Chapter 14 – Choices

Since Carlisle's phone call, I haven't let Bella out of my sight. I kept my ears open for any strange sounds. I went back into the bedroom to check on Bella. She had just finished drinking more blood and the baby was listening to the sound to her voice. Bella sat up and looked at me, "What's wrong?" I shook my head, "Rosalie, Alice, Emmett and Jasper are on their way home." Bella smiled, "Really? Where were they?" "South America." Her eyebrows furrowed, "Why were they there?" I sighed, "Doing research." Bella turned her head and saw the cup, "Is that for me?" "Yes. I'll ask Esme to warm it up."

Esme came into the room, "I already have another one ready. I'll take that one for later." She's drinking over a gallon in less than an hour, but she's doing much better. Esme flitted out of the room, Do not leave her alone. After drinking her cup, she sighed with satisfaction. "I need to finish my book." I handed her a copy of Sense and Sensibility, "Haven't you read this book a thousand times?" "It's my favorite," she mused, "You know that." It was funny how she enjoyed the repetition of the same story.

"All right. If you say so." I turned away from to look out of the window. She huffed and something hit me in the back of the head, "Don't act like that." I looked back at her, "Did you just?" the discarded book was on the floor. She giggled, "Yes, I did. And you can't do anything about it." Bella's playful nature was returning and she was friendlier with me. "You think so?" I challenged, letting a growl grow underneath my voice and her eyes widened, "Esme!"

Esme flew into the room, "What's going on?" Bella smiled smugly and I smiled in return, "Nothing. Bella and I were settling a dispute." She blushed and turned her face. Esme looked between us, being hopeful that we would reconcile our relationship. Bella sighed and stretched her arms over her head, "Oh." "What's wrong?" "Nothing. The baby must have kicked again." No, I didn't. Esme and I looked at each other. "Oh, ow!" Esme and I went to her sides as her breathing increased.

She groaned and gritted her teeth. And there is was, the ripping sound we waited for. It was muffled and similar to the sound of tearing skin. Esme and I froze as Bella gagged and a flow of blood came from her mouth. Carlisle flew into the room, "Move!" That snapped me out of it, "It's coming." "Bella, we need to move you to my office."

She was gasping for air, but shook her head. "Carlisle, she doesn't want to be moved," Esme was holding Bella up so that she could breath. Carlisle dashed out of the room and brought everything he needed. While he was gone, several cracks and snapping sounds came from Bella's body and she screamed. It was breaking more of her bones.

"Edward, I need your help. Esme, make sure her throat is clear and begin simulating her breathing." Carlisle injected her with morphine, but didn't allow it time to spread. Carlisle cut down her torso, with a stream of blood following the scalpel. Behind the blood was the yellow placenta the baby was encased in. Underneath the surface, there was a hue of red, where the baby must be. Carlisle took another scalpel to cut through it, but the tool broke as he tried to cut. Bella was screaming in pain. I looked up as Esme shushed her, "It's ok." Esme had a breathing mask over her mouth, with a bag attached to it. Esme squeezed the bag and Bella's chest rose as the air passed into her lungs.

Bella blinked wildly and her hands moved to her torso, but Esme pinned them done, "I'm sorry, Bella." Esme took Bella's hands and kept them above her head. Bella was breathing on her own and she focused on Esme, as Carlisle and I worked.

"Edward, can you cut through it?" I saw what Carlisle had in mind, so I pressed my teeth to the placenta, but then it cracked and Bella screamed. Underneath the crack, there was a loud sound. "Carlisle!" His eyes were wide, "It broke her pelvic bone. We have to move fast before something else breaks. Edward, do it!"

The placenta was breaking in several places as the baby thrashed around. I want to get out. I cut through the placenta with my teeth and more blood poured out. Carlisle and I moved some of the placenta out of the way, when I saw a pale hand. The small fingers wiggled as it reached outward.

"There!" I moved more of the broken placenta and lifted the child from Bella's body. It was a small round body, covered in blood. The hair was like mine, but curlier and dripping with blood. Bella's body was finally calm. "It's a girl." Esme had a towel in her arms, with a wide smile on her face, "Let me clean her, Edward. Take care of Bella." Carlisle was already cleaning out the placenta from Bella's body. I looked down at the baby and she smiled at me, showing two rows of sharp teeth. The blood on its body stained my clothes, but that wasn't a concern. She nestled her head against my chest, recognizing the sound of my voice, Daddy!

I was holding my daughter. In this short moment, I realized how wrong I was to want to give her up. Bella groaned and I looked at her. The baby looked at her, then to me. Can I see Mommy? Looking through Carlisle's mind, Bella was in no condition to see the baby. "Wait until she's better." I handed the baby to Esme, who swayed it in her arms, "Edward, she is so beautiful. Go, take care of Bella and I'll take care of her." Esme left with the baby to her bedroom.

I went to help Carlisle, who was trying to reset Bella's ribs. "No, one rib is shattered." He looked up, "Edward, take care of her pelvic bone. It's just fractured. I have to check for splinters." Carlisle turned on the portable x-ray machine and put the scanner to her side. She screamed in pain, but we had to ignore it. It was difficult, but I had to focus on helping her. On the monitor, there were several shards. One of positioned that if she moved, it would puncture her lung.

Moving quickly, Carlisle made an incision, holding Bella's body down and he removed the shards. I don't know if we can save her. She's losing too much blood. Her heart is too weak. We may lose her. My eyes widened as I looked at Carlisle. No, I couldn't lose her. After sewing up her incision, Carlisle worked on stitching together her torso from where the baby was removed.

I moved slowly as Carlisle worked. "Edward? Edward, hand me the morphine. She's in too much pain." I handed it to him as I made a final decision. Listening to her heart, it confirmed that she was dying. No, I promised her she would survive this, no matter what. I did promise, but she may not survive as a human. In an act of pure selfishness, I knew what I had to do.

After Carlisle was done stitching and preparing a bag of blood in an IV, I leaned closer to Bella. She was fighting against her eyelids, not allowing them to close. "Forgive me," I whispered into her ear. "Edward?" Carlisle turned, "Edward, no!" I bit into the skin of her neck. I held her body up and bit right above her heart, then both of her wrists. I bit her ankles and her thighs, where there were major arteries. I licked over each wound so the venom and blood would stay in her body.

Carlisle stared at me in shock, "Are you sure about this? You wanted to give her a choice?" My hands began pumping her heart with my hands, "I know. I said she would survive, Carlisle. I promised her." Carlisle closed his eyes and left the room. I pumped her heart until it was stronger than I have heard it in a long time. Her eyes widened and she screamed the loudest scream I've ever heard, "What's happening to me?"

I soothed her as best as I could, "Its ok, Bella. It will be over soon, I promise. This will help you survive." She stared at me, "It burns! Make it stop!" "I'll try." I hated lying to her again, but she would be so much stronger after this. I stayed with Bella while she changed. On the first day, she begged for me to kill her. "Please, Edward, let me die. It hurts too much, please!" I closed my eyes, "Bella, it will be over soon." "Please Edward. If you love me, you'll kill me!"

I closed my eyes and my breath hitched in my throat, "No, Bella. Trust me." I kissed her lips and went to sit in the chair across the room. Eventually, all she did was groan in pain. Esme knocked on the door, "Edward?" I opened the door for her. Esme came in, holding the baby. "I'm sorry, she wanted to see you." The baby had doubled in size in a day. She reached for me and I opened my arms for her.

She smiled and nestled her head into my neck. Esme smiled, "She is so sweet and she looks just like you." "But she has Bella's eyes," I added, "And her curls. She is beautiful." The baby patted my cheek and I saw an image. I saw myself looking back at me, only with a surprised expression, "It's a girl." The baby moved her hand and looked down at her, "She's talented."

Esme smiled, "Yes, what did you see?" "Her first sight of me." Esme smiled, "Edward, she is so smart already. I am going to go shopping. She needs clothes. Can you take care of her until I get back?"

I smiled, "I think I can handle it. Go." The baby looked up at Esme. "I'll be right back, sweetie." The baby pressed her palm to Esme's forehead, Bye bye, Gramma. Esme smiled, "Bye, sweetheart." She kissed the baby's forehead and looked at Bella, "I'll get her some things too." My eyes fell on Bella as she groaned in pain. The baby looked at Bella and touched my face. "She isn't ready yet." The baby looked up at me and widened her eyes, Please?

The same warm brown eyes looked at me, pleading, "All right." I walked the baby over to see Bella. Mercifully, Bella was still and quiet. She looked up at us and her eyes were on the baby. She gritted her teeth, "She looks like you." The baby smiled at the sound of Bella's voice. She reached for Bella, but I pulled her close. No, the baby wanted to be near Bella, knowing she was her mother. "She can't hold you right now, but she will soon." The baby looked up at me and leaned her head on my chest.

The baby looked up as Carlisle came into the room. She smiled brightly at him and he smiled back. She reached for Carlisle and he took her. She took one of his hands and played with his family crest ring. Carlisle chuckled, almost forgetting what he came in for, "Esme's back and so are your brothers and sisters." Esme was up the stairs and the baby looked back. She climbed over Carlisle's shoulder to reach for Esme, making Carlisle laugh.

All of us stepped out of the room. Esme took the baby, "I have never shopped that quickly in my life. I just had to get home to see her." The baby pulled at Esme's hair, trying to take out one of her curls. Alice was coming up the stairs. She smiled brightly at me, then saw the baby, "Oh my goodness, Edward, she is adorable. Can I hold her?"

The baby reached for Alice, who opened her arms for the infant. The baby patted Alice's face, then noticed her necklace. Rosalie was right behind Alice, "Look at her. She is gorgeous." I eyed Rosalie as she reached for the baby. "Edward, how is Bella?" I sighed, "I changed her." Rosalie and Alice's eyes widened, "You did what?" I sighed and leaned against the wall, "I know. I know."

After two days, Bella didn't scream and her heart was strong, but slowing down. Jasper and Emmett stayed with me the last day. Her heart began to beat wildly and she screamed out. Soon, her heart stopped and it was over. The three of us stood as we waited for her to move. Alice and Esme had changed her clothes to a dark gray form-fitting sweater dress, with black wrist gloves, dark stockings and boots.

Alice set a mirror by the bed, so Bella could see herself. Her eyes opened and sat up quickly. She was looking over her head. She looked to her side and saw her reflection. Bella gasped as she touched her face. She ripped the gloves off and saw her hands. "No." She felt her body and closed her eyes. She brought her knees up to her torso, wrapped her arms around them and began to cry. "No, no, no!" she cried a tearless sob.

Say something, Emmett edged me. "Bella?" Her cries suddenly stopped and she slowly raised her head. She looked straight at me. Her eyes were beyond anger, they were furious. She bared her teeth, "You!" She moved to get off the bed and she stood. "YOU DID THIS TO ME!" She lunged at me, but Jasper caught her around her torso.

She pushed her hands against him and he flew into the wall. She ran towards me again, but Emmett caught her this time. She snarled in his hold, breaking it and throwing him through the bedroom door into the hallway. Her hands came down on my throat, "You lied to me! You were never going to let me go!"

Emmett and Jasper grabbed her arms and held her down. Jasper calmed her down and I stood as her eyes closed. Jasper calmed her body enough, that it simulated sleep-like state. Emmett looked up at me, "Are you all right?" I shook my head, "No, I'm not."