[A/N: Hello! Long time no see! Thank you for reading my story and for all those who sent me reviews. A few things should be made clear, though: Edward is NOT a bad father. Or selfish. He's a bit stupid, yes, but most of all, he's in deep DENIAL. It's not unheard of and it's something that I decided to address in my story because it HAPPENS, it's a natural reaction that can make people make stupid decisions like sadness and anger, too. Also, if both Edward and Bella didn't have any growing up to do, there would be no point in writing fiction for them. Second, I do realize the way some medical situations are portrayed here is NOT totally accurate, and it's a bit of the intention. This is a work of fiction. I hope you like this chapter and please review. See you at the bottom.]

DISCLAIMER: All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.

Chapter 9

[BPOV]

I had just woken up on Saturday morning. Seth was doing much better that day. Ali, Rose and I had even arranged a playdate for him with Arthur, Riley and Lily later, and he was really looking forward to it.

It was just a little after eight when my phone rang. Figuring it was probably Edward, I picked up.

"Hello?"

"Bella?" a sweet female voice spoke to me. Tanya. I furrowed my eyebrows.

"Tanya. Good morning."

"I'm just calling you to ask if Seth's doing fine. I'm worried about him, but also there's something else. I planned a weekend in Seattle with Edward, because he's basically a zombie these days and we haven't spent a lot of time together. I just want him to clear his head, you know? Is it okay if we go? His phone will be on all the time and we'll be back tomorrow."

I rolled my eyes. Tanya wanted 'quality time' with him. Of course I believed her when she said Edward looked like a zombie. Jasper had told me he spent many extra hours at the office, and he had been in my house to see Seth at least ninety-two out of the ninety-five days that had passed since we received his diagnosis. I knew he wasn't sleeping because neither was I. Besides, Seth was doing okay and we had things planned with him. My parents were coming over that evening and would spend the Sunday with us. I didn't see Edward's short absence as such a big deal as long as he would pick up my calls and check on Seth from time to time. That's what I told her.

"Deal! Thank you, Bella. I owe you one."

"Yeah, whatever. Bye." I was too tired to sugar coat my words towards her.

Jake and I were back to speaking normally since that argument. He apologized to me later on and set his priorities straight again. From that day on, he didn't speak another word about Edward and went back to being just my husband and not a jealous jerk.

The children came over to spend some time with Seth and he had a blast. Of course he wasn't able to run around and play like he wanted to, but they found other things to do and had lots of fun anyway. Emmett spent the day with me and we caught up on our conversation. Alice was there, too, but she left early because she got very tired. Jasper would come and get Arthur later.

For one day, I was able to feel normal again. My son was playing with his cousins, my brother was home with me and my husband was in a perfectly good mood. Edward called me to check on Seth twice on Saturday and I told him everything was fine. He even asked me if I wanted him to go back to Port Angeles and cut his trip short, but I told him not to worry and get some rest. My family would all be there anyway and Seth really did seem to be doing fine.

My parents spent all Sunday with us and it was amazing. With Seth that sick, I hadn't gone to Forks in a while. I missed them, at that moment more than any other. Sometimes parents need their parents, too.

Just like we had arranged, Edward called to check on Seth a few times. The last call was at around four p.m and he said he would be home soon. That was around the time my parents left to go back to Forks. I was happy to have had such a great weekend with my family and to see my son better.

I was just reading a book when I heard Seth's little steps approach me.

"Mom…" when I looked at him, there was blood everywhere. His nose was bleeding so profusely I almost passed out. From that moment, everything that happened was just a blur to me. I was so desperate the only thing I noticed was that we were in the car and that Jacob had used my phone to let Edward know, but he didn't pick up or reply the messages. That made me even more hysterical and I know I should try my hardest not to freak out and scare Seth even more, but I just wasn't in any control over myself. When we got to the hospital, they took Seth away immediately and I just cried and cried. Jake tried to comfort me, but just his touch made my blood boil. I was both scared for my son's life and furious that the one time that entire weekend that I needed Edward to just know what was going on he would disappear. I don't know where he came from, but suddenly Carlisle was standing next to me. He spoke something that I couldn't quite make out, but something about the firm grasp he had on my shoulders felt different than Jake's attempt at a soothing touch. It brought me down a bit. The tears just fell free now and then he just hugged me. I sobbed so hard into his shoulders I felt like I was going to disintegrate.

"Bella… it's okay. He's being taken care of. It'll be fine, honey. Come on, breathe."

I tried, but it felt more difficult than coming back for air after being underwater for a long time. I felt just awful.

"Wh-where t-the fuck is Edward?" I shook violently and felt like I was drowning. The words left my mouth as if I were trying to cough them up instead of just saying them.

"We're trying to get a hold of him. It's not like him to turn off his phone… he'll be here soon."

I had never, ever felt more scared than I did at that time. The anger that went through me was nothing like I had ever experienced before. The Cullens started showing up but I didn't talk to anyone. Dr. Smithers was nowhere to be seen and no one was there to tell me a damn thing. When I saw Edward pretty much running to where we were, I lunged towards him and started screaming as many profanities as I could. He held my arms without hurting me, but something caught in my throat and everything went black.

[EPOV]

I had never, in almost seven years, seen Bella like that. The way she came to me and almost hit me was not what bothered me. Her eyes were just so bloodshot and scared, I would never forget what I saw in them. As much as she was angry, what I could see is that she was absolutely terrified. Then, she just passed out.

I held her in my arms and called someone to help her. My dad rushed to where we were and they stretched Bella on a gurney in order to take her inside. My first instinct was to go along with them, but the other doctor told me that no one was allowed in there just yet. They took her. All of this happened in about three minutes. All I could notice then was that Jacob was across the hall glaring at me. My mom was telling me stuff that I couldn't quite make out. Then Dr. Smithers appeared and started talking at the same time.

"One at a time!" I yelled "Mom, I'll talk to you in a second, I need to hear about Seth then I'm going to check on Bella."

Esme just started at me with bloodshot eyes and shook her head, sitting down on the nearest chair. Then, Dr. Smithers took a deep breath.

"Hello, Mr. Cullen. I think you do know that Seth was rushed in with nasal hemorrhaging, right?" I nodded and she went on "I'm afraid he's going to stay here indefinitely. None of his blood cells levels look good. Mr. Cullen… we need a bone marrow transplant. There's no way around this anymore. I know now is not the time, but since that option isn't coming along as we expected it to, I'll sit down with you and Mrs. Black later so that we can figure out something else."

I don't really know what went through my head that exact moment. My child was going to stay at the hospital for God knows how long. He was not getting any better. At that time, I commanded my brain to stay hopeful. I really did. I tried hard. But the feeling that the ground exploded beneath me was overwhelming. I guess she must have realized I wasn't listening anymore, because she touched my arm reassuringly.

"It's not the end, Mr. Cullen. We can't think like that. I know it's difficult, but we'll try to work something out. You can see him in an hour or so."

I just nodded and she smiled sympathetically before leaving. My dad still hadn't returned, so I sat down next to mom.

"What happened, son?" I knew she was mad at me, but her tone was sad, not angry.

"Tanya turned off my phone. I just noticed after I got home. Don't ask me why, I haven't asked her yet. As soon as the messages reached me, I got in my car and drove here."

She nodded and I went on.

"I don't know what I was thinking. It seemed like he would be okay for the weekend, Bella was happy that the kids were there with him and then her parents too… I… I don't know. I'm not thinking straight, Mom. I'm not dealing with what's going on the right way. I'm scared." tears escaped my eyes as I spoke and then I realized I'd been living in denial that entire time. I knew Seth was not okay, that his disease was bad, but now it just hit me in the face with full force. My son could die and as the same time as I was aware of that, I really wasn't. What if he never got out of the hospital?

My mom probably had loads of things to say and I knew I deserved to hear all of them, but silence was worse. She was disappointed, and so was I. Of course I never expected Tanya to turn off my phone, but I should have stayed home. At that point, I was even doubting if I really wanted to be with her at all.

My dad finally returned and told us Bella had been sedated and would stay overnight. He said the hospital had offered us counseling, and I thought that maybe accepting it would be a good idea. Professional help was just what I needed.

Jacob kept glaring at me and part of me wanted to go up to him and demand him to tell me what the fuck his problem was, but that was so not my priority. Since I didn't want to see Tanya, my mom went to my house to grab a few clothes and other hygiene items. I had no idea how long Seth would be there for, but I wouldn't leave his side.

When she got back at the hospital with my stuff, my mom told me Tanya had gone hysterical. I didn't really care, though. When the doctor cleared me to see Seth and to spend the night there, he opened a big smile.

"Daddy!" he opened his little arms to envelope me in a hug. He was so frail and tiny the hospital gown looked huge on him. It was difficult to hold back tears, but he was smiling, so I had to be strong.

"Hey, there. How are you feeling?"

He shrugged.

"Okay, I guess. I was dizzy, but it's gone now. Where's Mom?"

I took a deep breath and tried to phrase my words carefully so he wouldn't be too worried.

"The doctors are with her, but she's okay. I'm going to spend the night with you."

He nodded.

"She was very scared today." his tone was somber and I really didn't know what to say, so I just held his hand.

"How long am I going to be here for?"

That was another tricky question. Even I feared that answer.

"We don't know that yet."

His green eyes looked at mine and we mirrored each other. At that moment, I felt exactly like a terrified 6 year-old boy.

"Am I ever going home?" his tone was sad, but also slightly annoyed. Still, the fact that he understood that there was a possibility he wouldn't leave the hospital broke my heart in a million pieces. I wasn't able to hold back my tears this time, then I held him close so he wouldn't notice.

"Of course you are, buddy. We're here to make you all better, okay? It's just that… it's taking a little longer than we expected, but you'll be fine."

He nodded and I grabbed one of the books I asked my mom to bring me so I could distract him a bit. Dr. Smithers came to check on him one last time and thirty minutes later, he was asleep. I followed soon after, drifting to sleep on the very uncomfortable sofa. Tanya kept calling me, so I blocked her number for the night.

A few hours later, a soft sound jolted me awake. Opening just one eye, I noticed Bella was in the room with us, sitting at the armchair between the sofa I was in and Seth's bed. She held his hand and looked at him lovingly. I could only imagine how much it killed her to be in this situation.

I rose to a sitting position and she looked at me.

"Sorry. Did I wake you up?" she said in a soft voice.

"No, it's okay. Are you feeling better?"

She shrugged.

"I guess so. Still a little dizzy from all the sedatives, but I'm good. Did Dr. Smithers say anything?"

I sighed. Telling her that our son was not getting better was something I wish I didn't have to do.

"Yeah… she said he's not getting much better. There isn't a date set for his discharge yet and she told us we need to… find an alternative."

She closed her eyes as if holding back tears and just nodded. That night was a nightmare. Seth was not good, Bella was suffering and I couldn't trust the person I had lived with for the past few years.

We were silent for a few minutes and even though she didn't look like she was mad at me anymore, I had some apologizing to do.

"Bella… I'm sorry about what happened. I'm not trying to make any excuses for anything. I wasn't expecting-"

"Tanya to turn off your phone. I know. She was here."

I went dead silent for a moment.

"What do you mean?"

She sighed and looked away from me again.

"I don't really know. I was still a little out of it, but she was crying her eyes out and apologizing. I remember she said something about not wanting you to be disturbed and turned off your phone because you seemed to be in a good mood for the first time in months. Jake told her to get out and I think she wanted to find you, but Carlisle had security make her leave."

I was baffled. Never had I ever imagined Tanya could behave like that. I guess I was in denial about a lot of things.

"I'm sorry anyway. I'm… not dealing with this the right way. I should get professional help."

She nodded.

"You should. You're not a bad guy and I appreciate it that you've been there almost everyday since we had his diagnosis. But I can't have what happened today happen again, Edward. Seth can't have that. Find help if you need to. You're a great dad, and I need that side of yours to be present at all times. And I'm sorry to say that, but I don't want Tanya around my son anymore."

I rubbed my eyes and we looked into each other's eyes. Bella looked ten years younger and ten years older at the same time. If someone told me six years ago that Bella and I would go through so much together, I wouldn't have believed them.

"I don't her around him either. Don't worry about that. But I would like to apologize for… everything, you know. I never really told you how sorry I was about that time you told me you were pregnant and I asked you if it was mine and then said you were stupid. I'm sorry. There's nothing stupid about this whole story. I don't regret a single thing about it and I hope you'll forgive me."

She looked at me for a long time and then nodded.

"It's okay. Really. Of course I forgive you." she gave me a faint smile at the end of her sentence and then we heard the glass door slide. Jacob's head peered inside and he let out a relieved breath. Then, he stared hard at me, as usual.

"Bella!" he said in a low voice "The nurses are looking for you. It's 4 in the morning!"

"I came here to check on him. Last thing I remembered, I passed out and no one told me anything about how he was." her tone seemed annoyed and I noticed Jake rolled his eyes. She got up from her armchair and slowly made her way out. I was going to help her, but Jacob was faster, glaring at me again as he took her hand.

"When he wakes up, you tell me." she said to me "I don't care what time it is. I don't care if I haven't been discharged yet. I want to be here."

I nodded and they left. In no time, I was back to sleep.

The next day, things were a little better. Bella was discharged and we spent all day with Seth. Since just parents were allowed in the room, Jake left to work. By the end of the afternoon, Dr. Smithers and another doctor came to talk to us while Seth received yet another round of medications.

"Mr. Cullen, Mrs. Black, this is Dr. Stevens, he's a geneticist and we're here to talk to you about a few things regarding Seth. As you know, finding a donor has proven to be a difficult task in his case and we've been discussing different scenarios."

Bella and I remained silent, so she went on.

"As you know, the best chance for a good match would come from a sibling."

They both looked expectantly at us and I didn't really get their point at first, then something clicked. That's why she had brought a geneticist with her.

"Whoa, whoa, wait a minute. You're suggesting that Bella and I… have another baby?"

Then, Dr. Stevens spoke up. He was a man in his mid forties who seemed to have had that talk with other desperate parents a few times.

"Yes, actually. It's the best chance we got so far. We would create test-tube embryos and select those that are compatible to him and also that do not carry the disease. Then, they would be implanted into Mrs. Black's womb via IVF."

Bella and I just stared at them agape. Were they for real? Was that an actual suggestion? Dr. Smithers sensed our concern and gave us a sympathetic smile.

"I know this sounds extreme, but we wouldn't suggest it if there was any way around it. We're dealing with time. We can stabilize Seth until the new baby is born and able to donate tissue if necessary, but we hope that cord blood will be enough, at first at least. But we need a perfect match, or as close to that as possible. We really can't risk graft versus host disease at this point. It would be fatal. I know it's a very tricky situation and we can't bring a child into this world to be a medical commodity, that's why we need you to think it through and talk to your spouses. The hospital offers counseling, I think you should see our therapist to make that decision. Excuse us."

They both left. Bella and I stared at each other for a long, long time. It would be an entirely other story if we were married. Or at least together. Or at least not married to other people, in her case. God, Jake would never leave her alone again if she accepted to have another child with me.

"I can't make this decision right now. I just can't."

I nodded.

"I know, right? Let's… let's think it through some other time. Talk to Jacob first… I don't know. There's got to be something else we could do… this sounds… I don't know."

I was lost in my own thoughts and her expression mirrored mine. She just nodded and we walked together back to Seth's room. He was doing better that morning and his tests showed no big change.

The idea of having another child didn't bother me. Strangely enough, I wasn't even bothered by the idea of having a child with Bella. It was just a very weird situation. I didn't want to bring a new child into the world to serve as a medical resource. That sounded plain wrong. I wanted to see Seth better with everything I had, though. Also, a new baby couldn't bring anything but good news, right? Maybe it would be the beginning of a better time in the lives of everyone involved. I would not push Bella to that decision, though.

[BPOV]

An entire week passed and Seth showed no big change. Of course he was feeling better and all, but the doctors didn't want to discharge him just yet.

Jake and I had a huge argument over the whole new baby thing. He was pissed off at first, because in his words, I had postponed our plans to have a baby of our own and was super excited over the chance to have another child with Edward. It didn't matter if my son's life was at stake, just who, for a genetic matter, would father a possible second child. I told him he was a selfish jerk and we spent two days not talking to each other. Eventually he came around and told me he would support any of my decisions to save Seth. I accepted his apologies, but they didn't convince me at all. Deep down I knew he had changed since Seth got sick and I had no idea how much more I would take from him in that situation.

Edward broke up with Tanya. He says she threw a fit and her sister Kate had to come and get her. He even had his locks changed. Okay, I never fully trusted Tanya, but I never imagined she would behave like a spoiled child to that extent.

I liked Kate. She always seemed to be a level headed girl and on the few occasions I had met her, we always engaged in interesting conversations. So different from her harebrained younger sister.

Edward was seeing a therapist and seemed to be doing a lot better, to a point that I guess he was dealing with Seth's situation better than I was. Also, with Tanya out of his life, he was in a better mood. Since we spent a lot of time together, it's safe to say we were truly friends again, and not just two people who got along because of their kid. Jake didn't like that at all, but he had no say in that. He knew from day one that I had a child and that his father was present.

One day, I left to get some lunch while Edward stayed with Seth. Carlisle joined me and we had a pleasant conversation. I really liked him. His soothing presence helped me a lot through those times. Aside from my parents, Carlisle and Esme were the best set of grandparents I could have imagined for my child.

When I got back, there were people moving around in Seth's room. From the outside, I noticed his nose was bleeding again. That familiar panicky sensation took hold of me again and my vision started to blur. The last thing I remember is a pair of strong hands holding me and Edward's voice calling my name.

What felt like hours later, I woke up. Edward and Carlisle were there. He checked my eyes with a light, and I told him I was fine. More than twenty minutes and a talk about me needing to see a therapist later, he finally let me out.

"We're doing it." I said to Edward on our way to Seth's room. He looked at me in confusion.

"Doing what?"

I took a deep breath.

"The IVF, Edward. We're having a baby."

[A/N: There's an obvious difference as to how Jake's portrayed in BPOV and EPOV because each of them realizes things about him that the other doesn't and vice versa. If the subject of babies created to save siblings disturbs you in any way, I advise you read my story carefully.]