AN: As I mentioned before I had this written down but I never got the chance to type it up. When I first wrote this I had to hold back the tears since I was in lecture. Even now I had to fight them. I suggest tissues. Enjoy!

Lost Beauty

I could feel the blood in my ears, could feel the pain in my legs protesting from running but I couldn't stop.

I wouldn't stop.

I had to keep running even if it killed me.

I could hear my name being yelled by those I passed. Their voices sounded so far and distant and yet they were a few feet away. Their figures were nothing but blurs of color as I ran by.

Nothing and nobody was going to stop me from teaching my destination. No body.

I finally reached my destination but I had to keep running. Instead of using the elevator, knowing that it would slow me down, I took the stairs. They seemed never ending but I finally reached the desired floor and even then I was still running and stopped in front of the right room.

I wish hadn't though as the sight before my eyes was heartbreaking.

There she was, my wife, my reason for being, laying in a hospital bed with her back towards me. As I made my way towards the bed, I could hear her soft cries that grew louder and louder as I got near. Once I had reached the bed, I couldn't help but join her and wrap my arms around her causing her to cry even harder. Her sobs were so strong that they shook through both of our bodies. It wasn't long until I joined her and I couldn't tell who was crying harder.

We held each other for what felt like eons but in reality it was only minutes, at the most an hour, when she finally spoke.

"She's gone," she sobbed. "She's gone."

"I know, love," I sniffled back.

"She didn't even get a chance to live," she hiccuped. "I didn't keep her safe."

"Emma, don't say that," I soothe her. "You gave her so much in such s short amount of time."

"But not the time she needed," she sobbed into my chest. The entire time we were in each other's arms she was rubbing her protruding belly but it was at this moment that I barely noticed the action. "She didn't make it because of me."

"Stop it, love," I shook her in my arms. I lifted her face out of from her hiding place in my chest and made her look at me. "You did nothing wrong. Do you hear me? These things just happen. You. Did. Nothing. Wrong."

She buried her head back into my chest and began to cry again.

And so did I.

A few days later we were back in the hospital. The nurse helped us settled into a room then gave Emma some sort of medication. When Whale walked into the room a moment later he said that it would start the contractions. Emma and I looked at each other then nodded back at Whale.

Eight hours later, Emma was given more medication to help relax her. I just watched from the corner of the room feeling helpless. After a few minutes, Emma's face got a dreamy look and a nurse told me to stand on the other side of the bed. She instructed me how to hold up Emma's leg as she was going to start pushing. Although she looked at peace, I could see that Emma was still in a great deal pain, emotional pain.

Minutes, and three strong pushes, later and Whale announced that we had a daughter.

She didn't cry though and she wouldn't cry.

The nurse cleaned her up then brought her over to Emma and I. I climbed onto the bed and held both of them in my arms.

This would be the first and last time I will ever hold my daughter. My Isabella "Bella" Hope Jones.