Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.

Chapter 3: Faintly Aware

Thanks to that little accident, I was now an hour behind schedule. I hated getting behind schedule, especially since I had left later in the afternoon as it was. I retrieved my phone from my purse as I cleared the worst of the traffic to give Charlie a call, let him know I was going to be late. I sighed when I saw the black screen. It fits with the rest of my day. When will I catch a break? I had not plugged in my phone to charge last night, telling myself I would charge it on the drive. Too bad I had forgotten having switched vehicles with Charlie, thus leaving my car charger in Forks.

Three hours later I pulled into town, not that it was much of a town. Forks had a booming population of 3221. I still didn't feel comfortable calling it home. True, I was born here, but before I can remember my mother escaped with me to Phoenix, Arizona. She said Forks was stifling, and she didn't want to get stuck here. Therefore, one night she packed our bags, leaving Charlie and Forks behind. I had visited Forks every summer to visit Charlie but insisted the location change when I was fourteen. That was three years before I moved to Forks to live with Charlie. I would have never expected to exile myself there, but after…

I shook my head to clear the memories. It still hurt to think about them. Traffic had been bad enough to slow me even more and put me a total of an hour and a half behind schedule. I pulled onto Charlie's road and noticed an unfamiliar car in the driveway, my truck parked next to it. I pulled Charlie's truck to a stop next to his cruiser. Being the Police Chief, he was always in the cruiser. I often wondered why he even had this truck. I grabbed my medicine and overnight bag from the back seat and locked the truck up. It's not that I didn't trust Forks; it's just that having the Police Chief as a father instilled some things in me.

It wasn't raining tonight which was strange for Forks, seeing as it was the rainiest town in the Continental US. I walked slowly to the porch my mind wondering towards Edward. Where did that come from? I pulled out my keys once I reached the door. I looked into the living room and halted my search. Sitting on the couch was my father looking panicked and worn out. His elbows were resting on his knees. His left hand held a phone, his right propping up his chin. That wasn't what held my attention though.

Next to him was a woman. She was stunning with long black hair and looked to be Charlie's age. She was sitting on the edge of the couch one hand rubbing his back, the other on his hand that was wrapped around the phone. It looked as if she were comforting him. What happened? Oh my God, is it Mom? In my haste to get inside, I dropped my bag.

"Bells," I heard Charlie call out urgently. "Is that you?"

"Yeah, dad," I yelled as I picked up my bag. "It's me." By the time I straightened back up he had yanked the door open.

"Where have you been? I've been trying to call you? There were a few accidents. Alice said you weren't picking up the phone for her. Jasper has been-"

"Charlie," I heard the beautiful woman say softly as she wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "She's here now. Why don't we let her come in and sit down before you start with the interrogation?" She took my bag for me and guided Charlie back to the couch. I followed and sat in his favorite recliner.

"Dad, what's going on?" I asked cautiously.

"You're late. It's 9:30. You were supposed to be here an hour and a half ago." He said angrily.

"I got held up by an accident. I wasn't in an accident. I was stuck behind it for an hour and a half. That's why I'm late." I pulled on my sleeve to try to hide the band-aid where I had the IV. I didn't want to give him any reason to jump to conclusions.

"Why didn't you answer your phone? I've been calling you for the past hour?"

"My phone died. I was going to charge it in the truck, but I left my charger in my truck so it was here." He was overacting, and I didn't know how to tell him gently to smooth things over.

"Oh." He seemed to calm down a bit. "Well, then why didn't you find a phone somewhere and call me? I've been worried sick." I shifted in my seat uncomfortably. Charlie was never the dad that cared so deeply. He cared, don't get me wrong. He just was never the emotional person. It was odd to see this new part of him.

"Well, dad, it's not like this is the first time that something like this has happened. I've been late before. As for stopping to call you, think about the drive here. There aren't many places to stop. I just wanted to get home. On top of that, I'm 24 years-old. I have lived on my own for six years. I think I'm capable of taking care of myself. Why were you so worried?"

"Well you could have been in an accident. You've had a bad few days. I didn't know what to think. I just-"

"Wait." I stopped him mid-sentence. "How do you know I've had a bad few days?" I had been keeping this from Charlie. I hadn't told him about going to the doctor or all the medicine, and I hadn't spoken with him in at least two weeks.

"I, um. Why didn't you tell me you were sick?" He was trying to hide something.

"Dad. Don't change the subject. How did you know?" He hesitated before answering.

"Alice. I called her when you weren't answering your phone. I wanted to know if you might be with her, see if she knew anything. She said you had left at five. After half an hour of not hearing from you we started to worry.

"She told me about you being sick and that you had a few bad days. She was worried that maybe your weakness got the better of you and you had an accident. She's been driving around Seattle looking for you. Jasper's calling the local hospitals to see if you're there. Which reminds me," he turned to the woman. She had been sitting patiently beside him, her hand resting on his forearm. "Will you call them, and let them know she's here?" She smiled and took the phone from his hand, walking into the kitchen. I began feeling a little dizzy, and my nausea was back. I reached for my medicine and rummaged through them to find the right prescription.

"Dad! You involved Alice and Jasper in my search?" I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Everyone was acting as if I were a child, and it was not appreciated.

"Well, what do you expect? I was worried you were hurt!"

"Okay. Let's just calm down. I'm here, I'm safe, and there's no need to worry. Can we chalk this up to my bad luck and forget about this day?"

"Sure, sure." I cringed hearing the phrase he picked up from Jacob. I'm not thinking about him. He doesn't deserve another thought. The woman came back in and sat next to Charlie after handing me a glass of water. I thanked her. He looked over at her and patted her knee. This was odd. How many times have I thought that today? "Bells, this Sue. Sue, Bella."

"Hello, Bella," she said as she stood and shook my hand. I took the medicine after we sat back down. "We've met before, when you were much younger. I don't expect you to remember me." Sue. That name sounded so familiar. I tried to think back to my summer's in Forks. Then it clicked. She was married to one of Charlie's fishing buddies. I remember going to her house for a fish fry. That was the day I met Jacob. Wince.

"Sue Clearwater, right?" She smiled and nodded. "We had a fish fry at your house. You have two children. Seth and…Leah."

"Yes. You have a good memory. That had to have been when you were six, seven. I left and moved in with my sister for a few years after Harry passed. They happened to be the year's you moved here."

"Yes. I'm sorry for your loss. How are Seth and Leah?" Sue was very nice and had a calming effect about her. Charlie seemed taken at least.

"Thank you, and they are doing well. We moved back five years ago. Seth is working here as an EMT, and Leah is working in Port Angeles."

"That's great. What have you been up to lately?"

"I'm working at the general store on the rez." The Clearwater's were members of the Quileute tribe. There was a Quileute reservation just outside of Forks. She looked hesitantly at Charlie then back to me. "I've also been dating again." I knew it!

"Bells," he said. "Sue and I are seeing each other." He looked apprehensive.

"That's great, Dad!" I smiled brightly. "It's about time." He visibly relaxed apparently nervous of my reaction. He took Sue's hand in his own. How odd.

"Well, I had to find the perfect woman first." Sue lowered her head, but I could see the faint blush on her cheeks. Nice to know I'm not the only one with that curse. He leaned over and kissed her on the head. This was still a little surreal. Charlie had always had trouble expressing his emotions. Seeing him today had thrown me for a loop. I was truly happy though. He had never stopped loving my mom. I was worried he would never move on from her. He had never changed anything in the house. The kitchen cabinets had stayed the yellow she painted them before leaving. I peeked into the kitchen curiously. Huh! They were white.

"I'm happy for you guys." Too weird. "I would love to talk some more, but as you know it has been a bad few days. I just want to get some rest."

"No problem, Bells. We'll talk tomorrow." He and Sue stood up. "I'm just going to walk Sue out. Do you want me to take you to breakfast in the morning?"

"Don't be silly Dad. I'll cook breakfast." I stood up as well and swayed a bit. He and Sue were at the door. "Maybe Sue can…can…" My vision blurred, and I felt as if the air I breathed was not filling my lungs. I sat back down. "Sorry. I just felt a little dizzy. I was trying to say that maybe Sue can come have breakfast with us."

"I'd love that, Bella," Sue said. "Do you want me here around 8?"

"8 would be perfect. Any food allergies?" She shook her head. "Is there anything in particular you would like?"

"I'm not picky. I'm sure I'll like whatever you make. Charlie raves about your cooking so I'm sure it'll be great. Goodnight."

"Goodnight. See you in the morning." They walked out the door. I leaned my head between my knees hoping to get my breathing under control. I sat back up when I heard Charlie walking up the porch steps.

"Hey kiddo," he said as he sat back down. "So, what's been going on?"

"Nothing much. Same ole, same ole. Jasper's birthday was yesterday. He's 27 now. We threw him-"

"Bella. You know that's not what I'm talking about. What's this about you being sick? Have you been to the doctor?" I silently cursed Alice. This wouldn't be necessary if she had kept her mouth shut.

So I told Charlie everything. He was a worrier. If I didn't tell him everything and he found out later, he would be even more upset. I told him how three weeks ago I felt like I was coming down with the flu. I went to the doctor the next day to be told it was probably just the common cold. I stocked up on Dayquil, Nyquil, and Tylenol. A few days later I felt worse so I went to a different doctor. He said I had flu-like symptoms but not the flu. He prescribed medicine for nausea, headaches, congestion, and an acid reflux pill to be taken at night to help me sleep.

A week later things were not any better. Alice was over hanging out when I fainted. she took me to the ER. I saw two different doctors that day. They ran tests for hours but had no answers. They prescribed an antibiotic and two daily vitamins. Things not only didn't improve, they worsened. The nausea was persistent. The medication would work for an hour then wear off. The headaches could be dulled but never went away. The congestion seemed to be clearing up though. That should have been a good sign. There was more to come though.

The next thing to develop was the dizziness. When I would stand up, whether I had been lying down, sitting for five minutes, or sitting for two hours, I would get dizzy. As long as I steadied myself and waited for it to pass, I would be okay. Then I began to have trouble sleeping. Some nights I would sleep for two hours and some I would sleep for ten. I hadn't found a trigger or reason for this yet. Then there was the bruising.

I had always been a naturally clumsy person. I couldn't walk across a flat surface without tripping. Bruises were inevitable. I had my fair share of bruises and broken bones over my years. Recently those bruises had been appearing more frequently. Sometime I would find bruises that I didn't have a source for you. I fall a lot, but sometimes I would wake up with a bruise that I shouldn't have. They were also taking longer to heal. Instead of a week, I was sporting a bruise for two to three weeks. My scrapes that inevitably came with all the falling I did were taking longer to clot. I had always bled pretty easily but recently had been worse.

I finished retelling the last three weeks and looked at Charlie for the first time since I started my story. He was looking back at me with a contemplative face. I was worried he would be upset with me for keeping it secret. I didn't keep it from him on purpose. I just wanted to have answers before I talked with him about it. He took a deep breath and leaned back.

"Well, Bells," he started, "that's a lot of stuff. Have they checked for…do any of them think…you know your grandma-"

"No Dad. I don't have cancer." I interrupted him in hopes to calm him. "That was my thought too. I did a lot of research and that was what seemed to fit the best. I talked to them about grandma having cancer. They ran a test and it came back negative.

"The last doctor I went to thinks it's a thyroid problem. She's changed up my medicine and is treating the thyroid. We'll know in six to eight weeks if that's the problem. If so, we'll create a long term plan. If it's not, we'll do more tests."

"How do you feel about all this?"

"Fine. I'm not worried. I've decided I'm done being concerned. The doctor's haven't done me any good thus far, why would next week be different. I've seen five doctors; five people and still no answers. I'm thinking I'll just stop all the medicine and see if that does anything."

"Bells, that's not a good idea. These doctor's know what they're talking about. They're trying here. You gotta give them some time. You gotta have patience." I looked at him incredulously.

"You're the last person I expected to hear that from. You hate doctor's."

"I admit they're not my favorite people, but they do know what they're talking about. Promise me you won't give up."

"I'm not giving up. I'm just-"

"Giving up is exactly what you're doing. You're not even fighting. You're just throwing your hands in the air and surrendering. You're stronger than that, and you know it. Promise me."

"I can't do that, Dad. If I don't get answers soon, I'm moving on and not listening to the doctors."

"Isabella-" I cut him off before he could say anything else.

"No Dad. We're not having this discussion. I really would like to get to bed. I only got a couple of hours of sleep last night. I would like to go to bed so I can get up and make breakfast. Is there anything you want?" He sighed.

"I'm not giving up, just waiting till later. As for breakfast, could you make your blueberry pancakes."

"I would love to. Do you have everything for them?" He nodded. "Wait. Have you been attempting to cook? If so, that's very dangerous." Charlie never could cook. When I had moved in during high school I took over all cooking. His cooking was hazardous to people's health. He looked at me sheepishly with a slight grin.

"Sue cooks for me before I go to work." I scrunched up my nose. I knew my dad left for work by six every morning. I didn't want to hear anymore. I may be grown and happy for my dad, but I was not ready to hear about him and his girlfriend's relationship details.

"Okay. On that note, I'm going to bed. I'll see you in the morning Dad. Breakfast will be ready at eight so you can sleep late." I stood, steadied myself, grabbed my bad, and headed upstairs to my room.

I sat on my bed thinking about my conversation with Charlie. I wasn't giving up. I was just choosing not to listen to someone who can't give me answers. There's a difference. This made me think of Alice and our conversation yesterday on our way to Baja's. She had said I needed to have patience, as if she knew things would get better. I always felt Alice had a sixth sense. She would 'see' things that would come true. Sometimes she would have a dream, sometimes it would be a daydream, sometimes it was just 'a feeling,' she said. I wanted to trust her; I just had a problem with someone who was supposed to know say they don't.

I sighed and plugged my phone up to charge. Once it powered up it beeped. I looked at the screen and had to roll my eyes. There were seventeen missed calls from Charlie, thirteen from Alice, two from Jasper, and eight voicemails. Worry warts. I cleared the missed calls and dialed voicemail so I could delete them. Alice's were frantic, on the edge of hysteria. Jasper's first one was just to check on me from the previous night. His second one was to reassure me about Alice. He said he was driving her while he called hospitals. He wanted me to call when I could. He was always so calm; the perfect balance for my ball-of-energy best friend. I decided to call her. Even though Charlie had called she would probably worry until she got to do her own interrogation. She answered on the first ring.

"BELLA!"she squealed. "Oh my God. Are you okay? I've been so worried about you. We've been so worried about you. You left to miss traffic so I know you shouldn't have been home late. I watched the news to look for accidents. You dad-" I cut her off in the middle of her rant. She was speaking so fast that I could barely understand her.

"Alice! Alice!" I said. "Please slow down. One question at a time."

"Okay." I could hear her take in and release a deep breath. "Are you okay?"

"Yes. I wasn't in an accident."

"Why were you late?"

"I got held up by an accident." I leaned against my headboard. "It threw me behind schedule. My phone died, and I was planning on charging it in the truck. I left my charger in my truck, however, so I couldn't charge it." I took a deep breath myself. I hate having to explain myself. "Now why were you and Jasper driving around and calling hospitals?"

"We were worried about you Bella. I was gonna go by myself, but Jasper insisted on driving. So I made him call hospitals while I looked."

"Well I'm glad Jasper kept you from getting behind the wheel in your state. It's late. I'm going to let you go so I can get to bed. I'm cooking breakfast for Charlie and Sue in the morning."

"Sue?"

"Yep. Seems Charlie has himself a lady. I'll tell you all about when I get home after I get more details in the morning. I love ya Alice. Tell Jasper I said hi."

"Alright Bella. See you tomorrow. Goodnight." I hung up and got ready for bed before I fell into a deep sleep.

Everybody's looking for love

Everybody's looking above

Everybody's looking for love

Everybody's looking above

I rolled over and turned the alarm of my phone off. Alice had programmed that stupid techno song as my alarm. She had said her playing techno music was always the fastest way to wake me up. I would have to remember to change that. I sat and felt a little dizzy, but it passed after a minute. I grabbed my clothes and headed towards the one bathroom in the house. Curious, I opened the cabinet where all the toiletries were kept. On the shelf I had used while living there where shampoos, conditioners, and hair products, and they weren't mine. I smirked. I wonder how long they have been together? I quickly showered and dressed to head down to the kitchen.

I pulled out the griddle for pancakes, a pan for bacon, and a pan for eggs. I had no doubt that Charlie was being taken care of; I just felt like doing this for them. I really was excited for them. Charlie needed someone to take care of him. I honestly wondered how he survived those years between my mother's departure and my return. His health had couldn't be in tip top shape after years of eating out. I got everything out and set to my task. I spent the time thinking about this upcoming term. Only two left before I was finished with school. I had decided not to pursue a PhD.

At eight sharp, Charlie let Sue in and guided her to the kitchen. She came to the counter by the stove and retrieved a large pate. She had brought fresh fruit already cut. I thanked her and popped a piece of cantaloupe in my mouth before ushering her to sit down. I placed the pancakes, eggs, and bacon on the table. I took the homemade syrup from the stove and turned back to the table, a hot pad in my other hand. In the middle of my turn I could feel myself grow dizzy. I stopped to steady myself.

"Bells?" I could hear him but couldn't answer. My vision tunneled and a blackness ensued, like at the end of old movies. I could feel myself falling, but didn't feel myself hit the ground.

AN: I hope you enjoyed, and I hope you like seeing Sue in the story. I will have the poll up soon for Spring Break location. Please let me know if you have any suggestions for places. Please take a few seconds to review. Let me know what you liked, what you didn't. If there's something you want to see please let me know. If you review, I'll send you a sneak peek at the next chapter.