When Choice Meets Fate

Thank you to each of you who are reading, reviewing, and following my stories. I am completely overwhelmed by the amount of support coming through after each update. This makes me want to start another story but it'll be a bit before I do. And on a side note, I am glad that y'all are appreciating the creepy side of Edward's stalker-ish tendencies. I do appreciate gentleman's behavior but even in the original story he takes it to the extreme.

I hope everyone is enjoying the Olympics, as I am completely glued to NBC. So if you notice we steer off on a tangent about Bella pole vaulting off of the cliffs at La Push then you know that the nonstop coverage has gotten to me. ;)

A/N: I don't own any part of Twilight, we all know this, yes we do.

Chapter Ten: A Watched Pot Never Boils

Edward POV

From the moment I had witnessed Bella's transformation in the clearing that day, I had felt my entire world begin to crumble. I was so angry that after all of this time waiting for my mate, I finally meet her then this happens? As much as I knew this was no more Alice's fault than that of my own, I couldn't withhold my anger. In my efforts to assuage my own pain and avoid damaging my delicate little sister, I fled from the company of my family and slipped away to Alaska. I allowed my thirst to control me and I gave in to my lust for human blood. It was completely sating and utterly sensual to taste it again. I had a rather entertaining time with a couple of drunken fishermen out ice fishing. At one time there was a small part of me that pitied my prey, but while one wore a wedding ring, they were laughing over the antics of one of them who apparently was having an affair. Well, they were assholes, they were expendable right? Why does this world need any more assholes? I wrote it off as population control, natural selection if you will and I filled the role well, if I do say so myself.

And then there was also the comfort of Tanya, one of the Denali sisters who really wished that I were her mate. She welcomed me into her bed without question and I would definitely say she was firecracker. I smiled to myself, running my tongue along my bottom lip as I remembered the adventures we'd explored together with her in my arms. She had pursued me for quite awhile and she was excited by the prospect that I might finally feel the same way about her. I knew it was self serving but at the time I didn't care. Only after my time there was done there and I saw the pain in her eyes as I turned to leave without so much as a backward glance, did I halfway regret using her the way that I did.

I had since returned to Forks and completely delved into some very interesting research about shape shifters. I learned that Bella could stop phasing, she didn't have to choose that life, or him for that matter. If she chose not to phase, she would begin to age again and all would return to what it was before. But I kept digging; I had to know if it was possible to overthrow an imprint. I knew her pull on Jacob was very strong and she constantly filled his thoughts. I had to control my gag reflex as often as he imagined having sex with her. The horny dog! I knew that I could treat her so much better, and satisfy her so much more than he ever could. But the frustrating part is that I couldn't read her thoughts to know how she really felt about him. I sure as hell didn't believe her when she gave him that obvious act about wanting him in the woods. She didn't know what she was saying, she couldn't possibly.

I was truly convinced because she hadn't truly understood the lifestyle they would have together. Poor and lacking, she would never know the finer things in life. Life in that shack on the reservation would surely pale in comparison to the things she and I would be able to accomplish together, the things I could give and show to her. I longed to show her what our life would be like together. So I brought myself back to this God forsaken town and regained my control over my thirsts and carnal urges, all with the intent of having the opportunity to help her understand. Even if it was day by day in the hour we had together in Biology, between classes at school or even at lunch I would gain her trust. I would go through high school in this hell hole a hundred times over just for one year with her. There was many a night that I sat in the rocking chair in the corner of her bedroom, just watching her sleep and wanting to lie next to her. I somehow knew she was drawn to me just as much as I was to her if only she could see the connection I had to her. I knew in my heart of hearts that this was not her given path; that she was still meant for me. Now I just had to find a way to help her to see that.

So when the revelation of Charlie's incident had come to Alice in a vision and she saw Jacob and Bella racing toward the hospital I knew this would be my next chance. So I broke every natural law to arrive before they did, smiling as I passed Jacob's tiny Rabbit on the highway. I soon breezed into the emergency room waiting room, smiling at the nurses who wilted under my debonair smile and settled quietly into the row of chairs along the back wall. It wasn't long after that Bella came storming in, nervously looking around but missing me entirely; which didn't please me at all. When her eyes finally came to rest on the nurses' station she stomped over and I listened closely to their exchange. Nurse Betty's brash nature caused a chuckle to bubble up and out of my throat but when she snapped at Nurse Annie I frowned, admonishing her softly. "Be nice now Bella, they'd be more than willing to help if you dropped the attitude." Of course she didn't hear and soon their exchange became heated, until Bella was left fuming and trembling. Then he walked in, embracing her from behind. It unnerved me how he was able to fluster the nurses in a similar way to my charms. The scene unfolding in front of me finally reached a fever pitch and my opportunity arose. Apparently from the no good dog's charms Annie had fumbled the pile of files onto the floor where both she and Betty where scrambling over them to reorganize them. That was going to take awhile.

Bella groaned and burst out, "Oh dear God in heaven, can someone please just tell me where my father is?"

I called to her in a voice as sweet as I could muster, "Why hello Bella." She turned quickly and eyed me warily, partially trying to place me and the other part no doubt trying to understand why I was here in the first place. I smiled demurely and set the hook, "Your dad's in the OR with my dad, he's the doctor. He had to pull Charlie into emergency surgery."

Her eyes widened for a moment then she wiped all expression from her eyes and it appears her guard was back up. She looked me square in the face and braced herself, "Okay Edward, start talking."

I controlled every urge I had to flash my brightest smile, realizing that it may not be the most appropriate thing to do at this point. Dialing it down to a more fitting, polite smile I quickly explained. "My dad works here, at the hospital, he's the chief physician on staff here; Carlisle Cullen. I came in to have lunch with him." I lied smoothly. "He could only stop long enough to tell me he couldn't go because he had an emergency heart attack patient coming. Your dad was unconscious when they brought him in and they couldn't get his heart to respond so they were prepping him for emergency surgery the last thing I heard."

In that moment her guard melted again and her anger completely dissolved. Her shoulders slumped and she looked as if she were about to collapse, her face growing paler for a moment. I had to restrain my urge to reach for her and comfort her, realizing that no matter how much I may imagine this, it isn't reality for her yet. I growled softly as Jacob pulled her against his side.

"Bella, honey, are you alright? Maybe you should sit down for a minute, you aren't looking so hot." She wobbled slightly and leaned into him for support; mumbling softly. He gently guided her to sit down in a nearby chair. She sank down into the chair, and I noticed her trembling all over, and a cold sweat broke out over her forehead. I could hear her heart racing a million miles a minute and in spite of our feelings for one another, Jacob and I looked at each other with our faces mirroring the same concern. I hurried over to the nurses' counter and called to Nurse Betty for help, "Betty, please, come quickly! Something is wrong with Bella!" Upon hearing the urgency in my voice she turned away from the chaos with the files, with poor Nurse Annie sprawled across them on the floor trying to gather them into a makeshift pile.

Once she reached where Bella sat, she took a quick inventory then looked into Bella's eyes. "Okay honey, it looks as if you're starting to have an anxiety attack here. Take a few deep breaths for me. There you go sweetie, just a couple more, good job. Now I know you're worried about your dad honey, but you won't be able to help him at all if you're laid up in here too now will you?"

It seemed as if that thought hadn't occurred to Bella, and while she didn't return to normal immediately, she was able to breathe, bringing some of the color back to her cheeks. Both Jake and I breathed a sigh of relief at that.

That was, until we heard the door open and a voice call, "Is anyone here for Charles Swan?"

Bella shot up to her feet and Jake had to catch her to keep her from immediately crashing back into the chair. "Yes sir, that's me; I'm his daughter, Bella." I could hear my father rehearsing this moment in his head and I immediately turned to watch Bella, braced for her reaction.

"I'll need you to come with me, Bella. I'm afraid I have some bad news."