Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

I would recommend listening to this song "Possibility" by Lykke Li while reading this chapter. Kinda sets the mood. Enjoy the weird things that go on in my mind

An Achilles' heel is a deadly weakness in spite of overall strength, that can actually or potentially lead to downfall.

Tick.

Tock.

Tick.

Tock.

Bodies ground against each other in the crowded club. In the middle of the dancers, was a woman in her late thirties. She should be at home while her eighteen year old daughter partied and lived her life, not the other way around. But that didn't matter because Renee Dwyer was the one that got them this life. Renee's daughter could be out partying, but no, she was too devastated from the death of her brother that happened just days ago. Renee knew that her Benjamin would want them to live their life, not mourn over the loss of his. That's why Renee felt no guilt.

Renee still wasn't home, and it was almost midnight. Bella sat at the edge of her green bed, in her green room, with her forehead resting on her clasped hands that sat on her knees. Bella knew that Renee wouldn't be home for another hour or two, but Bella was anxious tonight. She didn't know how her mother could be partying after the tragedy that struck five days ago. Only Renee could party the day of her son's funeral.

One Week Earlier

Bella sat curled in a ball on her couch as she flipped through the channels on her TV.

Phil and Renee were at a casino in Vegas for the weekend, so Bella had the penthouse to herself for the night. Bella had an ugly bruise underneath her eye. Phil had come home last night drunk beyond belief. Renee was spending the night with her so called "friends" before her vacation the next day. Phil had had a very rough day at work that day and needed someone to take it out on. Bella just so happened to be there at that time and place.

The ringing of the phone snapped her out of her memories. She got up, throwing the phone on the couch, and walked to the obnoxious sounding telephone.

"Hello," she answered, concerned with the unknown number on the caller ID.

"Hello, is Mrs. Dwyer there?" Nobody ever addressed Renee by that name whenever they called her.

"This is she," Bella lied. She knew that Renee wouldn't have cared that someone she didn't know called anyway.

"I am afraid to inform you that your son, Lieutenant Benjamin Swan, is in a coma at Saint Anthony's Hospital." The phone dropped from Bella's hand. She feared that one day she would get this call. Of course, she expected for him to already be dead, not hanging on by a thread. Her breath became slow and long.

Bella ran out of her apartment as fast as she could. People gave her strange looks upon seeing the panicked expression on her face. The doorman barely had enough time to open the door before she darted out and onto the busy streets of Seattle. She stood at the edge of the street, trying desperately to wave down a taxi. Luckily, a cab pulled up with an elder gentleman driving.

"Saint Anthony's Hospital, please make it quick," said Bella as her knee bounced up and down anxiously. Thankfully, the cab driver went ten miles faster than the legal speed limit. Buildings flashed before Bella's eyes as they zoomed towards the hospital. She began to bite her nails, a habit she thought she rid of years ago.

"We're here," said the cab driver as they pulled up to the hospital. Bella tossed a twenty at him and ran inside the hospital. By the time she got to the counter to she was breathless.

"Can I help you, miss?" asked the secretary behind the desk. She was an elder woman, probably in her late fifties.

"I am here to see Benjamin Swan," said Bella. The anxiety was killing her.

"What relation to him are you?" she asked. She was taking way too long.

"I am his sister," replied Bella. That's right; the sister was there, not the mother.

"Right this way," said the secretary, leading Bella down the hall to where Benjamin was unconscious.

Bella's breath caught when she saw him. He was bruised and had cuts all over his face. His right arm and leg were bandaged up, both of them broken. She sat in the seat next to him and began to sob. He was all he had. Their dad was dead and their mother was a heartless bitch. He was the one Bella would call when Phil hit her. Ben said that one day Phil would pay for what he did, but he couldn't make sure of it because he was overseas fighting.

"His condition is fatal," said a voice from the doorway. Bella looked up and saw a doctor walk in with a file in hand. He had a tired, but kind look on his face. He couldn't have been more that twenty five, maybe thirty. His pale blond hair was smoothed back and his alabaster skin was flawless.

"Will he make it?" she asked in a shaky voice. She knew the answer, but had to heat it out loud.

He sighed and said: "I am afraid not, Miss Swan." She collapsed onto the side of Ben's bed, sobbing harder than she ever had before. The doctor left promptly, letting Bella spend this time with her brother. She stayed there until they told her she had to leave. Later that night she called her mom about Ben. It went straight to voicemail.

The next day Bella found out that Ben was on life support. After talking to Ben while he was asleep and telling him how much she missed him, she told the doctors that tomorrow they could take him off of it.

The day after that, Bella returned. It was easy to tell that she hadn't gotten any sleep at all. She sat by Ben's bed, cherishing the time she had left with him.

"My baby boy!" cried a distinctive voice from behind Bella. It was her mother. Renee had false sincerity on her face as she ran over to take Ben's hand.

"Miss Swan, are you ready?" asked a nurse. Bella nodded and slowly over to the switch that would end Ben's life. All her memories of Ben flashed before her eyes. Memories such as the time when Ben made a cake for Bella when her mother forgot about her birthday. Or the time he took her to Six Flags the week before he left for Iraq five years ago. As Bella's hand neared the switch, a voice sounded out.

"Wait," cried Renee from behind her. "Don't you think I should be the one to do this? I mean, I am his mother." She couldn't be serious.

"Where have you been the last fifteen years? You have barely been around and when you are, you want to be the one to lay my brother to rest?" Bella was furious.

"I carried him for nine months; I believe I have earned the right to do as I please. And don't you forget all that I have done so you can live this extravagant life," shot back Renee. She didn't like it when people argued with her.

"Oh, you were there for him for nine months, but I have been there for him since I could talk and care. The younger sister shouldn't have to care for him the way the mother should." This was not going smoothly.

"Oh, shut up," said Phil. He was suddenly next to the dreaded switch. "I'll turn off the damned thing myself." And with that, Ben's life ended.

"No!" screeched out Bella. A heartless bastard killed her brother. "No…you can't leave me, Benny."

"He's dead, Bella. There is nothing that can bring him back," said Phil, boredom evident in his face. Bella leapt at him, repeatedly punching his fists, leaving no mark on him. "Get her the hell off of me."

Arms constricted around Bella, restraining her from trying to hurt Phil further. She yelled and struggled as she was hauled into the hallway just outside of Ben's room. Bella yelled, telling whoever was holding her still to let go. She finally gave up, looking up at the stranger's face. She was shocked to see a man that could only be described as beautiful. His eyes were the color of emeralds and his hair was the color of a freshly pressed hair. He had very noticeable, almost bulky, muscles. The look of care and sincerity in his eyes made her break down all over again. Tears streamed down her face as she collapsed against him. Bella clung to him with everything she had left in her, as if lightening her grip would make him run away. A little while later, she was out cold, escaping from this painful reality.

When she awoke, she was alone. She was in her bed, the curtains closed. It was still dark outside, which reminded her of the day's earlier events. She rubbed her eyes and opened her curtains, observing the bustling streets of Seattle. Even at night, city was filled with people. As Bella stared at the streets below, green eyes popped into her mind. Despite what happened today, she thought about him. She thought about the strong arms that held her tight, not daring to let her go.

Bella's hands moved to her hair as her internal war raged on. She thought about the funeral today. She thought about her mother's faux tears and the military gun shooting ceremony. But most of all, she thought of the lack of feeling she held the entire service. Bella contained no feeling whatsoever as people gave her their condolences. She held no resentment towards Phil as he made a speech, stating that Ben was like a son to him. The only time Bella felt a real emotion was when she saw a pair of familiar emerald eyes in the parking lot of the funeral home.

A man threw dice on a table with green fabric on it. Thin women in their twenties huddled near the man in his forties dressed in tiny dresses that were in vibrant and obnoxious colors. He was having a good night. What made it even better was that no one could voice their opinion on how morally wrong he was acting. He should be home with his wife and step-daughter, mourning the death of his step-son, not gambling and getting closer to cheating on his wife with each shot of alcohol he drank.

Bella finally arose from the edge of her bed, no longer having the patience to wait for Renee to get home. She slowly walked over to her personal bathroom. The antidote to get away from this saddening world was contained in a tiny bottle in a wooden cabinet. She retrieved her prescription meds from the second shelf of the cabinet. Bella was only suppose to take two of these pills, but suddenly six seemed great at the moment, maybe even ten.

She slowly unscrewed the cap and placed six pills in front of her. This was it, just a few more minutes and the pain would be gone.

1…

Tick. Tock.

2…

Tick. Tock.

3…

Tick. Tock.

Bella paused when she got to the fourth one. She already took one more than she should have, but that couldn't have been enough to make her go under. This was it. All of the pain and emptiness she had ever felt could end with the pill in front of her. She probably sounded like a spoiled brat, wanting to kill herself even though she had almost everything she could ever want right at her finger tips. Bella felt useless, and if you are useless to the world, what's the point in living?

She put the pill at her lips, pausing before proceeding on with her actions. The sound of a window opening in living room stopped her. But before she realized it, she shoved the pill in her mouth, hurrying for the glass of water that sat on her sink. The intruder ran into the doorway of her bathroom and she froze. It was him. Her emerald eyed mystery man was right in front of her.

"Why, Bella…" he said softly as he ran up to her, placing his hand behind her neck and the other at her waist. She shivered where she stood, but kept her jaw clenched when he held his hand up for her to spit the pill out. Then everything was black. The only things she felt in those last few moments she had before becoming completely unconscious was the heat he radiated and the breeze of the window as he took her away.

Bare with me here folks, I have never had a loved one in the military die or have taken someone off life support. And I don't have depression, so I am just going to assume that you are only suppose to take two at a time. Some things I guessed on here, but hey, it's fanFICTION. And I don't know if there is a Saint Anthony's Hospital in Seattle, but it was one of the only hospitals I could think of at the moment. I also apologize there are any minor mistakes in my writing. I don't have a beta and to be quite frank I don't really want one because I am too random for when I update, but I am hoping to change that.

Leave me some love and I will give you peeps quicker updates