A/N: Once again I own nothing but my plot. Sniff
Chapter 1 – It begins…
"Hey dad"
Nineteen year old Duncan Kane was the image of grace, success and a dad. He was strolling down the aisle of the international airport in Los Angeles pushing a large carriage with suitcases and a toddler named Lily on top sitted in her pink baby carrier like a queen on her throne.
"Son"
His father, Jake Kane was all smiles as he saw his son for the first time in more than a year. Thirteen months ago, Duncan had gone from golden son of Neptune and the son of the No1 computer software king to illegal immigrant and baby kidnapper. No one cared if the baby was his own and no one asked 'why' he did it. All it mattered was that he did.
Now he was back to California, all charges dropped as two weeks after the death of Aaron Echols (that Duncan had ordered from Australia) someone had tragically set the Manning house on fire killing both Mr. and Mrs. Manning (his father's call).
Case closed.
Duncan clasped arms with his father whose stoic expression had left him the same time his wife did. Unhappy with not being in the center of attention Lily started fussing in her seat and only quietened when Duncan laughed and hoisted her up in his arms. Happily lily began playing with her daddy's lip.
"Dad, meet lily"
Jake smiled genially and extended his pinky finger to the bubbly toddler. Lily looked the finger as if it was alien and extended her chubby hands to him giggling. Jake lifted the baby in his arms laughing.
"Papa!"
The small toddler exclaimed
"Takes a lot after her namesake?"
"That's an understatement"
Duncan laughed and followed his father to the car.
"How's mom?"
Duncan asked he secured the car seat to the car and buckled lily in.
"Don't know, don't care."
His father replied revving the engine. Shaking his head Duncan got in the car and the two began driving towards Neptune sharing the news of the last year. Jake had divorced his wife and returned to Neptune. Duncan had gone to college in Australia where he hid for the past year and was busy hitting the waves and raising his baby girl.
"Are you back for good?"
"That's the idea. Don't you think it's better to raise Lily here?"
Duncan asked rhetorically. However his jovial mood was replaced with sheer honesty and fear as the car was parked in the garage of the biggest mansion in the '09 code.
"There is another reason I brought lily home dad"
"What is it Duncan?"
"Lily's sick"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Scene Breaker*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
In a small two bedroom house in Forks an eighteen year old girl was sitting on a chair with her vampire best friend and soon-to-be sister-in-law standing behind her. Bella, the girl in the chair, was reading her favorite book as Alice pulled and grabbed on her long hair, trying on some different hairstyles for Bella's upcoming wedding to her brother.
In the living room that was connected with the kitchen Bella's father was sitting on the sofa cleaning his service gun. His hands were running over the parts of the gun as his deep brown eyes were trained on his daughter's equally brown ones. Charlie wondered how her best friend couldn't see the annoyance in them every time she pulled too hard and his daughter winced.
"Alice, enough!"
Bella shouted when the pixie pulled too hard and ripped a lock of hair. Alice didn't flinch as she kept twisting lock after lock of hair
"You should really begin to..."
"Stop!"
Bella said slowly and clearly rubbing the tender part of her skull that missed a lock of hair trying to sooth the pain. Alice's eyes turned backwards in their sockets as the doorbell rang.
Charlie made a beeline for the door suddenly worried from the silence coming from the kitchen. Alice had been there four hours already and she hadn't stopped talking until the pulled hair incident. He had always liked Alice but lately, as they approached Bella's wedding day, the short girl was becoming more and more obsessed with the wedding. She was truly insufferable. Judging by his daughter's reaction today, maybe it would be a good idea for her to visit Renee for a few days.
Get out of Forks before she ended up strangling Alice. He'd hate to have to put cuffs around her wrists on her wedding day. With a chuckle to himself at the mental image of Bella thanking him for stopping the ceremony, he opened the door.
"Hello Charlie, is Bella here?"
"Yeah, come on in Carlisle"
He ushered the younger man inside. Carlisle was Alice's adoptive father and also a vampire even though Charlie never knew that last part. The two men took a seat in the small and homey living room and Bella was summoned. She was a little scared when Alice didn't 'wake up' from her vision soon but she shrugged it off as something that had to do with her wedding. The way Alice was obsessed with it; someone would think it was Alice's wedding! She had assigned the wedding preparations to Alice but now she was regretting it. The wedding was turning to be a huge charade when all she wanted was a small ceremony with friends and family!
"Hello Carlisle"
She greeted the older man with a smile, still rubbing the back of her head. Predictably Carlisle's eyes zeroed on her actions and she blushed a little
"Alice went on a little too curl happy"
She deadpanned with a faint hint of accusation on her tone. Carlisle sighed annoyed. It was obvious to everyone but Alice and Edward that the wedding was being blown out proportions. But that wasn't why he had visited the human girl
"Is it true you are a blood donor Bella?"
"Yes, why?"
She asked puzzled
"Would you be willing to donate bone marrow as well?"
Carlisle asked hopeful. Bella nodded immediately. Alice's eyes focused.
"No"
She whispered too low for anyone but Carlisle to hear her. He ignored her.
"There is a baby in California. She needs marrow. Your HLA types are very similar."
"How do you know that?"
Charlie asked putting his hand on Bella's arm. Alice kept repeating 'no' slowly in the background.
"Your marrow was in the system when you donated in Phoenix. They tested it but the baby needs fresh marrow"
Bella nodded. Her blood type was very rare, she knew that. It would make sense that her marrow type would be rare too. Not that she was a doctor, she simply trusted her soon-to-be maker.
"Okay"
Bella said simply. Charlie smiled at his daughter proudly. Alice shouted then seeing the result of Bella's decision in the back of her eyelids
"No Carlisle!"
The vampire doctor sighed in annoyance but it was Charlie who spoke.
"Alice?"
"Yes, Charlie?"
She asked with a charming smile that usually turned Charlie to mush for her and granted her every wish. Not this time
"No one asked you"
The man deadpanned causing both Carlisle and Bella to chuckle under their breaths.
"Come by the hospital tomorrow morning. I need to test you and see if you're physically ready and prescribe some medicine for the transplant"
"Alright"
Bella replied.
"Do you want to stay and watch the game?"
Charlie asked Carlisle but the man shook his head.
"I have to go back to the hospital. Another night maybe"
Carlisle refused politely. Alice glared at everyone but no one paid any attention to her. Carlisle hid his smile and made sure to hide his thoughts as he steered his daughter out of the house.
Nothing had to change this, neither Alice nor Edward.