Hi all, * waves *. Sorry this update has taken so long. RL is getting in the way a bit at the moment.

Thanks to Courtney0624 for pre-reading and to Cuties16 for offering.

I hope you enjoy...

Chapter 21

Edward Cullen

I must admit to panicking a little when Nadie fainted. I was trying desperately to hear John's thoughts... to see if he was going to come back anytime soon. I couldn't hear anything from him. We had time to sort this out.

Nadie came round. Bella was holding her, soothing her, telling her everything would work out just fine.

"Bella Cullen," Nadie's first words were my wife's name. Her thoughts were thoroughly confused. She was still uncomfortable enough to be using Bella's full name.

"I'm here, Nadie." Bella tried to re-assure her. "I'm right here and Bree's fine. She's more than fine. She's happy. I promise you."

"I need my meds now." Nadie said. She was sobbing. "I need David. I need to sleep. Breanne,"

"We understand, Nadie." Bella said. "This has all been too much for you to take in. David will be back soon. We'll get the nurse to get your meds now. Billy will be here tomorrow, he will explain it all to you. Please, just keep your promise to stop talking about vampires."

"I will, now that I know I'm not going out of my mind." Nadie promised. "I know that I need to rest now. I need David here. I won't tell him any of this right now. I might never tell him. Breanne, I need to know about my daughter."

"Nadie, you can never tell him what we are." Bella told her. "Billy will explain about Breanne. I promise."

The nurse came in then and gave Nadie the drugs she desperately needed. She fell asleep almost immediately. She was still asleep when David arrived back.

"How is she?" He asked immediately.

"She's asleep now. She was asking for you. She really needs you David." Bella told him.

"I'll be here for her as much as I can be. I can promise you that. I do have other parishioners to deal with though. I will try to be around as much as possible."

I could hear that David was struggling, he had an inner turmoil going on, wanting to be here for Nadie but not wanting it to effect his regular duties.

"David, we appreciate everything you've done, we really do." I told him. "Things should get much easier tomorrow. We'll bring Billy here. John has okay'd that. Once they get re-acquainted, then you won't need to be here so often."

"I'd like to be here to meet Natalie's brother. Thank him for making this possible... you know?" David said.

"I'm sure he'd want you to be here too. He'll probably have a lot of questions for you." Bella pointed out.

"Look, David, we're going to head off now. We have a meeting with Billy. Please tell Natalie that we'll be back tomorrow and we'll have her brother with us." I told him.

We bade him goodbye, telling him that we hoped Natalie would be feeling better soon. We headed back towards Port Angeles to meet Billy and Alice.

I hoped that Alice had reigned it in with Billy. I was slightly concerned that she'd have him forced into one of her mega shopping trips. It turned out I was wrong to be concerned. Billy had held his own. He'd actually enjoyed shopping with Alice. In fact, from his thoughts, I saw that it appeared that he'd manage to trump her at least once. Go Billy Black.

Bella Cullen

We took Billy to our favorite Italian restaurant. The one where we'd had our 'first date'. Billy wasn't very adventurous and ordered spaghetti bolognese. Edward and I ordered a pepperoni pizza to share. We'd take it home to Jacob. Billy was much more interested in how our day had gone with his sister than the food.

"She's going to be fine, Billy" I guessed Edward was responding to Billy's thoughts.

"Bella?" Billy asked. I guessed he knew that I wouldn't palm him off with clichés. "How is she really?"

"I spoke to her today... at length" I told him. "She was a little afraid to begin with. The Cullen name had her totally freaked out. I explained to her how we were friends now... family even. She's one hundred percent in detox. She's shaking intermittently, they thought that she was hallucinating because she was talking about vampires. She's been very nauseous and even puked up. I held her hair back. She doesn't look at all well but I suppose that's to be expected. I don't want you to be under any false illusions, Billy. She's just at the start of a long recovery and she'll only get better if she really wants to."

"I understand that, Bella," Billy replied, shovelling a forkful of spaghetti into his mouth. He chewed and swallowed before continuing. "She's never had a reason to get better before, though. Now she will have family and her daughter in her life. If she doesn't take this opportunity now, I don't think she'll ever get better."

Edward nodded. "I think you're right Billy. However, although her thoughts were shocked and confused, I did catch an undertone of determination. She wants to get better. She just needs help. I think she realises that she's gonna get it now."

"What about Bree?" Billy asked.

"David was right about that, Billy. She did really believe that Bree was dead. I told her that she was wrong, that Bree was alive and living with us. She didn't take the news very well." I told him.

"What do you mean? Why would she react badly to good news?" Billy looked very confused.

"It wasn't that she took the news badly." I assured him. "It was more the shock, I think. She fainted, Billy."

"Oh, I see." Billy said, a little shocked. "I take it she came around okay?"

"Yes, she did. She was fine, she just needed her meds then. We've told her you'd explain about Bree when you see her tomorrow. We thought she'd take the news better coming from you." I explained.

"You should know, Billy. She still calls Bree, Breanne." Edward added.

"I'm sure we'll get everything straightened out." Billy promised. "When do you think Bree should be told?" He asked.

"I think it might be best to wait and see how you get on tomorrow. If Nadie really wants to see Bree, then I guess we'll have to tell her sooner rather than later." I said.

Billy nodded and finished eating. Edward paid the tab and we headed back to see if Alice had finally finished shopping.

She looked like the cat who'd got the cream. She was sitting on the hood of Carlisle's car. Looking all pleased with herself. Her smile would have lit up a galaxy.

"Take it you managed to get Jake some new threads?" Billy asked her.

"Of course I did. Surely you didn't doubt me for a second." Alice laughed, she opened the trunk and Billy gasped at the amount of bags she'd managed to fit in there.

"You truly are a force of nature, Alice Cullen." Billy laughed.

"Shall we?" Alice asked, indicating the passenger seat.

"It'll be my pleasure." Billy retorted.

Edward and I left them then. We had to go home and cover for Bree and Seth. I hoped they'd managed to have a good day together.

Rosalie was fuming when we got back. She'd expected Bree to be home earlier and wasn't exactly happy that I'd let her spend the day with Seth.

"Come on Rose, let it go. It's not like they did anything wrong. They just went to the movies." Emmett was pleading with her to calm down.

"Bree didn't tell us she was gonna be out all day. I was worried." She retorted.

"I'm sorry mom," Bree said in a small voice.

"It's my fault," I told Rosalie. "I said that they could go as we were going to Port Angeles with Billy anyway. I should have called and let you know." I said apologetically.

"Well I suppose there's no harm done." Rose conceded. "Just keep your dad and I informed, that's all we ask." She couldn't stay mad at Bree for long.

"I will, mom." Bree said sincerely and hugged her mother.

"Bella," Bree asked me suddenly. "Why were you in Port Angeles with uncle Billy?" Shit, I hadn't thought of her asking that.

"No special reason, sweetheart." I told her. "He wanted to get some new things for Jake, you know how much he grows. Alice and I offered to help. That's all." I replied, hoping I was convincing.

Rosalie scowled at me. I knew exactly where she was coming from. I shrugged my apology.

It was now night-time. Edward and I took Nessie home, the others went about their usual activities. When morning dawned, I found myself strangely nervous, knowing that today, Billy would be meeting his sister.

Billy Black

I'd had a great day with Alice. I hadn't expected to enjoy myself so much. I guessed I'd never really had the chance to shop properly before, so it was a bit of a new experience for me. I was slightly uncomfortable with the Cullens spending money on me, but I reckoned, given the circumstances, if the table was turned now and any of them were in need, I'd do the same for them.

Jake was ecstatic with his new wardrobe. He enjoyed the pizza that Bella and Edward sent home for him, then we both hit the sack.

The morning dawned bright and sunny. That was not a good omen for any of the Cullens to join me on my trip to Seattle.

Alice bounded in mid morning, totally unexpected. Clearly unworried about being caught in the sunshine.

"Sorry to arrive un-announced, Billy." She trilled. "I just thought I'd tidy you up a bit.

She shaved me with an open razor, somehow I wasn't worried by it's sharpness. She trimmed my hair and gave me a manicure... a manicure for fuck's sake.

Alice promised me the rain would come as she finished up and left, declaring that by the time I dressed in what she'd chosen, all would be well.

Sure as anything, the clouds came over around lunchtime and by the time we'd agreed for them to pick me up, it was raining.

I put on the outfit Alice had chosen, black jeans, a white cotton t-shirt and the black cashmere sweater. I pulled on the black boots and I felt like a million dollars. Smart but casual.

It had been agreed that Bella, Edward and Jasper would accompany me to the hospital. It made sense for them to be there. Nadie was familiar with all of them, even though she hadn't officially met Jasper.

As we drove down the highway, nearer and nearer to our destination, I got more and more nervous. I felt Jasper trying to calm me and thanked him for it.

"Don't worry, Billy. You'll be fine, I'm sure of it." Bella told me. "Just don't expect too much."

Truth was, I didn't know what to expect at all. I was terrified of meeting my little sister. It had been so long and so much had happened.

We reached the hospital and parked up.

Once inside, it was obvious the others knew exactly where to go. We went into what looked like a small office, although it could have been a waiting area and were joined almost immediately by a man who, in all honesty, looked slightly dishevelled. He had short dark hair, was of medium height and build but oozed the most beautiful persona.

"Billy, meet pastor David Reynolds." Bella introduced.

"David, may I call you David?" I asked. I was suddenly a little overwhelmed. Before me stood the man who'd probably saved my sister's life.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Sir." David said.

"Please, call me Billy. I'm really not one to stand on ceremony." I laughed nervously.

"Of course, Billy. It's a pleasure to meet you too. Are you ready to see you're sister?"...

Runs and hides in the corner... okay don't hate me too much. You know you love cliffies. I promise I won't keep you too long before I update. Thanks to all of you who have reviewed. I am aiming for 500 on this story. Do you think I'll get there?

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