A/N - I don't own twilight or the characters in any way. All credit goes to Stephanie Meyers.

Decision

Carlisle's P.O.V.

I sighed deeply as I neatly stacked the pieces of paper on top of each other. I'd finally finished my patients' reports, now all that mattered was Bella's...condition. I breathed in deeply before letting my chest fall back down as I breathed slowly back out.

Frantic footsteps could be heard charging up the stairs and then three sharp knocks sounded on my door. I knew who it was from the laboured and irregular breathing.

"Come in Edward."

The torn young man came charging into my office, his hands balled up by his sides and his lips peeled over his teeth which were barred.

"What's happened," I questioned, calmly as I could.

He hit the bookshelf I kept with his fist as he carried ranting around my personal study.

"Edward!" I shouted, my tone seeping in authority.

He stopped in his tracks, looking up at me before pacing more calmly across the width of my room.

"What's happened?"

His pained eyes locked with mine and for a minute it felt as if my chest was being pushed in with weights. I gripped onto the table in front of me as his pain finally hit me.

"It's killing her Carlisle! That thing, it's killing her," He hissed, before falling to the floor with his head in his hands.

I didn't have to think. With a reflex I couldn't control I went over to him, kneeling down in front of him and placing my hands around his wrists, pulling his hands away, so I could see his face.

"Edward," I breathed.

He didn't look up. "Tell me what to do, Carlisle."

I averted my attention to the floor before changing my position to sit next to my broken son.

"I can't." He growled, his eyes were almost murderous.

"Why?" He growled. "You're a doctor aren't you?"

Running my hands through my hair, I began.

"Yes, I am. But Edward, I don't have all the answers." He shot up, moving positions so he was standing by the door, his back to me.

"Then what's the point, hey? What's the point in you trying to help?" I walked up to him, my voice harsher than what I intended.

"Because, son, I'm not going to let her die. But of course, I can see you don't have much faith in me or anyone else for that matter." His eyes went wide as he stared at me, his mouth setting into a straight line.

"I didn't mean it like that..." I placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I know you're just...upset."

"Upset doesn't cover it, Carlisle," he retorted.

"Oh, I know," I finished.

We stared at each other long and hard, trying to find some answers in each other's eyes. My eyes reflected his, cold, distant, hard.

"Carlisle, I can't lose her." I squeezed his shoulder, running my other hand through my hair.

"I know you can't. I know far too well from past experiences that you can't."

"What am I going to do?" He repeated.

"Have you talked to Bella?" He scoffed.

"Talk to Bella? God, Carlisle, what has gotten into you? She won't listen to me, she won't acknowledge the danger she's in!"

I stepped back giving him some space.

"I know she won't," I continued.

"Then why suggest it?" He hissed.

"Because she may well change her mind," I argued.

"But she won't, she's already fallen in love with it. She won't change her mind."

He pushed past me, walking over to my desk, picking up a picture of Bella that was on my desk, kissing the glass that covered the photo.

"I know what you want Edward," I pressed on.

"Then why, why won't you help me?"

My feet shuffled underneath me uncomfortably. "Because I don't know how to go about it."

Footsteps sounded on the wooden floor as he strode up to me placing two hands on my shoulders.

"It's only an abortion!" He exclaimed.

My dead heart shattered at the word. Abortion; how could he think that?

I cleared my throat before beginning. "Abortion?" My voice seemed unfamiliarly high as I contemplated his point of view.

"Abortion," he repeated.

I felt the lines appear in between my brow as my eyebrows pulled together. Esme's photo stared innocently back at me as she sat on my desk. How could I do this to Bella when I had experienced the pain of Esme's loss nearly 90 years ago? How could I do it to Bella when Esme had experienced that tremendous amount of pain?

I couldn't.

"Edward," he cut me off.

"Don't guilt trip me, Carlisle. I know what you're going to say, and I know how Esme felt, but this isn't Esme, this is Bella, and that thing isn't human!"

"Edward," I started again. "I know this isn't about Esme, but think about the similarities in these situations." He frowned but nodded, allowing me to carry on. "Think back to all those years ago, the pain Esme went through after losing her son." I breathed in sharply. It was hard remembering my wife hurting so badly. "Abortion will cause the same amount of pain for Bella. She's already fallen in love with the baby," I finished.

"Baby? Baby?" He hissed.

"Yes, baby," I replied, a little more forcefully.

"Carlisle, if you don't do it then I'll ask someone else..."

"Who else, Edward? Who is there left to possibly ask!"

I threw my hands down from the crossed position they were in.

"Fine, I just can't understand why you enjoy her suffering," he snapped.

I breathed in, closing my eyes. "I don't enjoy this Edward, not for one second do I enjoy what's happening to her," I responded.

"Carlisle, I'm sorry." I nodded my head. "It's just...look, out yourself in my position. Imagine if it were Esme in Bella's position now, what would you do?"

I looked at him dumbfounded.

"I'd try to protect her," I answered, truthfully.

"How?"

"I don't know!" I cried.

"You won't say it, but I know you thought it," Edward answered back. "You'd abort it."

"No, I wouldn't, I couldn't!

"But you would, to keep Esme safe, you would."

I looked at my son; his eyes were burning with shame for even suggesting such a thing.

"Please, don't do this to me," I begged.

"Then in return, save my Bella like you would save Esme, please." He looked at my with such ferocity it hurt.

"Okay," I answered, defeated. "I'll try."

He looked at me, pulling me into him in a father son hug.

"Thank you, Carlisle."

I watched him shrink out of the door and down the stairs back to his wife.

What had I just done?

"Carlisle?"

I turned around to see my wife's heart shaped face, and without warning, my knees crumpled beneath me.

A/N – Another one shot that came to me today. It's a little angst between Carlisle and Edward.

Anyways, if you enjoyed, Please Review! Thanks, Katie1995 :)