Yay! I finally got this story uploaded! This idea has been in my head for ages now and I finally had the time to write it all down. Of course, I don't think I would have had the guts to upload it if not for the wonderful Bry (my Beta) having read and corrected this chapter for me. She is absolutely amazing and a big thanks to her for helping me get this edited. I am eternally grateful! :D

Quick info: This story is on an uploading schedule. Every Monday my writing will be edited and then every Friday it will be uploaded, unless I've said otherwise.

Also, I will say this only once: I do not claim to own the Twilight Saga or Stephenie Meyer's brilliant characters, I only claim the following idea and writing.

Chapter 1:

It had been ten years since I had last visited my father. Ten years since I had stepped foot inside the town lines of dismal Forks, Washington. And while I'd like to accept (as so many others do) that the reason for this was because life had just gotten too hectic to tear myself away, somehow I know that this would not be the truth. Instead the reason for my lack of social exhibitions here is solely due to a history of mine that I'd like rather to forget all together. Banishing myself from the small town seemed my only way of escape and selfish as the choice had been, it was mine to make and that's exactly what I had done. I had abandoned my father and returned to Pheonix to live with my mother and her (then new) husband Phil.

So maybe now you're wondering why it is that I've decided to return to Washington if my original intentions had always been to bury it in my past. Honestly, I haven't any idea. To simply explain what was going through my head when I arranged for the flight would be extremely difficult and I'm not even sure that it would be possible to do; my thoughts had been so chaotic. The fact of the matter was that regardless of my previous qualms this always seemed like the right thing to do and no matter how late I was in doing so, it was time that I face up to what I had left behind. Well that and the phone call I received earlier yesterday morning that had me packing my bags.

May 22, 2003

The screen of my laptop alight with my open desktop, deadened only seconds after having been turned on. I refused to let myself panic quite yet, assuming that the cord that allowed electrical fuses to charge the computer's battery hadn't been properly plugged in. After all, I had been notorious for doing so.

Inspecting the back of the laptop and finding that each cord had indeed been hooked in properly I finally allowed myself to slip into full-crisis mode. What was I going to do now? I pressed the power button anxiously, willing it to make that familiar humming sound that it did every time that it turned on. But it refused to purr to life. It remained dead on my desk.

This computer was my lifeline. Not in the nerdy way that I needed it to check out the latest updates on a video game or whatever the hell it was that nerds did, but in the way that my job and financial stand-point literally depended on it. Penning articles for the daily newspaper or anything else that came my way was my only mean of survival. I didn't know anything else because I had chosen to remain oblivious to it all. I was contented in the society that I lived in, buying a house and car. Two things that I hadn't quite imagined for myself. I had always been the rental kind of guy, you know the man that never tied himself down and all of that had changed once money started pouring in. Although, I can't say that I minded it much either. My financial means were far greater than I had ever imagined possible for the small-town boy that I had always been.

Thanks to my move back to Phoenix and my years in high school, I had been able to reinvent myself and if I had to say so, the changes I had made weren't entirely that bad. But now, this computer with my latest works and priceless articles refused to return from the land of the dead and I would have to start over. There goes lunch with Tanya, I thought crudely. She would bite my head off for sure if I stood her up again, but what choice did I have?

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" I fumed, my fingers winding themselves through my tangled hair. There would be no winning today.

A blue flickering light alerted me to my phone, previously silenced when it took it upon itself to try and coax me out of bed. I removed it from its perch on my nightstand and held it to my ear gingerly.

"What?" I barked into the receiver.

There was only silence coming from the other end, likely due to my informal answer. I breathed deeply, exhaling only when I felt calm enough to speak again.

"Hello? Is anyone there?"

Finally a small feminine voice was made audible.

"Um...Er, Edward Masen?" the woman asked hesitantly. I sighed. Probably just another telemarketer. Then again, I don't remember telemarketers knowing your name prior to calling you, either.

"This is him." I replied stiffly.

"My name is Isabella Swan," the woman-Isabella-said lightly, "I'm...A friend of your father's-Carlisle. Esme would have liked to have called but she hasn't been able to and she wanted to know if I might." Okay?

So Isabella was a friend of Carlisle's, but also Esme's if she was willing to hunt down Carlisle's bastard son at her request. She seemed unsettled speaking to me over the phone, hesitant and withdrawn as though she were undecided about something and rather than come right out and say whatever was requested of her she chose to prolong it. But I wasn't having any of that. I had other more serious issues to mull over, I would not have her occupy the dwindling time I had left to do so.

"Look Isabella, there's a reason for you calling me, I don't doubt that so why don't you just come right out and say it, hmm? Otherwise I have work that needs tending to..." I suggested meekly.

Again there was a long pause from the other end. She was obviously calling me out on my bluff. She had me curious and with that, I would not hang up until I knew her reason for having had called in the first place. Instead I trudged over to the fridge sleepily, pulling a water bottle from a shelf. I drank from the bottle greedily, the cold water awakening my senses and soothing my throat, husky and dry from lack of H2O.

"It's Carlisle-," she said abruptly, "he's sick. Very sick and we don't know how much longer he has." The water I had been about to swallow suddenly became inhaled, spiraling down my throat and causing my chest to erupt in a coughing fit. This was a joke, a cruel, sick, malicious-

"-Bella did you get a hold of-Oh, so you did." Esme's voice had suddenly joined Bella's on the other line.

When the coughing finally subsided I was able to think rationally again. This wasn't right. Carlisle was a surgeon and a hell of a good one at that. He had always been healthy, extremely so. He was not just a surgeon either, but the dad that had fended off my nightmares, the one who held me when I cried, healed my wounds, shown me compassion, taught me life lessons and whom always somehow found the time to encourage me in my life dreams. Yes things had changed and I was no longer the son that I had once been to him, but my feelings towards him had not wavered since I left.

To imagine all the time that I had wasted apart from him now, only just realizing that every minute gone by was one less that I would never be able to reclaim with him. I was losing him and I had not even taken advantage of what time I did have with him. I had left him behind, never given him a second thought, never contacted him again and now he was dying. His days were numbered, his time limited and I was now currently on the furthest part of the country from him. And to think that I had actually believed my laptop to be the most troubling dilemma today. Oh how I hated being wrong.

"Bella," I said, calling her by the name that Esme had used. 'Isabella' was truly just a mouthful in that moment, "Would you mind passing the phone over to Esme? I'd like to speak with her."

"Er, she's kind of busy right now...Hang on a second."

Bella still seemed unsure; either of me or of herself I didn't quite know. There was a rustling sound and then a loud clambering in my ear. "Shoot." I heard someone mutter.

"Hello? Edward are you still there?" Bella called into the receiver.

I rolled my eyes. She had dropped the phone, inadvertently dropping me.

"Yes, I'm still here. Where's Esme?" I asked anxiously. I didn't have the time for this, I needed to know how serious Carlisle's condition was before I could assess what it was that I needed to do first. Regardless it seemed that I would not be staying in sunny Miami for much longer.

There was a muffling sound and I knew that the phone was finally being passed to the person I wanted most to speak with in
that moment.

"Edward, thank you for staying on the line" Esme sighed.

"Of course, Esme. Now what's going on with Carlisle? What's wrong?"

Again there was a long silence following from the other end and I began to worry that Esme had returned the phone to Bella. I wanted direct answers and I had a despairing feeling that Bella would not be capable of delivering them to me.

"Just come home. I don't know how long he has left. Come home." She breathed shakily into the phone before the line
disconnected all together.

Present:

My fingers clenched tightly around my coke-filled plastic cup. It was easier to think when I had caffeine and sugar in my system and there was no better time to think than on a six hour plane ride back to Forks.

It still seemed unbelievable to me that my father could be sick. Perhaps it was because I still saw him as my immortal super-hero, as I always had growing up. How could he do this to me? How could he leave me without another person to rely on? He was the only person I could ever count on, even when I distanced myself I had always known that he would be there. But now, it felt as though he were betraying me, officially leaving me alone in the world.

I sat in my isle seat of the airplane, looking idly out the window from across the way. It was night out, the sky a dark black without even a solitary star lighting the way. It was strange not to see them, I thought.

"Excuse me, sir." A very annoyingly nasal feminine voice drew me out of my concentration. I turned reluctantly to face the source from which it had come.

The woman who had beckoned for my attention was leaning mere inches away from my face, her fresh mint breath barading my senses and causing my eyes to water. Her own eyes, a subtle hazel tone stared back at me unabashed, waiting for some sort of response from me no doubt.

"Can I help you?" I asked stiffly.

She pulled herself back, becoming aware of my hostility towards her and it was then that I noticed she wasn't just some random woman. Her dark blue skirt and shirt (although unbuttoned unprofessionally low) hinted to the fact that she was a flight-attendant. Well that and the small name badge that she bore on her left shoulder. Jessica Stanly, it read in 12pt. Times New Roman. What can I say, I know my fonts. That's not ridiculous at all...

"I just noticed that your drink ran out. Would you like another coke? Or maybe some water?"

This drew my attention for sure. I hadn't remembered drinking the rest of it, let alone taking that first sip. God was I losing it. Maybe caffeine wasn't such a great idea then.

"I'll just take a water, please" I replied more kindly now.

Jessica lifted her right hand thus revealing to me an unopened water bottle that she had thought to carry with her. Looking around I noticed that she was the only flight attendant currently out with the passengers and looking around; I was the only passenger whom had received her rather undivided attention. She was certainly going out of her way on this one.

"Here you are. And I'll just take that," She said as she leaned over closely to remove my cup from my hands. I couldn't help but noticed that in doing so she had studiously revealed more of herself to me than I would have liked for her to, as her cleavage was mere inches from my wandering eyes. I shook my head stubbornly and forced myself to look anywhere, at anything other than her. She was just like every other woman out there. She wanted my attention and if I looked she would continue pursuing me.

"Now if there's anything you need...anything at all," She emphasized, "Don't hesitate to get my attention."

If that was the case I wouldn't finish my water until after I had left the plane. This lady was nothing more than arrogant, annoying and pushy. I wouldn't mind if I didn't hear her voice again. But Carlisle and Esme had always instructed me to be kind and courteous no matter the circumstance and I couldn't very well tell her that I would not be seeking her out regardless of her efforts. Even so I assumed she only would have heightened her efforts. She seemed like the kind of woman who either got what she wanted or would die trying.

"Don't worry, I won't" I whispered silkily.

She purred at my response and I had to work to keep from gagging. Would she ever leave?

"Er, excuse me miss?" The gentleman muttered from behind her. To him I would be eternally grateful.

Jessica winked at me over her shoulder before turning her attention over to him instead. Of course it didn't help that her ass was still sticking out further than was necessary in my direction but that much could be ignored a lot easier. I sank further into my seat praying that if I remained still and silent enough, that I would become invisible and everyone would go on their merry way without acknowledging my unlucky existence. That was when a new thought occurred to me. We were high enough now that I could turn on my cell phone again.

I didn't want to call anyone, figuring there were too many people around me to overhear my conversation so I settled on texting. Esme wasn't big on it but I knew that as long as I were trying to contact her she would reply or at the very least, have Bella do so for her.

I flipped my phone open and began keying in my message.

What does Carlisle have?
-E

Esme had neglected to tell me as much the last time we had spoken and now that I the time to ponder over it, I wanted to know what it was that I would have to face when I got there. I didn't want to step into a battle field without knowing first, what the cause was. I wouldn't enter their house blindly. My fingers tapped impatiently on the armrest waiting for a response. The phone vibrated and I couldn't help that my heart lurched in my chest from it.

Esme can't talk. It's Bella.
-B

At least she thought to tell me who I was speaking to but that still hadn't answered my question. I wanted to know what was wrong, what could possibly be affecting Carlisle so entirely. I wouldn't let her avoid my inquiring.

Bella then. What's wrong with Carlisle?
-E

I took a sip from my water this time as I waiting anxiously for her response.

"Excuse me, sorry for bothering you again." Dammit! Why was I not allowed even a moment of peace? Why did I have to be on a plane with the one person persistent enough to bother me the entire flight? I groaned inwardly at my own current misfortune. Never again would I fly United for fear of another run in.

"Yes, Jessica?" I asked. My voice was low so as to keep from revealing my annoyance. I would not be rude to this woman. Not yet, anyway. As for later, I could not make any promises. Besides, the phone in my hand began to vibrate again signaling Bella's reply.

"I forgot to get your name the first time."

This employee was certainly going above and beyond the call of duty. My name was of no necessity to her career but apparently that didn't matter. I knew hers and now she demanded to know mine before she would ever leave me alone to my thoughts.

"It's Edward."

Hopefully now that she had achieved what she wanted, she would go on her way without giving me a second's consideration. Oh how wrong I was.

Jessica pulled a slip of paper from inside the top of blouse and held up the pen that was cradled in her left hand. She then uncapped the top with her teeth before she began to scribble her scrawl across it. I watched her resigned to whatever she was doing, likely leaving me her number as though I would actually consider dialing it.

"Well then Edward," She purred, "Here's my digits. Call me later? I'll be thinking about you..."

She held out the paper to me and I looked at it reluctantly. Don't take it. She'll expect you to call. Don't take it. My thoughts screamed at me, but how could I decline from her offer without insulting her? Or embarrassing myself? I reached out my hand hesitantly. Do not take that piece of paper! It came from inside her blouse for God's sake! I took it regardless of my apprehension to do so, seeing it as the fastest way to get her to leave.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have an important conversation to tend to" I said icily. I couldn't help it anymore, I didn't want her company.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry for interrupting. Call me, babe." Would there ever be an end to her advances?

I flipped my phone back open eagerly awaiting Bella's response. It would be better than conversing with the flight attendant.

Esme thinks it's best if you find out when
you're off the plane. I'm sorry Edward...
-B

Of course she would relay mt messages to Esme. That didn't help me in get what I wanted in the least.

Bella you'd never believe what I'm going
through here. Please tell me.
-E

The plane shook wildly and I clung to my armrest in surprise. The flight caption came over the intercom immediately, "Sorry folks, brace yourselves for turbulence." My experiences were suddenly making me rethink flying again in the future. Ever. This was in no way what I had been anticipating when I booked my flight.

It was about time you replied. I thought
something might have happened.
-B

Ugh! If only she knew the half of it. Although it wouldn't hurt to elaborate for her either.

Pushy flight attendant slipped me her #.
-E

The response this time was nearly instantaneous.

Lol. Was she pretty?
-B

Does it matter? She was annoying
and unprofessional.
-E

Of course it matters. I'd say she's pretty.
And confident.
-B

Pretty confident maybe. Not my type really.
-E

Oh? And just what exactly is your type then
Mr. Cullen?
-B

I grinned at her blatant playfulness. She didn't know me in the least and yet she didn't mind conversing with me through text anymore than she did jibing at me and I welcomed it entirely. Somehow I felt more at peace conversing with her although perhaps that had something more to do with the current circumstances than anything. Either way I couldn't say I minded.

The passenger across the aisle looked at me curiously and although I owed him no explanation for my sudden change in moods I held up the phone in my hand.

"Ah, a lady back home?" He assumed, "I'm missing mine greatly too although I don't have the same luxury of texting her. I forgot to charge my phone last night and now it's dead."

He held up his phone for good measure and I smiled at him sympathetically.

"My name's Edward by the way."

"Yeah, I heard you telling that flight-attendant. She's quite pushy isn't she? I guess she can't take a hint, even ones as obvious as yours" he held out his hand towards me and I took it gladly, "Emmett."

I turned my attention back to the phone to type a quick reply,

I'll tell you when I find her.
-E

"Who is she? A girlfriend? Fiance?" Emmett asked I returned the phone to my pocket.

"Neither. I don't even know her."

He cocked an eyebrow at me curiously at I sighed.

"My father's sick and as I far as I know she's a friend of his and is staying with him and his wife. Or at least visiting them frequently."

"But you like talking to her, clearly." he said teasingly.

"I do actually. She's a welcome distraction right now, especially when there's a pushy woman around. Thank you for early, by the way." I said gratefully. Had it not been for this man Jessica would have been bombarding me with questions by now.

"No problem. I used to go to high school with her back home in Forks. What can I say? It really is a small world out there."

I mentally cringed at the idea of spending four years of schooling in any close proximity with her. I doubted she was any less pushy in her teen years than she was currently. Perhaps even more so. And yet, Emmett didn't seem bothered by her in the least. Which I assumed was something that came from his experience. The all-knowing look in his eyes told me that this must have been the right assumption.

My phone began to vibrate again and I removed it from my pocket all too eagerly awaiting Bella's response. Emmett chuckled from across the way.

"You look 'bout as excited as a lonesome puppy when a child picks up a toy to play with him."

"." I said rather unenthusiastically.

It's a deal then.
-B

Great. Suddenly I began to regret ever telling her that I would inform her of the woman of my type when I had discovered her. With her response typed I snapped the phone shut and held it in my hand tightly, deciding that were I to get no further information from her, I would not respond anymore.

How the hell had we gotten into talking about my type of woman when I had asked her what was wrong with Carlisle? It didn't make sense that we could get so thoroughly distracted from the main subject at hand. Bella seemed to sense the process of which my thoughts had taken as my phone vibrated a second time.

Carlisle has a tumor. He has a tumor
and it's not treatable anymore.
-B

I took a sharp intake of breath at her words. Carlisle was supposed to be the healthy immortal surgeon that I had always imagined him to be. He wasn't supposed to be lying on his death bed all due to a tumor that had likely been no more than two inches long. It seemed as though it could have been removed, or at least treated to a better state. It didn't make sense that he could be dying over something so measly.

"Dude? Edward, are you alright? You're paler than a ghost." Emmett asked presently, waving his hand in front of my face. I couldn't talk, couldn't speak so instead I surrendered my phone over to him knowing that I had left my latest text open on the main screen.

"Wait, your father's Carlisle? You're talking to Bella?"

Alrighty then, that's the end of chapter 1! Sorry for the slight cliff hanger there, but I thought it seemed an appropriate place to end. Please take the time to tell me what you think and remember: Reviews = Love!

~Ash