicating, crooked grin plastered across his face. "But I'll forgive you this time."

"Gee, thanks." I smiled at him. Edward patted the end of his bed, beckoning me to come and sit with him. Could I do that? I could do that. I could sit on a patients bed. There was nothing against those rules. I sat carefully on the end of his bed, careful not to jostle him or hurt him in anyway. He took my cup out of my hand and set it with his on the bed side table. I looked at him questioningly. Edward just pointed towards the digital clock on his dresser across the room. It was 12:37.

"Looks like you just got off shift." He said smiling. I thought he meant that I was going to leave right away.

"Well you know, I could stay for a little while longer. I don't have to work tomorrow. So it wouldn't be all—" He cut me off.

"Bella, I know you're going to stay for a while longer." He told me with a smile.

"Then what?" I asked, confused now more than I was before.

He answered by grabbing my waist and pulling me closer to him. I pushed away at first, looking right into his emerald green eyes.

"What are you doing?" I asked, not accusing, but truly curious.

He just pulled my hands away from his shoulders and pulled me onto his lap. He whispered into my ear and I shivered, "Something I really should have done a long time ago."

He held my face between his hands and lowered his mouth to mine. I didn't resist him this time, like I should have.

It wasn't an urgent kiss, it was slow and sweet. Like he really meant it. My heart exploded as I kissed him, pounding harder in my chest. I'm sure if I had been hooked up to the ECG it would have been going fast enough to be considered a stroke.

Edward pulled away from my mouth, but placed his lips on my cheek, then on my jaw. I sat, completely stunned. He moved his face up to look me in the eyes. I was dazed and I knew there must have been glazed look in my eyes.

Edward smiled and laughed once – more of an amused breath than a laugh. I shook my head a few times to clear it then looked into his perfect face. There was something I wasn't supposed to do but I couldn't think of what it was now. There had been something I wasn't allowing myself to do, something that I had just done. I felt guilty, but honestly had no idea why. Edward was still smiling down at me.

"W… What?" I stammered, dazed and confused ever more.

"Bella, you know how I feel about you right?" he asked, his face a little more serious now.

"No?" it was almost a question.

He sighed and said, "Bella, I've really liked you for a very long time now. I thought I was being obvious." He snorted to himself and tightened his grip on my waist. "I can see now you're slightly harder to persuade than I originally thought."

He was serious. I knew he was, because, as much as I didn't want to admit it. I felt the same way. I'd known him for the 3 years he'd been a patient at this hospital. I'd watched him, and helped him whenever he was sick. He'd always been there. I'd always thought of him as my favorite patient. He was more than that. I had suddenly realized… he was my best friend. And now, he wanted more than that? Could I give that to him? Could I spend my life with him?

I already knew the answer to all these questions, of course I did. He really was my best friend. He really was the reason I stayed late and woke up early just to get to the hospital. He really was someone I could see having a future with.

Edward was staring at me expectantly. Waiting for me to tell him how I felt, good or bad. I didn't know what to say, I didn't know how to say it. Instead I just nestled into his chest, resting my head on his shoulder. I felt him breathe a sigh of relief and hug me in closer to him. He kissed my hair and ran his finger tips up and down my arm.

"So where to go from here?" he asked me, just a whisper.

"Out." I said simply.

"Out?"

"Outside, you know… like flowers, malls, roads." I teased.

"Oh. But what do you mean?" He was confused, it was cute.

"Exactly what I said, out. I'm taking you out tomorrow." I smiled into his chest at the thought of the words I'd just said.

"Oh… are you now?" he laughed silently and shook his head.

"Yep."

"Well, what if I'm the one who wants to take you out?" he asked, sarcastic and serious at the same time.

"Can't happen."

"Oh? And why's that?"

"Because I'm the one who has to sign the release form." I gave him a wicked little smile and then returned my head to his shoulder.

He laughed louder and hugged my into him. We sat there for a long time. When I finally remember that I had gotten coffee, it had cooled so I let the tired over come me.

I had tried to get up to leave at around two, but he wouldn't let me move.

"I've only just gotten you right where I've wanted you so bad. I'm not letting go anytime soon you know." He had told me.

I let him hold me, thinking I'd wait till he fell asleep to make my escape. He started to hum a lullaby in my ear and I fell asleep in his arms. That was the first night I dreamt about Edward Cullen. He was standing on a dance floor in a handsome tuxedo. I glided forward, more gracefully than I'd ever moved in my life. I caught my reflection in a mirrored wall behind Edward. I was in a floor length blue ball gown. It had a halter top and a large rhinestone set in the center of the chest. The dress flowed out at the waist and parted to the side, revealing a slip of blue lace and more stones. It was a breathtaking dress. Edward smiled down at me and held out his hand. I knew I couldn't dance, but tonight I was just so graceful I thought maybe I could.

He took my hand, and I realized I was wearing a pair of elbow length gloves, the same color as my dress. He twirled me to the music that I hadn't noticed was playing in the background. We danced for what seemed like hours, never getting tired. My feet should have been aching in the three inch heels I wearing but they didn't hurt at all.

Edward held me close during a slow song and leaned down to whisper in my ear. "I love you Bella." He told me.

"I love you too, Edward." I mumbled into his chest.

"Bella?" He said, but it wasn't the Edward in my dream, it was the one who was holding me close in reality.

"Bella, did you just say what I think you said?"

Ok so here we go. Longish chapter. I was going to include the next day… but this ran on for longer than I thought it would already, so here we are.

Let me know what you guys think. Thanks for reading! :)

Jamie