A/N: So, it's been awhile since I've updated, and this, unbelieveably, is rushed. The beginning section of this chapter was originally going to be my epilogue before I factored in Damien again.

I really need to finish the chapter of TCT. Some of you expressed an interest in beta-ing for my new fanfic. Within the next month, I will be contacting a couple (or a few) to read and revise with me. I really like my new concept, and if it will be better stylistically and plot-wise. Concerning the award, I will fill you in on the details later. Oh, and if you watch the Daytona 500, you might see me on there, dancing Feb. 15th. :)

While I assembling my playlist for this whole story, here is a chapter and song suggestions.
--"Angel" by Sarah McLachlan
--"The Lion Fell in Love with the Lamb" by Carter Burwell (Twilight The Score)
--"Phascination Phase" by Carter Burwell (Twilight The Score)
I meant to have "Like You'll Never See Me Again" by Alicia Keys for the last chapter before Bella had her confrontation. :)


Chapter 28: Little Angel

Underneath a makeshift tent fashioned by a king-sized sheet and supported by dining room chairs, a flashlight shined on a giggly Edward and Bella. In his blue dinosaur pajamas, and in her sunny smiley face pjs, they continued to converse in the middle of the night.

"Edward, are you ever going to brush your hair when I am gone?" Bella asked, running her hand through her friend's small mat of hair.

"Are you ever going to cut yours when you're gone?" he retorted, patting hers down.

"No," Bella smiled. "But I might when you brush yours."

"Will you visit a lot?"

Bella shrugged her small shoulders. "I will visit as many times as I can."

Edward smiled. "Can't believe you're leaving tomorrow." Then, his toothy smile—missing baby teeth—fell into a frown.

"I can't believe it either," Bella admitted. "But it is not like I want to leave. I would never leave you, Edward."

He smiled again. "And I would never leave you. Whenever you need me, I will be there. Just take that ring and shine it in the light, and I will be there."

"So, this ring has superpowers?" questioned Bella, curious to know if Edward was Batman. Or a Power ranger.

"Yes," he grinned. "But it only works between you and me. Our own secret code of language."

"You mean, like when the adults use big words on the phone so we can't understand?"

"Better," he whispered.

"Cool," she said in awe as she looked at the tiny ring on her finger. "But will you miss me?"

"Of course I will miss my best friend…and girlfriend." Little Edward suddenly blushed at his words. "But don't tell anyone that."

"I won't," Bella promised. "Do you think you will ever find another girl who doesn't have cooties to like?"

Edward stuck his tongue. "All the girls besides you and Alice have cooties. I wouldn't even share my peanut butter and jelly with them."

Bella laughed. "I won't find another boy. None of them will have superpowers like you."

Edward looked at his little sweetheart, admiring a beauty that he had a very limited concept about. He leaned over her and kissed the tip of her nose – soft and brief. "I don't want to do that with anyone else," he confessed, blushing again. Not too his surprise, Bella blushed too. "I will miss your redness," he chuckled as he touched her soft flushed cheek.

"I will miss our adventures," she said. "Thumb wrestle?"

"Sure!"

Quickly, both for them rose from the blanket they were sharing to an upright position for their game. Interlocking hands, Edward and Bella continued to chat while competing against each other.

"You know I will win," Edward said, self-assured of his victory.

"That's because you cheat!" Bella pouted as she lost a match. "Another round."

Edward explained "I don't cheat. I just don't follow the rules. Besides, you are just easy to beat."

"I have…beaten you before," Bella struggled when Edward pinned down her thumb again.

"Ha ha, I beat you," Bella gloated as she held down Edward's thumb. He was about to disclose to her that he had let her win, but he decided to keep that as his own secret.

A yawn escaped from Edward's mouth which inevitably caused Bella to yawn as well. "Are you sleepy?" he asked lethargically, trying to fight sleep.

"Noooo," Bella lied as her speech slurred. "But I think I'm going to lie down."

"Me too."

Both of them plopped their heads onto their designated pillows and faced each other, snuggled under the same blanket.

"I know in church they say that you should love everyone, but I really love you, Bella." His soon-to-be smooth voice was no louder than a whisper, but the intensity of his words rang true in Bella's ear.

"I…love you…Edward," she repeated reaching for his hand. "Edward?"

"Yes, Bella?" He had taken her into a hug.

"Will I always be yours?" Bella had closed her eyes, but could still see her best friend's childish face on her lids.

"Always," he whispered into her ear. "I can't stop loving you. It's like…impossible."

"Pinky swear?"

"Pinky swear."

EDWARD

I lied to Bella. There was never enough time. I was far too late.

The red and white lights of the emergency vehicles flashed before my eyes. Like a beacon, they illuminated my bloodstained hands. My shirt was covered in the gore as well, making me look more like the victim.

Sweat and tears collected on my cheeks involuntarily. I staggered out with my lifeless load in my hands. I saw the blurs of colors and people, but couldn't concentrate on anything but Bella. I yelled for help, anybody to help…

I refuse to remember anything in between, until I found myself in a familiar, though I have never visited before, building.

As I paced across the clean, white floor, distraught and going out of my mind, I couldn't hide the rusty stain on my skin. Though it was early in the morning, nurses and doctors swarmed like bees all around me, bustling down the hall with medical instruments.

My body suffering from convulsions, but I refused to take Valium. My judgment had already been passed. I was to start my sentence, my eternal punishment—to stalk these medical halls like a poltergeist.

It was all too much for me to take in at one time. The doctors attempted to explain, but I couldn't nor would I listen to them. I shouted, angry with their unsuitable explanations. I just wanted one simple answer, but they kept answering incorrectly.

"Sir, you have to calm down," one of the nurses tried to coax. I yelled out incoherently at her. "Sir, you have to calm down, so we can further discuss the situation."

"No!" My voice thundered defiantly. I didn't want to hear it as my body continued to shake with a mixture of rage, my heart continuing to shatter. Just then, arms restrained me, and I felt something pierce the side of my arm—a loaded needle.

"I'll tell my father about this," I remember threatening. Feeling the sedation of the drugs taking me under, I gave one more attempt—"She's the love of my life…"

Everything went black for a moment, then, faded into a white. I knew I had to be dreaming, but it was nice to be at peace. First thing I noticed was that my hands were clean of the sacrifice. My shirt was no longer spotted in disgrace. Flowers and grass started to burgeon underneath my feet as trees shot up around me, towering like edifices. The soft yellow light that poured into the space, creating a natural sanctuary, revealed to me the meadow.

There was an angelic figure in white lying amongst the blooming flora. Her hair waved from her head, creating a dark halo around her creamy face. If water was substituted for the grass, she would resemble Ophelia. There were no physical inflictions from Damien on her flawless skin as she lay. With her red lips, normal in size, she smiled. "I've been expecting you," her voice like bells, chiming in a beautiful tone.

"Sorry, I'm late," I mumbled, strolling towards her. I could see she was in a vintage white lace dress, something out of the early twentieth century.

She patted the vacant spot on her right flank, ushering me to her side. At her request, I lied down next to her in the grass.

"I was late," I frowned, staring at the sky.

"You were right on time, Edward," she pointed out. "Don't beat yourself up."

"Sorry…" On my elbow, I looked at her graceful body.

"Stop being sorry," she chided softly, holding her right palm close. "It's easy to blame yourself in this situation, but sometimes, you have to let things go…" Just then, she opened her hand, releasing a butterscotch-colored butterfly. It fluttered up towards the canopy, until it was lost to us by the sun.

"I can do this forever," she sighed quietly next to me.

"What, gaze at the sky?" I asked, looking back at her. So beautiful was she that my breath caught, my imagination doing her no justice.

Twisting herself to the side, Bella turned her eyes to me and smiled. "No, be with you. It's like when we were kids, just hanging out by the curb, sharing popsicles in the little sun we did have."

"Such happy times," I murmured.

"Who knew when we were young we would be together again?"

"We should have known," I chuckled, watching Bella join in. Suddenly, I became serious, whispering, "I love you."

"I love you, too, and now, it's over. I'm free." She lifted her hands toward the sky.

"I miss you, Bella."

"I know," she sighed, lowering her eyes. Her fingers played with the blades of grass. "But this is the way life works. You win some, you lose some." She shrugged her almost bare shoulders.

"But I don't want to lose you," I pleaded, holding her hand close to my chest. "I can't lose you. I already tried to live without you and failed. Miserably. I can't let you go, Bella."

"Edward…" her voice was troubled. "While I'm flattered, I just don't want to worry myself with the outside world. This is it. Let's make this last as long as forever gives us." She bit her lip, but then pushed her lips out.

I only had until I awakened. Then, it was off to face the unsettling truth again.

"Are you promising me forever?" I touched her cheek, smooth and warm from the heat. I touched her small pouty mouth, which caused her to smile slightly.

She nodded. "I am…I will never stop wanting you. Even when my heart ceases to beat, I will still want you forever, Edward."

Slowly, I leaned myself towards her, letting my lips touch hers as softly as I could manage.

Forevermore in my mind, I was content with the lying in the meadow with my angel.

However, fate had a different outlook on my eternity outside of the dream realm.

RENÉE

As a mother, the last thing I wanted to hear was something about my daughter, Bella. I wished nothing worse than a broken bone would ever befall her. Of course, that wish seemed like a complete waste of breath as I sat in a jet with Charlie. I heaved dry sobs as my tear ducts ran dry an hour ago. He rubbed my back soothingly, but it didn't help much as I cried out for my little girl.

When her heart broke, so did mine.

I remember when I cradled Bella, as a baby, in my arms. One time, she cried and I didn't know what she wanted. I had fed her, changed her, and tried to put her to sleep. Pacing the bottom floor, I rocked her gently, trying to calm her. But it wasn't working. At that moment, I cried with her, feeling her small frustration as my own.

At this memory, more sobs escape from my throat, already hoarse and scratchy from my previous burst of emotions. Charlie held my hand, but said nothing.

What could he say?

Bella, my sweet baby girl. The one I watched blossom into a young woman. She was the one I held to my chest for the first time in the hospital. Her eyes were closed, her lips were pursed. Small tufts of brown hair on her head naturally curled. She was beautiful and precious and my own. I recall looking over at Charlie with his daughter in my hands. He glowed like a proud father.

Sobs softened to whimpers, and the whimpers quieted to sniffs. I peeked up at Charlie, wiping my eyes to see clearly.

His stared far off in the distance, thinking about his daughter as well.

Charlie wasn't big on emotions, but he was protective over Bella, always trying to make sure she was safe. Now, he must have been replaying his course of action in his head. I rubbed his left knee, lifting my head up to rest it on his shoulder.

It was nice to have a strong, dependable man by my side again.

Charlie kissed my forehead and rubbed my knuckles, trying to relax me. He whispered to me, "I'm here for you, Renny."

"Thank you," I choked out; my throat smarted as the words left. I kissed his hand that I held onto firmly.

I didn't know I fell asleep until I looked out of one of the only windows, catching the rising of the sun. Unfortunately, that didn't bring me any relief.

Touching down, I was antsy. I remember one of my kindergarten boys crying when he received the news that someone had broken his Lego block creation. Though it would hurt to see it all dismantled, he went over to assess the damage and grieve in his own way. I wanted to get out and see my baby, to understand the situation fully, but Charlie confined me within his arms.

I fought against this bind, thrashing my short legs around, but Charlie's grasp didn't falter.

"Don't make it worse than it is," he grunted in my ear.

A scream resounded around me, painfully expounding from my throat. "I NEED MY BABY!" I chanted repeatedly. The police who escorted us paid no attention to my outburst. I fought to get out of Charlie's arm, but he wasn't budging. When I was done struggling, my body, trembling, slumped into his arms, and I cried.

I cried for my baby, her life forever changed.

I cried for Charlie, who silently wept.

I cried for lost love, forgotten like a passerby's face.

The police were ahead of us, probably waiting until we caught up to them, but I didn't want to leave this spot. I didn't want to leave Charlie and this moment. I didn't want to think about what would happen when I went back to Arizona, leaving Charlie.

He let me lay in his arms as he allayed my mood with his silent company. It was pleasant, being able to live in harmony with Charlie at this moment—yin and yang, bold and mild, loud and soft, man and woman…

--

"Mr. and Mrs. Swan," the doctor whispered, not realizing Charlie and I were not married. We were in the hall, patients and hospital personnel rushing by. The doctor's countenance seemed weary as if he had been up all night, working laboriously with a patient. Remorse filled the wrinkles of his brow, though he looked young enough to be an adult son of mine.

I knew it was coming. I'm sorry. There's nothing we can do.

Those were the words Damien told me, regarding his father's death. "The doctor pulled me to the side, touched my shoulder, and said, "Sorry, son...."

The words seemed like they were never coming as I waited for him to spit them out. My mouth was faster than my brain. "She's dead. She's dead, isn't she?"

The doctor—named Dr. Evans—sighed. "Mrs. Swan--"

"She is, isn't she?" My voice didn't break as if I was going to cry again. Instead, it was devoid of any emotion, afraid to lean any way on the spectrum with the extremes, optimism and pessimism.

"Please," the doctor pleaded. "We'll get to Isabella in a moment. What I need to discuss is the boyfriend—Edward Cullen."

"He got Edward too," I assumed, not thinking.

Charlie wrapped his arm around my waist in an attempt to calm me.

Dr. Evans ignored me. "We admitted him as well this early morning. We're waiting for his parents as well."

"Where's Bella?" Charlie asked, gaining his voice.

"She's alive," the doctor offered, though not very enthusiastically. "But…she was unconscious when we received her. We have determined that she is in a coma, emphasis on her response to the pain. She's on morphine. Based on her injuries and the police information, she went through something very traumatic. Her brain is protecting her from that memory."

"How long will she be like that?" Charlie demanded, squeezing his hand tighter on my skin.

"Sir, we don't know at moment, but it can be anywhere between hours, days, in extreme cases, years."

Charlie shook his head. "I want to see my daughter."

The doctor knew he couldn't keep us from our child, so off we went down the hall. I looked at the numbers on the doors, hoping the next one was ours. It never was.

505…506…507…508…

We passed a nurse's station. I looked over at them, and one smiled apologetically back.

511…512…513.

We stopped. Dr. Evans twisted the knob and pushed open the door to a softly lit room. Two beds dominated the space, separated by a curtain. Both bodies in the room looked peaceful, happy almost. This look of comfort was one I saw when Edward and Bella took naps together. I wondered if they felt each other's presence in the room.

Machines beeped in the far corners, alerting their cardio-status.

Bella's hair lied delicately around her, as if they were preparing her body. Her face was battered and bruised, making me gasp at the sight.

Charlie and Dr. Evans stepped out for a discussion while I stayed with the two children.

I started thinking aloud as I wandered the perimeter of the room. "Well, kids, I'm here, without a full night's rest and a change of clothes." I laughed once, thinking it was funny. "You, two, always end up in trouble, but I never thought I'd see the day…" I sniffed back the working tears, not completing my thought. I sighed instead. "If only I would have known…if only I would have just stayed with Charlie with the first place. I wish you, Bella, hadn't tried to take care of this problem yourself.

"Sometimes, you won't let me be your mother. I feel like I'm not doing enough for you. Baby, I wanted to protect you from these things, but I was too busy being selfish, and you were too busy being selfless to communicate properly." The tears cascaded over my eyelids, but didn't hinder my speech. "You didn't want to let me go because you wanted to take care of me, didn't you? Not that I expect you to answer. You help me out so much, Bella, my right-hand man. I love you, darling, but you're gonna' have to start living your life for yourself. I'll be just fine. It's time for me to grow up."

I crossed the middle of the room, and Edward's face came into my view. "You always loved him…" I whispered. "And he always loved you. Even before you, two, had any idea what love was or entailed…or required, you loved. In your childish naiveté, you had a better understanding than I did." My eyes dropped to the ground as I brought my hands behind my back.

"My old, middle-aged daughter," I chuckled to myself.

Peeking at the door, I continued. "If you pull through this, which I know you will—I can feel it—I see you being very successful in life, with Edward by your side. Don't ever let him go, hon. He's a rare breed. Don't ever let the man that you love go…even if you find yourself losing your mind or afraid to take a leap of faith…or forgetting the memories that paved your journey as a couple. Don't let him go. Even if you don't think you're strong enough to make it through the rough patch or love each other enough to see the relationship through." Really, I was speaking the words I should have heeded more than a decade ago.

"Don't forget he was the one who held your hand when you were weak and scared. When you held him so tightly, you thought he would crumble, but he held steadfast. The one that whispered 'I love you' even when you were asleep."

"Even when we were apart, she never made me doubt the power of love," I suddenly heard. I turned around, covering my hand over my mouth. I was embarrassed to be caught with my heart exposed again. Our patients were still resting, and it felt as if the world had stopped for me. Me being selfish again.

We had apologized, but never said the words we longed to say. After a decade, we could probably fill books with our impromptu speeches.

I strolled over to Charlie, knowing it was my turn to tell him how I really felt.

I took his cheeks into my hands, though the tears kept flowing. He took my face in his as well. I rested my forehead against his, smiling sadly. How it took our daughter to bring us together. My eyes closed, I felt Bella was better. Everything was going to be alright in the end for all of us.

"I love you," I whispered to Charlie. I didn't want him to respond, instead, I kissed him before he could reciprocate.

My mind stopped processing information past the fact that I told Charlie I loved him. I loved him so much. Too much.

"I love you," I repeated again in between our kiss. "I love you." The taste of salt flavored the kiss as it fell from my eyes. Charlie didn't seem to mind.

The man I left so long ago was the man I loved.

Usually when a person professes their love, there is a risk involved. There was no sure way to know if the feelings would be requited.

I knew Charlie loved me, and that's what hurt. While I was "finding myself," Charlie was waiting for me to return. Somehow, he knew I would come back to him, whether it had been days, months, or years in this case. What was most depressing was that it took my daughter to bring us together.

Bella, our little angel.

A/N: I like Renée as a character because she is an unexplored character in the Twilight in my opinion. I don't know how many reviews I can get off of this chapter, but I'm aiming at 75 to 100, well under the amount of readers who have favorited/alerted this fanfic.

Question: Do you want to hear from Damien??? Tell me in your review!

Thanks for all the fabulous reviews, people. They bring me sanity and happiness!

Honored to serve with my mind...TJ