Chapter 2

My eyes slowly refocused to the room I was lying in. I lifted my head slowly, but a warm hand pushed me back onto the pillow. I turned my head to see Edward sitting next to me. His face fixed into worry or anger, I couldn't tell which was which. I lifted myself up again, avoiding Edward's hand and sitting myself upright on his seat.

"So I guess vampires can go into shock." I tried to joke, but my emotions were returning after my brain remembered the reason I had fainted. I imagined a tear welling up in my eye, like when I was human, but nothing appeared. The corner of Edward's lip lifted slightly, then returned into a hard line, and looked at me with suspicion.

"I found something out when you were out" Edward said, his voice quiet and soft, "While you were...out of it, I managed to get a few small glimpses of what you were thinking, just small things before your sheild reappeared." He sighed and held my hand, "What you thought mostly of...it can't be done." He lifted his head and looked into my eyes. My mind tried to go over what I had thought? But all I know was I was thinking of Charlie, thinking of his helpless, human body lying in hospital without many visitors. Mum had tried to visit, but she is too old and vulnerable at her age to travel alone, my dad needed comfort of some sort, and not over the phone…

I suddenly remembered what it was that I wanted to do.

"Why can't I visit Charlie? I need to see him incase he doesn't pull through." I winced at the thought of my dad no longer in my life, "I've got to see him, he needs me, he'll be shocked but I'll tell him the truth, he knows something was weird with Renesemee and he accepted that, and he knows about werewolves and he accepted them too, surely he'll accept vampires, accept what I am.

"I've left home and not seen him in forty years; I can't stand me not seeing him in his last few weeks…"

"I understand Bella, but you've got to believe me when I say it wouldn't be safe. And not just visiting Charlie, but Forks in general, it might be too risky."

I sighed knowing Edward was right, but was dissapointed that I wouldn't be able to see my own father when he was possibly lying on his deathbed. "Are you sure there's no way I can see him." I whispered, internally hoping there was some sort of a chance it was possible.

Edward shook his head. But I knew what I wanted to do.

For the next two weeks I had paced around the house, focusing on nothing, barely talking to anyone, thinking solely on what was happeneing miles away on a hospital bed in Forks.

I tried to think of a way to get myself to Forks without anyone realising, but with a future-seeing psychic watching your decisions, it wasn't very easy to do.

Once Alice would have a vision of me running off to Forks, it was like the whole family tried to stop me from seeing him, bar Nessie and Jake.

I understood their reasons for me not wanting to visit Charlie, and I knew they were looking out for me. As Carlisle would constantly remind me, "I'm sure he wouldn't want you to see him in his condition, besides, you don't want your final memories of your father of him suffering, it is best if we can try and contact him by phone."

However, I didn't want my last words to him to be transmitted through a wire. He deserved much more than that from me. He had provided me with so much, supported me, and I knew when I made my decision to be a vampire, he was going to be one of the hardest to say goodbye to. I guess that counts for more ways than one now.

A few weeks had passed and it was now September, close to my birthday.

Even though no one mentioned it, it was clear everyone knew my father only had a few days left to live. And I still wanted to see him.

As the days went by, it was as though they were all wary of me and what I would decide.

Even though it was a human motion, I fidgeted, and I worried, knowing that the seconds were ticking by and time was running out.

A split decision was key for avoiding Alice. Any thought out plan would have them blocking my way out and persuading me that it was for the best. The closest I had got to escaping was reaching the garage, but Emmett had stood infront of my car with a piece of my car's engine in his hand.

It was the 11th. Two days from my birthday, and I'm not even sure how many days it'll be when...when Charlie dies.

I hadn't heard the arguing until Emmett and Rosalie walked in. Well, I guess Rosalie was arguing, but Emmett was switching between laughing to trying to calm her down.

"What happened?" I asked, bringing me out of my thoughts.

"Rose is overreacting." Emmett answered calmly, ignoring Rosalie's glare.

"I'll tell you about it in a minute Bella, could you just do me a quick favour and fetch me my tool kit from the garage, I need to get something from my room. Emmett messed up my car." She scowled at him and made her way upstairs, Emmett following behind her. I headed towards the garage and started looking for Rose's tool kit.

It wasn't until I was walking passed my car keys hanging up on the wall that I stopped frozen.

Within seconds, Rose's tool kit was left on the floor and my keys were in the ignition of my Mercedes.

My ferrari had died out a few years ago. Overuse on the speeding I guess.

I had bought a silver mercedes, it wasn't as conspicuous in a small town like Forks like the Ferrari had been. I slammed my foot hard on the gas pedal and left our garage, speeding towards the highway.

I wasn't surprised if Alice had saw my decision, but right now it was too late for anyone to stop me.

I heard Edward running in the woods besides me, shouting me, telling me to stop. I pressed harder on the pedal, the engine roaring even louder, draining out the voices I could hear telling me to stop. I even think Jacob was in his wolf form following me also, but they couldn't do anything whilst I was on the road.

I looked ahead to the road, where the forest would slowly disappear and be open land against a long, popular road. Both would have to stop eventually, especially Jacob. The forest finally passed and the open land appeared. I could hear the pleading from Edward, begging me to come home, but where I was going, this was originally my home. I ignored the pleas, and headed back to Forks.

It didn't take long before I was driving down the familiar roads towards the hospital, and parking in the hospital's parking lot.

The hospital seemed eerily familiar to me as I walked down the narrow corridors of the building. I didn't want to make my presence much of a fuss so I just listened for something which would lead me to Charlie. His voice, his name, anything…then I found him. Room 207.

I walked quickly down the corridors until I reached his room. I reached for the handle but stopped as I went to turn it.

Was I making a mistake? Could Edward have been right on me seeing Charlie at this time? I knew I wanted to see Charlie but could I cope being in the same room as my dying father?

I sighed and turned to walk away.

"Excuse me ma'am, may I help you?" A young nurse appeared out of the room a few doors down, looking at me with suspicion.

I debated just saying 'no' and then walking away, but instead went against my last decision.

"Yes, erm…is Mr Swan one of your patients by any chance?" I slowly walked to the woman, her hair was tied in a loose ponytail, her eyes were tired, as though she had had too many shifts in the ward.

"Yes, as a matter of fact I am, may I ask who you are?"

"Yes, of course I'm... Renesemee Cullen, his granddaughter." I quickly said. Bella might have been too much of a give away, surely someone would recognise my name, hopefully no one would remember what I had looked like 40 years on. "I haven't spoken to any of the Doctors since he came in, and my family keep telling me how bad he is. Is he really that bad?"

She nodded sadly. "His condition has deteriorated rapidly; there is a highly possible chance that he won't make for another day or so. I'm so sorry. I wish we could help him more. Do you happen to have contact with his daughter, Isabella?" Good job I didn't say my name then. "He has been asking whether or not she is coming."

An unexpected lump appeared in my throat, I felt like I was about to cry. I tried to look calm, but the nurse saw it in my face. "I'll try and see if I can get in touch." I choked out, my voice breaking at the end of the sentence. My new decision was final; I wouldn't let my father down, even if the consequences would be shocking. "I just need some time alone with him." I whispered, but I knew the nurse understood, and she walked away leaving me and the unopened door alone.

My hand reached out slowly and turned the handle of the door. I pushed it open slightly and a breeze of air from the room swept through into the hall. Hospital disinfectant, the usual hospital cleaning things, and then the smell of Charlie's scent. The familiar scent mixed in with all the medicines only led me to expect what I was going to see in the room.

Entering the room, my eyes were drawn immediately to the bed. It had been so long.

He lay there on the bed asleep, snoring. His body was so peaceful, but I knew deeply he was in pain. Looking at his body, I could see all the needles and drips that were sticking into him. It hurt me so much to see him like this.

Edward was right. He was always right. This image would remain in my brain forever. I shouldn't have come, and I knew I shouldn't stay.

Charlie shuffled a bit on his bed, and I froze thinking he was waking up. But once he started snoring again I felt that it was best to leave. I had seen him and that was what I sort of wanted, although deeply I hoped to talk with him, get everything out into the open. But I couldn't.

I turned around and headed back to the door, my eyes sweeping the room one last time, and then I reached for the handle.

A low, hoarse voice startled me, and left my hand frozen at the handle. "Bella?"