* All original twilight characters belong to S. Meyer. Any original characters are my own.

* Rated M for mature content – self harm, suicide attempts, rape, possible smut later on.

*A/N: This is a shorter chapter but I wanted it to be on it's own as I found it emotionally charged.

"I'm not leaving without you Bella." she said simply and I felt my eyes begin to close.

"Thanks for coming back for me Alice." I murmured as I felt the heaviness take over.

"Are you sure that you want to do this Bella... that you're ready?" Alice asked me and I took another deep breath, steadying my nerves as I nodded my head in reply.

"I need to see Charlie one more time." I stated firmly and the two vampires nodded in resignation, waiting for me to take the lead. It was early in the morning and we were sitting in Carlisle's Mercedes on Charlie's driveway, he was apparently up and in the kitchen making his morning coffee.

"Let's go." I said and got out of the car quickly, leading the two vampires up to the front door where I raised my hand and knocked before trying the knob, excited when it opened and I stepped into the small foyer as Charlie came down the hall.

"Bella?" the travel mug dropped out of his hand, spilling brown liquid all over the floor and his shoes as he stood frozen in place, looking as though he had seen a ghost. I noticed instantly that something was off. Charlie wasn't wearing his usual uniform, instead he had on dark suit and tie, something that was probably in style eighteen years ago when he first married Renee.

"Dad?" I prompted, risking a step closer as he recovered and seemed to be looking at Carlisle behind me for an explanation.

"Are you alright Dad?" I asked as I reached him and grabbed his hand, leading him into the living room and sitting him down in his recliner.

"Are you... what are you?" He asked and again looked over at Carlisle behind me.

"I'm me Dad... I'm human. I needed to come back and explain what happened at the hospital. Why I left." I looked at my hands and braced myself for what I was about to tell my father.

"Why you left? But... but the hospital called last week... said you... said you were dead." my eyes snapped back up to his as I took in this information, feeling the air rush out of my chest and now Alice was leading me to the small couch to sit down.

"Chief Swan, Charlie... what did they tell you when they called?" Carlisle asked after I'd had a minute to recover from my own shock.

"They called... said Bella... said she got a hold of a knife... slit her wrists... mangled her body." Charlie's eyes searched my body frantically and I instinctively held out my wrists to show both him and myself that the accusation was false.

"Dad... I escaped after being drugged the entire time I was there. Alice had to come in and get me because I couldn't move or fight them off, they were using drugs to paralyze me and keep me from saying or doing anything. When Alice came for me Dad, they were in the middle of raping me." I decided it was best to just spit it out but I almost choked as I said the last sentence, nausea forming at the mention of what had happened.

"Dr. Cullen?" Charlie turned his attention to the only medical professional in the room and Alice rubbed my shoulder comfortingly.

"It's true Charlie. Alice left the family to come back for Bella. She felt awful for the way that we had left her last September and wanted to attempt to make amends. When she found Bella and helped her to escape it is as Bella said. I have examined her and can confirm that she was raped repeatedly by both her primary physician there and one of the orderlies. I also discovered an astounding number of drugs in her system. Everything from psychotropic street drugs to various anti-depressants, many of which are not approved drugs. We kept her with us while she detoxed and cleansed her system, making sure that she was physically fine before we brought her back here to you." Carlisle explained and I tried to block the unpleasant memories, failing as my tears spilled down my cheeks.

"Bells? Are you okay?" Charlie was slumped down in his chair from the weight of everything that Dr. Cullen had just revealed.

"Yeah Dad, I'm fine now that I'm out of that place." I answered and tried to smile at him.

"I've got to call..." I knew this was where Charlie's first thoughts would go after my assurance that I was fine and interrupted him before he could say anything else.

"Dad. I need you to leave me out of it." I said simply, knowing that he wouldn't let it go and that he would have to do something about the so-called hospital.

"But... Bells... what they did..."

"I know Dad and I know that you need to do something about it but I need you to leave me out of it. I'm going with Dr. Cullen and Alice to see Edward after this and I need to be off the radar for that to happen." I tried to explain and he seemed to understand although he didn't seem too happy about me going back to see Edward.

"They said you're dead Bella? What do I do about that?" I was relieved that he seemed to be trusting my opinion and had chosen not to comment on what I said about Edward.

"That might actually work in my favor right now. I need to disappear and this is probably the best way to do it and I need you to help me with this... if things go the way I'm hoping I don't know if I'll be able to come back at all." I had been dreading telling him this and I watched as my father cried the first tear I ever saw from him.

"Why now Bells?" he asked and I could hear the hoarseness of his voice.

"Because I'm not normal Dad. You know what I told you about Edward and I being a pair, like fate? It is going to physically kill us if we stay apart for too much longer and I want to be with him forever Dad. I know that you have seen his differences and that you don't want to know, but you need to know Dad that if Edward and I are together then I won't be back." I was trying to keep up the strength that had been building inside me and gulped for air as I let out the words.

"I'm sorry I wasn't a better father Bella." Charlie stood from his recliner on shaky legs and came over to me, pulling me into his arms tightly and embracing me without awkwardness for the first and last time.

"You were great Charlie... thank you." I hugged him back until he let go and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, making his way back to the recliner. I stood up myself and Alice wrapped her arm around my waist, supporting my weight.

"Phone calls?" he squeaked as I made my way towards the door.

"I'll try Dad but I can't promise anything right now." I continued and tried not to look back but I couldn't resist taking one last glance at him hunched over in his chair.

"I love you Dad."

Carlisle was at the car already by the time Alice had walked me down the steps and he held the door open as she settled me into the seat and then got in the passenger side. My mind was emotionally exhausted from my goodbye to Charlie, my brain begging me to allow it to shut down.

I watched the house out of the car window, watched as Charlie's face pressed against the glass of the living room window and more tears fell from his eyes before we pulled away.

I hated myself for this, for doing this to him. I vowed then and there that if I failed with Edward, if I couldn't make him see, then I couldn't live any more, I simply wouldn't do it.