Thank you to everyone on FF, TWCS, and Twilighted who has taken the time to read and comment on my story. I appreciate you all so much.

As always thank you to Mel and Lisa, my PTB betas, and Magan Bagan, my Twilighted beta. You ladies are so awesome on so many levels; you have no idea how much your support means to me.

Hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving!

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter Twenty-six

Coming Out of the Dark

The sun was just starting to rise when I tiptoed through the quiet house. The cool air caused chill bumps to form on my arms, and I quickly rubbed them for warmth. I nodded good morning to the night guard who turned to look at me from his post by the front window as I made my way to the kitchen. The aroma of the strongly brewed coffee filled the room when I poured the dark roast into my cup. I bent my head and took another whiff of the rich flavor before I added my cream and sugar. I leaned back against the counter and took a long drink before I let the more serious thoughts fill my mind.

I wished it was as easy as asking for Edward to make him appear before me. In real life, things didn't work that way.

According to Dr. Biers, I first had to purge myself of the personal demons that plagued me before I could start working on my relationship with Edward.

Dr. Biers worked slowly, cautiously, and treated me with care. When he would talk and ask me questions, at first I felt we were getting nowhere. It frustrated me to the point where I almost lost faith in his therapy, but Dr. Biers wouldn't let me give up. He didn't hold my hand or coddle me but, for a lack of a better word, he made me grow up.

It wasn't until I actually came to understand the self-imposed weight of despair I had willingly chained around myself that I was able to see that my mind held the key to open the locks that held me back. That was what Dr. Biers was trying to help me figure out—how to set myself free.

It was hard—correction—it was agonizing to sit and talk with him. It wasn't anything like you see on television. There wasn't a nice leather couch on which I lay and poured out my heart and soul—after which Dr. Biers would dissect and present me with the perfect answer to solve all of my issues.

No, Dr. Biers made me work to come up with the reasons why I would behave or feel a certain way. The worst part of all it was when he made me talk about when my mother died. It was excruciating, and I was sure when I got through it that there couldn't be anything else that would ever be equal to that amount of pain. This, however, was before he asked me about losing the baby.

When the story of that fateful day tumbled out of my mouth, my heart hurt in a way that I never imagined. It wasn't just the process of losing the baby and the events that led up to it—it was also losing the dreams, the wants and desires that went along with it.

Most importantly, Dr. Biers made me go to the source of my hurt and really come face-to-face with the loss of the happiness I would have felt in fulfilling a role that seemed so natural to me. He helped me understand that when I lost my pregnancy, I lost the inner wish I had to recreate the life I had with my mother.

After all, the only time in my life that was truly normal was when my mother was alive.

The pain I felt when I realized the reasons why I almost willingly gave up and turned a blind-eye to the events that were happening around me and the actions of Jacob and Aro—the truth that instead I wanted to give up control to anyone—because I couldn't face the reality of my situation. Those thoughts were so agonizing to think about.

I was just so weak.

It was after those sessions that I yearned for Edward the most. I wanted to hold him, smell him and just bury myself in him. It was the protective embrace that Edward used to surround me with that I so desperately craved.

Since Edward was not allowed to come to see me until I was properly mentally dissected by Dr. Biers, a late night phone call was all I really had to look forward to.

There were some days I lived to hear his voice, and then there were times I couldn't wait to tell him of the progress I had made.

The soft, soothing words that my husband showered on me always brightened my day. It reminded me that he loved me. It wasn't the cheesy type of love either; it was the deep-in-your-bones type of love. Edward always called when he was supposed to. It didn't matter what time, where, and if he was caught in late-night meeting with representatives from wherever, my amazing man always called.

The relief I heard in his voice the first night I was able to talk to him always stayed with me. He was so worried and stressed over my health that I couldn't hold my emotions when we spoke. I ended up a blubbering mess that night, and of course Edward spent the night reassuring me that our time apart was worth it.

Not every conversation was soothing and loving; there were times when the tension of being apart made being civil almost impossible. It was like prison. I was on the inside trying to earn my freedom, and Edward was my faithful man who had to keep vigil until I was let go.

When my mood was ugly, I would take something small and make it more of an issue than necessary.

It was unfair to both of us, but we had to endure.

Regardless of our issues, we found a middle ground to work on and grow from. Even if we were frustrated and apart, the desire I felt to be with him was more alive than ever.

When I thought about the times where I had questioned Edward's love for me, it, drove me insane. The fact that I could have avoided all the pain that I caused, not only to myself, but to Edward as well, it was a hard pill to swallow.

I refused, however, to keep being a victim to the negative beliefs that I seemed to so readily accept. Dr. Biers had very quickly brought to my attention the need to analyze everything down to a fault. His constant questions about how I felt about things, and why I would feel the need to dwell on them, gave me perspective on how my mind would process something—especially when I was under a great deal of stress.

It was coming to terms with those issues that kept the craziness away, especially during moments when I felt it near impossible to dive deeper and examine my feelings on the betrayal I felt from Leah, Jacob and Aro. I didn't want to think about them. Honestly, I was happy to walk away and never think about them again. But things didn't work that way in therapy or the real world. I couldn't skip over the topics that I decided I didn't want to talk about.

One night while playing poker with Charlie, he brought up the topic of Aro. He mentioned how Aro insisted that he speak with me and had contacted Carlisle and Charlie the moment I was whisked away to Forks. Jasper and Rosalie did an amazing job of drafting the proper paperwork to freeze any and all business dealings with Aro that had my name on it.

Due to the abrupt nature of my rehabilitation, they were only able to legally freeze my accounts and businesses. This way, retaliation Aro might have wanted to unleash on me through my businesses, would be impossible.

The very act of sending such a letter to Aro offended him greatly. The mere thought that I could think that he would steal from me was the greatest insult to him.

I would be lying if I said the idea of angering him didn't freak me out. Aro Volutri wasn't a man who anyone dealt with lightly. He was respected mainly because he was feared. To those he loved, he was a gentle soul who would surround you with love, affection, and protection. However, when you earned his anger, you brought out the worst part of him. I heard the stories and had seen the fear-stricken eyes of those who told them. It was because I loved him and so desperately wanted to only see the best in him that I turned a deaf ear to the stories that would paint my grandfather as a monster.

If any of the dangerous stories about Aro are true then couldn't it be true that he could be responsible for trying to hurt you?

But why? What did I ever do to him? Did he blame me for Renee's death?

No! He hunted down the responsible party and dealt with him. He said so himself, that he had wiped their very existence from this earth.

If not Aro, then who? Think, Bella, think. How can you not know?

A memory popped into my mind; it was one that I had dreamed of often since I came to rehab.

It was always hazy at first, but when things came into focus, it was always the same thing. I was in a dimly lit room and heard a constant beeping sound, which eventually I realized had to be a hospital monitor.

While trying to unsuccessfully get up, I would hear Jacob screaming at someone, and from the sound of his voice, he was not in the same room as me. I couldn't make out the words, but it was obvious from his tone that he was upset. Then there was a flash of light before it became dim again, like someone had opened and shut the door. I knew it wasn't Jacob since his voice was still screaming in the background.

Then I would hear a slow shuffle of footsteps which brought the blurry figure to my bedside. Every time I thought of how I felt in that moment, the hairs on my arms would stand straight up. I remembered being so afraid.

When I tried to speak, a soft feminine voice told me it was going to be all right and to rest. And when the drowsiness set in, I remember her sniffling before she whispered she was, sorry.

Before I had a chance to ask what for, the door opened and the figure turned, quickly gasping.

"What are you doing in here? Don't you know if they see you, it will ruin everything?" a man whispered fiercely to her.

The silhouetted man didn't give her a chance to respond; he just grabbed the woman around the shoulders and ushered her out.

I shook my head as the memory stuck in my spelling dissipated. I couldn't make out from her voice or blurry figure who she was. Regardless, the more I thought about it, the more I realized it was important—it had to be.

When did this happen? Italy? New York? Could there be something else I don't remember?

"Bella?" I looked over my shoulder and saw Charlie standing in the doorway to the kitchen. "Are you doing okay, baby girl?"

Nodding quickly, I gave him room to pour himself a cup of coffee. Wrapping an arm around myself protectively, I took another drink from my mug. Charlie stood watching me as I tried to hide behind my coffee cup.

"Bad dream?" he asked quietly.

"No, just thinking." Looking away, I poured the rest of my coffee down the drain and started to rinse the cup.

"What's got you so stressed this morning?" He lifted his finger to stop me from responding. "And don't tell me nothing, because we both know you definitely have something running circles in your mind. Is it Edward? Are you stressed because you still haven't seen him?"

I sucked on my lower lip before responding. "It's not only being separated from Edward; it's everything. I'm sick of all of this-the waiting and wondering what is going to happen next. This whole thing with Aro is just crazy. I grew up thinking my grandfather was my great uncle and now, along with processing all of that, I'm beginning to wonder what he would have to gain by my death."

Charlie slowly put the cup down on the counter and cleared his throat. "I know that it's a lot to process. The hurt and the betrayal, I get all of it, but I still feel you need to only focus on your recovery. You're not alone in this anymore. Edward, me, and the entire Cullen family are behind you."

I debated telling him about the fragmented dreams I had been having but didn't feel strong enough to disclose just yet.

"I know I should, but I can't help this feeling I have inside of me. It's like I'm missing something really important, and if I don't focus on it, I might never figure it out."

"Is there something you're starting to remember? Do you think you might've blocked something out? It's not uncommon for people to block out traumatic situations and forget key events." I heard Charlie's inner cop coming to the surface from his statement.

"No, it's nothing really. Just my overactive imagination trying to pull something out of nothing, that's all. Don't worry, Dad. I'm fine."

"Are you sure? Because we can sit down and go over anything you want." Charlie persisted.

"No, really, it's okay."

Charlie thought a minute before he walked toward me and folded me into a secure hug.

"I know I let you down. There is nothing I regret more than not being there for you when we lost your mother. Regardless, I want you to know I'm not going to let you down now. So let us worry about the other stuff because we've got your back."

I let out a deep sigh and spoke a muffled "Thanks" into Charlie's chest.

It was so comforting to hear him say those words. Granted, ever since my meltdown in New York and the decision to go under Dr. Biers' care, Charlie had been nothing but supportive. During my volatile recovery from my addiction to painkillers, Charlie hadn't left my side. He even moved into the rehab house and stayed on the same floor as me.

Learning to trust him with my emotions was hard at first. History had shown that Charles Swan was a stubborn man who didn't tend to agree with anyone's opinion but his own. I didn't want to open up at first, but when Charlie took the difficult steps and broke the ice, it was hard not to follow. He started expressing his feelings about how he had failed me, and it forced me to take a leap of faith and start to open up. My effort and trust weren't lost on him, because Charlie hasn't let me down since.

Even t the sit-down sessions we had had together with Dr. Biers helped us both gain some perspective on what the other was going through when we lost Mom.

Both of us found a way to go back there to that horrible time and pull from it what we needed to move forward. While not everything was fully spoken about—yet—enough was brought up and discussed to help us set foundation on which to build.

He let me go when we heard the housekeeper and kitchen staff members walk into the kitchen to start on breakfast. Charlie motioned toward the back porch, and I followed him out. We stood there quietly and stared out at the evergreens which were sprinkled with snow that looked like white dust. For some reason, it was that instant with my dad that just meant so much to me.

We stood there together without any resentment or strife. There wasn't any hidden agenda or personal gain; we both just stood there and took in the quiet calm together.

There were so many times in the past, especially when things between Edward and me were at their worst, that I had wished I'd had the support and comfort that a daughter needed from her father. It hadn't existed between Charlie and me. But that was all in the past now, because after all the insanity and horrifying stages I went through, I finally had what I needed—the feelings of support and the validation I so desperately craved.

I closed my eyes, smiled and took the time to take in the moment. I sighed deeply when a light and airy feeling filled me with happiness.

I took a confident breath and inhaled the cool air; it felt glorious to just stand there and feel. When I blinked back the tears of happiness that filled my vision, I reached up and fanned my eyes.

The action wasn't lost on Charlie who stepped closer and hesitantly asked, "Bella, are you sure you're okay?"

Without a second thought, I uttered the words, "I am now, Dad. I am now."

Deep down inside, I really was.

An: I'm in the process of editing chapter 27. I'm hoping to update soon. xoxo-FunkyD.