Chapter 12

Stephenie Meyer own Twilight.

"Wait! Don't do it! Stop!" Jacob cried in a broken voice from the corner.

As if in slow motion, Dr. Cullen's hand released the blue switch, and my lungs sucked in air, taking in oxygen for the first time in over a minute. The red spots in my eyes vanished, and the blurry room suddenly came into sharp focus.

"What?" I whispered, turning my head slowly to look at Jake, somehow thinking that any sudden movements might make the words that just left his mouth go away.

I tried to find his eyes, but they were on Carlisle. "How many people have you killed?" Jake asked. His tone was stern, but also strangely vulnerable, as tears were still trickling down his face.

Carlisle stood, and walked toward Jake slowly, holding a defensive hand out to him. "None," he whispered in response. "I've never killed anyone."

Jacob gasped. "No one?"

Carlisle stepped closer. "No one."

The room fell silent as Carlisle and I both stared at Jacob, waiting for his reaction. I was clinging to Edward like a monkey on his back, fighting the urge to rock him, fighting the urge to react…waiting for Jacob's response. My breaths were coming in sputters, but I was breathing…

"And you only feed from animals? Jacob continued. His face was unreadable, totally contradictory in every way. He was crying, and his brow was furrowed so deeply you could hardly see his eyes, but he looked keyed up at the same time…eager for something.

"Yes," Carlisle answered in a firm whisper. "Only animals."

Jacob's movements became frantic. He was pacing and pulling at his hair and shaking out his hands and twisting his feet, moving about in a frenzied blur. His eyes were shooting around the room, landing randomly on different things. Finally, they landed on me, and I will never forget the look he gave me. It was the look of total surrender, total submission, and immense fear combined.

He took a step toward the bed. "Is this really what you want?" he asked me. Then, his eyes wandered over Edward's frail lifeless body, studying it, and wincing as he looked deeper. Wincing at the hopeless condition of the comatose fragile human I was clutching.

"Yes, it's what I want," I whimpered as I gripped tightly to Edward's cool clammy body, my mouth open around his ear. "He's all I've ever wanted."

Jake turned to Carlisle. "How long? How long until she can see him again?"

Suddenly it felt like a bass drum had taken up residence inside of my chest. This question had been swimming around in my head for days, but I always felt too selfish to ask. If Carlisle was willing to save Edward, that was all I had the right to wish for right?

Carlisle shook his head in understanding and looked seriously at Jacob. "I was never planning on doing this for Edward without permission to change Bella too. I thought that was understood."

Then it felt like the bass drum in my chest was plugged into an amplifier. I could barely hear over the sound of my own heart. Carlisle wanted to change me too; an idea that only seconds earlier was unimaginable and inconceivable. But after he said it, after hearing the words fall off of his tongue, I knew it was the only answer, the only solution; and somewhere inside of me, I always knew that. Now that it was on the table, it couldn't be taken off…I wouldn't let it. I wanted it more than anything.

"No, that was not understood," Jake scowled, shooting a pointed glance at me. "Did you know about this?"

My body was trembling, suddenly seeing a lot of anger behind Jacob's frantic eyes. "No," I cried. "But, it's the only way Jacob…Please!"

Jacob's eyes clapped shut, and his fingers pulled together into tight fists. I was afraid he was going to punch something, afraid he was going run out and ruin everything. It felt like at one point he was so close to agreeing, so close…

Then his eyes opened and stared gravely at Carlisle. "You will take care of them? You won't abandon them, or let them hurt anybody?"

"Yes of course," Carlisle assured.

"You're not fucking with me?" Jacob eked out, his eyes pleading for truth from Carlisle. His voice was becoming desperate. He was gasping through his words, like he was short for air. From my spot on the bed, with the fluorescent lights beaming down on his face, he seemed so aged for someone so young. He was worn out, ragged, and exhausted. I realized that this whole ordeal was as hard on him as it was on me, maybe harder. He had been the person holding me up and looking out for me. But, who was looking out for Jacob?

He had spent so much time worrying…

"It will be ok Jacob," I offered through my tears. "We're going to be fine; you don't have to worry about us anymore." I was still holding tightly to Edward, rocking him gently, so unsure of what was happening.

Jacob looked at us. He looked at Edward in my arms, and then he looked at me. I wanted to show him how right it felt, how somewhere deep down I knew, just knew it was going to be fine in the end. But I didn't know how.

So I just looked at him and stared into his eyes, and began to beg. "Please Jacob," I whispered, looking into his eyes while I kissed the top of Edward's head. "Please."

Jacob's eyes slowly closed and he drew in a deep breath. When his eyes opened, he reached his hand out and put it on Edward's head. "Do it," he whispered almost inaudibly. "Save him, and let him be with her again," he said a little louder.

My eyes started pouring like faucets as I let out a relieved sigh. The air leaving my lungs was heavy and burdensome, but the air I drew back in was weightless and invigorating. I placed my hand on top of Jake's on Edward's head. "Thank you," I wept, staring deeply into his chestnut eyes. "Thank you Jacob."

Carlisle stepped toward us. "Are you sure Jacob?" He asked. His tone wasn't happy or blissful, but serious and very stern.

I expected Jacob to pause. I expected him to think it over again. But he answered immediately. "Fucking yes, ok? Just don't make me regret this doc." A tiny smile pulled from Jacob's lips then, and I suddenly felt weightless, energized…like adrenaline was pumping through my veins.

It felt so unfamiliar, a feeling I hadn't felt since the night Edward drown.

I was happy.

"Yaaahh!!" I cried gripping Edward, kissing his face and running my hand up and down his arm.

But Carlisle didn't allow me to celebrate for long. He walked to Edward and put his fingers on the pulse of his neck. "Ok, if we're going to do this. You two need to help me. Can you do that?"

Jake and I both nodded.

"Alright then, we have to get Edward out of here immediately and bring him to my house. We are going to have to keep him alive so we'll need an Ambulance." Carlisle reached for his pocket and in a flash began dialing his cell phone. "Emmett this is Carlisle. I need you to come to the hospital right now, and don't let anybody see you come in. Meet me in the lower level ambulance garage in 10 minutes. Thank you son." He was talking so fast I could barely make out the words, and he was moving about the room at an inhuman pace, checking monitors and collecting things from the drawers by the computer.

Carlisle slammed the phone shut and began gathering supplies out of the cabinet Jake punched.

I remained on the bed clutching Edward. My heart was jumping in anticipation. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Charlie's coat hanging on the coat rack.

Oh crap Charlie.

"My dad! I have to say goodbye to him first! He should be by any minute, he got held up in traffic court!" I cried.

"Yes, that's why we have to hurry," Carlisle said patiently, while he held up a tube and measured it against the one in Edward's throat, and shoved it in Jake's backpack.

"No! I mean I have to say goodbye to my dad, before…"

Carlisle walked to me and placed a hand on my shoulder. "It doesn't have to be tonight Bella; I have equipment at my house. If we can get Edward there it will buy us at least a day, but we don't have long. He is very sick." He walked away from me then and started shoving IV bags into Jake's backpack.

Jake moved from his frozen position by the bed, and turned to look at Carlisle. "What about Edward what will we tell his parents?" He asked uncertainly, but his voice sounded stronger, more confident.

Carlisle didn't stop to answer, he pushed Jake out of the way and reached for the button on Edward's mechanical bed and started lowering us to the ground. "We'll tell them he passed away and was instantly brought to the Crematorium," he said. "Now, if you two don't mind, I need your help."

Carlisle had thought this through that much was obvious.

"And how will I….die?" I asked terrified.

"You won't die…well not yet," Carlisle answered swiftly. "You will tell your dad that you can't bear to be in Forks any longer and need to get away for a while. He'll beg you to stay, but you'll leave in the middle of the night and leave him a note. The note won't tell him where you're going. This will buy us some time to fake your death…which will be much more difficult than faking Edward's," Carlisle told me pointedly as he threw a pair of scrubs at me.

"Put these on!" He said. "You too Jake."

"What are we gonna do?" I cried.

"We are going to sneak Edward out of here! And you two can't access the lower ambulance garage unless they think you are staff! Quickly Bella! Your dad will be here very soon, and if the Masen's come back for any reason…"

Finally understanding the urgency, I quickly wiggled myself out from around Edward and gently placed his back onto the bed. Not caring one bit about modesty, I ripped off my gown and threw on the scrubs.

"Won't people recognize us? I mean the whole staff knows us?" I asked, while tying my scrub pants.

"You two have to sneak out down the fire exit. I will create a diversion and you have to run quickly to the end of the hall and down the exit. Now if you two would excuse me for just a moment I need to go see Emmett in the garage," Carlisle said as he raced out the door.

Once Carlisle was gone the room was completely silent…I looked over at Jake and he was fidgeting with his scrub hat.

I needed to say something.

"Thank You Jake. I don't really understand what is going on between your tribe and the Cullen's. But I do know that the decision you made was a really big deal…and I just want you to know I'm grateful."

Jake smiled at me, but his eyes seemed a bit anxious and worried. "I know you are Bella," he sighed. "I just hope we're doing the right thing."

I stared back at him. "We will have him back Jake," I said confidently. "How can that not be the right thing?"

Jake's eyes lightened and he nodded. "Yeah," he said simply.

Then the door burst open and Carlisle was back.

"Ok kids this is it. Emmett has procured an ambulance and he is waiting for you in the garage. My daughter Alice is on her way, she will be the diversion. Once she comes I will wheel Edward down the service elevator, and you two will go to the fire exit, got it?" Carlisle asked full of excitement.

"What about his tubes and machines? He will die without them!" I cried

"Bella, I have to hook Edward up to a breathing bag and give him artificial respiration. If I can keep his heart beating until we get home he should be just fine."

"If? What do you mean If? That's not good enough!" I screamed

"Bella look at me!" Carlisle demanded while grabbing hold of my shoulders. "You need to trust me. I am very capable of keeping Edward alive, you just need to get yourself downstairs to that ambulance ok?"

The adrenaline was clouding my brain, and I was so excited I never considered how dangerous the transport might be. But looking into Carlisle's confident eyes, I just had to trust him, I knew I could trust him.

"Ok…I do… I trust you,"

Just then a thunderous crash exploded from the lobby. It was quite possibly the loudest noise I have ever heard. Jake pealed back the curtain on the window to Edward's room, and the entire nursing staff was running frantically towards the noise.

Jake and I both looked to Carlisle, the room electric with anticipation.

Carlisle nodded to us and raised his eyebrows. "That must be our diversion," he said. "Ok kids let's go!"

With that I ran to Edward and kissed every available spot on his face frantically and whispered softly into his ear. "Just keep your heart beating. I love you."

Then Jake yanked my arm and we took off running for the fire exit.

We ran down two flights of concrete steps in the dim fluorescent light and found ourselves on the basement level. To the right was the door marked MORGUE, to the left was the ambulance station. Jake and I ran towards the ambulance station and burst through the doors.

The second we were through, Emmett came out of the shadows and put his hand firmly over both our mouths and dragged us quietly into the shadows where he had an ambulance waiting.

Once we were in the darkness and out of sight of what I assume would be security cameras, Emmett let us go and smiled brightly at us. "So you must be Bella?" He asked kindly. Emmett was extremely tall and muscular with dark curly hair. But his face was handsome and gentle and kind.

"Yes, and you are Emmett? I asked mesmerized.

He nodded and then looked to Jake and gave him a genuine smile, but it quickly faded as his ear perked up as if he was listening to something in the distance. "Jake are you a good driver?" he asked quickly.

"Yeah, probably the best driver I know," Jake answered

"Good because you are going to have to drive us out of here! Get behind the wheel man, Carlisle's on his way down!!" Emmett said frantically.

"Bella, get in the passenger seat…NOW!!" Emmett screamed as he ran toward the door to greet Carlisle who was rolling Edward toward the ambulance.

Without hesitation Emmett jumped up onto Edward's bed and straddled Edward's legs. He began giving him chest compression's, while Carlisle pushed the bed and squeezed his air bag. Once they got to the ambulance doors Emmett lifted Edward from the gurney like he weighed no more than a feather and placed him gently on the bed waiting in the ambulance.

As soon as everyone was in Carlisle screamed to Jake. "Go Jake!!!"

Jake tore out of the garage at top speed and made his way onto the highway. I looked back frantically as Carlisle and Emmett worked furiously to keep Edward alive. Tears were rushing down my face as I watched Emmett crush his hands down on Edward's delicate chest.

"Is he ok? Will he make it?" I asked through my tears.

No response

"ANSWER ME DAMN IT!!" I screamed

Carlisle didn't look up from his work, but answered me. "He isn't breathing on his own Bella, we are doing our best to keep him going until we make it to the house, my wife has the respirator ready for us when we arrive," Carlisle said as he squeezed on Edward's air bag.

"Edward hold on baby!!! Do you hear me baby? Hold on and we will be together soon," I called back to him praying that somewhere in his mind he could hear me.

"Where do I turn?" Jake screamed anxiously.

"Take the next right!!" Emmett cried from his crouch on top of Edward.

The tires on the ambulance squealed as Jake turned sharply into the Cullen's driveway. Rosalie and Jasper were waiting at the top of the driveway and began running beside us as we sped down. I looked at the speedometer and it said we were going 50mph and Rosalie and Jasper were running effortlessly beside us.

Jake slammed on the brakes as we reached the house. Rosalie ripped the barn doors to the ambulance open while Jasper helped Carlisle lift Edward's bed to the ground. Emmett was still straddled on top of Edward giving him CPR. Carlisle and Jasper ran into the house holding Edward's bed with Emmet on top as if it weighed nothing.

As I was watching the scene in front of me, my door was yanked open and Rosalie undid my belt and carried me out of the car. "Sorry Bella, but we have to get this ambulance back before anyone notices it's gone," she said to me while running me into the house, holding me like a baby.

Just then Emmett burst out of the front door and got back into the ambulance. He peeled out of the driveway without hesitation.

Rosalie set me down on the floor but my knees were too wobbly to stand so she draped her arm around my back to steady me.

"Here sit down Bella…I'll go get you some water."

"Where's Edward?" I called to her.

"He is upstairs. It's best to just let Carlisle work right now Bella. Edward is in good hands."

Jake came over to me and placed his hand on my shoulder giving it a gentle squeeze. I turned my head to him and just stared into his worried eyes. He sat down on the floor by my legs and put his head in my lap. Rosalie came back with two glasses of water and handed them to us and left us alone. Jake and I sat silently in the foyer for what seemed like hours until Carlisle appeared at the top of the steps.

I jumped quickly out of my seat and ran to him.

"Tell me!!!" I screamed.

Carlisle gave me a kind smile and put his hands reassuringly on my shoulder. "We have him on the respirator and he is doing well. All of his vital signs are…well they are good enough."

Relief washed over me and I let out a pent up sob. The tears I was crying now were not of sorrow, but of relief. "Thank you Carlisle…Thank you," I cried as I wrapped my arms around his cold hard body.

"My pleasure Bella," he said simply.

As Carlisle and I were embracing, Alice walked through the front door carrying a bundle Jake's discarded clothes.

"Did you get everything taken care of?" Carlisle asked her.

"Yep. The Masen's have been informed of their sons passing and believe he is on his way to the Crematorium," Alice answered with a smug smile.

"And the documents?"

"Don't worry Carlisle I took care of everything," she said tersely. "So what did you think of my diversion? I blew up a mini oxygen tank in the storage room! Man was that thing loud!" She was smug and had a curious twinkle in her eye, I liked here immediately.

Carlisle chuckled lightly. "Very nice diversion Alice, very nice."

"Thanks! Oh by the way Bella, your dad was at the hospital looking for you and he seems pretty worried," Alice looked to me concerned, handing me Edward's red sweatshirt that I had stupidly left in Edward's room.

Eyeing the sweatshirt in my hand, Carlisle's face scrunched. "You're sure everything is handled Alice?" He asked again skeptically.

Alice let out a huff. "No one suspects a thing. But Bella you should call your dad."

Carlisle nodded his head, and looked to Jake and I. "Bella and Jake you need to go home, your families will be worried sick. Edward will be just fine I promise," Carlisle said assuring me.

"Ok. May I borrow your phone?" I asked.

"Of course Bella…you may use the one in my office."

"Thanks."

I picked up Carlisle's phone and began dialing.

Ring ….Ring

"Bella…Bella honey is that you?" Charlie asked hysterically.

"Yes dad it's me."

"Oh honey I'm so sorry. I went to the hospital as soon as I could, but you were gone."

My heart began to race as I choked out my next words. "I …I…I can't be here anymore dad, I need to leave. I'm going to come home and get my stuff tonight," I told him, my voice sounding numb and distant.

"Bella, you are just in shock, in mourning. You can't leave, what about the funeral?"

"I'm not going to the funeral. I can't," I answered, my voice robotic and cold.

"What about Ed and Liz? They will be devastated if you don't show up. And besides, where on earth do you plan to go Bella?" Charlie asked, his voice shaky and quivering.

I was silent for a moment, not sure how to proceed. Ultimately I decided to push forward. I needed to be with Edward; Charlie was going to have to lose me. "I don't know yet. I have some money saved up, maybe an island or Mexico or something. I will go to the Masen's tonight and say goodbye and explain why I can't make the funeral. You need to let me do this dad. You really have to trust me when I tell you I can't stick around here…I just can't."

There was dead silence on the other end of the phone, and then I heard Charlie sniff back tears and take a deep breath. "You're a big girl Bella. I guess I can't stop you if this is really what you need to do? I just wish there was something I could do to help you get through this. Knowing you're out there all alone grieving doesn't sit well with me."

Again, I pushed forward, cold and determined. "Thanks Dad. I will see you in a little," I said and quickly hung up the phone.

I walked back into the foyer where Jake, Alice and Carlisle stood. I looked down at my watch to check the time, it was almost 8pm. I needed to get over to Masen's soon, but I wanted to see Edward first before I left.

"I want to see Edward," I asked Carlisle weakly. My voice was weary from the events of the day; the single longest day of my entire life.

"Of course, come with me Bella." Carlisle reached for my hand and escorted me up the stairs.

Carlisle brought me to a large room at the end of the third story hallway. He opened the door and I followed him in. The room was almost a perfect replica of the one in the ICU. Edward was lying in a large hospital style bed with all of the same machines and tubes hooked up to him.

"Why do you have all of this stuff?" I asked.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you Bella," Carlisle answered with a laugh.

"Try me."

Carlisle took a deep breath and looked at me. "Alice bought it on the black market last month...She never told me why until a few days ago when she saw you in the hospital."

"Saw me? Was Alice at the hospital?" I asked.

"No" Carlisle paused looking for words. "She is psychic Bella. She has visions of possible future events. She bought the equipment because she saw what was going to take place today. But she can only see things as people decide to do them."

"I only thought of it two days ago, how would she see the vision last month?" I asked

Carlisle took a long pause. "I don't know Bella, I just don't know. I can only think of one other person who may have thought it, and he is down in the foyer waiting for you."

"Jacob?" I asked as tears began streaming down my face. "Jacob thought of this too?"

Carlisle nodded his head and smiled.

"So her vision…did she see us? Changed I mean?" I asked desperate for more information.

"Look Bella. I think it's best to just get through today. You have a lot of business to take care of at home, and I think it will be easier for you in the long run if you don't get your hopes up too high," Carlisle said gently.

"Please Carlisle…I need to know…"

"Say goodnight to Edward, and go see the Masen's and Charlie. And Bella? Try to get some rest tonight; you will need all of your strength." Then Carlisle turned away from me and exited the room, leaving me without any answers, and alone with Edward.

I walked over to Edward and wiggled my body onto the bed next to him, and put my head on his abdomen. I felt his chest rise and fall as the machine breathed for him. I moved my head slightly higher and listened for the sound of his heart.

Ga gung…ga gung…ga gung

Tears began slipping from my eyes as I listened to the calming rhythm of his heart. For the first time in five months a genuine smile began pulling from my lips. I sat up and wiped my tears from my eyes and brought my face up to his. I left a gentle kiss on his forehead and stepped down from the bed.

While standing, I lightly cradled his face in my hands and moved my lips to his ear. "I love you Edward…always," was all I said, as I turned to walk out the door.

AN- Hey readers! I hope you liked it. It was my longest chapter so far, and it was originally supposed to be a lot longer, but I sort of cut it in two.

If you want to see the second half…please review and tell me what you thought the craziest part of the chapter was? For me personally, it was finding out Jacob thought of all of this a LONG time ago, and Carlisle has known that.

Tell me yours.