Chapter 7: Tranquility
Edward walked down the hall of the hospital with Carlisle at his side. Before they turned the corner, he stopped. "That's why Alice told you to come," he told his father.
"Hmm?" Carlisle asked.
"Charlie's here, talking with Bella," Edward explained. "His thoughts are...less than complimentary toward me." He grimaced. "Murderous, in fact."
"Ah."
"How am I supposed to handle this?" Edward raked his hand through his hair.
Carlisle looked thoughtful and then nodded once and said, "Leave it to me, son. I'll handle Charlie."
Edward gave him a pensive look, but nodded, and the two continued to Bella's door.
Carlisle knocked quietly and then opened it a bit and peeked inside. "Hello, Bella. Chief Swan. Is it all right if Edward and I come in?"
Charlie began to speak, shaking his head no, when Bella interrupted and said, "Yes, please. Come in, Carlisle."
Edward walked in behind Carlisle and immediately went to Bella's other side, brushing his finger down her cheek softly in greeting.
"Hi," she murmured, smiling up at him.
Carlisle reached out a hand to Charlie. "Hello, Chief Swan." Once Charlie had shaken his hand, Carlisle said, "I'm glad I got a chance to see you. I have to apologize. After learning from Bella how our leaving affected her, I realized Esme and I were in the wrong all those months ago."
"Oh?" Charlie looked at Edward briefly, but Edward was careful to school his expression and concentrate on Bella.
"Yes," Carlisle continued. "When I got the job in California, they wanted me there in a hurry. Rather than split our family up, even for a short time, Esme and I made the decision to uproot our children immediately. Edward begged me to let him stay, at least until the end of the school year, but we were adamant about moving everyone at one time. Family is important to us, and we wanted all the family with us."
Charlie nodded cautiously, sneaking another glance at Edward and Bella. As Carlisle spoke, Edward had sat in the chair beside Bella and was now holding her hand, watching Charlie through Carlisle's thoughts.
"Anyway, that day, Edward came to me, asking how he was supposed to break the news of the move to Bella. He was worried a long-distance relationship would not be a good thing for her. As much as it hurt him, he wanted her to be able to move on and find someone else, rather than stay in a relationship with her once we were gone.
"I counseled him that if he really felt that strongly about it, a clean break was probably the best way to handle it."
A truly pensive and regretful look crossed Carlisle's face—surprising Edward with how real it seemed—as he sighed.
"Looking back now, I should have told him differently."
Edward watched as Charlie raised an eyebrow, looking at Carlisle.
"What do you mean?" Charlie asked him.
"From what Bella told my son, she reacted very similarly to how he himself handled the breakup and move. Shortly after we arrived in California, Edward became depressed. He only ate when we forced him, and he stayed holed up in his room for weeks at a time. We began to think about sending him to counseling because nothing else had worked."
Edward watched the emotions playing across Bella's face as she listened to Carlisle tell his story, weaving just enough truth in to make it that much more believable. When Carlisle mentioned how Edward had behaved, Bella looked grief-stricken. Edward squeezed her hand gently, reminding her that he was there and they would never be apart again.
"When we heard about Bella's accident, Edward was beside himself. Rather than have him take off for Forks on his own, the entire family decided to accompany him back." Glancing over at Edward and smiling, he looked back over at Charlie before he continued. "He and Alice were given permission to leave straight away, and then the rest of the family and I left as soon as I was able to get someone in to cover the rest of my shift."
Charlie opened his mouth to speak, but when he closed it again, Edward could tell he was wrestling with what he'd just heard. Finally, he spoke. "I'm, uh, sorry to hear that. As a parent, I do understand how hard it is to watch your child deal with something that way. Of course, you do understand, Edward, that if you hurt my little girl again, I won't be so forgiving," he said gruffly.
Edward nodded. "Yes, of course, Chief Swan. I know now that I went about it the wrong way. At the time, I was only trying to protect Bella, but I will never again presume to know what's best for her. I'll always talk things through with her. I never again want to hurt her like I did."
Charlie nodded once in acceptance of Edward's apology. "So, uh..." He cleared his throat. "What are your family's plans now?"
Edward smiled at Bella as Carlisle answered. "Well, no one was really happy in California—too much sun, you know?—so Esme and I have actually spoken about returning to Forks. We're not entirely sure at the moment, though."
Charlie nodded thoughtfully.
"Do you have any questions about Bella's condition, Charlie?" Carlisle asked. "I've already asked Bella, and she didn't, but I'm here if you'd like to speak about it. We could go down to the cafeteria and get a cup of coffee and chat if you'd like."
Edward nearly laughed as Bella's eyes widened, and he knew she was imagining Carlisle having to ingest the coffee with her father.
"I'd like that, yes. I have a few minutes before I need to be down at the station." He looked down at Bella. "You okay with that, Bells? I can stay if you need me."
Edward felt Bella squeeze his hand as she answered. "I'm all right, Dad. Get some coffee. I'll see you after work, okay?"
"Okay, Bells. Promise me you'll call if you need anything?"
"Promise," she answered him.
Charlie leaned down, kissed his daughter's cheek, and then stood and held out his hand. "Edward, take good care of my girl today. Don't make me have to hunt you down."
"Dad!" Bella's voice clearly showed her exasperation with her father, and Edward had to work to fight off his grin once more.
"Yes, sir," he told Charlie seriously, shaking the other man's hand carefully. "She's in good hands. I know my mother and sister will be here soon. They've missed her, too."
"Good," Charlie responded. "Esme and Alice are good people." He checked his watch and said, "Well, let's get that coffee, why don't we, Dr. Cullen? I do have a few questions, if you don't mind answering them."
"Of course not," Carlisle told him.
The men walked out of Bella's hospital room, already deep in conversation.
~*~*~LVS~*~*~
As soon as the door closed, Bella tugged on Edward's hand, pulling him down onto the bed beside her.
"Change me," Bella told him softly.
Edward looked up, shocked. "Now?"
Shaking her head with a chuckle, Bella said, "No, of course not right this minute. But yes, I'm ready. Edward, I wanted this before you—before you left. The time apart did nothing to change my mind. Now, with my body like this..."
Her voice trailed off, tears gathered in her eyes, and her emotions thickened her throat, making her swallow hard before continuing.
"I don't want to live like this, Edward, unable to move or feel anything from the waist down. I won't be able to do any of the things I want to do, with or without you. I know Esme was broken even worse than I am, and the change healed her. It will heal me. I'll be able to walk, run, make love..."
Edward took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Bella could see the question warring in his mind and was relieved when he said, "You're right. We'll speak to Carlisle immediately about the possibility, okay?"
Bella nodded, closing her eyes and resting her head against Edward's chest.
They sat quietly for a few minutes until Carlisle came back, minus Charlie. Bella knew her father was on his way to work and was incredibly grateful, as it gave her plenty of privacy to talk to Carlisle about the possibility of her change.
"Yes, that's what she wants to discuss," Edward said, looking at Carlisle.
Bella rolled her eyes and laughed. "Hello? Out loud, please!"
Edward grinned. "Sorry, love. Carlisle heard our conversation. He and Charlie brought their coffee back to the waiting area down the hall and sat there and talked where it was quieter."
"Sorry, Bella," Carlisle said, smiling. "I sometimes forget to speak out loud when talking with Edward."
"So, would the venom from the change heal my...my spine and legs?" Bella asked Carlisle.
He nodded slowly. "Yes, you were correct that the venom would heal your body, just as it did Esme's. You have to know, though, Bella, the change itself, under normal circumstances, is excruciatingly painful. Add to that the healing of your broken legs and spine, and it will be astronomical. Is that something you're prepared to deal with?"
Bella cringed slightly when Edward's grip on her hand tightened. "Careful, Edward," she murmured, smiling softly when he relaxed his fingers. Looking over at Carlisle, she nodded. "Yes, I know it will be more painful than a normal change. That's something I'm more than willing to deal with if it means I can walk again and be with Edward for eternity."
Bella watched Edward and Carlisle exchange a look, and then Carlisle smiled and said, "I'll speak to Sam and Jacob about the treaty."
Relieved, Bella told him, "Thank you, Carlisle."
He nodded, smiling at them both. "I'll go make that phone call now. I'll be back later."
