A/N: Hello wonderful people. I'm super happy today and very humbled by the response this story has received. I have no words to thank you. What a way to come back to writing! Seriously guys, thank you for reminding me how awesome writing can feel. I'm full of energy and the plot bunnies have returned with a vengeance. In fact, I already have four chapters in of my next story. Since you all really seem to like this one, I have decided to expand it a few chapters as well. I don't have a set schedule but I'm going to do my best to post at least once a week.
Sarcastic Bimbo is my wonderful Beta and Pre reader who has been a tremendous support for this story. She helps me make this legible for you all and for that I will be forever grateful. She is truly my shining star.
I also want to thank Titter Ritter for her endless support and encouragement. She has been with me since the beginning and although she won't be directly involved with this story, her friendship and kindness always inspire me, so this is also for her.
Hope you enjoy this!
Jasper was released from the hospital within two hours of his arrival. He felt bad that he had wasted the precious time of the medical professionals that had worked on him when he knew he didn't have any severe injuries, but for some reason he couldn't bear to leave Ms. Brandon alone in the middle of all that chaos.
As soon as they were out of the water and the burly paramedic began to work on Edward, she began to shake uncontrollably and even emptied her stomach. He watched her as she stared at the scene around her and cried silently. Her face was lovely, even in such circumstances her beauty couldn't be ignored, not even the mascara running down her face could mar it. She looked terrified and he wished he could somehow soothe her fear, reassure her somehow, but his arms were full with the injured girl and he didn't think Ms. Brandon would appreciate him disrupting her while she was struggling.
Moments later as the paramedics on the boat treated her injuries he overheard them say she was going to have to be taken in as the cuts on her feet needed stitches. It was then that he decided to pretend to be a bit dizzy so that they would take him in as well, hoping he could watch her from afar and make sure she was safe until her family arrived. After all, she had risked her life to save a total stranger so it was only fair that someone watched over her safety.
Arriving to the hospital was like watching a Hollywood movie. The kind where the world is falling apart and there aren't enough resources to help everyone. Injured people lay on every surface available: counters, desks, tables, chairs, all over the floor and even on top of water fountains. There were doctors and nurses running around carrying supplies from one place to another trying to help everyone at once. He saw people who could still move aiding those who couldn't, and that's when the events of the day finally hit him.
He had fallen from a fucking bridge.
By all logical estimation, he should be dead but he wasn't. He was alive. Alive to see his mother again, to spare her the nightmare of burying her only child left. Alive to… what?
He had no idea why he was alive. He didn't really have a life. All he did was work and drink and then work some more. His life was nothing special. Why had he survived?
"Don't do that!" A sweet voice pulled him out of his thoughts.
Ms. Brandon.
"Pardon me, Ma'am," he said in his heavy Texas country accent, feeling like a fool for even daring to address her. She was so beautiful and classy, he had no business talking to her but she had addressed him and he was nothing if not a gentleman. "May I ask what is it that I'm doing?"
"You have a look on your face that tells me you're wondering why you survived," she responded almost angrily.
Jasper was surprised and a little unnerved that she could tell what was going through his head, he was a private man and did his best to keep people from his business by always keeping his feelings guarded. Yet, this woman had the power to disarm him with one look.
"I can't help it," he replied sincerely.
"Yes, you can. I don't care how terrible your life is, there's a reason for it. Perhaps it would help you to think that if you'd died, that boy would have died a terrible death trapped in that car, or that girl would've drowned. You already have two reasons for your survival and I haven't even met you. I'm sure you're a wonderful human being and that the world would have lost someone valuable if you had died," she stated matter of factly.
"How can you say that about me? You don't know me!" he replied, exasperated.
Ms. Brandon looked at him straight in the eyes and reached for his hand.
"Because only a person with a beautiful soul would have risked his life to save complete strangers. I don't know your past or what you could possibly think makes you unworthy of a second chance, but I know that much, and in God's eyes, that is all that matters," she explained, giving him the brightest smile he'd ever seen.
It was at that moment he realized she was an angel. Perhaps God had felt pity on him and sent him this beautiful creature to soothe his soul and he'd be damned if he ever let her go.
"I'm not sure what to say to that," he replied shyly.
"How about starting with your name? I'm Alice Brandon," she said as she extended her free hand, surprising herself by refusing to let his other hand free.
"I'm Jasper Whitlock, pleased to make your acquaintance," he bowed his head and kissed her hand, his southern charm in full effect.
She giggled as he winked at her.
A nurse interrupted their moment when she started screaming a code blue a few feet away from them, immediately pulling them back to their reality. However, neither of them let the other one go.
***PLUMMET***
A few hours later, Jasper found himself watching over a sleeping Alice. He had experienced one of the most wonderful evenings he'd ever dreamed on by getting to know her, despite the dire circumstances that surrounded him. He found out she had a great sense of humor, a penchant for thrift shopping and that she was everything he ever wanted in a woman. She seemed to like touching him because she never let go of his hand and she did little things like touching his arms or pushing his chest that made him feel like he was flying. He couldn't believe such a beautiful, smart and kind woman was flirting with him. At first he thought maybe he was imagining things but when a nurse came to take her to a room, she refused to be separated from him, choosing to wait in the waiting room instead of a room in order to stay together.
As the hours passed the urge to kiss her was growing stronger. She was perfection and he wanted the chance to have her in his life. However, he noticed that she was nervous and as time went by she began to pull away from him, looking at him worriedly.
"Is everything ok?" he finally asked, worried that he may have misread the signs.
She burst into tears.
Whatever he was expecting, it wasn't her tears. He ached from watching the anguish in her eyes as she looked at him remorsefully. When she began to sob into her hands, hiding her face from him, he couldn't take it. He pulled her into a hug and raised her chin to make him look at him.
"What's wrong, sweetheart? Can I help?" he asked worriedly.
She hid her face in his chest before she responded.
"I have a son."
Jasper tensed. Was she married? Had he misread her signals?
"I'm sorry I didn't mention it earlier. You've been so wonderful, staying with me during this horrible nightmare instead of going home to your loved ones; I was selfish. I wanted a chance to have a guy look at me as a woman, not as walking baggage. It felt nice to be with you, you made me feel protected and safe and after all this time of being alone, I just wanted to indulge in the fantasy that someone could care about me... that way. I'm sorry," she explained as she pulled away from him and buried her face in her hands again.
"I was 17 when I got pregnant. My parents were very religious and never really explained sex to me. I guess they figured that since I was in an all-girls school they didn't have to worry but that left me unprepared. Mark worked at the school as a gardener. He was 21 and oh, so beautiful. All the girls had crushes on him but we were never able to talk to him as he wasn't allowed to be near us. One day my class went on a field trip but I arrived late to school and missed the bus. I was terrified to go home because I knew my parents would ground me for missing school so I stayed in the parking lot. He saw me and helped me sneak off of school grounds. I knew what I was doing was wrong but it made me feel special that such a cute guy wanted to spend time with me.
He took me to his place and fed me stale popcorn and made me drink some beer as we watched a movie. When he kissed me I felt like I was a princess being kissed for the first time. He began to touch me, telling me that's what boyfriends do and soon I found myself naked. I remember telling him I wanted to go home but he refused. When he was done with me he told me to get dressed and that he'd take me back to the school. He made me swear it would be our secret and promised that he loved me.
The next day he didn't show up to school and soon I found out he had quit. I was heartbroken and felt stupid. A couple of months later I was feeling very sick. I kept throwing up and my body was sore. My mother took me to the doctor and that's when I found out I was pregnant. I had no idea how that even happened! I was so naïve I didn't realize I had had sex with Mark. My mom wanted me to abort it immediately, but I refused. My father hit me so hard and called me all kinds of names for dishonoring his name, then he literally threw me out in the street with nothing. I never saw them again.
I slept under a bridge the first few nights until my hunger was so bad I felt like I was going to die. I didn't want my baby to be hungry but I had no idea what to do. I grew up very sheltered, I didn't know how one found a job or got food. I was walking one night when I saw a lady throwing out food in a dumpster. I begged her to let me have it and told her about my baby. She was an angel that took me in and let me work in her café and treated me like a daughter. Not even my real parents loved me as much as she did. I owe her my life and Jimmy's life. She died a few years ago so now I only have Jimmy in my life. I don't have time to date and honestly I'm not very good at it. But you felt different, I don't know why but the moment I saw you sitting there I felt like I needed you. I've never felt this way before so I just acted on impulse. I'm really sorry," she stated apologetically.
Confusion and anger flooded his brain as he tried to decipher her words. Was she telling him that she didn't want him? She had said she felt safe with him, why was she pulling away? Did she really think he wouldn't like her because she had a son? Where was the motherfucker that touched her? He wanted to rip him to pieces for making her suffer so much.
"Alice, look at me," he demanded.
She slowly looked up and the sadness in her eyes nearly broke him.
"Why would you think that having a kid would make an ounce of difference to me? A few hours ago I had no idea why I survived this but I can tell you that's changed now. I survived because I needed to meet you. I've been with other women in my life but I can honestly tell you that not a single one made me feel as good as you have in just the few hours we've been here. You are beautiful and smart and have the most amazing sense of humor. You are kind and patient with me when I can't express myself properly. Let me assure you, honey, you deserve to be looked after, to be worshipped, if those are things you want, and I'd be the luckiest bastard on this earth if you give me the chance to get to know you and your son. I know I'm not much, but I promise you, sweetheart, that if you give me a chance, I'll work every day of my damn life to make sure I'm worthy of both of you."
Alice threw herself into his arms and sobbed.
"Do you mean that? Do you really want me like that? I'm a package. Jimmy is my life and I'd never ever compromise his well-being for anyone."
"I would never ask you to," he replied sincerely.
Before he could say anything else, Alice kissed him. It was a sweet kiss, the kind that says thank you and please don't hurt me at the same time. Jasper responded by kissing her back softly, promising to care for her always.
** Plummet**
Bella opened her eyes to very bright lights that caused her to recoil in pain. Her head felt as if it had been pummeled by a professional wrestler and then run through a wood chipper only to be reassembled with crazy glue. When she tried to touch it to make sure it was still somehow serviceable, another pain stabbed her shoulder.
"Don't try to move. I just called the nurse, she should be here shortly. At least, I hope so. They're very busy." A female voice informed her.
The voice was soft and almost musical, Bella didn't recognize it but she felt comforted knowing someone was around. She was confused. Why was she hurt? Where was she?
"I'm glad you woke up, I was afraid you wouldn't even though the doctor said you would. You lost consciousness for a long time and I know how dangerous that can be." The woman spoke again.
Bella was absorbing the fact that she had apparently been unconscious for a while when the woman suddenly gasped.
"You're okay, right? Can you hear me? Are you understanding what I'm saying? Please tell me you're okay. Where's the damn nurse?" she rambled.
"My head hurts," Bella managed to respond, hoping that would be enough to keep the woman from worrying further because she wasn't sure she could talk again. Her head was truly hurting and she was getting scared. She couldn't remember what happened and that couldn't be good.
"It's to be expected. You have a nasty concussion but fortunately no further damage to the brain. I overheard Dr. Cullen talking to the chief earlier. You have no idea how worried your father was…"
"Good afternoon, Ms. Swan, I'm glad to see you awake. My name is Judy and I'm the nurse on duty. Can you tell me your full name?" a cheery voice interrupted.
"Isabella Swan," she croaked.
"Thank you, , how are you feeling?" the nurse asked as she worked on something around her.
"Hurts."
'Can you open your eyes for me?'
Bella tried to open them again but immediately recoiled from the pain.
'Hurts,' she repeated.
'Don't worry, Ms. Swan, I've paged Dr. Cullen and he should be here soon. He'll order something to make you comfortable, okay?' the nurse soothed.
'What happened?' Bella managed to ask.
There was only silence so Bella chanced opening her eyes to see why.
She found the two women staring at each other. The woman with the musical voice had been lying on the bed next to hers, her feet wrapped in heavy gauze that was bloodied and she had cuts and bruises all over her body. The nurse was an older woman with a kind face that currently looked heartbroken.
"What's going on?" Bella demanded. The heart monitor registering the panic she felt at not remembering why she was hurt.
"Bella, sweetie, calm down." Her neighbor told her.
"How do you know my name? Who are you?" she asked, wincing at the splitting pain in her brain.
"Good afternoon, Ms. Swan, what a pleasure to have you back with us. You gave us quite a scare there for a minute. How are you feeling?" A doctor inquired as he walked through the door.
All the air left her when she saw him. He was a very handsome man but he looked exhausted, not the kind of exhausted from working long hours but the kind where you are so overwhelmed that all you can do is put one foot in front of the other. He was tall with blond hair that was in total disarray. His scrubs were stained with blood and some other unknown stuff. He had a perfectly chiseled jaw and eyes so green that they reminded her of emeralds.
Emeralds.
The guy.
The Camaro.
The water.
"NO!" She screamed. "The bridge! Please, someone help him. He was next to me! Please, you have to find him. Please!" She begged hysterically as she clung to the doctor's lab coat.
"Ms. Swan, please calm down. Everything is okay," the doctor soothed as he signaled the nurse for a sedative.
"I fell…something happened… the water was cold. Something heavy. Oh, god!" she cried.
"Ms. Swan everything is ok. You're safe now. Please calm down," he asked as he tried to dislodge his coat from her grip.
"There was a guy. He needs help!" she cried desperately as the nurse pushed the sedative into her IV.
"I know, Ms. Swan. He is my son, his name is Edward and he is being treated. Now, please let the medicine do its job and rest. I'll come check on you in a couple of hours."
"Your son?"
"Rest, Ms. Swan, I'll talk to you later."
She tried to argue, to beg for answers but before she could speak again, blackness once again overtook her.
***Plummet***
Esme Cullen was cooking meatloaf when she heard the news on the TV. It took her a few minutes to realize that the bridge had truly fallen and that the carnage she was witnessing on the screen was real. Her first thought was of Edward, but she realized that by the time the bridge collapsed he must have already been at school, her heart twisted thinking of how close he had been to danger and made a mental note to call him as soon as he was out of class.
Right now her city was in trouble and she needed to help. She was no stranger to emergency situations. Her family had been living in Manhattan when the World Trade Center collapse happened so she had experience organizing help for the victims and rescue workers. All she needed was to contact her friends to get them donating.
She had just pulled out her phone when the news anchor's voice caught her attention again.
"The collapse of the I-35 Bridge was exacerbated by the hundreds of cars that were on it due to a truck accident that had traffic on lockdown for over an hour, causing more victims than it would have had it fallen during normal traffic. At this point it is unclear whether the extra weight of the idling vehicles was a factor for the collapse or …"
Esme felt her stomach fall and her heart twist.
Edward had been there.
Without a second thought she ran out of the house and started her car. She had no idea where to look for her son. Should she go to the hospitals? The accident scene? The morgue?
That last thought made her scream. Her body recoiled from the very idea of having her little boy lying in a cold morgue. With tears that blinded her and a pain that felt like it was going to consume her alive, she drove toward the hospital. That was the place he was most likely to be, so she would start her search there.
When she arrived at the hospital she couldn't believe her eyes. The chaos and abundance of victims was overwhelming but she managed to get through to her husband's office. The nurse in charge informed her that he was in surgery and would not be coming out anytime soon.
Without her husband's help she knew it would be difficult to look for Edward among all the victims. Every nurse she encountered was either helping a patient or trying to find space to fit more. Esme took a moment to look around hoping to find someone to help her, but all she found were people that needed help.
She decided to go to the morgue, hoping someone could tell her that her baby boy was not there. She was numb; floating through the hallways, thinking about the last time she saw him. How he'd tried to get into her good graces after she yelled at him for keeping his apartment so messy that it was almost a health hazard, and his sad puppy dog face when she tried to deny him access to the pie she had delivered. She said a prayer to God telling him that if Edward was alive, she'd never nag him about his apartment again. Hell, she'd clean it for him. All she needed was for him to be alive.
"Mrs. Cullen!" a voice called her out of her thoughts.
"Tanya!" She replied, happy to find someone that could help.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm going to the ground floor… I… am. . . looking for Edward," she replied, unable to keep the tears from flowing fresh.
"Oh, Mrs. Cullen! No! Edward is in the OR. Dr. Martinez is working on him."
Esme felt her soul return to her body. Her boy was alive.
"What happened to him?"
Tanya had no idea how to explain Edward's situation to Esme. She loved the Cullens like surrogate parents and Edward was her best friend. She knew the news would be very upsetting to Esme and she didn't want to be the one relaying it.
"Tanya, whatever it is, you better tell me the truth. He's my son, I deserve to know!" Esme demanded when she noticed Tanya's hesitancy.
"His foot… is in trouble. He also lost a lot of blood. I was the one who received him from the ambulance and the paramedic explained that he had gone into shock and coded in route. Apparently, Edward tried to rescue a woman that was trapped instead of looking for safety after he was pulled from his car. The man who pulled him is in the waiting room talking to another woman who was also injured. His name is Jasper. I haven't been able to get more information. I'm sorry."
"Is he okay now? What do you mean his foot is in trouble?" Esme asked, panic filling her when she heard that her son had died at some point.
"Dr. Martinez stabilized him before heading to the OR. We gave him blood and proceeded to tend to his injuries. His foot was pretty mangled. Apparently the accelerator pedal went all the way through it and Edward had to rip it out in order to leave the car since there was a burning vehicle nearby and his car was leaking gasoline. The muscle was completely ripped and so were his tendons. The loss of blood flow complicated things further but Dr. Martinez is working on him. He'll do everything he can to save it. You know that."
"Does Carlisle know?"
"He signed the authorization forms."
Esme knew what that meant. If things got complicated, Dr. Martinez would amputate her son's foot. She was upset that her husband would make such a decision without consulting her but then she realized that she had left her phone at home in her haste. She knew something like that would devastate Edward. He was such an active boy. She had a showcase full of trophies that proved how disastrous it would be for him to lose any part of his body. She couldn't help but feel a bit of anger. Why didn't he look for help? Why did he have to put himself in danger for a complete stranger? Yet she couldn't really say she was surprised. Edward was Carlisle's son through and through, both of them always put the wellbeing of others above their own. It's what made them terrific doctors. Granted, Edward still hadn't decided but she knew he would end up following in his father's footsteps.
She walked to the waiting room where she found the man Tanya had described. He was holding a sleeping woman who had some very nasty gashes in her feet, yet no one had helped her cover them.
Steeling herself for the information she was about to receive, she gathered some gauze and cleaning materials and decided to put her old nursing skills to work.
*** PLUMMET***
Bella woke up again to soft voices taking around her.
"Thank you so much for helping me get my son settled, Mrs. Cullen. Jasper offered to take him with him, but I didn't think it was appropriate. We just met and this is already traumatic enough for Jimmy, I didn't want to have him stay with strangers on top of everything else." The melodic voice of her roommate said.
"It's the least I could do. You and Jasper helped my boy come back to safety. I will forever be indebted to you for that. Also, I will never let a child suffer if I have a say in it, so don't worry. All you have to do is get well so you can go home soon." A soft voice replied.
"Do you think she will wake up soon?" her roommate said.
Bella felt a motherly caress on her hair before she heard the soft voice reply.
"I hope so."
"I feel bad I was unable to explain to her the situation better without upsetting her. I should have known better," her roommate stated, chagrin coloring her words.
"It's okay, Alice. Everyone reacts differently to trauma. I'm sure she will be a lot calmer once she wakes up and we can explain to her what happened."
"How are you so calm? If Jimmy was hurt I would be dying. I'd probably be kicking my way through the OR just so I could see him."
"Believe me, Alice, I want to but I know that I can't. He is in good hands and all I can do is pray and trust that God won't let any more harm come to him. I figured I could come here and spend time with my future daughter-in-law," the soft voice giggled.
Bella couldn't take her curiosity anymore and opened her eyes to see who the woman was and what they were talking about.
"Who are you?" she asked groggily.
"I'm Esme Cullen. I'm Edward's mother." A woman with caramel hair and hazel eyes responded.
"Who is Edward?"
The women looked at each other concerned.
"Hey, Sweetie, remember me? I was here earlier when the doctor and the nurse came to see you? I'm Alice."
Bella furrowed her brows, ignoring the pain that shot through her head when she did. She tried to get her thoughts in order but her mind felt muddled.
"I'm sorry," she said. "I don't remember."
The worry in the faces of the women increased.
"Do you remember your name?" the caramel haired lady asked.
"Bella Swan."
"Do you know where you are?"
"A hospital."
"Do you remember why?"
Bella pushed through her jumbled mind until the vivid image of a smiling guy singing to her came through.
"The guy. He was in a yellow car."
"Yes, that's Edward. He's my son." The woman explained patiently.
All of the sudden the images of his car disappearing from her view and the memories of falling into the water made it through her jumbled mind, allowing her to recall the entire ordeal.
"How is he? Is he okay? What happened?" she asked panicked.
"He is in surgery right now, but he is stable. He has some severe injuries in his right foot but we are hoping Dr. Martinez can fix him up," the woman replied calmly.
"Why are you here?" Bella asked confused. She hadn't meant to be rude but she couldn't understand why his family was there with her when they hadn't even met.
"Bella, are you ready to hear what happened? I can help answer your questions but I need to make sure you're ready for the answers. Do you need me to page Dr. Cullen?" Alice inquired.
"I'm fine. I want to know what happened."
With a determined sigh, Alice proceeded to recount their ordeal to Bella, hoping that this time around she would be able to handle it.
*** PLUMMET***
Several hours later Bella found herself staring at the face of the most gorgeous man she had ever laid eyes on. He was sleeping peacefully as a result of the anesthesia. His body was bruised and his lips were chapped and she wanted more than anything in the world to be able to kiss them. She couldn't believe he had risked his life to save hers. He could've gotten help for himself and Jasper but instead he chose to dive into the water to find her. She felt overwhelmed with fear and gratitude for the man in front of her. She feared that his actions would cause him a life altering negative effect and that he would hate her for it, but she was eternally grateful for his bravery and kindness in saving her.
"What has you looking so worried?" Esme asked.
"What if he loses his foot? Do you think he will hate me?" Bella replied worriedly as she played with the strap of her sling.
"No, sweetheart. Please, don't do that. Don't blame yourself for any of this. This was an accident and no one is responsible for it," Esme replied as she hugged Bella tight in her arms.
Bella couldn't stop herself from finally crying. Ever since she woke up and found out the truth she had forced herself to be brave so she could see Edward. It was a good thing her father was out there handling the situation because she wouldn't have been able to stay strong once she was safe in her daddy's arms. Esme's hug reminded her so much of her mom that she couldn't stop her tears.
"He wouldn't be so bad if he hadn't gone looking for me," she sobbed.
"He made that decision himself, sweetheart. It's obvious that he saw something special in you. I know my son, Bella, he is the kind of person that goes for what he wants in life and won't stop until he gets it. He wanted you and he fought to get you out of there because that is who he is. He would never regret saving your life, no matter what it cost him." Esme soothed.
"But he doesn't know me! I could be just a stupid girl! I've never done anything important. I'm lazy and messy and a bit neurotic. What if he realizes that and then regrets risking so much for me?"
"Sweetheart, you can't do this to yourself. It was Edward's decision to jump back into that water so whatever happens, he'll have to learn to live with the consequences of that decision. I know my son, and while losing a foot would be a devastating blow for him, I also know he is resilient. He would learn to adapt and come out stronger in the end. However, let's not get ahead of ourselves. Dr. Martinez said there's a good chance of him keeping his foot as long as there's no infection. So don't worry, okay? Just focus on getting well so you can be there for him when he wakes up."
Bella tried to believe Esme but she couldn't help worrying. She felt guilty for being the cause of Edward's delicate situation and was unable to shake the fear of his rejection.
"How's everyone doing here?" Dr. Cullen asked as he entered the room.
"Your son is still asleep and Bella, here, is being silly. Are you done for the day?" Esme replied happily as she offered a kiss to her exhausted husband.
"Unfortunately, no. I have a couple more hours here until all the patients we can't help get transported to nearby hospitals, but I do have a break," Carlisle replied as he looked over his son's chart.
He and Esme moved to the other end of the room to catch up, leaving Bella alone with Edward.
"I wish you could hear me," she sighed, "I'd love to apologize for everything. I really hope you don't hate me. I promise I'll be with you every step of the way until you recuperate if you let me. God, I hope you let me. I have no words to thank you for what you did. I know my life isn't much, but I would've hated leaving my father. He'd never be able to get over my loss. I also love my friends and my dog, Julius. Thank you so much for helping me come back to them," she said as she placed a soft kiss on his hand.
She felt his arm twitch and immediately pulled away, embarrassed. Had he felt her kiss? Soon he started twitching more and his eyes fluttered.
"Dr. Cullen! Esme!" she called.
Soon she was looking into the beautiful emeralds that had captivated her since the first moment she saw them.
"You're awake!" she stated, unable to hide her excitement.
He looked confused and that made her realize he probably didn't know who she was.
"Do you remember what happened?" she asked, worried that he was not talking.
He seemed to be focusing intently on her, almost as if he wanted to say something but his eyes kept glazing over, making it obvious he was still struggling with the effects of the anesthesia.
She let out a giggle at the thought of him being high.
"You're stoned, aren't you?"
He glanced at her injured arm and at her face then suddenly he started shaking and breathing harshly.
"Edward, breathe! You're okay, son, you're fine. Breathe with me!" Dr. Cullen commanded as he held his son down.
Edward seemed terrified. His eyes flew all over the room and he was hyperventilating. She wanted to help him but had no idea what to do. She settled for running her hand through his hair and speaking softly to him.
"Breathe with me, Edward. You're okay. We're okay. Breathe, sweetheart."
He relaxed a little with her words, so she continued.
"That's it, hun, you're doing fine. Breathe, that's it. Open those pretty eyes for me," she begged.
After a few moments his eyes met hers. His were scared and hers were worried but she tried her best to look encouraging. All of the sudden, he burst out crying.
"Hey, Bubba, don't cry. Mom is here, Mommy is right here," Esme cooed while rubbing his arms soothingly.
That seemed to do the trick because Edward relaxed immediately. He looked at his parents and then moved those gorgeous green eyes back to Bella's making her smile encouragingly.
His answering smile was blinding.
"You're here," he stated, looking into her eyes happily.
"Thanks to you, I am," Bella replied with gratitude.
"You're my girl," he stated, making Bella's stomach twist giddily. He remembered her.
"I said yes to your song, didn't I?" she replied trying to hide the excited tremor in her voice.
He smiled a mischievous smile that could light up the entire room.
"Yes. Yes you did."
Dr. Cullen cleared his throat breaking their moment and causing Bella to flush like a tomato.
"Glad to see you awake, son. How are you feeling?" he asked with a teasing smile.
"Right now, I feel like I just got to heaven, Dad. Is she really here?" he replied causing everyone to giggle.
"Yes, Edward, I'm here. You're stuck with me, now," Bella explained through her giggles.
"Quick, Dad! Get me a Powerball ticket. It must be my lucky day," Edward mumbled, the anesthesia still making him drowsy.
Bella couldn't stop herself. She hugged him.
"Definitely, heaven," he sighed as he tried to wrap his arms around her.
Bella got lost in the moment. She was safe and he was awake. All she could pray for was his forgiveness. In the meantime, she took in every detail of his embrace. The way he smelled, the way his weakened arms tried to hold her in his solid embrace. He was right, it was heaven.
All she had to do was hope she could stay in it forever.
A/N: So we know a little bit more about Jasper and Alice. I hope you liked them. Next chapter will be Bella and Edward. Our boy has some difficult times ahead.
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