So, guys, I am thinking maybe 3-4 chapters left including epilogue. And I have the next chapter already just about ready. I should be hitting complete on this hopefully by next weekend if I can keep on writing the way I am.

Also, thank you all so very much for voting As Leaves Fall second in the the top ten fics for the month of October! I was so very surprised yesterday. Definitely made my day. Thank you!

Thanks to Kyla713 for looking this over and putting up with me. Packy, too!

So...Here you go.

~.~

The next morning, as we prepared to meet with Emmett, Charlie called and confirmed that he would be flying in that afternoon. He sounded tired. I was betting that he'd probably had just as much of a crap night of sleep as I did. The worry over Bella and her surgery, along with stronger chemo, made it incredibly hard to relax.

Bella seemed to perk up a bit more at the news her father was coming. At least she would have him and my family surrounding her. She still had no further contact from her mom, which was probably for the best in the long run. Bella didn't need any more stress.

I called Emmett to let him know we were on our way. He had cleared his morning to see Bella, only doing one minor surgery earlier on. He wanted to give Bella a less stressful time and not rush her, since everything about this new development was moving at such a fast pace. Though, deep down, we all knew relaxation for Bella would be far off, even if we tried to keep her occupied and reassured her the best that we could.

The appointment with Emmett was incredibly slow going. We had to administer some Ativan for Bella almost as soon as we entered his office doors—full blown panic attack. She had never had one to that magnitude before. Not even before her last surgery, which was when I would've expected it, rather than now.

Soon, Bella was relaxed and droopy enough to allow nurses to take her blood and record necessary vitals, which was standard pre-surgery procedure. Then, after that was sorted, Emmett pulled her latest scans so she and I could see what he planned to do. He tried to reassure her that he wouldn't have to remove much, though she would likely have a much bigger incision for this surgery than the last one.

Once Emmett was satisfied and got all he needed, he reminded us that there was to be no food or water after midnight, and said he would see us the next day, bright and early.

The ride back to our apartment was silent. It seemed we were both lost in our thoughts, too afraid to break the silence due to one of us possibly giving into the already heavy emotions and breaking down.

After walking into our place, we noticed my parents were gone, most likely on their way to go and pick up Charlie from the airport. I then grabbed Bella and gently pulled her down on the couch with me, laying down before I pulled her on top of me. She flashed me a quick smile, and then burrowed her head under my chin, squeezing me as tightly as she could.

"You know, I love you. I find that I love you more and more each passing day," I told her, kissing her on the top of her head as my arms stayed wrapped around her.

Bella smiled brightly. "I love you, too. So very much," she admitted with a quiet sigh.

A short time later, the door to our apartment opened and in walked my parents and Charlie.

"Baby girl?" Charlie asked as he walked toward the couch, his eyes full of worry. Bella's head tilted up, sleep marring her eyes.

Charlie then pulled at her hand to help her up and dragged her into his arms. "You okay?" his voice was rough with emotion he was trying his damnedest to hold in.

"As okay as I can be, Daddy." Bella wrapped her arms around him, her head on his chest, eyes closed. "So scared."

I looked around the room and could tell that those three little words broke our hearts. All of us would do anything we could to take away her fears.

Later that night, I struggled to sleep again. The apartment was way too quiet for my liking, so I quietly got up out of bed, trying not to wake Bella. Making my way out to the living room, my eyes moved to where our bags were on the floor, all packed for a lengthy hospital stay. I stood in the entry way and just stared into nothing. I wished I could say what filled my mind, but I was too numb and exhausted to really care; fears overrode everything anyway.

There would be no sleep for me.

Hours passed with me alone in the dark. I didn't bother to turn on the television, nor any lights. I couldn't read, either. I just sat there alone until the sun rose.

As morning light broke through the windows, the dawn brought the realization that it could be the day of change. Instantly, dread filled my stomach.

With lead in my feet, I reluctantly went up to wake Bella. "Hey, sweetheart, gotta get up."

Bella grunted a "no" and pulled blankets up over her head. She will never be a morning person.

"No time for grump, my pretty girl." I nudged her again and began pulling the blankets down and off her. "The sooner we get this done, the sooner you'll be back in my arms, love."

"Maybe if I just sleep, everything will magically be all better then," she said, slowly getting out of bed.

"I wish with everything in me that it worked that way."

The hour spent getting ready and driving to the hospital felt like I was slowly being engulfed in quicksand. Inch by inch, second by second.

It was killing me. I hated each block that we passed on the way.

Soon, Bella was in pre-op with nurses hurrying around her, setting up her IV lines and placing her on monitors. Emmett quickly stopped by, letting us know he was all ready, and tried once again to reassure her.

When it came time for Bella to be wheeled back, the fear on her face was clearly shown; there was no way for her to hide it. Charlie was the first to say he'd see her later. He walked close and bent down to her, tears close to falling, as he kissed her forehead and whispered unintelligible things in her ear. My father and mother did the same, Dad taking just a bit longer.

When it came time for me to say goodbye before they took her to the operating room, I found my mouth dry and my heart pounding wildly. I kissed her sweetly on the mouth and scrunched my eyes closed.

"I love you forever and always. Just come back to me, baby. Please?" I choked out, quickly trying to hold back tears myself.

Bella was then wheeled out, taking my heart with her.

The walk back to the waiting room felt increasingly lonely with each step I took.

~.~

The minute the double doors opened up in the waiting room, we all shot to our feet. I was probably the fastest. I went to take a step forward, but the look on Emmett's face told me I was most likely better off sitting down for this.

A million things happened all at once. My heartbeat quickened, my breath grew faster, and thoughts of how we met, our first messages over fanfic, our first meet face to face clashed around in my mind with each step Em took towards us.

That feeling that I had gnawing at me since the moment she was taken back into surgery was now back full force. There was no denying that dark feeling now. It was overtaking me.

"We are not even half way through the surgery, but I had to come and see you. We just got her back. She coded on the table. Took a good couple of minutes to get her back, but the hardest part of the surgery is over. We removed the mass, it is sent off to biopsy as procedure, even though we are sure it is cancerous."

I didn't care to hear anything after the word coded. I couldn't focus on anything else. I knew I felt my mom's hands on my arm at some point, but I didn't care.

She coded. Clinically dead. She coded.

My world felt like it was chipping away, piece by piece, falling into some dark abyss. I knew she was all right...now, but it still didn't feel like she was fully okay until I could lay my eyes on her and gauge for myself.

After what felt like forever, a nurse finally came back out. She said Bella was in recovery, and that they would be moving her up to her room soon, but they would allow one of us to go and see her now.

I looked back at Charlie, signaling that he should be the one to go, but instead, he insisted that I should. I woodenly followed the nurse back, my eyes instantly falling on a sleeping Bella, tubes and wires coming out of her every which way.

I bent down and kissed her cheek, whispering to her that I loved her. The doctor in me eyed her vitals. I took notice that they were strong, and better than what I'd expect after a major surgery.

Some of the heaviness that I was feeling in my heart quickly melted away.

Hours later, up in her private room in the ICU, she finally opened her eyes.

"Welcome back," my voice carried out, clogged with emotion. "Thanks for making it back to me."

She smiled so sweetly, and I knew then that everything changed, in a good way. Chemo, we knew, she would kick ass with. After that, we'd get the forever we wished for. Just a little more work to put in, but my girl was a warrior.

~.~

So... Thoughts?